Molecular and functional heterogeneity of cerebellar granule cell terminals expands temporal coding in molecular layer interneurons.

In the cerebellum, molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) play an essential role in motor behavior by exerting precise temporal control of Purkinje cells, the sole output of the cerebellar cortex. The recruitment of MLIs is tightly controlled by the release of glutamate from granule cells (GCs) during high-frequency activities. Here we study how single MLIs are recruited by their distinct unitary GC inputs during burst of GC stimulations. Stimulation of individual GC-MLI synapses revealed four classes of connections segregated by their profile of short-term plasticity. Each class of connection differentially drives MLI recruitment. Molecular and ultrastructural analyses revealed that GC-MLI synaptic diversity is underlain by heterogeneous expression of synapsin II at individual GC terminals. In synapsin II knock-out mice, the number of classes is reduced to profiles associated with slow MLI recruitment. Our study reveals that molecular diversity across GC terminals enables diversity in temporal coding by MLIs and thereby influences the processing of sensory information by cerebellar networks.