Distinct local and brain-wide networks are activated by optogenetic stimulation of neurons specific to each layer of motor cortex
Russell W. Chan,
Greg O. Cron,
Mazen Asaad,
Bradley J. Edelman,
Hyun Joo Lee,
Hillel Adesnik,
David Feinberg,
Jin Hyung Lee
Affiliations
Russell W. Chan
Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Greg O. Cron
Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Mazen Asaad
Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Bradley J. Edelman
Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Hyun Joo Lee
Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Hillel Adesnik
Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
David Feinberg
Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Jin Hyung Lee
Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA; Correspondence should be addressed to: Jin Hyung Lee, 318 Campus Drive, #W300A, Stanford, CA 94305
Primary motor cortex (M1) consists of a stack of interconnected but distinct layers (L1-L6) which affect motor control through large-scale networks. However, the brain-wide functional influence of each layer is poorly understood. We sought to expand our knowledge of these layers’ circuitry by combining Cre-driver mouse lines, optogenetics, fMRI, and electrophysiology. Neuronal activities initiated in Drd3 neurons (within L2/3) were mainly confined within M1, while stimulation of Scnn1a, Rbp4, and Ntsr1 neurons (within L4, L5, and L6, respectively) evoked distinct responses in M1 and motor-related subcortical regions, including striatum and motor thalamus. We also found that fMRI responses from targeted stimulations correlated with both local field potentials (LFPs) and spike changes. This study represents a step forward in our understanding of how different layers of primary motor cortex are embedded in brain-wide circuitry.
