1
|
Kato M, De Schutter E. Models of Purkinje cell dendritic tree selection during early cerebellar development. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011320. [PMID: 37486917 PMCID: PMC10399850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011320] [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: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigate the relationship between primary dendrite selection of Purkinje cells and migration of their presynaptic partner granule cells during early cerebellar development. During postnatal development, each Purkinje cell grows more than three dendritic trees, from which a primary tree is selected for development, whereas the others completely retract. Experimental studies suggest that this selection process is coordinated by physical and synaptic interactions with granule cells, which undergo a massive migration at the same time. However, technical limitations hinder continuous experimental observation of multiple cell populations. To explore possible mechanisms underlying this selection process, we constructed a computational model using a new computational framework, NeuroDevSim. The study presents the first computational model that simultaneously simulates Purkinje cell growth and the dynamics of granule cell migrations during the first two postnatal weeks, allowing exploration of the role of physical and synaptic interactions upon dendritic selection. The model suggests that interaction with parallel fibers is important to establish the distinct planar morphology of Purkinje cell dendrites. Specific rules to select which dendritic trees to keep or retract result in larger winner trees with more synaptic contacts than using random selection. A rule based on afferent synaptic activity was less effective than rules based on dendritic size or numbers of synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Kato
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Tancha, Okinawa, Japan
- Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Erik De Schutter
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Tancha, Okinawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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
|
3
|
Model simulations unveil the structure-function-dynamics relationship of the cerebellar cortical microcircuit. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1240. [PMCID: PMC9663576 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04213-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe cerebellar network is renowned for its regular architecture that has inspired foundational computational theories. However, the relationship between circuit structure, function and dynamics remains elusive. To tackle the issue, we developed an advanced computational modeling framework that allows us to reconstruct and simulate the structure and function of the mouse cerebellar cortex using morphologically realistic multi-compartmental neuron models. The cerebellar connectome is generated through appropriate connection rules, unifying a collection of scattered experimental data into a coherent construct and providing a new model-based ground-truth about circuit organization. Naturalistic background and sensory-burst stimulation are used for functional validation against recordings in vivo, monitoring the impact of cellular mechanisms on signal propagation, inhibitory control, and long-term synaptic plasticity. Our simulations show how mossy fibers entrain the local neuronal microcircuit, boosting the formation of columns of activity travelling from the granular to the molecular layer providing a new resource for the investigation of local microcircuit computation and of the neural correlates of behavior.
Collapse
|
4
|
Arlt C, Häusser M. Microcircuit Rules Governing Impact of Single Interneurons on Purkinje Cell Output In Vivo. Cell Rep 2021; 30:3020-3035.e3. [PMID: 32130904 PMCID: PMC7059114 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional impact of single interneurons on neuronal output in vivo and how interneurons are recruited by physiological activity patterns remain poorly understood. In the cerebellar cortex, molecular layer interneurons and their targets, Purkinje cells, receive excitatory inputs from granule cells and climbing fibers. Using dual patch-clamp recordings from interneurons and Purkinje cells in vivo, we probe the spatiotemporal interactions between these circuit elements. We show that single interneuron spikes can potently inhibit Purkinje cell output, depending on interneuron location. Climbing fiber input activates many interneurons via glutamate spillover but results in inhibition of those interneurons that inhibit the same Purkinje cell receiving the climbing fiber input, forming a disinhibitory motif. These interneuron circuits are engaged during sensory processing, creating diverse pathway-specific response functions. These findings demonstrate how the powerful effect of single interneurons on Purkinje cell output can be sculpted by various interneuron circuit motifs to diversify cerebellar computations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Arlt
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Michael Häusser
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Barmack NH, Pettorossi VE. Adaptive Balance in Posterior Cerebellum. Front Neurol 2021; 12:635259. [PMID: 33767662 PMCID: PMC7985352 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.635259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Vestibular and optokinetic space is represented in three-dimensions in vermal lobules IX-X (uvula, nodulus) and hemisphere lobule X (flocculus) of the cerebellum. Vermal lobules IX-X encodes gravity and head movement using the utricular otolith and the two vertical semicircular canals. Hemispheric lobule X encodes self-motion using optokinetic feedback about the three axes of the semicircular canals. Vestibular and visual adaptation of this circuitry is needed to maintain balance during perturbations of self-induced motion. Vestibular and optokinetic (self-motion detection) stimulation is encoded by cerebellar climbing and mossy fibers. These two afferent pathways excite the discharge of Purkinje cells directly. Climbing fibers preferentially decrease the discharge of Purkinje cells by exciting stellate cell inhibitory interneurons. We describe instances adaptive balance at a behavioral level in which prolonged vestibular or optokinetic stimulation evokes reflexive eye movements that persist when the stimulation that initially evoked them stops. Adaptation to prolonged optokinetic stimulation also can be detected at cellular and subcellular levels. The transcription and expression of a neuropeptide, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), is influenced by optokinetically-evoked olivary discharge and may contribute to optokinetic adaptation. The transcription and expression of microRNAs in floccular Purkinje cells evoked by long-term optokinetic stimulation may provide one of the subcellular mechanisms by which the membrane insertion of the GABAA receptors is regulated. The neurosteroids, estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), influence adaptation of vestibular nuclear neurons to electrically-induced potentiation and depression. In each section of this review, we discuss how adaptive changes in the vestibular and optokinetic subsystems of lobule X, inferior olivary nuclei and vestibular nuclei may contribute to the control of balance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neal H. Barmack
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Vito Enrico Pettorossi
- Section of Human Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Consalez GG, Goldowitz D, Casoni F, Hawkes R. Origins, Development, and Compartmentation of the Granule Cells of the Cerebellum. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 14:611841. [PMID: 33519389 PMCID: PMC7843939 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.611841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Granule cells (GCs) are the most numerous cell type in the cerebellum and indeed, in the brain: at least 99% of all cerebellar neurons are granule cells. In this review article, we first consider the formation of the upper rhombic lip, from which all granule cell precursors arise, and the way by which the upper rhombic lip generates the external granular layer, a secondary germinal epithelium that serves to amplify the upper rhombic lip precursors. Next, we review the mechanisms by which postmitotic granule cells are generated in the external granular layer and migrate radially to settle in the granular layer. In addition, we review the evidence that far from being a homogeneous population, granule cells come in multiple phenotypes with distinct topographical distributions and consider ways in which the heterogeneity of granule cells might arise during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G Giacomo Consalez
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Goldowitz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Filippo Casoni
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Richard Hawkes
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lévesque M, Gao H, Southward C, Langlois JMP, Léna C, Courtemanche R. Cerebellar Cortex 4-12 Hz Oscillations and Unit Phase Relation in the Awake Rat. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:475948. [PMID: 33240052 PMCID: PMC7683574 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.475948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oscillations in the granule cell layer (GCL) of the cerebellar cortex have been related to behavior and could facilitate communication with the cerebral cortex. These local field potential (LFP) oscillations, strong at 4–12 Hz in the rodent cerebellar cortex during awake immobility, should also be an indicator of an underlying influence on the patterns of the cerebellar cortex neuronal firing during rest. To address this hypothesis, cerebellar cortex LFPs and simultaneous single-neuron activity were collected during LFP oscillatory periods in the GCL of awake resting rats. During these oscillatory episodes, different types of units across the GCL and Purkinje cell layers showed variable phase-relation with the oscillatory cycles. Overall, 74% of the Golgi cell firing and 54% of the Purkinje cell simple spike (SS) firing were phase-locked with the oscillations, displaying a clear phase relationship. Despite this tendency, fewer Golgi cells (50%) and Purkinje cell’s SSs (25%) showed an oscillatory firing pattern. Oscillatory phase-locked spikes for the Golgi and Purkinje cells occurred towards the peak of the LFP cycle. GCL LFP oscillations had a strong capacity to predict the timing of Golgi cell spiking activity, indicating a strong influence of this oscillatory phenomenon over the GCL. Phase-locking was not as prominent for the Purkinje cell SS firing, indicating a weaker influence over the Purkinje cell layer, yet a similar phase relation. Overall, synaptic activity underlying GCL LFP oscillations likely exert an influence on neuronal population firing patterns in the cerebellar cortex in the awake resting state and could have a preparatory neural network shaping capacity serving as a neural baseline for upcoming cerebellar operations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Lévesque
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - HongYing Gao
- Institut de Biologie, CNRS UMR 8197-U 1024, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Carla Southward
- Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - J M Pierre Langlois
- Département de Génie Informatique et Génie Logiciel, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Clément Léna
- Institut de Biologie, CNRS UMR 8197-U 1024, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Richard Courtemanche
- Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ohtsuki G. Modification of Synaptic-Input Clustering by Intrinsic Excitability Plasticity on Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Dendrites. J Neurosci 2020; 40:267-282. [PMID: 31754008 PMCID: PMC6948944 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3211-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of dendrites in the integration of widespread synaptic activity has been studied in experiments and theories (Johnston et al., 1996; Magee, 2007). However, whether the conduction of synaptic currents from dendrites to the soma depends on excitability of those dendritic branches is unclear. How modulation of the branch excitability affects the conduction of synaptic inputs and their selection on dendrites is also elusive. Here, I performed simultaneous voltage-clamp recordings from the soma and dendrites of single cerebellar Purkinje neurons in male Sprague-Dawley rats and analyzed the relationship between spontaneous EPSCs on both sides. I found that EPSCs on distal dendrites have a salient discordance in amplitude compared with those on the soma. Furthermore, individual ratios of the EPSC concurrently recorded on the soma and dendrites were not unique, but discrete, suggesting the occurrence of various attenuations in different paths of dendritic branches to the soma. The obtained data and simulations indicate several distinct groups (4.5 ± 0.3, n = 22 somatodendritic recordings) of co-occurred synaptic inputs in Purkinje cell dendrites. This clustering of synaptic currents was suggested to emerge at farther distances than the secondary bifurcations. Finally, ratios of the co-EPSCs were uniformly distributed after either intrinsic plasticity induction or SK-channel blockade. Overall, results suggest that in Purkinje cells the excitability along the dendrite processes modulates the conduction of EPSCs and makes active inputs heterogeneous through SK channel activity, intrinsic plasticity, and dendritic branching. These properties of dendrites may confer branch-specific computational power to neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT I have previously studied the "non-synaptic" plasticity of the intrinsic excitability in the cerebellar Purkinje cells (Belmeguenai et al., 2010), and branch-specific increase of intrinsic excitability of the dendrites (Ohtsuki et al., 2012b; Ohtsuki and Hansel, 2018) through the downregulation of SK (small conductance Ca2+-activated K+) channels. In this study, I show that a dendritic filtering of synaptic electroconductivity is heterogeneous among the branches on distal dendrites and that the increase in the dendritic excitability accompanied with the intrinsic plasticity alters a state with the heterogeneity to a globally excitable state in Purkinje neurons. My findings propose a new learning model relying on the intrinsic excitability plasticity of the dendritic branch fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gen Ohtsuki
- The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan, and
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8224, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Prestori F, Mapelli L, D'Angelo E. Diverse Neuron Properties and Complex Network Dynamics in the Cerebellar Cortical Inhibitory Circuit. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:267. [PMID: 31787879 PMCID: PMC6854908 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal inhibition can be defined as a spatiotemporal restriction or suppression of local microcircuit activity. The importance of inhibition relies in its fundamental role in shaping signal processing in single neurons and neuronal circuits. In this context, the activity of inhibitory interneurons proved the key to endow networks with complex computational and dynamic properties. In the last 50 years, the prevailing view on the functional role of cerebellar cortical inhibitory circuits was that excitatory and inhibitory inputs sum spatially and temporally in order to determine the motor output through Purkinje cells (PCs). Consequently, cerebellar inhibition has traditionally been conceived in terms of restricting or blocking excitation. This assumption has been challenged, in particular in the cerebellar cortex where all neurons except granule cells (and unipolar brush cells in specific lobules) are inhibitory and fire spontaneously at high rates. Recently, a combination of electrophysiological recordings in vitro and in vivo, imaging, optogenetics and computational modeling, has revealed that inhibitory interneurons play a much more complex role in regulating cerebellar microcircuit functions: inhibition shapes neuronal response dynamics in the whole circuit and eventually regulate the PC output. This review elaborates current knowledge on cerebellar inhibitory interneurons [Golgi cells, Lugaro cells (LCs), basket cells (BCs) and stellate cells (SCs)], starting from their ontogenesis and moving up to their morphological, physiological and plastic properties, and integrates this knowledge with that on the more renown granule cells and PCs. We will focus on the circuit loops in which these interneurons are involved and on the way they generate feed-forward, feedback and lateral inhibition along with complex spatio-temporal response dynamics. In this perspective, inhibitory interneurons emerge as the real controllers of cerebellar functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Casali S, Marenzi E, Medini C, Casellato C, D'Angelo E. Reconstruction and Simulation of a Scaffold Model of the Cerebellar Network. Front Neuroinform 2019; 13:37. [PMID: 31156416 PMCID: PMC6530631 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2019.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reconstructing neuronal microcircuits through computational models is fundamental to simulate local neuronal dynamics. Here a scaffold model of the cerebellum has been developed in order to flexibly place neurons in space, connect them synaptically, and endow neurons and synapses with biologically-grounded mechanisms. The scaffold model can keep neuronal morphology separated from network connectivity, which can in turn be obtained from convergence/divergence ratios and axonal/dendritic field 3D geometries. We first tested the scaffold on the cerebellar microcircuit, which presents a challenging 3D organization, at the same time providing appropriate datasets to validate emerging network behaviors. The scaffold was designed to integrate the cerebellar cortex with deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN), including different neuronal types: Golgi cells, granule cells, Purkinje cells, stellate cells, basket cells, and DCN principal cells. Mossy fiber inputs were conveyed through the glomeruli. An anisotropic volume (0.077 mm3) of mouse cerebellum was reconstructed, in which point-neuron models were tuned toward the specific discharge properties of neurons and were connected by exponentially decaying excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Simulations using both pyNEST and pyNEURON showed the emergence of organized spatio-temporal patterns of neuronal activity similar to those revealed experimentally in response to background noise and burst stimulation of mossy fiber bundles. Different configurations of granular and molecular layer connectivity consistently modified neuronal activation patterns, revealing the importance of structural constraints for cerebellar network functioning. The scaffold provided thus an effective workflow accounting for the complex architecture of the cerebellar network. In principle, the scaffold can incorporate cellular mechanisms at multiple levels of detail and be tuned to test different structural and functional hypotheses. A future implementation using detailed 3D multi-compartment neuron models and dynamic synapses will be needed to investigate the impact of single neuron properties on network computation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Casali
- Neurophysiology Unit, Neurocomputational Laboratory, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elisa Marenzi
- Neurophysiology Unit, Neurocomputational Laboratory, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Chaitanya Medini
- Neurophysiology Unit, Neurocomputational Laboratory, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Casellato
- Neurophysiology Unit, Neurocomputational Laboratory, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Neurophysiology Unit, Neurocomputational Laboratory, Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Grzesiak L, Meganck V. Spiking signal processing: Principle and applications in control system. Neurocomputing 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2018.03.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
12
|
Wylie DR, Gutiérrez-Ibáñez C, Corfield JR, Craciun I, Graham DJ, Hurd PL. Inferior olivary projection to the zebrin II stripes in lobule IXcd of the pigeon flocculus: A retrograde tracing study. J Comp Neurol 2017. [PMID: 28649766 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Zebrin II (ZII; a.k.a. aldolase C) is expressed heterogeneously in Purkinje cells (PCs) such that there are sagittal stripes of high expression (ZII+) interdigitated with stripes of little or no expression (ZII-). The pigeon flocculus receives visual-optokinetic information and is important for generating compensatory eye movements. It consists of 4 sagittal zones based on PC complex spike activity (CSA) in response to rotational optokinetic stimuli. There are two zones where CSA responds best to rotation about the vertical axis (VA), interdigitated with two zones where CSA responds best to rotation about an horizontal axis (HA). These optokinetic zones relate to the ZII stripes in folium IXcd of the flocculus, such that an optokinetic zone spans a ZII+/- pair: the HA zones span the P5+/- and P7+/- ZII stripe pairs, whereas the VA zones correspond to ZII stripe pairs P4+/- and P6+/-. In the present study, we used fluorescent retrograde tracing to determine the olivary inputs to the ZII+ and ZII- stripes within the functional pairs. We found that separate but adjacent areas of the medial column of the inferior olive (mcIO) project to the ZII+ and ZII- stripes within each of the functional pairs. Thus, although a ZII+/- stripe pair represents a functional unit in the pigeon flocculus insofar as the CSA of all PCs in the stripe pair encodes similar sensory information, the olivary inputs to the ZII+ and ZII- stripes arise from different, although adjacent, regions of the mcIO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Wylie
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9
| | | | - Jeremy R Corfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland
| | - Iulia Craciun
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - David J Graham
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - Peter L Hurd
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E9
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cheron G, Márquez-Ruiz J, Dan B. Oscillations, Timing, Plasticity, and Learning in the Cerebellum. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 15:122-38. [PMID: 25808751 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0665-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The highly stereotyped, crystal-like architecture of the cerebellum has long served as a basis for hypotheses with regard to the function(s) that it subserves. Historically, most clinical observations and experimental work have focused on the involvement of the cerebellum in motor control, with particular emphasis on coordination and learning. Two main models have been suggested to account for cerebellar functioning. According to Llinás's theory, the cerebellum acts as a control machine that uses the rhythmic activity of the inferior olive to synchronize Purkinje cell populations for fine-tuning of coordination. In contrast, the Ito-Marr-Albus theory views the cerebellum as a motor learning machine that heuristically refines synaptic weights of the Purkinje cell based on error signals coming from the inferior olive. Here, we review the role of timing of neuronal events, oscillatory behavior, and synaptic and non-synaptic influences in functional plasticity that can be recorded in awake animals in various physiological and pathological models in a perspective that also includes non-motor aspects of cerebellar function. We discuss organizational levels from genes through intracellular signaling, synaptic network to system and behavior, as well as processes from signal production and processing to memory, delegation, and actual learning. We suggest an integrative concept for control and learning based on articulated oscillation templates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G Cheron
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons, 7000, Mons, Belgium. .,Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP640, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - J Márquez-Ruiz
- División de Neurociencias, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - B Dan
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP640, 1070, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1020, Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Barmack NH, Yakhnitsa V. Climbing fibers mediate vestibular modulation of both "complex" and "simple spikes" in Purkinje cells. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 14:597-612. [PMID: 26424151 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0725-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Climbing and mossy fibers comprise two distinct afferent paths to the cerebellum. Climbing fibers directly evoke a large multispiked action potential in Purkinje cells termed a "complex spike" (CS). By logical exclusion, the other class of Purkinje cell action potential, termed "simple spike" (SS), has often been attributed to activity conveyed by mossy fibers and relayed to Purkinje cells through granule cells. Here, we investigate the relative importance of climbing and mossy fiber pathways in modulating neuronal activity by recording extracellularly from Purkinje cells, as well as from mossy fiber terminals and interneurons in folia 8-10. Sinusoidal roll-tilt vestibular stimulation vigorously modulates the discharge of climbing and mossy fiber afferents, Purkinje cells, and interneurons in folia 9-10 in anesthetized mice. Roll-tilt onto the side ipsilateral to the recording site increases the discharge of both climbing fibers (CSs) and mossy fibers. However, the discharges of SSs decrease during ipsilateral roll-tilt. Unilateral microlesions of the beta nucleus (β-nucleus) of the inferior olive blocks vestibular modulation of both CSs and SSs in contralateral Purkinje cells. The blockage of SSs occurs even though primary and secondary vestibular mossy fibers remain intact. When mossy fiber afferents are damaged by a unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL), vestibular modulation of SSs in Purkinje cells ipsilateral to the UL remains intact. Two inhibitory interneurons, Golgi and stellate cells, could potentially contribute to climbing fiber-induced modulation of SSs. However, during sinusoidal roll-tilt, only stellate cells discharge appropriately out of phase with the discharge of SSs. Golgi cells discharge in phase with SSs. When the vestibularly modulated discharge is blocked by a microlesion of the inferior olive, the modulated discharge of CSs and SSs is also blocked. When the vestibular mossy fiber pathway is destroyed, vestibular modulation of ipsilateral CSs and SSs persists. We conclude that climbing fibers are primarily responsible for the vestibularly modulated discharge of both CSs and SSs. Modulation of the discharge of SSs is likely caused by climbing fiber-evoked stellate cell inhibition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N H Barmack
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - V Yakhnitsa
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
D'Angelo E, Antonietti A, Casali S, Casellato C, Garrido JA, Luque NR, Mapelli L, Masoli S, Pedrocchi A, Prestori F, Rizza MF, Ros E. Modeling the Cerebellar Microcircuit: New Strategies for a Long-Standing Issue. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:176. [PMID: 27458345 PMCID: PMC4937064 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellar microcircuit has been the work bench for theoretical and computational modeling since the beginning of neuroscientific research. The regular neural architecture of the cerebellum inspired different solutions to the long-standing issue of how its circuitry could control motor learning and coordination. Originally, the cerebellar network was modeled using a statistical-topological approach that was later extended by considering the geometrical organization of local microcircuits. However, with the advancement in anatomical and physiological investigations, new discoveries have revealed an unexpected richness of connections, neuronal dynamics and plasticity, calling for a change in modeling strategies, so as to include the multitude of elementary aspects of the network into an integrated and easily updatable computational framework. Recently, biophysically accurate “realistic” models using a bottom-up strategy accounted for both detailed connectivity and neuronal non-linear membrane dynamics. In this perspective review, we will consider the state of the art and discuss how these initial efforts could be further improved. Moreover, we will consider how embodied neurorobotic models including spiking cerebellar networks could help explaining the role and interplay of distributed forms of plasticity. We envisage that realistic modeling, combined with closed-loop simulations, will help to capture the essence of cerebellar computations and could eventually be applied to neurological diseases and neurorobotic control systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy; Brain Connectivity Center, C. Mondino National Neurological InstitutePavia, Italy
| | - Alberto Antonietti
- NearLab - NeuroEngineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Casali
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Casellato
- NearLab - NeuroEngineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano Milano, Italy
| | - Jesus A Garrido
- Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada Granada, Spain
| | - Niceto Rafael Luque
- Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada Granada, Spain
| | - Lisa Mapelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefano Masoli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pedrocchi
- NearLab - NeuroEngineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
| | - Martina Francesca Rizza
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of PaviaPavia, Italy; Dipartimento di Informatica, Sistemistica e Comunicazione, Università degli Studi di Milano-BicoccaMilan, Italy
| | - Eduardo Ros
- Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sudhakar SK, Torben-Nielsen B, De Schutter E. Cerebellar Nuclear Neurons Use Time and Rate Coding to Transmit Purkinje Neuron Pauses. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004641. [PMID: 26630202 PMCID: PMC4668013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei convey the final output of the cerebellum to their targets in various parts of the brain. Within the cerebellum their direct upstream connections originate from inhibitory Purkinje neurons. Purkinje neurons have a complex firing pattern of regular spikes interrupted by intermittent pauses of variable length. How can the cerebellar nucleus process this complex input pattern? In this modeling study, we investigate different forms of Purkinje neuron simple spike pause synchrony and its influence on candidate coding strategies in the cerebellar nuclei. That is, we investigate how different alignments of synchronous pauses in synthetic Purkinje neuron spike trains affect either time-locking or rate-changes in the downstream nuclei. We find that Purkinje neuron synchrony is mainly represented by changes in the firing rate of cerebellar nuclei neurons. Pause beginning synchronization produced a unique effect on nuclei neuron firing, while the effect of pause ending and pause overlapping synchronization could not be distinguished from each other. Pause beginning synchronization produced better time-locking of nuclear neurons for short length pauses. We also characterize the effect of pause length and spike jitter on the nuclear neuron firing. Additionally, we find that the rate of rebound responses in nuclear neurons after a synchronous pause is controlled by the firing rate of Purkinje neurons preceding it. Neurons can transmit information by two different coding strategies: Rate coding, where the firing rate of the neuron is vital, and time coding where timing of individual spikes carries relevant information. In this study we analyze the importance of brief cessations in firing of the presynaptic neuron (pauses) on the spiking of the postsynaptic neuron. We perform this analysis on the inhibitory synaptic connection between Purkinje neurons (presynaptic) and nuclear neurons (postsynaptic) of the cerebellum. We employ a computational model of nuclear neurons and “synthetic” Purkinje neuron spike trains to study the effect of synchronous pauses on the spiking responses of nuclear neurons. We find that synchronous pauses can cause both well-timed spikes and increased firing rate in the nuclear neuron. In addition, we characterize the effect of pause length, amount and type of pause synchrony, and spike jitter. As such, we conclude that nuclear cells use both rate and time coding to relay upstream spiking information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Kumar Sudhakar
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
- Laboratory of Theoretical Neurobiology and Neuro-engineering, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Torben-Nielsen
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
- Biocomputation Research Group, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Erik De Schutter
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan
- Laboratory of Theoretical Neurobiology and Neuro-engineering, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bower JM. The 40-year history of modeling active dendrites in cerebellar Purkinje cells: emergence of the first single cell "community model". Front Comput Neurosci 2015; 9:129. [PMID: 26539104 PMCID: PMC4611061 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2015.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The subject of the effects of the active properties of the Purkinje cell dendrite on neuronal function has been an active subject of study for more than 40 years. Somewhat unusually, some of these investigations, from the outset have involved an interacting combination of experimental and model-based techniques. This article recounts that 40-year history, and the view of the functional significance of the active properties of the Purkinje cell dendrite that has emerged. It specifically considers the emergence from these efforts of what is arguably the first single cell "community" model in neuroscience. The article also considers the implications of the development of this model for future studies of the complex properties of neuronal dendrites.
Collapse
|
18
|
Fairbanks CA, Goracke-Postle CJ. Neurobiological studies of chronic pain and analgesia: Rationale and refinements. Eur J Pharmacol 2015; 759:169-81. [PMID: 25818751 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a complex condition for which the need for specialized research and therapies has been recognized internationally. This review summarizes the context for the international call for expansion of pain research to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying pain in order to achieve improvements in pain management. The methods for conducting sensory assessment in animal models are discussed and the development of animal models of chronic pain is specifically reviewed, with an emphasis on ongoing refinements to more closely mimic a variety of human pain conditions. Pharmacological correspondences between pre-clinical pain models and the human clinical experience are noted. A discussion of the 3Rs Framework (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) and how each may be considered in pain research is featured. Finally, suggestions are provided for engaging principal investigators, IACUC reviewers, and institutions in the development of strong partnerships to simultaneously expand our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying pain and analgesia while ensuring the humane use of animals in research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Fairbanks
- University of Minnesota, Department of Pharmaceutics, Minneapolis, MN, USA; University of Minnesota, Department of Pharmacology, Minneapolis, MN, USA; University of Minnesota, Department of Neuroscience, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Cory J Goracke-Postle
- University of Minnesota, Office of the Vice President for Research, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kruse W, Krause M, Aarse J, Mark MD, Manahan-Vaughan D, Herlitze S. Optogenetic modulation and multi-electrode analysis of cerebellar networks in vivo. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105589. [PMID: 25144735 PMCID: PMC4140813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The firing patterns of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), as the sole output of the cerebellar cortex, determine and tune motor behavior. PC firing is modulated by various inputs from different brain regions and by cell-types including granule cells (GCs), climbing fibers and inhibitory interneurons. To understand how signal integration in PCs occurs and how subtle changes in the modulation of PC firing lead to adjustment of motor behaviors, it is important to precisely record PC firing in vivo and to control modulatory pathways in a spatio-temporal manner. Combining optogenetic and multi-electrode approaches, we established a new method to integrate light-guides into a multi-electrode system. With this method we are able to variably position the light-guide in defined regions relative to the recording electrode with micrometer precision. We show that PC firing can be precisely monitored and modulated by light-activation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expressed in PCs, GCs and interneurons. Thus, this method is ideally suited to investigate the spatio/temporal modulation of PCs in anesthetized and in behaving mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Kruse
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty for Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Martin Krause
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty for Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Janna Aarse
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Melanie D. Mark
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty for Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Denise Manahan-Vaughan
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stefan Herlitze
- Department of Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty for Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Dramatic increases in number of cerebellar granule-cell-Purkinje-cell synapses across several mammals. Mamm Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
21
|
Reevaluation of the beam and radial hypotheses of parallel fiber action in the cerebellar cortex. J Neurosci 2013; 33:11412-24. [PMID: 23843513 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0711-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of parallel fibers (PFs) in cerebellar physiology remains controversial. Early studies inspired the "beam" hypothesis whereby granule cell (GC) activation results in PF-driven, postsynaptic excitation of beams of Purkinje cells (PCs). However, the "radial" hypothesis postulates that the ascending limb of the GC axon provides the dominant input to PCs and generates patch-like responses. Using optical imaging and single-cell recordings in the mouse cerebellar cortex in vivo, this study reexamines the beam versus radial controversy. Electrical stimulation of mossy fibers (MFs) as well as microinjection of NMDA in the granular layer generates beam-like responses with a centrally located patch-like response. Remarkably, ipsilateral forepaw stimulation evokes a beam-like response in Crus I. Discrete molecular layer lesions demonstrate that PFs contribute to the peripherally generated responses in Crus I. In contrast, vibrissal stimulation induces patch-like activation of Crus II and GABAA antagonists fail to convert this patch-like activity into a beam-like response, implying that molecular layer inhibition does not prevent beam-like responses. However, blocking excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) generates beam-like responses in Crus II. These beam-like responses are suppressed by focal inhibition of MF-GC synaptic transmission. Using EAAT4 reporter transgenic mice, we show that peripherally evoked patch-like responses in Crus II are aligned between parasagittal bands of EAAT4. This is the first study to demonstrate beam-like responses in the cerebellar cortex to peripheral, MF, and GC stimulation in vivo. Furthermore, the spatial pattern of the responses depends on extracellular glutamate and its local regulation by EAATs.
Collapse
|
22
|
Courtemanche R, Robinson JC, Aponte DI. Linking oscillations in cerebellar circuits. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:125. [PMID: 23908606 PMCID: PMC3725427 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many neuroscience fields, the study of local and global rhythmicity has been receiving increasing attention. These network influences could directly impact on how neuronal groups interact together, organizing for different contexts. The cerebellar cortex harbors a variety of such local circuit rhythms, from the rhythms in the cerebellar cortex per se, or those dictated from important afferents. We present here certain cerebellar oscillatory phenomena that have been recorded in rodents and primates. Those take place in a range of frequencies: from the more known oscillations in the 4-25 Hz band, such as the olivocerebellar oscillatory activity and the granule cell layer oscillations, to the more recently reported slow (<1 Hz oscillations), and the fast (>150 Hz) activity in the Purkinje cell layer. Many of these oscillations appear spontaneously in the circuits, and are modulated by behavioral imperatives. We review here how those oscillations are recorded, some of their modulatory mechanisms, and also identify some of the cerebellar nodes where they could interact. A particular emphasis has been placed on how these oscillations could be modulated by movement and certain neuropathological manifestations. Many of those oscillations could have a definite impact on the way information is processed in the cerebellum and how it interacts with other structures in a variety of contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Courtemanche
- Department of Exercise Science, Groupe de Recherche en Neurobiologie Comportementale/Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia UniversityMontréal, QC, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wegiel J, Kuchna I, Nowicki K, Imaki H, Wegiel J, Ma SY, Azmitia EC, Banerjee P, Flory M, Cohen IL, London E, Brown WT, Komich Hare C, Wisniewski T. Contribution of olivofloccular circuitry developmental defects to atypical gaze in autism. Brain Res 2013; 1512:106-22. [PMID: 23558308 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism demonstrate atypical gaze, impairments in smooth pursuit, altered movement perception and deficits in facial perception. The olivofloccular neuronal circuit is a major contributor to eye movement control. This study of the cerebellum in 12 autistic and 10 control subjects revealed dysplastic changes in the flocculus of eight autistic (67%) and two control (20%) subjects. Defects of the oculomotor system, including avoidance of eye contact and poor or no eye contact, were reported in 88% of autistic subjects with postmortem-detected floccular dysplasia. Focal disorganization of the flocculus cytoarchitecture with deficit, altered morphology, and spatial disorientation of Purkinje cells (PCs); deficit and abnormalities of granule, basket, stellate and unipolar brush cells; and structural defects and abnormal orientation of Bergmann glia are indicators of profound disruption of flocculus circuitry in a dysplastic area. The average volume of PCs was 26% less in the dysplastic region than in the unaffected region of the flocculus (p<0.01) in autistic subjects. Moreover, the average volume of PCs in the entire cerebellum was 25% less in the autistic subjects than in the control subjects (p<0.001). Findings from this study and a parallel study of the inferior olive (IO) suggest that focal floccular dysplasia combined with IO neurons and PC developmental defects may contribute to oculomotor system dysfunction and atypical gaze in autistic subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, United States.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Person AL, Raman IM. Synchrony and neural coding in cerebellar circuits. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:97. [PMID: 23248585 PMCID: PMC3518933 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum regulates complex movements and is also implicated in cognitive tasks, and cerebellar dysfunction is consequently associated not only with movement disorders, but also with conditions like autism and dyslexia. How information is encoded by specific cerebellar firing patterns remains debated, however. A central question is how the cerebellar cortex transmits its integrated output to the cerebellar nuclei via GABAergic synapses from Purkinje neurons. Possible answers come from accumulating evidence that subsets of Purkinje cells synchronize their firing during behaviors that require the cerebellum. Consistent with models predicting that coherent activity of inhibitory networks has the capacity to dictate firing patterns of target neurons, recent experimental work supports the idea that inhibitory synchrony may regulate the response of cerebellar nuclear cells to Purkinje inputs, owing to the interplay between unusually fast inhibitory synaptic responses and high rates of intrinsic activity. Data from multiple laboratories lead to a working hypothesis that synchronous inhibitory input from Purkinje cells can set the timing and rate of action potentials produced by cerebellar nuclear cells, thereby relaying information out of the cerebellum. If so, then changing spatiotemporal patterns of Purkinje activity would allow different subsets of inhibitory neurons to control cerebellar output at different times. Here we explore the evidence for and against the idea that a synchrony code defines, at least in part, the input–output function between the cerebellar cortex and nuclei. We consider the literature on the existence of simple spike synchrony, convergence of Purkinje neurons onto nuclear neurons, and intrinsic properties of nuclear neurons that contribute to responses to inhibition. Finally, we discuss factors that may disrupt or modulate a synchrony code and describe the potential contributions of inhibitory synchrony to other motor circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail L Person
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine Aurora, CO, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zhang W, Linden DJ. Calcium influx measured at single presynaptic boutons of cerebellar granule cell ascending axons and parallel fibers. THE CEREBELLUM 2012; 11:121-31. [PMID: 20049574 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-009-0151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Action potential-evoked calcium influx into presynaptic boutons is a key determinant of synaptic strength and function. Here, we have examined the calcium dynamics at individual presynaptic boutons of the cerebellar granule cells in the molecular layer of cerebellar slices and investigated whether different subpopulations of granule cell boutons exhibit different calcium dynamics. We found that a population of boutons with low basal calcium clearance rates may activate a second clearance mechanism and exhibit biphasic calcium decay on high calcium influx induced by bursts of action potentials. We also found that boutons on ascending axons and parallel fibers show similar calcium influx amplitudes and calcium clearance rates in response to action potentials. Lastly, we found that parallel fiber boutons located in the inner molecular layer have a higher calcium clearance rate than boutons located in the outer molecular layer. These results suggest that cerebellar granule cell boutons should not be regarded as a homogeneous population, but rather that different subpopulations of boutons may exhibit different properties. The heterogeneity of presynaptic boutons may allow different learned behaviors to be encoded in the same circuit without mutual interference and may be a general mechanism for increasing the computational capacity of the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, 725 North Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Barresi M, Bruschini L, Li Volsi G, Manzoni D. Effects of leg-to-body position on the responses of rat cerebellar and vestibular nuclear neurons to labyrinthine stimulation. THE CEREBELLUM 2012; 11:212-22. [PMID: 21739187 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-011-0298-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The spatial organization of vestibulospinal (VS) reflexes, elicited by labyrinthine signals and related to head motion, depends on the direction of body tilt, due to proprioceptive neck afferents acting through the cerebellar anterior vermis. The responses of Purkinje cells located within this region to labyrinthine stimulation are modulated by the head-to-body position. We investigated, in urethane-anesthetized rats, whether a 90° leg-to-trunk displacement modifies the responses of corticocerebellar and vestibular nuclear neurons to the labyrinthine input, which would indicate that VS reflexes are tuned by the leg-to-trunk position. With this aim, unit activity was recorded during "wobble" stimuli that allow evaluating the gain and spatiotemporal properties of neuronal responses. The response gain of corticocerebellar units showed a significant drop in the leg-rotated position with respect to the control one. Following a change in leg position, a proportion of the recorded neurons showed significant changes in the direction and phase of the response vector. In contrast, vestibular nuclear neurons did not show significant modifications in their response gain and direction. Thus, proprioceptive afferents signaling leg-to-trunk position seem to affect the processing of directional labyrinthine signals within the cerebellar cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Barresi
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Pisa University, Via S. Zeno 31, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
The modular concept of cerebellar connections has been advocated in the lifetime work of Jan Voogd. In this concept, a cerebellar module is defined as the conglomerate of one or multiple and non-adjacent, parasagittally arranged zones of Purkinje cells, their specific projection to a well-defined region of the cerebellar nuclei, and the climbing fiber input to these zones by a well-defined region of the inferior olivary complex. The modular organization of these olivo-cortico-nuclear connections is further exemplified by matching reciprocal connections between inferior olive and cerebellar nuclei. Because the different regions of the cerebellar nuclei show highly specific output patterns, cerebellar modules have been suggested to constitute functional entities. This idea is strengthened by the observation that anatomically defined modules adhere to the distribution of chemical markers in the cerebellar cortex suggesting that modules not only differ in their input and output relations but also may differ in operational capabilities. Here, I will briefly review some recent data on the establishment of cerebellar modules in rats. Furthermore, some evidence will be shown suggesting that the other main afferent system (i.e., mossy fibers), at least to some extent, also adheres to the modular organization. Finally, using retrograde transneuronal tracing with rabies virus, some evidence will be provided that several cerebellar modules may be involved in the control of individual muscles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom J H Ruigrok
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Quy PN, Fujita H, Sakamoto Y, Na J, Sugihara I. Projection patterns of single mossy fiber axons originating from the dorsal column nuclei mapped on the aldolase C compartments in the rat cerebellar cortex. J Comp Neurol 2011; 519:874-99. [PMID: 21280042 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Although cerebellar mossy fibers are the most abundant cerebellar afferents and are deeply involved in cerebellar function, the organization of their projection has remained obscure, particularly in relation to cerebellar compartmentalization. The dorsal column nuclei (DCN) are a major source of cerebellar mossy fibers and possess distinct somatotopic representations of specific somatosensory submodalities. We reconstructed individual dextran-labeled DCN axons completely from serial sections and mapped their terminals on the longitudinal cerebellar compartments that were visualized by aldolase C immunostaining to clarify their projection pattern. Individual axons branched and formed about 100 rosette terminals in the cerebellar cortex, but infrequently projected to the cerebellar nuclei (1 out of 15 axons). Cortical terminals were clustered in multiple areas in the vermis and pars intermedia mostly, but not exclusively, ipsilateral to the origin of the axon. The gracile, cuneate, and external cuneate nuclei (ECuN) mainly projected to the copula pyramidis and lobule V, paramedian and simple lobules, and lobules I-V and VIII-IX, respectively, although there was some overlap. The majority of terminals were located within aldolase C negative or lightly positive compartments. However, terminals of a single axon can be located on aldolase C-negative as well as on aldolase C-positive compartments. In particular, the rostral ECuN, which is responsive to shoulder movements, projected consistently to lobule IX, which were mostly aldolase C-positive. In sum, DCN-cerebellar axons project to multiple compartments with terminals clustered mainly in the conventional spinocerebellar region with a coarse topography, which shows some relationship to the cortical compartments defined by aldolase C.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pham Nguyen Quy
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Barmack NH, Yakhnitsa V. Topsy turvy: functions of climbing and mossy fibers in the vestibulo-cerebellum. Neuroscientist 2011; 17:221-36. [PMID: 21362689 DOI: 10.1177/1073858410380251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum's role in sensory-motor control and adaptation is undisputed. However, a key hypothesis pertaining to the function of cerebellar circuitry lacks experimental support. It is universally assumed that the discharge of mossy fibers accounts for modulation of Purkinje cell "simple spikes" (SSs). This assumption acts as a prism through which all other functions of cerebellar circuitry are viewed. The vestibulo-cerebellum (nodulus and uvula) receives a large, unilateral, vestibular primary afferent mossy fiber projection. We can test its role in modulating Purkinje cell SSs by recording the modulated activity of both mossy fiber terminals and Purkinje cell SSs evoked by identical natural vestibular stimulation. Sinusoidal rotation about the longitudinal axis (roll) modulates the activity of vestibular primary afferent mossy and climbing fibers as well as Purkinje cell SSs and complex spikes (CSs). Remarkably, vestibular primary afferent mossy fibers discharge 180 degrees out of phase with SSs. This indicates that mossy fibers cannot account for SS modulation unless an inhibitory synapse is interposed between mossy fibers or vestibular climbing fibers and Purkinje cells. The authors review several experiments that address the relative contributions of mossy and climbing fiber afferents to the modulation of SSs. They conclude that climbing fibers, not mossy fibers, are primarily responsible for the modulation of SSs as well as CSs and they propose revised functions for these two afferent systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neal H Barmack
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
On the induction of postsynaptic granule cell-Purkinje neuron LTP and LTD. THE CEREBELLUM 2011; 9:284-90. [PMID: 20446074 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0174-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, several experimental studies have demonstrated that particular patterns of synaptic activity can induce postsynaptic parallel fiber (PF) long-term potentiation (LTP). This form of plasticity can reverse postsynaptic PF long-term depression (LTD), which has been traditionally considered as the principal form of plasticity underlying cerebellar learning. Postsynaptic PF-LTP requires a transient increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration and, in contrast to PF-LTD, is induced without concomitant climbing fiber (CF) activation. Thus, it has been postulated that the polarity of long-term synaptic plasticity is determined by the amplitude of the Ca(2+) transient during the induction protocol, with PF-LTP induced by smaller Ca(2+) signals without concomitant CF activation. However, this hypothesis is contradicted by recent studies. A quantitative analysis of Ca(2+) signals associated with induction of PF-LTP indicates that the bidirectional induction of long-term plasticity is regulated by more complex mechanisms. Here we review the state-of-the-art of research on postsynaptic PF-LTP and PF-LTD and discuss the principal open questions on this topic.
Collapse
|
31
|
Tahon K, Wijnants M, De Schutter E, Maex R. Current source density correlates of cerebellar Golgi and Purkinje cell responses to tactile input. J Neurophysiol 2011; 105:1327-41. [PMID: 21228303 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00317.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The overall circuitry of the cerebellar cortex has been known for over a century, but the function of many synaptic connections remains poorly characterized in vivo. We used a one-dimensional multielectrode probe to estimate the current source density (CSD) of Crus IIa in response to perioral tactile stimuli in anesthetized rats and to correlate current sinks and sources to changes in the spike rate of corecorded Golgi and Purkinje cells. The punctate stimuli evoked two distinct early waves of excitation (at <10 and ∼ 20 ms) associated with current sinks in the granular layer. The second wave was putatively of corticopontine origin, and its associated sink was located higher in the granular layer than the first trigeminal sink. The distinctive patterns of granular-layer sinks correlated with the spike responses of corecorded Golgi cells. In general, Golgi cell spike responses could be linearly reconstructed from the CSD profile. A dip in simple-spike activity of coregistered Purkinje cells correlated with a current source deep in the molecular layer, probably generated by basket cell synapses, interspersed between sparse early sinks presumably generated by synapses from granule cells. The late (>30 ms) enhancement of simple-spike activity in Purkinje cells was characterized by the absence of simultaneous sinks in the granular layer and by the suppression of corecorded Golgi cell activity, pointing at inhibition of Golgi cells by Purkinje axon collaterals as a likely mechanism of late Purkinje cell excitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Koen Tahon
- Laboratory for Theoretical Neurobiology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ariel M, Brown ME. Origin and timing of voltage-sensitive dye signals within layers of the turtle cerebellar cortex. Brain Res 2010; 1357:26-40. [PMID: 20707989 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2010] [Revised: 08/04/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Optical recording techniques were applied to the turtle cerebellum to localize synchronous responses to microstimulation of its cortical layers and reveal the cerebellum's three-dimensional processing. The in vitro yet intact cerebellum was first immersed in voltage-sensitive dye and its responses while intact were compared to those measured in thick cerebellar slices. Each slice is stained throughout its depth, even though the pial half appeared darker during epi-illumination and lighter during trans-illumination. Optical responses were shown to be mediated by the voltage-sensitive dye because the evoked signals had opposite polarity for 540- and 710-nm light, but no response to 850-nm light. Molecular layer stimulation of the intact cerebellum evoked slow transverse beams. Similar beams were observed in the molecular layer of thick transverse slices but not sagittal slices. With low currents, beams in transverse slices were restricted to sublayers within the molecular layer, conducting slowly away from the stimulus site. These excitatory beams were observed nearly all the way across the turtle cerebellum, distances of 4-6mm. Microstimulation of the granule cell layer of both transverse or sagittal slices evoked a local membrane depolarization restricted to a radial wedge, but these radial responses did not activate measurable molecular layer beams in transverse slices. White matter microstimulation in sagittal slices (near the ventricular surface of the turtle cerebellum) activated the granule cell and Purkinje cell layers, but not the molecular layer. These responses were nearly synchronous, were primarily caudal to the stimulation, and were blocked by cobalt ions. Therefore, synaptic responses in all cerebellar layers contribute to optical signals recorded in intact cerebellum in vitro (Brown and Ariel, 2009). Rapid radial signaling connects a sagittally-oriented, fast-conduction system of the deep layers with the transverse-oriented, slow-conducting molecular layer, thereby permitting complex temporal processing between two tangential but orthogonal paths in the cerebellar cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ariel
- Department of Pharmacological & Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Miyawaki H, Hirano T. Different correlations among physiological and morphological properties at single glutamatergic synapses in the rat hippocampus and the cerebellum. Synapse 2010; 65:412-23. [PMID: 20812293 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2010] [Accepted: 08/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Synapses in the mammalian central nervous system show substantial diversity in their physiological and morphological properties. However, the correlations among them have remained elusive. Here, we tried to clarify the correlations by establishing a method to record excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) at individual synapses and also to observe the morphology at the same time. A pair of pre- and postsynaptic neurons were labeled with different fluorescent dyes, and a presynaptic varicosity was selectively stimulated with a θ-tube glass electrode under conditions in which action potential generation was suppressed. Two representative types of excitatory glutamatergic synapses, one on hippocampal pyramidal neurons and the other on cerebellar Purkinje neurons, were studied. The correlations between the properties of quantal EPSCs (qEPSCs) and those of synaptic morphology were analyzed in rat primary culture preparations. The amplitude and the decay time of qEPSC were correlated with the size of the postsynaptic spine only at hippocampal synapses. In contrast, the size of the presynaptic varicosity was correlated with the size of the postsynaptic spine and the quantal content of evoked EPSCs only at granule neuron-Purkinje neuron synapses in the cerebellum. These results suggest that the interaction between pre- and postsynaptic structures and the coupling of postsynaptic responsiveness and the spine morphology differ between cerebellar and hippocampal glutamatergic synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Miyawaki
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Li L, Tasic B, Micheva KD, Ivanov VM, Spletter ML, Smith SJ, Luo L. Visualizing the distribution of synapses from individual neurons in the mouse brain. PLoS One 2010; 5:e11503. [PMID: 20634890 PMCID: PMC2901335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Proper function of the mammalian brain relies on the establishment of highly specific synaptic connections among billions of neurons. To understand how complex neural circuits function, it is crucial to precisely describe neuronal connectivity and the distributions of synapses to and from individual neurons. Methods and Findings In this study, we present a new genetic synaptic labeling method that relies on expression of a presynaptic marker, synaptophysin-GFP (Syp-GFP) in individual neurons in vivo. We assess the reliability of this method and use it to analyze the spatial patterning of synapses in developing and mature cerebellar granule cells (GCs). In immature GCs, Syp-GFP is distributed in both axonal and dendritic regions. Upon maturation, it becomes strongly enriched in axons. In mature GCs, we analyzed synapses along their ascending segments and parallel fibers. We observe no differences in presynaptic distribution between GCs born at different developmental time points and thus having varied depths of projections in the molecular layer. We found that the mean densities of synapses along the parallel fiber and the ascending segment above the Purkinje cell (PC) layer are statistically indistinguishable, and higher than previous estimates. Interestingly, presynaptic terminals were also found in the ascending segments of GCs below and within the PC layer, with the mean densities two-fold lower than that above the PC layer. The difference in the density of synapses in these parts of the ascending segment likely reflects the regional differences in postsynaptic target cells of GCs. Conclusions The ability to visualize synapses of single neurons in vivo is valuable for studying synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity within individual neurons as well as information flow in neural circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Li
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Bosiljka Tasic
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Kristina D. Micheva
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Vsevolod M. Ivanov
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California, United States of America
| | - Maria L. Spletter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Smith
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Liqun Luo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Coop AD, Cornelis H, Santamaria F. Dendritic excitability modulates dendritic information processing in a purkinje cell model. Front Comput Neurosci 2010; 4:6. [PMID: 20407613 PMCID: PMC2856590 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2010.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2009] [Accepted: 03/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Using an electrophysiological compartmental model of a Purkinje cell we quantified the contribution of individual active dendritic currents to processing of synaptic activity from granule cells. We used mutual information as a measure to quantify the information from the total excitatory input current (IGlu) encoded in each dendritic current. In this context, each active current was considered an information channel. Our analyses showed that most of the information was encoded by the calcium (ICaP) and calcium activated potassium (IKc) currents. Mutual information between IGlu and ICaP and IKc was sensitive to different levels of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity that, at the same time, resulted in the same firing rate at the soma. Since dendritic excitability could be a mechanism to regulate information processing in neurons we quantified the changes in mutual information between IGlu and all Purkinje cell currents as a function of the density of dendritic Ca (gCaP) and Kca (gKc) conductances. We extended our analysis to determine the window of temporal integration of IGlu by ICaP and IKc as a function of channel density and synaptic activity. The window of information integration has a stronger dependence on increasing values of gKc than on gCaP, but at high levels of synaptic stimulation information integration is reduced to a few milliseconds. Overall, our results show that different dendritic conductances differentially encode synaptic activity and that dendritic excitability and the level of synaptic activity regulate the flow of information in dendrites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allan D Coop
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
The functional equivalence of ascending and parallel fiber inputs in cerebellar computation. J Neurosci 2009; 29:8462-73. [PMID: 19571137 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5718-08.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
At the center of the computational cerebellar circuitry are Purkinje cells, which integrate synaptic inputs from >150,000 granule cell inputs. Traditional theories of cerebellar function assume that all granule cell inputs are comparable. However, it has recently been suggested that the two anatomically distinct granule cell inputs, ascending and parallel fiber, have different functional roles. By systematically examining the efficacy of patches of granule cells with photostimulation, we found no differences in the efficacy of the two inputs in driving the activity of, or in producing postsynaptic currents in, Purkinje cells in cerebellar slices in vitro. We also found that the activity of Purkinje cells was significantly increased upon stimulation of lateral granule cells in vivo. Moreover, when we estimated parallel fiber and ascending apparent unitary EPSC amplitudes using photostimulation in cerebellar slices in vitro, we found them to be indistinguishable. These results are inconsistent with differential functional roles for these two inputs. Instead, our data support theories of cerebellar computation that consider granule cell inputs to be functionally comparable.
Collapse
|
37
|
|
38
|
Lu H, Esquivel AV, Bower JM. 3D electron microscopic reconstruction of segments of rat cerebellar Purkinje cell dendrites receiving ascending and parallel fiber granule cell synaptic inputs. J Comp Neurol 2009; 514:583-94. [PMID: 19363797 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Growing physiological evidence suggests that there are functional differences between synapses made by the ascending and parallel fiber segments of the granule axon on cerebellar Purkinje cells. Supporting this view, our previous electron microscopic studies suggested that these synapses also contacted different regions of the Purkinje cell dendrite, and in particular that ascending segment synapses are made exclusively on the smallest diameter Purkinje cell dendrites. In the current study we used serial electron microscopic techniques to reconstruct Purkinje cell dendritic segments up to almost 10 mum in length. Using a combination of anatomical and immunological labeling techniques we identified the ascending or parallel fiber origins of the excitatory synaptic inputs onto dendritic spines, as well as the location of inhibitory synapses made directly on the dendritic shaft. The results confirmed that there are regions of the Purkinje cell dendrite receiving exclusively ascending or parallel fiber synapses and that ascending segment synapses are only found on small-diameter dendrites. In addition, we describe for the first time small-diameter dendritic regions contacted by both types of excitatory synapses. While our data suggest that the majority of inhibitory inputs to the Purkinje cell tree are associated with parallel fiber synaptic inputs, we also found inhibitory inputs on dendritic regions with mixed ascending and parallel fiber inputs, or exclusively parallel fiber inputs. The finding that ascending and parallel fiber inputs can be segregated on the Purkinje cell dendritic tree provides further evidence that these excitatory granule cell synaptic inputs may be functionally distinct.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huo Lu
- Research Imaging Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
One function of the cerebellar cortex is to process information. There are at least two types of information. Temporal information is encoded in the timing pattern of action and synaptic potentials, whereas structural information is encoded in the spatial pattern of the cerebellar synaptic circuitry. Intuitively, analysis of highly complex information in the time domain would require a cerebellar cortex with structural complexity to match. Information theory offers a way to estimate quantitatively both types of information and thereby helps to test hypotheses or advance theories of cerebellar neurobiology. These estimates suggest: (i) That the mossy-fiber-granule-cell system carries far more (temporal) information than the climbing fiber system, (ii) that Purkinje cells extract only a fraction of the (temporal) information from their afferents, and (iii) that the cerebellar cortex has a large (spatial) information coding capacity. Concerning information, one can argue that the cerebellar cortex analyzes temporal information in its afferents as a search engine, in search of coincidental mossy fiber events based on timing cues provided by climbing fiber events. Results of successive searches are continuously being converted into structural information encoded in the spatial distribution pattern of granule-cell-Purkinje-cell synapses along granule cell axons, thereby providing an adaptive and indeed self-correcting dimension to the structural information code. The search engine operation involves cellular mechanisms acting on temporal events and is part of an associative learning process. The conversion and generation of structural information involves neuroplasticity mechanisms acting at the synaptic level, with electrophysiological as well as structural consequences, and may be part of the short- and long-term memory process. These and other attributes qualify the cerebellar cortex as a dynamic information processing center, contributing to memory and learning while linking motor output with sensory events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiming Huang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 64110-2499, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Shi Z, Zhang Y, Meek J, Qiao J, Han VZ. The neuronal organization of a unique cerebellar specialization: the valvula cerebelli of a mormyrid fish. J Comp Neurol 2009; 509:449-73. [PMID: 18537139 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The distal valvula cerebelli is the most prominent part of the mormyrid cerebellum. It is organized in ridges of ganglionic and molecular layers, oriented perpendicular to the granular layer. We have combined intracellular recording and labeling techniques to reveal the cellular morphology of the valvula ridges in slice preparations. We have also locally ejected tracer in slices and in intact animals to examine its input fibers. The palisade dendrites and fine axon arbors of Purkinje cells are oriented in the horizontal plane of the ridge. The dendrites of basal efferent cells and large central cells are confined to the molecular layer but are not planar. Basal efferent cell axons are thick and join the basal bundle leaving the cerebellum. Large central cell axons are also thick, and they traverse long distances in the transverse plane, with local collaterals in the ganglionic layer. Vertical cells and small central cells also have thick axons with local collaterals. The dendrites of Golgi cells are confined to the molecular layer, but their axon arbors are either confined to the granular layer or proliferate in both the granular and ganglionic layers. Dendrites of deep stellate cells are distributed in the molecular layer, with fine axon arbors in the ganglionic layer. Granule cell axons enter the molecular layer as parallel fibers without bifurcating. Climbing fibers run in the horizontal plane and terminate exclusively in the ganglionic layer. Our results confirm and extend previous studies and suggest a new concept of the circuitry of the mormyrid valvula cerebelli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Shi
- Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon 97006, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Canepari M, Vogt KE. Dendritic spike saturation of endogenous calcium buffer and induction of postsynaptic cerebellar LTP. PLoS One 2008; 3:e4011. [PMID: 19104665 PMCID: PMC2603473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2008] [Accepted: 11/15/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The architecture of parallel fiber axons contacting cerebellar Purkinje neurons retains spatial information over long distances. Parallel fiber synapses can trigger local dendritic calcium spikes, but whether and how this calcium signal leads to plastic changes that decode the parallel fiber input organization is unknown. By combining voltage and calcium imaging, we show that calcium signals, elicited by parallel fiber stimulation and mediated by voltage-gated calcium channels, increase non-linearly during high-frequency bursts of electrically constant calcium spikes, because they locally and transiently saturate the endogenous buffer. We demonstrate that these non-linear calcium signals, independently of NMDA or metabotropic glutamate receptor activation, can induce parallel fiber long-term potentiation. Two-photon imaging in coronal slices revealed that calcium signals inducing long-term potentiation can be observed by stimulating either the parallel fiber or the ascending fiber pathway. We propose that local dendritic calcium spikes, evoked by synaptic potentials, provide a unique mechanism to spatially decode parallel fiber signals into cerebellar circuitry changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Canepari
- Division of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Biozentrum-University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Comparison of neuronal activities of external cuneate nucleus, spinocerebellar cortex and interpositus nucleus during passive movements of the rat's forelimb. Neuroscience 2008; 157:271-9. [PMID: 18834931 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2008] [Revised: 08/19/2008] [Accepted: 09/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we examined the neuronal activities of external cuneate nucleus, spinocerebellar Purkinje cells and interpositus nucleus during passive forelimb movements in anesthetized rats with the aim of identifying common or different patterns of activation across structures. By means of principal components analysis, we identified two main patterns of discharge which explained most of the dataset variance. One component characterized the movement-related activity of external cuneate and spinocerebellar cortical neurons, while the other reflected neuronal activity of the interpositus nucleus. We also found that both principal components were related to global forelimb kinematics but, while most of the variance of the activity of external cuneate cells and spinocerebellar Purkinje cells was explained by the limb axis orientation and orientation velocity, interpositus neurons' firing was best related to length and length velocity. This difference in the forelimb kinematics representation observed in external cuneate nucleus and spinocerebellar cortex compared with the interpositus nucleus is discussed with respect to the specific role that these structures may play also during active control of limb movements.
Collapse
|
43
|
Mameli M, Botta P, Zamudio PA, Zucca S, Valenzuela CF. Ethanol decreases Purkinje neuron excitability by increasing GABA release in rat cerebellar slices. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2008; 327:910-7. [PMID: 18755936 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.108.144865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PNs) receive inhibitory GABAergic input from stellate and basket cells, which are located in the outer and inner portions of the molecular layer, respectively. Ethanol (EtOH) was recently shown to increase GABAergic transmission at PNs via a mechanism that involves enhanced calcium release from presynaptic internal stores (J Pharmacol Exp Ther 323:356-364, 2007). Here, we further characterized the effect of EtOH on GABA release and assessed its impact on PN excitability. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques in cerebellar vermis parasagittal slices, we found that EtOH acutely increases the frequency but not the amplitude or half-width of miniature and spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs). EtOH significantly increased the amplitude and decreased the paired pulse ratio of IPSCs evoked by stimulation in the outer but not inner molecular layer. In current clamp, EtOH decreased both the amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials evoked in PNs by granule cell axon stimulation and the number of action potentials triggered by these events; these effects depended on GABA(A) receptor activation because they were not observed in presence of bicuculline. Loose-patch cell-attached PN recordings revealed that neither the spontaneous action potential firing frequency nor the coefficient of variation of the interspike interval was altered by acute EtOH exposure. These findings suggest that EtOH differentially affects GABAergic transmission at stellate cell- and basket cell-to-PN synapses and that it modulates PN firing triggered by granule cell axonal input. These effects could be in part responsible for the cerebellar impairments associated with acute EtOH intoxication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Mameli
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Distribution of granule cells projecting to focal Purkinje cells in mouse uvula-nodulus. Neuroscience 2008; 156:216-21. [PMID: 18706489 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2008] [Revised: 06/16/2008] [Accepted: 07/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mossy and climbing fibers convey a broad array of signals from vestibular end organs to Purkinje cells in the vestibulo-cerebellum. We have shown previously that Purkinje cell simple spikes (SSs) and climbing fiber-evoked complex spikes (CSs) in the mouse uvula-nodulus are arrayed in 400 microm wide sagittal climbing fiber zones corresponding to the rotational axes of the vertical semicircular canals. It is often assumed that mossy fibers modulate a higher frequency of SSs through the intermediary action of granule cells whose parallel fibers course through the Purkinje cell dendritic tree. This assumption is complicated by the diffuse topography of vestibular primary afferent mossy fiber projections to the uvula-nodulus and the dispersion of mossy fiber signals along folial axes by parallel fibers. Here we measure this parallel fiber dispersion. We made microinjections of neurobiotin into the molecular layers of different folia within the mouse vestibulo-cerebellum and measured the distribution of granule cells retrogradely labeled by the injected neurobiotin. Sixty-two percent of labeled granule cells were located outside a 400 microm sagittal zone flanking the injection site. The dispersion of labeled granule cells was approximately 2.5 mm along folial axes that were 2.7-2.9 mm wide. Our data suggest that topographic specificity of SSs could not be attributed to the topography of vestibular primary afferent mossy fiber-granule cell projections. Rather the response specificity of SSs must be attributed to other mechanisms related to climbing fiber-evoked Purkinje cell and interneuronal activity.
Collapse
|
45
|
Golgi cell dendrites are restricted by Purkinje cell stripe boundaries in the adult mouse cerebellar cortex. J Neurosci 2008; 28:2820-6. [PMID: 18337412 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4145-07.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the general uniformity in cellular composition of the adult cerebellar cortex, there is a complex underlying pattern of parasagittal stripes of Purkinje cells with characteristic molecular phenotypes and patterns of connectivity. It is not known whether interneuron processes are restricted at stripe boundaries. To begin to address the issue, three strategies were used to explore how cerebellar Golgi cell dendrites are organized with respect to parasagittal stripes: first, double immunofluorescence staining combining anti-neurogranin to identify Golgi cell dendrites with the Purkinje cell compartmentation antigens zebrin II/aldolase C, HNK-1, and phospholipase Cbeta4; second, zebrin II immunohistochemistry combined with a rapid Golgi-Cox impregnation procedure to reveal Golgi cell dendritic arbors; third, stripe antigen expression was used on sections of a GlyT2-EGFP transgenic mouse in which reporter expression is prominent in Golgi cell dendrites. In each case, the dendritic projections of Golgi cells were studied in the vicinity of Purkinje cell stripe boundaries. The data presented here show that the dendrites of a cerebellar interneuron, the Golgi cell, respect the fundamental cerebellar stripe cytoarchitecture.
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
Over hundreds of millions of years, evolution has optimized brain design to maximize its functionality while minimizing costs associated with building and maintenance. This observation suggests that one can use optimization theory to rationalize various features of brain design. Here, we attempt to explain the dimensions and branching structure of dendritic arbors by minimizing dendritic cost for given potential synaptic connectivity. Assuming only that dendritic cost increases with total dendritic length and path length from synapses to soma, we find that branching, planar, and compact dendritic arbors, such as those belonging to Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, are optimal. The theory predicts that adjacent Purkinje dendritic arbors should spatially segregate. In addition, we propose two explicit cost function expressions, falsifiable by measuring dendritic caliber near bifurcations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quan Wen
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Cerebellar cortical activity in the cat anterior lobe during hindlimb stepping. Exp Brain Res 2008; 187:359-72. [PMID: 18292993 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-008-1311-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2007] [Accepted: 02/06/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We recorded from over 250 single cortical neurons throughout the medial anterior lobe of the cat cerebellum during passive movements of the ipsilateral hindlimb resembling stepping on a moving treadmill. We applied three different quantitative analysis techniques to determine the extent of neuronal modulation that could be accounted for by the stepping movements. The analyses all indicated that up to half the recorded neurons in all five lobules responded to these passive hindlimb movements. We reconstructed the locations of the recorded neurons on a 2-D map of the cerebellar cortex in order to determine the spatial distribution of responsive cells. Cells that were located in the classical hindlimb projection areas of the anterior lobe (in lobules 2 and 3) were generally most responsive to the limb movement with activity patterns that generally had a linear relationship to hindlimb kinematics. Cells in lobules 4 and 5, considered as classical forelimb areas of the cerebellum, were also responsive. Although these cells tended to have noisier firing patterns, many were found to be modulated nevertheless by the hindlimb movements. We also found a clear demarcation between zones b and c, with a higher fraction of responsive cells in all lobules located in zone b.
Collapse
|
48
|
Sillitoe RV, Joyner AL. Morphology, molecular codes, and circuitry produce the three-dimensional complexity of the cerebellum. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2007; 23:549-77. [PMID: 17506688 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.23.090506.123237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The most noticeable morphological feature of the cerebellum is its folded appearance, whereby fissures separate its anterior-posterior extent into lobules. Each lobule is molecularly coded along the medial-lateral axis by parasagittal stripes of gene expression in one cell type, the Purkinje cells (PCs). Additionally, within each lobule distinct combinations of afferents terminate and supply the cerebellum with synchronized sensory and motor information. Strikingly, afferent terminal fields are organized into parasagittal domains, and this pattern bears a close relationship to PC molecular coding. Thus, cerebellum three-dimensional complexity obeys a basic coordinate system that can be broken down into morphology and molecular coding. In this review, we summarize the sequential stages of cerebellum development that produce its laminar structure, foliation, and molecular organization. We also introduce genes that regulate morphology and molecular coding, and discuss the establishment of topographical circuits within the context of the two coordinate systems. Finally, we discuss how abnormal cerebellar organization may result in neurological disorders like autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roy V Sillitoe
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ohno N, Terada N, Saitoh S, Ohno S. Extracellular space in mouse cerebellar cortex revealed by in vivo cryotechnique. J Comp Neurol 2007; 505:292-301. [PMID: 17879272 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Conventional methods of preparing tissue specimens for morphological investigation of the central nervous system suffer from inevitable artifacts caused by anoxia during the processing. In the present study we performed ultrastructural analyses of mouse cerebellar cortex using the in vivo cryotechnique (IVCr), which minimizes ischemic artifacts of target organs through direct cryofixation in vivo. In molecular and Purkinje cell layers of the mouse cerebellum prepared with IVCr, considerably large extracellular spaces (ECS) were detected among cellular profiles and synaptic clefts. The ECS obtained with IVCr without ischemia were larger than those obtained with IVCr after 8-minute ischemia or a conventional quick-freezing method with fresh resected tissues (FQF), but did not decrease with IVCr after 30-second ischemia. By contrast, the parallel fibers observed with IVCr without ischemia were slightly smaller than those after 30-second ischemia, and significantly smaller than those prepared with IVCr after 8-minute ischemia or FQF. ECS were frequently preserved around synaptic clefts, although the rest were totally or partially enclosed with closely apposed glial processes. The estimated sizes of the ECS around synaptic clefts did not differ between the opened and enclosed synapses, suggesting that the opened synapses might be temporarily surrounded by glial sheaths dynamically extending or retracting throughout the perisynaptic ECS. These findings indicate IVCr to be useful for some morphological analyses of ECS in the central nervous system. The appreciable ECS around synapses would allow morphological and functional changes of neuronal and glial cells dynamically involved in synaptic remodeling or signal transduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiko Ohno
- Department of Anatomy, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo-city, Yamanashi, 409-3898, Japan
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Brenowitz SD, Regehr WG. Reliability and heterogeneity of calcium signaling at single presynaptic boutons of cerebellar granule cells. J Neurosci 2007; 27:7888-98. [PMID: 17652580 PMCID: PMC6672738 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1064-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity-dependent elevation of calcium within presynaptic boutons regulates many aspects of synaptic transmission. Here, we examine presynaptic residual calcium (Ca(res)) transients in individual presynaptic boutons of cerebellar granule cells at near-physiological temperatures using two-photon microscopy. Properties of Ca(res) under conditions of zero-added buffer were determined by measuring Ca(res) transients while loading boutons to a steady-state indicator concentration. These experiments revealed that, in the absence of exogenous calcium buffers, a single action potential evokes transients of Ca(res) that vary widely in different boutons both in amplitude (400-900 nM) and time course (25-55 ms). Variation in calcium influx density, endogenous buffer capacity, and calcium extrusion density contribute to differences in Ca(res) among boutons. Heterogeneity in Ca(res) within different boutons suggests that plasticity can be regulated independently at different synapses arising from an individual granule cell. In a given bouton, Ca(res) signals were highly reproducible from trial to trial and failures of calcium influx were not observed. We find that a factor contributing to this reliability is that an action potential opens a large number of calcium channels (20-125) in a bouton. Presynaptic calcium signals were also used to assess the ability of granule cell axons to convey somatically generated action potentials to distant synapses. In response to pairs of action potentials or trains, granule cell boutons showed a remarkable ability to respond reliably at frequencies up to 500 Hz. Thus, individual boutons appear specialized for reliable calcium signaling during bursts of high-frequency activation such as those that are observed in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wade G. Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| |
Collapse
|