Somatostatin-positive neurons in the reticular thalamus modulate gamma rhythms and visual information in mouse V1

Visual perception in natural environments depends on the ability to focus on salient stimuli while ignoring distractions. This kind of selective visual attention is associated with gamma oscillations in the visual cortex. While the nucleus reticularis thalami (nRT) has been implicated in selective attention, its role in modulating visual perception remains unknown. Here we show that somatostatin-expressing neurons (SOM) in the nRT preferentially project to visual thalamic nuclei, as compared to the more abundant parvalbumin-expressing neurons, and powerfully modulate both visual information transmission and gamma oscillations in the primary visual cortex (V1). These findings represent a novel circuit through which the nRT can influence representation of visual information.