Fig. 1: Distinct intrinsic firing and synaptic properties in SNL DA neurons. | Nature Communications

Fig. 1: Distinct intrinsic firing and synaptic properties in SNL DA neurons.

From: Corticonigral projections recruit substantia nigra pars lateralis dopaminergic neurons for auditory threat memories

Fig. 1

a In situ hybridization of TH+ neurons from coronal midbrain sections. Insets, SNL (top), lateral SNc (lSNc, middle), medial SNc (mSNc, bottom). b Illustrative map of nigral divisions. Numerical values represent average length of subdivision in mm ± s.e.m. c Bar plots of somatic cross-sectional areas from TH+ neurons in SNL (n = 47), lSNc (n = 53), and mSNc (n = 130) (SNL vs. lSNc, p = 1.07 × 10−5; SNL vs. mSNc, p = 2.61 × 10−10, N = 4 mice, two-sided unpaired Mann-Whitney). d–f Representative whole-cell recordings of DANs spontaneous firing. g Firing rate averages in DANs in SNL (n = 53, N = 12 mice), lSNc (n = 11, N = 5 mice), and mSNc, (n = 23, N = 15 mice) (SNL vs. mSNc, p = 1.08 × 10−10; SNL vs. lSNc, p = 2.07 × 10−6, two-sided unpaired Mann-Whitney). h CV ISI averages in DANs in SNL (n = 53, N = 12 mice), lSNc (n = 11, N = 5 mice), and mSNc (n = 23, N = 15 mice) (SNL vs. lSNc, p = 7.15 × 10−12; SNL vs. mSNc, p = 7.55 × 10−19, two-sided unpaired Mann-Whitney). i Plots of cell location within the SN mediolateral axis with neurons color-coded according to CV ISI. j–l Representative recordings of evoked firing in DANs (same cells as above). m Frequency-current averages in DANs in SNL (n = 15, N = 6 mice), lSNc (n = 4, N = 3 mice), and mSNc (n = 13, N = 8 mice) (SNL vs. lSNc, p = 5.16 × 10−4; SNL vs. mSNc, p = 5.34 × 10−4, two-sided unpaired Mann-Whitney). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. n Top, Representative trace of post-synaptic potentials (PSPs) during interspike voltage (arrows). Bottom, Trace from the same neuron following bath application of AP5/CNQX. Note suppression of PSPs. o, p Firing rate and CV ISI averages from SNL DANs in control (n = 14), plus glutamatergic receptor antagonists (AP5/NBQX, n = 11), and plus GABA antagonists (AP5/NBQX/GBZ/CGP, n = 10) from N = 5 mice. q Representative mEPSCs (top) and mIPSC (bottom) from SNL and SNc DANs recorded in the presence of TTX plus gabazine (mEPSC) or AP5-NBQX (mIPSC). r Averaged mEPSCs for DANs in SNL (n = 8, N = 1 mice) and  SNc (n = 11, N = 4 mice; p = 3.11 × 10−4, two-sided unpaired Mann-Whitney). s Averaged mIPSC for DANs in SNL (n = 6, N = 2 mice) and SNc (n = 14, N = 3 mice); p = 0.012, two-sided unpaired Mann-Whitney). Box whiskers represent 25–75% percentiles, solid squares represent the mean value, and horizontal box lines represent medians. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001. Source data have been uploaded on Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15486331; 2025).

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