‘Ivy’ nerve cells identified in the brain
31 March 2008
Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of brain nerve cell in rats. Named ‘ivy’ cells because their structure resembles the dense woven pattern of the stalks and leaves of an ivy plant, the cells are thought to play a role in helping the brain to lay down new memories, recall previous ones and direct appropriate behavioural responses.
The research, led by scientists working at the Medical Research Council Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, at the University of Oxford, and colleagues in the School of Pharmacy, University College, London, is published in Neuron.
Dr Thomas Klausberger, co-author of the paper, said:
‘‘Nerve cell activity in the brain involves precise timing, often this timing is disorganised in psychiatric and neurological conditions so the identification of this new ‘ivy’ nerve cell will help to enrich the fundamental knowledge required to address neurological and psychiatric conditions, including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.’’
Ivy cells are present in the cerebral cortex, the largest part of the mammalian brain. The cerebral cortex contains a diversity of nerve cells that are involved in the coding, storage and recall of memory. Cells in the cortex are also involved in emotion and help to guide behaviour.
The research revealed that ivy cells are the most abundant type of inhibitory nerve cells in the part of the cortex that processes learning and memory. Inhibitory nerve cells synchronise and control the activity of excitatory cells, the cells that connect different brain areas and code memory information. The balance between inhibitory and excitable cells in the cortex is what allows the brain to remain active without nerve cells becoming over excited – such a state can lead to epileptic seizures.
Dr Klausberger concluded:
“Although cortical nerve cells have been studied for more than a century, the basic knowledge of how many different cell types exist and how they co-operate in time remains elusive. We have discovered that ivy cells act slowly in neuronal terms and provide stability to the nerve cell functions within the cortex. The discovery of this class of highly abundant and chemically distinct nerve cells and that they act via a unique set of messengers highlights the continued need to understand the basic principles of cell organisation in the brain.”
Original research paper: Ivy cells: A population of Nitric-Oxide-Producing, Slow-Spiking GABAergic Neurones and their Involvement in Hippocampal Network Activity is published online in the journal Neuron.
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