Two types of somatostatin-expressing GABAergic interneurons in the superficial layers of the mouse cingulate cortex

PLoS One. 2018 Jul 12;13(7):e0200567. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200567. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Somatostatin-expressing (SOM+), inhibitory interneurons represent a heterogeneous group of cells and given their remarkable diversity, classification of SOM+ interneurons remains a challenging task. Electrophysiological, morphological and neurochemical classes of SOM+ interneurons have been proposed in the past but it remains unclear as to what extent these classes are congruent. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from 127 GFP-labeled SOM+ interneurons ('GIN') of the superficial cingulate cortex with subsequent biocytin-filling and immunocytochemical labeling. Principal component analysis followed by k-means clustering predicted two putative subtypes of SOM+ interneurons, which we designated as group I and group II GIN. A key finding of our study is the fact that these electrophysiologically and morphologically distinct groups of SOM+ interneurons can be correlated with two neurochemical subtypes of SOM+ interneurons described recently in our laboratory. In particular, all SOM+ interneurons expressing calbindin but no calretinin could be classified as group I GIN, whereas all but one neuropeptide Y- and calretinin-positive interneurons were found in group II.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calbindins / biosynthesis
  • GABAergic Neurons* / classification
  • GABAergic Neurons* / cytology
  • GABAergic Neurons* / metabolism
  • Gyrus Cinguli* / cytology
  • Gyrus Cinguli* / metabolism
  • Interneurons* / classification
  • Interneurons* / cytology
  • Interneurons* / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Neuropeptide Y / biosynthesis
  • Somatostatin / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • Calbindins
  • Neuropeptide Y
  • Somatostatin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Friedrich-Baur-Stiftung, grant# 04/13 (http://www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/Friedrich-Baur-Institut/de/institut/friedrich_baur_stiftung/) to TR. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.