Immunocytochemical localization of glycine in a subset of cartwheel cells of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in rats

Glycine is a transmitter in the human and chimpanzee cochlear nuclei

Introduction

Auditory information is relayed from the cochlea via the eighth cranial nerve to the dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei (DCN, VCN). The organization, neurochemistry and circuitry of the cochlear nuclei (CN) have been studied in many species. It is well-established that glycine is an inhibitory transmitter in the CN of rodents and cats, with glycinergic cells in the DCN and VCN. There are, however, major differences in the laminar and cellular organization of the DCN between humans (and other primates) and rodents and cats. We therefore asked whether there might also be differences in glycinergic neurotransmission in the CN.

Methods

We studied brainstem sections from humans, chimpanzees, and cats. We used antibodies to glycine receptors (GLYR) to identify neurons receiving glycinergic input, and antibodies to the neuronal glycine transporter (GLYT2) to immunolabel glycinergic axons and terminals. We also examined archival sections immunostained for calretinin (CR) and nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein (NPNFP) to try to locate the octopus cell area (OCA), a region in the VCN that rodents has minimal glycinergic input.

Results

In humans and chimpanzees we found widespread immunolabel for glycine receptors in DCN and in the posterior (PVCN) and anterior (AVCN) divisions of the VCN. We found a parallel distribution of GLYT2-immunolabeled fibers and puncta. The data also suggest that, as in rodents, a region containing octopus cells in cats, humans and chimpanzees has little glycinergic input.

Discussion

Our results show that glycine is a major transmitter in the human and chimpanzee CN, despite the species differences in DCN organization. The sources of the glycinergic input to the CN in humans and chimpanzees are not known.

Comprehensive analysis of cellular specializations that initiate parallel auditory processing pathways in mice

The cochlear nuclear complex (CN) is the starting point for all central auditory processing and comprises a suite of neuronal cell types that are highly specialized for neural coding of acoustic signals. To examine how their striking functional specializations are determined at the molecular level, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing of the mouse CN to molecularly define all constituent cell types and related them to morphologically- and electrophysiologically-defined neurons using Patch-seq. We reveal an expanded set of molecular cell types encompassing all previously described major types and discover new subtypes both in terms of topographic and cell-physiologic properties. Our results define a complete cell-type taxonomy in CN that reconciles anatomical position, morphological, physiological, and molecular criteria. This high-resolution account of cellular heterogeneity and specializations from the molecular to the circuit level illustrates molecular underpinnings of functional specializations and enables genetic dissection of auditory processing and hearing disorders with unprecedented specificity.

Effects of brainstem lesions on amino acid levels in the rat cochlear nucleus

There is evidence for glutamate, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), and glycine as neurotransmitters of centrifugal pathways to the cochlear nucleus, but the quantitative extent of their contributions to amino acid neurotransmission in cochlear nucleus regions has not been known. We used microdissection of freeze-dried tissue sections of rat cochlear nucleus, with mapping of sample locations, combined with a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay, to measure amino acid levels in cochlear nucleus subregions of rats with unilateral lesions of centrifugal pathways to the cochlear nucleus. In rats with lesions transecting all or almost all pathways to the cochlear nucleus from brain stem regions, GABA, aspartate, and glutamate levels were reduced, compared to contralateral values, in almost all ipsilateral cochlear nucleus regions. The largest reductions, in dorsal (DCN), anteroventral (AVCN), and posteroventral (PVCN) cochlear nucleus regions, approached 50% for GABA, 40% for aspartate, and 30% for glutamate. In contrast, glutamine and taurine levels were typically higher in lesioned-side cochlear nucleus regions than contralaterally. Effects on glycine levels were mixed but usually included increased lesioned-side values compared to contralateral, probably reflecting a balance between increases during protein breakdown and decreases of free glycine in transected pathways. More limited lesions transecting just dorsal pathways showed much less effect on amino acid levels. Lesion of the ipsilateral trapezoid body connection plus ipsilateral superior olivary nuclei resulted in decreases of GABA, aspartate, and glutamate levels especially in ventral cochlear nucleus regions. No clear contralateral effects of this lesion could be shown. The results most strongly support centrifugal GABAergic pathways to the cochlear nucleus, providing almost half of GABAergic neurotransmission in most regions. Our results support and extend previously published measurements of lesion effects on GABA uptake and release in cochlear nucleus subdivisions.

Cochlear ablation effects on amino acid levels in the chinchilla cochlear nucleus

Inner ear damage can lead to hearing disorders, including tinnitus, hyperacusis, and hearing loss. We measured the effects of severe inner ear damage, produced by cochlear ablation, on the levels and distributions of amino acids in the first brain center of the auditory system, the cochlear nucleus. Measurements were also made for its projection pathways and the superior olivary nuclei. Cochlear ablation produces complete degeneration of the auditory nerve, which provides a baseline for interpreting the effects of partial damage to the inner ear, such as that from ototoxic drugs or intense sound. Amino acids play a critical role in neural function, including neurotransmission, neuromodulation, cellular metabolism, and protein construction. They include major neurotransmitters of the brain - glutamate, glycine, and γ-aminobutyrate (GABA) - as well as others closely related to their metabolism and/or functions - aspartate, glutamine, and taurine. Since the effects of inner ear damage develop over time, we measured the changes in amino acid levels at various survival times after cochlear ablation. Glutamate and aspartate levels decreased by 2weeks in the ipsilateral ventral cochlear nucleus and deep layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, with the largest decreases in the posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN): 66% for glutamate and 63% for aspartate. Aspartate levels also decreased in the lateral part of the ipsilateral trapezoid body, by as much as 50%, suggesting a transneuronal effect. GABA and glycine levels showed some bilateral decreases, especially in the PVCN. These results may represent the state of amino acid metabolism in the cochlear nucleus of humans after removal of eighth nerve tumors, which may adversely result in destruction of the auditory nerve. Measurement of chemical changes following inner ear damage may increase understanding of the pathogenesis of hearing impairments and enable improvements in their diagnosis and treatment.

Neuronal subtype identity in the rat auditory brainstem as defined by molecular profile and axonal projection

The nuclei of the auditory brainstem harbor a diversity of neuronal cell types and are interconnected by excitatory as well as inhibitory ascending, descending, and commissural pathways. Classically, neurons have been characterized by size and shape of their cell body and by the geometry of their dendrites. Our study is based on the use of axonal tracers in combination with immunocytochemistry to identify and distinguish neuronal subtypes by their molecular signature in dorsal and ventral cochlear nucleus, lateral superior olive, medial superior olive, medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, and inferior colliculus of the adult rat. The presumed neurotransmitters glutamate, glycine, and GABA were used alongside the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin, calretinin, and calbindin-D28k as molecular markers. Our data provide distinct extensions to previous characterizations of neuronal subtypes and reveal regularities and differences across auditory brainstem nuclei that are discussed for their functional implications.

Fidelity of complex spike-mediated synaptic transmission between inhibitory interneurons

Complex spikes are high-frequency bursts of Na+ spikes, often riding on a slower Ca2+-dependent waveform. Although complex spikes may propagate into axons, given their unusual shape it is not clear how reliably these bursts reach nerve terminals, whether their spikes are efficiently transmitted as a cluster of postsynaptic responses, or what function is served by such a concentrated postsynaptic signal. We examined these questions by recording from synaptically coupled pairs of cartwheel cells, neurons which fire complex spikes and form an inhibitory network in the dorsal cochlear nucleus. Complex spikes in the presynaptic soma were reliably propagated to nerve terminals and elicited powerful, temporally precise postsynaptic responses. Single presynaptic neurons could prevent their postsynaptic partner from firing complex but not simple spikes, dramatically reducing dendritic Ca2+ signals in the postsynaptic neuron. We suggest that rapid transmission of complex spikes may control the susceptibility of neighboring neurons to Ca2+-dependent plasticity.

Immediate early gene expression invoked by electrical intracochlear stimulation in some but not all types of neurons in the rat auditory brainstem

Specific patterns of sensory activity may induce plastic remodeling of neurons and the communication network they form in the adult mammalian brain. Among the indicators for the initiation of neuronal remodeling is the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs). The IEGs c-fos and egr-1 encode transcription factors. Following spectrally and temporally precisely defined unilateral electrical intracochlear stimulation (EIS) that corresponded in strength to physiological acoustic stimuli and lasted for 2 h under anesthesia, we characterized those neuronal cell types in ventral (VCN) and dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), lateral superior olive (LSO) and central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CIC) of the rat brain that expressed IEGs. We found that EIS affected only specific types of neurons. Whereas sub-populations of glutamatergic and glycinergic cells responded in all four regions, GABAergic neurons failed to do so except in DCN. Combining immunocytochemistry with axonal tracing, neurons participating in major ascending pathways, commissural cells of VCN and certain types of neurons of the descending auditory system were seen to respond to EIS with IEG expression. By contrast, principal LSO cells projecting to the contralateral CIC as well as collicular efferents of the DCN did not. In total, less than 50% of the identified neurons turned up expression of the IEGs studied. The pattern of IEG expression caused by unilateral EIS led us to suggest that dominant sensory activity may quickly initiate a facilitation of central pathways serving the active ear at the expense of those serving the unstimulated ear.

Protein kinase A and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II regulate glycine and GABA release in auditory brain stem nuclei

We reported previously that unilateral cochlear ablation (UCA) in young adult guinea pigs induced protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent plastic changes in the electrically evoked release of exogenous [14C]glycine ([14C]Gly) or [14C]-gamma-aminobutyric acid ([14C]GABA) in several brain stem auditory nuclei. The present study assessed whether such changes depended on protein kinase A (PKA) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). In the major subdivisions of the cochlear nucleus (CN) and the main nuclei of the superior olivary complex (SOC) dissected from intact animals, dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (DBcAMP) (0.2 mM), a PKA activator, elevated release by 1.6-2.3-fold. The PKA inhibitor, H-89 (2 microM), did not alter the release but blocked the stimulatory effects of DBcAMP. These findings suggested that PKA could positively regulate glycinergic and GABAergic release. After UCA, PKA regulation declined and failed in the ventral CN but persisted in the SOC nuclei. After 145 postablation days, H-89 reversed elevations of [14C]GABA release in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB). A CaMKII inhibitor, KN-93, reversed depressions of [14C]Gly release in the DCN. Thus, the postablation plasticities in these nuclei probably depended on PKA or CaMKII. Both H-89 and KN-93 depressed [14C]Gly release in the lateral superior olive (LSO) and ipsilateral medial superior olive (MSO), suggesting that either kinase was used by endogenous mechanisms in these nuclei to upregulate glycinergic release. In contrast, KN-93 elevated [14C]GABA release in the contralateral MNTB, suggesting a downregulatory action of CaMKII, an action opposite to that of PKA.

Cellular regulatory mechanisms influencing the activity of the cochlear nucleus: a review

The cochlear nucleus is the site in the auditory pathway where the primary sensory information carried by the fibres of the acoustic nerve is transmitted to the second-order neurones. According to the generally accepted view this transmission is not a simple relay process but is considered as the first stage where the decoding of the auditory information begins. This notion is based on the diverse neurone composition and highly ordered structure of the nucleus, on the complex electrophysiological properties and activity patterns of the neurones, on the activity of local and descending modulatory mechanisms and on the presence of a highly sophisticated intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. This review puts emphasis on introducing the experimental findings supporting the above statements and on the questions which should be answered in order to gain a better understanding of the function of the cochlear nucleus.

Intrinsic neuronal properties of the chick nucleus angularis

In vitro whole cell recording revealed intrinsic firing properties and single-cell morphology in the cochlear nucleus angularis (NA) of the chick. We classified three major classes of neurons: one-spike, damped, and tonic. A delayed inward rectifying current was observed in all classes during hyperpolarization injections. One-spike neurons responded with a single spike to depolarizing current injection and had small (stubby) radiate dendritic trees. Damped neurons responded with only a few spikes at the onset of positive current injection. More positive current inputs led to a damped response. Damped cell dendrites had a planar orientation parallel to the isofrequency axis in NA. Tonic cells produced trains of action potentials in response to a depolarizing current injection. Three variations of the tonic type had multipolar morphology, with dendrites oriented either radially (I and III) or perpendicular to the tonotopic axis (II; vertical). Tonics I and III differed in the shape of their action potential undershoot. Thus NA is both physiologically and morphologically heterogeneous.

Unbiased stereological estimates of neuron number in subcortical auditory nuclei of the rat

The mammalian auditory system consists of a large number of cell groups, each containing its own complement of neuronal cell types. In recent years, much effort has been devoted to the quantitation of auditory neurons with common morphological, connectional, pharmacological or functional features. However, it is difficult to place these data into the proper quantitative perspective due to our lack of knowledge of the number of neurons contained within each auditory nucleus. To this end, we have employed unbiased stereological methods to estimate neuron number in the cochlear nuclei, superior olivary complex, lateral lemniscus, inferior colliculus and medial geniculate body. Additionally, we generated a three-dimensional model of the superior olivary complex. The utility of unbiased stereological estimates of auditory nuclei is discussed in the context of various experimental paradigms.

Amino acid concentrations in rat cochlear nucleus and superior olive

Distributions of 10 amino acids were mapped in the cochlear nucleus and superior olive of rats by microdissection of freeze-dried sections combined with high performance liquid chromatography. Glutamate concentrations were relatively high in regions containing granule cell bodies, axons and terminals, whereas aspartate concentrations were higher in the rest of the cochlear nucleus. The distribution of glutamine, a metabolic precursor of glutamate, correlated highly with that of glutamate. In the superior olive, glutamate concentrations were similar among the nuclei, whereas aspartate concentrations were higher in the more dorsal nuclei. Glycine concentrations were relatively high in dorsal portions of the cochlear nucleus and superior olive and were much higher in all regions than those of gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA). Both GABA and taurine showed decreasing gradients from superficial to deep layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. Concentrations of serine, threonine, arginine and alanine were generally lower than those of the other six amino acids. The results support other evidence for prominent roles of glutamate and glycine as neurotransmitters in the cochlear nucleus and superior olive. They support a neurotransmitter role also for GABA, especially in the superficial layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, but less in the superior olive. The literature related to our results is reviewed.

Pharmacological evidence of inhibitory and disinhibitory neuronal circuits in dorsal cochlear nucleus

The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is rich in both glycine and GABA inhibitory neurotransmitter systems, and the response properties of its principal cells (pyramidal and giant cells) are strongly shaped by inhibitory inputs. For example, DCN principal cells often display highly nonmonotonic (so-called type IV) input-output functions in response to best-frequency (BF) tones. In this study, the inhibitory inputs onto the principal cell types and onto response types of known inhibitory interneurons were compared before and during iontophoretic application of the glycine- and GABA(A)-receptor antagonists, strychnine and bicuculline. Strychnine eliminates the central (on-BF) inhibitory area in type IV units, resulting in monotonic BF rate-level curves. Unexpectedly, bicuculline primarily enhances inhibition in principal-cell types; for example, type IV units are inhibited at lower sound levels in the presence of bicuculline. Principal cell types with weaker inhibitory inputs (type IV-T and type III units) are more strongly inhibited in the presence of bicuculline and usually are converted into type IV units. This enhancement of on-BF inhibition by bicuculline suggests a disinhibitory process involving GABA(A) action on a non-GABA(A)ergic inhibitory pathway. This latter pathway is probably glycinergic and involves type II units (deep-layer vertical cells) and/or complex-spiking units (superficial cartwheel cells) because both of these unit types are disinhibited by bicuculline. One intrinsic GABA(A) source could be the superficial stellate cells in DCN because bicuculline partly blocks the inhibition evoked by somatosensory-stimulated activation of the superficial granule-cell circuitry in DCN. Taken together, the results suggest that glycinergic circuits mediate directly the inhibition of DCN principal cells, but that GABA(A)ergic circuits modulate the strength of the inhibition.

Spectral integration by type II interneurons in dorsal cochlear nucleus

The type II unit is a prominent inhibitory interneuron in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), most likely recorded from vertical cells. Type II units are characterized by low rates of spontaneous activity, weak responses to broadband noise, and vigorous, narrowly tuned responses to tones. The weak responses of type II units to broadband stimuli are unusual for neurons in the lower auditory system and suggest that these units receive strong inhibitory inputs, most likely from onset-C neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus. The question of the definition of type II units is considered here; the characteristics listed in the preceding text define a homogeneous type II group, but the boundary between this group and other low spontaneous rate neurons in DCN (type I/III units) is not yet clear. Type II units in decerebrate cats were studied using a two-tone paradigm to map inhibitory responses to tones and using noisebands of varying width to study the inhibitory processes evoked by broadband stimuli. Iontophoresis of bicuculline and strychnine and comparisons of two-tone responses between type II units and auditory nerve fibers were used to differentiate inhibitory processes occurring near the cell from two-tone suppression in the cochlea. For type II units, a significant inhibitory region is always seen with two-tone stimuli; the bandwidth of this region corresponds roughly to the previously reported excitatory bandwidth of onset-C neurons. Bandwidth widening experiments with noisebands show a monotonic decline in response as the bandwidth increases; these data are interpreted as revealing strong inhibitory inputs with properties more like onset-C neurons than any other response type in the lower auditory system. Consistent with these properties, iontophoresis of inhibitory antagonists produces a large increase in discharge rate to broadband noise, making tone and noise responses nearly equal.

Physiological identification of the targets of cartwheel cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus

The integrative contribution of cartwheel cells of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) was assessed with intracellular recordings from anatomically identified cells. Recordings were made, in slices of the cochlear nuclei of mice, from 58 cartwheel cells, 22 fusiform cells, 3 giant cells, 5 tuberculoventral cells, and 1 cell that is either a superficial stellate or Golgi cell. Cartwheel cells can be distinguished electrophysiologically from other cells of the cochlear nuclei by their complex spikes, which comprised two to four rapid action potentials superimposed on a slower depolarization. The rapid action potentials were blocked by tetrodotoxin (n = 17) and were therefore mediated by voltage-sensitive sodium currents. The slow spikes were eliminated by the removal of calcium from the extracellular saline (n = 3) and thus were mediated by voltage-sensitive calcium currents. The spontaneous and evoked firing patterns of cartwheel cells were distinctive. Cartwheel cells usually fired single and complex spikes spontaneously at irregular intervals of between 100 ms and several seconds. Shocks to the DCN elicited firing that lasted tens to hundreds of milliseconds. With the use of these distinctive firing patterns, together with a pharmacological dissection of postsynaptic potentials (PSPs), possible targets of cartwheel cells were identified and the function of the connections was examined. Not only cartwheel and fusiform cells, but also giant cells, received patterns of synaptic input consistent with their having originated from cartwheel cells. These cell types responded to shocks of the DCN with variable trains of PSPs that lasted hundreds of milliseconds. PSPs within these trains appeared both singly and in bursts of two to four, and were blocked by 0.5 or 1 microM strychnine (n = 4 cartwheel, 4 fusiform, and 2 giant cells), indicating that cartwheel cells are likely to be glycinergic. In contrast with cartwheel cells, which are weakly excited by glycinergic input, glycinergic PSPs consistently inhibited fusiform and giant cells. Tuberculoventral cells and the putative superficial stellate cell received little or no spontaneous synaptic activity. Shocks to the DCN evoked synaptic activity that lasted approximately 5 ms. These cells therefore probably do not receive input from cartwheel cells. In addition, the brief firing of tuberculoventral cells and of the putative superficial stellate cell in response to shocks indicates that these cells are unlikely to contribute to the late, glycinergic synaptic potentials observed in cartwheel, fusiform, and giant cells.

Differences between guinea pig and rat in the dorsal cochlear nucleus: expression of calcium-binding proteins by cartwheel and Purkinje-like cells

This study describes differences between guinea pig and rat in the immunoreactivities for calbindin (CB-IR) and parvalbumin (PV-IR) in cartwheel (CWC) and Purkinje-like (PLC) cells of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN). CWCs are the most important inhibitory interneurons of the DCN. Their soma and dendrites stain intensely for CB-IR in guinea pigs but only weakly and incompletely in rats. In both species, the CWCs do not show PV-IR. PLCs, a rare type of DCN cells often interpreted as displaced cerebellar Purkinje cells misrouted during migration, are known from rat and mouse and are here described for guinea pig DCN. PLCs are intensely and completely stained for CB-IR and PV-IR in guinea pigs. In rats, they stain with similar completeness only for CB-IR, PV-IR being weak and restricted to the cell's soma. Similar staining differences between the two species are seen with the cerebellar Purkinje cells, i.e., PLCs resemble the cerebellar Purkinje cells more than do the CWCs. Based on the present material (and preliminary findings in a primate (marmoset), we speculate that the PLCs have their place in the circuitry of the DCN receiving input via parallel fibers, like the CWCs, and possibly projecting their axon onto the cerebellum.