Extended Data Fig. 4: Ablation of periodically active cells reduces network integrity.

a, Fraction of periodic cells of all active cells and all network hubs in experimental data in vivo and all cells in scrambled data; n = 24 recordings from 3 mice (S24) and n = 40 recordings from 4 mice (BG5); error bars show s.e.m.; Mixed-effects analysis, Dunnett’s test. b, Venn diagram of active cells, communicating cells, periodic cells, and functional network hubs; periodic cells are solely defined by their low peak-peak-interval variability (bright red) and convey their effect on the network by often being highly connected network hubs (dark red). c, Number of ablated periodic cells and randomly chosen active cells per FOV in vitro (comparable in both groups); n = 6 recordings (BG5 control and random), n = 7 (S24 control; BG5 periodic), and n = 8 (S24 random and periodic) from 2 biologically independent experiments; two-sided t-test. d, Fraction of activated caspase-3-positive cells (i.e., cells undergoing apoptosis) in ablated and non-ablated cells; all ablated cells were apoptotic; n = 6 recordings per group from 2 biologically independent experiments; two-sided t-test. e−g, Global Ca²⁺ activity and number of communicating cells per FOV of Ca²⁺ recordings in vitro before and 1 h after cell-specific laser ablation of either no cells (control), all periodic cells, or the corresponding number of randomly chosen active cells; BG5 line, n = 6 recordings (control and random ablation) and n = 7 recordings (ablation of periodic cells) in 2 biologically independent experiments (e); S24 line, n = 7 recordings (control) and n = 8 recordings (random and periodic) in 2 biologically independent experiments (f,g); one-way ANOVA, Dunnett’s test. h, Fraction of dead cells, measured as number of PI-positive cells (dead cells) divided by DAPI-positive cells (nuclei), 24 h after the cell-specific laser ablation of either periodic cells (periodic), the corresponding number randomly chosen active cells (random), or no cells (control); S24 line; n = 6 recordings per group from 2 biologically independent experiments; Kruskal-Wallis test, Dunn’s test. c—h, Error bars show s.d. ns, not significant (P ≥ 0.05).

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