一连串的信息不断攻击我们的感官,其中只有一小部分在任何给定的时间点是相关的。然而,支持抑制无关感觉干扰物的神经回路尚未完全了解。claustrum,具有巨大皮质连通性的电路集线器,是一个有趣的大脑结构,其限制性解剖结构,又薄又细长,排除了功能调查。这里,我们描述了使用Egr2-CRE小鼠访问遗传定义的锁骨神经元。利用条件病毒进行顺行轴突标记和逆行跨突触追踪,我们验证了该转基因模型用于访问claustrum,并扩展了已知的claustral输入/输出连接库。解决锁骨的功能,我们灭活了CLEgr2+神经元,长期和急性,在执行自动两种替代强制选择行为任务的小鼠中。引人注目的是,在不同的延迟时间和提示持续时间下,CLEgr2+神经元的抑制不会显著影响任务表现,但揭示了在不相关的听觉干扰物存在下,锁骨在支持表演方面的选择性作用。进一步调查行为,在自然主义的母犬检索任务中,在抑制CLEgr2神经元后,复制了对听觉干扰物的致敏结果。启动对潜在机制的调查,我们发现CLEgr2+神经元的激活调节皮层感觉加工,抑制听觉皮层中的音调表示。这项功能研究,利用选择性遗传途径,暗示claustrum支持对分心的复原力,注意力的一个基本方面。
A barrage of information constantly assaults our senses, of which only a fraction is relevant at any given point in time. However, the neural circuitry supporting the suppression of irrelevant sensory distractors is not completely understood. The claustrum, a circuit hub with vast cortical connectivity, is an intriguing brain structure, whose restrictive anatomy, thin and elongated, has precluded functional investigation. Here, we describe the use of Egr2-CRE mice to access genetically defined claustral neurons. Utilizing conditional viruses for anterograde axonal labeling and retrograde trans-synaptic tracing, we validated this transgenic model for accessing the claustrum and extended the known repertoire of claustral input/output connectivity. Addressing the function of the claustrum, we inactivated CLEgr2+ neurons, chronically as well as acutely, in mice performing an automated two-alternative forced-choice behavioral task. Strikingly, inhibition of CLEgr2+ neurons did not significantly impact task performance under varying delay times and cue durations, but revealed a selective role for the claustrum in supporting performance in the presence of an irrelevant auditory distractor. Further investigation of behavior, in the naturalistic maternal pup-retrieval task, replicated the result of sensitization to an auditory distractor following inhibition of CLEgr2+ neurons. Initiating investigation into the underlying mechanism, we found that activation of CLEgr2+ neurons modulated cortical sensory processing, suppressing tone representation in the auditory cortex. This functional study, utilizing selective genetic access, implicates the claustrum in supporting resilience to distraction, a fundamental aspect of attention.