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Adult‐like action potential properties and abundant GABAergic synaptic responses in amygdala neurons from newborn marmosets
Author(s) -
Yamada Daisuke,
Miyajima Moeko,
Ishibashi Hidetoshi,
Wada Keiji,
Seki Kazuhiko,
Sekiguchi Masayuki
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.235010
Subject(s) - marmoset , callithrix , electrophysiology , neuroscience , basolateral amygdala , amygdala , gabaergic , patch clamp , biology , psychology , primate , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , paleontology
Key points• The amygdala plays an important role in the processing of emotional events, but little is known about the postnatal development of electrophysiological properties of amygdala neurons. • We performed slice patch‐clamp recordings from basolateral amygdala (BLA) pyramidal neurons in the developing and adult common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus ). • The marmoset is a non‐human primate that has been increasingly used as an animal model of human disease, but no previous studies have used brain slice patch‐clamp techniques in marmosets. • We found that BLA pyramidal neurons from newborn marmosets possess relatively mature action potentials and receive vigorous GABAergic synaptic inputs, and that marmoset BLA neurons acquire adult‐like electrophysiological properties within the first 4 weeks of life. • Our study provides novel information on several features of postnatal development of BLA pyramidal neurons in marmosets.Abstract The amygdala plays an important role in the processing of emotional events. This information processing is altered by development, but little is known about the development of electrophysiological properties of neurons in the amygdala. We studied the postnatal development of electrophysiological properties of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of the common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus ). Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings were obtained from BLA pyramidal neurons in brain slices prepared from developing and adult marmosets, and electrophysiological properties known to change during development in rats were analysed. Two passive electrical properties of the neuronal membrane – the input resistance ( R in ) and the membrane time constant (τ) – significantly decreased with postnatal development. In contrast, the action potential only showed a slight decrease in duration during the first month of life, whereas the amplitude did not change after birth. Passive electrical properties and action potentials in neurons of 4‐week‐old marmosets were similar to those in neurons of 4‐year‐old marmosets. The development of the action potential duration was not correlated with the development of R in or τ, whereas the development of R in and τ was correlated with each other. Abundant spontaneous and noradrenaline‐induced GABAergic currents were present immediately after birth and did not change during postnatal development. These results suggest that newborn infant marmoset BLA pyramidal neurons possess relatively mature action potentials and receive vigorous GABAergic synaptic inputs, and that they acquire adult‐like electrophysiological properties by the fourth week of life.