Prefrontal cortex neurons encode ambient light intensity differentially across regions and layers

Elyashiv Zangen, Shira Hadar, Christopher Lawrence, Mustafa Obeid, Hala Rasras, Ella Hanzin, Ori Aslan, Eyal Zur, Nadav Schulcz, Daniel Cohen-Hatab, Yona Samama, Sarah Nir, Yi Li, Irina Dobrotvorskia and Shai Sabbah ()
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Elyashiv Zangen: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Shira Hadar: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Christopher Lawrence: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Mustafa Obeid: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hala Rasras: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Ella Hanzin: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Ori Aslan: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Eyal Zur: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Nadav Schulcz: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Daniel Cohen-Hatab: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Yona Samama: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Sarah Nir: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Yi Li: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Irina Dobrotvorskia: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Shai Sabbah: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract While light can affect emotional and cognitive processes of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), no light-encoding was hitherto identified in this region. Here, extracellular recordings in awake mice revealed that over half of studied mPFC neurons showed photosensitivity, that was diminished by inhibition of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), or of the upstream thalamic perihabenular nucleus (PHb). In 15% of mPFC photosensitive neurons, firing rate changed monotonically along light-intensity steps and gradients. These light-intensity-encoding neurons comprised four types, two enhancing and two suppressing their firing rate with increased light intensity. Similar types were identified in the PHb, where they exhibited shorter latency and increased sensitivity. Light suppressed prelimbic activity but boosted infralimbic activity, mirroring the regions’ contrasting roles in fear-conditioning, drug-seeking, and anxiety. We posit that prefrontal photosensitivity represents a substrate of light-susceptible, mPFC-mediated functions, which could be ultimately studied as a therapeutical target in psychiatric and addiction disorders.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49794-w

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