Preferential vulnerability of cortical GABAergic interneurons to Nalcn deficiency

Abstract

Neuronal resting membrane potential (RMP) reflects the balance of leak conductances and varies systematically across cortical cell types. Many GABAergic interneurons exhibit more depolarized RMPs than neighbouring excitatory neurons, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these systematic differences in intrinsic excitability remain incompletely defined. The sodium leak channel non-selective (NALCN) mediates a major fraction of basal sodium conductance and cause neurodevelopmental syndromes characterized by developmental delay and cognitive impairment. Here we define NALCN contribution to cortical circuit development and function with cell-type precision. Using Nalcn-GFP reporter line, we map Nalcn expression across cortical types revealing enrichment in GABAergic hippocampal interneurons relative to hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Using conditional mouse models, we selectively deleted Nalcn in cortical glutamatergic lineages or forebrain GABAergic cells from early embryogenesis. Electrophysiological analysis show that developmental loss of Nalcn preferentially reduces intrinsic excitability across GABAergic interneuron subtypes while sparing pyramidal neurons. To understand the impact of a depolarized GABAergic RMP on brain function, we assessed the behavioral performance of Nalcn-deficient mice that revealed persistent deficits in contextual adaptation and spatial short-term memory. These findings reveal a neuron type-specific function of NALCN in the cerebral cortex and position NALCN as a crucial ion channel regulating basal excitability of GABAergic inhibitory circuits and cortical circuit function.