Comment on "Principles of connectivity among morphologically defined cell types in adult neocortex".
Barth A., Burkhalter A., Callaway EM., Connors BW., Cauli B., DeFelipe J., Feldmeyer D., Freund T., Kawaguchi Y., Kisvarday Z., Kubota Y., McBain C., Oberlaender M., Rossier J., Rudy B., Staiger JF., Somogyi P., Tamas G., Yuste R.
Jiang et al (Research Article, 27 November 2015, aac9462) describe detailed experiments that substantially add to the knowledge of cortical microcircuitry and are unique in the number of connections reported and the quality of interneuron reconstruction. The work appeals to experts and laypersons because of the notion that it unveils new principles and provides a complete description of cortical circuits. We provide a counterbalance to the authors' claims to give those less familiar with the minutiae of cortical circuits a better sense of the contributions and the limitations of this study.