Minimal alterations in T‐type calcium channel gating markedly modify physiological firing dynamics

Non‐technical summary  Voltage‐dependant calcium channels constitute a heterogeneous group playing ubiquitous roles in excitable cells. Among them the low‐voltage activated T‐type channels generate a family of currents that differ in their biophysical properties reflecting structural or neuromodulatory diversity. These T‐type calcium channels are highly expressed in neurons located in the thalamus, a brain structure considered as the gateway to the cortex. Thalamic T‐type calcium channels are critically involved in oscillatory neuronal activities associated with sleep or epilepsy and may contribute to sensory processing. Using injections of computer‐simulated T‐type conductances (a real time mimicry of ionic currents) in biological thalamic neurons, we dissect how the diversity in T‐type currents impact on the output of thalamic neurons. We show that very subtle modifications in the properties of the T current that were overlooked so far affect drastically the physiological output of the thalamic neurons and therefore condition the dynamics of thalamo‐cortical information integration.

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