In the neocortex, the coexistence of temporally locked excitation and inhibition governs complex network activity underlying cognitive functions, and is believed to be altered in several brain diseases. Here we show that this equilibrium can be unlocked by increased activity of layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the mouse neocortex. Somatic depolarization or short bursts of action potentials of layer...

Stress induced constant increase of cortisol level may lead to sleep disorder, but the mechanism remains unclear. Here we described a novel model to investigate stress mimicked sleep disorders induced by repetitive administration of corticosterone (CORT). After 7 days treatment of CORT, rats showed significant sleep disturbance, meanwhile, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) level was notably lowe...

GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus express high levels of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, but because of the diverse roles played by hippocampal interneurons, the impact of activation of these receptors on hippocampal output neurons (i.e., CA1 pyramidal cells) is unclear. Activation of hippocampal interneurons could directly inhibit pyramidal neuron activity but could also prod...

The Nucleus accumbens integrates convergent input from a number of limbic structures, and has been implicated in a variety of behavioral disorders including addiction and schizophrenia. The bistable membrane properties of the principal cell in the NAcb, the GABAergic medium spiny projection neuron (MSP), have been proposed to mediate afferent integration. To investigate how intrinsic properties...

The dopamine (DA) D2 receptor (D2R)-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) in the striatum project to and inhibit the GABAergic neurons in the globus pallidus (GP), forming an important link in the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia movement control circuit. These striatopallidal axon terminals express presynaptic D2Rs that inhibit GABA release and thus regulate basal ganglion function. H...

Neural activity guides the patterning of neuron synaptic territory in the developing nervous system. Evidence supporting this hypothesis comes from numerous studies on projection neurons in neuromuscular and visual systems. It is unknown whether the innervation field of GABAergic interneurons, which forms local dense innervations, follows similar rules. Cortical basket cells innervate hundreds ...

Synaptic maintenance is essential for neural circuit function. In the C. elegans locomotor circuit, motor neurons are in direct contact with the epidermis. Here, we reveal a novel epidermal-neuronal interaction mediated by a two-immunoglobulin domain transmembrane protein, ZIG-10, that is necessary for maintaining cholinergic synapse density. ZIG-10 is localized at the cell surface of epidermis...

Sensory processing in neocortex is primarily driven by glutamatergic excitation, which is counterbalanced by GABAergic inhibition, mediated by a diversity of largely local inhibitory interneurons. Here, we trained mice to lick a reward spout in response to whisker deflection, and we recorded from genetically defined GABAergic inhibitory neurons in layer 2/3 of the primary somatosensory barrel c...

The localizations and functions of glutamate and GABA, the major amino acid neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, are still unclear in the peripheral nervous system. We immunohistochemically double-stained mouse superior cervical ganglia with antibodies for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAchT), GAD65, the vesicular glutamate transporters 1-3 (VGluTs1-3), the marker of the ...