Spinal cord neurons integrate sensory and descending information to produce motor output. The expression of transcription factors has been used to dissect out the neuronal components of circuits underlying behaviors. However, most of the canonical populations of interneurons are heterogeneous and require additional criteria to determine functional subpopulations. Neurons expressing the transcription factor Shox2 can be subclassified based on the co-expression of the transcription factor Chx10 and each subpopulation is proposed to have a distinct connectivity and different role in locomotion. Adult Shox2 neurons have recently been shown to be diverse based on their firing properties. Here, in order to subclassify adult mouse Shox2 neurons, we performed multiple analyses of data collected from whole-cell patch clamp recordings of visually-identified Shox2 neurons from lumbar spinal slices. A smaller set of Chx10 neurons was included in the analyses for validation. We performed k-means and hierarchical unbiased clustering approaches, considering electrophysiological variables. Unlike the categorizations by firing type, the clusters displayed electrophysiological properties that could differentiate between clusters of Shox2 neurons. The presence of clusters consisting exclusively of Shox2 neurons in both clustering techniques suggests that it is possible to distinguish Shox2+Chx10− neurons from Shox2+Chx10+ neurons by electrophysiological properties alone. Computational clusters were further validated by immunohistochemistry with accuracy in a small subset of neurons. Thus, unbiased cluster analysis using electrophysiological properties is a tool that can enhance current interneuronal subclassifications and can complement groupings based on transcription factor and molecular expression.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.