Distinct FGF-FGFR sets regulate inhibitory presynaptic differentiation from parvalbumin- and somatostatin-positive interneurons

Twenty types of GABAergic interneurons form intricate networks to fine-tune neural circuits in the brain. Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) and somatostatin-positive (SST+) interneurons, the two largest populations of neocortical interneurons, innervate the soma/proximal dendrites and distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons, respectively. Using PV- and SST-specific knockout models, we show that PV+ interneurons require FGFR2, responding to FGF7, to drive PV+ inhibitory presynaptic maturation on perisomatic regions of Layer V pyramidal neurons. In contrast, SST+ interneurons rely on both FGFR1 and FGFR2, responding to FGF10/FGF22, to promote SST+ inhibitory presynaptic maturation on distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons in cortical Layer I. Mechanistically, FGF-FGFR signaling sustains VGAT protein levels in interneurons through PP2A and Akt pathways. Together, these findings demonstrate that distinct FGF ligand-receptor combinations regulate inhibitory presynaptic differentiation by PV+ and SST+ interneurons, contributing to the formation of compartment-specific synaptic patterns.