Dentate Gyrus Somatostatin Cells are Required for Contextual Discrimination During Episodic Memory Encoding

Morales, Cristian; Morici, Juan Facundo; Espinosa, Nelson; Sacson, Agostina; Lara-Vasquez, Ariel; Garcia-Perez, M. A.; Bekinschtein, Pedro; Weisstaub, Noelia, V; Fuentealba, Pablo

Abstract

Memory systems ought to store and discriminate representations of similar experiences in order to efficiently guide future decisions. This problem is solved by pattern separation, implemented in the dentate gyrus (DG) by granule cells to support episodic memory formation. Pattern separation is enabled by tonic inhibitory bombardment generated by multiple GABAergic cell populations that strictly maintain low activity levels in granule cells. Somatostatin-expressing cells are one of those interneuron populations, selectively targeting the distal dendrites of granule cells, where cortical multimodal information reaches the DG. Nonetheless, somatostatin cells have very low connection probability and synaptic efficacy with both granule cells and other interneuron types. Hence, the role of somatostatin cells in DG circuitry, particularly in the context of pattern separation, remains uncertain. Here, by using optogenetic stimulation and behavioral tasks in mice, we demonstrate that somatostatin cells are required for the acquisition of both contextual and spatial overlapping memories.

Más información

Título según WOS: Dentate Gyrus Somatostatin Cells are Required for Contextual Discrimination During Episodic Memory Encoding
Título de la Revista: CEREBRAL CORTEX
Volumen: 31
Número: 2
Editorial: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
Fecha de publicación: 2021
Página de inicio: 1046
Página final: 1059
DOI:

10.1093/cercor/bhaa273

Notas: ISI