1
|
Abstract
The cerebellum has a well-established role in controlling motor functions, including coordination, posture, and the learning of skilled movements. The mechanisms for how it carries out motor behavior remain under intense investigation. Interestingly though, in recent years the mechanisms of cerebellar function have faced additional scrutiny since nonmotor behaviors may also be controlled by the cerebellum. With such complexity arising, there is now a pressing need to better understand how cerebellar structure, function, and behavior intersect to influence behaviors that are dynamically called upon as an animal experiences its environment. Here, we discuss recent experimental work that frames possible neural mechanisms for how the cerebellum shapes disparate behaviors and why its dysfunction is catastrophic in hereditary and acquired conditions-both motor and nonmotor. For these reasons, the cerebellum might be the ideal therapeutic target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda H Kim
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
| | - Detlef H Heck
- Center for Cerebellar Network Structure and Function in Health and Disease, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Program in Developmental Biology, and Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Thornton-Kolbe EM, Ahmed M, Gordon FR, Sieriebriennikov B, Williams DL, Kurmangaliyev YZ, Clowney EJ. Spatial constraints and cell surface molecule depletion structure a randomly connected learning circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.17.603956. [PMID: 39071296 PMCID: PMC11275898 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.17.603956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The brain can represent almost limitless objects to "categorize an unlabeled world" (Edelman, 1989). This feat is supported by expansion layer circuit architectures, in which neurons carrying information about discrete sensory channels make combinatorial connections onto much larger postsynaptic populations. Combinatorial connections in expansion layers are modeled as randomized sets. The extent to which randomized wiring exists in vivo is debated, and how combinatorial connectivity patterns are generated during development is not understood. Non-deterministic wiring algorithms could program such connectivity using minimal genomic information. Here, we investigate anatomic and transcriptional patterns and perturb partner availability to ask how Kenyon cells, the expansion layer neurons of the insect mushroom body, obtain combinatorial input from olfactory projection neurons. Olfactory projection neurons form their presynaptic outputs in an orderly, predictable, and biased fashion. We find that Kenyon cells accept spatially co-located but molecularly heterogeneous inputs from this orderly map, and ask how Kenyon cell surface molecule expression impacts partner choice. Cell surface immunoglobulins are broadly depleted in Kenyon cells, and we propose that this allows them to form connections with molecularly heterogeneous partners. This model can explain how developmentally identical neurons acquire diverse wiring identities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Thornton-Kolbe
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Maria Ahmed
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Finley R. Gordon
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Donnell L. Williams
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Brown ST, Medina-Pizarro M, Holla M, Vaaga CE, Raman IM. Simple spike patterns and synaptic mechanisms encoding sensory and motor signals in Purkinje cells and the cerebellar nuclei. Neuron 2024; 112:1848-1861.e4. [PMID: 38492575 PMCID: PMC11156563 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.014] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Whisker stimulation in awake mice evokes transient suppression of simple spike probability in crus I/II Purkinje cells. Here, we investigated how simple spike suppression arises synaptically, what it encodes, and how it affects cerebellar output. In vitro, monosynaptic parallel fiber (PF)-excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) facilitated strongly, whereas disynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) remained stable, maximizing relative inhibitory strength at the onset of PF activity. Short-term plasticity thus favors the inhibition of Purkinje spikes before PFs facilitate. In vivo, whisker stimulation evoked a 2-6 ms synchronous spike suppression, just 6-8 ms (∼4 synaptic delays) after sensory onset, whereas active whisker movements elicited broadly timed spike rate increases that did not modulate sensory-evoked suppression. Firing in the cerebellar nuclei (CbN) inversely correlated with disinhibition from sensory-evoked simple spike suppressions but was decoupled from slow, non-synchronous movement-associated elevations of Purkinje firing rates. Synchrony thus allows the CbN to high-pass filter Purkinje inputs, facilitating sensory-evoked cerebellar outputs that can drive movements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer T Brown
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Mauricio Medina-Pizarro
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Meghana Holla
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Indira M Raman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fleming EA, Field GD, Tadross MR, Hull C. Local synaptic inhibition mediates cerebellar granule cell pattern separation and enables learned sensorimotor associations. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:689-701. [PMID: 38321293 PMCID: PMC11288180 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01565-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The cerebellar cortex has a key role in generating predictive sensorimotor associations. To do so, the granule cell layer is thought to establish unique sensorimotor representations for learning. However, how this is achieved and how granule cell population responses contribute to behavior have remained unclear. To address these questions, we have used in vivo calcium imaging and granule cell-specific pharmacological manipulation of synaptic inhibition in awake, behaving mice. These experiments indicate that inhibition sparsens and thresholds sensory responses, limiting overlap between sensory ensembles and preventing spiking in many granule cells that receive excitatory input. Moreover, inhibition can be recruited in a stimulus-specific manner to powerfully decorrelate multisensory ensembles. Consistent with these results, granule cell inhibition is required for accurate cerebellum-dependent sensorimotor behavior. These data thus reveal key mechanisms for granule cell layer pattern separation beyond those envisioned by classical models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Tadross
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Court Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Palacios ER, Chadderton P, Friston K, Houghton C. Cerebellar state estimation enables resilient coupling across behavioural domains. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6641. [PMID: 38503802 PMCID: PMC10951354 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56811-x] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar computations are necessary for fine behavioural control and may rely on internal models for estimation of behaviourally relevant states. Here, we propose that the central cerebellar function is to estimate how states interact with each other, and to use these estimates to coordinates extra-cerebellar neuronal dynamics underpinning a range of interconnected behaviours. To support this claim, we describe a cerebellar model for state estimation that includes state interactions, and link this model with the neuronal architecture and dynamics observed empirically. This is formalised using the free energy principle, which provides a dual perspective on a system in terms of both the dynamics of its physical-in this case neuronal-states, and the inferential process they entail. As a demonstration of this proposal, we simulate cerebellar-dependent synchronisation of whisking and respiration, which are known to be tightly coupled in rodents, as well as limb and tail coordination during locomotion. In summary, we propose that the ubiquitous involvement of the cerebellum in behaviour arises from its central role in precisely coupling behavioural domains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ensor Rafael Palacios
- University of Bristol, School of Physiology Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
| | - Paul Chadderton
- University of Bristol, School of Physiology Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Karl Friston
- UCL, Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, London, WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Conor Houghton
- University of Bristol, Department of Computer Science, Bristol, BS8 1UB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Beninger J, Rossbroich J, Tóth K, Naud R. Functional subtypes of synaptic dynamics in mouse and human. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113785. [PMID: 38363673 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Synapses preferentially respond to particular temporal patterns of activity with a large degree of heterogeneity that is informally or tacitly separated into classes. Yet, the precise number and properties of such classes are unclear. Do they exist on a continuum and, if so, when is it appropriate to divide that continuum into functional regions? In a large dataset of glutamatergic cortical connections, we perform model-based characterization to infer the number and characteristics of functionally distinct subtypes of synaptic dynamics. In rodent data, we find five clusters that partially converge with transgenic-associated subtypes. Strikingly, the application of the same clustering method in human data infers a highly similar number of clusters, supportive of stable clustering. This nuanced dictionary of functional subtypes shapes the heterogeneity of cortical synaptic dynamics and provides a lens into the basic motifs of information transmission in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Beninger
- Center for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Julian Rossbroich
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katalin Tóth
- Center for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Richard Naud
- Center for Neural Dynamics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; uOttawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zheng H, Zheng Z, Hu R, Xiao B, Wu Y, Yu F, Liu X, Li G, Deng L. Temporal dendritic heterogeneity incorporated with spiking neural networks for learning multi-timescale dynamics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:277. [PMID: 38177124 PMCID: PMC10766638 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44614-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
It is widely believed the brain-inspired spiking neural networks have the capability of processing temporal information owing to their dynamic attributes. However, how to understand what kind of mechanisms contributing to the learning ability and exploit the rich dynamic properties of spiking neural networks to satisfactorily solve complex temporal computing tasks in practice still remains to be explored. In this article, we identify the importance of capturing the multi-timescale components, based on which a multi-compartment spiking neural model with temporal dendritic heterogeneity, is proposed. The model enables multi-timescale dynamics by automatically learning heterogeneous timing factors on different dendritic branches. Two breakthroughs are made through extensive experiments: the working mechanism of the proposed model is revealed via an elaborated temporal spiking XOR problem to analyze the temporal feature integration at different levels; comprehensive performance benefits of the model over ordinary spiking neural networks are achieved on several temporal computing benchmarks for speech recognition, visual recognition, electroencephalogram signal recognition, and robot place recognition, which shows the best-reported accuracy and model compactness, promising robustness and generalization, and high execution efficiency on neuromorphic hardware. This work moves neuromorphic computing a significant step toward real-world applications by appropriately exploiting biological observations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanle Zheng
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong Zheng
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Hu
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Xiao
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yujie Wu
- Institute of Theoretical Computer Science, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Fangwen Yu
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoqi Li
- Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Deng
- Center for Brain Inspired Computing Research (CBICR), Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Friedenberger Z, Harkin E, Tóth K, Naud R. Silences, spikes and bursts: Three-part knot of the neural code. J Physiol 2023; 601:5165-5193. [PMID: 37889516 DOI: 10.1113/jp281510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
When a neuron breaks silence, it can emit action potentials in a number of patterns. Some responses are so sudden and intense that electrophysiologists felt the need to single them out, labelling action potentials emitted at a particularly high frequency with a metonym - bursts. Is there more to bursts than a figure of speech? After all, sudden bouts of high-frequency firing are expected to occur whenever inputs surge. The burst coding hypothesis advances that the neural code has three syllables: silences, spikes and bursts. We review evidence supporting this ternary code in terms of devoted mechanisms for burst generation, synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. We also review the learning and attention theories for which such a triad is beneficial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Friedenberger
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artifical Intelligence, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa
| | - Emerson Harkin
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katalin Tóth
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Naud
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artifical Intelligence, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
De Zeeuw CI, Koppen J, Bregman GG, Runge M, Narain D. Heterogeneous encoding of temporal stimuli in the cerebellar cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7581. [PMID: 37989740 PMCID: PMC10663630 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43139-9] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Local feedforward and recurrent connectivity are rife in the frontal areas of the cerebral cortex, which gives rise to rich heterogeneous dynamics observed in such areas. Recently, similar local connectivity motifs have been discovered among Purkinje and molecular layer interneurons of the cerebellar cortex, however, task-related activity in these neurons has often been associated with relatively simple facilitation and suppression dynamics. Here, we show that the rodent cerebellar cortex supports heterogeneity in task-related neuronal activity at a scale similar to the cerebral cortex. We provide a computational model that inculcates recent anatomical insights into local microcircuit motifs to show the putative basis for such heterogeneity. We also use cell-type specific chronic viral lesions to establish the involvement of cerebellar lobules in associative learning behaviors. Functional heterogeneity in neuronal profiles may not merely be the remit of the associative cerebral cortex, similar principles may be at play in subcortical areas, even those with seemingly crystalline and homogenous cytoarchitectures like the cerebellum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julius Koppen
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - George G Bregman
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marit Runge
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Devika Narain
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jetti SK, Crane AB, Akbergenova Y, Aponte-Santiago NA, Cunningham KL, Whittaker CA, Littleton JT. Molecular logic of synaptic diversity between Drosophila tonic and phasic motoneurons. Neuron 2023; 111:3554-3569.e7. [PMID: 37611584 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.07.019] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Although neuronal subtypes display unique synaptic organization and function, the underlying transcriptional differences that establish these features are poorly understood. To identify molecular pathways that contribute to synaptic diversity, single-neuron Patch-seq RNA profiling was performed on Drosophila tonic and phasic glutamatergic motoneurons. Tonic motoneurons form weaker facilitating synapses onto single muscles, while phasic motoneurons form stronger depressing synapses onto multiple muscles. Super-resolution microscopy and in vivo imaging demonstrated that synaptic active zones in phasic motoneurons are more compact and display enhanced Ca2+ influx compared with their tonic counterparts. Genetic analysis identified unique synaptic properties that mapped onto gene expression differences for several cellular pathways, including distinct signaling ligands, post-translational modifications, and intracellular Ca2+ buffers. These findings provide insights into how unique transcriptomes drive functional and morphological differences between neuronal subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suresh K Jetti
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Andrés B Crane
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yulia Akbergenova
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nicole A Aponte-Santiago
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Karen L Cunningham
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - J Troy Littleton
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Cullen KE. Internal models of self-motion: neural computations by the vestibular cerebellum. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:986-1002. [PMID: 37739815 PMCID: PMC10591839 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The vestibular cerebellum plays an essential role in maintaining our balance and ensuring perceptual stability during activities of daily living. Here I examine three key regions of the vestibular cerebellum: the floccular lobe, anterior vermis (lobules I-V), and nodulus and ventral uvula (lobules X-IX of the posterior vermis). These cerebellar regions encode vestibular information and combine it with extravestibular signals to create internal models of eye, head, and body movements, as well as their spatial orientation with respect to gravity. To account for changes in the external environment and/or biomechanics during self-motion, the neural mechanisms underlying these computations are continually updated to ensure accurate motor behavior. To date, studies on the vestibular cerebellum have predominately focused on passive vestibular stimulation, whereas in actuality most stimulation is the result of voluntary movement. Accordingly, I also consider recent research exploring these computations during active self-motion and emerging evidence establishing the cerebellum's role in building predictive models of self-generated movement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Najac M, McLean DL, Raman IM. Synaptic variance and action potential firing of cerebellar output neurons during motor learning in larval zebrafish. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3299-3311.e3. [PMID: 37421952 PMCID: PMC10527510 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.045] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum regulates both reflexive and acquired movements. Here, by recording voltage-clamped synaptic currents and spiking in cerebellar output (eurydendroid) neurons in immobilized larval zebrafish, we investigated synaptic integration during reflexive movements and throughout associative motor learning. Spiking coincides with the onset of reflexive fictive swimming but precedes learned swimming, suggesting that eurydendroid signals may facilitate the initiation of acquired movements. Although firing rates increase during swimming, mean synaptic inhibition greatly exceeds mean excitation, indicating that learned responses cannot result solely from changes in synaptic weight or upstream excitability that favor excitation. Estimates of spike threshold crossings based on measurements of intrinsic properties and the time course of synaptic currents demonstrate that noisy excitation can transiently outweigh noisy inhibition enough to increase firing rates at swimming onset. Thus, the millisecond-scale variance of synaptic currents can regulate cerebellar output, and the emergence of learned cerebellar behaviors may involve a time-based code.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Najac
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - David L McLean
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Indira M Raman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Binda F, Spaeth L, Kumar A, Isope P. Excitation and Inhibition Delays within a Feedforward Inhibitory Pathway Modulate Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Output in Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5905-5917. [PMID: 37495382 PMCID: PMC10436687 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0091-23.2023] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellar cortex computes sensorimotor information from many brain areas through a feedforward inhibitory (FFI) microcircuit between the input stage, the granule cell (GC) layer, and the output stage, the Purkinje cells (PCs). Although in other brain areas FFI underlies a precise excitation versus inhibition temporal correlation, recent findings in the cerebellum highlighted more complex behaviors at GC-molecular layer interneuron (MLI)-PC pathway. To dissect the temporal organization of this cerebellar FFI pathway, we combined ex vivo patch-clamp recordings of PCs in male mice with a viral-based strategy to express Channelrhodopsin2 in a subset of mossy fibers (MFs), the major excitatory inputs to GCs. We show that although light-mediated MF activation elicited pairs of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents in PCs, excitation (E) from GCs and inhibition (I) from MLIs reached PCs with a wide range of different temporal delays. However, when GCs were directly stimulated, a low variability in E/I delays was observed. Our results demonstrate that in many recordings MF stimulation recruited different groups of GCs that trigger E and/or I, and expanded PC temporal synaptic integration. Finally, using a computational model of the FFI pathway, we showed that this temporal expansion could strongly influence how PCs integrate GC inputs. Our findings show that specific E/I delays may help PCs encoding specific MF inputs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sensorimotor information is conveyed to the cerebellar cortex by mossy fibers. Mossy fiber inputs activate granule cells that excite molecular interneurons and Purkinje cells, the sole output of the cerebellar cortex, leading to a sequence of synaptic excitation and inhibition in Purkinje cells, thus defining a feedforward inhibitory pathway. Using electrophysiological recordings, optogenetic stimulation, and mathematical modeling, we demonstrated that different groups of granule cells can elicit synaptic excitation and inhibition with various latencies onto Purkinje cells. This temporal variability controls how granule cells influence Purkinje cell discharge and may support temporal coding in the cerebellar cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Binda
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Ludovic Spaeth
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Arvind Kumar
- Division of Computational Science and Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philippe Isope
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wallach A, Sawtell NB. An internal model for canceling self-generated sensory input in freely behaving electric fish. Neuron 2023; 111:2570-2582.e5. [PMID: 37321221 PMCID: PMC10524831 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.05.019] [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: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Internal models that predict the sensory consequences of motor actions are vital for sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. However, the relationship between motor action and sensory input is complex, often varying from one moment to another depending on the state of the animal and the environment. The neural mechanisms for generating predictions under such challenging, real-world conditions remain largely unknown. Using novel methods for underwater neural recording, a quantitative analysis of unconstrained behavior, and computational modeling, we provide evidence for an unexpectedly sophisticated internal model at the first stage of active electrosensory processing in mormyrid fish. Closed-loop manipulations reveal that electrosensory lobe neurons are capable of simultaneously learning and storing multiple predictions of the sensory consequences of motor commands specific to different sensory states. These results provide mechanistic insights into how internal motor signals and information about the sensory environment are combined within a cerebellum-like circuitry to predict the sensory consequences of natural behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avner Wallach
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Nathaniel B Sawtell
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Keshavarzi S, Velez-Fort M, Margrie TW. Cortical Integration of Vestibular and Visual Cues for Navigation, Visual Processing, and Perception. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:301-320. [PMID: 37428601 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-120722-100503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing evidence of its involvement in several key functions of the cerebral cortex, the vestibular sense rarely enters our consciousness. Indeed, the extent to which these internal signals are incorporated within cortical sensory representation and how they might be relied upon for sensory-driven decision-making, during, for example, spatial navigation, is yet to be understood. Recent novel experimental approaches in rodents have probed both the physiological and behavioral significance of vestibular signals and indicate that their widespread integration with vision improves both the cortical representation and perceptual accuracy of self-motion and orientation. Here, we summarize these recent findings with a focus on cortical circuits involved in visual perception and spatial navigation and highlight the major remaining knowledge gaps. We suggest that vestibulo-visual integration reflects a process of constant updating regarding the status of self-motion, and access to such information by the cortex is used for sensory perception and predictions that may be implemented for rapid, navigation-related decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sepiedeh Keshavarzi
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Mateo Velez-Fort
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Troy W Margrie
- The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
The cerebellum promotes sequential foraging strategies and contributes to the directional modulation of hippocampal place cells. iScience 2023; 26:106200. [PMID: 36922992 PMCID: PMC10009096 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum contributes to goal-directed navigation abilities and place coding in the hippocampus. Here we investigated its contribution to foraging strategies. We recorded hippocampal neurons in mice with impaired PKC-dependent cerebellar functions (L7-PKCI) and in their littermate controls while they performed a task where they were rewarded for visiting a subset of hidden locations. We found that L7-PKCI and control mice developed different foraging strategies: while control mice repeated spatial sequences to maximize their rewards, L7-PKCI mice persisted to use a random foraging strategy. Sequential foraging was associated with more place cells exhibiting theta-phase precession and theta rate modulation. Recording in the dark showed that PKC-dependent cerebellar functions controlled how self-motion cues contribute to the selectivity of place cells to both position and direction. Thus, the cerebellum contributes to the development of optimal sequential paths during foraging, possibly by controlling how self-motion and theta signals contribute to place cell coding.
Collapse
|
17
|
Burlando B, Mucci V, Browne CJ, Losacco S, Indovina I, Marinelli L, Blanchini F, Giordano G. Mal de Debarquement Syndrome explained by a vestibulo-cerebellar oscillator. MATHEMATICAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE IMA 2023; 40:96-110. [PMID: 36469499 DOI: 10.1093/imammb/dqac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a puzzling central vestibular disorder characterized by a long-lasting perception of oscillatory postural instability that may occur after sea travels or flights. We have postulated that MdDS originates from the post-disembarking persistence of an adaptive internal oscillator consisting of a loop system, involving the right and left vestibular nuclei, and the Purkinje cells of the right and left flocculonodular cerebellar cortex, connected by GABAergic and glutamatergic fibers. We have formulated here a mathematical model of the vestibulo-cerebellar loop system and carried out a computational analysis based on a set of differential equations describing the interactions among the loop elements and containing Hill functions that model input-output firing rates relationships among neurons. The analysis indicates that the system acquires a spontaneous and permanent oscillatory behavior for a decrease of threshold and an increase of sensitivity in neuronal input-output responses. These results suggest a role for synaptic plasticity in MdDS pathophysiology, thus reinforcing our previous hypothesis that MdDS may be the result of excessive synaptic plasticity acting on the vestibulo-cerebellar network during its entraining to an oscillatory environment. Hence, our study points to neuroendocrine pathways that lead to increased synaptic response as possible new therapeutic targets for the clinical treatment of the disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Burlando
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Viviana Mucci
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW 2560, Australia
| | - Cherylea J Browne
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW 2560, Australia
- Translational Neuroscience Facility, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Serena Losacco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Iole Indovina
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
- Neuromotor Physiology Lab, IRCCS Foundation Santa Lucia, via Ardeatina 354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucio Marinelli
- DINOGMI University of Genova, Largo Daneo 3, 16132, Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Franco Blanchini
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 208, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Giordano
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo (TN), Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Jetti SK, Crane AB, Akbergenova Y, Aponte-Santiago NA, Cunningham KL, Whittaker CA, Littleton JT. Molecular Logic of Synaptic Diversity Between Drosophila Tonic and Phasic Motoneurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.17.524447. [PMID: 36711745 PMCID: PMC9882338 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.17.524447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Although neuronal subtypes display unique synaptic organization and function, the underlying transcriptional differences that establish these features is poorly understood. To identify molecular pathways that contribute to synaptic diversity, single neuron PatchSeq RNA profiling was performed on Drosophila tonic and phasic glutamatergic motoneurons. Tonic motoneurons form weaker facilitating synapses onto single muscles, while phasic motoneurons form stronger depressing synapses onto multiple muscles. Super-resolution microscopy and in vivo imaging demonstrated synaptic active zones in phasic motoneurons are more compact and display enhanced Ca 2+ influx compared to their tonic counterparts. Genetic analysis identified unique synaptic properties that mapped onto gene expression differences for several cellular pathways, including distinct signaling ligands, post-translational modifications and intracellular Ca 2+ buffers. These findings provide insights into how unique transcriptomes drive functional and morphological differences between neuronal subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suresh K Jetti
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Andrés B Crane
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Yulia Akbergenova
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Nicole A Aponte-Santiago
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Karen L Cunningham
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - J Troy Littleton
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Structured cerebellar connectivity supports resilient pattern separation. Nature 2023; 613:543-549. [PMID: 36418404 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05471-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is thought to help detect and correct errors between intended and executed commands1,2 and is critical for social behaviours, cognition and emotion3-6. Computations for motor control must be performed quickly to correct errors in real time and should be sensitive to small differences between patterns for fine error correction while being resilient to noise7. Influential theories of cerebellar information processing have largely assumed random network connectivity, which increases the encoding capacity of the network's first layer8-13. However, maximizing encoding capacity reduces the resilience to noise7. To understand how neuronal circuits address this fundamental trade-off, we mapped the feedforward connectivity in the mouse cerebellar cortex using automated large-scale transmission electron microscopy and convolutional neural network-based image segmentation. We found that both the input and output layers of the circuit exhibit redundant and selective connectivity motifs, which contrast with prevailing models. Numerical simulations suggest that these redundant, non-random connectivity motifs increase the resilience to noise at a negligible cost to the overall encoding capacity. This work reveals how neuronal network structure can support a trade-off between encoding capacity and redundancy, unveiling principles of biological network architecture with implications for the design of artificial neural networks.
Collapse
|
20
|
Renner J, Rasia-Filho AA. Morphological Features of Human Dendritic Spines. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:367-496. [PMID: 37962801 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spine features in human neurons follow the up-to-date knowledge presented in the previous chapters of this book. Human dendrites are notable for their heterogeneity in branching patterns and spatial distribution. These data relate to circuits and specialized functions. Spines enhance neuronal connectivity, modulate and integrate synaptic inputs, and provide additional plastic functions to microcircuits and large-scale networks. Spines present a continuum of shapes and sizes, whose number and distribution along the dendritic length are diverse in neurons and different areas. Indeed, human neurons vary from aspiny or "relatively aspiny" cells to neurons covered with a high density of intermingled pleomorphic spines on very long dendrites. In this chapter, we discuss the phylogenetic and ontogenetic development of human spines and describe the heterogeneous features of human spiny neurons along the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia, amygdala, hippocampal regions, and neocortical areas. Three-dimensional reconstructions of Golgi-impregnated dendritic spines and data from fluorescence microscopy are reviewed with ultrastructural findings to address the complex possibilities for synaptic processing and integration in humans. Pathological changes are also presented, for example, in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Basic morphological data can be linked to current techniques, and perspectives in this research field include the characterization of spines in human neurons with specific transcriptome features, molecular classification of cellular diversity, and electrophysiological identification of coexisting subpopulations of cells. These data would enlighten how cellular attributes determine neuron type-specific connectivity and brain wiring for our diverse aptitudes and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josué Renner
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Rasia-Filho AA, Calcagnotto ME, von Bohlen Und Halbach O. Introduction: What Are Dendritic Spines? ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:1-68. [PMID: 37962793 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are cellular specializations that greatly increase the connectivity of neurons and modulate the "weight" of most postsynaptic excitatory potentials. Spines are found in very diverse animal species providing neural networks with a high integrative and computational possibility and plasticity, enabling the perception of sensorial stimuli and the elaboration of a myriad of behavioral displays, including emotional processing, memory, and learning. Humans have trillions of spines in the cerebral cortex, and these spines in a continuum of shapes and sizes can integrate the features that differ our brain from other species. In this chapter, we describe (1) the discovery of these small neuronal protrusions and the search for the biological meaning of dendritic spines; (2) the heterogeneity of shapes and sizes of spines, whose structure and composition are associated with the fine-tuning of synaptic processing in each nervous area, as well as the findings that support the role of dendritic spines in increasing the wiring of neural circuits and their functions; and (3) within the intraspine microenvironment, the integration and activation of signaling biochemical pathways, the compartmentalization of molecules or their spreading outside the spine, and the biophysical properties that can affect parent dendrites. We also provide (4) examples of plasticity involving dendritic spines and neural circuits relevant to species survival and comment on (5) current research advancements and challenges in this exciting research field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Elisa Calcagnotto
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gilmer JI, Farries MA, Kilpatrick Z, Delis I, Cohen JD, Person AL. An emergent temporal basis set robustly supports cerebellar time-series learning. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:159-176. [PMID: 36416445 PMCID: PMC9990911 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00312.2022] [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: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is considered a "learning machine" essential for time interval estimation underlying motor coordination and other behaviors. Theoretical work has proposed that the cerebellum's input recipient structure, the granule cell layer (GCL), performs pattern separation of inputs that facilitates learning in Purkinje cells (P-cells). However, the relationship between input reformatting and learning has remained debated, with roles emphasized for pattern separation features from sparsification to decorrelation. We took a novel approach by training a minimalist model of the cerebellar cortex to learn complex time-series data from time-varying inputs, typical during movements. The model robustly produced temporal basis sets from these inputs, and the resultant GCL output supported better learning of temporally complex target functions than mossy fibers alone. Learning was optimized at intermediate threshold levels, supporting relatively dense granule cell activity, yet the key statistical features in GCL population activity that drove learning differed from those seen previously for classification tasks. These findings advance testable hypotheses for mechanisms of temporal basis set formation and predict that moderately dense population activity optimizes learning.NEW & NOTEWORTHY During movement, mossy fiber inputs to the cerebellum relay time-varying information with strong intrinsic relationships to ongoing movement. Are such mossy fibers signals sufficient to support Purkinje signals and learning? In a model, we show how the GCL greatly improves Purkinje learning of complex, temporally dynamic signals relative to mossy fibers alone. Learning-optimized GCL population activity was moderately dense, which retained intrinsic input variance while also performing pattern separation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse I Gilmer
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Michael A Farries
- Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Zachary Kilpatrick
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Ioannis Delis
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy D Cohen
- University of North Carolina Neuroscience Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Abigail L Person
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Barri A, Wiechert MT, Jazayeri M, DiGregorio DA. Synaptic basis of a sub-second representation of time in a neural circuit model. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7902. [PMID: 36550115 PMCID: PMC9780315 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35395-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal sequences of neural activity are essential for driving well-timed behaviors, but the underlying cellular and circuit mechanisms remain elusive. We leveraged the well-defined architecture of the cerebellum, a brain region known to support temporally precise actions, to explore theoretically whether the experimentally observed diversity of short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) at the input layer could generate neural dynamics sufficient for sub-second temporal learning. A cerebellar circuit model equipped with dynamic synapses produced a diverse set of transient granule cell firing patterns that provided a temporal basis set for learning precisely timed pauses in Purkinje cell activity during simulated delay eyelid conditioning and Bayesian interval estimation. The learning performance across time intervals was influenced by the temporal bandwidth of the temporal basis, which was determined by the input layer synaptic properties. The ubiquity of STP throughout the brain positions it as a general, tunable cellular mechanism for sculpting neural dynamics and fine-tuning behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. Barri
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Synapse and Circuit Dynamics Laboratory, CNRS UMR 3571 Paris, France
| | - M. T. Wiechert
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Synapse and Circuit Dynamics Laboratory, CNRS UMR 3571 Paris, France
| | - M. Jazayeri
- grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA ,grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - D. A. DiGregorio
- grid.508487.60000 0004 7885 7602Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Synapse and Circuit Dynamics Laboratory, CNRS UMR 3571 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Thalamocortical bistable switch as a theoretical model of fibromyalgia pathogenesis inferred from a literature survey. J Comput Neurosci 2022; 50:471-484. [PMID: 35816263 PMCID: PMC9666334 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-022-00826-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is an unsolved central pain processing disturbance. We aim to provide a unifying model for FM pathogenesis based on a loop network involving thalamocortical regions, i.e., the ventroposterior lateral thalamus (VPL), the somatosensory cortex (SC), and the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The dynamics of the loop have been described by three differential equations having neuron mean firing rates as variables and containing Hill functions to model mutual interactions among the loop elements. A computational analysis conducted with MATLAB has shown a transition from monostability to bistability of the loop behavior for a weakening of GABAergic transmission between TRN and VPL. This involves the appearance of a high-firing-rate steady state, which becomes dominant and is assumed to represent pathogenic pain processing giving rise to chronic pain. Our model is consistent with a bulk of literature evidence, such as neuroimaging and pharmacological data collected on FM patients, and with correlations between FM and immunoendocrine conditions, such as stress, perimenopause, chronic inflammation, obesity, and chronic dizziness. The model suggests that critical targets for FM treatment are to be found among immunoendocrine pathways leading to GABA/glutamate imbalance having an impact on the thalamocortical system.
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
The cerebellar cortex is an important system for relating neural circuits and learning. Its promise reflects the longstanding idea that it contains simple, repeated circuit modules with only a few cell types and a single plasticity mechanism that mediates learning according to classical Marr-Albus models. However, emerging data have revealed surprising diversity in neuron types, synaptic connections, and plasticity mechanisms, both locally and regionally within the cerebellar cortex. In light of these findings, it is not surprising that attempts to generate a holistic model of cerebellar learning across different behaviors have not been successful. While the cerebellum remains an ideal system for linking neuronal function with behavior, it is necessary to update the cerebellar circuit framework to achieve its great promise. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of cerebellar-cortical cell types, synaptic connections, signaling mechanisms, and forms of plasticity that enrich cerebellar processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Court Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Mesodiencephalic junction GABAergic inputs are processed separately from motor cortical inputs in the basilar pons. iScience 2022; 25:104641. [PMID: 35800775 PMCID: PMC9254490 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
|
27
|
Candelabrum cells are ubiquitous cerebellar cortex interneurons with specialized circuit properties. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:702-713. [PMID: 35578131 PMCID: PMC9548381 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01057-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
To understand how the cerebellar cortex transforms mossy fiber (MF) inputs into Purkinje cell (PC) outputs, it is vital to delineate the elements of this circuit. Candelabrum cells (CCs) are enigmatic interneurons of the cerebellar cortex that have been identified based on their morphology, but their electrophysiological properties, synaptic connections and function remain unknown. Here, we clarify these properties using electrophysiology, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, in situ hybridization and serial electron microscopy in mice. We find that CCs are the most abundant PC layer interneuron. They are GABAergic, molecularly distinct and present in all cerebellar lobules. Their high resistance renders CC firing highly sensitive to synaptic inputs. CCs are excited by MFs and granule cells and are strongly inhibited by PCs. CCs in turn primarily inhibit molecular layer interneurons, which leads to PC disinhibition. Thus, inputs, outputs and local signals converge onto CCs to allow them to assume a unique role in controlling cerebellar output.
Collapse
|
28
|
Zobeiri OA, Cullen KE. Distinct representations of body and head motion are dynamically encoded by Purkinje cell populations in the macaque cerebellum. eLife 2022; 11:75018. [PMID: 35467528 PMCID: PMC9075952 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately control our posture and perceive our spatial orientation during self-motion requires knowledge of the motion of both the head and body. However, while the vestibular sensors and nuclei directly encode head motion, no sensors directly encode body motion. Instead, the integration of vestibular and neck proprioceptive inputs is necessary to transform vestibular information into the body-centric reference frame required for postural control. The anterior vermis of the cerebellum is thought to play a key role in this transformation, yet how its Purkinje cells transform multiple streams of sensory information into an estimate of body motion remains unknown. Here, we recorded the activity of individual anterior vermis Purkinje cells in alert monkeys during passively applied whole-body, body-under-head, and head-on-body rotations. Most Purkinje cells dynamically encoded an intermediate representation of self-motion between head and body motion. Notably, Purkinje cells responded to both vestibular and neck proprioceptive stimulation with considerable heterogeneity in their response dynamics. Furthermore, their vestibular responses were tuned to head-on-body position. In contrast, targeted neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei are known to unambiguously encode either head or body motion across conditions. Using a simple population model, we established that combining responses of~40-50 Purkinje cells could explain the responses of these deep cerebellar nuclei neurons across all self-motion conditions. We propose that the observed heterogeneity in Purkinje cell response dynamics underlies the cerebellum’s capacity to compute the dynamic representation of body motion required to ensure accurate postural control and perceptual stability in our daily lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omid A Zobeiri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Spaeth L, Isope P. What Can We Learn from Synaptic Connectivity Maps about Cerebellar Internal Models? THE CEREBELLUM 2022; 22:468-474. [PMID: 35391650 PMCID: PMC10126018 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01392-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The cerebellum is classically associated with fine motor control, motor learning, and timing of actions. However, while its anatomy is well described and many synaptic plasticity have been identified, the computation performed by the cerebellar cortex is still debated. We, here, review recent advances on how the description of the functional synaptic connectivity between granule cells and Purkinje cells support the hypothesis that the cerebellum stores internal models of the body coordinates. We propose that internal models are specific of the task and of the locomotor context of each individual.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Spaeth
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67084, Strasbourg, France
- Dominick P Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Philippe Isope
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67084, Strasbourg, France.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rasia-Filho AA. Unraveling Brain Microcircuits, Dendritic Spines, and Synaptic Processing Using Multiple Complementary Approaches. Front Physiol 2022; 13:831568. [PMID: 35295578 PMCID: PMC8918670 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.831568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto A. Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Alberto A. Rasia-Filho ;
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Spaeth L, Bahuguna J, Gagneux T, Dorgans K, Sugihara I, Poulain B, Battaglia D, Isope P. Cerebellar connectivity maps embody individual adaptive behavior in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:580. [PMID: 35102165 PMCID: PMC8803868 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27984-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellar cortex encodes sensorimotor adaptation during skilled locomotor behaviors, however the precise relationship between synaptic connectivity and behavior is unclear. We studied synaptic connectivity between granule cells (GCs) and Purkinje cells (PCs) in murine acute cerebellar slices using photostimulation of caged glutamate combined with patch-clamp in developing or after mice adapted to different locomotor contexts. By translating individual maps into graph network entities, we found that synaptic maps in juvenile animals undergo critical period characterized by dissolution of their structure followed by the re-establishment of a patchy functional organization in adults. Although, in adapted mice, subdivisions in anatomical microzones do not fully account for the observed spatial map organization in relation to behavior, we can discriminate locomotor contexts with high accuracy. We also demonstrate that the variability observed in connectivity maps directly accounts for motor behavior traits at the individual level. Our findings suggest that, beyond general motor contexts, GC-PC networks also encode internal models underlying individual-specific motor adaptation. The variability in synaptic connectivity observed at the cerebellar granule cell - Purkinje cell connection in mice accounts for motor behavior traits at the individual level, suggesting that cerebellar networks encode internal models underlying individual-specific motor adaptation.
Collapse
|
32
|
Cerebellum and Emotion Memory. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1378:53-73. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-99550-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
33
|
Guo C, Huson V, Macosko EZ, Regehr WG. Graded heterogeneity of metabotropic signaling underlies a continuum of cell-intrinsic temporal responses in unipolar brush cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5491. [PMID: 34620856 PMCID: PMC8497507 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22893-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many neuron types consist of populations with continuously varying molecular properties. Here, we show a continuum of postsynaptic molecular properties in three types of neurons and assess the functional correlates in cerebellar unipolar brush cells (UBCs). While UBCs are generally thought to form discrete functional subtypes, with mossy fiber (MF) activation increasing firing in ON-UBCs and suppressing firing in OFF-UBCs, recent work also points to a heterogeneity of response profiles. Indeed, we find a continuum of response profiles that reflect the graded and inversely correlated expression of excitatory mGluR1 and inhibitory mGluR2/3 pathways. MFs coactivate mGluR2/3 and mGluR1 in many UBCs, leading to sequential inhibition-excitation because mGluR2/3-currents are faster. Additionally, we show that DAG-kinase controls mGluR1 response duration, and that graded DAG kinase levels correlate with systematic variation of response duration over two orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate that continuous variations in metabotropic signaling can generate a stable cell-autonomous basis for temporal integration and learning over multiple time scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vincent Huson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main St., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Eshra A, Schmidt H, Eilers J, Hallermann S. Calcium dependence of neurotransmitter release at a high fidelity synapse. eLife 2021; 10:70408. [PMID: 34612812 PMCID: PMC8494478 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ca2+-dependence of the priming, fusion, and replenishment of synaptic vesicles are fundamental parameters controlling neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Despite intense efforts, these important steps in the synaptic vesicles’ cycle remain poorly understood due to the technical challenge in disentangling vesicle priming, fusion, and replenishment. Here, we investigated the Ca2+-sensitivity of these steps at mossy fiber synapses in the rodent cerebellum, which are characterized by fast vesicle replenishment mediating high-frequency signaling. We found that the basal free Ca2+ concentration (<200 nM) critically controls action potential-evoked release, indicating a high-affinity Ca2+ sensor for vesicle priming. Ca2+ uncaging experiments revealed a surprisingly shallow and non-saturating relationship between release rate and intracellular Ca2+ concentration up to 50 μM. The rate of vesicle replenishment during sustained elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration exhibited little Ca2+-dependence. Finally, quantitative mechanistic release schemes with five Ca2+ binding steps incorporating rapid vesicle replenishment via parallel or sequential vesicle pools could explain our data. We thus show that co-existing high- and low-affinity Ca2+ sensors mediate priming, fusion, and replenishment of synaptic vesicles at a high-fidelity synapse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdelmoneim Eshra
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schmidt
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Eilers
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Hallermann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Lanore F, Cayco-Gajic NA, Gurnani H, Coyle D, Silver RA. Cerebellar granule cell axons support high-dimensional representations. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1142-1150. [PMID: 34168340 PMCID: PMC7611462 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00873-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In classical theories of cerebellar cortex, high-dimensional sensorimotor representations are used to separate neuronal activity patterns, improving associative learning and motor performance. Recent experimental studies suggest that cerebellar granule cell (GrC) population activity is low-dimensional. To examine sensorimotor representations from the point of view of downstream Purkinje cell 'decoders', we used three-dimensional acousto-optic lens two-photon microscopy to record from hundreds of GrC axons. Here we show that GrC axon population activity is high dimensional and distributed with little fine-scale spatial structure during spontaneous behaviors. Moreover, distinct behavioral states are represented along orthogonal dimensions in neuronal activity space. These results suggest that the cerebellar cortex supports high-dimensional representations and segregates behavioral state-dependent computations into orthogonal subspaces, as reported in the neocortex. Our findings match the predictions of cerebellar pattern separation theories and suggest that the cerebellum and neocortex use population codes with common features, despite their vastly different circuit structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Lanore
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - N Alex Cayco-Gajic
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
- Group for Neural Theory, Laboratoire de neurosciences cognitives et computationnelles, Département d'études cognitives, École normale supérieure, INSERM U960, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France
| | - Harsha Gurnani
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Diccon Coyle
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - R Angus Silver
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Shuster SA, Wagner MJ, Pan-Doh N, Ren J, Grutzner SM, Beier KT, Kim TH, Schnitzer MJ, Luo L. The relationship between birth timing, circuit wiring, and physiological response properties of cerebellar granule cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2101826118. [PMID: 34088841 PMCID: PMC8201928 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101826118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar granule cells (GrCs) are usually regarded as a uniform cell type that collectively expands the coding space of the cerebellum by integrating diverse combinations of mossy fiber inputs. Accordingly, stable molecularly or physiologically defined GrC subtypes within a single cerebellar region have not been reported. The only known cellular property that distinguishes otherwise homogeneous GrCs is the correspondence between GrC birth timing and the depth of the molecular layer to which their axons project. To determine the role birth timing plays in GrC wiring and function, we developed genetic strategies to access early- and late-born GrCs. We initiated retrograde monosynaptic rabies virus tracing from control (birth timing unrestricted), early-born, and late-born GrCs, revealing the different patterns of mossy fiber input to GrCs in vermis lobule 6 and simplex, as well as to early- and late-born GrCs of vermis lobule 6: sensory and motor nuclei provide more input to early-born GrCs, while basal pontine and cerebellar nuclei provide more input to late-born GrCs. In vivo multidepth two-photon Ca2+ imaging of axons of early- and late-born GrCs revealed representations of diverse task variables and stimuli by both populations, with modest differences in the proportions encoding movement, reward anticipation, and reward consumption. Our results suggest neither organized parallel processing nor completely random organization of mossy fiber→GrC circuitry but instead a moderate influence of birth timing on GrC wiring and encoding. Our imaging data also provide evidence that GrCs can represent generalized responses to aversive stimuli, in addition to recently described reward representations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Andrew Shuster
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Mark J Wagner
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Nathan Pan-Doh
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jing Ren
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie M Grutzner
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Kevin T Beier
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Tony Hyun Kim
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Mark J Schnitzer
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Liqun Luo
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305;
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Holderith N, Heredi J, Kis V, Nusser Z. A High-Resolution Method for Quantitative Molecular Analysis of Functionally Characterized Individual Synapses. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107968. [PMID: 32726631 PMCID: PMC7408500 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional diversity of synapses requires a high-resolution, sensitive, diffusion-free, quantitative localization method that allows the determination of many proteins in functionally characterized individual synapses. Array tomography permits the quantitative analysis of single synapses but has limited sensitivity, and its application to functionally characterized synapses is challenging. Here, we aim to overcome these limitations by searching the parameter space of different fixation, resin, embedding, etching, retrieval, and elution conditions. Our optimizations reveal that etching epoxy-resin-embedded ultrathin sections with Na-ethanolate and treating them with SDS dramatically increase the labeling efficiency of synaptic proteins. We also demonstrate that this method is ideal for the molecular characterization of individual synapses following paired recordings, two-photon [Ca2+] or glutamate-sensor (iGluSnFR) imaging. This method fills a missing gap in the toolbox of molecular and cellular neuroscience, helping us to reveal how molecular heterogeneity leads to diversity in function. Etching and antigen retrieval enhance immunoreactions in epoxy-resin-embedded tissue Biocytin-filled nerve cells can be visualized in epoxy-resin-embedded tissue Molecular composition of functionally characterized individual synapses is revealed Multiplexed, postembedding reactions are compatible with STED imaging
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Holderith
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest 1083, Hungary
| | - Judit Heredi
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest 1083, Hungary
| | - Viktor Kis
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest 1083, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Nusser
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest 1083, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Rudolph S, Guo C, Pashkovski SL, Osorno T, Gillis WF, Krauss JM, Nyitrai H, Flaquer I, El-Rifai M, Datta SR, Regehr WG. Cerebellum-Specific Deletion of the GABA A Receptor δ Subunit Leads to Sex-Specific Disruption of Behavior. Cell Rep 2021; 33:108338. [PMID: 33147470 PMCID: PMC7700496 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Granule cells (GCs) of the cerebellar input layer express high-affinity δ GABAA subunit-containing GABAA receptors (δGABAARs) that respond to ambient GABA levels and context-dependent neuromodulators like steroids. We find that GC-specific deletion of δGABAA (cerebellar [cb] δ knockout [KO]) decreases tonic inhibition, makes GCs hyperexcitable, and in turn, leads to differential activation of cb output regions as well as many cortical and subcortical brain areas involved in cognition, anxiety-like behaviors, and the stress response. Cb δ KO mice display deficits in many behaviors, but motor function is normal. Strikingly, δGABAA deletion alters maternal behavior as well as spontaneous, stress-related, and social behaviors specifically in females. Our findings establish that δGABAARs enable the cerebellum to control diverse behaviors not previously associated with the cerebellum in a sex-dependent manner. These insights may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie behavioral abnormalities in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders that display a gender bias. Rudolph et al. show that deletion of the neuromodulator and hormone-sensitive δGABAA receptor subunit from cerebellar granule cells results in anxiety-like behaviors and female-specific deficits in social behavior and maternal care. δGABAA deletion is associated with hyperexcitability of the cerebellar input layer and altered activation of many stress-related brain regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Rudolph
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chong Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stan L Pashkovski
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tomas Osorno
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Winthrop F Gillis
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeremy M Krauss
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hajnalka Nyitrai
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Isabella Flaquer
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mahmoud El-Rifai
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
VanGilder P, Shi Y, Apker G, Buneo CA. Sensory feedback-dependent coding of arm position in local field potentials of the posterior parietal cortex. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9060. [PMID: 33907213 PMCID: PMC8079385 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88278-5] [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: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although multisensory integration is crucial for sensorimotor function, it is unclear how visual and proprioceptive sensory cues are combined in the brain during motor behaviors. Here we characterized the effects of multisensory interactions on local field potential (LFP) activity obtained from the superior parietal lobule (SPL) as non-human primates performed a reaching task with either unimodal (proprioceptive) or bimodal (visual-proprioceptive) sensory feedback. Based on previous analyses of spiking activity, we hypothesized that evoked LFP responses would be tuned to arm location but would be suppressed on bimodal trials, relative to unimodal trials. We also expected to see a substantial number of recording sites with enhanced beta band spectral power for only one set of feedback conditions (e.g. unimodal or bimodal), as was previously observed for spiking activity. We found that evoked activity and beta band power were tuned to arm location at many individual sites, though this tuning often differed between unimodal and bimodal trials. Across the population, both evoked and beta activity were consistent with feedback-dependent tuning to arm location, while beta band activity also showed evidence of response suppression on bimodal trials. The results suggest that multisensory interactions can alter the tuning and gain of arm position-related LFP activity in the SPL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul VanGilder
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 879709, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA
| | - Ying Shi
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 879709, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA
| | - Gregory Apker
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 879709, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA
| | - Christopher A Buneo
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 879709, Tempe, AZ, 85287-9709, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Palacios ER, Houghton C, Chadderton P. Accounting for uncertainty: inhibition for neural inference in the cerebellum. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210276. [PMID: 33757352 PMCID: PMC8059656 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor coordination is thought to rely on cerebellar-based internal models for state estimation, but the underlying neural mechanisms and specific contribution of the cerebellar components is unknown. A central aspect of any inferential process is the representation of uncertainty or conversely precision characterizing the ensuing estimates. Here, we discuss the possible contribution of inhibition to the encoding of precision of neural representations in the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex. Within this layer, Golgi cells influence excitatory granule cells, and their action is critical in shaping information transmission downstream to Purkinje cells. In this review, we equate the ensuing excitation-inhibition balance in the granular layer with the outcome of a precision-weighted inferential process, and highlight the physiological characteristics of Golgi cell inhibition that are consistent with such computations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ensor Rafael Palacios
- School of Physiology Pharmachology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
| | - Conor Houghton
- School of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Paul Chadderton
- School of Physiology Pharmachology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Rhee JK, Park H, Kim T, Yamamoto Y, Tanaka-Yamamoto K. Projection-dependent heterogeneity of cerebellar granule cell calcium responses. Mol Brain 2021; 14:63. [PMID: 33789707 PMCID: PMC8011397 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00773-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar granule cells (GCs) relay mossy fiber (MF) inputs to Purkinje cell dendrites via their axons, the parallel fibers (PFs), which are individually located at a given sublayer of the molecular layer (ML). Although a certain degree of heterogeneity among GCs has been recently reported, variability of GC responses to MF inputs has never been associated with their most notable structural variability, location of their projecting PFs in the ML. Here, we utilize an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated labeling technique that enables us to categorize GCs according to the location of their PFs, and compare the Ca2+ responses to MF stimulations between three groups of GCs, consisting of either GCs having PFs at the deep (D-GCs), middle (M-GCs), or superficial (S-GCs) sublayer. Our structural analysis revealed that there was no correlation between position of GC soma in the GC layer and location of its PF in the ML, confirming that our AAV-mediated labeling was important to test the projection-dependent variability of the Ca2+ responses in GCs. We then found that the Ca2+ responses of D-GCs differed from those of M-GCs. Pharmacological experiments implied that the different Ca2+ responses were mainly attributable to varied distributions of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) at the synaptic and extrasynaptic regions of GC dendrites. In addition to GABAAR distributions, amounts of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors appear to be also varied, because Ca2+ responses were different between D-GCs and M-GCs when glutamate spillover was enhanced. Whereas the Ca2+ responses of S-GCs were mostly equivalent to those of D-GCs and M-GCs, the blockade of GABA uptake resulted in larger Ca2+ responses in S-GCs compared with D-GCs and M-GCs, implying existence of mechanisms leading to more excitability in S-GCs with increased GABA release. Thus, this study reveals MF stimulation-mediated non-uniform Ca2+ responses in the cerebellar GCs associated with the location of their PFs in the ML, and raises a possibility that combination of inherent functional variability of GCs and their specific axonal projection contributes to the information processing through the GCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Kyu Rhee
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Heeyoun Park
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Taegon Kim
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yukio Yamamoto
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Keiko Tanaka-Yamamoto
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Pooryasin A, Maglione M, Schubert M, Matkovic-Rachid T, Hasheminasab SM, Pech U, Fiala A, Mielke T, Sigrist SJ. Unc13A and Unc13B contribute to the decoding of distinct sensory information in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1932. [PMID: 33771998 PMCID: PMC7997984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The physical distance between presynaptic Ca2+ channels and the Ca2+ sensors triggering the release of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles regulates short-term plasticity (STP). While STP is highly diversified across synapse types, the computational and behavioral relevance of this diversity remains unclear. In the Drosophila brain, at nanoscale level, we can distinguish distinct coupling distances between Ca2+ channels and the (m)unc13 family priming factors, Unc13A and Unc13B. Importantly, coupling distance defines release components with distinct STP characteristics. Here, we show that while Unc13A and Unc13B both contribute to synaptic signalling, they play distinct roles in neural decoding of olfactory information at excitatory projection neuron (ePN) output synapses. Unc13A clusters closer to Ca2+ channels than Unc13B, specifically promoting fast phasic signal transfer. Reduction of Unc13A in ePNs attenuates responses to both aversive and appetitive stimuli, while reduction of Unc13B provokes a general shift towards appetitive values. Collectively, we provide direct genetic evidence that release components of distinct nanoscopic coupling distances differentially control STP to play distinct roles in neural decoding of sensory information. The physical distance between synaptic Ca2+ channels and sensors modulates short-term plasticity (STP). Here, the authors show that synaptic release factors Unc13A and Unc13B distinctly couple with Ca2+ channels and contribute to the neural decoding of distinct sensory information in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Pooryasin
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Maglione
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Schubert
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sayed-Mohammad Hasheminasab
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.,CCU Translational Radiation Oncology, DKTK, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Pech
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuronal Communication, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, K.U.Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behavior, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Mielke
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Microscopy and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Group, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Tang Y, An L, Yuan Y, Pei Q, Wang Q, Liu JK. Modulation of the dynamics of cerebellar Purkinje cells through the interaction of excitatory and inhibitory feedforward pathways. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008670. [PMID: 33566820 PMCID: PMC7909957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of cerebellar neuronal networks is controlled by the underlying building blocks of neurons and synapses between them. For which, the computation of Purkinje cells (PCs), the only output cells of the cerebellar cortex, is implemented through various types of neural pathways interactively routing excitation and inhibition converged to PCs. Such tuning of excitation and inhibition, coming from the gating of specific pathways as well as short-term plasticity (STP) of the synapses, plays a dominant role in controlling the PC dynamics in terms of firing rate and spike timing. PCs receive cascade feedforward inputs from two major neural pathways: the first one is the feedforward excitatory pathway from granule cells (GCs) to PCs; the second one is the feedforward inhibition pathway from GCs, via molecular layer interneurons (MLIs), to PCs. The GC-PC pathway, together with short-term dynamics of excitatory synapses, has been a focus over past decades, whereas recent experimental evidence shows that MLIs also greatly contribute to controlling PC activity. Therefore, it is expected that the diversity of excitation gated by STP of GC-PC synapses, modulated by strong inhibition from MLI-PC synapses, can promote the computation performed by PCs. However, it remains unclear how these two neural pathways are interacted to modulate PC dynamics. Here using a computational model of PC network installed with these two neural pathways, we addressed this question to investigate the change of PC firing dynamics at the level of single cell and network. We show that the nonlinear characteristics of excitatory STP dynamics can significantly modulate PC spiking dynamics mediated by inhibition. The changes in PC firing rate, firing phase, and temporal spike pattern, are strongly modulated by these two factors in different ways. MLIs mainly contribute to variable delays in the postsynaptic action potentials of PCs while modulated by excitation STP. Notably, the diversity of synchronization and pause response in the PC network is governed not only by the balance of excitation and inhibition, but also by the synaptic STP, depending on input burst patterns. Especially, the pause response shown in the PC network can only emerge with the interaction of both pathways. Together with other recent findings, our results show that the interaction of feedforward pathways of excitation and inhibition, incorporated with synaptic short-term dynamics, can dramatically regulate the PC activities that consequently change the network dynamics of the cerebellar circuit. It is well known that the dynamics of neuronal networks are controlled by various types of neural pathways that are interactively routing excitation and inhibition converged to postsynaptic neurons. In addition, gating of a specific neural pathway is enhanced by short-term plasticity of the synapses between neurons. However, it remains unclear how a combination of these factors, the strengths of excitation and inhibition, and their short-term dynamics respectively, contributes to the dynamics of single cells and neuronal networks. Using a network model of cerebellar Purkinje cells embedded with the feedforward excitatory pathway from granule cells and feedforward inhibition pathway of molecular layer interneurons. We show that the dynamics of firing rate, firing phase, and temporal spike pattern are notably yet differently modulated by these two pathways. At the single cell level, excitatory short-term plasticity nonlinearly modulates the input-output relationship of firing activity. At the network level, the diversity of synchronization and pause response is governed not only by the balance of excitation and inhibition, but also by synaptic short-term dynamics. Only when both neural pathways are incorporated, there is a strong pause response shown in the network. Our results, together with recent in vivo experimental observations in the cerebellum, show that the interaction of feedforward pathways of excitation and inhibition, together with synaptic short-term dynamics, can dramatically change the network dynamics of Purkinje cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhong Tang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lingling An
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
- * E-mail: (LA); (JKL)
| | - Ye Yuan
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qingqi Pei
- School of Telecommunication Engineering, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Quan Wang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jian K. Liu
- Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LA); (JKL)
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
De Zeeuw CI, Lisberger SG, Raymond JL. Diversity and dynamism in the cerebellum. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:160-167. [PMID: 33288911 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00754-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The past several years have brought revelations and paradigm shifts in research on the cerebellum. Historically viewed as a simple sensorimotor controller with homogeneous architecture, the cerebellum is increasingly implicated in cognitive functions. It possesses an impressive diversity of molecular, cellular and circuit mechanisms, embedded in a dynamic, recurrent circuit architecture. Recent insights about the diversity and dynamism of the cerebellum provide a roadmap for the next decade of cerebellar research, challenging some old concepts, reinvigorating others and defining major new research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Puñal VM, Ahmed M, Thornton-Kolbe EM, Clowney EJ. Untangling the wires: development of sparse, distributed connectivity in the mushroom body calyx. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:91-112. [PMID: 33404837 PMCID: PMC9835099 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03386-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Appropriate perception and representation of sensory stimuli pose an everyday challenge to the brain. In order to represent the wide and unpredictable array of environmental stimuli, principle neurons of associative learning regions receive sparse, combinatorial sensory inputs. Despite the broad role of such networks in sensory neural circuits, the developmental mechanisms underlying their emergence are not well understood. As mammalian sensory coding regions are numerically complex and lack the accessibility of simpler invertebrate systems, we chose to focus this review on the numerically simpler, yet functionally similar, Drosophila mushroom body calyx. We bring together current knowledge about the cellular and molecular mechanisms orchestrating calyx development, in addition to drawing insights from literature regarding construction of sparse wiring in the mammalian cerebellum. From this, we formulate hypotheses to guide our future understanding of the development of this critical perceptual center.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M. Puñal
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Maria Ahmed
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Emma M. Thornton-Kolbe
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - E. Josephine Clowney
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Li N, Mrsic-Flogel TD. Cortico-cerebellar interactions during goal-directed behavior. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 65:27-37. [PMID: 32979846 PMCID: PMC7770085 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Preparatory activity is observed across multiple interconnected brain regions before goal-directed movement. Preparatory activity reflects discrete activity states representing specific future actions. It is unclear how this activity is mediated by multi-regional interactions. Recent evidence suggests that the cerebellum, classically associated with fine motor control, contributes to preparatory activity in the neocortex. We review recent advances and offer perspective on the function of cortico-cerebellar interactions during goal-directed behavior. We propose that the cerebellum learns to facilitate transitions between neocortical activity states. Transitions between activity states enable flexible and appropriately timed behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuo Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, United States.
| | - Thomas D Mrsic-Flogel
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Torres JJ, Baroni F, Latorre R, Varona P. Temporal discrimination from the interaction between dynamic synapses and intrinsic subthreshold oscillations. Neurocomputing 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2020.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
48
|
Liu Z, Kimura Y, Higashijima SI, Hildebrand DGC, Morgan JL, Bagnall MW. Central Vestibular Tuning Arises from Patterned Convergence of Otolith Afferents. Neuron 2020; 108:748-762.e4. [PMID: 32937099 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
As sensory information moves through the brain, higher-order areas exhibit more complex tuning than lower areas. Though models predict that complexity arises via convergent inputs from neurons with diverse response properties, in most vertebrate systems, convergence has only been inferred rather than tested directly. Here, we measure sensory computations in zebrafish vestibular neurons across multiple axes in vivo. We establish that whole-cell physiological recordings reveal tuning of individual vestibular afferent inputs and their postsynaptic targets. Strong, sparse synaptic inputs can be distinguished by their amplitudes, permitting analysis of afferent convergence in vivo. An independent approach, serial-section electron microscopy, supports the inferred connectivity. We find that afferents with similar or differing preferred directions converge on central vestibular neurons, conferring more simple or complex tuning, respectively. Together, these results provide a direct, quantifiable demonstration of feedforward input convergence in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yukiko Kimura
- Department of Neurobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | | | | | - Joshua L Morgan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Martha W Bagnall
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ferreiro DN, Amaro D, Schmidtke D, Sobolev A, Gundi P, Belliveau L, Sirota A, Grothe B, Pecka M. Sensory Island Task (SIT): A New Behavioral Paradigm to Study Sensory Perception and Neural Processing in Freely Moving Animals. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:576154. [PMID: 33100981 PMCID: PMC7546252 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.576154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A central function of sensory systems is the gathering of information about dynamic interactions with the environment during self-motion. To determine whether modulation of a sensory cue was externally caused or a result of self-motion is fundamental to perceptual invariance and requires the continuous update of sensory processing about recent movements. This process is highly context-dependent and crucial for perceptual performances such as decision-making and sensory object formation. Yet despite its fundamental ecological role, voluntary self-motion is rarely incorporated in perceptual or neurophysiological investigations of sensory processing in animals. Here, we present the Sensory Island Task (SIT), a new freely moving search paradigm to study sensory processing and perception. In SIT, animals explore an open-field arena to find a sensory target relying solely on changes in the presented stimulus, which is controlled by closed-loop position tracking in real-time. Within a few sessions, animals are trained via positive reinforcement to search for a particular area in the arena (“target island”), which triggers the presentation of the target stimulus. The location of the target island is randomized across trials, making the modulated stimulus feature the only informative cue for task completion. Animals report detection of the target stimulus by remaining within the island for a defined time (“sit-time”). Multiple “non-target” islands can be incorporated to test psychometric discrimination and identification performance. We exemplify the suitability of SIT for rodents (Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus) and small primates (mouse lemur, Microcebus murinus) and for studying various sensory perceptual performances (auditory frequency discrimination, sound source localization, visual orientation discrimination). Furthermore, we show that pairing SIT with chronic electrophysiological recordings allows revealing neuronal signatures of sensory processing under ecologically relevant conditions during goal-oriented behavior. In conclusion, SIT represents a flexible and easily implementable behavioral paradigm for mammals that combines self-motion and natural exploratory behavior to study sensory sensitivity and decision-making and their underlying neuronal processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dardo N Ferreiro
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Department of General Psychology and Education, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Diana Amaro
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Schmidtke
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Andrey Sobolev
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Paula Gundi
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lucile Belliveau
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anton Sirota
- Faculty of Medicine, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Grothe
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Pecka
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Siemann JK, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Wallace MT. Approaches to Understanding Multisensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1430-1449. [PMID: 32869933 PMCID: PMC7721996 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal sensory responses are a DSM-5 symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and research findings demonstrate altered sensory processing in ASD. Beyond difficulties with processing information within single sensory domains, including both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity, difficulties in multisensory processing are becoming a core issue of focus in ASD. These difficulties may be targeted by treatment approaches such as "sensory integration," which is frequently applied in autism treatment but not yet based on clear evidence. Recently, psychophysical data have emerged to demonstrate multisensory deficits in some children with ASD. Unlike deficits in social communication, which are best understood in humans, sensory and multisensory changes offer a tractable marker of circuit dysfunction that is more easily translated into animal model systems to probe the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Paralleling experimental paradigms that were previously applied in humans and larger mammals, we and others have demonstrated that multisensory function can also be examined behaviorally in rodents. Here, we review the sensory and multisensory difficulties commonly found in ASD, examining laboratory findings that relate these findings across species. Next, we discuss the known neurobiology of multisensory integration, drawing largely on experimental work in larger mammals, and extensions of these paradigms into rodents. Finally, we describe emerging investigations into multisensory processing in genetic mouse models related to autism risk. By detailing findings from humans to mice, we highlight the advantage of multisensory paradigms that can be easily translated across species, as well as the potential for rodent experimental systems to reveal opportunities for novel treatments. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory and multisensory deficits are commonly found in ASD and may result in cascading effects that impact social communication. By using similar experiments to those in humans, we discuss how studies in animal models may allow an understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie difficulties in multisensory integration, with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1430-1449. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Siemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| |
Collapse
|