Physiological evidence for two distinct GABAA responses in rat hippocampus

Utilising TMS-EEG to Assess the Response to Cerebellar-Brain Inhibition

Cerebellar-brain inhibition (CBI) is a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigm indexing excitability of cerebellar projections to motor cortex (M1). Stimulation involved with CBI is often considered to be uncomfortable, and alternative ways to index connectivity between cerebellum and the cortex would be valuable. We therefore sought to assess the utility of electroencephalography in conjunction with TMS (combined TMS-EEG) to record the response to CBI. A total of 33 volunteers (25.7 ± 4.9 years, 20 females) participated across three experiments. These investigated EEG responses to CBI induced with a figure-of-eight (F8; experiment 1) or double cone (DC; experiment 2) conditioning coil over cerebellum, in addition to multisensory sham stimulation (experiment 3). Both F8 and DC coils suppressed early TMS-evoked EEG potentials (TEPs) produced by TMS to M1 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the TEP produced by CBI stimulation was related to the motor inhibitory response to CBI recorded in a hand muscle (P < 0.05), but only when using the DC coil. Multisensory sham stimulation failed to modify the M1 TEP. Cerebellar conditioning produced changes in the M1 TEP that were not apparent following sham stimulation, and that were related to the motor inhibitory effects of CBI. Our findings therefore suggest that it is possible to index the response to CBI using TMS-EEG. In addition, while both F8 and DC coils appear to recruit cerebellar projections, the nature of these may be different.

Differential assembly diversifies GABAA receptor structures and signalling

Type A γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAARs) are pentameric ligand-gated chloride channels that mediate fast inhibitory signalling in neural circuits1,2 and can be modulated by essential medicines including general anaesthetics and benzodiazepines3. Human GABAAR subunits are encoded by 19 paralogous genes that can, in theory, give rise to 495,235 receptor types. However, the principles that govern the formation of pentamers, the permutational landscape of receptors that may emerge from a subunit set and the effect that this has on GABAergic signalling remain largely unknown. Here we use cryogenic electron microscopy to determine the structures of extrasynaptic GABAARs assembled from α4, β3 and δ subunits, and their counterparts incorporating γ2 instead of δ subunits. In each case, we identified two receptor subtypes with distinct stoichiometries and arrangements, all four differing from those previously observed for synaptic, α1-containing receptors4-7. This, in turn, affects receptor responses to physiological and synthetic modulators by creating or eliminating ligand-binding sites at subunit interfaces. We provide structural and functional evidence that selected GABAAR arrangements can act as coincidence detectors, simultaneously responding to two neurotransmitters: GABA and histamine. Using assembly simulations and single-cell RNA sequencing data8,9, we calculated the upper bounds for receptor diversity in recombinant systems and in vivo. We propose that differential assembly is a pervasive mechanism for regulating the physiology and pharmacology of GABAARs.

Hippocampal β2-GABAA receptors mediate LTP suppression by etomidate and contribute to long-lasting feedback but not feedforward inhibition of pyramidal neurons

The general anesthetic etomidate, which acts through γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA_A) receptors, impairs the formation of new memories under anesthesia. This study addresses the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which this occurs. Here, using a new line of genetically engineered mice carrying the GABA_A receptor (GABA_AR) β2-N265M mutation, we tested the roles of receptors that incorporate GABA_A receptor β2 versus β3 subunits to suppression of long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular model of learning and memory. We found that brain slices from β2-N265M mice resisted etomidate suppression of LTP, indicating that the β2-GABA_ARs are an essential target in this model. As these receptors are most heavily expressed by interneurons in the hippocampus, this finding supports a role for interneuron modulation in etomidate control of synaptic plasticity. Nevertheless, β2 subunits are also expressed by pyramidal neurons, so they might also contribute. Therefore, using a previously established line of β3-N265M mice, we also examined the contributions of β2- versus β3-GABA_ARs to GABA_A,slow dendritic inhibition, because dendritic inhibition is particularly well suited to controlling synaptic plasticity. We also examined their roles in long-lasting suppression of population activity through feedforward and feedback inhibition. We found that both β2- and β3-GABA_ARs contribute to GABA_A,slow inhibition and that both β2- and β3-GABA_ARs contribute to feedback inhibition, whereas only β3-GABA_ARs contribute to feedforward inhibition. We conclude that modulation of β2-GABA_ARs is essential to etomidate suppression of LTP. Furthermore, to the extent that this occurs through GABA_ARs on pyramidal neurons, it is through modulation of feedback inhibition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Etomidate exerts its anesthetic actions through GABA_A receptors. However, the mechanism remains unknown. Here, using a hippocampal brain slice model, we show that β2-GABA_ARs are essential to this effect. We also show that these receptors contribute to long-lasting dendritic inhibition in feedback but not feedforward inhibition of pyramidal neurons. These findings hold implications for understanding how anesthetics block memory formation and, more generally, how inhibitory circuits control learning and memory.

Differential Coupling of Adult-Born Granule Cells to Parvalbumin and Somatostatin Interneurons

A strong GABAergic tone imposes sparse levels of activity in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. This balance is challenged by the addition of new granule cells (GCs) with high excitability. How developing GCs integrate within local inhibitory networks remains unknown. We used optogenetics to study synaptogenesis between new GCs and GABAergic interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV-INs) and somatostatin (SST-INs). PV-INs target the soma, and synapses become mature after 6 weeks. This transition is accelerated by exposure to an enriched environment. PV-INs exert efficient control of GC spiking and participate in both feedforward and feedback loops, a mechanism that would favor lateral inhibition and sparse coding. SST-INs target the dendrites, and synapses mature after 8 weeks. Outputs from GCs onto PV-INs develop faster than those onto SST-INs. Our results reveal a long-lasting transition wherein adult-born neurons remain poorly coupled to inhibition, which might enhance activity-dependent plasticity of input and output synapses.

Groisman et al. examine the integration of adult-born granule cells (GCs) to inhibitory networks of the adult hippocampus. Synapse maturation is remarkably slow for parvalbumin and somatostatin interneurons, both for connections toward and from GCs. Inhibition controls the activity of new GCs late in development.

Cholinergic Transmission at Muscarinic Synapses in the Striatum Is Driven Equally by Cortical and Thalamic Inputs

The release of acetylcholine from cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) directly modulates striatal output via muscarinic receptors on medium spiny neurons (MSNs). While thalamic inputs provide strong excitatory input to ChIs, cortical inputs primarily regulate MSN firing. Here, we found that, while thalamic inputs do drive ChI firing, a subset of ChIs responds robustly to stimulation of cortical inputs as well. To examine how input-evoked changes in ChI firing patterns drive acetylcholine release at cholinergic synapses onto MSNs, muscarinic M4-receptor-mediated synaptic events were measured in MSNs overexpressing G-protein gated potassium channels (GlRK2). Stimulation of both cortical and thalamic inputs was sufficient to equally drive muscarinic synaptic events in MSNs, resulting from the broad synaptic innervation of the stimulus-activated ChI population across many MSNs. Taken together, this indicates an underappreciated role for the extensive cholinergic network, in which small populations of ChIs can drive substantial changes in post-synaptic receptor activity across the striatum.

Mamaligas et al. find that, while cortical inputs were previously thought to provide weak input to striatal cholinergic interneurons, they can drive firing in a subset of cells. As a result of the broad connectivity of cholinergic cells, cortical and thalamic inputs equally drive synaptic acetylcholine release onto MSNs.

Serotonergic control of GABAergic inhibition in the lateral amygdala

Much evidence implicates the serotonergic regulation of the amygdala in anxiety. Thus the present study was undertaken to characterize the influence of serotonin (5-HT) on principal neurons (PNs) of the rat lateral amygdala (LA), using whole cell recordings in vitro. Because inhibition is a major determinant of PN activity, we focused on the control of GABAergic transmission by 5-HT. IPSCs were elicited by local electrical stimulation of LA in the presence of glutamate receptor antagonists. We found that 5-HT reduces GABA_A inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) via presynaptic 5-HT_1B receptors. While the presynaptic inhibition of GABA release also attenuated GABA_B currents, this effect was less pronounced than for GABA_A currents because 5-HT also induced a competing postsynaptic enhancement of GABA_B currents. That is, GABA_B currents elicited by pressure application of GABA or baclofen were enhanced by 5-HT. In addition, we obtained evidence suggesting that 5-HT differentially regulates distinct subsets of GABAergic synapses. Indeed, GABA_A IPSCs were comprised of two components: a relatively 5-HT-insensitive IPSC that had a fast time course and a 5-HT-sensitive component that had a slower time course. Because the relative contribution of these two components varied depending on whether neurons were recorded at proximity versus at a distance from the stimulating electrodes, we speculate that distinct subtypes of local-circuit cells contribute the two contingents of GABAergic synapses. Overall, our results indicate that 5-HT is a potent regulator of synaptic inhibition in LA.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We report that 5-HT, acting via presynaptic 5-HT_1B receptors, attenuates GABA_A IPSCs by reducing GABA release in the lateral amygdala (LA). In parallel, 5-HT enhances GABA_B currents postsynaptically, such that GABA_B inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) are relatively preserved from the presynaptic inhibition of GABA release. We also found that the time course of 5-HT-sensitive and -insensitive GABA_A IPSCs differ. Together, these results indicate that 5-HT is a potent regulator of synaptic inhibition in LA.

A newly developed anesthetic based on a unique chemical core

Intravenous anesthetic agents are associated with cardiovascular instability and poorly tolerated in patients with cardiovascular disease, trauma, or acute systemic illness. We hypothesized that a new class of intravenous (IV) anesthetic molecules that is highly selective for the slow type of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR) could have potent anesthetic efficacy with limited cardiovascular effects. Through in silico screening using our GABAAR model, we identified a class of lead compounds that are N-arylpyrrole derivatives. Electrophysiological analyses using both an in vitro expression system and intact rodent hippocampal brain slice recordings demonstrate a GABAAR-mediated mechanism. In vivo experiments also demonstrate overt anesthetic activity in both tadpoles and rats with a potency slightly greater than that of propofol. Unlike the clinically approved GABAergic anesthetic etomidate, the chemical structure of our N-arylpyrrole derivative is devoid of the chemical moieties producing adrenal suppression. Our class of compounds also shows minimal to no suppression of blood pressure, in marked contrast to the hemodynamic effects of propofol. These compounds are derived from chemical structures not previously associated with anesthesia and demonstrate that selective targeting of GABAAR-slow subtypes may eliminate the hemodynamic side effects associated with conventional IV anesthetics.

Determination of effective synaptic conductances using somatic voltage clamp

The interplay between excitatory and inhibitory neurons imparts rich functions of the brain. To understand the synaptic mechanisms underlying neuronal computations, a fundamental approach is to study the dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs of each neuron. The traditional method of determining input conductance, which has been applied for decades, employs the synaptic current-voltage (I-V) relation obtained via voltage clamp. Due to the space clamp effect, the measured conductance is different from the local conductance on the dendrites. Therefore, the interpretation of the measured conductance remains to be clarified. Using theoretical analysis, electrophysiological experiments, and realistic neuron simulations, here we demonstrate that there does not exist a transform between the local conductance and the conductance measured by the traditional method, due to the neglect of a nonlinear interaction between the clamp current and the synaptic current in the traditional method. Consequently, the conductance determined by the traditional method may not correlate with the local conductance on the dendrites, and its value could be unphysically negative as observed in experiment. To circumvent the challenge of the space clamp effect and elucidate synaptic impact on neuronal information processing, we propose the concept of effective conductance which is proportional to the local conductance on the dendrite and reflects directly the functional influence of synaptic inputs on somatic membrane potential dynamics, and we further develop a framework to determine the effective conductance accurately. Our work suggests re-examination of previous studies involving conductance measurement and provides a reliable approach to assess synaptic influence on neuronal computation.

To understand synaptic mechanisms underlying neuronal computations, a fundamental approach is to use voltage clamp to measure the dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory input conductances. Due to the space clamp effect, the measured conductance in general deviates from the local input conductance on the dendrites, hence its biological interpretation is questionable, as we demonstrate in this work. We further propose the concept of effective conductance that is proportional to the local input conductance on the dendrites and reflects directly the synaptic impact on spike generation, and develop a framework to determine the effective conductance reliably. Our work provides a biologically plausible metric for elucidating synaptic influence on neuronal computation under the constraint of the space clamp effect.

An Essential Role for the Tetraspanin LHFPL4 in the Cell-Type-Specific Targeting and Clustering of Synaptic GABAA Receptors

Inhibitory synaptic transmission requires the targeting and stabilization of GABA_A receptors (GABA_ARs) at synapses. The mechanisms responsible remain poorly understood, and roles for transmembrane accessory proteins have not been established. Using molecular, imaging, and electrophysiological approaches, we identify the tetraspanin LHFPL4 as a critical regulator of postsynaptic GABA_AR clustering in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. LHFPL4 interacts tightly with GABA_AR subunits and is selectively enriched at inhibitory synapses. In LHFPL4 knockout mice, there is a dramatic cell-type-specific reduction in GABA_AR and gephyrin clusters and an accumulation of large intracellular gephyrin aggregates in vivo. While GABA_ARs are still trafficked to the neuronal surface in pyramidal neurons, they are no longer localized at synapses, resulting in a profound loss of fast inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Hippocampal interneuron currents remain unaffected. Our results establish LHFPL4 as a synapse-specific tetraspanin essential for inhibitory synapse function and provide fresh insights into the molecular make-up of inhibitory synapses.

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LHFPL4 is a tetraspanin enriched at inhibitory synapses that complexes with GABA_ARs

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LHFPL4 is important for GABA_AR clustering both in vitro and in vivo

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LHFPL4 is required for the surface clustering but not the trafficking of GABA_ARs

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GABAergic synaptic inputs on CA1 pyramidal neurons, but not interneurons, require LHFPL4

Activity-induced spontaneous spikes in GABAergic neurons suppress seizure discharges: an implication of computational modeling

Background

Epilepsy, a prevalent neurological disorder, appears self-termination. The endogenous mechanism for seizure self-termination remains to be addressed in order to develop new strategies for epilepsy treatment. We aim to examine the role of activity-induced spontaneous spikes at GABAergic neurons as an endogenous mechanism in the seizure self-termination.

Methods and Results

Neuronal spikes were induced by depolarization pulses at cortical GABAergic neurons from temporal lobe epilepsy patients and mice, in which some of these neurons fired activity-induced spontaneous spikes. Neural networks including excitatory and inhibitory neurons were computationally constructed, and their functional properties were based on our studies from whole-cell recordings. With the changes in the portion and excitability of inhibitory neurons that generated activity-induced spontaneous spike, the efficacies to suppress synchronous seizure activity were analyzed, such as its onset time, decay slope and spike frequency. The increases in the proportion and excitability of inhibitory neurons that generated activity-induced spontaneous spikes effectively suppressed seizure activity in neural networks. These factors synergistically strengthened the efficacy of seizure activity suppression.

Conclusion

Our study supports a notion that activity-induced spontaneous spikes in GABAergic neurons may be an endogenous mechanism for seizure self-termination. A potential therapeutic strategy for epilepsy is to upregulate the cortical inhibitory neurons that generate activity-induced spontaneous spikes.

Classifying dynamic transitions in high dimensional neural mass models: A random forest approach

Neural mass models (NMMs) are increasingly used to uncover the large-scale mechanisms of brain rhythms in health and disease. The dynamics of these models is dependent upon the choice of parameters, and therefore it is crucial to be able to understand how dynamics change when parameters are varied. Despite being considered low dimensional in comparison to micro-scale, neuronal network models, with regards to understanding the relationship between parameters and dynamics, NMMs are still prohibitively high dimensional for classical approaches such as numerical continuation. Therefore, we need alternative methods to characterise dynamics of NMMs in high dimensional parameter spaces. Here, we introduce a statistical framework that enables the efficient exploration of the relationship between model parameters and selected features of the simulated, emergent model dynamics of NMMs. We combine the classical machine learning approaches of trees and random forests to enable studying the effect that varying multiple parameters has on the dynamics of a model. The method proceeds by using simulations to transform the mathematical model into a database. This database is then used to partition parameter space with respect to dynamic features of interest, using random forests. This allows us to rapidly explore dynamics in high dimensional parameter space, capture the approximate location of qualitative transitions in dynamics and assess the relative importance of all parameters in the model in all dimensions simultaneously. We apply this method to a commonly used NMM in the context of transitions to seizure dynamics. We find that the inhibitory sub-system is most crucial for the generation of seizure dynamics, confirm and expand previous findings regarding the ratio of excitation and inhibition, and demonstrate that previously overlooked parameters can have a significant impact on model dynamics. We advocate the use of this method in future to constrain high dimensional parameter spaces enabling more efficient, person-specific, model calibration.

Heteroassociative storage of hippocampal pattern sequences in the CA3 subregion

BACKGROUND

Recent research suggests that the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus has properties of both autoassociative network, due to its ability to complete partial cues, tolerate noise, and store associations between memories, and heteroassociative one, due to its ability to store and retrieve sequences of patterns. Although there are several computational models of the CA3 as an autoassociative network, more detailed evaluations of its heteroassociative properties are missing.

METHODS

We developed a model of the CA3 subregion containing 10,000 integrate-and-fire neurons with both recurrent excitatory and inhibitory connections, and which exhibits coupled oscillations in the gamma and theta ranges. We stored thousands of pattern sequences using a heteroassociative learning rule with competitive synaptic scaling.

RESULTS

We showed that a purely heteroassociative network model can (i) retrieve pattern sequences from partial cues with external noise and incomplete connectivity, (ii) achieve homeostasis regarding the number of connections per neuron when many patterns are stored when using synaptic scaling, (iii) continuously update the set of retrievable patterns, guaranteeing that the last stored patterns can be retrieved and older ones can be forgotten.

DISCUSSION

Heteroassociative networks with synaptic scaling rules seem sufficient to achieve many desirable features regarding connectivity homeostasis, pattern sequence retrieval, noise tolerance and updating of the set of retrievable patterns.

Baicalin reverses the impairment of synaptogenesis induced by dopamine burden via the stimulation of GABAAR-TrkB interaction in minimal hepatic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that D1 receptor (D₁R) activation reduces GABA_A receptor (GABA_AR) current, and baicalin (BAI) displays therapeutic efficacy in diseases involving cognitive impairment.

METHODS

We investigated the mechanisms by which BAI could improve DA-induced minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) using immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and co-immunoprecipitation.

RESULTS

BAI did not induce toxicity on the primary cultured neurons. And no obvious toxicity of BAI to the brain was found in rats. DA activated D₁R/dopamine and adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate-regulated phospho-protein (DARPP32) to reduce the GABA_AR current; BAI treatment did not change the D₁R/DARPP32 levels but blocked DA-induced reduction of GABA_AR levels in primary cultured neurons. DA decreased the interaction of GABA_AR with TrkB and the expression of downstream AKT, which was blocked by BAI treatment. Moreover, BAI reversed the decrease in the expression of GABA_AR/TrkB/AKT and prevented the impairment of synaptogenesis and memory deficits in MHE rats.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that BAI has neuroprotective and synaptoprotective effects on MHE which are not related to upstream D₁R/DARPP32 signaling, but to the targeting of downstream GABA_AR signaling to TrkB.

High Dose Gamma Radiation Selectively Reduces GABAA-slow Inhibition

Studies on the effects of gamma radiation on brain tissue have produced markedly differing results, ranging from little effect to major pathology, following irradiation. The present study used control-matched animals to compare effects on a well characterized brain region following gamma irradiation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 60 Gy of whole brain gamma radiation and, after 24-hours, 48-hours, and one-week periods, hippocampal brain slices were isolated and measured for anatomical and physiological differences. There were no major changes observed in tissue appearance or evoked synaptic responses at any post-irradiation time point. However, exposure to 60 Gy of irradiation resulted in a small, but statistically significant (14% change; ANOVA p < 0.005; n = 9) reduction in synaptic inhibition seen at 100 ms, indicating a selective depression of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) slow form of inhibition. Population spike (PS) amplitudes also transiently declined by ~ 10% (p < 0.005; n = 9) when comparing the 24-hour group to sham group. Effects on PS amplitude recovered to baseline 48 hour and one week later. There were no obvious negative pathological effects; however, a subtle depression in circuit level inhibition was observed and provides evidence for 'radiomodulation' of brain circuits.

Furosemide depresses the presynaptic fiber volley and modifies frequency-dependent axonal excitability in rat hippocampus

The loop diuretic furosemide is known to have anticonvulsant effects, believed to be exerted through blockade of glial Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- cotransport causing altered volume regulation in brain tissue. The possibility that direct effects of furosemide on neuronal properties could also be involved is supported by previous observations, but such effects have not been thoroughly investigated. In the present study we show that furosemide has two opposing effects on stimulus-induced postsynaptic excitation in the nonepileptic rat hippocampal slice: 1) an enhancement of e-s coupling, which depended on intact GABA_A transmission and was partially mimicked by selective blockade of K⁺-2Cl^- cotransport, and 2) a decrement of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials. The balance between these effects varied, depending on the amount of synaptic drive. In addition, the compound action potential (fiber volley) recorded from the stimulated Schaffer collateral axons in stratum radiatum showed a progressive decrease during perfusion of furosemide. This effect was activity-independent, was mimicked by the stilbene derivative DIDS, and could be reproduced on fiber volleys in the alveus. Furosemide also reduced the initial enhancement of the fiber volley observed during trains of high-frequency stimulation (HFS). Results of hyperosmotic expansion of the extracellular volume, with 30 mM sucrose, indicated that both the induction and antagonism of the HFS-induced enhancement were independent of signaling via the extracellular space. Furosemide caused an increased decay of paired-pulse-induced supranormal axonal excitability, which was antagonized by ZD7288. We conclude that furosemide decreases axonal excitability and prevents HFS-induced hyperexcitability via mechanisms downstream of blockage of anion transport, which could include hyperpolarization of axonal membranes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study shows that the anion transporter antagonists furosemide and DIDS cause a marked decrease of axonal excitability in rat hippocampal CA1 region and prevent the induction of activity-dependent hyperexcitability in Schaffer collateral axons. The data are consistent with direct effects on axonal membrane properties. We also find that activity-dependent enhancement and depression of axonal excitability can be modified independently, suggesting that these events are governed by different underlying processes.

Principles of Synaptic Organization of GABAergic Interneurons in the Striatum

The striatum, the entry nucleus of the basal ganglia, lacks laminar or columnar organization of its principal cells; nevertheless, functional data suggest that it is spatially organized. Here we examine whether the connectivity and synaptic organization of striatal GABAergic interneurons contributes to such spatial organization. Focusing on the two main classes of striatal GABAergic interneurons (fast-spiking interneurons [FSIs] and low-threshold-spiking interneurons [LTSIs]), we apply a combination of optogenetics and viral tracing approaches to dissect striatal microcircuits in mice. Our results reveal fundamental differences between the synaptic organizations of both interneuron types. FSIs target exclusively striatal projection neurons (SPNs) within close proximity and form strong synapses on the proximal somatodendritic region. In contrast, LTSIs target both SPNs and cholinergic interneurons, and synaptic connections onto SPNs are made exclusively over long distances and onto distal dendrites. These results suggest fundamentally different functions of FSIs and LTSIs in shaping striatal output.

REVIEW ■ : GABAergic Inhibitory Processes and Hippocampal Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a widely studied form of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Hippocampal LTP evoked in the dentate and CA1 areas requires calcium influx through N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-channel complexes, a process triggered during high-frequency stimulation by conjunctive presy naptic glutamate release and postsynaptic depolarization. It has been suggested that alterations in GABAergic recurrent and/or feedforward inhibitory synaptic transmission may accompany LTP induction in these hippocampal areas. To this end, possible LTP-related modifications in functional inhibition are ad dressed in the context of both paired-pulse depression and the excitatory postsynaptic potential-spike (E-S) relationship. Consideration is also given as to how GABAergic processes may contribute mechanistically to the induction of NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. It is concluded that although GABAergic disinhibition may contribute to the induction of LTP, it is not yet clear whether or not the induction of LTP has a lasting impact on inhibitory processes. NEUROSCIENTIST 3:226-236, 1997

A Unified Dynamic Model for Learning, Replay, and Sharp-Wave/Ripples

Hippocampal activity is fundamental for episodic memory formation and consolidation. During phases of rest and sleep, it exhibits sharp-wave/ripple (SPW/R) complexes, which are short episodes of increased activity with superimposed high-frequency oscillations. Simultaneously, spike sequences reflecting previous behavior, such as traversed trajectories in space, are replayed. Whereas these phenomena are thought to be crucial for the formation and consolidation of episodic memory, their neurophysiological mechanisms are not well understood. Here we present a unified model showing how experience may be stored and thereafter replayed in association with SPW/Rs. We propose that replay and SPW/Rs are tightly interconnected as they mutually generate and support each other. The underlying mechanism is based on the nonlinear dendritic computation attributable to dendritic sodium spikes that have been prominently found in the hippocampal regions CA1 and CA3, where SPW/Rs and replay are also generated. Besides assigning SPW/Rs a crucial role for replay and thus memory processing, the proposed mechanism also explains their characteristic features, such as the oscillation frequency and the overall wave form. The results shed a new light on the dynamical aspects of hippocampal circuit learning.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

During phases of rest and sleep, the hippocampus, the "memory center" of the brain, generates intermittent patterns of strongly increased overall activity with high-frequency oscillations, the so-called sharp-wave/ripples. We investigate their role in learning and memory processing. They occur together with replay of activity sequences reflecting previous behavior. Developing a unifying computational model, we propose that both phenomena are tightly linked, by mutually generating and supporting each other. The underlying mechanism depends on nonlinear amplification of synchronous inputs that has been prominently found in the hippocampus. Besides assigning sharp-wave/ripples a crucial role for replay generation and thus memory processing, the proposed mechanism also explains their characteristic features, such as the oscillation frequency and the overall wave form.

Paired Burst Stimulation Causes GABAA Receptor-Dependent Spike Firing Facilitation in CA1 of Rat Hippocampal Slices

The theta oscillation (4–8 Hz) is a pivotal form of oscillatory activity in the hippocampus that is intermittently concurrent with gamma (25–100 Hz) burst events. In in vitro preparation, a stimulation protocol that mimics the theta oscillation, theta burst stimulation (TBS), is used to induce long-term potentiation. Thus, TBS is thought to have a distinct role in the neural network of the hippocampal slice preparation. However, the specific mechanisms that make TBS induce such neural circuit modifications are still unknown. Using electrophysiology and voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI), we have found that TBS induces augmentation of spike firing. The augmentation was apparent in the first couple of brief burst stimulation (100 Hz four pulses) on a TBS-train in a presence of NMDA receptor blocker (APV 50 μM). In this study, we focused on the characterizes of the NMDA independent augmentation caused by a pair of the brief burst stimulation (the first pair of the TBS; paired burst stimulation-PBS). We found that PBS enhanced membrane potential responses on VSDI signal and intracellular recordings while it was absent in the current recording under whole-cell clamp condition. The enhancement of the response accompanied the augmentation of excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) to spike firing (E-S) coupling. The paired burst facilitation (PBF) reached a plateau when the number of the first burst stimulation (priming burst) exceeds three. The interval between the bursts of 150 ms resulted in the maximum PBF. Gabazine (a GABA_A receptor antagonist) abolished PBF. The threshold for spike generation of the postsynaptic cells measured with a current injection to cells was not lowered by the priming burst of PBS. These results indicate that PBS activates the GABAergic system to cause short-term E-S augmentation without raising postsynaptic excitability. We propose that a GABAergic system of area CA1 of the hippocampus produce the short-term E-S plasticity that could cause exaggerated spike-firing upon a theta-gamma activity distinctively, thus making the neural circuit of the CA1 act as a specific amplifier of the oscillation signal.

Early postnatal switch in GABAA receptor α-subunits in the reticular thalamic nucleus

The GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (nRt) provide the primary source of inhibition within the thalamus. Using physiology, pharmacology, and immunohistochemistry in mice, we characterized postsynaptic developmental changes in these inhibitory projection neurons. First, at postnatal days 3-5 (P3-5), inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) decayed very slowly, followed by a biphasic developmental progression, becoming faster at P6-8 and then slower again at P9-11 before stabilizing in a mature form around P12. Second, the pharmacological profile of GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)R)-mediated IPSCs differed between neonatal and mature nRt neurons, and this was accompanied by reciprocal changes in α3 (late) and α5 (early) subunit expression in nRt. Zolpidem, selective for α1- and α3-containing GABA(A)Rs, augmented only mature IPSCs, whereas clonazepam enhanced IPSCs at all stages. This effect was blocked by the α5-specific inverse agonist L-655,708, but only in immature neurons. In α3(H126R) mice, in which α3-subunits were mutated to become benzodiazepine insensitive, IPSCs were enhanced compared with those in wild-type animals in early development. Third, tonic GABA(A)R activation in nRt is age dependent and more prominent in immature neurons, which correlates with early expression of α5-containing GABA(A)Rs. Thus neonatal nRt neurons show relatively high expression of α5-subunits, which contributes to both slow synaptic and tonic extrasynaptic inhibition. The postnatal switch in GABA(A)R subunits from α5 to α3 could facilitate spontaneous network activity in nRt that occurs at this developmental time point and which is proposed to play a role in early circuit development.

Etomidate Impairs Long-Term Potentiation In Vitro by Targeting α5-Subunit Containing GABAA Receptors on Nonpyramidal Cells

Previous experiments using genetic and pharmacological manipulations have provided strong evidence that etomidate impairs synaptic plasticity and memory by modulating α5-subunit containing GABAA receptors (α5-GABAARs). Because α5-GABAARs mediate tonic inhibition (TI) in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells and etomidate enhances TI, etomidate enhancement of TI in pyramidal cells has been proposed as the underlying mechanism (Martin et al., 2009). Here we tested this hypothesis by selectively removing α5-GABAARs from pyramidal neurons (CA1-pyr-α5-KO) and comparing the ability of etomidate to enhance TI and block LTP in fl-α5 (WT), global-α5-KO (gl-α5-KO), and CA1-pyr-α5-KO mice. Etomidate suppressed LTP in slices from WT and CA1-pyr-α5-KO but not gl-α5-KO mice. There was a trend toward reduced TI in both gl-α5-KO and CA1-pyr-α5-KO mice, but etomidate enhanced TI to similar levels in all genotypes. The dissociation between effects of etomidate on TI and LTP in gl-α5-KO mice indicates that increased TI in pyramidal neurons is not the mechanism by which etomidate impairs LTP and memory. Rather, the ability of etomidate to block LTP in WT and CA1-pyr-α5-KO mice, but not in gl-α5-KO mice, points toward α5-GABAARs on nonpyramidal cells as the essential effectors controlling plasticity in this in vitro model of learning and memory.

Interneurons and oligodendrocyte progenitors form a structured synaptic network in the developing neocortex

NG2 cells, oligodendrocyte progenitors, receive a major synaptic input from interneurons in the developing neocortex. It is presumed that these precursors integrate cortical networks where they act as sensors of neuronal activity. We show that NG2 cells of the developing somatosensory cortex form a transient and structured synaptic network with interneurons that follows its own rules of connectivity. Fast-spiking interneurons, highly connected to NG2 cells, target proximal subcellular domains containing GABA_A receptors with γ2 subunits. Conversely, non-fast-spiking interneurons, poorly connected with these progenitors, target distal sites lacking this subunit. In the network, interneuron-NG2 cell connectivity maps exhibit a local spatial arrangement reflecting innervation only by the nearest interneurons. This microcircuit architecture shows a connectivity peak at PN10, coinciding with a switch to massive oligodendrocyte differentiation. Hence, GABAergic innervation of NG2 cells is temporally and spatially regulated from the subcellular to the network level in coordination with the onset of oligodendrogenesis.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06953.001

Neurons are outnumbered in the brain by cells called glial cells. The brain contains various types of glial cells that perform a range of different jobs, including the supply of nutrients and the removal of dead neurons. The role of glial cells called oligodendrocytes is to produce a material called myelin: this is an electrical insulator that, when wrapped around a neuron, increases the speed at which electrical impulses can travel through the nervous system.

Neurons communicate with one another through specialized junctions called synapses, and at one time it was thought that only neurons could form synapses in the brain. However, this view had to be revised when researchers discovered synapses between neurons and glial cells called NG2 cells, which go on to become oligodendrocytes. These neuron-NG2 cell synapses have a lot in common with neuron–neuron synapses, but much less is known about them.

Orduz, Maldonado et al. have now examined these synapses in unprecedented detail by analyzing individual synapses between a type of neuron called an interneuron and an NG2 cell in mice aged only a few weeks. Interneurons can be divided into two major classes based on how quickly they fire, and Orduz, Maldonado et al. show that both types of interneuron form synapses with NG2 cells. However, these two types of interneuron establish synapses on different parts of the NG2 cell, and these synapses involve different receptor proteins.

Together, the synapses give rise to a local interneuron-NG2 cell network that reaches a peak of activity roughly two weeks after birth, after which the network is disassembled. This period of peak activity is accompanied by a sudden increase in the maturation of NG2 cells into oligodendrocytes. Further experiments are needed to test the possibility that activity in the interneuron-NG2 cell network acts as the trigger for the NG2 cells to turn into oligodendrocytes, which then supply myelin for the developing brain.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06953.002

Radixin regulates synaptic GABAA receptor density and is essential for reversal learning and short-term memory

Neurotransmitter receptor density is a major variable in regulating synaptic strength. Receptors rapidly exchange between synapses and intracellular storage pools through endocytic recycling. In addition, lateral diffusion and confinement exchanges surface membrane receptors between synaptic and extrasynaptic sites. However, the signals that regulate this transition are currently unknown. GABAA receptors containing α5-subunits (GABAAR-α5) concentrate extrasynaptically through radixin (Rdx)-mediated anchorage at the actin cytoskeleton. Here we report a novel mechanism that regulates adjustable plasma membrane receptor pools in the control of synaptic receptor density. RhoA/ROCK signalling regulates an activity-dependent Rdx phosphorylation switch that uncouples GABAAR-α5 from its extrasynaptic anchor, thereby enriching synaptic receptor numbers. Thus, the unphosphorylated form of Rdx alters mIPSCs. Rdx gene knockout impairs reversal learning and short-term memory, and Rdx phosphorylation in wild-type mice exhibits experience-dependent changes when exposed to novel environments. Our data suggest an additional mode of synaptic plasticity, in which extrasynaptic receptor reservoirs supply synaptic GABAARs.

Etomidate blocks LTP and impairs learning but does not enhance tonic inhibition in mice carrying the N265M point mutation in the beta3 subunit of the GABA(A) receptor

Enhancement of tonic inhibition mediated by extrasynaptic α5-subunit containing GABAA receptors (GABAARs) has been proposed as the mechanism by which a variety of anesthetics, including the general anesthetic etomidate, impair learning and memory. Since α5 subunits preferentially partner with β3 subunits, we tested the hypothesis that etomidate acts through β3-subunit containing GABAARs to enhance tonic inhibition, block LTP, and impair memory. We measured the effects of etomidate in wild type mice and in mice carrying a point mutation in the GABAAR β3-subunit (β3-N265M) that renders these receptors insensitive to etomidate. Etomidate enhanced tonic inhibition in CA1 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus in wild type but not in mutant mice, demonstrating that tonic inhibition is mediated by β3-subunit containing GABAARs. However, despite its inability to enhance tonic inhibition, etomidate did block LTP in brain slices from mutant mice as well as in those from wild type mice. Etomidate also impaired fear conditioning to context, with no differences between genotypes. In studies of recombinant receptors expressed in HEK293 cells, α5β1γ2L GABAARs were insensitive to amnestic concentrations of etomidate (1 μM and below), whereas α5β2γ2L and α5β3γ2L GABAARs were enhanced. We conclude that etomidate enhances tonic inhibition in pyramidal cells through its action on α5β3-containing GABAA receptors, but blocks LTP and impairs learning by other means - most likely by modulating α5β2-containing GABAA receptors. The critical anesthetic targets underlying amnesia might include other forms of inhibition imposed on pyramidal neurons (e.g. slow phasic inhibition), or inhibitory processes on non-pyramidal cells (e.g. interneurons).

The heterogeneity in GABAA receptor-mediated IPSC kinetics reflects heterogeneity of subunit composition among inhibitory and excitatory interneurons in spinal lamina II

GABAergic inhibition displays rich functional diversity throughout the CNS, which arises from variations in the nature of inputs, subunit composition, subcellular localization of receptors and synapse geometry, or reuptake mechanisms. In the spinal dorsal horn (SDH), GABA_A and glycine receptors play a major role in the control of excitability and accuracy of nociceptive processing. Identifying which components shape the properties of the inhibitory synapses in different cell types is necessary to understand how nociceptive information is integrated. To address this, we used transgenic mice where inhibitory interneurons express GAD65-EGFP. We found that GABA_A, but not glycine receptor-mediated evoked IPSCs displayed slower kinetics in EGFP+ vs. EGFP− interneurons. GABA_A miniature IPSC decay kinetics showed a large variability in both populations, however the distribution of decays differed between EGFP+ and EGFP− interneurons. The range of mIPSC decay kinetics observed was replicated in experiments using rapid application of GABA on outside-out patches taken from SDH neurons in slices. Furthermore, GABA_A decay kinetics were not affected by uptake blockers and were not different in mice lacking δ or α5 subunits, indicating that intrinsic channel properties likely underlie the heterogeneity. To identify whether other α subunits shape the various kinetic properties observed we took advantage of knock-in mice carrying point mutations in either the α1, α2, or α3 subunits rendering Ro 15-4513 a selective agonist at the benzodiazepine modulatory site. We found that α1 and α2 subunit underlie the fast decaying component of IPSCs while the slow component is determined by the α3 subunit. The differential distribution of GABA_A subunits at inhibitory synapses thus sculpts the heterogeneity of the SDH inhibitory circuitry. This diversity of inhibitory elements can be harnessed to selectively modulate different components of the spinal nociceptive circuitry for therapeutic interventions.

Anesthetic agent-specific effects on synaptic inhibition

BACKGROUND

Anesthetics enhance γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated inhibition in the central nervous system. Different agents have been shown to act on tonic versus synaptic GABA receptors to different degrees, but it remains unknown whether different forms of synaptic inhibition are also differentially engaged. With this in mind, we tested the hypothesis that different types of GABA-mediated synapses exhibit different anesthetic sensitivities. The present study compared effects produced by isoflurane, halothane, pentobarbital, thiopental, and propofol on paired-pulse GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic inhibition. Effects on glutamate-mediated facilitation were also studied.

METHODS

Synaptic responses were measured in rat hippocampal brain slices. Orthodromic paired-pulse stimulation was used to assess anesthetic effects on either glutamate-mediated excitatory inputs or GABA-mediated inhibitory inputs to CA1 neurons. Antidromic stimulation was used to assess anesthetic effects on CA1 background excitability. Agents were studied at equieffective concentrations for population spike depression to compare their relative degree of effect on synaptic inhibition.

RESULTS

Differing degrees of anesthetic effect on paired-pulse facilitation at excitatory glutamate synapses were evident, and blocking GABA inhibition revealed a previously unseen presynaptic action for pentobarbital. Although all 5 anesthetics depressed synaptically evoked excitation of CA1 neurons, the involvement of enhanced GABA-mediated inhibition differed considerably among agents. Single-pulse inhibition was enhanced by propofol, thiopental, and pentobarbital, but only marginally by halothane and isoflurane. In contrast, isoflurane enhanced paired-pulse inhibition strongly, as did thiopental, but propofol, pentobarbital, and halothane were less effective.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations support the idea that different GABA synapses use receptors with differing subunit compositions and that anesthetics exhibit differing degrees of selectivity for these receptors. The differing anesthetic sensitivities seen in the present study, at glutamate and GABA synapses, help explain the unique behavioral/clinical profiles produced by different classes of anesthetics and indicate that there are selective targets for new agent development.

The timing of dopamine- and noradrenaline-mediated transmission reflects underlying differences in the extent of spillover and pooling

Metabotropic transmission typically occurs through the spillover activation of extrasynaptic receptors. This study examined the mechanisms underlying somatodendritic dopamine and noradrenaline transmission and found that the extent of spillover and pooling varied dramatically between these two transmitters. In the mouse ventral tegmental area, the time course of D2-receptor-mediated IPSCs (D2-IPSCs) was consistent between cells and was unaffected by altering stimulation intensity, probability of release, or the extent of diffusion. Blocking dopamine reuptake with cocaine extended the time course of D2-IPSCs and suggested that transporters strongly limited spillover. As a result, individual release sites contributed independently to the duration of D2-IPSCs. In contrast, increasing the release of noradrenaline in the rat locus ceruleus prolonged the duration of α2-receptor-mediated IPSCs even when reuptake was intact. Spillover and subsequent pooling of noradrenaline activated distal α2-receptors, which prolonged the duration of α2-IPSCs when multiple release sites were activated synchronously. By using the rapid application of agonists onto large macropatches, we determined the concentration profile of agonists underlying the two IPSCs. Incorporating the results into a model simulating extracellular diffusion predicted that the functional range of noradrenaline diffusion was nearly fivefold greater in the locus ceruleus than dopamine in the midbrain. This study demonstrates that catecholamine synapses differentially regulate the extent of spillover and pooling to control the timing of local inhibition and suggests diversity in the roles of uptake and diffusion in governing metabotropic transmission.

The role of α5 GABAA receptor agonists in the treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia

Currently available pharmacotherapies for the treatment of schizophrenia are ineffective in restoring the disrupted cognitive function associated with this disorder. As such, there is a continued search for more viable novel drug targets. Engaging in cognitive behaviors is associated with distinct coordinated oscillatory activity across brain regions, in particular the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In schizophrenia patients, pathological alterations in the functionality of GABAergic interneurons in the PFC and HPC responsible for generating network oscillations are thought to contribute to impaired cognition. Destabilized GABAergic interneuron activity in the HPC is further associated with aberrant increases in HPC output and enhanced dopamine neuron activity. Consequently, drugs directed at restoring HPC function could impact both oscillatory activity along with dopamine tone. There is compelling evidence from animal models of schizophrenia that allosteric modulation of the α5 subunit of the GABAA receptor is a viable means of resolving aberrant dopamine system activity through indirect alteration of HPC output. Consequently, these compounds are promising for their potential in also ameliorating cognitive deficits attributed to dysfunction in HPC network activity.

Spillover-mediated feedforward inhibition functionally segregates interneuron activity

Neurotransmitter spillover represents a form of neural transmission not restricted to morphologically defined synaptic connections. Communication between climbing fibers (CFs) and molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) in the cerebellum is mediated exclusively by glutamate spillover. Here, we show how CF stimulation functionally segregates MLIs based on their location relative to glutamate release. Excitation of MLIs that reside within the domain of spillover diffusion coordinates inhibition of MLIs outside the diffusion limit. CF excitation of MLIs is dependent on extrasynaptic NMDA receptors that enhance the spatial and temporal spread of CF signaling. Activity mediated by functionally segregated MLIs converges onto neighboring Purkinje cells (PCs) to generate a long-lasting biphasic change in inhibition. These data demonstrate how glutamate release from single CFs modulates excitability of neighboring PCs, thus expanding the influence of CFs on cerebellar cortical activity in a manner not predicted by anatomical connectivity.

Novel GABAergic circuits mediating excitation/inhibition of Cajal-Retzius cells in the developing hippocampus

Cajal-Retzius cells are a class of neurons believed to play critical roles during cortical development. However, their network computational functions remain poorly understood. Although work in the neocortex and hippocampus has shown that Cajal-Retzius cells receive predominantly, if not exclusively, spontaneous GABA(A) receptor-mediated input, the cellular sources originating these events remain unclear. However, a precise definition of the presynaptic GABAergic interneurons contacting Cajal-Retzius cells is important to understand the microcircuits and network patterns controlling their activation. Here, we have taken advantage of electrophysiological and anatomical techniques applied to mouse hippocampal slices in vitro to directly address this question. Our paired recording experiments indicate that Cajal-Retzius cells receive small-amplitude, kinetically slow synaptic input from stratum lacunosum-moleculare interneurons, anatomically identified as neurogliaform cells. In addition, a convergence of optogenetic, electrophysiological, and pharmacological experiments shows that Cajal-Retzius cells receive GABAergic input from oriens lacunosum-moleculare cells and that this input has different physiological properties (i.e., larger amplitude and faster kinetics) from the one provided by neurogliaform cells. Last, we show that GABAergic evoked synaptic input onto Cajal-Retzius cells may either increase their excitability and trigger action potentials or inhibit spontaneous firing by depolarization block. We propose that the specific type of response depends on both the membrane potential of Cajal-Retzius cells and the kinetics of the received GABAergic input. In conclusion, we have unraveled a novel hippocampal microcircuit with complex GABAergic synaptic signaling, which we suggest may play a role in the refinement of the hippocampal network and connections during development.

Rapamycin down-regulates KCC2 expression and increases seizure susceptibility to convulsants in immature rats

Seizure susceptibility to neurological insults, including chemical convulsants, is age-dependent and most likely reflective of overall differences in brain excitability. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying development-dependent seizure susceptibility remain to be fully understood. Because the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway regulates neurite outgrowth, synaptic plasticity and cell survival, thereby influencing brain development, we tested if exposure of the immature brain to the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin changes seizure susceptibility to neurological insults. We found that inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin in immature rats (3-4 weeks old) increases the severity of seizures induced by pilocarpine, including lengthening the total seizure duration and reducing the latency to the onset of seizures. Rapamycin also reduces the minimal dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) necessary to induce clonic seizures. However, in mature rats, rapamycin does not significantly change the seizure sensitivity to pilocarpine and PTZ. Likewise, kainate sensitivity was not significantly affected by rapamycin treatment in either mature or immature rats. Additionally, rapamycin treatment down-regulates the expression of potassium-chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2) in the thalamus and to a lesser degree in the hippocampus. Pharmacological inhibition of thalamic mTOR or KCC2 increases susceptibility to pilocarpine-induced seizure in immature rats. Thus, our study suggests a role for the mTOR pathway in age-dependent seizure susceptibility.

Neurogliaform cells of amygdala: a source of slow phasic inhibition in the basolateral complex

Synaptic inhibition in the amygdala actively participates in processing emotional information. To improve the understanding of interneurons in amygdala networks it is necessary to characterize the GABAergic cell types, their connectivity and physiological roles. We used a mouse line expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the neuropeptide Y (NPY) promoter. Paired recordings between presynaptic NPY-GFP-expressing (+) cells and postsynaptic principal neurons (PNs) of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) were performed. The NPY-GFP+ neurons displayed small somata and short dendrites embedded in a cloud of highly arborized axon, suggesting a neurogliaform cell (NGFC) type. We discovered that a NPY-GFP+ cell evoked a GABA(A) receptor-mediated slow inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) in a PN and an autaptic IPSC. The slow kinetics of these IPSCs was likely caused by the low concentration and spillover of extracellular GABA. We also report that NGFCs of the BLA fired action potentials phase-locked to hippocampal theta oscillations in anaesthetized rats. When this firing was re-played in NPY+-NGFCs in vitro, it evoked a transient depression of the IPSCs. Presynaptic GABA(B) receptors and functional depletion of synaptic vesicles determined this short-term plasticity. Synaptic contacts made by recorded NGFCs showed close appositions, and rarely identifiable classical synaptic structures. Thus, we report here a novel interneuron type of the amygdala that generates volume transmission of GABA. The peculiar functional mode of NGFCs makes them unique amongst all GABAergic cell types of the amygdala identified so far.

Two GABAA responses with distinct kinetics in a sound localization circuit

The temporal characteristics and functional diversity of GABAergic inhibition are determined by the spatiotemporal neurotransmitter profile, intrinsic properties of GABAA receptors, and other factors. Here, we report two distinct GABAA responses and the underlying mechanisms in neurons of the chicken nucleus laminaris (NL), the first encoder of interaural time difference for sound localization in birds. The time course of the postsynaptic GABAA currents in NL neurons, recorded with whole-cell voltage clamp, differed between different characteristic frequency (CF) regions. Compared to low-CF (LF) neurons, middle/high-CF (MF/HF) neurons had significantly slower IPSCs, with a 2.6-fold difference in the decay time constants of spontaneous IPSCs and a 5.3-fold difference in the decay of IPSCs elicited by single-pulse stimulus. Such differences were especially dramatic when IPSCs were elicited by train stimulations at physiologically relevant frequencies, and at high stimulus intensities. To account for these distinct GABAA responses, we showed that MF/HF neurons exhibited more prominent asynchronous release of GABA. Supporting this observation, replacement of extracellular Ca2+ with Sr2+ increased the decay of IPSCs in LF neurons, and EGTA-AM reduced the decay of IPSCs in MF/HF neurons. Furthermore, pharmacological evidence suggests that GABA spillover plays a greater role in prolonging the IPSCs of MF/HF neurons. Consequently, under whole-cell current clamp, synaptically released GABA produced short- and long-lasting suppression of the neuronal excitability of LF and MF/HF neurons, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that the GABAergic inputs to NL neurons may exert a dynamic modulation of interaural time difference (ITD) coding in a CF-dependent manner.

Neurogliaform and Ivy Cells: A Major Family of nNOS Expressing GABAergic Neurons

Neurogliaform and Ivy cells are members of an abundant family of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expressing GABAergic interneurons found in diverse brain regions. These cells have a defining dense local axonal plexus, and display unique synaptic properties including a biphasic postsynaptic response with both a slow GABA(A) component and a GABA(B) component following even a single action potential. The type of transmission displayed by these cells has been termed "volume transmission," distinct from both tonic and classical synaptic transmission. Electrical connections are also notable in that, unlike other GABAergic cell types, neurogliaform family cells will form gap junctions not only with other neurogliaform cells, but also with non-neurogliaform family GABAergic cells. In this review, we focus on neurogliaform and Ivy cells throughout the hippocampal formation, where recent studies highlight their role in feedforward inhibition, uncover their ability to display a phenomenon called persistent firing, and reveal their modulation by opioids. The unique properties of this family of cells, their abundance, rich connectivity, and modulation by clinically relevant drugs make them an attractive target for future studies in vivo during different behavioral and pharmacological conditions.

A novel functionally distinct subtype of striatal neuropeptide Y interneuron

We investigated the properties of neostriatal neuropeptide Y (NPY)-expressing interneurons in transgenic GFP (green fluorescent protein)-NPY reporter mice. In vitro whole-cell recordings and biocytin staining demonstrated the existence of a novel class of neostriatal NPY-expressing GABAergic interneurons that exhibit electrophysiological, neurochemical, and morphological properties strikingly different from those of previously described NPY-containing, plateau-depolarization low-threshold spike (NPY-PLTS) interneurons. The novel NPY interneuron type (NPY-neurogliaform) differed from previously described NPY-PLTS interneurons by exhibiting a significantly lower input resistance and hyperpolarized membrane potential, regular, nonaccommodating spiking in response to depolarizing current injections, and an absence of plateau depolarizations or low-threshold spikes. NPY-neurogliaform interneurons were also easily distinguished morphologically by their dense, compact, and highly branched dendritic and local axonal arborizations that contrasted sharply with the sparse and extended axonal and dendritic arborizations of NPY-PLTS interneurons. Furthermore, NPY-neurogliaform interneurons did not express immunofluorescence for somatostatin or nitric oxide synthase that was ubiquitous in NPY-PLTS interneurons. IPSP/Cs could only rarely be elicited in spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in paired recordings with NPY-PLTS interneurons. In contrast, the probability of SPN innervation by NPY-neurogliaform interneurons was extremely high, the synapse very reliable (no failures were observed), and the resulting postsynaptic response was a slow, GABA(A) receptor-mediated IPSC that has not been previously described in striatum but that has been elicited from NPY-GABAergic neurogliaform interneurons in cortex and hippocampus. These properties suggest unique and distinctive roles for NPY-PLTS and NPY-neurogliaform interneurons in the integrative properties of the neostriatum.

GABAergic circuits mediate the reinforcement-related signals of striatal cholinergic interneurons

Neostriatal cholinergic interneurons are believed to be important for reinforcement-mediated learning and response selection by signaling the occurrence and motivational value of behaviorally relevant stimuli through precisely timed multiphasic population responses. An important problem is to understand how these signals regulate the functioning of the neostriatum. Here we describe the synaptic organization of a previously unknown circuit that involves direct nicotinic excitation of several classes of GABAergic interneurons, including neuroptide Y-expressing neurogilaform neurons, and enables cholinergic interneurons to exert rapid inhibitory control of the activity of projection neurons. We also found that, in vivo, the dominant effect of an optogenetically reproduced pause-excitation population response of cholinergic interneurons was powerful and rapid inhibition of the firing of projection neurons that is coincident with synchronous cholinergic activation. These results reveal a previously unknown circuit mechanism that transmits reinforcement-related information of ChAT interneurons in the mouse neostriatal network.

GABAergic synchronization in the limbic system and its role in the generation of epileptiform activity

GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult forebrain, where it activates ionotropic type A and metabotropic type B receptors. Early studies have shown that GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibition controls neuronal excitability and thus the occurrence of seizures. However, more complex, and at times unexpected, mechanisms of GABAergic signaling have been identified during epileptiform discharges over the last few years. Here, we will review experimental data that point at the paradoxical role played by GABA(A) receptor-mediated mechanisms in synchronizing neuronal networks, and in particular those of limbic structures such as the hippocampus, the entorhinal and perirhinal cortices, or the amygdala. After having summarized the fundamental characteristics of GABA(A) receptor-mediated mechanisms, we will analyze their role in the generation of network oscillations and their contribution to epileptiform synchronization. Whether and how GABA(A) receptors influence the interaction between limbic networks leading to ictogenesis will be also reviewed. Finally, we will consider the role of altered inhibition in the human epileptic brain along with the ability of GABA(A) receptor-mediated conductances to generate synchronous depolarizing events that may lead to ictogenesis in human epileptic disorders as well.

Synaptic reorganization of inhibitory hilar interneuron circuitry after traumatic brain injury in mice

Functional plasticity of synaptic networks in the dentate gyrus has been implicated in the development of posttraumatic epilepsy and in cognitive dysfunction after traumatic brain injury, but little is known about potentially pathogenic changes in inhibitory circuits. We examined synaptic inhibition of dentate granule cells and excitability of surviving GABAergic hilar interneurons 8-13 weeks after cortical contusion brain injury in transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein in a subpopulation of inhibitory neurons. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings in granule cells revealed a reduction in spontaneous and miniature IPSC frequency after head injury; no concurrent change in paired-pulse ratio was found in granule cells after paired electrical stimulation of the hilus. Despite reduced inhibitory input to granule cells, action potential and EPSC frequencies were increased in hilar GABA neurons from slices ipsilateral to the injury versus those from control or contralateral slices. Furthermore, increased excitatory synaptic activity was detected in hilar GABA neurons ipsilateral to the injury after glutamate photostimulation of either the granule cell or CA3 pyramidal cell layers. Together, these findings suggest that excitatory drive to surviving hilar GABA neurons is enhanced by convergent input from both pyramidal and granule cells, but synaptic inhibition of granule cells is not fully restored after injury. This rewiring of circuitry regulating hilar inhibitory neurons may reflect an important compensatory mechanism, but it may also contribute to network destabilization by increasing the relative impact of surviving individual interneurons in controlling granule cell excitability in the posttraumatic dentate gyrus.

Pre & postsynaptic tuning of action potential timing by spontaneous GABAergic activity

Frequency and timing of action potential discharge are key elements for coding and transfer of information between neurons. The nature and location of the synaptic contacts, the biophysical parameters of the receptor-operated channels and their kinetics of activation are major determinants of the firing behaviour of each individual neuron. Ultimately the intrinsic excitability of each neuron determines the input-output function. Here we evaluate the influence of spontaneous GABAergic synaptic activity on the timing of action potentials in Layer 2/3 pyramidal neurones in acute brain slices from the somatosensory cortex of young rats. Somatic dynamic current injection to mimic synaptic input events was employed, together with a simple computational model that reproduce subthreshold membrane properties. Besides the well-documented control of neuronal excitability, spontaneous background GABAergic activity has a major detrimental effect on spike timing. In fact, GABA(A) receptors tune the relationship between the excitability and fidelity of pyramidal neurons via a postsynaptic (the reversal potential for GABA(A) activity) and a presynaptic (the frequency of spontaneous activity) mechanism. GABAergic activity can decrease or increase the excitability of pyramidal neurones, depending on the difference between the reversal potential for GABA(A) receptors and the threshold for action potential. In contrast, spike time jitter can only be increased proportionally to the difference between these two membrane potentials. Changes in excitability by background GABAergic activity can therefore only be associated with deterioration of the reliability of spike timing.

Impact of synaptic neurotransmitter concentration time course on the kinetics and pharmacological modulation of inhibitory synaptic currents

The time course of synaptic currents is a crucial determinant of rapid signaling between neurons. Traditionally, the mechanisms underlying the shape of synaptic signals are classified as pre- and post-synaptic. Over the last two decades, an extensive body of evidence indicated that synaptic signals are critically shaped by the neurotransmitter time course which encompasses several phenomena including pre- and post-synaptic ones. The agonist transient depends on neurotransmitter release mechanisms, diffusion within the synaptic cleft, spill-over to the extra-synaptic space, uptake, and binding to post-synaptic receptors. Most estimates indicate that the neurotransmitter transient is very brief, lasting between one hundred up to several hundreds of microseconds, implying that post-synaptic activation is characterized by a high degree of non-equilibrium. Moreover, pharmacological studies provide evidence that the kinetics of agonist transient plays a crucial role in setting the susceptibility of synaptic currents to modulation by a variety of compounds of physiological or clinical relevance. More recently, the role of the neurotransmitter time course has been emphasized by studies carried out on brain slice models that revealed a striking, cell-dependent variability of synaptic agonist waveforms ranging from rapid pulses to slow volume transmission. In the present paper we review the advances on studies addressing the impact of synaptic neurotransmitter transient on kinetics and pharmacological modulation of synaptic currents at inhibitory synapses.

Learning alters theta amplitude, theta-gamma coupling and neuronal synchronization in inferotemporal cortex

Background

How oscillatory brain rhythms alone, or in combination, influence cortical information processing to support learning has yet to be fully established. Local field potential and multi-unit neuronal activity recordings were made from 64-electrode arrays in the inferotemporal cortex of conscious sheep during and after visual discrimination learning of face or object pairs. A neural network model has been developed to simulate and aid functional interpretation of learning-evoked changes.

Results

Following learning the amplitude of theta (4-8 Hz), but not gamma (30-70 Hz) oscillations was increased, as was the ratio of theta to gamma. Over 75% of electrodes showed significant coupling between theta phase and gamma amplitude (theta-nested gamma). The strength of this coupling was also increased following learning and this was not simply a consequence of increased theta amplitude. Actual discrimination performance was significantly correlated with theta and theta-gamma coupling changes. Neuronal activity was phase-locked with theta but learning had no effect on firing rates or the magnitude or latencies of visual evoked potentials during stimuli. The neural network model developed showed that a combination of fast and slow inhibitory interneurons could generate theta-nested gamma. By increasing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor sensitivity in the model similar changes were produced as in inferotemporal cortex after learning. The model showed that these changes could potentiate the firing of downstream neurons by a temporal desynchronization of excitatory neuron output without increasing the firing frequencies of the latter. This desynchronization effect was confirmed in IT neuronal activity following learning and its magnitude was correlated with discrimination performance.

Conclusions

Face discrimination learning produces significant increases in both theta amplitude and the strength of theta-gamma coupling in the inferotemporal cortex which are correlated with behavioral performance. A network model which can reproduce these changes suggests that a key function of such learning-evoked alterations in theta and theta-nested gamma activity may be increased temporal desynchronization in neuronal firing leading to optimal timing of inputs to downstream neural networks potentiating their responses. In this way learning can produce potentiation in neural networks simply through altering the temporal pattern of their inputs.

Midazolam inhibits hippocampal long-term potentiation and learning through dual central and peripheral benzodiazepine receptor activation and neurosteroidogenesis

Benzodiazepines (BDZs) enhance GABA(A) receptor inhibition by direct actions on central BDZ receptors (CBRs). Although some BDZs also bind mitochondrial receptors [translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO)] and promote the synthesis of GABA-enhancing neurosteroids, the role of neurosteroids in the clinical effects of BDZs is unknown. In rat hippocampal slices, we compared midazolam, an anesthetic BDZ, with clonazepam, an anticonvulsant/anxiolytic BDZ that activates CBRs selectively. Midazolam, but not clonazepam, increased neurosteroid levels in CA1 pyramidal neurons without changing TSPO immunostaining. Midazolam, but not clonazepam, also augmented a form of spike inhibition after stimulation adjacent to the pyramidal cell layer and inhibited induction of long-term potentiation. These effects were prevented by finasteride, an inhibitor of neurosteroid synthesis, or 17PA [17-phenyl-(3α,5α)-androst-16-en-3-ol], a blocker of neurosteroid effects on GABA(A) receptors. Moreover, the synaptic effects were mimicked by a combination of clonazepam with FGIN (2-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-N,N-dihexylacetamide), a selective TSPO agonist, or a combination of clonazepam with exogenous allopregnanolone. Consistent with these in vitro results, finasteride abolished the effects of midazolam on contextual fear learning when administrated 1 d before midazolam injection. Thus, dual activation of CBRs and TSPO appears to result in unique actions of clinically important BDZs. Furthermore, endogenous neurosteroids are shown to be important regulators of pyramidal neuron function and synaptic plasticity.

Modulation of hippocampal stratum lacunosum-moleculare microcircuits

Although the rigorous anatomical definition of the microcircuitry of the brain is essential for understanding its functions, the modulation of the physiological properties of neurons and synapses may confer an additional level of complexity. Here, I review two examples of neuromodulation within a specific microcircuit of the hippocampus, i.e. the local network of stratum lacunosum-moleculare. In particular, I will examine the actions of two different types of neuromodulators on the excitability and electrical coupling of two specific classes of cells. First, I will review the effects of noradrenaline on GABAergic networks. Particular emphasis will be placed on neurogliaform cells. Then, I will describe the chemokinergic modulation of spontaneous firing of Cajal-Retzius cells, mediated by the chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12/stromal cell-derived factor-1 α (CXCL12/SDF-1) via the CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). The complexities created by these diverse types of modulations for network activity, together with their potential implications for stratum lacunosum-moleculare processing of information in vivo, will be also presented and briefly discussed.

Neurogliaform cells and other interneurons of stratum lacunosum-moleculare gate entorhinal-hippocampal dialogue

The stratum lacunosum-moleculare of the hippocampus is an area of integration that receives inputs from extrinsic excitatory fibres including those from the entorhinal cortex, and is under the control of several neuromodulators. A critical aspect is the presence in this hippocampal layer of specific interneurons that are likely to influence the strength and the temporal structure of entorhinal-CA1 hippocampal dynamics. I review here recent data on the physiological role of these interneurons. Special focus is devoted to one interneuron type, the so-called neurogliaform cell, because recent studies have defined its unusual mode of cell-to-cell communication. Neurogliaform cells mediate feedforward inhibition of CA1 pyramidal cells, form a network of cells connected via chemical and electrical synapses, and evoke slow inhibitory synaptic currents mediated by GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors. The modulation of entorhinal input by neurogliaform cells and their contribution to network theta rhythm are also discussed. I hope that novel information on neurogliaform cells will contribute to the ever-growing appreciation of GABAergic cell type diversity, and will inspire neuroscientists interested not only in synaptic physiology but also in the brain's spatial representation system.

Slow GABA transient and receptor desensitization shape synaptic responses evoked by hippocampal neurogliaform cells

The kinetics of GABAergic synaptic currents can vary by an order of magnitude depending on the cell type. The neurogliaform cell (NGFC) has recently been identified as a key generator of slow GABA(A) receptor-mediated volume transmission in the isocortex. However, the mechanisms underlying slow GABA(A) receptor-mediated IPSCs and their use-dependent plasticity remain unknown. Here, we provide experimental and modeling data showing that hippocampal NGFCs generate an unusually prolonged (tens of milliseconds) but low-concentration (micromolar range) GABA transient, which is responsible for the slow response kinetics and which leads to a robust desensitization of postsynaptic GABA(A) receptors. This strongly contributes to the use-dependent synaptic depression elicited by various patterns of NGFC activity including the one detected during theta network oscillations in vivo. Synaptic depression mediated by NGFCs is likely to play an important modulatory role in the feedforward inhibition of CA1 pyramidal cells provided by the entorhinal cortex.