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Volume 16, Number 17,
Issue of September 1, 1996
pp. 5301-5311
Copyright ©1996 Society for Neuroscience
Laminar Localization, Morphology, and Physiological Properties of
Pyramidal Neurons that Have the Low-Threshold Calcium Current in the
Guinea-Pig Medial Frontal Cortex
Received March 5, 1996; revised June 3, 1996; accepted June 5, 1996.
Elvira de la Peña and
Emilio Geijo-Barrientos
Departamento de Fisiología and Instituto de Neurociencias,
Universidad de Alicante, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
One of the several types of ionic currents present in central
neurons is the low-threshold, or T-type calcium current (LTCC). This
current is responsible for the firing of low-threshold calcium spikes
(LTS) and participates in the generation of rhythmic activity and
bursts of action potentials in several brain nuclei. We have studied
the distribution and properties of pyramidal neurons recorded from the
guinea-pig medial frontal cortex that have this calcium current.
Pyramidal neurons were recorded in an in vitro slice
preparation using either current clamp or single-electrode
voltage-clamp recording. Pyramidal neurons that generated LTS or had
the LTCC were found only between 500 mm from the pial surface and the
white matter (approximately layers V/VI) and were absent in more
superficial layers. All pyramidal neurons that fired LTS or had the
LTCC were characterized as regular spiking and had some important
morphological and physiological differences from the rest of the
pyramidal neurons studied. This group of neurons had shorter and less
complex apical dendritic arbors, fired action potentials of lower
amplitude and longer duration, and were the only type of pyramidal
neurons able to generate bursts of action potentials. In addition, the
inhibitory synaptic potentials elicited by stimulation of layer I were
more powerful in this group of neurons. This research provides new
evidence for the presence of the LTCC in subsets of cortical pyramidal
neurons, which have specific and well defined morphological and
physiological properties.
Key words:
calcium currents;
cerebral cortex;
pyramidal
neurons;
synaptic potentials;
calcium spikes;
frontal cortex;
intracellular recording;
single-electrode voltage-clamp
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