Interneuron within the cortexNATHALIE DEHORTERThe electrical activity of a neuron is considered a fundamental feature of its identity. But new research reveals this attribute is not necessarily fixed, at least in murine cortical inhibitory interneurons. In a paper published in Science today (September 10), researchers show that increasing or decreasing interneuron activity leads to molecular changes that ultimately hasten or delay the cells’ electrical discharges.
“In the past, the identities and properties of neurons were thought to be primarily determined by genetic programs during development and once these cell identities had been established it was thought to be pretty much static,” said neuroscientist Attila Losonczy of Columbia University who was not involved in the work. “This study provides compelling new evidence that even some basic functional properties of neurons, specifically the excitability and firing activity of cortical inhibitory neurons, are profoundly regulated by experience-driven and activity-dependent mechanisms in the adult brain.”
Unlike sensory and motor neurons, which connect the central nervous system to the body’s organs and tissues, interneurons form connections between neurons. The majority of interneurons are inhibitory, meaning they dampen the excitability of other neurons, but within this ...
