The Journal of Neuroscience, February 20, 2008, 28(8):1824-1832; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4700-07.2008
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Cellular/Molecular
Complementary Modulation of Somatic Inhibition by Opioids and Cannabinoids
Lindsey L. Glickfeld,1
Bassam V. Atallah,2 and
Massimo Scanziani3
1Neurosciences and 2Computational Neurobiology Graduate Programs and 3Division of Biology, Neurobiology Section, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0634
Correspondence should be addressed to Massimo Scanziani, Division of Biology, Neurobiology Section, Building CMG, Room 213, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634. Email: massimo{at}ucsd.edu
Somatic inhibition, which is critical for determining the spike output of principal cells, is mediated by two physiologically distinct classes of GABAergic interneurons called basket cells. In the hippocampus, despite both targeting the somatic membrane of CA1 pyramidal cells, these two classes of basket cells are active at different times. Differential modulation of these two types of basket cells could hence be important for regulating the activity patterns of CA1 pyramidal cells at very specific periods during ongoing activity. Indeed, cannabinoids selectively suppress the output of one class of basket cell. Whether opioids, another major modulator of inhibition in the hippocampus, also selectively suppress somatic inhibition is not known. Here, we show that basket cells are selectively modulated by either opioids or cannabinoids, but not both. We also find that basket cells are integrated into specific inhibitory subnetworks that are themselves under differential control of opioids and cannabinoids. Furthermore, because the two interneuron types are activated at different times, opioids and cannabinoids suppress different epochs of inhibition. This cell-type specific sensitivity to neuromodulators allows for a fine control of the temporal structure of hippocampal activity.
Key words: inhibition; interneuron; basket cell; hippocampus; opioid; cannabinoid
Received July 6, 2007;
revised Jan. 3, 2008;
accepted Jan. 5, 2008.
Correspondence should be addressed to Massimo Scanziani, Division of Biology, Neurobiology Section, Building CMG, Room 213, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634. Email: massimo{at}ucsd.edu
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