Abstract
Higher-order projections to sensory cortical areas converge on layer 1 (L1), the primary site for integration of top-down information via the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons and L1 GABAergic interneurons. Here we investigated the contribution of early thalamic inputs onto L1 interneurons for establishment of top-down connectivity in the primary visual cortex. We find that bottom-up thalamic inputs predominate during L1 development and preferentially target neurogliaform cells. We show that these projections are critical for the subsequent strengthening of top-down inputs from the anterior cingulate cortex onto L1 neurogliaform cells. Sensory deprivation or selective removal of thalamic afferents blocked this phenomenon. Although early activation of the anterior cingulate cortex resulted in premature strengthening of these top-down afferents, this was dependent on thalamic inputs. Our results demonstrate that proper establishment of top-down connectivity in the visual cortex depends critically on bottom-up inputs from the thalamus during postnatal development.
•During development, L1 NGF cells receive strong dLGN inputs but weak ACC connectivity•ACC inputs onto L1 NGF cells, but not onto “canopy” cells, strengthen in the adult•Sensory deprivation blocked the strengthening of ACC afferents onto L1 NGF cells•Early ACC is strengthened precociously by stimulation in a thalamus-dependent manner
During development in the visual cortex, there is a shift in the flow of information processing from predominately bottom-up to top-down. Ibrahim et al. show that the strength of thalamic inputs onto layer 1 interneurons directly affects development of connectivity of these cells from the anterior cingulate cortex.