English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Inhibitory microcircuits play an essential role in regulating cortical responses to sensory stimuli. Interneurons that inhibit dendritic or somatic integration act as gatekeepers for neural activity, synaptic plasticity, and the formation of sensory representations. Conversely, interneurons that selectively inhibit other interneurons can open gates through disinhibition. In the anterior piriform cortex, relief of inhibition permits associative LTP of excitatory synapses between pyramidal neurons. However, the interneurons and circuits mediating disinhibition have not been elucidated. In this study, we use an optogenetic approach in mice of both sexes to identify the inhibitory interneurons and disinhibitory circuits that regulate LTP. We focused on three prominent interneuron classes: somatostatin (SST), parvalbumin (PV), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) interneurons. We find that LTP is gated by the inactivation SST or PV interneurons and by the activation of VIP interneurons. Further, VIP interneurons strongly inhibit putative SST cells during LTP induction but only weakly inhibit PV interneurons. Together, these findings suggest that VIP interneurons mediate a disinhibitory circuit that gates synaptic plasticity during the formation of olfactory representations. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inhibitory interneurons stabilize neural activity during sensory processing. However, inhibition must also be modulated to allow sensory experience shape neural responses. In olfactory cortex, inhibition regulates activity-dependent increases in excitatory synaptic strength that accompany odor learning. We identify two inhibitory interneuron classes that act as gatekeepers preventing excitatory enhancement. We demonstrate that driving a third class of interneurons inhibits the gatekeepers and opens the gate for excitatory enhancement. All three inhibitory neuron classes comprise disinhibitory microcircuit motifs found throughout the cortex. Our findings suggest that a common disinhibitory microcircuit promotes changes in synaptic strength during sensory processing and learning.

Disinhibitory Circuitry Gates Associative Synaptic Plasticity in Olfactory Cortex