Immunohistochemistry was performed in 40–160 μm thick sections, as described previously (Fazzari et al., 2010). Cortical lysates were prepared from P30

control and Lhx6-Cre;Erbb4F/F mutants as described before ( Fazzari et al., 2010). We performed in utero retroviral infections in the MGE of E14.5 Erbb4F/F using an ultrasound learn more back-scattered microscope (Visualsonic), as described previously ( Fazzari et al., 2010). In utero electroporation of the hippocampus was performed using an electroporator (CUY21E, Nepa GENE) as described before ( Chacón et al., 2012). We used Neurolucida for cell density, colocalization, chandelier candlesticks, and spine counting. For the analysis of presynaptic and postsynaptic markers, images were acquired and quantified as described before (Fazzari et al., 2010). Electrophysiological recordings were carried out at postnatal day (P) 20–22 on sagittal

slices. Two- to 3-month-old male mice were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injections of urethane or ketamine/xylazine. Craniotomies were performed and linear Michigan probes (32 channel, NeuroNexus Technologies) for field potential recordings were inserted in the dorsal hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the same brain hemisphere. Microdrives (Axona) with four or eight independent screws were loaded with tetrodes and implanted through a craniotomy above the hippocampus under isoflurane anesthesia and buprenorphine analgesia. selleck Electrophysiological

recordings were performed as described before (Brotons-Mas et al., 2010). In anesthetized and freely moving mice, signal processing was performed off-line by custom-written MATLAB code (MathWorks). For behavioral testing, we used a specifically adapted battery to capture disease-specific phenotypes expressed upon Erbb4 ablation. We thank D. Baeza Metalloexopeptidase and M. Fernández-Otero for excellent technical assistance, A. Casillas, T. Gil, and M. Pérez for general laboratory support, G. Fishell (New York University), K. Lloyd (University College Dublin), and N. Kessaris (University College London) for RCE, Erbb4, and Lhx6-Cre mouse strains, respectively, and J-M. Fritschy (University of Zurich) for GABA receptor antibodies. We are also grateful to members of the Borrell, Marín, and Rico laboratories for stimulating discussions and ideas. Supported by grants from the Spanish Government to B.R. (SAF2010-21723 and CONSOLIDER CSD2007-00023), O.M. (CSD2007-00023), M.D. (SAF2010-16427), and S.C. (CSD2007-00023, BFU2009-09938 and PIM2010ERN-00679, part of the ERANET NEURON TRANSALC project), from Fundación Alicia Koplowitz to B.R., from the Lilly Research Awards Program to B.R. and O.M., and from Fundació la Marató to O.M., B.R., and M.D. B.R. is an EMBO Young Investigator.