“Such previously unknown spatial organization principles of single neuron projections will provide a structural basis for a better understanding the function of hippocampal neurons,” said Xu Chun, a leading researcher on the team and a correspondent author of the paper.
“This enormous dataset (in the paper) provides unprecedented insights into the divergence of hippocampal output, bilateral projections and some of the principles of hippocampal projections at the level of individual neurons,” said one peer review.
Poo said the research results will provide a foundation to work out a function map of the single neurons in the mouse hippocampus to discover how signals are transmitted and which single neurons and signals are related to particular brain functions, such as memory, learning and emotions.