Somatostatin peptide signaling dampens cortical circuits and promotes exploratory behavior
Dakota F. Brockway,
Keith R. Griffith,
Chloe M. Aloimonos,
Thomas T. Clarity,
J. Brody Moyer,
Grace C. Smith,
Nigel C. Dao,
Md Shakhawat Hossain,
Patrick J. Drew,
Joshua A. Gordon,
David A. Kupferschmidt,
Nicole A. Crowley
Affiliations
Dakota F. Brockway
Neuroscience Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Keith R. Griffith
Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Chloe M. Aloimonos
Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Thomas T. Clarity
Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
J. Brody Moyer
Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Grace C. Smith
Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Nigel C. Dao
Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Md Shakhawat Hossain
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Patrick J. Drew
Neuroscience Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Departments of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Neurosurgery, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Joshua A. Gordon
Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Office of the Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
David A. Kupferschmidt
Integrative Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Nicole A. Crowley
Neuroscience Graduate Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: We sought to characterize the unique role of somatostatin (SST) in the prelimbic (PL) cortex in mice. We performed slice electrophysiology in pyramidal and GABAergic neurons to characterize the pharmacological mechanism of SST signaling and fiber photometry of GCaMP6f fluorescent calcium signals from SST neurons to characterize the activity profile of SST neurons during exploration of an elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT). We used local delivery of a broad SST receptor (SSTR) agonist and antagonist to test causal effects of SST signaling. SSTR activation hyperpolarizes layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, an effect that is recapitulated with optogenetic stimulation of SST neurons. SST neurons in PL are activated during EPM and OFT exploration, and SSTR agonist administration directly into the PL enhances open arm exploration in the EPM. This work describes a broad ability for SST peptide signaling to modulate microcircuits within the prefrontal cortex and related exploratory behaviors.
