美国哈佛大学Adam E. Cohen小组利用全光学电生理揭示了侧向抑制在皮层1（L1）感觉处理中的作用。2020年1月23日，《细胞》在线发表了这项成果。

研究人员将遗传靶向电压成像与光遗传学激活和沉默相结??合，研究了小鼠barrelcortex L1感觉处理的基础机制。胡须刺激在L1中间神经元中引起了精确定时的单个脉冲，随后产生强烈的侧向抑制。轻度的厌恶刺激会激活胆碱能输入，并在L1中引起峰值反应的双峰分布。一个基于电导的简单模型（仅在L1内包含侧向抑制）能够概括感觉反应和“赢家通吃”的所有胆碱能反应，并且该模型正确地预测了该网络能够作为兴奋性输入的时空高通过滤器。这些结果表明，全光学电生理能够揭示体内神经回路功能的基本原理，并为L1如何转换感觉和调节输入提供直观的图像。

据悉，L1的中间神经元被认为是作为皮质下注意力调制的枢纽，但是该神经回路所实现的转变尚不清楚。

附：英文原文

Author: Linlin Z. Fan, Simon Kheifets, Urs L. Bhm, Hao Wu, Kiryl D. Piatkevich, Michael E. Xie, Vicente Parot, Yooree Ha, Kathryn E. Evans, Edward S. Boyden, Anne E. Takesian, Adam E. Cohen

Issue&Volume: January 23, 2020

Abstract: Cortical layer 1 (L1) interneurons have been proposed as a hub for attentional modulationof underlying cortex, but the transformations that this circuit implements are notknown. We combined genetically targeted voltage imaging with optogenetic activationand silencing to study the mechanisms underlying sensory processing in mouse barrelcortex L1. Whisker stimuli evoked precisely timed single spikes in L1 interneurons,followed by strong lateral inhibition. A mild aversive stimulus activated cholinergicinputs and evoked a bimodal distribution of spiking responses in L1. A simple conductance-basedmodel that only contained lateral inhibition within L1 recapitulated the sensory responsesand the winner-takes-all cholinergic responses, and the model correctly predictedthat the network would function as a spatial and temporal high-pass filter for excitatoryinputs. Our results demonstrate that all-optical electrophysiology can reveal basicprinciples of neural circuit function in vivo and suggest an intuitive picture for how L1 transforms sensory and modulatory inputs.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.01.001

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30047-7