Research

Characterization of intracortical synaptic connections in the mouse anterior cingulate cortex using dual patch clamp recording

Long-Jun Wu¹ , Xiangyao Li¹ , Tao Chen¹ , Ming Ren¹ and Min Zhuo^1,2

¹  Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto center for the Study of Pain, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada

²  Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-746, Korea

author email corresponding author email

Molecular Brain 2009, 2:32doi:10.1186/1756-6606-2-32

Published:	15 October 2009

Abstract

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in sensory, cognitive, and executive functions. Studies of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the ACC provide an understanding of basic cellular and molecular mechanisms for brain functions. Previous anatomic studies suggest complex local interactions among neurons within the ACC. However, there is a lack of functional studies of such synaptic connections between ACC neurons. In the present study, we characterized the neuronal connections in the superficial layers (I-III) of the mouse ACC using dual whole-cell patch clamp recording technique. Four types of synaptic connections were observed, which are from a pyramidal neuron to a pyramidal neuron, from a pyramidal neuron to an interneuron, from an interneuron to a pyramidal neuron and from an interneuron to an interneuron. These connections exist among neurons in layer II/III or between neurons located layer I and II/III, respectively. Moreover, reciprocal connections exist in all four types of paired neurons. Our results provide the first key evidence of functional excitatory and inhibitory connections in the ACC.