biostudies-literatureIbrahim LANEI NIH HHSNIDCD NIH HHS1031-45https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4874809biostudies-literatureUnknown89(5)Cross-modality interaction in sensory perception is advantageous for animals' survival. How cortical sensory processing is cross-modally modulated and what are the underlying neural circuits remain poorly understood. In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), we discovered that orientation selectivity of layer (L)2/3, but not L4, excitatory neurons was sharpened in the presence of sound or optogenetic activation of projections from primary auditory cortex (A1) to V1. The effect was manifested by decreased average visual responses yet increased responses at the preferred orientation. It was more pronounced at lower visual contrast and was diminished by suppressing L1 activity. L1 neurons were strongly innervated by A1-V1 axons and excited by sound, while visual responses of L2/L3 vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) neurons were suppressed by sound, both preferentially at the cell's preferred orientation. These results suggest that the cross-modality modulation is achieved primarily through L1 neuron- and L2/L3 VIP-cell-mediated inhibitory and disinhibitory circuits.NeuronCross-Modality Sharpening of Visual Cortical Processing through Layer-1-Mediated Inhibition and Disinhibition.PMC4874809EY019049F31 DC015185DC008983T32 DC009975R01 DC008983EY025722R01 EY025722R01 EY019049Ji XYLi YTZhang LIIbrahim LAMesik LFang QZingg BTao HWLi HFfalseCross-Modality Sharpening of Visual Cortical Processing through Layer-1-Mediated Inhibition and Disinhibition.Cross-modality interaction in sensory perception is advantageous for animals' survival. How cortical sensory processing is cross-modally modulated and what are the underlying neural circuits remain poorly understood. In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), we discovered that orientation selectivity of layer (L)2/3, but not L4, excitatory neurons was sharpened in the presence of sound or optogenetic activation of projections from primary auditory cortex (A1) to V1. The effect was manifested by decreased average visual responses yet increased responses at the preferred orientation. It was more pronounced at lower visual contrast and was diminished by suppressing L1 activity. L1 neurons were strongly innervated by A1-V1 axons and excited by sound, while visual responses of L2/L3 vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) neurons were suppressed by sound, both preferentially at the cell's preferred orientation. These results suggest that the cross-modality modulation is achieved primarily through L1 neuron- and L2/L3 VIP-cell-mediated inhibitory and disinhibitory circuits.2016-01-01T00:00:00Z2016 Mar2024-11-20T00:54:27.986Z2019-03-27T02:14:13ZS-EPMC48748092689877810.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.027