New Insights Into Cholinergic Neuron Diversity

Date

2019

Authors

Ahmed, Noorya
Knowles, Rhys
Dehorter, Nathalie

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Frontiers Research Foundation

Abstract

Cholinergic neurons comprise a small population of cells in the striatum but have fundamental roles in fine tuning brain function, and in the etiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) or schizophrenia. The process of developmental cell specification underlying neuronal identity and function is an area of great current interest. There has been significant progress in identifying the developmental origins, commonalities in molecular markers, and physiological properties of the cholinergic neurons. Currently, we are aware of a number of key factors that promote cholinergic fate during development. However, the extent of cholinergic cell diversity is still largely underestimated. New insights into the biological basis of their specification indicate that cholinergic neurons may be far more diverse than previously thought. This review article, highlights the physiological features and the synaptic properties that segregate cholinergic cell subtypes. It provides an accurate picture of cholinergic cell diversity underlying their organization and function in neuronal networks. This review article, also discusses current challenges in deciphering the logic of the cholinergic cell heterogeneity that plays a fundamental role in the control of neural processes in health and disease.

Description

Keywords

interneurons, acetylcholine, diversity, striatum, development

Citation

Source

Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

Type

Journal article

Book Title

Entity type

Access Statement

Open Access

License Rights

Creative Commons Attribution licence

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