Large calyciform synapses in the rat reticular thalamic nucleus are characterized by the presence of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Presynaptic terminals are also loaded with calcium-binding proteins such as parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin and calcineurin. The number of calyciform terminals containing gamma-aminobutyric acid and parvalbumin is 2005 in young adult rats; calbindin is present in 1,50...

The ability of the environment to shape cortical function is at its highest during critical periods of postnatal development. In the visual cortex, critical period onset is triggered by the maturation of parvalbumin inhibitory interneurons, which gradually become surrounded by a specialized glycosaminoglycan-rich extracellular matrix: the perineuronal nets. Among the identified factors regulati...

Most cortical inhibitory cell types exclusively express one of three genes, parvalbumin, somatostatin and 5HT3a. We conjecture that these three inhibitory neuron types possess distinct roles in visual contextual processing based on two observations. First, they have distinctive synaptic sources and targets over different spatial extents and from different areas. Second, the visual responses of ...

Interneurons in the cerebral cortex regulate cortical functions through the actions of distinct subgroups that express parvalbumin, somatostatin, or calretinin. The genesis of the first two subgroups requires the expression of NKX2.1, which is maintained by SHH signaling during neurogenesis. In this paper, we report that mosaic elimination in the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) of Smo, a key e...

Activity of parvalbumin-positive hippocampal interneurons is critical for network synchronization but the receptors involved therein have remained largely unknown. Here we report network and behavioral deficits in mice with selective ablation of NMDA receptors in parvalbumin-positive interneurons (NR1(PVCre-/-)). Recordings of local field potentials and unitary neuronal activity in the hippocam...