Mapping Different Excitatory and Inhibitory Input Types onto Single Cortical Pyramidal Neurons

About this Seminar

The introduction of two-photon microscopy for in vivo imaging has opened the door to chronic monitoring of individual neurons in the adult brain, and the study of synaptic distribution and structural plasticity mechanisms at a very fine scale. Dr. Nedivi and her team have developed methods for labeling and chronic tracking of excitatory and inhibitory synapses across the dendritic arbors of Layer 2/3 (L2/3) cortical pyramidal neurons in vivo. These methods, combined with post hoc tissue expansion microscopy, have allowed us to experimentally generate synaptic maps of individual L2/3 pyramidal cells of primary visual cortex, revealing the number, density, and size of excitatory and inhibitory synapses onto these neurons as they relate to their afferent source. Based on their afferent identity we can separate excitatory synapses into thalamocortical vs intracortical subpopulations, and inhibitory synapses into somatostatin vs parvalbumin subtypes. Tissue clearing and expansion microscopy of in vivo imaged neurons then allows super-resolution imaging of the pre and postsynaptic features of different synapse types. Defining subtype-specific and proteomic synaptic heterogeneity is an important step towards understanding the differential functionality and distinct roles of specific synapse types in neuronal computation and circuit function.

Additional Details

This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Center for Neurobiology Research. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. The lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.

You May Also Be Interested In...