Published January 3, 2020 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Dendritic action potentials and computation in human layer 2/3 cortical neurons.

Creators

  • 1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • 2. Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • 3. Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (IMBB-FORTH), Crete, Greece

Description

The active electrical properties of dendrites shape neuronal input and output and are fundamental to brain function. However, our knowledge of active dendrites has been almost entirely acquired from studies of rodents. In this work, we investigated the dendrites of layer 2 and 3 (L2/3) pyramidal neurons of the human cerebral cortex ex vivo. In these neurons, we discovered a class of calcium-mediated dendritic action potentials (dCaAPs) whose waveform and effects on neuronal output have not been previously described. In contrast to typical all-or-none action potentials, dCaAPs were graded; their amplitudes were maximal for threshold-level stimuli but dampened for stronger stimuli. These dCaAPs enabled the dendrites of individual human neocortical pyramidal neurons to classify linearly nonseparable inputs—a computation conventionally thought to require multilayered networks.

Notes

This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science, 03 Jan 2020: Vol. 367, Issue 6473, pp. 83-87 (DOI: 10.1126/science.aax6239). We thank U. Schneider for providing the human tissue; L. Kraus, A. Ragot, O. Kruchik, and I. Wolter for assisting with human tissue processing; and S. Grosser and F. J. Barreda Tomás for assisting with confocal imaging. This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG: 2112280105 (to T.A.Z.), EXC 257 (to I.V., P.P., and M.E.L.), FOR 2143 (to I.V.), EXC 2049 (to P.F.), LA 3442/3-1 (to M.E.L.), SPP1665 (to M.E.L.), and SFB1078 B2 (to M.E.L.); 7FP Health-F2-602531-2013 DESIRE (to M.H.); Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation HFRI and the General Secretariat for Research and 15 Technology GSRT 1357 (to A.P.); Humboldt Foundation Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award (to P.P.); H2020 European Research Council ERC STG 311435 (to P.P.); H2020 Research and Innovation Programme 720270/HBP SGA1, 785907/HBP SGA2, and 670118/ERC ActiveCortex (to M.E.L.); and EMBO ALTF 1144-2012 (to A.G.)

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Additional details

Related works

Compiles
Journal article: 10.1126/science.aax6239 (DOI)
Is supplemented by
Dataset: 10.5281/zenodo.3530043 (DOI)

Funding

ActiveCortex – Active dendrites and cortical associations 670118
European Commission
DEMORY – Dissecting the Role of Dendrites in Memory 311435
European Commission
HBP SGA1 – Human Brain Project Specific Grant Agreement 1 720270
European Commission
DESIRE – Development and Epilepsy - Strategies for Innovative Research to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment in children with difficult to treat Epilepsy 602531
European Commission
HBP SGA2 – Human Brain Project Specific Grant Agreement 2 785907
European Commission