Sncg, Mybpc1, and Parm1 Classify subpopulations of VIP-expressing interneurons in layers 2/3 of the somatosensory cortex

• Published in: Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) N.Y. 1991), 2023-04, Vol.33 (8), p.4293-4304
• Main Authors: Jiang, Shao-Na, Cao, Jun-Wei, Liu, Lin-Yun, Zhou, Ying, Shan, Guang-Yao, Fu, Ying-Hui, Shao, Yun-Chao, Yu, Yong-Chun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Androgen-Binding Protein - metabolism; Animals; Electrophysiological Phenomena; gamma-Synuclein - metabolism; Interneurons - physiology; Mice; Neoplasm Proteins - metabolism; Somatosensory Cortex - physiology; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide - metabolism
• ISSN: 1047-3211; 1460-2199
• DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac343

Abstract Neocortical vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing (VIP+) interneurons display highly diverse morpho-electrophysiological and molecular properties. To begin to understand the function of VIP+ interneurons in cortical circuits, they must be clearly and comprehensively classified into distinct subpopulations based on specific molecular markers. Here, we utilized patch-clamp RT-PCR (Patch-PCR) to simultaneously obtain the morpho-electric properties and mRNA profiles of 155 VIP+ interneurons in layers 2 and 3 (L2/3) of the mouse somatosensory cortex. Using an unsupervised clustering method, we identified 3 electrophysiological types (E-types) and 2 morphological types (M-types) of VIP+ interneurons. Joint clustering based on the combined electrophysiological and morphological features resulted in 3 morpho-electric types (ME-types). More importantly, we found these 3 ME-types expressed distinct marker genes: ~94% of Sncg+ cells were ME-type 1, 100% of Mybpc1+ cells were ME-type 2, and ~78% of Parm1+ were ME-type 3. By clarifying the properties of subpopulations of cortical L2/3 VIP+ interneurons, this study establishes a basis for future investigations aiming to elucidate their physiological roles.