High and asymmetric somato-dendritic coupling of V1 layer 5 neurons independent of visual stimulation and locomotion
27th December 2019
Active dendrites impact sensory processing and behaviour. In a study published in eLife recently, Francioni et al. aimed to reveal how active dendritic integration relates to somatic output in vivo. Their group studied the effect of visual stimulation and locomotion on somato-dendritic coupling of layer 5 neurons in the awake mouse primary visual cortex, as it has been suggested that dendritic spikes triggered by visual input enhance somatic tuning to the preferred orientation. With the help of a FEMTOSmart Dual two photon microscope and, with a Piezo objective positioner to switch rapidly between planes, they carried out multi-plane imaging of calcium indicators GCaMP6f or GCaMP6s. Their results show that neither visual stimulation nor locomotion affected the in vivo coupling of somatic and apical tuft calcium signals, althought both of them increased neuronal activity. They conclude, therefore, that high, asymmetric somato-dendritic coupling is a widespread feature of layer 5 neurons activity in vivo. Read more about the FEMTOSmart Dual microsope’s technical features and benefits.
