The vast diversity of GABAergic interneurons is believed to endow hippocampal microcircuits with the required flexibility for memory encoding and retrieval. However, dissection of the functional roles of defined interneuron types has been hampered by the lack of cell-specific tools. We identified a precise molecular marker for a population of hippocampal GABAergic interneurons known as oriens lacunosum-moleculare (OLM) cells. By combining transgenic mice and optogenetic tools, we found that OLM cells are important for gating the information flow in CA1, facilitating the transmission of intrahippocampal information (from CA3) while reducing the influence of extrahippocampal inputs (from the entorhinal cortex). Furthermore, we found that OLM cells were interconnected by gap junctions, received direct cholinergic inputs from subcortical afferents and accounted for the effect of nicotine on synaptic plasticity of the Schaffer collateral pathway. Our results suggest that acetylcholine acting through OLM cells can control the mnemonic processes executed by the hippocampus.
Pubmed ID: 23042082 RIS Download
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View all literature mentionsRecombineering (recombination-mediated genetic engineering) is a powerful method for fast and efficient construction of vectors for subsequent manipulation of the mouse genome or for use in cell culture experiments. It is also an efficient way of manipulating the bacterial genome directly. Recombineering is a method based on homologous recombination in E. Coli using recombination proteins provided from ? phage. Our bacterial strains contain a defective ? prophage inserted into the bacterial genome. The phage genes of interest, exo, bet, and gam, are transcribed from the ?PL promoter. This promoter is repressed by the temperature-sensitive repressor cI857 at 32C and derepressed (the repressor is inactive) at 42C. When bacteria containing this prophage are kept at 32C no recombination proteins are produced. However, after a brief (15 minutes) heat-shock at 42C a sufficient amount of recombination proteins are produced. exo is a 5''-3'' exonuclease that creates single-stranded overhangs on introduced linear DNA. bet protects these overhangs and assists in the subsequent recombination process. gam prevents degradation of linear DNA by inhibiting E. Coli RecBCD protein. Linear DNA (PCR product, oligo, etc.) with sufficient homology in the 5'' and 3'' ends to a target DNA molecule already present in the bacteria (plasmid, BAC, or the bacterial genome itself) can be introduced into heat-shocked and electrocompetent bacteria using electroporation. The introduced DNA will now be modified by exo and bet and undergo homologous recombination with the target molecule. The method is so efficient that co-electroporation of a supercoiled plasmid and a linear piece of DNA into heat-shocked, electrocompetent bacteria will work as well.
View all literature mentions3D image analysis software to visualize, analyze and validate 3D fluorescence images from a wide range of confocal microscopy, widefield and high content screening systems. It is fully integrated for a seamless user experience.
View all literature mentionsMus musculus with name C57BL/6J from IMSR.
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