On the formation of gamma-coherent cell assemblies by oriens lacunosum-moleculare interneurons in the hippocampus

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Aug 14;104(33):13490-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0705708104. Epub 2007 Aug 6.

Abstract

Gamma frequency (30-80 Hz) network oscillations have been observed in the hippocampus during several behavioral paradigms in which they are often modulated by a theta frequency (4-12 Hz) oscillation. Interneurons of the hippocampus have been shown to be crucially involved in rhythms generation, and several subtypes with distinct anatomy and physiology have been described. In particular, the oriens lacunosum-moleculare (O-LM) interneurons were shown to synapse on distal apical dendrites of pyramidal cells and to spike preferentially at theta frequency, even in the presence of gamma-field oscillations. O-LM cells have also recently been shown to present higher axonal ramification in the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. By using a hippocampal network model composed of pyramidal cells and two types of interneurons (O-LM and basket cells), we show here that the O-LM interneurons lead to gamma coherence between anatomically distinct cell modules. We thus propose that this could be a mechanism for coupling longitudinally distant cells excited by entorhinal cortex inputs into gamma-coherent assemblies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Hippocampus / cytology*
  • Interneurons / cytology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Synapses