Reducing Merkel cell activity in the whisker follicle disrupts cortical encoding of whisker movement amplitude and velocity

Author:

Lemercier Clément E.ORCID,Krieger Patrik

Abstract

AbstractMerkel cells (MCs) and associated primary sensory afferents of the whisker follicle-sinus complex robustly code whisker self-movement, angle, and whisk phase during whisking. However, direct evidence of their roles in encoding whisker movement at cortical level is currently missing. To this end, spiking activity of primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1) neurons was measured in response to varying whisker deflection amplitude and velocity in transgenic mice with previously established reduced mechanoelectrical coupling at MC-associated afferents. Under reduced MC activity, wS1 neurons exhibited increased sensitivity to whisker deflection. This appeared to arise from a lack of variation in response magnitude to varying whisker deflection amplitude and velocity. This latter effect was further indicated by weaker variation in the temporal profile of the evoked spiking activity when whisker deflection amplitude and velocity varied. Nevertheless, under reduced MC activity, wS1 neurons retained the ability to discriminate stimulus features based on the timing of the first post-stimulus spike. Collectively, results from this study suggest that MCs contribute to both cortical encoding of whisker amplitude and velocity predominantly by tuning cortical response magnitude and by patterning evoked spiking activity, rather than in tuning cortical response latency.

Publisher

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3