FOXP2-immunoreactive corticothalamic neurons in neocortical layers 6a and 6b are tightly regulated by neuromodulatory systems

The <i>FOXP2</i>/<i>Foxp2</i> gene, linked to fine motor control in vertebrates, is a potential candidate gene thought to play a prominent role in human language production. It is expressed specifically in a subset of corticothalamic (CT) pyramidal cells (PCs) in layer 6 (L6) of the neocortex. These L6 FOXP2+ PCs project exclusively to the thalamus, with L6a PCs targeting first-order or both first- and higher-order thalamic nuclei, whereas L6b PCs connect only to higher-order nuclei. Synaptic connections established by both L6a and L6b FOXP2+ PCs have low release probabilities and respond strongly to acetylcholine (ACh), triggering action potential (AP) trains. Notably, L6b FOXP2- PCs are more sensitive to ACh than L6a, and L6b FOXP2+ PCs also react robustly to dopamine. Thus, FOXP2 labels L6a and L6b CT PCs, which are precisely regulated by neuromodulators, highlighting their roles as potent modulators of thalamic activity.

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Publication Details

Journal
iScience
Published
2024-12-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111646
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.61

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article

FOXP2-immunoreactive corticothalamic neurons in neocortical layers 6a and 6b are tightly regulated by neuromodulatory systems

Danqing Yang, Fernando Messore, Arco Bast, Felipe Yáñez et al.
6 citations
iScience
Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
1.61
article

FOXP2-immunoreactive corticothalamic neurons in neocortical layers 6a and 6b are tightly regulated by neuromodulatory systems

Danqing Yang, Fernando Messore, Arco Bast, Felipe Yáñez, Marcel Oberlaender, Dirk Feldmeyer, Guanxiao Qi
article en
6 citations

Abstract

The <i>FOXP2</i>/<i>Foxp2</i> gene, linked to fine motor control in vertebrates, is a potential candidate gene thought to play a prominent role in human language production. It is expressed specifically in a subset of corticothalamic (CT) pyramidal cells (PCs) in layer 6 (L6) of the neocortex. These L6 FOXP2+ PCs project exclusively to the thalamus, with L6a PCs targeting first-order or both first- and higher-order thalamic nuclei, whereas L6b PCs connect only to higher-order nuclei. Synaptic connections established by both L6a and L6b FOXP2+ PCs have low release probabilities and respond strongly to acetylcholine (ACh), triggering action potential (AP) trains. Notably, L6b FOXP2- PCs are more sensitive to ACh than L6a, and L6b FOXP2+ PCs also react robustly to dopamine. Thus, FOXP2 labels L6a and L6b CT PCs, which are precisely regulated by neuromodulators, highlighting their roles as potent modulators of thalamic activity.

iScienceVol. 28(1)
Forschungszentrum Jülich (DE), Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (DE), Klinik für Psychosomatik (DE), Max Planck Institute for Brain Research (DE), Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (DE), Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (DE), International Max Planck Research School for Advanced Methods in Process and Systems Engineering (DE), Cognitive Research (United States) (US), RWTH Aachen University (DE)
European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
1.61
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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