Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors generate two types of intrinsic membrane oscillations in hippocampal oriens/alveus interneurons

Abstract GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus are critically involved in almost all hippocampal circuit functions including coordinated network activity. Somatostatin-expressing oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) interneurons are a major subtype of dendritically projecting interneurons in hippocampal subregions (e.g., CA1), and express group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), specifically mGluR 1 and mGluR 5 . Group I mGluRs are thought to regulate hippocampal circuit functions partially through GABAergic interneurons. Previous studies suggest that a group I/II mGluR agonist produces slow supra-threshold membrane oscillations ( 1/5 agonist (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) induced slow membrane oscillations ( 1 antagonist (S)-(+)-α-Amino-4-carboxy-2-methylbenzeneacetic acid (LY367385) reduced the slow oscillations, and the selective mGluR 5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine hydrochloride (MPEP) partially blocked them. Blockade of nonselective cation-conducting transient receptor potential channels, L-type Ca 2+ channels, or ryanodine receptors all abolished the slow oscillations, suggesting the involvement of multiple mechanisms. Our findings suggest that group I mGluR activation in O/A interneurons may play an important role in coordinated network activity, and O/A interneuron vulnerability to excitotoxicity, in disease states like seizures, is at least in part due to an excessive rise in intracellular Ca 2+ .