Higher-order thalamocortical circuits are specified by embryonic cortical progenitor types in the mouse brain.

ABSTRACT: The sensory cortex receives synaptic inputs from both first-order and higher-order thalamic nuclei. First-order inputs relay simple stimulus properties from the periphery, whereas higher-order inputs relay more complex response properties, provide contextual feedback, and modulate plasticity. Here, we reveal that a cortical neuron's higher-order input is determined by the type of progenitor from which it is derived during embryonic development. Within layer 4 (L4) of the mouse primary somatosensory cortex, neurons derived from intermediate progenitors receive stronger higher-order thalamic input and exhibit greater higher-order sensory responses. These effects result from differences in dendritic morphology and levels of the transcription factor Lhx2, which are specified by the L4 neuron's

SUBMITTER: Buchan MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7617957 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature