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Localized GABAergic inhibition of dendritic Ca2+ signalling

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 15, pages 567–572 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Neuronal circuits are defined by synaptic connections between their cellular constituents. In this article, I highlight several recent studies emphasizing the surprising level of precision exhibited by inhibitory GABAergic synapses within the neocortex and hippocampus. Specifically, GABAergic inputs to dendritic shafts and spines of pyramidal cells have a key role in the localized regulation of neuronal Ca2+ signalling. These findings provide important new insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying the contributions of inhibitory transmission to both normal and abnormal brain activity.

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Figure 1: GABAergic interneurons and the targets of inhibition in cortical circuits.
Figure 2: Inhibition regulates dendritic spine Ca2+ signalling and synaptic plasticity.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks J. Cardin and members of the Higley laboratory for careful reading of this manuscript. The laboratory's work is funded by grants from the US National Institutes of Health (MH099045), the Klingenstein Foundation, The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and the March of Dimes.

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  1. Department of Neurobiology, Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, 06510, Connecticut, USA

    Michael J. Higley

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Correspondence to Michael J. Higley.

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Higley, M. Localized GABAergic inhibition of dendritic Ca2+ signalling. Nat Rev Neurosci 15, 567–572 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3803

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