Interneuron Diversity series: Molecular and genetic tools to study GABAergic interneuron diversity and function

Molecular diversity of neocortical GABAergic interneurones

In addition to being the main source of inhibition in the adult brain, GABAergic interneurones are instrumental in pacing the activity of large ensembles of principal cells. GABAergic interneurones have unique features that enable them to contribute to the generation of synchronized network activity thereby shaping principal cell behaviour. Whereas the anatomical and physiological characteristics of certain interneuronal types have been studied extensively over the last decades, the molecular diversity of interneurones is a more recent focus of investigation in this field. Molecular cloning and expression analysis of many receptor families often revealed differential expression in GABAergic interneurones and pyramidal cells. Here we review recent findings regarding the molecular diversity of GABAergic interneurones in the neocortex. Better knowledge about differential gene expression in GABAergic interneurones is the basis for further investigations aimed at understanding the contribution of specific proteins in interneurones to network function.

Plasticity of interneuronal species diversity and parameter variance in neurological diseases

Interneuronal diversity reflects the division of labor between numerous highly specialized interneuronal species, each performing a set of specific functions in neuronal networks. The rich diversity of interneurons found in the normal healthy brain is often significantly altered in neurological and psychiatric diseases. In genetic and developmental disorders, the diversity of interneuronal networks is compromised because of disturbances in the generation, specification or migration of specific interneuronal subtypes. Following insults related to trauma and seizures, the relative abundance of interneuronal subtypes might change, and entire interneuronal species can be lost from the network. In addition to the complete or partial loss of interneuronal subgroups, heterogeneity can also be altered in more subtle ways, as a result of changes in cell-to-cell variance of a particular parameter within specific interneuronal populations. Computational and experimental studies show that alterations in cellular and synaptic GABAergic heterogeneity can significantly modulate both firing rates and network coherence, indicating that plasticity of interneuronal diversity is likely to be an important mechanistic component of malfunctioning cortical networks in many pathological states.

Large-scale recording of neuronal ensembles

How does the brain orchestrate perceptions, thoughts and actions from the spiking activity of its neurons? Early single-neuron recording research treated spike pattern variability as noise that needed to be averaged out to reveal the brain's representation of invariant input. Another view is that variability of spikes is centrally coordinated and that this brain-generated ensemble pattern in cortical structures is itself a potential source of cognition. Large-scale recordings from neuronal ensembles now offer the opportunity to test these competing theoretical frameworks. Currently, wire and micro-machined silicon electrode arrays can record from large numbers of neurons and monitor local neural circuits at work. Achieving the full potential of massively parallel neuronal recordings, however, will require further development of the neuron-electrode interface, automated and efficient spike-sorting algorithms for effective isolation and identification of single neurons, and new mathematical insights for the analysis of network properties.