Tonotopic and non-auditory organization of the mouse dorsal inferior colliculus revealed by two-photon imaging

The dorsal (DCIC) and lateral cortices (LCIC) of the inferior colliculus are major targets of the auditory and non-auditory cortical areas, suggesting a role in complex multimodal information processing. However, relatively little is known about their functional organization. We utilized in vivo two-photon Ca2+ imaging in awake mice expressing GCaMP6s in GABAergic or non-GABAergic neurons in the IC to investigate their spatial organization. We found different classes of temporal responses, which we confirmed with simultaneous juxtacellular electrophysiology. Both GABAergic and non-GABAergic neurons showed spatial microheterogeneity in their temporal responses. In contrast, a robust, double rostromedial-caudolateral gradient of frequency tuning was conserved between the two groups, and even among the subclasses. This, together with the existence of a subset of neurons sensitive to spontaneous movements, provides functional evidence for redefining the border between DCIC and LCIC.

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