Dimensions of a Projection Column and Architecture of VPM and POm Axons in Rat Vibrissal Cortex

Overview

Journal Cereb Cortex

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Neurology

Date 2010 May 11

PMID 20453248

Citations 132

Authors

Verena C Wimmer

Randy M Bruno

Christiaan P J de Kock

Thomas Kuner

Bert Sakmann

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This is the first article in a series of 3 studies that investigate the anatomical determinants of thalamocortical (TC) input to excitatory neurons in a cortical column of rat primary somatosensory cortex (S1). S1 receives 2 major types of TC inputs, lemiscal and paralemniscal. Lemiscal axons arise from the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus, whereas paralemniscal fibers originate in the posteromedial nucleus (POm). While these 2 TC projections are largely complementary in L4, overlap in other cortical layers is still a matter of debate. VPM and POm axons were specifically labeled in the same rat by virus-mediated expression of different fluorescent proteins. We show that columnar and septal projection patterns are maintained throughout most of the cortical depth with a lower degree of separation in infragranular layers, where TC axons form bands along rows. Finally, we present anatomical dimensions of "TC projection domains" for a standard column in S1.

Citing Articles

Noncanonical Short-Latency Auditory Pathway Directly Activates Deep Cortical Layers.

Garcia M, Kline A, Onodera K, Tsukano H, Dandu P, Acosta H bioRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39829930 PMC: 11741258. DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.06.631598.

Differential neurogenic patterns underlie the formation of primary and secondary areas in the developing somatosensory cortex.

Ohte N, Kimura T, Sekine R, Yoshizawa S, Furusho Y, Sato D Cereb Cortex. 2025; 35(2).

PMID: 39756431 PMC: 11795310. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae491.

Learning enhances behaviorally relevant representations in apical dendrites.

Benezra S, Patel K, Perez Campos C, Hillman E, Bruno R Elife. 2024; 13.

PMID: 39727300 PMC: 11677229. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.98349.

Attentional modulation of secondary somatosensory and visual thalamus of mice.

Petty G, Bruno R Elife. 2024; 13.

PMID: 39601499 PMC: 11602186. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.97188.

Cell class-specific long-range axonal projections of neurons in mouse whisker-related somatosensory cortices.

Liu Y, Bech P, Tamura K, Delez L, Crochet S, Petersen C Elife. 2024; 13.

PMID: 39392390 PMC: 11469677. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.97602.

References

Petreanu L, Mao T, Sternson S, Svoboda K . The subcellular organization of neocortical excitatory connections. Nature. 2009; 457(7233):1142-5. PMC: 2745650. DOI: 10.1038/nature07709. View

Silver M, Stryker M . Synaptic density in geniculocortical afferents remains constant after monocular deprivation in the cat. J Neurosci. 1999; 19(24):10829-42. PMC: 2413137. View

Alloway K . Information processing streams in rodent barrel cortex: the differential functions of barrel and septal circuits. Cereb Cortex. 2007; 18(5):979-89. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhm138. View

Meyer H, Wimmer V, Hemberger M, Bruno R, de Kock C, Frick A . Cell type-specific thalamic innervation in a column of rat vibrissal cortex. Cereb Cortex. 2010; 20(10):2287-303. PMC: 2936808. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhq069. View

Wimmer V, Nevian T, Kuner T . Targeted in vivo expression of proteins in the calyx of Held. Pflugers Arch. 2004; 449(3):319-33. DOI: 10.1007/s00424-004-1327-9. View

White E, DeAmicis R . Afferent and efferent projections of the region in mouse SmL cortex which contains the posteromedial barrel subfield. J Comp Neurol. 1977; 175(4):455-82. DOI: 10.1002/cne.901750405. View

Groh A, de Kock C, Wimmer V, Sakmann B, Kuner T . Driver or coincidence detector: modal switch of a corticothalamic giant synapse controlled by spontaneous activity and short-term depression. J Neurosci. 2008; 28(39):9652-63. PMC: 6671213. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1554-08.2008. View

Kichula E, Huntley G . Developmental and comparative aspects of posterior medial thalamocortical innervation of the barrel cortex in mice and rats. J Comp Neurol. 2008; 509(3):239-58. PMC: 4913357. DOI: 10.1002/cne.21690. View

de Kock C, Bruno R, Spors H, Sakmann B . Layer- and cell-type-specific suprathreshold stimulus representation in rat primary somatosensory cortex. J Physiol. 2007; 581(Pt 1):139-54. PMC: 2075227. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.124321. View

10.

Agmon A, Connors B . Thalamocortical responses of mouse somatosensory (barrel) cortex in vitro. Neuroscience. 1991; 41(2-3):365-79. DOI: 10.1016/0306-4522(91)90333-j. View

11.

Pinault D . A novel single-cell staining procedure performed in vivo under electrophysiological control: morpho-functional features of juxtacellularly labeled thalamic cells and other central neurons with biocytin or Neurobiotin. J Neurosci Methods. 1996; 65(2):113-36. DOI: 10.1016/0165-0270(95)00144-1. View

12.

Fleidervish I, Binshtok A, Gutnick M . Functionally distinct NMDA receptors mediate horizontal connectivity within layer 4 of mouse barrel cortex. Neuron. 1998; 21(5):1055-65. DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80623-6. View

13.

Caviness Jr V, Frost D . Tangential organization of thalamic projections to the neocortex in the mouse. J Comp Neurol. 1980; 194(2):335-67. DOI: 10.1002/cne.901940205. View

14.

Yu C, Derdikman D, Haidarliu S, Ahissar E . Parallel thalamic pathways for whisking and touch signals in the rat. PLoS Biol. 2006; 4(5):e124. PMC: 1436027. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040124. View

15.

Agmon A, Yang L, ODowd D, Jones E . Organized growth of thalamocortical axons from the deep tier of terminations into layer IV of developing mouse barrel cortex. J Neurosci. 1993; 13(12):5365-82. PMC: 6576404. View

16.

Jhaveri S, Erzurumlu R, Crossin K . Barrel construction in rodent neocortex: role of thalamic afferents versus extracellular matrix molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991; 88(10):4489-93. PMC: 51686. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.88.10.4489. View

17.

Kerr J, de Kock C, Greenberg D, Bruno R, Sakmann B, Helmchen F . Spatial organization of neuronal population responses in layer 2/3 of rat barrel cortex. J Neurosci. 2007; 27(48):13316-28. PMC: 6673403. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2210-07.2007. View

18.

Meyer H, Wimmer V, Oberlaender M, de Kock C, Sakmann B, Helmstaedter M . Number and laminar distribution of neurons in a thalamocortical projection column of rat vibrissal cortex. Cereb Cortex. 2010; 20(10):2277-86. PMC: 2936806. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhq067. View

19.

Frost D, Caviness Jr V . Radial organization of thalamic projections to the neocortex in the mouse. J Comp Neurol. 1980; 194(2):369-93. DOI: 10.1002/cne.901940206. View

20.

Lu S, Lin R . Thalamic afferents of the rat barrel cortex: a light- and electron-microscopic study using Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin as an anterograde tracer. Somatosens Mot Res. 1993; 10(1):1-16. DOI: 10.3109/08990229309028819. View