How are grid cells organized in the MEC?

Gu, Yi, Sam Lewallen, Amina A. Kinkhabwala, Cristina Domnisoru, Kijung Yoon, Jeffrey L. Gauthier, Ila R. Fiete, and David W. Tank. “A map-like micro-organization of grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex.” Cell 175, no. 3 (2018): 736-750.

Summary
How the topography of neural circuits relates to their function remains unclear. Although topographic maps exist for sensory and motor variables, they are rarely observed for cognitive variables. Using calcium imaging during virtual navigation, we investigated the relationship between the anatomical organization and functional properties of grid cells, which represent a cognitive code for location during navigation. We found a substantial degree of grid cell micro-organization in mouse medial entorhinal cortex: grid cells and modules all clustered anatomically. Within a module, the layout of grid cells was a noisy two-dimensional lattice in which the anatomical distribution of grid cells largely matched their spatial tuning phases. This micro-arrangement of phases demonstrates the existence of a topographical map encoding a cognitive variable in rodents. It contributes to a foundation for evaluating circuit models of the grid cell network and is consistent with continuous attractor models as the mechanism of grid formation.

 

Figure S7. Method for Calculating Missed-Field Patterns; Possible Mechanisms for Generating Grid Cells in Stellate Cells in Layer 2 of the MEC,  (Source: Gu et al. 2018)

For further info, please read the paper  Gu et al. 2018

Gu, Yi, Sam Lewallen, Amina A. Kinkhabwala, Cristina Domnisoru, Kijung Yoon, Jeffrey L. Gauthier, Ila R. Fiete, and David W. Tank. “A map-like micro-organization of grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex.” Cell 175, no. 3 (2018): 736-750.