The precise GABAergic calcium control plays a key role in neuronal plasticity
The perisomatic inhibitory control is already known, which can control the action potential output from the post-synaptic cell. The precise level at which this is done, is for the first time described, demonstrating an exquisite compartmentalized control on the heads of dendrite spines. And the main role is played by calcium, which is precisely uncaged and regulated.In this work Chiu et al. pretended to describe the control exerted by GABAergic interneurons on glutamatergic pyramidal cells. They used electrophysiological, optogenetics and computational analysis to monitor the calcium transients (related to depolarization and excitatory response in glutamatergic cells when released, and to inhibition when there is no calcium flux).
They found a spatial precision of GABAergic inhibition on the dendrite spines’ head. And they also found that this inhibition is compartmentalized and precise to a concrete spine, not exerting any effect on the surrounding spines. They also found that calcium influx plays an important role on glutamatergic synapse plasticity. Given that this control is exerted by GABA synapses, a central role from this neurotransmitter on neuron circuitry could be elucidated.
The relevance of this work is linking the relationship between an altered GABA inhibition and an alteration in neuronal circuits, the though basis of certain neurodevelopment pathologies hence autism or other neuropsychiatric disorders.
El control del calcio por parte de las sinapsis GABAérgicas es importante para la plasticidad neuronal
July 30th by Elisenda Cortès-Saladelafont
