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. 2024 Nov;40(11):1681-1698.
doi: 10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8. Epub 2024 May 27.

Whole-brain Mapping of Inputs and Outputs of Specific Orbitofrontal Cortical Neurons in Mice

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Whole-brain Mapping of Inputs and Outputs of Specific Orbitofrontal Cortical Neurons in Mice

Yijie Zhang et al. Neurosci Bull. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

The orbitofrontal cortex (ORB), a region crucial for stimulus-reward association, decision-making, and flexible behaviors, extensively connects with other brain areas. However, brain-wide inputs to projection-defined ORB neurons and the distribution of inhibitory neurons postsynaptic to neurons in specific ORB subregions remain poorly characterized. Here we mapped the inputs of five types of projection-specific ORB neurons and ORB outputs to two types of inhibitory neurons. We found that different projection-defined ORB neurons received inputs from similar cortical and thalamic regions, albeit with quantitative variations, particularly in somatomotor areas and medial groups of the dorsal thalamus. By counting parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST) interneurons innervated by neurons in specific ORB subregions, we found a higher fraction of PV neurons in sensory cortices and a higher fraction of SST neurons in subcortical regions targeted by medial ORB neurons. These results provide insights into understanding and investigating the function of specific ORB neurons.

Keywords: Anterograde transsynaptic virus tracing; Inhibitory neurons; Orbitofrontal cortex; Projection specific; Rabies virus retrograde tracing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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