Distribution and intrinsic membrane properties of basal forebrain GABAergic and parvalbumin neurons in the mouse

Local cholinergic-GABAergic circuitry within the basal forebrain is modulated by galanin

The basal forebrain (BF) is an important regulator of hippocampal and cortical activity. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a significant loss and dysfunction of cholinergic neurons within the BF, and also a hypertrophy of fibers containing the neuropeptide galanin. Understanding how galanin interacts with BF circuitry is critical in determining what role galanin overexpression plays in the progression of AD. Here, we examined the location and function of galanin in the medial septum/diagonal band (MS/DBB) region of the BF. We show that galanin fibers are located throughout the MS/DBB and intermingled with both cholinergic and GABAergic neurons. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings from MS/DBB neurons in acute slices reveal that galanin decreases tetrodotoxin-sensitive spontaneous GABA release and dampens muscarinic receptor-mediated increases in GABA release in the MS/DBB. These effects are not blocked by pre-exposure to β-amyloid peptide (Aβ_1-42). Optogenetic activation of cholinergic neurons in the MS/DBB increases GABA release back onto cholinergic neurons, forming a functional circuit within the MS/DBB. Galanin disrupts this cholinergic-GABAergic circuit by blocking the cholinergic-induced increase in GABA release. These data suggest that galanin works in the BF to reduce inhibitory input onto cholinergic neurons and to prevent cholinergic-induced increase in inhibitory tone. This disinhibition of cholinergic neurons could serve as a compensatory mechanism to counteract the loss of cholinergic signaling that occurs during the progression of AD.

Cholinergic Neurons in the Basal Forebrain Promote Wakefulness by Actions on Neighboring Non-Cholinergic Neurons: An Opto-Dialysis Study

Understanding the control of sleep-wake states by the basal forebrain (BF) poses a challenge due to the intermingled presence of cholinergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons. All three BF neuronal subtypes project to the cortex and are implicated in cortical arousal and sleep-wake control. Thus, nonspecific stimulation or inhibition studies do not reveal the roles of these different neuronal types. Recent studies using optogenetics have shown that "selective" stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons increases transitions between NREM sleep and wakefulness, implicating cholinergic projections to cortex in wake promotion. However, the interpretation of these optogenetic experiments is complicated by interactions that may occur within the BF. For instance, a recent in vitro study from our group found that cholinergic neurons strongly excite neighboring GABAergic neurons, including the subset of cortically projecting neurons, which contain the calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV) (Yang et al., 2014). Thus, the wake-promoting effect of "selective" optogenetic stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons could be mediated by local excitation of GABA/PV or other non-cholinergic BF neurons. In this study, using a newly designed opto-dialysis probe to couple selective optical stimulation with simultaneous in vivo microdialysis, we demonstrated that optical stimulation of cholinergic neurons locally increased acetylcholine levels and increased wakefulness in mice. Surprisingly, the enhanced wakefulness caused by cholinergic stimulation was abolished by simultaneous reverse microdialysis of cholinergic receptor antagonists into BF. Thus, our data suggest that the wake-promoting effect of cholinergic stimulation requires local release of acetylcholine in the basal forebrain and activation of cortically projecting, non-cholinergic neurons, including the GABAergic/PV neurons.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Optogenetics is a revolutionary tool to assess the roles of particular groups of neurons in behavioral functions, such as control of sleep and wakefulness. However, the interpretation of optogenetic experiments requires knowledge of the effects of stimulation on local neurotransmitter levels and effects on neighboring neurons. Here, using a novel "opto-dialysis" probe to couple optogenetics and in vivo microdialysis, we report that optical stimulation of basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons in mice increases local acetylcholine levels and wakefulness. Reverse microdialysis of cholinergic antagonists within BF prevents the wake-promoting effect. This important result challenges the prevailing dictum that BF cholinergic projections to cortex directly control wakefulness and illustrates the utility of "opto-dialysis" for dissecting the complex brain circuitry underlying behavior.

Chronic Gestational Exposure to Ethanol Leads to Enduring Aberrances in Cortical Form and Function in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

BACKGROUND

Exposure to ethanol (EtOH) in utero alters the disposition of tangentially migrating GABAergic interneurons in the fetal brain. The medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) gives rise to a large portion of cortical GABAergic interneurons, including the parvalbumin-expressing interneurons that shape and contribute to inhibitory/excitatory (I/E) balance of the intracortical circuit. Here, we investigated in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) the hypothesis that low levels of maternal EtOH consumption from closure of the neural tube embryonic day (E) 9.5 until birth result in an enduring interneuronopathy.

METHODS

Pregnant mice were subjected to a 2% w/w EtOH consumption regimen starting at neural tube closure and ending at parturition. Neurogenesis in the MGE was assessed by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunofluorescence at E12.5. The count and distribution of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons were determined in adult animals, and patch clamp electrophysiology was performed to determine GABAergic function and I/E balance. Open-field behavior in adult mice was assessed to determine whether the EtOH-exposed cohort displayed a lasting alteration in exploratory behavior.

RESULTS

In embryos exposed to EtOH in utero, we found increased BrdU labeling in the MGE, pointing to increased neurogenesis. Adult mice prenatally exposed to EtOH were hyperactive, and this was associated with an increase in parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic interneurons in the mPFC. In addition, prenatal EtOH exposure altered the balance between spontaneous inhibitory and excitatory synaptic input and attenuated GABAergic tone in layer V mPFC pyramidal neurons in juvenile mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings underscore that altered migration of GABAergic interneurons contributes to the EtOH-induced aberration of cortical development and that these effects persist into adulthood as altered cortical form and function.

The external globus pallidus: progress and perspectives

The external globus pallidus (GPe) of the basal ganglia is in a unique and powerful position to influence processing of motor information by virtue of its widespread projections to all basal ganglia nuclei. Despite the clinical importance of the GPe in common motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease, there is only limited information about its cellular composition and organizational principles. In this review, recent advances in the understanding of the diversity in the molecular profile, anatomy, physiology and corresponding behaviour during movement of GPe neurons are described. Importantly, this study attempts to build consensus and highlight commonalities of the cellular classification based on existing but contentious literature. Additionally, an analysis of the literature concerning the intricate reciprocal loops formed between the GPe and major synaptic partners, including both the striatum and the subthalamic nucleus, is provided. In conclusion, the GPe has emerged as a crucial node in the basal ganglia macrocircuit. While subtleties in the cellular makeup and synaptic connection of the GPe create new challenges, modern research tools have shown promise in untangling such complexity, and will provide better understanding of the roles of the GPe in encoding movements and their associated pathologies.

Optogenetic Dissection of the Basal Forebrain Neuromodulatory Control of Cortical Activation, Plasticity, and Cognition

The basal forebrain (BF) houses major ascending projections to the entire neocortex that have long been implicated in arousal, learning, and attention. The disruption of the BF has been linked with major neurological disorders, such as coma and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in normal cognitive aging. Although it is best known for its cholinergic neurons, the BF is in fact an anatomically and neurochemically complex structure. Recent studies using transgenic mouse lines to target specific BF cell types have led to a renaissance in the study of the BF and are beginning to yield new insights about cell-type-specific circuit mechanisms during behavior. These approaches enable us to determine the behavioral conditions under which cholinergic and noncholinergic BF neurons are activated and how they control cortical processing to influence behavior. Here we discuss recent advances that have expanded our knowledge about this poorly understood brain region and laid the foundation for future cell-type-specific manipulations to modulate arousal, attention, and cortical plasticity in neurological disorders.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Although the basal forebrain is best known for, and often equated with, acetylcholine-containing neurons that provide most of the cholinergic innervation of the neocortex, it is in fact an anatomically and neurochemically complex structure. Recent studies using transgenic mouse lines to target specific cell types in the basal forebrain have led to a renaissance in this field and are beginning to dissect circuit mechanisms in the basal forebrain during behavior. This review discusses recent advances in the roles of basal forebrain cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons in cognition via their dynamic modulation of cortical activity.

Parvalbumin+ Neurons and Npas1+ Neurons Are Distinct Neuron Classes in the Mouse External Globus Pallidus

Compelling evidence suggests that pathological activity of the external globus pallidus (GPe), a nucleus in the basal ganglia, contributes to the motor symptoms of a variety of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have challenged the idea that the GPe comprises a single, homogenous population of neurons that serves as a simple relay in the indirect pathway. However, we still lack a full understanding of the diversity of the neurons that make up the GPe. Specifically, a more precise classification scheme is needed to better describe the fundamental biology and function of different GPe neuron classes. To this end, we generated a novel multicistronic BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) transgenic mouse line under the regulatory elements of the Npas1 gene. Using a combinatorial transgenic and immunohistochemical approach, we discovered that parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons in the GPe represent two nonoverlapping cell classes, amounting to 55% and 27% of the total GPe neuron population, respectively. These two genetically identified cell classes projected primarily to the subthalamic nucleus and to the striatum, respectively. Additionally, parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons were distinct in their autonomous and driven firing characteristics, their expression of intrinsic ion conductances, and their responsiveness to chronic 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. In summary, our data argue that parvalbumin-expressing neurons and Npas1-expressing neurons are two distinct functional classes of GPe neurons. This work revises our understanding of the GPe, and provides the foundation for future studies of its function and dysfunction.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Until recently, the heterogeneity of the constituent neurons within the external globus pallidus (GPe) was not fully appreciated. We addressed this knowledge gap by discovering two principal GPe neuron classes, which were identified by their nonoverlapping expression of the markers parvalbumin and Npas1. Our study provides evidence that parvalbumin and Npas1 neurons have different topologies within the basal ganglia.

Basal forebrain control of wakefulness and cortical rhythms

Wakefulness, along with fast cortical rhythms and associated cognition, depend on the basal forebrain (BF). BF cholinergic cell loss in dementia and the sedative effect of anti-cholinergic drugs have long implicated these neurons as important for cognition and wakefulness. The BF also contains intermingled inhibitory GABAergic and excitatory glutamatergic cell groups whose exact neurobiological roles are unclear. Here we show that genetically targeted chemogenetic activation of BF cholinergic or glutamatergic neurons in behaving mice produced significant effects on state consolidation and/or the electroencephalogram but had no effect on total wake. Similar activation of BF GABAergic neurons produced sustained wakefulness and high-frequency cortical rhythms, whereas chemogenetic inhibition increased sleep. Our findings reveal a major contribution of BF GABAergic neurons to wakefulness and the fast cortical rhythms associated with cognition. These findings may be clinically applicable to manipulations aimed at increasing forebrain activation in dementia and the minimally conscious state.

The mammalian basal forebrain controls cortical rhythm and wake-sleep. Anaclet et al. use genetically-targeted chemogenetic systems to activate or inhibit cholinergic, glutamatergic or GABAergic neurons in this region, and reveal their contributions to behavioral and electrocortical arousal in behaving mice.

Basal forebrain motivational salience signal enhances cortical processing and decision speed

The basal forebrain (BF) contains major projections to the cerebral cortex, and plays a well-documented role in arousal, attention, decision-making, and in modulating cortical activity. BF neuronal degeneration is an early event in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementias, and occurs in normal cognitive aging. While the BF is best known for its population of cortically projecting cholinergic neurons, the region is anatomically and neurochemically diverse, and also contains prominent populations of non-cholinergic projection neurons. In recent years, increasing attention has been dedicated to these non-cholinergic BF neurons in order to better understand how non-cholinergic BF circuits control cortical processing and behavioral performance. In this review, we focus on a unique population of putative non-cholinergic BF neurons that encodes the motivational salience of stimuli with a robust ensemble bursting response. We review recent studies that describe the specific physiological and functional characteristics of these BF salience-encoding neurons in behaving animals. These studies support the unifying hypothesis whereby BF salience-encoding neurons act as a gain modulation mechanism of the decision-making process to enhance cortical processing of behaviorally relevant stimuli, and thereby facilitate faster and more precise behavioral responses. This function of BF salience-encoding neurons represents a critical component in determining which incoming stimuli warrant an animal’s attention, and is therefore a fundamental and early requirement of behavioral flexibility.

Turning a Negative into a Positive: Ascending GABAergic Control of Cortical Activation and Arousal

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Recent technological advances have illuminated the role of GABAergic neurons in control of cortical arousal and sleep. Sleep-promoting GABAergic neurons in the preoptic hypothalamus are well-known. Less well-appreciated are GABAergic projection neurons in the brainstem, midbrain, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain, which paradoxically promote arousal and fast electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms. Thus, GABA is not purely a sleep-promoting neurotransmitter. GABAergic projection neurons in the brainstem nucleus incertus and ventral tegmental nucleus of Gudden promote theta (4-8 Hz) rhythms. Ventral tegmental area GABAergic neurons, neighboring midbrain dopamine neurons, project to the frontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. They discharge faster during cortical arousal and regulate reward. Thalamic reticular nucleus GABAergic neurons initiate sleep spindles in non-REM sleep. In addition, however, during wakefulness, they tonically regulate the activity of thalamocortical neurons. Other GABAergic inputs to the thalamus arising in the globus pallidus pars interna, substantia nigra pars reticulata, zona incerta, and basal forebrain regulate motor activity, arousal, attention, and sensory transmission. Several subpopulations of cortically projecting GABAergic neurons in the basal forebrain project to the thalamus and neocortex and preferentially promote cortical gamma-band (30-80 Hz) activity and wakefulness. Unlike sleep-active GABAergic neurons, these ascending GABAergic neurons are fast-firing neurons which disinhibit and synchronize the activity of their forebrain targets, promoting the fast EEG rhythms typical of conscious states. They are prominent targets of GABAergic hypnotic agents. Understanding the properties of ascending GABAergic neurons may lead to novel treatments for diseases involving disorders of cortical activation and wakefulness.

Cortically projecting basal forebrain parvalbumin neurons regulate cortical gamma band oscillations

Cortical gamma band oscillations (GBO, 30-80 Hz, typically ∼40 Hz) are involved in higher cognitive functions such as feature binding, attention, and working memory. GBO abnormalities are a feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders associated with dysfunction of cortical fast-spiking interneurons containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV). GBO vary according to the state of arousal, are modulated by attention, and are correlated with conscious awareness. However, the subcortical cell types underlying the state-dependent control of GBO are not well understood. Here we tested the role of one cell type in the wakefulness-promoting basal forebrain (BF) region, cortically projecting GABAergic neurons containing PV, whose virally transduced fibers we found apposed cortical PV interneurons involved in generating GBO. Optogenetic stimulation of BF PV neurons in mice preferentially increased cortical GBO power by entraining a cortical oscillator with a resonant frequency of ∼40 Hz, as revealed by analysis of both rhythmic and nonrhythmic BF PV stimulation. Selective saporin lesions of BF cholinergic neurons did not alter the enhancement of cortical GBO power induced by BF PV stimulation. Importantly, bilateral optogenetic inhibition of BF PV neurons decreased the power of the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response, a read-out of the ability of the cortex to generate GBO used in clinical studies. Our results are surprising and novel in indicating that this presumptively inhibitory BF PV input controls cortical GBO, likely by synchronizing the activity of cortical PV interneurons. BF PV neurons may represent a previously unidentified therapeutic target to treat disorders involving abnormal GBO, such as schizophrenia.

Effects of locomotion extend throughout the mouse early visual system

BACKGROUND

Neural responses in visual cortex depend not only on sensory input but also on behavioral context. One such context is locomotion, which modulates single-neuron activity in primary visual cortex (V1). How locomotion affects neuronal populations across cortical layers and in precortical structures is not well understood.

RESULTS

We performed extracellular multielectrode recordings in the visual system of mice during locomotion and stationary periods. We found that locomotion influenced activity of V1 neurons with a characteristic laminar profile and shaped the population response by reducing pairwise correlations. Although the reduction of pairwise correlations was restricted to cortex, locomotion slightly but consistently increased firing rates and controlled tuning selectivity already in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus. At the level of the eye, increases in locomotion speed were associated with pupil dilation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings document further, nonmultiplicative effects of locomotion, reaching earlier processing stages than cortex.

Curtailing effect of awakening on visual responses of cortical neurons by cholinergic activation of inhibitory circuits

Visual responsiveness of cortical neurons changes depending on the brain state. Neural circuit mechanism underlying this change is unclear. By applying the method of in vivo two-photon functional calcium imaging to transgenic rats in which GABAergic neurons express fluorescent protein, we analyzed changes in visual response properties of cortical neurons when animals became awakened from anesthesia. In the awake state, the magnitude and reliability of visual responses of GABAergic neurons increased whereas the decay of responses of excitatory neurons became faster. To test whether the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic projection is involved in these changes, we analyzed effects of electrical and optogenetic activation of BF on visual responses of mouse cortical neurons with in vivo imaging and whole-cell recordings. Electrical BF stimulation in anesthetized animals induced the same direction of changes in visual responses of both groups of neurons as awakening. Optogenetic activation increased the frequency of visually evoked action potentials in GABAergic neurons but induced the delayed hyperpolarization that ceased the late generation of action potentials in excitatory neurons. Pharmacological analysis in slice preparations revealed that photoactivation-induced depolarization of layer 1 GABAergic neurons was blocked by a nicotinic receptor antagonist, whereas non-fast-spiking layer 2/3 GABAergic neurons was blocked only by the application of both nicotinic and muscarinic receptor antagonists. These results suggest that the effect of awakening is mediated mainly through nicotinic activation of layer 1 GABAergic neurons and mixed nicotinic/muscarinic activation of layer 2/3 non-fast-spiking GABAergic neurons, which together curtails the visual responses of excitatory neurons.

Sex differences in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-1 action within the dorsal raphe nucleus in stress responsivity

BACKGROUND

Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related affective disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is an important link between stress and mood, in part through its signaling in the serotonergic dorsal raphe (DR). Development of CRF receptor-1 (CRFr1) antagonists has been a focus of numerous clinical trials but has not yet been proven efficacious. We hypothesized that sex differences in CRFr1 modulation of DR circuits might be key determinants in predicting therapeutic responses and affective disorder vulnerability.

METHODS

Male and female mice received DR infusions of the CRFr1 antagonist, NBI 35965, or CRF and were evaluated for stress responsivity. Sex differences in indices of neural activation (cFos) and colocalization of CRFr1 throughout the DR were examined. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology assessed sex differences in serotonin neuron membrane characteristics and responsivity to CRF.

RESULTS

Males showed robust behavioral and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to DR infusion of NBI 35965 and CRF, whereas females were minimally responsive. Sex differences were also found for both CRF-induced DR cFos and CRFr1 co-localization throughout the DR. Electrophysiologically, female serotonergic neurons showed blunted membrane excitability and divergent inhibitory postsynaptic current responses to CRF application.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies demonstrate convincing sex differences in CRFr1 activity in the DR, where blunted female responses to NBI 35965 and CRF suggest unique stress modulation of the DR. These sex differences might underlie affective disorder vulnerability and differential sensitivity to pharmacologic treatments developed to target the CRF system, thereby contributing to a current lack of CRFr1 antagonist efficacy in clinical trials.

Cholinergic neurons excite cortically projecting basal forebrain GABAergic neurons

The basal forebrain (BF) plays an important role in the control of cortical activation and attention. Understanding the modulation of BF neuronal activity is a prerequisite to treat disorders of cortical activation involving BF dysfunction, such as Alzheimer's disease. Here we reveal the interaction between cholinergic neurons and cortically projecting BF GABAergic neurons using immunohistochemistry and whole-cell recordings in vitro. In GAD67-GFP knock-in mice, BF cholinergic (choline acetyltransferase-positive) neurons were intermingled with GABAergic (GFP(+)) neurons. Immunohistochemistry for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter showed that cholinergic fibers apposed putative cortically projecting GABAergic neurons containing parvalbumin (PV). In coronal BF slices from GAD67-GFP knock-in or PV-tdTomato mice, pharmacological activation of cholinergic receptors with bath application of carbachol increased the firing rate of large (>20 μm diameter) BF GFP(+) and PV (tdTomato+) neurons, which exhibited the intrinsic membrane properties of cortically projecting neurons. The excitatory effect of carbachol was blocked by antagonists of M1 and M3 muscarinic receptors in two subpopulations of BF GABAergic neurons [large hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) and small Ih, respectively]. Ion substitution experiments and reversal potential measurements suggested that the carbachol-induced inward current was mediated mainly by sodium-permeable cation channels. Carbachol also increased the frequency of spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory synaptic currents. Furthermore, optogenetic stimulation of cholinergic neurons/fibers caused a mecamylamine- and atropine-sensitive inward current in putative GABAergic neurons. Thus, cortically projecting, BF GABAergic/PV neurons are excited by neighboring BF and/or brainstem cholinergic neurons. Loss of cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease may impair cortical activation, in part, through disfacilitation of BF cortically projecting GABAergic/PV neurons.

The cholinergic agonist carbachol increases the frequency of spontaneous GABAergic synaptic currents in dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons in the mouse

Dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) serotonin (5-HT) neurons play an important role in feeding, mood control and stress responses. One important feature of their activity across the sleep-wake cycle is their reduced firing during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep which stands in stark contrast to the wake/REM-on discharge pattern of brainstem cholinergic neurons. A prominent model of REM sleep control posits a reciprocal interaction between these cell groups. 5-HT inhibits cholinergic neurons, and activation of nicotinic receptors can excite DRN 5-HT neurons but the cholinergic effect on inhibitory inputs is incompletely understood. Here, in vitro, in DRN brain slices prepared from GAD67-GFP knock-in mice, a brief (3 min) bath application of carbachol (50 μM) increased the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in GFP-negative, putative 5-HT neurons but did not affect miniature (tetrodotoxin-insensitive) IPSCs. Carbachol had no direct postsynaptic effect. Thus, carbachol likely increases the activity of local GABAergic neurons which synapse on 5-HT neurons. Removal of dorsal regions of the slice including the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) region where GABAergic neurons projecting to the DRN have been identified, abolished the effect of carbachol on sIPSCs whereas the removal of ventral regions containing the oral region of the pontine reticular nucleus (PnO) did not. In addition, carbachol directly excited GFP-positive, GABAergic vlPAG neurons. Antagonism of both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors completely abolished the effects of carbachol. We suggest cholinergic neurons inhibit DRN 5-HT neurons when acetylcholine levels are lower i.e. during quiet wakefulness and the beginning of REM sleep periods, in part via excitation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors located on local vlPAG and DRN GABAergic neurons. Higher firing rates or burst firing of cholinergic neurons associated with attentive wakefulness or phasic REM sleep periods leads to excitation of 5-HT neurons via the activation of nicotinic receptors located postsynaptically and presynaptically on excitatory afferents.

Raphe GABAergic neurons mediate the acquisition of avoidance after social defeat

Serotonin (5-HT) modulates neural responses to socioaffective cues and can bias approach or avoidance behavioral decisions, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying its contribution to the regulation of social experiences remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that GABAergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) may participate in socioaffective regulation by controlling serotonergic tone during social interaction. We tested this hypothesis using whole-cell recording techniques in genetically identified DRN GABA and 5-HT neurons in mice exposed to social defeat, a model that induces long-lasting avoidance behaviors in a subset of mice responsive to serotonergic antidepressants. Our results revealed that social defeat engaged DRN GABA neurons and drove GABAergic sensitization that strengthened inhibition of 5-HT neurons in mice that were susceptible, but not resilient to social defeat. Furthermore, optogenetic silencing of DRN GABA neurons disinhibited neighboring 5-HT neurons and prevented the acquisition of social avoidance in mice exposed to a social threat, but did not affect a previously acquired avoidance phenotype. We provide the first characterization of GABA neurons in the DRN that monosynaptically inhibit 5-HT neurons and reveal their key role in neuroplastic processes underlying the development of social avoidance.

Adenosine inhibits the excitatory synaptic inputs to Basal forebrain cholinergic, GABAergic, and parvalbumin neurons in mice

Coffee and tea contain the stimulants caffeine and theophylline. These compounds act as antagonists of adenosine receptors. Adenosine promotes sleep and its extracellular concentration rises in association with prolonged wakefulness, particularly in the basal forebrain (BF) region involved in activating the cerebral cortex. However, the effect of adenosine on identified BF neurons, especially non-cholinergic neurons, is incompletely understood. Here we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in mouse brain slices prepared from two validated transgenic mouse lines with fluorescent proteins expressed in GABAergic or parvalbumin (PV) neurons to determine the effect of adenosine. Whole-cell recordings were made from BF cholinergic neurons and from BF GABAergic and PV neurons with the size (>20 μm) and intrinsic membrane properties (prominent H-currents) corresponding to cortically projecting neurons. A brief (2 min) bath application of adenosine (100 μM) decreased the frequency but not the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in all groups of BF cholinergic, GABAergic, and PV neurons we recorded. In addition, adenosine decreased the frequency of miniature EPSCs in BF cholinergic neurons. Adenosine had no effect on the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in cholinergic neurons or GABAergic neurons with large H-currents but reduced them in a group of GABAergic neurons with smaller H-currents. All effects of adenosine were blocked by a selective, adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT, 1 μM). Adenosine had no postsynaptic effects. Taken together, our work suggests that adenosine promotes sleep by an A1 receptor-mediated inhibition of glutamatergic inputs to cortically projecting cholinergic and GABA/PV neurons. Conversely, caffeine and theophylline promote attentive wakefulness by inhibiting these A1 receptors in BF thereby promoting the high-frequency oscillations in the cortex required for attention and cognition.