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bioRxiv · 10.1101/701318

Cell Type-Specific Modulation of Layer 6A Excitatory Microcircuits by Acetylcholine in Rat Barrel Cortex

Yang, D.·Guenter, R.·Qi, G.·Radnikow, G.·Feldmeyer, D.
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Abstract

Acetylcholine (ACh) is known to regulate cortical activity during different behavioral states, e.g. wakefulness and attention. Here we show a differential expression of muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) and nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs) in different layer 6A (L6A) pyramidal cell (PC) types of somatosensory cortex. At low concentrations, ACh induced a persistent hyperpolarization in corticocortical (CC) but a depolarization in corticothalamic (CT) L6A PCs via M4 and M1 mAChRs, respectively. At [~]1 mM ACh depolarized exclusively CT PCs via 4{beta}2 subunit-containing nAChRs without affecting CC PCs. Miniature EPSC frequency in CC PCs was decreased by ACh but increased in CT PCs. In synaptic connections with a presynaptic CC PC, glutamate release was suppressed via M4 mAChR activation but enhanced by nAChRs via 4{beta}2 nAChRs when the presynaptic neuron was a CT PC. Thus, in layer 6A the interaction of mAChRs and nAChRs results in an altered excitability and synaptic release, effectively strengthening corticothalamic output while weakening corticocortical synaptic signaling.

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Yang, D., Guenter, R., Qi, G., Radnikow, G., Feldmeyer, D.. 2019-07-14. Cell Type-Specific Modulation of Layer 6A Excitatory Microcircuits by Acetylcholine in Rat Barrel Cortex. https://doi.org/10.1101/701318

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