Sex-specificity of associative learning-induced changes in GABAergic tonic inhibition in layer 4 neurons of mouse barrel cortex

We show that in naïve mice, tonic currents mediated by δ subunit-containing GABAA receptors in fast spiking interneurons are larger in females than in males while in regular spiking neurons such a difference was not observed. Moreover, in fast spiking interneurons, associative learning induced a larger reduction of these currents in females than in males. In contrast, in regular spiking neurons, learning similarly enhanced tonic currents in both sexes.

Research highlights► Learning alters intrinsic tonic currents in cell type-specific manner irrespective of sex. ► In FS neurons from naïve mice, THIP induces larger tonic current in females. ► In FS cells, learning-induced changes in tonic current are larger in females. ► Input resistance is correlated with endogenous tonic current irrespective of sex.