Rosehip neurons are inhibitory GABAergicneurons present in the first layer (the molecular layer) of the humancerebral cortex. They make up about 10-15% of all inhibitory neurons in Layer 1.[1] Neurons of this type (having "large ‘rosehip’-like axonal boutons and compact arborization") exist in humans, but have not been reported in rodents.[2]
Rosehip neurons are named after the rose hip fruit due to the axon terminal's resemblance to their berries.
These rosehip cells show an immunohistochemical profile (GAD1+CCK+, CNR1–SST–CALB2–PVALB–) matching a single transcriptomically defined cell type whose specific molecular marker signature is not seen in mouse cortex. Rosehip cells in layer 1 make homotypic gap junctions, predominantly target apical dendritic shafts of layer 3 pyramidal neurons, and inhibit backpropagating pyramidal action potentials in microdomains of the dendritic tuft. These cells are therefore positioned for potent local control of distal dendritic computation in cortical pyramidal neurons.[2]