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arXiv · 1707.02324

Gap junction plasticity as a mechanism to regulate network-wide oscillations

Guillaume Pernelle·Wilten Nicola·Claudia Clopath
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Abstract

Cortical oscillations are thought to be involved in many cognitive functions and processes. Several mechanisms have been proposed to regulate oscillations. One prominent but understudied mechanism is gap-junctional coupling. Gap junctions are ubiquitous in cortex between GABAergic interneurons. Moreover, recent experiments indicate their strength can be modified in an activity-dependent manner, similar to chemical synapses. We hypothesized that activity-dependent gap junction plasticity acts as a mechanism to regulate oscillations in the cortex. We developed a computational model of gap junction plasticity in a recurrent cortical network. We showed that gap junction plasticity can serve as a homeostatic mechanism for oscillations by maintaining a tight balance between two network states: asynchronous irregular activity and synchronized oscillations. This homeostatic mechanism allows for robust communication between neuronal assemblies through two different mechanisms: transient oscillations and frequency modulation. This implies a direct functional role for gap junction plasticity in information transmission in cortex.

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Guillaume Pernelle, Wilten Nicola, Claudia Clopath. 2017-07-07. Gap junction plasticity as a mechanism to regulate network-wide oscillations. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006025

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