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Molecular signatures of neural connectivity in the olfactory cortex.

Nature communications (2016-07-19)
Assunta Diodato, Marion Ruinart de Brimont, Yeong Shin Yim, Nicolas Derian, Sandrine Perrin, Juliette Pouch, David Klatzmann, Sonia Garel, Gloria B Choi, Alexander Fleischmann
ABSTRACT

The ability to target subclasses of neurons with defined connectivity is crucial for uncovering neural circuit functions. The olfactory (piriform) cortex is thought to generate odour percepts and memories, and odour information encoded in piriform is routed to target brain areas involved in multimodal sensory integration, cognition and motor control. However, it remains unknown if piriform outputs are spatially organized, and if distinct output channels are delineated by different gene expression patterns. Here we identify genes selectively expressed in different layers of the piriform cortex. Neural tracing experiments reveal that these layer-specific piriform genes mark different subclasses of neurons, which project to distinct target areas. Interestingly, these molecular signatures of connectivity are maintained in reeler mutant mice, in which neural positioning is scrambled. These results reveal that a predictive link between a neuron's molecular identity and connectivity in this cortical circuit is determined independent of its spatial position.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Anti-Reelin Antibody, a.a. 164-496 mreelin, clone G10, clone G10, Chemicon®, from mouse