Deans M R, Gibson J R, Sellitto C, Connors B W, Paul D L
Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Neuron. 2001 Aug 16;31(3):477-85. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00373-7.
Inhibitory interneurons often generate synchronous activity as an emergent property of their interconnections. To determine the role of electrical synapses in such activity, we constructed mice expressing histochemical reporters in place of the gap junction protein Cx36. Localization of the reporter with somatostatin and parvalbumin suggested that Cx36 was expressed largely by interneurons. Electrical synapses were common among cortical interneurons in controls but were nearly absent in knockouts. A metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist excited LTS interneurons, generating rhythmic inhibitory potentials in surrounding neurons of both wild-type and knockout animals. However, the synchrony of these rhythms was weaker and more spatially restricted in the knockout. We conclude that electrical synapses containing Cx36 are critical for the generation of widespread, synchronous inhibitory activity.
抑制性中间神经元常常产生同步活动，作为其相互连接的一种涌现特性。为了确定电突触在这种活动中的作用，我们构建了用组织化学报告基因取代缝隙连接蛋白Cx36的小鼠。报告基因与生长抑素和小白蛋白的定位表明，Cx36主要由中间神经元表达。在对照组中，电突触在皮质中间神经元中很常见，但在基因敲除小鼠中几乎不存在。代谢型谷氨酸受体激动剂可兴奋低阈值尖峰中间神经元，在野生型和基因敲除动物的周围神经元中产生节律性抑制电位。然而，这些节律的同步性在基因敲除小鼠中较弱且空间限制更大。我们得出结论，含有Cx36的电突触对于广泛的同步抑制活动的产生至关重要。
