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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Oct 4.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2012 Oct 4;76(1):116–129. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.08.036

Figure 3. Effects of acetylcholine on activity of cortical neurons.

Figure 3

Salient cues induce acetylcholine release onto interneurons targeting the apical dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons, resulting in rapid inhibition of pyramidal cells (Arroyo et al., 2012; Couey et al., 2007; Fanselow et al., 2008; Ferezou et al., 2002; Gulledge et al., 2007; Kawaguchi and Kubota, 1997). Acetylcholine subsequently depolarizes pyramidal neurons through M1 mAChRs (Delmas and Brown, 2005; McCormick and Prince, 1985, 1986). Acetylcholine also activates stimulatory α4β2 nAChRs on glutamatergic thalamocortical terminals (Gil et al., 1997; Lambe et al., 2003; Oldford and Castro-Alamancos, 2003) and inhibitory M2 mAChRs on GABAergic terminals of parvalbumin-expressing (PV) interneurons (Kruglikov and Rudy, 2008). Activation of PV interneurons enhances stimulation of pyramidal neuron firing by thalamocortical inputs (Gabernet et al., 2005; Higley and Contreras, 2006; Kruglikov and Rudy, 2008). Acetylcholine also suppresses cortico-cortical transmission through inhibitory M2 mAChRs on pyramidal cell axon terminals (Gil et al., 1997; Hsieh et al., 2000; Kimura and Baughman, 1997; Oldford and Castro-Alamancos, 2003), reducing intra-cortical communication while preserving responses to thalamic inputs (Kimura et al., 1999).