RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Prefrontal cortical ChAT-VIP interneurons provide local excitation by cholinergic synaptic transmission and control attention
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 461723
DO 10.1101/461723
A1 Joshua Obermayer
A1 Antonio Luchicchi
A1 Sybren F. de Kloet
A1 Huub Terra
A1 Bastiaan Bruinsma
A1 Tim S. Heistek
A1 Oissame Mnie-Filali
A1 Christian Kortleven
A1 Tim Kroon
A1 Allert J. Jonker
A1 Ayoub J. Khalil
A1 Roel de Haan
A1 Natalia A. Goriounova
A1 Wilma D.J. van den Berg
A1 Christiaan P.J. de Kock
A1 Tommy Pattij
A1 Huibert D. Mansvelder
YR 2018
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/11/04/461723.abstract
AB Neocortical choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-expressing interneurons are a subclass of vasoactive intestinal peptide (ChAT-VIP) neurons of which circuit and behavioural function are unknown. It has also not been addressed whether these neurons release both neurotransmitters acetylcholine (ACh) and GABA. Here, we find that in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ChAT-VIP neurons directly excite interneurons in layers (L)1-3 as well as pyramidal neurons in L2/3 and L6 by fast cholinergic transmission. Dual recordings of presynaptic ChAT-VIP neurons and postsynaptic L1 interneurons show fast nicotinic receptor currents strictly time-locked to single presynaptic action potentials. A fraction (10-20%) of postsynaptic neurons that received cholinergic input from ChAT-VIP interneurons also received GABAergic input from these neurons. In contrast to regular VIP interneurons, ChAT-VIP neurons did not disinhibit pyramidal neurons, but instead depolarized fast spiking and low threshold spiking interneurons. Finally, we find that ChAT-VIP neurons control attention behaviour distinctly from basal forebrain ACh inputs to mPFC. Our findings show that ChAT-VIP neurons are a local source of cortical ACh, that directly excite pyramidal and interneurons throughout cortical layers.