Excitatory amino acid receptors mediate slow synaptic transmission in turtle cerebellum

Direct neural current imaging in an intact cerebellum with magnetic resonance imaging

The ability to detect neuronal currents with high spatiotemporal resolution using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is important for studying human brain function in both health and disease. While significant progress has been made, we still lack evidence showing that it is possible to measure an MR signal time-locked to neuronal currents with a temporal waveform matching concurrently recorded local field potentials (LFPs). Also lacking is evidence that such MR data can be used to image current distribution in active tissue. Since these two results are lacking even in vitro, we obtained these data in an intact isolated whole cerebellum of turtle during slow neuronal activity mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptors using a gradient-echo EPI sequence (TR=100ms) at 4.7T. Our results show that it is possible (1) to reliably detect an MR phase shift time course matching that of the concurrently measured LFP evoked by stimulation of a cerebellar peduncle, (2) to detect the signal in single voxels of 0.1mm(3), (3) to determine the spatial phase map matching the magnetic field distribution predicted by the LFP map, (4) to estimate the distribution of neuronal current in the active tissue from a group-average phase map, and (5) to provide a quantitatively accurate theoretical account of the measured phase shifts. The peak values of the detected MR phase shifts were 0.27-0.37°, corresponding to local magnetic field changes of 0.67-0.93nT (for TE=26ms). Our work provides an empirical basis for future extensions to in vivo imaging of neuronal currents.

Topography and response timing of intact cerebellum stained with absorbance voltage-sensitive dye

Physiological activity of the turtle cerebellar cortex (Cb), maintained in vitro, was recorded during microstimulation of inferior olive (IO). Previous single-electrode responses to such stimulation showed similar latencies across a limited region of Cb, yet those recordings lacked spatial and temporal resolution and the recording depth was variable. The topography and timing of those responses were reexamined using photodiode optical recordings. Because turtle Cb is thin and unfoliated, its entire surface can be stained by a voltage-sensitive dye and transilluminated to measure changes in its local absorbance. Microstimulation of the IO evoked widespread depolarization from the rostral to the caudal edge of the contralateral Cb. The time course of responses measured at a single photodiode matched that of single-microelectrode responses in the corresponding Cb locus. The largest and most readily evoked response was a sagittal band centered about 0.7 mm from the midline. Focal white-matter (WM) microstimulation on the ventricular surface also activated sagittal bands, whereas stimulation of adjacent granule cells evoked a radial patch of activation. In contrast, molecular-layer (ML) microstimulation evoked transverse beams of activation, centered on the rostrocaudal stimulus position, which traveled bidirectionally across the midline to the lateral edges of the Cb. A timing analysis demonstrated that both IO and WM microstimulation evoked responses with a nearly simultaneous onset along a sagittal band, whereas ML microstimulation evoked a slowly propagating wave traveling about 25 cm/s. The response similarity to IO and WM microstimulation suggests that the responses to WM microstimulation are dominated by activation of its climbing fibers. The Cb's role in the generation of precise motor control may result from these temporal and topographic differences in orthogonally oriented pathways. Optical recordings of the turtle's thin flat Cb can provide insights into that role.

Latencies of climbing fiber inputs to turtle cerebellar cortex

Responses of separate regions of rat cerebellar cortex (Cb) to inferior olive (IO) stimulation occur with the same latency despite large differences in climbing fiber (CF) lengths. Here, the olivocerebellar path of turtle was studied because its Cb is an unfoliated sheet on which measurements of latency and CF length can be made directly across its entire surface in vitro. During extracellular DC recordings at a given Cb position below the molecular layer, IO stimulation evoked a large negative field potential with a half-width duration of approximately 6.5 ms. On this response were smaller oscillations similar to complex spikes. The stimulating electrode was moved to map the IO and the CF path from the brain stem to the Cb. The contralateral brain stem region that evoked these responses was tightly circumscribed within the medulla, lateral and deep to the obex. This response remained when the brain stem was bathed in solutions that blocked synaptic transmission. The Cb response to IO stimulation had a peak latency of approximately 10 ms that was not dependent on the position of the recording electrode across the entire 8-mm rostrocaudal length of the Cb. However, for a constant Cb recording position, moving the stimulation across the midline to the ipsilateral brain stem and along the lateral wall of the fourth ventricle toward the peduncle did shorten the response latency. Therefore a synchronous Cb response to CF stimulation seems to be caused by changes in its conduction velocity within the entire cerebellar cortex but not within the brain stem.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors: electrophysiological properties and role in plasticity

Electrophysiological research on mGluRs is now very extensive, and it is clear that activation of mGluRs results in a large number of diverse cellular actions. Studies of mGluRs and on ionic channels has clearly demonstrated that mGluR activation has a widespread and potent inhibitory action on both voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and K+ channels. Inhibition of N-type Ca2+ channels, and inhibition of Ca(++)-dependent K+ current, IAHP, and IM being particularly prominent. Potentiation of activation of both Ca2+ and K+ channels has also been observed, although less prominently than inhibition, but mGluR-mediated activation of non-selective cationic channels is widespread. In a small number of studies, generation of an mGluR-mediated slow excitatory postsynaptic potential has been demonstrated as a consequence of the effect of mGluR activation on ion channels, such as activation of a non-selective cationic channels. Although certain mGluR-modulation of channels is a consequence of direct G-protein-linked action, for example, inhibition of Ca2+ channels, many other effects occur as a result of activation of intracellular messenger pathways, but at present, little progress has been made on the identification of the messengers. The field of study of the involvement of mGluRs in synaptic plasticity is very large. Evidence for the involvement of mGluRs in one form of LTD induction in the cerebellum and hippocampus is now particularly impressive. However, the role of mGluRs in LTP induction continues to be a source of dispute, and resolution of the question of the exact involvement of mGluRs in the induction of LTP will have to await the production of more selective ligands and of selective gene knockouts.

Two phenylglycine derivatives antagonize responses to L-AP4 in ON bipolar cells of the amphibian retina

Light responses of retinal ON bipolar cells are mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptors selectively activated by L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4). Antagonists to L-AP4 receptors in ON bipolar cells have not previously been identified. This study examines the electrophysiological effects of (S)-2-amino-2-methyl-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (MAP4), (RS)-4-4-chloro-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (CDHPG) and (RS)-3,4,5-trihydroxyphenylglycine (THPG), at L-AP4 receptors in ON bipolar cells of the amphibian retina. Unlike its actions in spinal cord, in retinal ON bipolar cells MAP4 is a weak agonist which exhibits no detectable antagonism to L-AP4. On the other hand, CDHPG exhibits a mixture of agonist and antagonist properties. Addition of Co2+ and oxygenation of CDHPG turns the solution brown and enhances antagonist effects, suggesting that the antagonism reflects actions of a breakdown product of CDHPG. Although THPG did not prove to be this breakdown product, it also has electrophysiological effects consistent with an L-AP4 receptor antagonist. The results suggest that THPG and breakdown products of CDHPG may be antagonists to L-AP4 receptors in retinal ON bipolar cells, although the possibility that these compounds antagonize effects of L-AP4 by acting at some site in the transduction pathway of L-AP4 receptors cannot yet be excluded.

Frequency dependent activation of a slow N-methyl-D-aspartate-dependent excitatory postsynaptic potential in turtle cerebellum by mossy fibre afferents

The synaptic responses of turtle cerebellar Purkinje cells to stimulation of localized mossy fibre systems have been studied by use of intrasomatic and intradendritic recordings in a brainstem-cerebellum preparation in vitro. Activation of mossy fibre inputs from the spinocerebellar pathway evoked fast, disynaptic postsynaptic potentials which were graded in amplitude with stimulus intensity and elicited at latencies consistent with those reported for peripheral nerve stimulation. Repetitive activation (50-100 Hz, 2-10 stimuli) of both spinocerebellar and trigeminocerebellar pathways evoked a slow, long-lasting excitatory postsynaptic potential regardless of whether single stimuli resulted in excitatory, inhibitory, or no postsynaptic responses. This slow potential was capable of triggering dendritic pacemaker discharges in recorded Purkinje cells in addition to volleys of simple spikes when activated at or near resting membrane potential. The fast excitatory synaptic potentials evoked by spinocerebellar stimulation were blocked by the glutamate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, consistent with the hypothesis that they are mediated by activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisox-azole-4-proprionic acid subtype at the mossy fibre-granule cell synapse and the subsequent parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapse. The slow excitatory synaptic potential evoked by repetitive stimulation of either the spinocerebellar tract or trigeminal nerve was blocked by DL-2-amino-5-phosphonvalerate, indicating that this potential is primarily dependent upon N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors at the mossy fibre-granule cell synapse for its expression. This slow potential was reversibly potentiated by L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate and bicuculline; the metabotropic glutamate antagonist (+)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine did not block this potentiation. The ability of mossy fibre inputs to drive long, slow excitatory events in Purkinje cells adds another dimension to the mechanisms by which various sensory modalities can be processed interactively in the cerebellar cortex. The ability of incoming systems to access a second, longer duration response of the cerebellar output neuron may be of significant consequence to our understanding of the manner in which this neural centre integrates sensory information from multiple sources.

Pharmacology of selective and non-selective metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists at L-AP4 receptors in retinal ON bipolar cells

Retinal ON bipolar cells possess metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) which are sensitive to L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4). Recent studies suggest there are multiple subtypes of L-AP4 receptors. In order to provide a more complete description of the pharmacology of the retinal L-AP4 receptor, we examined the actions of a number of compounds which are active at L-AP4 receptors and other mGluRs. Four groups of compounds were studied: (1) AP4 analogues (e.g. L-AP5, L-SOP, cyclobutylene AP5, and N-Me-AP4), (2) non-selective mGluR agonists (ibotenate and quisqualate), (3) selective mGluR agonists (L-CCG-I), and (4) agonists proposed to be selective for specific mGluR subtypes (DCG-IV and t-ADA). Concentration-response curves were obtained using the b-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) as an assay for L-AP4 receptor activation. Whole cell voltage clamp recordings from ON bipolar cells in the retinal slice preparation of the mudpuppy were used to determine whether the compounds acted as L-AP4 receptor agonists. All compounds were L-AP4 receptor agonists, except t-ADA which was ineffective. The results reveal pharmacological differences between L-AP4 receptors in mudpuppy ON bipolar cells and those in other systems, consistent with the proposal that there are multiple L-AP4 receptor subtypes. For example, retinal L-AP4 receptors are more potently activated by L-AP5 than L-SOP, whereas L-SOP has been shown to be more potent than L-AP5 in L-AP4 receptors in the lateral perforant path (LPP) of the rat hippocampus. L-SOP is also relatively more potent at the cloned L-AP4 receptors mGluR4, 6, and 7 than in mudpuppy ON bipolar cells in situ. The different potencies of these compounds in retina and LPP is ascribed to both steric and charge factors. The results with DCG-IV and t-ADA are consistent with the proposal that these are subtype-selective agonists, but DCG-IV is likely to be selective only at very low concentrations (< or = 1 microM).

Actions of phenylglycine derivatives at L-AP4 receptors in retinal ON bipolar cells

Phenylglycine derivatives can act as agonists or antagonists at different metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) subtypes, including subtypes sensitive to L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4). We examined the pharmacology of four phenylglycines at L-AP4 receptors in ON bipolar cells of the amphibian retina in situ. As previously shown for S-4-carboxy-3-hydroxyphenylglycine (S-4C3H-PG) (Thoreson W. B. and Miller R. F., J. Gen. Physiol. 103, 1019-1034, 1994), whole cell recordings indicate that S-3-carboxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycine (S-3C4H-PG) and S-4-carboxyphenylglycine (S-4C-PG) are L-AP4 receptor agonists in retina. Concentration-response curves for these compounds were obtained using the b-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) as an assay for ON bipolar cell activity. The rank-order potency and IC50 values obtained were: S-4C-PG (204 microM) > S-4C3H-PG (399 microM) > or = S-3C4H-PG (558 microM). At 1 mM, RS-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (RS-M4C-PG) suppressed the b-wave by less than 20%. This weak effect is attributed to agonist actions of RS-M4C-PG. The agonist actions of phenylglycines in retina are different from their effects at L-AP4 receptors in spinal cord or the expressed L-AP4-sensitive receptor subtype, mGluR4 (Kemp et al., Eur. J. Pharmac. Molec. Pharmac., 266, 187-192, 1994; Thomsen et al., Eur. J. Pharmac. Molec. Pharmac., 267, 77-84, 1994; Hayashi et al., J. Neurosci., 14, 3370-3377, 1994).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)