Data from: Whole-cell properties of cerebellar nuclei neurons in vivo

Cerebellar nuclei neurons integrate sensorimotor information and form the final output of the cerebellum, projecting to premotor brainstem targets. This implies that, in contrast to specialized neurons and interneurons in cortical regions, neurons within the nuclei encode and integrate complex information that is most likely reflected in a large variation of intrinsic membrane properties and integrative capacities of individual neurons. Yet, whether this large variation in properties is reflected in a heterogeneous physiological cell population of cerebellar nuclei neurons with well or poorly defined cell types remains to be determined. Indeed, the cell electrophysiological properties of cerebellar nuclei neurons have been identified in vitro in young rodents, but whether these properties are similar to the in vivo adult situation has not been shown. In this comprehensive study we present and compare the in vivo properties of 144 cerebellar nuclei neurons in adult ketamine-xylazine anesthetized mice. We found regularly firing (N=88) and spontaneously bursting (N=56) neurons. Membrane-resistance, capacitance, spike half-width and firing frequency all widely varied as a continuum, ranging from 9.63 to 3352.1 MΩ, from 6.7 to 772.57 pF, from 0.178 to 1.98 ms, and from 0 to 176.6 Hz, respectively. At the same time, several of these parameters were correlated with each other. Capacitance decreased with membrane resistance (R2=0.12, P<0.001), intensity of rebound spiking increased with membrane resistance (for 100 ms duration R2=0.1503, P=0.0011), membrane resistance decreased with membrane time constant (R2=0.045, P=0.031) and increased with spike half-width (R2=0.023, P<0.001), while capacitance increased with firing frequency (R2=0.29, P<0.001). However, classes of neuron subtypes could not be identified using merely k-clustering of their intrinsic firing properties and/or integrative properties following activation of their Purkinje cell input. Instead, using whole-cell parameters in combination with morphological criteria revealed by intracellular labelling with Neurobiotin (N=18) allowed for electrophysiological identification of larger (29.3–50 m soma diameter) and smaller (< 21.2 m) cerebellar nuclei neurons with significant differences in membrane properties. Larger cells had a lower membrane resistance and a shorter spike, with a tendency for higher capacitance. Thus, in general cerebellar nuclei neurons appear to offer a rich and wide continuum of physiological properties that stand in contrast to neurons in most cortical regions such as those of the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, in which different classes of neurons operate in a narrower territory of electrophysiological parameter space. The current dataset will help computational modelers of the cerebellar nuclei to update and improve their cerebellar motor learning and performance models by incorporating the large variation of the in vivo properties of cerebellar nuclei neurons. The cellular complexity of cerebellar nuclei neurons may endow the nuclei to perform the intricate computations required for sensorimotor coordination.,Channelrhodopsin Cell 1: 121025 C2121025 C2.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 2: 120906 C1120906 C1.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 3, 4, 5: 120823 C1, C2 and 4120823 C1, C2 and 4.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 6 and 7: 120627 C1 and 2120627 C1 and 2.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 8 en 9: 121019 C1 and 2121019 C1 and 2.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 10: 121018 C2121018 C2.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 11: 120903 C1120903 C1.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 12 and13: 121015 C1 and 5121015 C1 and 5.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 14:120628 C1120628 C1.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 15: 120626 C1120626 C1.zipChannelrhodopsin Cell 16: 120906 C2120906 C2 2.zipNeurons 1-8 morphArchive.zipRebounds set 1rebounds set 1.zipNeurons 9-13 morph + extra neuronsArchive 2.zipNeurons 14-16 morphArchive 28.zip5 NeuronsArchive 4.zip4 NeuronsArchive 5.zip3 NeuronsArchive 6.zip3 NeuronsArchive 7.zip7 NeuronsArchive 8.zip5 NeuronsArchive 9.zip3 NeuronsArchive 10.zip4 NeuronsArchive 11.zip7 NeuronsArchive 12.zip7 NeuronsArchive 13.zip7 NeuronsArchive 14.zip7 NeuronsArchive 15.zip7 NeuronsArchive 16.zip4 NeuronsArchive 17.zip4 NeuronsArchive 18.zip4 NeuronsArchive 19.zip3 NeuronsArchive 20.zip5 NeuronsArchive 21.zip3 NeuronsArchive 22.zip4 NeuronsArchive 23.zip3 NeuronsArchive 24.zip3 NeuronsArchive 25.zip4 NeuronsArchive 26.zip3 NeuronsArchive 27.zip,