Sensory experience-induced plasticity of somatostatin interneurons occurs through two-pore potassium (K2P) channels

Three days of whisker deprivation in L2/3 somatosensory cortex strongly downregulated intrinsic excitability of somatostatin interneurons by reducing input resistance.

• Why it matters: SST interneurons shape dendritic integration and sensory tuning, yet experience-dependent plasticity mechanisms within these interneurons remain unclear.
• What they did: The study used whisker deprivation and electrophysiology to measure intrinsic excitability and synaptic input, then tested whether leak potassium current changes were mediated by K2P channels.
• The result: Deprivation increased leak potassium current via K2P channels, linked to increased TRESK immunoreactivity, without changes in HCN, KV1, or KV7 currents, suggesting a novel K2P-driven plasticity mechanism.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.