1
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Choi SH, Shin J, Park C, Lee JU, Lee J, Ambo Y, Shin W, Yu R, Kim JY, Lah JD, Shin D, Kim G, Noh K, Koh W, Lee CJ, Lee JH, Kwak M, Cheon J. In vivo magnetogenetics for cell-type-specific targeting and modulation of brain circuits. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41565-024-01694-2. [PMID: 38956320 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01694-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Neuromodulation technologies are crucial for investigating neuronal connectivity and brain function. Magnetic neuromodulation offers wireless and remote deep brain stimulations that are lacking in optogenetic- and wired-electrode-based tools. However, due to the limited understanding of working principles and poorly designed magnetic operating systems, earlier magnetic approaches have yet to be utilized. Furthermore, despite its importance in neuroscience research, cell-type-specific magnetic neuromodulation has remained elusive. Here we present a nanomaterials-based magnetogenetic toolbox, in conjunction with Cre-loxP technology, to selectively activate genetically encoded Piezo1 ion channels in targeted neuronal populations via torque generated by the nanomagnetic actuators in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate this cell-type-targeting magnetic approach for remote and spatiotemporal precise control of deep brain neural activity in multiple behavioural models, such as bidirectional feeding control, long-term neuromodulation for weight control in obese mice and wireless modulation of social behaviours in multiple mice in the same physical space. Our study demonstrates the potential of cell-type-specific magnetogenetics as an effective and reliable research tool for life sciences, especially in wireless, long-term and freely behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo-Hyun Choi
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihye Shin
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chanhyun Park
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Uk Lee
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaegyeong Lee
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuko Ambo
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wookjin Shin
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ri Yu
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju-Young Kim
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungsu David Lah
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghun Shin
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gooreum Kim
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kunwoo Noh
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wuhyun Koh
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Cluster, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - C Justin Lee
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Life Science Cluster, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hyun Lee
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Minsuk Kwak
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jinwoo Cheon
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Silva NT, Ramírez-Buriticá J, Pritchett DL, Carey MR. Climbing fibers provide essential instructive signals for associative learning. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:940-951. [PMID: 38565684 PMCID: PMC11088996 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01594-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Supervised learning depends on instructive signals that shape the output of neural circuits to support learned changes in behavior. Climbing fiber (CF) inputs to the cerebellar cortex represent one of the strongest candidates in the vertebrate brain for conveying neural instructive signals. However, recent studies have shown that Purkinje cell stimulation can also drive cerebellar learning and the relative importance of these two neuron types in providing instructive signals for cerebellum-dependent behaviors remains unresolved. In the present study we used cell-type-specific perturbations of various cerebellar circuit elements to systematically evaluate their contributions to delay eyeblink conditioning in mice. Our findings reveal that, although optogenetic stimulation of either CFs or Purkinje cells can drive learning under some conditions, even subtle reductions in CF signaling completely block learning to natural stimuli. We conclude that CFs and corresponding Purkinje cell complex spike events provide essential instructive signals for associative cerebellar learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Tatiana Silva
- Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Dominique L Pritchett
- Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Biology Department, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Megan R Carey
- Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
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3
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Liu D, Webber HC, Bian F, Xu Y, Prakash M, Feng X, Yang M, Yang H, You IJ, Li L, Liu L, Liu P, Huang H, Chang CY, Liu L, Shah SH, Torre AL, Welsbie DS, Sun Y, Duan X, Goldberg JL, Braun M, Lansky Z, Hu Y. Optineurin-facilitated axonal mitochondria delivery promotes neuroprotection and axon regeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.02.587832. [PMID: 38617277 PMCID: PMC11014509 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Optineurin (OPTN) mutations are linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG), but a relevant animal model is lacking, and the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration are unknown. We found that OPTN C-terminus truncation (OPTN∆C) causes late-onset neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), optic nerve (ON), and spinal cord motor neurons, preceded by a striking decrease of axonal mitochondria. Surprisingly, we discover that OPTN directly interacts with both microtubules and the mitochondrial transport complex TRAK1/KIF5B, stabilizing them for proper anterograde axonal mitochondrial transport, in a C-terminus dependent manner. Encouragingly, overexpressing OPTN/TRAK1/KIF5B reverses not only OPTN truncation-induced, but also ocular hypertension-induced neurodegeneration, and promotes striking ON regeneration. Therefore, in addition to generating new animal models for NTG and ALS, our results establish OPTN as a novel facilitator of the microtubule-dependent mitochondrial transport necessary for adequate axonal mitochondria delivery, and its loss as the likely molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Hannah C. Webber
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Fuyun Bian
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Yangfan Xu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Manjari Prakash
- Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Prague West, Czechia
| | - Xue Feng
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Ming Yang
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Hang Yang
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - In-Jee You
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Liang Li
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Liping Liu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Pingting Liu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Haoliang Huang
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Chien-Yi Chang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Liang Liu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sahil H Shah
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Anna La Torre
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA; USA
| | - Derek S. Welsbie
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA; USA
| | - Yang Sun
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Xin Duan
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; USA
| | - Jeffrey Louis Goldberg
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Marcus Braun
- Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Prague West, Czechia
| | - Zdenek Lansky
- Institute of Biotechnology, Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec, Prague West, Czechia
| | - Yang Hu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
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4
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Cregg JM, Sidhu SK, Leiras R, Kiehn O. Basal ganglia-spinal cord pathway that commands locomotor gait asymmetries in mice. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:716-727. [PMID: 38347200 PMCID: PMC11001584 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01569-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The basal ganglia are essential for executing motor actions. How the basal ganglia engage spinal motor networks has remained elusive. Medullary Chx10 gigantocellular (Gi) neurons are required for turning gait programs, suggesting that turning gaits organized by the basal ganglia are executed via this descending pathway. Performing deep brainstem recordings of Chx10 Gi Ca2+ activity in adult mice, we show that striatal projection neurons initiate turning gaits via a dominant crossed pathway to Chx10 Gi neurons on the contralateral side. Using intersectional viral tracing and cell-type-specific modulation, we uncover the principal basal ganglia-spinal cord pathway for locomotor asymmetries in mice: basal ganglia → pontine reticular nucleus, oral part (PnO) → Chx10 Gi → spinal cord. Modulating the restricted PnO → Chx10 Gi pathway restores turning competence upon striatal damage, suggesting that dysfunction of this pathway may contribute to debilitating turning deficits observed in Parkinson's disease. Our results reveal the stratified circuit architecture underlying a critical motor program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Cregg
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Simrandeep K Sidhu
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roberto Leiras
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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5
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G Anversa R, Campbell EJ, Walker LC, S Ch'ng S, Muthmainah M, S Kremer F, M Guimarães A, O'Shea MJ, He S, Dayas CV, Andrews ZB, Lawrence AJ, Brown RM. A paraventricular thalamus to insular cortex glutamatergic projection gates "emotional" stress-induced binge eating in females. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1931-1940. [PMID: 37474763 PMCID: PMC10584903 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01665-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
It is well-established that stress and negative affect trigger eating disorder symptoms and that the brains of men and women respond to stress in different ways. Indeed, women suffer disproportionately from emotional or stress-related eating, as well as associated eating disorders such as binge eating disorder. Nevertheless, our understanding of the precise neural circuits driving this maladaptive eating behavior, particularly in women, remains limited. We recently established a clinically relevant model of 'emotional' stress-induced binge eating whereby only female mice display binge eating in response to an acute "emotional" stressor. Here, we combined neuroanatomic, transgenic, immunohistochemical and pathway-specific chemogenetic approaches to investigate whole brain functional architecture associated with stress-induced binge eating in females, focusing on the role of Vglut2 projections from the paraventricular thalamus (PVTVglut2+) to the medial insular cortex in this behavior. Whole brain activation mapping and hierarchical clustering of Euclidean distances revealed distinct patterns of coactivation unique to stress-induced binge eating. At a pathway-specific level, PVTVglut2+ cells projecting to the medial insular cortex were specifically activated in response to stress-induced binge eating. Subsequent chemogenetic inhibition of this pathway suppressed stress-induced binge eating. We have identified a distinct PVTVglut2+ to insular cortex projection as a key driver of "emotional" stress-induced binge eating in female mice, highlighting a novel circuit underpinning this sex-specific behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta G Anversa
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Biochemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Leigh C Walker
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sarah S Ch'ng
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Muthmainah Muthmainah
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Frederico S Kremer
- Laboratório de Bioinformática, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Amanda M Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioinformática, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Mia J O'Shea
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Suheng He
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Christopher V Dayas
- School of Biochemical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Zane B Andrews
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robyn M Brown
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Division, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
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6
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Serra GP, Guillaumin A, Vlcek B, Delgado-Zabalza L, Ricci A, Rubino E, Dumas S, Baufreton J, Georges F, Wallén-Mackenzie Å. A role for the subthalamic nucleus in aversive learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113328. [PMID: 37925641 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is critical for behavioral control; its dysregulation consequently correlated with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the STN successfully alleviates parkinsonian motor symptoms. However, low mood and depression are affective side effects. STN is adjoined with para-STN, associated with appetitive and aversive behavior. DBS aimed at STN might unintentionally modulate para-STN, causing aversion. Alternatively, the STN mediates aversion. To investigate causality between STN and aversion, affective behavior is addressed using optogenetics in mice. Selective promoters allow dissociation of STN (e.g., Pitx2) vs. para-STN (Tac1). Acute photostimulation results in aversion via both STN and para-STN. However, only STN stimulation-paired cues cause conditioned avoidance and only STN stimulation interrupts on-going sugar self-administration. Electrophysiological recordings identify post-synaptic responses in pallidal neurons, and selective photostimulation of STN terminals in the ventral pallidum replicates STN-induced aversion. Identifying STN as a source of aversive learning contributes neurobiological underpinnings to emotional affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Pietro Serra
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Adriane Guillaumin
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; University of Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Bianca Vlcek
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Alessia Ricci
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eleonora Rubino
- Uppsala University, Department of Organism Biology, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Jérôme Baufreton
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - François Georges
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, 33000 Bordeaux, France
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7
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Machuca-Márquez P, Sánchez-Benito L, Menardy F, Urpi A, Girona M, Puighermanal E, Appiah I, Palmiter RD, Sanz E, Quintana A. Vestibular CCK signaling drives motion sickness-like behavior in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304933120. [PMID: 37847729 PMCID: PMC10622874 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304933120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Travel can induce motion sickness (MS) in susceptible individuals. MS is an evolutionary conserved mechanism caused by mismatches between motion-related sensory information and past visual and motion memory, triggering a malaise accompanied by hypolocomotion, hypothermia, hypophagia, and nausea. Vestibular nuclei (VN) are critical for the processing of movement input from the inner ear. Motion-induced activation of VN neurons recapitulates MS-related signs. However, the genetic identity of VN neurons mediating MS-related autonomic and aversive responses remains unknown. Here, we identify a central role of cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing VN neurons in motion-induced malaise. Moreover, we show that CCK VN inputs onto the parabrachial nucleus activate Calca-expressing neurons and are sufficient to establish avoidance to novel food, which is prevented by CCK-A receptor antagonism. These observations provide greater insight into the neurobiological regulation of MS by identifying the neural substrates of MS and providing potential targets for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Sánchez-Benito
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Fabien Menardy
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Andrea Urpi
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Mònica Girona
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Emma Puighermanal
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Isabella Appiah
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Richard D. Palmiter
- HHMI, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Elisenda Sanz
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
| | - Albert Quintana
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona08193, Spain
- Focus Area for Human Metabolomics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom2520, South Africa
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8
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Jin S, Campbell EJ, Ip CK, Layfield S, Bathgate RAD, Herzog H, Lawrence AJ. Molecular Profiling of VGluT1 AND VGluT2 Ventral Subiculum to Nucleus Accumbens Shell Projections. Neurochem Res 2023:10.1007/s11064-023-03921-z. [PMID: 37017888 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-03921-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens shell is a critical node in reward circuitry, encoding environments associated with reward. Long-range inputs from the ventral hippocampus (ventral subiculum) to the nucleus accumbens shell have been identified, yet their precise molecular phenotype remains to be determined. Here we used retrograde tracing to identify the ventral subiculum as the brain region with the densest glutamatergic (VGluT1-Slc17a7) input to the shell. We then used circuit-directed translating ribosome affinity purification to examine the molecular characteristics of distinct glutamatergic (VGluT1, VGluT2-Slc17a6) ventral subiculum to nucleus accumbens shell projections. We immunoprecipitated translating ribosomes from this population of projection neurons and analysed molecular connectomic information using RNA sequencing. We found differential gene enrichment across both glutamatergic projection neuron subtypes. In VGluT1 projections, we found enrichment of Pfkl, a gene involved in glucose metabolism. In VGluT2 projections, we found a depletion of Sparcl1 and Dlg1, genes known to play a role in depression- and addiction-related behaviours. These findings highlight potential glutamatergic neuronal-projection-specific differences in ventral subiculum to nucleus accumbens shell projections. Together these data advance our understanding of the phenotype of a defined brain circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubo Jin
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Chi Kin Ip
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Sharon Layfield
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Ross A D Bathgate
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Herbert Herzog
- Neuroscience Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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9
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Hsu LJ, Bertho M, Kiehn O. Deconstructing the modular organization and real-time dynamics of mammalian spinal locomotor networks. Nat Commun 2023; 14:873. [PMID: 36797254 PMCID: PMC9935527 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36587-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotion empowers animals to move. Locomotor-initiating signals from the brain are funneled through descending neurons in the brainstem that act directly on spinal locomotor circuits. Little is known in mammals about which spinal circuits are targeted by the command and how this command is transformed into rhythmicity in the cord. Here we address these questions leveraging a mouse brainstem-spinal cord preparation from either sex that allows locating the locomotor command neurons with simultaneous Ca2+ imaging of spinal neurons. We show that a restricted brainstem area - encompassing the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus (LPGi) and caudal ventrolateral reticular nucleus (CVL) - contains glutamatergic neurons which directly initiate locomotion. Ca2+ imaging captures the direct LPGi/CVL locomotor initiating command in the spinal cord and visualizes spinal glutamatergic modules that execute the descending command and its transformation into rhythmic locomotor activity. Inhibitory spinal networks are recruited in a distinctly different pattern. Our study uncovers the principal logic of how spinal circuits implement the locomotor command using a distinct modular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ju Hsu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maëlle Bertho
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
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10
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Ibarra-Lecue I, Haegens S, Harris AZ. Breaking Down a Rhythm: Dissecting the Mechanisms Underlying Task-Related Neural Oscillations. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:846905. [PMID: 35310550 PMCID: PMC8931663 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.846905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A century worth of research has linked multiple cognitive, perceptual and behavioral states to various brain oscillations. However, the mechanistic roles and circuit underpinnings of these oscillations remain an area of active study. In this review, we argue that the advent of optogenetic and related systems neuroscience techniques has shifted the field from correlational to causal observations regarding the role of oscillations in brain function. As a result, studying brain rhythms associated with behavior can provide insight at different levels, such as decoding task-relevant information, mapping relevant circuits or determining key proteins involved in rhythmicity. We summarize recent advances in this field, highlighting the methods that are being used for this purpose, and discussing their relative strengths and limitations. We conclude with promising future approaches that will help unravel the functional role of brain rhythms in orchestrating the repertoire of complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibarra-Lecue
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Z. Harris
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
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11
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Masini D, Kiehn O. Targeted activation of midbrain neurons restores locomotor function in mouse models of parkinsonism. Nat Commun 2022; 13:504. [PMID: 35082287 PMCID: PMC8791953 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28075-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is a locomotor command area containing glutamatergic neurons that control locomotor initiation and maintenance. These motor actions are deficient in Parkinson’s disease (PD), where dopaminergic neurodegeneration alters basal ganglia activity. Being downstream of the basal ganglia, the PPN may be a suitable target for ameliorating parkinsonian motor symptoms. Here, we use in vivo cell-type specific PPN activation to restore motor function in two mouse models of parkinsonism made by acute pharmacological blockage of dopamine transmission. With a combination of chemo- and opto-genetics, we show that excitation of caudal glutamatergic PPN neurons can normalize the otherwise severe locomotor deficit in PD, whereas targeting the local GABAergic population only leads to recovery of slow locomotion. The motor rescue driven by glutamatergic PPN activation is independent of activity in nearby locomotor promoting glutamatergic Cuneiform neurons. Our observations point to caudal glutamatergic PPN neurons as a potential target for neuromodulatory restoration of locomotor function in PD. Here, the authors use cell-type specific stimulation of brainstem neurons within the caudal pedunculopontine nucleus to show that activation of excitatory neurons can normalize severe locomotor deficit in mouse models of parkinsonism. The study defines a potential target for neuromodulatory restoration of locomotor function in Parkinson’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Masini
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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12
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A non-canonical GABAergic pathway to the VTA promotes unconditioned freezing. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4905-4917. [PMID: 36127430 PMCID: PMC9763111 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01765-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Freezing is a conserved defensive behaviour that constitutes a major stress-coping mechanism. Decades of research have demonstrated a role of the amygdala, periaqueductal grey and hypothalamus as core actuators of the control of fear responses, including freezing. However, the role that other modulatory sites provide to this hardwired scaffold is not known. Here, we show that freezing elicited by exposure to electrical foot shocks activates laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) GABAergic neurons projecting to the VTA, without altering the excitability of cholinergic and glutamatergic LDTg neurons. Selective chemogenetic silencing of this inhibitory projection, but not other LDTg neuronal subtypes, dampens freezing responses but does not prevent the formation of conditioned fear memories. Conversely, optogenetic-activation of LDTg GABA terminals within the VTA drives freezing responses and elicits bradycardia, a common hallmark of freezing. Notably, this aversive information is subsequently conveyed from the VTA to the amygdala via a discrete GABAergic pathway. Hence, we unveiled a circuit mechanism linking LDTg-VTA-amygdala regions, which holds potential translational relevance for pathological freezing states such as post-traumatic stress disorders, panic attacks and social phobias.
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13
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Reverse-translational identification of a cerebellar satiation network. Nature 2021; 600:269-273. [PMID: 34789878 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04143-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The brain is the seat of body weight homeostasis. However, our inability to control the increasing prevalence of obesity highlights a need to look beyond canonical feeding pathways to broaden our understanding of body weight control1-3. Here we used a reverse-translational approach to identify and anatomically, molecularly and functionally characterize a neural ensemble that promotes satiation. Unbiased, task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked differences in cerebellar responses to food in people with a genetic disorder characterized by insatiable appetite. Transcriptomic analyses in mice revealed molecularly and topographically -distinct neurons in the anterior deep cerebellar nuclei (aDCN) that are activated by feeding or nutrient infusion in the gut. Selective activation of aDCN neurons substantially decreased food intake by reducing meal size without compensatory changes to metabolic rate. We found that aDCN activity terminates food intake by increasing striatal dopamine levels and attenuating the phasic dopamine response to subsequent food consumption. Our study defines a conserved satiation centre that may represent a novel therapeutic target for the management of excessive eating, and underscores the utility of a 'bedside-to-bench' approach for the identification of neural circuits that influence behaviour.
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14
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Marcantoni M, Fuchs A, Löw P, Bartsch D, Kiehn O, Bellardita C. Early delivery and prolonged treatment with nimodipine prevents the development of spasticity after spinal cord injury in mice. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/539/eaay0167. [PMID: 32295897 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aay0167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spasticity, one of the most frequent comorbidities of spinal cord injury (SCI), disrupts motor recovery and quality of life. Despite major progress in neurorehabilitative and pharmacological approaches, therapeutic strategies for treating spasticity are lacking. Here, we show in a mouse model of chronic SCI that treatment with nimodipine-an L-type calcium channel blocker already approved from the European Medicine Agency and from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-starting in the acute phase of SCI completely prevents the development of spasticity measured as increased muscle tone and spontaneous spasms. The aberrant muscle activities associated with spasticity remain inhibited even after termination of the treatment. Constitutive and conditional silencing of the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3 in neuronal subtypes demonstrated that this channel mediated the preventive effect of nimodipine on spasticity after SCI. This study identifies a treatment protocol and suggests that targeting CaV1.3 could prevent spasticity after SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Marcantoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Andrea Fuchs
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17162 Solna, Sweden
| | - Peter Löw
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17162 Solna, Sweden
| | - Dusan Bartsch
- Transgenic Models, Central Institute of Mental Health, 28159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen Denmark. .,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17162 Solna, Sweden
| | - Carmelo Bellardita
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen Denmark
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15
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Robert V, Therreau L, Chevaleyre V, Lepicard E, Viollet C, Cognet J, Huang AJ, Boehringer R, Polygalov D, McHugh TJ, Piskorowski RA. Local circuit allowing hypothalamic control of hippocampal area CA2 activity and consequences for CA1. eLife 2021; 10:63352. [PMID: 34003113 PMCID: PMC8154026 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is critical for memory formation. The hypothalamic supramammillary nucleus (SuM) sends long-range projections to hippocampal area CA2. While the SuM-CA2 connection is critical for social memory, how this input acts on the local circuit is unknown. Using transgenic mice, we found that SuM axon stimulation elicited mixed excitatory and inhibitory responses in area CA2 pyramidal neurons (PNs). Parvalbumin-expressing basket cells were largely responsible for the feedforward inhibitory drive of SuM over area CA2. Inhibition recruited by the SuM input onto CA2 PNs increased the precision of action potential firing both in conditions of low and high cholinergic tone. Furthermore, SuM stimulation in area CA2 modulated CA1 activity, indicating that synchronized CA2 output drives a pulsed inhibition in area CA1. Hence, the network revealed here lays basis for understanding how SuM activity directly acts on the local hippocampal circuit to allow social memory encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Robert
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Ludivine Therreau
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Vivien Chevaleyre
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Eude Lepicard
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Viollet
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Julie Cognet
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Arthur Jy Huang
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Roman Boehringer
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Denis Polygalov
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Thomas J McHugh
- Laboratory for Circuit and Behavioral Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Rebecca Ann Piskorowski
- INSERM UMR1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Team Synaptic Plasticity and Neural Networks, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, Paris, France
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16
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Choquet D, Sainlos M, Sibarita JB. Advanced imaging and labelling methods to decipher brain cell organization and function. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:237-255. [PMID: 33712727 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00441-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The brain is arguably the most complex organ. The branched and extended morphology of nerve cells, their subcellular complexity, the multiplicity of brain cell types as well as their intricate connectivity and the scattering properties of brain tissue present formidable challenges to the understanding of brain function. Neuroscientists have often been at the forefront of technological and methodological developments to overcome these hurdles to visualize, quantify and modify cell and network properties. Over the last few decades, the development of advanced imaging methods has revolutionized our approach to explore the brain. Super-resolution microscopy and tissue imaging approaches have recently exploded. These instrumentation-based innovations have occurred in parallel with the development of new molecular approaches to label protein targets, to evolve new biosensors and to target them to appropriate cell types or subcellular compartments. We review the latest developments for labelling and functionalizing proteins with small localization and functionalized reporters. We present how these molecular tools are combined with the development of a wide variety of imaging methods that break either the diffraction barrier or the tissue penetration depth limits. We put these developments in perspective to emphasize how they will enable step changes in our understanding of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Choquet
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France. .,University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, Bordeaux Imaging Center, BIC, UMS 3420, US 4, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Matthieu Sainlos
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Jean-Baptiste Sibarita
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France.
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17
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Differential Contribution of V0 Interneurons to Execution of Rhythmic and Nonrhythmic Motor Behaviors. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3432-3445. [PMID: 33637562 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1979-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion, scratching, and stabilization of the body orientation in space are basic motor functions which are critically important for animal survival. Their execution requires coordinated activity of muscles located in the left and right halves of the body. Commissural interneurons (CINs) are critical elements of the neuronal networks underlying the left-right motor coordination. V0 interneurons (characterized by the early expression of the transcription factor Dbx1) contain a major class of CINs in the spinal cord (excitatory, V0V; inhibitory, V0D), and a small subpopulation of excitatory ipsilaterally projecting interneurons. The role of V0 CINs in left-right coordination during forward locomotion was demonstrated earlier. Here, to reveal the role of glutamatergic V0 and other V0 subpopulations in control of backward locomotion, scratching, righting behavior, and postural corrections, kinematics of these movements performed by wild-type mice and knock-out mice with glutamatergic V0 or all V0 interneurons ablated were compared. Our results suggest that the functional effect of excitatory V0 neurons during backward locomotion and scratching is inhibitory, and that the execution of scratching involves active inhibition of the contralateral scratching central pattern generator mediated by excitatory V0 neurons. By contrast, other V0 subpopulations are elements of spinal networks generating postural corrections. Finally, all V0 subpopulations contribute to the generation of righting behavior. We found that different V0 subpopulations determine left-right coordination in the anterior and posterior parts of the body during a particular behavior. Our study shows a differential contribution of V0 subpopulations to diverse motor acts that provides new insight to organization of motor circuits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Commissural interneurons with their axons crossing the midline of the nervous system are critical elements of the neuronal networks underlying the left-right motor coordination. For the majority of motor behaviors, the neuronal mechanisms underlying left-right coordination are unknown. Here, we demonstrate the functional role of excitatory V0 neurons and other subpopulations of V0 interneurons in control of a number of basic motor behaviors-backward locomotion, scratching, righting behavior, and postural corrections-which are critically important for animal survival. We have shown that different subpopulations of V0 neurons determine left-right coordination in the context of different behaviors as well as in the anterior and posterior parts of the body during a particular behavior.
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18
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Outer Hair Cell Glutamate Signaling through Type II Spiral Ganglion Afferents Activates Neurons in the Cochlear Nucleus in Response to Nondamaging Sounds. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2930-2943. [PMID: 33574178 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0619-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) are known to uniquely participate in auditory processing through their electromotility, and like inner hair cells, are also capable of releasing vesicular glutamate onto spiral ganglion (SG) neurons: in this case, onto the sparse Type II SG neurons. However, unlike glutamate signaling at the inner hair cell-Type I SG neuron synapse, which is robust across a wide spectrum of sound intensities, glutamate signaling at the OHC-Type II SG neuron synapse is weaker and has been hypothesized to occur only at intense, possibly damaging sound levels. Here, we tested the ability of the OHC-Type II SG pathway to signal to the brain in response to moderate, nondamaging sound (80 dB SPL) as well as to intense sound (115 dB SPL). First, we determined the VGluTs associated with OHC signaling and then confirmed the loss of glutamatergic synaptic transmission from OHCs to Type II SG neurons in KO mice using dendritic patch-clamp recordings. Next, we generated genetic mouse lines in which vesicular glutamate release occurs selectively from OHCs, and then assessed c-Fos expression in the cochlear nucleus in response to sound. From these analyses, we show, for the first time, that glutamatergic signaling at the OHC-Type II SG neuron synapse is capable of activating cochlear nucleus neurons, even at moderate sound levels.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Evidence suggests that cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) release glutamate onto Type II spiral ganglion neurons only when exposed to loud sound, and that Type II neurons are activated by tissue damage. Knowing whether moderate level sound, without tissue damage, activates this pathway has functional implications for this fundamental auditory pathway. We first determined that OHCs rely largely on VGluT3 for synaptic glutamate release. We then used a genetically modified mouse line in which OHCs, but not inner hair cells, release vesicular glutamate to demonstrate that moderate sound exposure activates cochlear nucleus neurons via the OHC-Type II spiral ganglion pathway. Together, these data indicate that glutamate signaling at the OHC-Type II afferent synapse participates in auditory function at moderate sound levels.
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19
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Differential Encoding of Predator Fear in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus and Periaqueductal Grey. J Neurosci 2020; 40:9283-9292. [PMID: 33115925 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0761-18.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial hypothalamus is a central node of the mammalian predator defense network. Stimulation of this structure in rodents and primates elicits abrupt defensive responses, including flight, freezing, sympathetic activation, and panic, while inhibition reduces defensive responses to predators. The major efferent target of the ventromedial hypothalamus is the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), and stimulation of this structure also elicits flight, freezing, and sympathetic activation. However, reversible inhibition experiments suggest that the ventromedial hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray play distinct roles in the control of defensive behavior, with the former proposed to encode an internal state necessary for the motivation of defensive responses, while the latter serves as a motor pattern initiator. Here, we used electrophysiological recordings of single units in behaving male mice exposed to a rat to investigate the encoding of predator fear in the dorsomedial division of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHdm) and the dPAG. Distinct correlates of threat intensity and motor responses were found in both structures, suggesting a distributed encoding of sensory and motor features in the medial hypothalamic-brainstem instinctive network.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although behavioral responses to predatory threat are essential for survival, the underlying neuronal circuits remain undefined. Using single unit in vivo electrophysiological recordings in mice, we have identified neuronal populations in the medial hypothalamus and brainstem that encode defensive responses to a rat predator. We found that both structures encode both sensory as well as motor aspects of the behavior although with different kinetics. Our findings provide a framework for understanding how innate sensory cues are processed to elicit adaptive behavioral responses to threat and will help to identify targets for the pharmacological modulation of related pathologic behaviors.
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20
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Gella A, Prada-Dacasa P, Carrascal M, Urpi A, González-Torres M, Abian J, Sanz E, Quintana A. Mitochondrial Proteome of Affected Glutamatergic Neurons in a Mouse Model of Leigh Syndrome. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:660. [PMID: 32850799 PMCID: PMC7399339 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Defects in mitochondrial function lead to severe neuromuscular orphan pathologies known as mitochondrial disease. Among them, Leigh Syndrome is the most common pediatric presentation, characterized by symmetrical brain lesions, hypotonia, motor and respiratory deficits, and premature death. Mitochondrial diseases are characterized by a marked anatomical and cellular specificity. However, the molecular determinants for this susceptibility are currently unknown, hindering the efforts to find an effective treatment. Due to the complex crosstalk between mitochondria and their supporting cell, strategies to assess the underlying alterations in affected cell types in the context of mitochondrial dysfunction are critical. Here, we developed a novel virus-based tool, the AAV-mitoTag viral vector, to isolate mitochondria from genetically defined cell types. Expression of the AAV-mitoTag in the glutamatergic vestibular neurons of a mouse model of Leigh Syndrome lacking the complex I subunit Ndufs4 allowed us to assess the proteome and acetylome of a subset of susceptible neurons in a well characterized model recapitulating the human disease. Our results show a marked reduction of complex I N-module subunit abundance and an increase in the levels of the assembly factor NDUFA2. Transiently associated non-mitochondrial proteins such as PKCδ, and the complement subcomponent C1Q were also increased in Ndufs4-deficient mitochondria. Furthermore, lack of Ndufs4 induced ATP synthase complex and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) subunit hyperacetylation, leading to decreased PDH activity. We provide novel insight on the pathways involved in mitochondrial disease, which could underlie potential therapeutic approaches for these pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gella
- Mitochondrial Neuropathology Lab, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Patricia Prada-Dacasa
- Mitochondrial Neuropathology Lab, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Montserrat Carrascal
- Proteomics Laboratory CSIC/UAB, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Urpi
- Mitochondrial Neuropathology Lab, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Melania González-Torres
- Mitochondrial Neuropathology Lab, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Joaquin Abian
- Proteomics Laboratory CSIC/UAB, Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (IIBB-CSIC/IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisenda Sanz
- Mitochondrial Neuropathology Lab, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Albert Quintana
- Mitochondrial Neuropathology Lab, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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21
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Wang YB, de Lartigue G, Page AJ. Dissecting the Role of Subtypes of Gastrointestinal Vagal Afferents. Front Physiol 2020; 11:643. [PMID: 32595525 PMCID: PMC7300233 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) vagal afferents convey sensory signals from the GI tract to the brain. Numerous subtypes of GI vagal afferent have been identified but their individual roles in gut function and feeding regulation are unclear. In the past decade, technical approaches to selectively target vagal afferent subtypes and to assess their function has significantly progressed. This review examines the classification of GI vagal afferent subtypes and discusses the current available techniques to study vagal afferents. Investigating the distribution of GI vagal afferent subtypes and understanding how to access and modulate individual populations are essential to dissect their fundamental roles in the gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko B Wang
- Vagal Afferent Research Group, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Guillaume de Lartigue
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Amanda J Page
- Vagal Afferent Research Group, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Nutrition, Diabetes and Gut Health, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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22
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Cregg JM, Leiras R, Montalant A, Wanken P, Wickersham IR, Kiehn O. Brainstem neurons that command mammalian locomotor asymmetries. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:730-740. [PMID: 32393896 PMCID: PMC7610510 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0633-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Descending command neurons instruct spinal networks to execute basic locomotor functions, such as which gait and what speed. The command functions for gait and speed are symmetric, implying that a separate unknown system directs asymmetric movements—including the ability to move left or right. Here we report the discovery that Chx10-lineage reticulospinal neurons act to control the direction of locomotor movements in mammals. Chx10 neurons exhibit mainly ipsilateral projection, and their selective unilateral activation causes ipsilateral turning movements in freely moving mice. Unilateral inhibition of Chx10 neurons causes contralateral turning movements. Paired left/right motor recordings identified distinct mechanisms for directional movements mediated via limb and axial spinal circuits. Finally, we identify sensorimotor brain regions that project onto Chx10 reticulospinal neurons, and demonstrate that their unilateral activation can impart left/right directional commands. Together these data identify the descending motor system that commands left/right locomotor asymmetries in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Cregg
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roberto Leiras
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexia Montalant
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Paulina Wanken
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- The McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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23
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LaPallo BK, Giorgi A, Perreault MC. Crossed activation of thoracic trunk motoneurons by medullary reticulospinal neurons. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:2601-2613. [PMID: 31664872 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00194.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of contralateral muscles by supraspinal neurons, or crossed activation, is critical for bilateral coordination. Studies in mammals have focused on the neural circuits that mediate cross activation of limb muscles, but the neural circuits involved in crossed activation of trunk muscles are still poorly understood. In this study, we characterized functional connections between reticulospinal (RS) neurons in the medial and lateral regions of the medullary reticular formation (medMRF and latMRF) and contralateral trunk motoneurons (MNs) in the thoracic cord (T7 and T10 segments). To do this, we combined electrical microstimulation of the medMRF and latMRF and calcium imaging from single cells in an ex vivo brain stem-spinal cord preparation of neonatal mice. Our findings substantiate two spatially distinct RS pathways to contralateral trunk MNs. Both pathways originate in the latMRF and are midline crossing, one at the level of the spinal cord via excitatory descending commissural interneurons (reticulo-commissural pathway) and the other at the level of the brain stem (crossed RS pathway). Activation of these RS pathways may enable different patterns of bilateral trunk coordination. Possible implications for recovery of trunk function after stroke or spinal cord injury are discussed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We identify two spatially distinct reticulospinal pathways for crossed activation of trunk motoneurons. Both pathways cross the midline, one at the level of the brain stem and the other at the level of the spinal cord via excitatory commissural interneurons. Jointly, these pathways provide new opportunities for repair interventions aimed at recovering trunk functions after stroke or spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon K LaPallo
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Andrea Giorgi
- Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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24
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Leopold AV, Shcherbakova DM, Verkhusha VV. Fluorescent Biosensors for Neurotransmission and Neuromodulation: Engineering and Applications. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:474. [PMID: 31708747 PMCID: PMC6819510 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how neuronal activity patterns in the brain correlate with complex behavior is one of the primary goals of modern neuroscience. Chemical transmission is the major way of communication between neurons, however, traditional methods of detection of neurotransmitter and neuromodulator transients in mammalian brain lack spatiotemporal precision. Modern fluorescent biosensors for neurotransmitters and neuromodulators allow monitoring chemical transmission in vivo with millisecond precision and single cell resolution. Changes in the fluorescent biosensor brightness occur upon neurotransmitter binding and can be detected using fiber photometry, stationary microscopy and miniaturized head-mounted microscopes. Biosensors can be expressed in the animal brain using adeno-associated viral vectors, and their cell-specific expression can be achieved with Cre-recombinase expressing animals. Although initially fluorescent biosensors for chemical transmission were represented by glutamate biosensors, nowadays biosensors for GABA, acetylcholine, glycine, norepinephrine, and dopamine are available as well. In this review, we overview functioning principles of existing intensiometric and ratiometric biosensors and provide brief insight into the variety of neurotransmitter-binding proteins from bacteria, plants, and eukaryotes including G-protein coupled receptors, which may serve as neurotransmitter-binding scaffolds. We next describe a workflow for development of neurotransmitter and neuromodulator biosensors. We then discuss advanced setups for functional imaging of neurotransmitter transients in the brain of awake freely moving animals. We conclude by providing application examples of biosensors for the studies of complex behavior with the single-neuron precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Leopold
- Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daria M Shcherbakova
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Vladislav V Verkhusha
- Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
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25
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Bolea I, Gella A, Sanz E, Prada-Dacasa P, Menardy F, Bard AM, Machuca-Márquez P, Eraso-Pichot A, Mòdol-Caballero G, Navarro X, Kalume F, Quintana A. Defined neuronal populations drive fatal phenotype in a mouse model of Leigh syndrome. eLife 2019; 8:e47163. [PMID: 31403401 PMCID: PMC6731060 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial deficits in energy production cause untreatable and fatal pathologies known as mitochondrial disease (MD). Central nervous system affectation is critical in Leigh Syndrome (LS), a common MD presentation, leading to motor and respiratory deficits, seizures and premature death. However, only specific neuronal populations are affected. Furthermore, their molecular identity and their contribution to the disease remains unknown. Here, using a mouse model of LS lacking the mitochondrial complex I subunit Ndufs4, we dissect the critical role of genetically-defined neuronal populations in LS progression. Ndufs4 inactivation in Vglut2-expressing glutamatergic neurons leads to decreased neuronal firing, brainstem inflammation, motor and respiratory deficits, and early death. In contrast, Ndufs4 deletion in GABAergic neurons causes basal ganglia inflammation without motor or respiratory involvement, but accompanied by hypothermia and severe epileptic seizures preceding death. These results provide novel insight in the cell type-specific contribution to the pathology, dissecting the underlying cellular mechanisms of MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Bolea
- Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
| | - Alejandro Gella
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
| | - Elisenda Sanz
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and ImmunologyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
| | - Patricia Prada-Dacasa
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and ImmunologyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
| | - Fabien Menardy
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
| | - Angela M Bard
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
| | | | - Abel Eraso-Pichot
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
| | - Guillem Mòdol-Caballero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and ImmunologyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)BellaterraSpain
| | - Xavier Navarro
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and ImmunologyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)BellaterraSpain
| | - Franck Kalume
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Department of Neurological SurgeryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Albert Quintana
- Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research InstituteSeattleUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and ImmunologyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBellaterraSpain
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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26
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Otsu Y, Lecca S, Pietrajtis K, Rousseau CV, Marcaggi P, Dugué GP, Mailhes-Hamon C, Mameli M, Diana MA. Functional Principles of Posterior Septal Inputs to the Medial Habenula. Cell Rep 2019; 22:693-705. [PMID: 29346767 PMCID: PMC5792424 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial habenula (MHb) is an epithalamic hub contributing to expression and extinction of aversive states by bridging forebrain areas and midbrain monoaminergic centers. Although contradictory information exists regarding their synaptic properties, the physiology of the excitatory inputs to the MHb from the posterior septum remains elusive. Here, combining optogenetics-based mapping with ex vivo and in vivo physiology, we examine the synaptic properties of posterior septal afferents to the MHb and how they influence behavior. We demonstrate that MHb cells receive sparse inputs producing purely glutamatergic responses via calcium-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), heterotrimeric GluN2A-GluN2B-GluN1 N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and inhibitory group II metabotropic glutamate receptors. We describe the complex integration dynamics of these components by MHb cells. Finally, we combine ex vivo data with realistic afferent firing patterns recorded in vivo to demonstrate that efficient optogenetic septal stimulation in the MHb induces anxiolysis and promotes locomotion, contributing long-awaited evidence in favor of the importance of this septo-habenular pathway. Medial habenular (MHb) neurons receive sparse inputs from the posterior septum (PS) PS afferents to the MHb function in a purely glutamatergic mode Excitatory ionotropic and inhibitory metabotropic receptors convey PS inputs in the MHb PS activation in the MHb increases locomotion and induces anxiolysis
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo Otsu
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Salvatore Lecca
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM-UPMC UMR-S 839, Paris, France
| | - Katarzyna Pietrajtis
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Charly Vincent Rousseau
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Païkan Marcaggi
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Pierre Dugué
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Mailhes-Hamon
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Manuel Mameli
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM-UPMC UMR-S 839, Paris, France
| | - Marco Alberto Diana
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, INSERM U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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27
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The NeuroD6 Subtype of VTA Neurons Contributes to Psychostimulant Sensitization and Behavioral Reinforcement. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0066-19.2019. [PMID: 31097625 PMCID: PMC6565376 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0066-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Reward-related behavior is complex and its dysfunction correlated with neuropsychiatric illness. Dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have long been associated with different aspects of reward function, but it remains to be disentangled how distinct VTA DA neurons contribute to the full range of behaviors ascribed to the VTA. Here, a recently identified subtype of VTA neurons molecularly defined by NeuroD6 (NEX1M) was addressed. Among all VTA DA neurons, less than 15% were identified as positive for NeuroD6. In addition to dopaminergic markers, sparse NeuroD6 neurons expressed the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) gene. To achieve manipulation of NeuroD6 VTA neurons, NeuroD6(NEX)-Cre-driven mouse genetics and optogenetics were implemented. First, expression of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) was ablated to disrupt dopaminergic function in NeuroD6 VTA neurons. Comparing Vmat2lox/lox;NEX-Cre conditional knock-out (cKO) mice with littermate controls, it was evident that baseline locomotion, preference for sugar and ethanol, and place preference upon amphetamine-induced and cocaine-induced conditioning were similar between genotypes. However, locomotion upon repeated psychostimulant administration was significantly elevated above control levels in cKO mice. Second, optogenetic activation of NEX-Cre VTA neurons was shown to induce DA release and glutamatergic postsynaptic currents within the nucleus accumbens. Third, optogenetic stimulation of NEX-Cre VTA neurons in vivo induced significant place preference behavior, while stimulation of VTA neurons defined by Calretinin failed to cause a similar response. The results show that NeuroD6 VTA neurons exert distinct regulation over specific aspects of reward-related behavior, findings that contribute to the current understanding of VTA neurocircuitry.
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28
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Szőnyi A, Sos KE, Nyilas R, Schlingloff D, Domonkos A, Takács VT, Pósfai B, Hegedüs P, Priestley JB, Gundlach AL, Gulyás AI, Varga V, Losonczy A, Freund TF, Nyiri G. Brainstem nucleus incertus controls contextual memory formation. Science 2019; 364:eaaw0445. [PMID: 31123108 PMCID: PMC7210779 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal pyramidal cells encode memory engrams, which guide adaptive behavior. Selection of engram-forming cells is regulated by somatostatin-positive dendrite-targeting interneurons, which inhibit pyramidal cells that are not required for memory formation. Here, we found that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-releasing neurons of the mouse nucleus incertus (NI) selectively inhibit somatostatin-positive interneurons in the hippocampus, both monosynaptically and indirectly through the inhibition of their subcortical excitatory inputs. We demonstrated that NI GABAergic neurons receive monosynaptic inputs from brain areas processing important environmental information, and their hippocampal projections are strongly activated by salient environmental inputs in vivo. Optogenetic manipulations of NI GABAergic neurons can shift hippocampal network state and bidirectionally modify the strength of contextual fear memory formation. Our results indicate that brainstem NI GABAergic cells are essential for controlling contextual memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Szőnyi
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin E Sos
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rita Nyilas
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dániel Schlingloff
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andor Domonkos
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Virág T Takács
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Pósfai
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Panna Hegedüs
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - James B Priestley
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew L Gundlach
- Peptide Neurobiology Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Attila I Gulyás
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktor Varga
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tamás F Freund
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Nyiri
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Department of Cellular and Network Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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29
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Drayson LE, Triplett JW. A Chrnb3-Cre BAC transgenic mouse line for manipulation of gene expression in retinal ganglion cells. Genesis 2019; 57:e23305. [PMID: 31087513 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) make specific connections during development is an intense area of research and have served as a model for understanding the general principles of circuit wiring. As such, genetic tools allowing for specific recombination in RGCs are critical to further our understanding of the cell-specific roles of different genes during these processes. However, many RGC-specific Cre lines have drawbacks, due to their broad expression in other cell types and/or retinorecipient regions or lack of expression in broad swaths of the retina. Here, we characterize a Cre BAC transgenic line driven by elements of the cholinergic receptor nicotinic beta 3 subunit (Chrnb3). We show that Cre expression is restricted to RGCs in the retina and sparsely expressed in the brain, importantly excluding retinorecipient regions. Furthermore, Chrnb3-Cre mice label a wide variety of RGCs distributed throughout the retina and Cre activity is detected embryonically, shortly following RGC differentiation. Finally, we find that Chrnb3-Cre-labeled RGCs innervate multiple retinorecipient areas that serve both image-forming and nonimage forming functions. Thus, this genetic tool will be of broad use to investigators studying the RGC-specific contributions of genes to visual circuit development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy E Drayson
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
| | - Jason W Triplett
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC.,Depts. of Pediatrics and Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC
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30
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Lemieux M, Bretzner F. Glutamatergic neurons of the gigantocellular reticular nucleus shape locomotor pattern and rhythm in the freely behaving mouse. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e2003880. [PMID: 31017885 PMCID: PMC6502437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of their intermediate position between supraspinal locomotor centers and spinal circuits, gigantocellular reticular nucleus (GRN) neurons play a key role in motor command. However, the functional contribution of glutamatergic GRN neurons in initiating, maintaining, and stopping locomotion is still unclear. Combining electromyographic recordings with optogenetic manipulations in freely behaving mice, we investigate the functional contribution of glutamatergic brainstem neurons of the GRN to motor and locomotor activity. Short-pulse photostimulation of one side of the glutamatergic GRN did not elicit locomotion but evoked distinct motor responses in flexor and extensor muscles at rest and during locomotion. Glutamatergic GRN outputs to the spinal cord appear to be gated according to the spinal locomotor network state. Increasing the duration of photostimulation increased motor and postural tone at rest and reset locomotor rhythm during ongoing locomotion. In contrast, photoinhibition impaired locomotor pattern and rhythm. We conclude that unilateral activation of glutamatergic GRN neurons triggered motor activity and modified ongoing locomotor pattern and rhythm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Lemieux
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, CHUL-Neurosciences, Québec (QC), Canada
| | - Frederic Bretzner
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, CHUL-Neurosciences, Québec (QC), Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec (QC), Canada
- * E-mail:
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31
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Fernandez SP, Broussot L, Marti F, Contesse T, Mouska X, Soiza-Reilly M, Marie H, Faure P, Barik J. Mesopontine cholinergic inputs to midbrain dopamine neurons drive stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4449. [PMID: 30361503 PMCID: PMC6202358 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06809-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful life events are primary environmental factors that markedly contribute to depression by triggering brain cellular maladaptations. Dysregulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons has been causally linked to the appearance of social withdrawal and anhedonia, two classical manifestations of depression. However, the relevant inputs that shape these dopamine signals remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that chronic social defeat (CSD) stress, a preclinical paradigm of depression, causes marked hyperactivity of laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) excitatory neurons that project to the VTA. Selective chemogenetic-mediated inhibition of cholinergic LDTg neurons prevent CSD-induced VTA DA neurons dysregulation and depressive-like behaviors. Pro-depressant outcomes are replicated by pairing activation of LDTg cholinergic terminals in the VTA with a moderate stress. Prevention of CSD outcomes are recapitulated by blocking corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 within the LDTg. These data uncover a neuro-circuitry of depressive-like disorders and demonstrate that stress, via a neuroendocrine signal, profoundly dysregulates the LDTg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian P Fernandez
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France.
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France.
| | - Loïc Broussot
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Fabio Marti
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
- Neurosciences Paris Seine, INSERM U1130, CNRS, UMR 8246, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Contesse
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Xavier Mouska
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Mariano Soiza-Reilly
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
- Institut du Fer à Moulin, INSERM, UMRS-839, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Marie
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Philippe Faure
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 75005, France
- Neurosciences Paris Seine, INSERM U1130, CNRS, UMR 8246, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Barik
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, 06560, France.
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire & Cellulaire, CNRS, UMR7275, Valbonne, France.
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Sun S, Babola T, Pregernig G, So KS, Nguyen M, Su SSM, Palermo AT, Bergles DE, Burns JC, Müller U. Hair Cell Mechanotransduction Regulates Spontaneous Activity and Spiral Ganglion Subtype Specification in the Auditory System. Cell 2018; 174:1247-1263.e15. [PMID: 30078710 PMCID: PMC6429032 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) transmit sound information from cochlear hair cells to the CNS. Using transcriptome analysis of thousands of single neurons, we demonstrate that murine type I SGNs consist of subclasses that are defined by the expression of subsets of transcription factors, cell adhesion molecules, ion channels, and neurotransmitter receptors. Subtype specification is initiated prior to the onset of hearing during the time period when auditory circuits mature. Gene mutations linked to deafness that disrupt hair cell mechanotransduction or glutamatergic signaling perturb the firing behavior of SGNs prior to hearing onset and disrupt SGN subtype specification. We thus conclude that an intact hair cell mechanotransduction machinery is critical during the pre-hearing period to regulate the firing behavior of SGNs and their segregation into subtypes. Because deafness is frequently caused by defects in hair cells, our findings have significant ramifications for the etiology of hearing loss and its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuohao Sun
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Travis Babola
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gabriela Pregernig
- Decibel Therapeutics, 1325 Boylston Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kathy S So
- Decibel Therapeutics, 1325 Boylston Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Matthew Nguyen
- Decibel Therapeutics, 1325 Boylston Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Shin-San M Su
- Decibel Therapeutics, 1325 Boylston Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Adam T Palermo
- Decibel Therapeutics, 1325 Boylston Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Dwight E Bergles
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joseph C Burns
- Decibel Therapeutics, 1325 Boylston Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Gupta A, Gargiulo AT, Curtis GR, Badve PS, Pandey S, Barson JR. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide-27 (PACAP-27) in the Thalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Is Stimulated by Ethanol Drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1650-1660. [PMID: 29969146 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a limbic brain structure that affects ethanol (EtOH) drinking, but the neurochemicals transcribed in this nucleus that may participate in this behavior have yet to be fully characterized. The neuropeptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), is known to be transcribed in other limbic areas and to be involved in many of the same behaviors as the PVT itself, possibly including EtOH drinking. It exists in 2 isoforms, PACAP-38 and PACAP-27, with the former expressed at higher levels in most brain regions. The purpose of this study was to characterize PACAP in the PVT and to assess its response to EtOH drinking. METHODS First, EtOH-naïve, Sprague Dawley rats were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry, to characterize PACAP mRNA and peptide throughout the rostrocaudal axis of the PVT. Next, EtOH-naïve, vGLUT2-GFP transgenic mice were examined using immunohistochemistry, to identify the neurochemical phenotype of the PACAPergic cells in the PVT. Finally, Long Evans rats were trained to drink 20% EtOH under the intermittent-access paradigm and then examined with PCR and immunohistochemistry, to determine the effects of EtOH on endogenous PACAP in the PVT. RESULTS Gene expression of PACAP was detected across the entire PVT, denser in the posterior than the anterior portion of this nucleus. The protein isoform, PACAP-27, was present in a high percentage of cell bodies in the PVT, again particularly in the posterior portion, while PACAP-38 was instead dense in fibers. All PACAP-27+ cells colabeled with glutamate, which itself was identified in the majority of PVT cells. EtOH drinking led to an increase in PACAP gene expression and in levels of PACAP-27 in individual cells of the PVT. CONCLUSIONS This study characterizes the PVT neuropeptide, PACAP, and its understudied protein isoform, PACAP-27, and demonstrates that it is involved in pharmacologically relevant EtOH drinking. This indicates that PACAP-27 should be further investigated for its possible role in EtOH drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuranita Gupta
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Andrew T Gargiulo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Genevieve R Curtis
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Preeti S Badve
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Surya Pandey
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jessica R Barson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Barker DJ, Miranda-Barrientos J, Zhang S, Root DH, Wang HL, Liu B, Calipari ES, Morales M. Lateral Preoptic Control of the Lateral Habenula through Convergent Glutamate and GABA Transmission. Cell Rep 2018; 21:1757-1769. [PMID: 29141211 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) is a brain structure that participates in cognitive and emotional processing and has been implicated in several mental disorders. Although one of the largest inputs to the LHb originates in the lateral preoptic area (LPO), little is known about how the LPO participates in the regulation of LHb function. Here, we provide evidence that the LPO exerts bivalent control over the LHb through the convergent transmission of LPO glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) onto single LHb neurons. In vivo, both LPO-glutamatergic and LPO-GABAergic inputs to the LHb are activated by aversive stimuli, and their predictive cues yet produce opposing behaviors when stimulated independently. These results support a model wherein the balanced response of converging LPO-glutamate and LPO-GABA are necessary for a normal response to noxious stimuli, and an imbalance in LPO→LHb glutamate or GABA results in the type of aberrant processing that may underlie mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Barker
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Jorge Miranda-Barrientos
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- Electron Microscopy Core, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA
| | - David H Root
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Bing Liu
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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Blanco-Centurion C, Bendell E, Zou B, Sun Y, Shiromani PJ, Liu M. VGAT and VGLUT2 expression in MCH and orexin neurons in double transgenic reporter mice. IBRO Rep 2018; 4:44-49. [PMID: 30155524 PMCID: PMC6111069 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibror.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MCH neurons contain neither VGAT nor VGLUT2. Majority of orexin neurons contain VGLUT2. MCH neurons do not contain orexin.
The neuropeptides orexin and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), as well as the neurotransmitters GABA (γ-Aminobutyric acid) and glutamate are chief modulators of the sleep-wake states in the posterior hypothalamus. To investigate co-expression of vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT, a marker of GABA neurons) and the vesicular glutamate transporter-2 (VGLUT2, a marker of glutamate neurons) in orexin and MCH neurons, we generated two transgenic mouse lines. One line selectively expressed the reporter gene EYFP in VGAT+ neurons, whereas the other line expressed reporter gene tdTomato in VGLUT2+ neurons. Co-localization between these genetic reporters and orexin or MCH immunofluorescent tags was determined using 3D computer reconstructions of Z stacks that were acquired using a multiphoton laser confocal microscope. Our results demonstrated that MCH neurons expressed neither VGAT nor VGLUT2, suggesting MCH neurons are a separate cluster of cells from VGAT+ GABAergic neurons and VGLUT2+ glutamatergic neurons. Moreover, most orexin neurons expressed VGLUT2, indicating these neurons are glutamatergic. Our data suggested that in the posterior hypothalamus there are four major distinct groups of neurons: VGAT+, orexin+/VGLUT2+, orexin-/VGLUT2+, and MCH neurons. This study facilitated our understanding of the role of these neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in relation to sleep/wake regulation.
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Key Words
- Arousal
- CeA, central nucleus of amygdala
- GABA
- GABA-γ, Aminobutyric acid
- GAD65, glutamic acid decarboxylase-65
- GAD67, glutamic acid decarboxylase-67
- Gad1, Glutamate decarboxylase 1
- Glutamate
- MCH, melanin concentrating hormone
- NREM, non-rapid eye movement
- REM, rapid eye movement
- RTN, reticular thalamic nucleus
- SSC, somatosensory cortex
- Sleep
- VGAT, vesicular GABA transporter
- VGLUT2, vesicular glutamate transporter-2
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Blanco-Centurion
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Emmaline Bendell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Bingyu Zou
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Priyattam J Shiromani
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Meng Liu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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Neuronal atlas of the dorsal horn defines its architecture and links sensory input to transcriptional cell types. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:869-880. [DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0141-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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37
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Midbrain circuits that set locomotor speed and gait selection. Nature 2018; 553:455-460. [PMID: 29342142 PMCID: PMC5937258 DOI: 10.1038/nature25448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Locomotion is a fundamental motor function common to the animal kingdom. It is executed episodically and adapted to behavioural needs including exploration, requiring slow locomotion, and escaping behaviour, necessitating faster speeds. The control of these functions originates in brainstem structures although the neuronal substrate(s) supporting them are debated. Here, we show in mice that speed/gait selection are controlled by glutamatergic excitatory neurons (GlutNs) segregated in two distinct midbrain nuclei: the Cuneiform Nucleus (CnF) and the Pedunculopontine Nucleus (PPN). GlutNs in each of those two regions are sufficient for controlling slower alternating locomotor behavior but only GlutNs in the CnF are necessary for high-speed synchronous locomotion. Additionally, PPN- and CnF-GlutNs activation dynamics and their input and output connectivity matrices support explorative and escape locomotion, respectively. Our results identify dual regions in the midbrain that act in common to select context dependent locomotor behaviours.
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38
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Bellardita C, Marcantoni M, Löw P, Kiehn O. Sacral Spinal Cord Transection and Isolated Sacral Cord Preparation to Study Chronic Spinal Cord Injury in Adult Mice. Bio Protoc 2018; 8:e2784. [PMID: 29795778 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.2784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by multiple sensory/motor impairments that arise from different underlying neural mechanisms. Linking specific sensory/motor impairments to neural mechanism is limited by a lack of direct experimental access to these neural circuits. Here, we describe an experimental model which addresses this shortcoming. We generated a mouse model of chronic spinal cord injury that reliably reproduces spasticity observed after SCI, while at the same time allows study of motor impairments in vivo and in an in vitro preparation of the spinal cord. The model allows for the combination of mouse genetics in in vitro and in vivo conditions with advanced imaging, behavioral analysis, and detailed electrophysiology, techniques which are not easily applied in conventional SCI models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Bellardita
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maite Marcantoni
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Löw
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptor contributes to suppression of spinal nociceptive transmission and inhibition of mechanical hypersensitivity by Aβ-fiber stimulation. Pain 2017; 157:2582-2593. [PMID: 27589093 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Activation of Aβ-fibers is an intrinsic feature of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) pain therapy. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is important to neuronal plasticity and pain modulation, but its role in SCS-induced pain inhibition remains unclear. In this study, we showed that CB1 receptors are expressed in both excitatory and inhibitory interneurons in substantia gelatinosa (SG). Patch-clamp recording of the evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) in mice after spinal nerve ligation (SNL) showed that electrical stimulation of Aβ-fibers (Aβ-ES) using clinical SCS-like parameters (50 Hz, 0.2 millisecond, 10 μA) induced prolonged depression of eEPSCs to C-fiber inputs in SG neurons. Pretreatment with CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (2 μM) reduced the inhibition of C-eEPSCs by Aβ-ES in both excitatory and inhibitory SG neurons. We further determined the net effect of Aβ-ES on spinal nociceptive transmission in vivo by recording spinal local field potential in SNL rats. Epidural SCS (50 Hz, Aβ-plateau, 5 minutes) attenuated C-fiber-evoked local field potential. This effect of SCS was partially reduced by spinal topical application of AM251 (25 μg, 50 μL), but not CB2 receptor antagonist AM630 (100 μg). Finally, intrathecal pretreatment with AM251 (50 μg, 15 μL) in SNL rats blocked the inhibition of behavioral mechanical hypersensitivity by SCS (50 Hz, 0.2 millisecond; 80% of motor threshold, 60 minutes). Our findings suggest that activation of spinal CB1 receptors may contribute to synaptic depression to high-threshold afferent inputs in SG neurons after Aβ-ES and may be involved in SCS-induced inhibition of spinal nociceptive transmission after nerve injury.
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40
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Abstract
Breathing in mammals relies on permanent rhythmic and bilaterally synchronized contractions of inspiratory pump muscles. These motor drives emerge from interactions between critical sets of brainstem neurons whose origins and synaptic ordered organization remain obscure. Here, we show, using a virus-based transsynaptic tracing strategy from the diaphragm muscle in the mouse, that the principal inspiratory premotor neurons share V0 identity with, and are connected by, neurons of the preBötzinger complex that paces inspiration. Deleting the commissural projections of V0s results in left-right desynchronized inspiratory motor commands in reduced brain preparations and breathing at birth. This work reveals the existence of a core inspiratory circuit in which V0 to V0 synapses enabling function of the rhythm generator also direct its output to secure bilaterally coordinated contractions of inspiratory effector muscles required for efficient breathing. The developmental origin and functional organization of the brainstem breathing circuits are poorly understood. Here using virus-based circuit-mapping approaches in mice, the authors reveal the lineage, neurotransmitter phenotype, and connectivity patterns of phrenic premotor neurons, which are a crucial component of the inspiratory circuit.
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41
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Bellardita C, Caggiano V, Leiras R, Caldeira V, Fuchs A, Bouvier J, Löw P, Kiehn O. Spatiotemporal correlation of spinal network dynamics underlying spasms in chronic spinalized mice. eLife 2017; 6:23011. [PMID: 28191872 PMCID: PMC5332159 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Spasms after spinal cord injury (SCI) are debilitating involuntary muscle contractions that have been associated with increased motor neuron excitability and decreased inhibition. However, whether spasms involve activation of premotor spinal excitatory neuronal circuits is unknown. Here we use mouse genetics, electrophysiology, imaging and optogenetics to directly target major classes of spinal interneurons as well as motor neurons during spasms in a mouse model of chronic SCI. We find that assemblies of excitatory spinal interneurons are recruited by sensory input into functional circuits to generate persistent neural activity, which interacts with both the graded expression of plateau potentials in motor neurons to generate spasms, and inhibitory interneurons to curtail them. Our study reveals hitherto unrecognized neuronal mechanisms for the generation of persistent neural activity under pathophysiological conditions, opening up new targets for treatment of muscle spasms after SCI. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23011.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Bellardita
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vittorio Caggiano
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roberto Leiras
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vanessa Caldeira
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Fuchs
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julien Bouvier
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Löw
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Mammalian locomotor Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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42
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Spinal Hb9::Cre-derived excitatory interneurons contribute to rhythm generation in the mouse. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41369. [PMID: 28128321 PMCID: PMC5269678 DOI: 10.1038/srep41369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhythm generating neurons are thought to be ipsilaterally-projecting excitatory neurons in the thoracolumbar mammalian spinal cord. Recently, a subset of Shox2 interneurons (Shox2 non-V2a INs) was found to fulfill these criteria and make up a fraction of the rhythm-generating population. Here we use Hb9::Cre mice to genetically manipulate Hb9::Cre-derived excitatory interneurons (INs) in order to determine the role of these INs in rhythm generation. We demonstrate that this line captures a consistent population of spinal INs which is mixed with respect to neurotransmitter phenotype and progenitor domain, but does not overlap with the Shox2 non-V2a population. We also show that Hb9::Cre-derived INs include the comparatively small medial population of INs which continues to express Hb9 postnatally. When excitatory neurotransmission is selectively blocked by deleting Vglut2 from Hb9::Cre-derived INs, there is no difference in left-right and/or flexor-extensor phasing between these cords and controls, suggesting that excitatory Hb9::Cre-derived INs do not affect pattern generation. In contrast, the frequencies of locomotor activity are significantly lower in cords from Hb9::Cre-Vglut2Δ/Δ mice than in cords from controls. Collectively, our findings indicate that excitatory Hb9::Cre-derived INs constitute a distinct population of neurons that participates in the rhythm generating kernel for spinal locomotion.
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43
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Prefrontal cortical control of a brainstem social behavior circuit. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:260-270. [PMID: 28067904 PMCID: PMC5580810 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in adjusting an organism's behavior to its environment. In particular, numerous studies have implicated the prefrontal cortex in the control of social behavior, but the neural circuits that mediate these effects remain unknown. Here we investigated behavioral adaptation to social defeat in mice and uncovered a critical contribution of neural projections from the medial prefrontal cortex to the dorsal periaqueductal grey, a brainstem area vital for defensive responses. Social defeat caused a weakening of functional connectivity between these two areas and selective inhibition of these projections mimicked the behavioral effects of social defeat. These findings define a specific neural projection by which the prefrontal cortex can control and adapt social behavior.
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Yoo JH, Zell V, Gutierrez-Reed N, Wu J, Ressler R, Shenasa MA, Johnson AB, Fife KH, Faget L, Hnasko TS. Ventral tegmental area glutamate neurons co-release GABA and promote positive reinforcement. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13697. [PMID: 27976722 PMCID: PMC5171775 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to dopamine neurons, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains GABA-, glutamate- and co-releasing neurons, and recent reports suggest a complex role for the glutamate neurons in behavioural reinforcement. We report that optogenetic stimulation of VTA glutamate neurons or terminals serves as a positive reinforcer on operant behavioural assays. Mice display marked preference for brief over sustained VTA glutamate neuron stimulation resulting in behavioural responses that are notably distinct from dopamine neuron stimulation and resistant to dopamine receptor antagonists. Whole-cell recordings reveal EPSCs following stimulation of VTA glutamate terminals in the nucleus accumbens or local VTA collaterals; but reveal both excitatory and monosynaptic inhibitory currents in the ventral pallidum and lateral habenula, though the net effects on postsynaptic firing in each region are consistent with the observed rewarding behavioural effects. These data indicate that VTA glutamate neurons co-release GABA in a projection-target-dependent manner and that their transient activation drives positive reinforcement.
Ventral tegmental area (VTA) is involved in reward behaviours, but the precise contribution of VTA glutamatergic neurons to this process is not known. Here the authors show that phasic but not sustained optogenetic stimulation of VTA glutamatergic neurons is rewarding and involves co-release of GABA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hoon Yoo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Vivien Zell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Navarre Gutierrez-Reed
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Johnathan Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Reed Ressler
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Mohammad Ali Shenasa
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Alexander B Johnson
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Kathryn H Fife
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Lauren Faget
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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45
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Song K, Wang H, Kamm GB, Pohle J, de Castro Reis F, Heppenstall P, Wende H, Siemens J. The TRPM2 channel is a hypothalamic heat sensor that limits fever and can drive hypothermia. Science 2016; 353:1393-1398. [PMID: 27562954 PMCID: PMC7612276 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf7537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Body temperature homeostasis is critical for survival and requires precise regulation by the nervous system. The hypothalamus serves as the principal thermostat that detects and regulates internal temperature. We demonstrate that the ion channel TRPM2 [of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family] is a temperature sensor in a subpopulation of hypothalamic neurons. TRPM2 limits the fever response and may detect increased temperatures to prevent overheating. Furthermore, chemogenetic activation and inhibition of hypothalamic TRPM2-expressing neurons in vivo decreased and increased body temperature, respectively. Such manipulation may allow analysis of the beneficial effects of altered body temperature on diverse disease states. Identification of a functional role for TRP channels in monitoring internal body temperature should promote further analysis of molecular mechanisms governing thermoregulation and foster the genetic dissection of hypothalamic circuits involved with temperature homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Song
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gretel B. Kamm
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jörg Pohle
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fernanda de Castro Reis
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Paul Heppenstall
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hagen Wende
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Siemens
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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VTA Projection Neurons Releasing GABA and Glutamate in the Dentate Gyrus. eNeuro 2016; 3:eN-NWR-0137-16. [PMID: 27648470 PMCID: PMC5020313 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0137-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Both dopamine and nondopamine neurons from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) project to a variety of brain regions. Here we examine nondopaminergic neurons in the mouse VTA that send long-range projections to the hippocampus. Using a combination of retrograde tracers, optogenetic tools, and electrophysiological recordings, we show that VTA GABAergic axons make synaptic contacts in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus, where we can elicit small postsynaptic currents. Surprisingly, the currents displayed a partial sensitivity to both bicuculline and NBQX, suggesting that these mesohippocampal neurons corelease both GABA and glutamate. Finally, we show that this projection is functional in vivo and its stimulation reduces granule cell-firing rates under anesthesia. Altogether, the present results describe a novel connection between GABA and glutamate coreleasing of cells of the VTA and the dentate gyrus. This connection could be relevant for a variety of functions, including reward-related memory and neurogenesis.
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Roseberry TK, Lee AM, Lalive AL, Wilbrecht L, Bonci A, Kreitzer AC. Cell-Type-Specific Control of Brainstem Locomotor Circuits by Basal Ganglia. Cell 2016; 164:526-37. [PMID: 26824660 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG) are critical for adaptive motor control, but the circuit principles underlying their pathway-specific modulation of target regions are not well understood. Here, we dissect the mechanisms underlying BG direct and indirect pathway-mediated control of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), a brainstem target of BG that is critical for locomotion. We optogenetically dissect the locomotor function of the three neurochemically distinct cell types within the MLR: glutamatergic, GABAergic, and cholinergic neurons. We find that the glutamatergic subpopulation encodes locomotor state and speed, is necessary and sufficient for locomotion, and is selectively innervated by BG. We further show activation and suppression, respectively, of MLR glutamatergic neurons by direct and indirect pathways, which is required for bidirectional control of locomotion by BG circuits. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of how BG can initiate or suppress a motor program through cell-type-specific regulation of neurons linked to specific actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K Roseberry
- The Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - A Moses Lee
- The Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Antonello Bonci
- Intramural Research Program, Synaptic Plasticity Section, National Institute for Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Anatol C Kreitzer
- The Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Departments of Physiology and Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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48
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Immunostaining for Homer reveals the majority of excitatory synapses in laminae I-III of the mouse spinal dorsal horn. Neuroscience 2016; 329:171-81. [PMID: 27185486 PMCID: PMC4915440 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Identifying glutamatergic synapses is important for tracing synaptic circuits. Most proteins at glutamatergic synapses are masked by tissue fixation. Homer can reveal glutamatergic synapses without the need for antigen retrieval.
The spinal dorsal horn processes somatosensory information before conveying it to the brain. The neuronal organization of the dorsal horn is still poorly understood, although recent studies have defined several distinct populations among the interneurons, which account for most of its constituent neurons. All primary afferents, and the great majority of neurons in laminae I–III are glutamatergic, and a major factor limiting our understanding of the synaptic circuitry has been the difficulty in identifying glutamatergic synapses with light microscopy. Although there are numerous potential targets for antibodies, these are difficult to visualize with immunocytochemistry, because of protein cross-linking following tissue fixation. Although this can be overcome by antigen retrieval methods, these lead to difficulty in detecting other antigens. The aim of this study was to test whether the postsynaptic protein Homer can be used to reveal glutamatergic synapses in the dorsal horn. Immunostaining for Homer gave punctate labeling when viewed by confocal microscopy, and this was restricted to synapses at the ultrastructural level. We found that Homer puncta were colocalized with the AMPA receptor GluR2 subunit, but not with the inhibitory synapse-associated protein gephyrin. We also examined several populations of glutamatergic axons and found that most boutons were in contact with at least one Homer punctum. These results suggest that Homer antibodies can be used to reveal the great majority of glutamatergic synapses without antigen retrieval. This will be of considerable value in tracing synaptic circuits, and also in investigating plasticity of glutamatergic synapses in pain states.
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Qi J, Zhang S, Wang HL, Barker DJ, Miranda-Barrientos J, Morales M. VTA glutamatergic inputs to nucleus accumbens drive aversion by acting on GABAergic interneurons. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19:725-733. [PMID: 27019014 PMCID: PMC4846550 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is best known for its dopamine neurons, some of which project to nucleus accumbens (nAcc). However, the VTA also has glutamatergic neurons that project to nAcc. The function of the mesoaccumbens-glutamatergic pathway remains unknown. Here, we report that nAcc photoactivation of mesoaccumbens-glutamatergic fibers promotes aversion. Although we found that these mesoaccumbens-glutamate-fibers lack GABA, the aversion evoked by their photoactivation depends on glutamate and GABA receptor signaling, and not on dopamine receptor signaling. We found that mesoaccumbens-glutamatergic-fibers establish multiple asymmetric synapses on single parvalbumin-GABAergic interneurons, and that nAcc photoactivation of these fibers drives AMPA-mediated cellular firing of parvalbumin-GABAergic interneurons. These parvalbumin-GABAergic-interneurons, in turn, inhibit nAcc medium spiny output neurons, as such, controlling inhibitory neurotransmission within nAcc. The mesoaccumbens-glutamatergic pathway is the first glutamatergic input to nAcc shown to mediate aversion, instead of reward, and the first pathway shown to establish excitatory synapses on nAcc parvalbumin-GABAergic interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Qi
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - David J Barker
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jorge Miranda-Barrientos
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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50
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Dennison CS, King CM, Dicken MS, Hentges ST. Age-dependent changes in amino acid phenotype and the role of glutamate release from hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin neurons. J Comp Neurol 2015; 524:1222-35. [PMID: 26361382 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons are important regulators of energy balance. Recent studies indicate that in addition to their peptides, POMC neurons can release either the amino acid (AA) transmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glutamate. A small subset of POMC neurons appears to have a dual AA phenotype based on coexpression of mRNA for the vesicular glutamate transporter (vGlut2) and the GABA synthetic enzyme Gad67. To determine whether the colocalization of GABAergic and glutamatergic markers may be indicative of a switch in AA transmitter phenotype, fluorescent in situ hybridization was used to detect vGlut2 and Gad mRNA in POMC neurons during early postnatal development. The percentage of POMC neurons expressing vGlut2 mRNA in POMC neurons progressively decreased from ∼40% at day 1 to less than 10% by 8 weeks of age, whereas Gad67 was only expressed in ∼10% of POMC neurons at day 1 and increased until ∼45% of POMC neurons coexpressed Gad67 at 8 weeks of age. To determine whether the expression of vGlut2 may play a role in energy balance regulation, genetic deletion of vGlut2 in POMC neurons was accomplished using Cre-lox technology. Male, but not female, mice lacking vGlut2 in POMC neurons were unable to maintain energy balance to the same extent as control mice when fed a high-fat diet. Altogether, the results indicate that POMC neurons are largely glutamatergic early in life and that the release of glutamate from these cells is involved in sex- and diet-specific regulation of energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Dennison
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Connie M King
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Matthew S Dicken
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Shane T Hentges
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
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