Cellular-resolution optogenetics reveals attenuation-by-suppression in visual cortical neurons

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318837121
• Publication Date: 2024-11-01T17:40:29Z
• Authors: Paul K. LaFosse; Zhishang Zhou; Jonathan F. O’Rawe; Nina G. Friedman; Victoria M. Scott; Yanting Deng; Mark H. Histed
• Keywords: Cortical neurons

The relationship between neurons' input and spiking output is central to brain computation. Studies in vitro anesthetized animals suggest that nonlinearities emerge cells' input-output (IO; activation) functions as network activity increases, yet how neurons transform inputs vivo has been unclear. Here, we characterize cortical principal activation awake mice using two-photon optogenetics. We deliver fixed at the soma while varies with sensory stimuli. find responses optogenetic are nearly unchanged excited, reflecting a linear response regime above resting point. In contrast, dramatically attenuated by suppression. This attenuation powerful means filter arriving suppressed cells, privileging other excited neurons. These results have two major implications. First, somatic neural accord used recent machine learning systems. Second, IO can inputs-not only do stimuli change outputs, but these changes also affect input, attenuating some leaving others unchanged.