Abstract
The thalamus relays sensori-motor information to the cortex and is an integral part of cortical executive functions. The precise distribution of thalamic projections to the cortex is poorly characterized, particularly in mouse. We employed a systematic, high-throughput viral approach to visualize thalamocortical axons with high sensitivity. We then developed algorithms to directly compare injection and projection information across animals. By tiling the mouse thalamus with 254 overlapping injections, we constructed a comprehensive map of thalamocortical projections. We determined the projection origins of specific cortical subregions and verified that the characterized projections formed functional synapses using optogenetic approaches. As an important application, we determined the optimal stereotaxic coordinates for targeting specific cortical subregions and expanded these analyses to localize cortical layer-preferential projections. This data set will serve as a foundation for functional investigations of thalamocortical circuits. Our approach and algorithms also provide an example for analyzing the projection patterns of other brain regions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1276-1285 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nature Neuroscience |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2014 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
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A comprehensive thalamocortical projection map at the mesoscopic level. / Hunnicutt, Barbara J.; Long, Brian R.; Kusefoglu, Deniz; Gertz, Katrina J.; Zhong, Haining; Mao, Tianyi.
In: Nature Neuroscience, Vol. 17, No. 9, 01.09.2014, p. 1276-1285.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A comprehensive thalamocortical projection map at the mesoscopic level
AU - Hunnicutt, Barbara J.
AU - Long, Brian R.
AU - Kusefoglu, Deniz
AU - Gertz, Katrina J.
AU - Zhong, Haining
AU - Mao, Tianyi
PY - 2014/9/1
Y1 - 2014/9/1
N2 - The thalamus relays sensori-motor information to the cortex and is an integral part of cortical executive functions. The precise distribution of thalamic projections to the cortex is poorly characterized, particularly in mouse. We employed a systematic, high-throughput viral approach to visualize thalamocortical axons with high sensitivity. We then developed algorithms to directly compare injection and projection information across animals. By tiling the mouse thalamus with 254 overlapping injections, we constructed a comprehensive map of thalamocortical projections. We determined the projection origins of specific cortical subregions and verified that the characterized projections formed functional synapses using optogenetic approaches. As an important application, we determined the optimal stereotaxic coordinates for targeting specific cortical subregions and expanded these analyses to localize cortical layer-preferential projections. This data set will serve as a foundation for functional investigations of thalamocortical circuits. Our approach and algorithms also provide an example for analyzing the projection patterns of other brain regions.
AB - The thalamus relays sensori-motor information to the cortex and is an integral part of cortical executive functions. The precise distribution of thalamic projections to the cortex is poorly characterized, particularly in mouse. We employed a systematic, high-throughput viral approach to visualize thalamocortical axons with high sensitivity. We then developed algorithms to directly compare injection and projection information across animals. By tiling the mouse thalamus with 254 overlapping injections, we constructed a comprehensive map of thalamocortical projections. We determined the projection origins of specific cortical subregions and verified that the characterized projections formed functional synapses using optogenetic approaches. As an important application, we determined the optimal stereotaxic coordinates for targeting specific cortical subregions and expanded these analyses to localize cortical layer-preferential projections. This data set will serve as a foundation for functional investigations of thalamocortical circuits. Our approach and algorithms also provide an example for analyzing the projection patterns of other brain regions.
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U2 - 10.1038/nn.3780
DO - 10.1038/nn.3780
M3 - Article
VL - 17
SP - 1276
EP - 1285
JO - Nature Neuroscience
JF - Nature Neuroscience
SN - 1097-6256
IS - 9
ER -