1
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Scheuer KS, Jansson AM, Zhao X, Jackson MB. Inter and intralaminar excitation of parvalbumin interneurons in mouse barrel cortex. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0289901. [PMID: 38870124 PMCID: PMC11175493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are inhibitory fast-spiking cells with essential roles in directing the flow of information through cortical circuits. These neurons set the balance between excitation and inhibition and control rhythmic activity. PV interneurons differ between cortical layers in their morphology, circuitry, and function, but how their electrophysiological properties vary has received little attention. Here we investigate responses of PV interneurons in different layers of primary somatosensory barrel cortex (BC) to different excitatory inputs. With the genetically-encoded hybrid voltage sensor, hVOS, we recorded voltage changes in many L2/3 and L4 PV interneurons simultaneously, with stimulation applied to either L2/3 or L4. A semi-automated procedure was developed to identify small regions of interest corresponding to single responsive PV interneurons. Amplitude, half-width, and rise-time were greater for PV interneurons residing in L2/3 compared to L4. Stimulation in L2/3 elicited responses in both L2/3 and L4 with longer latency compared to stimulation in L4. These differences in latency between layers could influence their windows for temporal integration. Thus, PV interneurons in different cortical layers of BC respond in a layer specific and input specific manner, and these differences have potential roles in cortical computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine S. Scheuer
- Cellular and Molecular Biology PhD Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Jansson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Meyer B. Jackson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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2
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Martinetti LE, Autio DM, Crandall SR. Motor Control of Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Feedback Circuits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590613. [PMID: 38712153 PMCID: PMC11071411 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons provide massive input to the thalamus, and these feedback connections enable the cortex to influence its own sensory input by modulating thalamic excitability. However, the functional role(s) feedback serves during sensory processing is unclear. One hypothesis is that CT feedback is under the control of extra-sensory signals originating from higher-order cortical areas, yet we know nothing about the mechanisms of such control. It is also unclear whether such regulation is specific to CT neurons with distinct thalamic connectivity. Using mice (either sex) combined with in vitro electrophysiology techniques, optogenetics, and retrograde labeling, we describe studies of vibrissal primary motor cortex (vM1) influences on different CT neurons in the vibrissal primary somatosensory cortex (vS1) with distinct intrathalamic axonal projections. We found that vM1 inputs are highly selective, evoking stronger postsynaptic responses in Dual ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPm) and posterior medial nucleus (POm) projecting CT neurons located in lower L6a than VPm-only projecting CT cells in upper L6a. A targeted analysis of the specific cells and synapses involved revealed that the greater responsiveness of Dual CT neurons was due to their distinctive intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic mechanisms. These data demonstrate that vS1 has at least two discrete L6 CT subcircuits distinguished by their thalamic projection patterns, intrinsic physiology, and functional connectivity with vM1. Our results also provide insights into how a distinct CT subcircuit may serve specialized roles specific to contextual modulation of tactile-related sensory signals in the somatosensory thalamus during active vibrissa movements. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) feedback circuits are ubiquitous across mammalian species and modalities, and their activities have a strong influence on thalamic excitability and information throughput to the neocortex. Despite clear evidence of CT effects on the thalamus, we know relatively little about how CT cells themselves are regulated. Our results show that input from the primary motor cortex strongly excites a subclass of CT neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex that innervate both core and higher-order somatosensory nuclei rather than those exclusively targeting core somatosensory thalamus. The cortico-cortico-thalamic pathway formed by these connections establishes a circuit-level substrate for supporting CT influence operating under the guidance of ongoing motor activities.
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3
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Zolnik TA, Bronec A, Ross A, Staab M, Sachdev RNS, Molnár Z, Eickholt BJ, Larkum ME. Layer 6b controls brain state via apical dendrites and the higher-order thalamocortical system. Neuron 2024; 112:805-820.e4. [PMID: 38101395 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The deepest layer of the cortex (layer 6b [L6b]) contains relatively few neurons, but it is the only cortical layer responsive to the potent wake-promoting neuropeptide orexin/hypocretin. Can these few neurons significantly influence brain state? Here, we show that L6b-photoactivation causes a surprisingly robust enhancement of attention-associated high-gamma oscillations and population spiking while abolishing slow waves in sleep-deprived mice. To explain this powerful impact on brain state, we investigated L6b's synaptic output using optogenetics, electrophysiology, and monoCaTChR ex vivo. We found powerful output in the higher-order thalamus and apical dendrites of L5 pyramidal neurons, via L1a and L5a, as well as in superior colliculus and L6 interneurons. L6b subpopulations with distinct morphologies and short- and long-term plasticities project to these diverse targets. The L1a-targeting subpopulation triggered powerful NMDA-receptor-dependent spikes that elicited burst firing in L5. We conclude that orexin/hypocretin-activated cortical neurons form a multifaceted, fine-tuned circuit for the sustained control of the higher-order thalamocortical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Adam Zolnik
- Department of Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany; Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany.
| | - Anna Bronec
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Annemarie Ross
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Marcel Staab
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Robert N S Sachdev
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Biochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany; Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Sherrington Building, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | | | - Matthew Evan Larkum
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany.
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4
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Hayden DJ, Finnie PSB, Thomazeau A, Li AY, Cooke SF, Bear MF. Electrophysiological Signatures of Visual Recognition Memory across All Layers of Mouse V1. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7307-7321. [PMID: 37714707 PMCID: PMC10621768 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0090-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), familiar stimuli evoke significantly altered responses when compared with novel stimuli. This stimulus-selective response plasticity (SRP) was described originally as an increase in the magnitude of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited in layer 4 (L4) by familiar phase-reversing grating stimuli. SRP is dependent on NMDA receptors (NMDARs) and has been hypothesized to reflect potentiation of thalamocortical (TC) synapses in L4. However, recent evidence indicates that the synaptic modifications that manifest as SRP do not occur on L4 principal cells. To shed light on where and how SRP is induced and expressed in male and female mice, the present study had three related aims: (1) to confirm that NMDAR are required specifically in glutamatergic principal neurons of V1, (2) to investigate the consequences of deleting NMDAR specifically in L6, and (3) to use translaminar electrophysiological recordings to characterize SRP expression in different layers of V1. We find that knock-out (KO) of NMDAR in L6 principal neurons disrupts SRP. Current-source density (CSD) analysis of the VEP depth profile shows augmentation of short latency current sinks in layers 3, 4, and 6 in response to phase reversals of familiar stimuli. Multiunit recordings demonstrate that increased peak firing occurs in response to phase reversals of familiar stimuli across all layers, but that activity between phase reversals is suppressed. Together, these data reveal important aspects of the underlying phenomenology of SRP and generate new hypotheses for the expression of experience-dependent plasticity in V1.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Repeated exposure to stimuli that portend neither reward nor punishment leads to behavioral habituation, enabling organisms to dedicate attention to novel or otherwise significant features of the environment. The neural basis of this process, which is so often dysregulated in neurologic and psychiatric disorders, remains poorly understood. Learning and memory of stimulus familiarity can be studied in mouse visual cortex by measuring electrophysiological responses to simple phase-reversing grating stimuli. The current study advances knowledge of this process by documenting changes in visual evoked potentials (VEPs), neuronal spiking activity, and oscillations in the local field potentials (LFPs) across all layers of mouse visual cortex. In addition, we identify a key contribution of a specific population of neurons in layer 6 (L6) of visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Hayden
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Peter S B Finnie
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Aurore Thomazeau
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Alyssa Y Li
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Biochemistry Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Mark F Bear
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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Ueta Y, Miyata M. Functional and structural synaptic remodeling mechanisms underlying somatotopic organization and reorganization in the thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105332. [PMID: 37524138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The somatosensory system organizes the topographic representation of body maps, termed somatotopy, at all levels of an ascending hierarchy. Postnatal maturation of somatotopy establishes optimal somatosensation, whereas deafferentation in adults reorganizes somatotopy, which underlies pathological somatosensation, such as phantom pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Here, we focus on the mouse whisker somatosensory thalamus to study how sensory experience shapes the fine topography of afferent connectivity during the critical period and what mechanisms remodel it and drive a large-scale somatotopic reorganization after peripheral nerve injury. We will review our findings that, following peripheral nerve injury in adults, lemniscal afferent synapses onto thalamic neurons are remodeled back to immature configuration, as if the critical period reopens. The remodeling process is initiated with local activation of microglia in the brainstem somatosensory nucleus downstream to injured nerves and heterosynaptically controlled by input from GABAergic and cortical neurons to thalamic neurons. These fruits of thalamic studies complement well-studied cortical mechanisms of somatotopic organization and reorganization and unveil potential intervention points in treating pathological somatosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ueta
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Mariko Miyata
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
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6
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Scheuer KS, Jansson AM, Zhao X, Jackson MB. Inter and Intralaminar Excitation of Parvalbumin Interneurons in Mouse Barrel Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.02.543448. [PMID: 37398428 PMCID: PMC10312540 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.543448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are inhibitory fast-spiking cells with essential roles in directing the flow of information through cortical circuits. These neurons set the balance between excitation and inhibition, control rhythmic activity, and have been linked to disorders including autism spectrum and schizophrenia. PV interneurons differ between cortical layers in their morphology, circuitry, and function, but how their electrophysiological properties vary has received little attention. Here we investigate responses of PV interneurons in different layers of primary somatosensory barrel cortex (BC) to different excitatory inputs. With the genetically-encoded hybrid voltage sensor, hVOS, we recorded voltage changes simultaneously in many L2/3 and L4 PV interneurons to stimulation in either L2/3 or L4. Decay-times were consistent across L2/3 and L4. Amplitude, half-width, and rise-time were greater for PV interneurons residing in L2/3 compared to L4. Stimulation in L2/3 elicited responses in both L2/3 and L4 with longer latency compared to stimulation in L4. These differences in latency between layers could influence their windows for temporal integration. Thus PV interneurons in different cortical layers of BC show differences in response properties with potential roles in cortical computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate S Scheuer
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Anna M Jansson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Meyer B Jackson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
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7
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Ziegler K, Folkard R, Gonzalez AJ, Burghardt J, Antharvedi-Goda S, Martin-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho E, Kaushalya S, Tan LL, Kuner T, Acuna C, Kuner R, Mease RA, Groh A. Primary somatosensory cortex bidirectionally modulates sensory gain and nociceptive behavior in a layer-specific manner. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2999. [PMID: 37225702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is a hub for body sensation of both innocuous and noxious signals, yet its role in somatosensation versus pain is debated. Despite known contributions of S1 to sensory gain modulation, its causal involvement in subjective sensory experiences remains elusive. Here, in mouse S1, we reveal the involvement of cortical output neurons in layers 5 (L5) and 6 (L6) in the perception of innocuous and noxious somatosensory signals. We find that L6 activation can drive aversive hypersensitivity and spontaneous nocifensive behavior. Linking behavior to neuronal mechanisms, we find that L6 enhances thalamic somatosensory responses, and in parallel, strongly suppresses L5 neurons. Directly suppressing L5 reproduced the pronociceptive phenotype induced by L6 activation, suggesting an anti-nociceptive function for L5 output. Indeed, L5 activation reduced sensory sensitivity and reversed inflammatory allodynia. Together, these findings reveal a layer-specific and bidirectional role for S1 in modulating subjective sensory experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ross Folkard
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio J Gonzalez
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Burghardt
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sailaja Antharvedi-Goda
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emilio Isaías-Camacho
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sanjeev Kaushalya
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Group, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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8
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Schirner M, Deco G, Ritter P. Learning how network structure shapes decision-making for bio-inspired computing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2963. [PMID: 37221168 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38626-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
To better understand how network structure shapes intelligent behavior, we developed a learning algorithm that we used to build personalized brain network models for 650 Human Connectome Project participants. We found that participants with higher intelligence scores took more time to solve difficult problems, and that slower solvers had higher average functional connectivity. With simulations we identified a mechanistic link between functional connectivity, intelligence, processing speed and brain synchrony for trading accuracy with speed in dependence of excitation-inhibition balance. Reduced synchrony led decision-making circuits to quickly jump to conclusions, while higher synchrony allowed for better integration of evidence and more robust working memory. Strict tests were applied to ensure reproducibility and generality of the obtained results. Here, we identify links between brain structure and function that enable to learn connectome topology from noninvasive recordings and map it to inter-individual differences in behavior, suggesting broad utility for research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schirner
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center for Neuroscience Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center Digital Future, Wilhelmstraße 67, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Petra Ritter
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center for Neuroscience Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center Digital Future, Wilhelmstraße 67, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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9
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Goz RU, Hooks BM. Correlated Somatosensory Input in Parvalbumin/Pyramidal Cells in Mouse Motor Cortex. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0488-22.2023. [PMID: 37094939 PMCID: PMC10167893 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0488-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cortex, feedforward excitatory connections recruit feedforward inhibition. This is often carried by parvalbumin (PV+) interneurons, which may densely connect to local pyramidal (Pyr) neurons. Whether this inhibition affects all local excitatory cells indiscriminately or is targeted to specific subnetworks is unknown. Here, we test how feedforward inhibition is recruited by using two-channel circuit mapping to excite cortical and thalamic inputs to PV+ interneurons and Pyr neurons to mouse primary vibrissal motor cortex (M1). Single Pyr and PV+ neurons receive input from both cortex and thalamus. Connected pairs of PV+ interneurons and excitatory Pyr neurons receive correlated cortical and thalamic inputs. While PV+ interneurons are more likely to form local connections to Pyr neurons, Pyr neurons are much more likely to form reciprocal connections with PV+ interneurons that inhibit them. This suggests that Pyr and PV ensembles may be organized based on their local and long-range connections, an organization that supports the idea of local subnetworks for signal transduction and processing. Excitatory inputs to M1 can thus target inhibitory networks in a specific pattern which permits recruitment of feedforward inhibition to specific subnetworks within the cortical column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman U Goz
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Bryan M Hooks
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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10
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Vandevelde JR, Yang JW, Albrecht S, Lam H, Kaufmann P, Luhmann HJ, Stüttgen MC. Layer- and cell-type-specific differences in neural activity in mouse barrel cortex during a whisker detection task. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1361-1382. [PMID: 35417918 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To address the question which neocortical layers and cell types are important for the perception of a sensory stimulus, we performed multielectrode recordings in the barrel cortex of head-fixed mice performing a single-whisker go/no-go detection task with vibrotactile stimuli of differing intensities. We found that behavioral detection probability decreased gradually over the course of each session, which was well explained by a signal detection theory-based model that posits stable psychometric sensitivity and a variable decision criterion updated after each reinforcement, reflecting decreasing motivation. Analysis of multiunit activity demonstrated highest neurometric sensitivity in layer 4, which was achieved within only 30 ms after stimulus onset. At the level of single neurons, we observed substantial heterogeneity of neurometric sensitivity within and across layers, ranging from nonresponsiveness to approaching or even exceeding psychometric sensitivity. In all cortical layers, putative inhibitory interneurons on average proffered higher neurometric sensitivity than putative excitatory neurons. In infragranular layers, neurons increasing firing rate in response to stimulation featured higher sensitivities than neurons decreasing firing rate. Offline machine-learning-based analysis of videos of behavioral sessions showed that mice performed better when not moving, which at the neuronal level, was reflected by increased stimulus-evoked firing rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens R Vandevelde
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jenq-Wei Yang
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Steffen Albrecht
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Henry Lam
- Computational Intelligence, Faculty of Law, Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Paul Kaufmann
- Computational Intelligence, Faculty of Law, Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Jakob-Welder-Weg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Maik C Stüttgen
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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11
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Hayden DJ, Finnie PSB, Thomazeau A, Li AY, Cooke SF, Bear MF. Electrophysiological signatures of visual recognition memory across all layers of mouse V1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.25.524429. [PMID: 36747661 PMCID: PMC9900851 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.25.524429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In mouse primary visual cortex (V1), familiar stimuli evoke significantly altered responses when compared to novel stimuli. This stimulus-selective response plasticity (SRP) was described originally as an increase in the magnitude of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited in layer (L) 4 by familiar phase-reversing grating stimuli. SRP is dependent on NMDA receptors (NMDAR) and has been hypothesized to reflect potentiation of thalamocortical synapses in L4. However, recent evidence indicates that the synaptic modifications that manifest as SRP do not occur on L4 principal cells. To shed light on where and how SRP is induced and expressed, the present study had three related aims: (1) to confirm that NMDAR are required specifically in glutamatergic principal neurons of V1, (2) to investigate the consequences of deleting NMDAR specifically in L6, and (3) to use translaminar electrophysiological recordings to characterize SRP expression in different layers of V1. We find that knockout of NMDAR in L6 principal neurons disrupts SRP. Current-source density analysis of the VEP depth profile shows augmentation of short latency current sinks in layers 3, 4 and 6 in response to phase reversals of familiar stimuli. Multiunit recordings demonstrate that increased peak firing occurs to in response to phase reversals of familiar stimuli across all layers, but that activity between phase reversals is suppressed. Together, these data reveal important aspects of the underlying phenomenology of SRP and generate new hypotheses for the expression of experience-dependent plasticity in V1. Significance Statement Repeated exposure to stimuli that portend neither reward nor punishment leads to behavioral habituation, enabling organisms to dedicate attention to novel or otherwise significant features of the environment. The neural basis of this process, which is so often dysregulated in neurological and psychiatric disorders, remains poorly understood. Learning and memory of stimulus familiarity can be studied in mouse visual cortex by measuring electrophysiological responses to simple phase-reversing grating stimuli. The current study advances knowledge of this process by documenting changes in visual evoked potentials, neuronal spiking activity, and oscillations in the local field potentials across all layers of mouse visual cortex. In addition, we identify a key contribution of a specific population of neurons in layer 6 of visual cortex.
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12
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Trepka EB, Zhu S, Xia R, Chen X, Moore T. Functional interactions among neurons within single columns of macaque V1. eLife 2022; 11:e79322. [PMID: 36321687 PMCID: PMC9662816 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in high-density neurophysiological tools now make it possible to record from hundreds of single neurons within local, highly interconnected neural networks. Among the many advantages of such recordings is that they dramatically increase the quantity of identifiable, functional interactions between neurons thereby providing an unprecedented view of local circuits. Using high-density, Neuropixels recordings from single neocortical columns of primary visual cortex in nonhuman primates, we identified 1000s of functionally interacting neuronal pairs using established crosscorrelation approaches. Our results reveal clear and systematic variations in the synchrony and strength of functional interactions within single cortical columns. Despite neurons residing within the same column, both measures of interactions depended heavily on the vertical distance separating neuronal pairs, as well as on the similarity of stimulus tuning. In addition, we leveraged the statistical power afforded by the large numbers of functionally interacting pairs to categorize interactions between neurons based on their crosscorrelation functions. These analyses identified distinct, putative classes of functional interactions within the full population. These classes of functional interactions were corroborated by their unique distributions across defined laminar compartments and were consistent with known properties of V1 cortical circuitry, such as the lead-lag relationship between simple and complex cells. Our results provide a clear proof-of-principle for the use of high-density neurophysiological recordings to assess circuit-level interactions within local neuronal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan B Trepka
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Shude Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Ruobing Xia
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Xiaomo Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Center for Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, DavisDavisUnited States
| | - Tirin Moore
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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13
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Srivastava M, Angel C, Kisvárday RE, Kocsis Z, Stelescu A, Talapka P, Kisvárday Z. Form, synapses and orientation topography of a new cell type in layer 6 of the cat’s primary visual cortex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15428. [PMID: 36104476 PMCID: PMC9474457 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19746-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report the morpho-functional features of a novel type of deep-layer neuron. The neuron was selected from a large pool of intracellularly labelled cells based on the large cell body, numerous spine-free dendrites with an overall interneuron morphology. However, the axon gave off long-range axons up to 2.8 mm from the parent soma in layers 5/6 before entering the white matter. The boutons were uniformly distributed along the axon without forming distinct clusters. Dendritic length, surface area and volume values were at least 3 times larger than any known cortical neuron types with the exception of giant pyramidal cells of layer 5. Electron microscopy of the boutons revealed that they targeted dendritic spines (78%) and less frequently dendritic shafts (22%). Nearly half of the postsynaptic dendrites were immunopositive to GABA. Superimposing the axonal field on the orientation map obtained with optical imaging showed a preponderance of boutons to cross-orientations (38%) and an equal representation of iso- and oblique orientations (31%). The results suggest an integrating role for the layer 6 stellate neuron which projects to a functionally broad range of neurons in the deep cortical layers and to other cortical and/or subcortical regions.
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14
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Dash S, Autio DM, Crandall SR. State-Dependent Modulation of Activity in Distinct Layer 6 Corticothalamic Neurons in Barrel Cortex of Awake Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6551-6565. [PMID: 35863890 PMCID: PMC9410757 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2219-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6 CT) neurons are in a strategic position to control sensory input to the neocortex, yet we understand very little about their functions. Apart from studying their anatomic, physiological, and synaptic properties, most recent efforts have focused on the activity-dependent influences CT cells can exert on thalamic and cortical neurons through causal optogenetic manipulations. However, few studies have attempted to study them during behavior. To address this gap, we performed juxtacellular recordings from optogenetically identified CT neurons in whisker-related primary somatosensory cortex (wS1) of awake, head-fixed mice (either sex) free to rest quietly or self-initiate bouts of whisking and locomotion. We found a rich diversity of response profiles exhibited by CT cells. Their spiking patterns were either modulated by whisking-related behavior (∼28%) or not (∼72%). Whisking-responsive neurons exhibited both increases (activated-type) and decreases in firing rates (suppressed-type) that aligned with whisking onset better than locomotion. We also encountered responsive neurons with preceding modulations in firing rate before whisking onset. Overall, whisking better explained these changes in rates than overall changes in arousal. Whisking-unresponsive CT cells were generally quiet, with many having low spontaneous firing rates (sparse-type) and others being completely silent (silent-type). Remarkably, the sparse firing CT population preferentially spiked at the state transition point when pupil diameter constricted, and the mouse entered quiet wakefulness. Thus, our results demonstrate that L6 CT cells in wS1 show diverse spiking patterns, perhaps subserving distinct functional roles related to precisely timed responses during complex behaviors and transitions between discrete waking states.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Layer 6 corticothalamic neurons provide a massive input to the sensory thalamus and local connectivity within cortex, but their role in thalamocortical processing remains unclear because of difficulty accessing and isolating their activity. Although several recent optogenetic studies reveal that the net influence of corticothalamic actions, suppression versus enhancement, depends critically on the rate these neurons fire, the factors that influence their spiking are poorly understood, particularly during wakefulness. Using the well-established Ntsr1-Cre line to target this elusive population in the whisker somatosensory cortex of awake mice, we found that corticothalamic neurons show diverse state-related responses and modulations in firing rate. These results suggest separate corticothalamic populations can differentially influence thalamocortical excitability during rapid state transitions in awake, behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suryadeep Dash
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shane R Crandall
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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15
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Hahn G, Kumar A, Schmidt H, Knösche TR, Deco G. Rate and oscillatory switching dynamics of a multilayer visual microcircuit model. eLife 2022; 11:77594. [PMID: 35994330 PMCID: PMC9395191 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neocortex is organized around layered microcircuits consisting of a variety of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal types which perform rate- and oscillation-based computations. Using modeling, we show that both superficial and deep layers of the primary mouse visual cortex implement two ultrasensitive and bistable switches built on mutual inhibitory connectivity motives between somatostatin, parvalbumin, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide cells. The switches toggle pyramidal neurons between high and low firing rate states that are synchronized across layers through translaminar connectivity. Moreover, inhibited and disinhibited states are characterized by low- and high-frequency oscillations, respectively, with layer-specific differences in frequency and power which show asymmetric changes during state transitions. These findings are consistent with a number of experimental observations and embed firing rate together with oscillatory changes within a switch interpretation of the microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Hahn
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arvind Kumar
- Computational Science and Technology, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helmut Schmidt
- Brain Networks Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas R Knösche
- Brain Networks Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Department of Computer Science and Automation, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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16
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Marin IA, Gutman-Wei AY, Chew KS, Raissi AJ, Djurisic M, Shatz CJ. The nonclassical MHC class I Qa-1 expressed in layer 6 neurons regulates activity-dependent plasticity via microglial CD94/NKG2 in the cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203965119. [PMID: 35648829 PMCID: PMC9191652 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203965119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During developmental critical periods, circuits are sculpted by a process of activity-dependent competition. The molecular machinery involved in regulating the complex process of responding to different levels of activity is now beginning to be identified. Here, we show that the nonclassical major histocompatibility class I (MHCI) molecule Qa-1 is expressed in the healthy brain in layer 6 corticothalamic neurons. In the visual cortex, Qa-1 expression begins during the critical period for ocular dominance (OD) plasticity and is regulated by neuronal activity, suggesting a role in regulating activity-dependent competition. Indeed, in mice lacking Qa-1, OD plasticity is perturbed. Moreover, signaling through CD94/NKG2, a known cognate Qa-1 heterodimeric receptor in the immune system, is implicated: selectively targeting this interaction phenocopies the plasticity perturbation observed in Qa-1 knockouts. In the cortex, CD94/NKG2 is expressed by microglial cells, which undergo activity-dependent changes in their morphology in a Qa-1–dependent manner. Our study thus reveals a neuron–microglial interaction dependent upon a nonclassical MHCI molecule expressed in L6 neurons, which regulates plasticity in the visual cortex. These results also point to an unexpected function for the Qa-1/HLA-E (ligand) and CD94/NKG2 (receptor) interaction in the nervous system, in addition to that described in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana A. Marin
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Alan Y. Gutman-Wei
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Kylie S. Chew
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Aram J. Raissi
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Maja Djurisic
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
| | - Carla J. Shatz
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94035
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17
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Ji X, Liu W, Xiao H, Xiao Z. The activated synaptic terminals beyond the light illumination range affect the results of optogenetics. Neuroreport 2022; 33:281-290. [PMID: 35594445 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Optogenetics is widely applied to study complex brain networks. However, recent studies have found that light alone can produce effects that are unrelated to optogenetics, and it is still unclear whether this can affect the results of optogenetic experiments. METHODS We explored the characteristics of projection of interneurons to excitatory neurons in the auditory cortex with optogenetics, transgenic mice and patch-clamp recording. RESULTS We discovered that postsynaptic responses can be induced when we stimulated a blank area adjacent to the edge of brain slice. Similar results can be observed after blocking the polysynaptic responses by drugs. Together with the results of control experiments, we found that the false response is caused by activating the synaptic terminals beyond the range of the blue light (470 nm). Also, there was a linear relationship between the response and the stimulus distance for all data, which suggested that these false responses may be related to other factors, such as light scattering. CONCLUSIONS The LED-light-evoked response cannot reflect microcircuit of the recorded neuron and the activated neurons within the illumination range accurately. Together, these results confirm that light alone can affect neural activity, but this can be unrelated to the genuine 'optogenetic effect'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuying Ji
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou
| | - Wenhui Liu
- The General Family Medicine Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Haoran Xiao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou
- The General Family Medicine Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Zhongju Xiao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou
- The General Family Medicine Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
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18
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Spacek MA, Crombie D, Bauer Y, Born G, Liu X, Katzner S, Busse L. Robust effects of corticothalamic feedback and behavioral state on movie responses in mouse dLGN. eLife 2022; 11:70469. [PMID: 35315775 PMCID: PMC9020820 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus receive a substantial proportion of modulatory inputs from corticothalamic (CT) feedback and brain stem nuclei. Hypothesizing that these modulatory influences might be differentially engaged depending on the visual stimulus and behavioral state, we performed in vivo extracellular recordings from mouse dLGN while optogenetically suppressing CT feedback and monitoring behavioral state by locomotion and pupil dilation. For naturalistic movie clips, we found CT feedback to consistently increase dLGN response gain and promote tonic firing. In contrast, for gratings, CT feedback effects on firing rates were mixed. For both stimulus types, the neural signatures of CT feedback closely resembled those of behavioral state, yet effects of behavioral state on responses to movies persisted even when CT feedback was suppressed. We conclude that CT feedback modulates visual information on its way to cortex in a stimulus-dependent manner, but largely independently of behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin A Spacek
- Division of Neurobiology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Davide Crombie
- Division of Neurobiology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Yannik Bauer
- Division of Neurobiology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Gregory Born
- Division of Neurobiology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Division of Neurobiology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neurobiology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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19
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Kim J, Kim DW, Lee A, Mason M, Jouroukhin Y, Woo H, Yolken RH, Pletnikov MV. Homeostatic regulation of neuronal excitability by probiotics in male germ-free mice. J Neurosci Res 2021; 100:444-460. [PMID: 34935171 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that probiotics can influence the gut-brain axis to ameliorate somatic and behavioral symptoms associated with brain disorders. However, whether probiotics have effects on the electrophysiological activities of individual neurons in the brain has not been evaluated at a single-neuron resolution, and whether the neuronal effects of probiotics depend on the gut microbiome status have yet to be tested. Thus, we conducted whole-cell patch-clamp recording-assisted electrophysiological characterizations of the neuronal effects of probiotics in male germ-free (GF) mice with and without gut microbiome colonization. Two weeks of treatment with probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis) significantly and selectively increased the intrinsic excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, whereas reconstituting gut microbiota in GF mice reversed the effects of the probiotics leading to a decreased intrinsic excitability in hippocampal neurons. This bidirectional modulation of neuronal excitability by probiotics was observed in hippocampal neurons with corresponding basal membrane property and action potential waveform changes. However, unlike the hippocampus, the amygdala excitatory neurons did not show any electrophysiological changes to the probiotic treatment in either GF or conventionalized GF mice. Our findings demonstrate for the first time how probiotic treatment can have a significant influence on the electrophysiological properties of neurons, bidirectionally modulating their intrinsic excitability in a gut microbiota and brain area-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adrian Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Madisen Mason
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Yan Jouroukhin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hyewon Woo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Robert H Yolken
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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20
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Kirchgessner MA, Franklin AD, Callaway EM. Distinct "driving" versus "modulatory" influences of different visual corticothalamic pathways. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5121-5137.e7. [PMID: 34614389 PMCID: PMC8665059 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Higher-order (HO) thalamic nuclei interact extensively and reciprocally with the cerebral cortex. These corticothalamic (CT) interactions are thought to be important for sensation and perception, attention, and many other important brain functions. CT projections to HO thalamic nuclei, such as the visual pulvinar, originate from two different excitatory populations in cortical layers 5 and 6, whereas first-order nuclei (such as the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus; dLGN) only receive layer 6 CT input. It has been proposed that these layer 5 and layer 6 CT pathways have different functional influences on the HO thalamus, but this has never been directly tested. By optogenetically inactivating different CT populations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and recording single-unit activity from V1, dLGN, and pulvinar of awake mice, we demonstrate that layer 5, but not layer 6, CT projections drive visual responses in the pulvinar, even while both pathways provide retinotopic, baseline excitation to their thalamic targets. Inactivating the superior colliculus also suppressed visual responses in the same subregion of the pulvinar, demonstrating that cortical layer 5 and subcortical inputs both contribute to HO visual thalamic activity-even at the level of putative single neurons. Altogether, these results indicate a functional division of "driver" and "modulator" CT pathways from V1 to the visual thalamus in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Kirchgessner
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexis D Franklin
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Edward M Callaway
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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21
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Corticothalamic feedback sculpts visual spatial integration in mouse thalamus. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1711-1720. [PMID: 34764474 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00943-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
En route from the retina to the cortex, visual information passes through the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus, where extensive corticothalamic (CT) feedback has been suggested to modulate spatial processing. How this modulation arises from direct excitatory and indirect inhibitory CT feedback pathways remains enigmatic. Here, we show that in awake mice, retinotopically organized cortical feedback sharpens receptive fields (RFs) and increases surround suppression in the dLGN. Guided by a network model indicating that widespread inhibitory CT feedback is necessary to reproduce these effects, we targeted the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus (visTRN) for recordings. We found that visTRN neurons have large RFs, show little surround suppression and exhibit strong feedback-dependent responses to large stimuli. These features make them an ideal candidate for mediating feedback-enhanced surround suppression in the dLGN. We conclude that cortical feedback sculpts spatial integration in the dLGN, likely via recruitment of neurons in the visTRN.
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22
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Whilden CM, Chevée M, An SY, Brown SP. The synaptic inputs and thalamic projections of two classes of layer 6 corticothalamic neurons in primary somatosensory cortex of the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3751-3771. [PMID: 33908623 PMCID: PMC8551307 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although corticothalamic neurons (CThNs) represent the largest source of synaptic input to thalamic neurons, their role in regulating thalamocortical interactions remains incompletely understood. CThNs in sensory cortex have historically been divided into two types, those with cell bodies in Layer 6 (L6) that project back to primary sensory thalamic nuclei and those with cell bodies in Layer 5 (L5) that project to higher-order thalamic nuclei and subcortical structures. Recently, diversity among L6 CThNs has increasingly been appreciated. In the rodent somatosensory cortex, two major classes of L6 CThNs have been identified: one projecting to the ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPM-only L6 CThNs) and one projecting to both VPM and the posterior medial nucleus (VPM/POm L6 CThNs). Using rabies-based tracing methods in mice, we asked whether these L6 CThN populations integrate similar synaptic inputs. We found that both types of L6 CThNs received local input from somatosensory cortex and thalamic input from VPM and POm. However, VPM/POm L6 CThNs received significantly more input from a number of additional cortical areas, higher order thalamic nuclei, and subcortical structures. We also found that the two types of L6 CThNs target different functional regions within the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Together, our results indicate that these two types of L6 CThNs represent distinct information streams in the somatosensory cortex and suggest that VPM-only L6 CThNs regulate, via their more restricted circuits, sensory responses related to a cortical column while VPM/POm L6 CThNs, which are integrated into more widespread POm-related circuits, relay contextual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Michelle Whilden
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seong Yeol An
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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23
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Yang D, Qi G, Ding C, Feldmeyer D. Layer 6A Pyramidal Cell Subtypes Form Synaptic Microcircuits with Distinct Functional and Structural Properties. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2095-2111. [PMID: 34628499 PMCID: PMC9113278 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical layer 6 plays a crucial role in sensorimotor co-ordination and integration through functionally segregated circuits linking intracortical and subcortical areas. We performed whole-cell recordings combined with morphological reconstructions to identify morpho-electric types of layer 6A pyramidal cells (PCs) in rat barrel cortex. Cortico-thalamic (CT), cortico-cortical (CC), and cortico-claustral (CCla) PCs were classified based on their distinct morphologies and have been shown to exhibit different electrophysiological properties. We demonstrate that these three types of layer 6A PCs innervate neighboring excitatory neurons with distinct synaptic properties: CT PCs establish weak facilitating synapses onto other L6A PCs; CC PCs form synapses of moderate efficacy, while synapses made by putative CCla PCs display the highest release probability and a marked short-term depression. For excitatory-inhibitory synaptic connections in layer 6, both the presynaptic PC type and the postsynaptic interneuron type govern the dynamic properties of the respective synaptic connections. We have identified a functional division of local layer 6A excitatory microcircuits which may be responsible for the differential temporal engagement of layer 6 feed-forward and feedback networks. Our results provide a basis for further investigations on the long-range CC, CT, and CCla pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Yang
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Chao Ding
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany.,RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Dept of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany
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24
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Vaasjo LO, Han X, Thurmon AN, Tiemroth AS, Berndt H, Korn M, Figueroa A, Reyes R, Feliciano-Ramos PA, Galazo MJ. Characterization and manipulation of Corticothalamic neurons in associative cortices using Syt6-Cre transgenic mice. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:1020-1048. [PMID: 34617601 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Corticothalamic interactions between associative cortices and higher order thalamic nuclei are involved in high-cognitive functions such as decision-making and working memory. Corticothalamic neurons (CTn) in the prefrontal cortex and other associative areas have been much less studied than their counterparts in the primary sensory areas. The availability of characterized transgenic tools to study CTn in associative areas will facilitate their study and contribute to overcome the scarcity of data about their properties, network dynamics, and contribution to cognitive functions. Here, we characterized the Syt6-Cre (KI148Gsat/Mmud) transgenic mouse line, by tracking expression of a Cre-mediated reporter. In this line, Cre-reporter is strongly expressed in the prefrontal, motor, cingulate, and retrosplenial cortices, as well as in other brain areas including the cerebellum and the olfactory tubercle. Cortical expression starts embryonically and reaches the adult expression pattern by postnatal day 15. In the cortex, Cre-reporter is expressed by layer 6-CTn and by layer 5-CTn to a lesser extent. We quantified Syt6-Cre+ CTn axon varicosities to estimate the distribution and density of putative corticothalamic driver and modulator inputs to thalamic nuclei in the medial, midline, intralaminar, anterior, and motor groups. Also, we characterized the effect of optogenetic stimulation of Syt6-Cre+ neurons in the activity of the prefrontal cortex. CTn stimulation in the prefrontal cortex induces an oscillatory activity in the local field potential that resembles the cortical downstates typically observed during slow-wave sleep or quiet wake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee O Vaasjo
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Xiao Han
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Abbigail N Thurmon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Alina S Tiemroth
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Hallie Berndt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Madelyn Korn
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Alexandra Figueroa
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Rosa Reyes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Pedro A Feliciano-Ramos
- Department Brain and Cognitive Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria J Galazo
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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25
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Gutman-Wei AY, Brown SP. Mechanisms Underlying Target Selectivity for Cell Types and Subcellular Domains in Developing Neocortical Circuits. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:728832. [PMID: 34630048 PMCID: PMC8497978 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.728832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex contains numerous neuronal cell types, distinguished by their molecular identity as well as their electrophysiological and morphological properties. Cortical function is reliant on stereotyped patterns of synaptic connectivity and synaptic function among these neuron types, but how these patterns are established during development remains poorly understood. Selective targeting not only of different cell types but also of distinct postsynaptic neuronal domains occurs in many brain circuits and is directed by multiple mechanisms. These mechanisms include the regulation of axonal and dendritic guidance and fine-scale morphogenesis of pre- and postsynaptic processes, lineage relationships, activity dependent mechanisms and intercellular molecular determinants such as transmembrane and secreted molecules, many of which have also been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. However, many studies of synaptic targeting have focused on circuits in which neuronal processes target different lamina, such that cell-type-biased connectivity may be confounded with mechanisms of laminar specificity. In the cerebral cortex, each cortical layer contains cell bodies and processes from intermingled neuronal cell types, an arrangement that presents a challenge for the development of target-selective synapse formation. Here, we address progress and future directions in the study of cell-type-biased synaptic targeting in the cerebral cortex. We highlight challenges to identifying developmental mechanisms generating stereotyped patterns of intracortical connectivity, recent developments in uncovering the determinants of synaptic target selection during cortical synapse formation, and current gaps in the understanding of cortical synapse specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Y. Gutman-Wei
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Solange P. Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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26
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Schmuhl-Giesen S, Rollenhagen A, Walkenfort B, Yakoubi R, Sätzler K, Miller D, von Lehe M, Hasenberg M, Lübke JHR. Sublamina-Specific Dynamics and Ultrastructural Heterogeneity of Layer 6 Excitatory Synaptic Boutons in the Adult Human Temporal Lobe Neocortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1840-1865. [PMID: 34530440 PMCID: PMC9070345 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses “govern” the computational properties of any given network in the brain. However, their detailed quantitative morphology is still rather unknown, particularly in humans. Quantitative 3D-models of synaptic boutons (SBs) in layer (L)6a and L6b of the temporal lobe neocortex (TLN) were generated from biopsy samples after epilepsy surgery using fine-scale transmission electron microscopy, 3D-volume reconstructions and electron microscopic tomography. Beside the overall geometry of SBs, the size of active zones (AZs) and that of the three pools of synaptic vesicles (SVs) were quantified. SBs in L6 of the TLN were middle-sized (~5 μm2), the majority contained only a single but comparatively large AZ (~0.20 μm2). SBs had a total pool of ~1100 SVs with comparatively large readily releasable (RRP, ~10 SVs L6a), (RRP, ~15 SVs L6b), recycling (RP, ~150 SVs), and resting (~900 SVs) pools. All pools showed a remarkably large variability suggesting a strong modulation of short-term synaptic plasticity. In conclusion, L6 SBs are highly reliable in synaptic transmission within the L6 network in the TLN and may act as “amplifiers,” “integrators” but also as “discriminators” for columnar specific, long-range extracortical and cortico-thalamic signals from the sensory periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Astrid Rollenhagen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-10, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Bernd Walkenfort
- Imaging Center Essen (IMCES), Electron Microscopy Unit (EMU), Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Rachida Yakoubi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-10, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kurt Sätzler
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Londonderry, BT52 1SA, UK
| | - Dorothea Miller
- University Hospital/Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum, 44892, Bochum, Germany
| | - Marec von Lehe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brandenburg Medical School, Ruppiner Clinics, 16816, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Mike Hasenberg
- Imaging Center Essen (IMCES), Electron Microscopy Unit (EMU), Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Joachim H R Lübke
- Address correspondence to Joachim Lübke, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine INM-10, Research Centre Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
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27
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Martinetti LE, Bonekamp KE, Autio DM, Kim HH, Crandall SR. Short-Term Facilitation of Long-Range Corticocortical Synapses Revealed by Selective Optical Stimulation. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1932-1949. [PMID: 34519352 PMCID: PMC9070351 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-term plasticity regulates the strength of central synapses as a function of previous activity. In the neocortex, direct synaptic interactions between areas play a central role in cognitive function, but the activity-dependent regulation of these long-range corticocortical connections and their impact on a postsynaptic target neuron is unclear. Here, we use an optogenetic strategy to study the connections between mouse primary somatosensory and motor cortex. We found that short-term facilitation was strong in both corticocortical synapses, resulting in far more sustained responses than local intracortical and thalamocortical connections. A major difference between pathways was that the synaptic strength and magnitude of facilitation were distinct for individual excitatory cells located across all cortical layers and specific subtypes of GABAergic neurons. Facilitation was dependent on the presynaptic calcium sensor synaptotagmin-7 and altered by several optogenetic approaches. Current-clamp recordings revealed that during repetitive activation, the short-term dynamics of corticocortical synapses enhanced the excitability of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, increasing the probability of spiking with activity. Furthermore, the properties of the connections linking primary with secondary somatosensory cortex resemble those between somatosensory-motor areas. These short-term changes in transmission properties suggest long-range corticocortical synapses are specialized for conveying information over relatively extended periods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dawn M Autio
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Hye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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28
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Antunes FM, Malmierca MS. Corticothalamic Pathways in Auditory Processing: Recent Advances and Insights From Other Sensory Systems. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:721186. [PMID: 34489648 PMCID: PMC8418311 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.721186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticothalamic (CT) pathways emanate from either Layer 5 (L5) or 6 (L6) of the neocortex and largely outnumber the ascending, thalamocortical pathways. The CT pathways provide the anatomical foundations for an intricate, bidirectional communication between thalamus and cortex. They act as dynamic circuits of information transfer with the ability to modulate or even drive the response properties of target neurons at each synaptic node of the circuit. L6 CT feedback pathways enable the cortex to shape the nature of its driving inputs, by directly modulating the sensory message arriving at the thalamus. L5 CT pathways can drive the postsynaptic neurons and initiate a transthalamic corticocortical circuit by which cortical areas communicate with each other. For this reason, L5 CT pathways place the thalamus at the heart of information transfer through the cortical hierarchy. Recent evidence goes even further to suggest that the thalamus via CT pathways regulates functional connectivity within and across cortical regions, and might be engaged in cognition, behavior, and perceptual inference. As descending pathways that enable reciprocal and context-dependent communication between thalamus and cortex, we venture that CT projections are particularly interesting in the context of hierarchical perceptual inference formulations such as those contemplated in predictive processing schemes, which so far heavily rely on cortical implementations. We discuss recent proposals suggesting that the thalamus, and particularly higher order thalamus via transthalamic pathways, could coordinate and contextualize hierarchical inference in cortical hierarchies. We will explore these ideas with a focus on the auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora M. Antunes
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (CANELAB), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Manuel S. Malmierca
- Cognitive and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (CANELAB), Institute of Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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29
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Rodgers CC, Nogueira R, Pil BC, Greeman EA, Park JM, Hong YK, Fusi S, Bruno RM. Sensorimotor strategies and neuronal representations for shape discrimination. Neuron 2021; 109:2308-2325.e10. [PMID: 34133944 PMCID: PMC8298290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans and other animals can identify objects by active touch, requiring the coordination of exploratory motion and tactile sensation. Both the motor strategies and neural representations employed could depend on the subject's goals. We developed a shape discrimination task that challenged head-fixed mice to discriminate concave from convex shapes. Behavioral decoding revealed that mice did this by comparing contacts across whiskers. In contrast, a separate group of mice performing a shape detection task simply summed up contacts over whiskers. We recorded populations of neurons in the barrel cortex, which processes whisker input, and found that individual neurons across the cortical layers encoded touch, whisker motion, and task-related signals. Sensory representations were task-specific: during shape discrimination, but not detection, neurons responded most to behaviorally relevant whiskers, overriding somatotopy. Thus, sensory cortex employs task-specific representations compatible with behaviorally relevant computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris C Rodgers
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Ramon Nogueira
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - B Christina Pil
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Esther A Greeman
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jung M Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Y Kate Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Stefano Fusi
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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30
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Ratliff JM, Batista-Brito R. The Interneuron Class Struggle. Cell 2021; 183:845-847. [PMID: 33186526 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Cell, Gouwens et al. establish the state of the art for defining inhibitory cell types in the mouse neocortex. By combining morphological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic features to classify interneurons in the mouse visual cortex, this work provides a roadmap for understanding the diversity of cell types and their functional role in cortical computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M Ratliff
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Renata Batista-Brito
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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31
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Untangling the cortico-thalamo-cortical loop: cellular pieces of a knotty circuit puzzle. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:389-406. [PMID: 33958775 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00459-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Functions of the neocortex depend on its bidirectional communication with the thalamus, via cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) loops. Recent work dissecting the synaptic connectivity in these loops is generating a clearer picture of their cellular organization. Here, we review findings across sensory, motor and cognitive areas, focusing on patterns of cell type-specific synaptic connections between the major types of cortical and thalamic neurons. We outline simple and complex CTC loops, and note features of these loops that appear to be general versus specialized. CTC loops are tightly interlinked with local cortical and corticocortical (CC) circuits, forming extended chains of loops that are probably critical for communication across hierarchically organized cerebral networks. Such CTC-CC loop chains appear to constitute a modular unit of organization, serving as scaffolding for area-specific structural and functional modifications. Inhibitory neurons and circuits are embedded throughout CTC loops, shaping the flow of excitation. We consider recent findings in the context of established CTC and CC circuit models, and highlight current efforts to pinpoint cell type-specific mechanisms in CTC loops involved in consciousness and perception. As pieces of the connectivity puzzle fall increasingly into place, this knowledge can guide further efforts to understand structure-function relationships in CTC loops.
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32
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Yoo S, Kim J, Lyu P, Hoang TV, Ma A, Trinh V, Dai W, Jiang L, Leavey P, Duncan L, Won JK, Park SH, Qian J, Brown SP, Blackshaw S. Control of neurogenic competence in mammalian hypothalamic tanycytes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg3777. [PMID: 34049878 PMCID: PMC8163082 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypothalamic tanycytes, radial glial cells that share many features with neuronal progenitors, can generate small numbers of neurons in the postnatal hypothalamus, but the identity of these neurons and the molecular mechanisms that control tanycyte-derived neurogenesis are unknown. In this study, we show that tanycyte-specific disruption of the NFI family of transcription factors (Nfia/b/x) robustly stimulates tanycyte proliferation and tanycyte-derived neurogenesis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq) analysis reveals that NFI (nuclear factor I) factors repress Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Wnt signaling in tanycytes and modulation of these pathways blocks proliferation and tanycyte-derived neurogenesis in Nfia/b/x-deficient mice. Nfia/b/x-deficient tanycytes give rise to multiple mediobasal hypothalamic neuronal subtypes that can mature, fire action potentials, receive synaptic inputs, and selectively respond to changes in internal states. These findings identify molecular mechanisms that control tanycyte-derived neurogenesis, which can potentially be targeted to selectively remodel the hypothalamic neural circuitry that controls homeostatic physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooyeon Yoo
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 71 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu 03082, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Pin Lyu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Thanh V Hoang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alex Ma
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Vickie Trinh
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Weina Dai
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lizhi Jiang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Patrick Leavey
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Leighton Duncan
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jae-Kyung Won
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 71 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu 03082, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hye Park
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 71 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu 03082, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiang Qian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Solange P Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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33
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Yamawaki N, Raineri Tapies MG, Stults A, Smith GA, Shepherd GMG. Circuit organization of the excitatory sensorimotor loop through hand/forelimb S1 and M1. eLife 2021; 10:e66836. [PMID: 33851917 PMCID: PMC8046433 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory-guided limb control relies on communication across sensorimotor loops. For active touch with the hand, the longest loop is the transcortical continuation of ascending pathways, particularly the lemnisco-cortical and corticocortical pathways carrying tactile signals via the cuneate nucleus, ventral posterior lateral (VPL) thalamus, and primary somatosensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices to reach corticospinal neurons and influence descending activity. We characterized excitatory connectivity along this pathway in the mouse. In the lemnisco-cortical leg, disynaptic cuneate→VPL→S1 connections excited mainly layer (L) 4 neurons. In the corticocortical leg, S1→M1 connections from L2/3 and L5A neurons mainly excited downstream L2/3 neurons, which excite corticospinal neurons. The findings provide a detailed new wiring diagram for the hand/forelimb-related transcortical circuit, delineating a basic but complex set of cell-type-specific feedforward excitatory connections that selectively and extensively engage diverse intratelencephalic projection neurons, thereby polysynaptically linking subcortical somatosensory input to cortical motor output to spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Yamawaki
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | | | - Austin Stults
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Gregory A Smith
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Gordon MG Shepherd
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
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34
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Inhibitory neurons exhibit high controlling ability in the cortical microconnectome. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008846. [PMID: 33831009 PMCID: PMC8031186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is a network system in which excitatory and inhibitory neurons keep activity balanced in the highly non-random connectivity pattern of the microconnectome. It is well known that the relative percentage of inhibitory neurons is much smaller than excitatory neurons in the cortex. So, in general, how inhibitory neurons can keep the balance with the surrounding excitatory neurons is an important question. There is much accumulated knowledge about this fundamental question. This study quantitatively evaluated the relatively higher functional contribution of inhibitory neurons in terms of not only properties of individual neurons, such as firing rate, but also in terms of topological mechanisms and controlling ability on other excitatory neurons. We combined simultaneous electrical recording (~2.5 hours) of ~1000 neurons in vitro, and quantitative evaluation of neuronal interactions including excitatory-inhibitory categorization. This study accurately defined recording brain anatomical targets, such as brain regions and cortical layers, by inter-referring MRI and immunostaining recordings. The interaction networks enabled us to quantify topological influence of individual neurons, in terms of controlling ability to other neurons. Especially, the result indicated that highly influential inhibitory neurons show higher controlling ability of other neurons than excitatory neurons, and are relatively often distributed in deeper layers of the cortex. Furthermore, the neurons having high controlling ability are more effectively limited in number than central nodes of k-cores, and these neurons also participate in more clustered motifs. In summary, this study suggested that the high controlling ability of inhibitory neurons is a key mechanism to keep balance with a large number of other excitatory neurons beyond simple higher firing rate. Application of the selection method of limited important neurons would be also applicable for the ability to effectively and selectively stimulate E/I imbalanced disease states. How small numbers of inhibitory neurons functionally keep balance with large numbers of excitatory neurons in the brain by controlling each other is a fundamental question. Especially, this study quantitatively evaluated a topological mechanism of interaction networks in terms of controlling abilities of individual cortical neurons to other neurons. Combination of simultaneous electrical recording of ~1000 neurons and a quantitative evaluation method of neuronal interactions including excitatory-inhibitory categories, enabled us to evaluate the influence of individual neurons not only about firing rate but also about their relative positions in the networks and controllable ability of other neurons. Especially, the result showed that inhibitory neurons have more controlling ability than excitatory neurons, and such neurons were more often observed in deep layers. Because the limited number of neurons in terms controlling ability were much smaller than neurons based on centrality measure and, of course, more directly selected neurons based on their ability to control other neurons, the selection method of important neurons will help not only to produce realistic computational models but also will help to stimulate brain to effectively treat imbalanced disease states.
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35
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Ding C, Emmenegger V, Schaffrath K, Feldmeyer D. Layer-Specific Inhibitory Microcircuits of Layer 6 Interneurons in Rat Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:32-47. [PMID: 32829414 PMCID: PMC7727376 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons in different cortical areas play important roles in diverse higher-order cognitive functions. The heterogeneity of interneurons is well characterized in different sensory cortices, in particular in primary somatosensory and visual cortex. However, the structural and functional properties of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) interneurons have received less attention. In this study, a cluster analysis based on axonal projection patterns revealed four distinct clusters of L6 interneurons in rat mPFC: Cluster 1 interneurons showed axonal projections similar to Martinotti-like cells extending to layer 1, cluster 2 displayed translaminar projections mostly to layer 5, and cluster 3 interneuron axons were confined to the layer 6, whereas those of cluster 4 interneurons extend also into the white matter. Correlations were found between neuron location and axonal distribution in all clusters. Moreover, all cluster 1 L6 interneurons showed a monotonically adapting firing pattern with an initial high-frequency burst. All cluster 2 interneurons were fast-spiking, while neurons in cluster 3 and 4 showed heterogeneous firing patterns. Our data suggest that L6 interneurons that have distinct morphological and physiological characteristics are likely to innervate different targets in mPFC and thus play differential roles in the L6 microcircuitry and in mPFC-associated functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ding
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Vishalini Emmenegger
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kim Schaffrath
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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36
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Flossmann T, Rochefort NL. Spatial navigation signals in rodent visual cortex. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 67:163-173. [PMID: 33360769 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During navigation, animals integrate sensory information with body movements to guide actions. The impact of both navigational and movement-related signals on cortical visual information processing remains largely unknown. We review recent studies in awake rodents that have revealed navigation-related signals in the primary visual cortex (V1) including speed, distance travelled and head-orienting movements. Both cortical and subcortical inputs convey self-motion related information to V1 neurons: for example, top-down inputs from secondary motor and retrosplenial cortices convey information about head movements and spatial expectations. Within V1, subtypes of inhibitory neurons are critical for the integration of navigation-related and visual signals. We conclude with potential functional roles of navigation-related signals in V1 including gain control, motor error signals and predictive coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Flossmann
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Nathalie L Rochefort
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.
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37
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Gouwens NW, Sorensen SA, Baftizadeh F, Budzillo A, Lee BR, Jarsky T, Alfiler L, Baker K, Barkan E, Berry K, Bertagnolli D, Bickley K, Bomben J, Braun T, Brouner K, Casper T, Crichton K, Daigle TL, Dalley R, de Frates RA, Dee N, Desta T, Lee SD, Dotson N, Egdorf T, Ellingwood L, Enstrom R, Esposito L, Farrell C, Feng D, Fong O, Gala R, Gamlin C, Gary A, Glandon A, Goldy J, Gorham M, Graybuck L, Gu H, Hadley K, Hawrylycz MJ, Henry AM, Hill D, Hupp M, Kebede S, Kim TK, Kim L, Kroll M, Lee C, Link KE, Mallory M, Mann R, Maxwell M, McGraw M, McMillen D, Mukora A, Ng L, Ng L, Ngo K, Nicovich PR, Oldre A, Park D, Peng H, Penn O, Pham T, Pom A, Popović Z, Potekhina L, Rajanbabu R, Ransford S, Reid D, Rimorin C, Robertson M, Ronellenfitch K, Ruiz A, Sandman D, Smith K, Sulc J, Sunkin SM, Szafer A, Tieu M, Torkelson A, Trinh J, Tung H, Wakeman W, Ward K, Williams G, Zhou Z, Ting JT, Arkhipov A, Sümbül U, Lein ES, Koch C, Yao Z, Tasic B, Berg J, Murphy GJ, Zeng H. Integrated Morphoelectric and Transcriptomic Classification of Cortical GABAergic Cells. Cell 2020; 183:935-953.e19. [PMID: 33186530 PMCID: PMC7781065 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neurons are frequently classified into distinct types on the basis of structural, physiological, or genetic attributes. To better constrain the definition of neuronal cell types, we characterized the transcriptomes and intrinsic physiological properties of over 4,200 mouse visual cortical GABAergic interneurons and reconstructed the local morphologies of 517 of those neurons. We find that most transcriptomic types (t-types) occupy specific laminar positions within visual cortex, and, for most types, the cells mapping to a t-type exhibit consistent electrophysiological and morphological properties. These properties display both discrete and continuous variation among t-types. Through multimodal integrated analysis, we define 28 met-types that have congruent morphological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic properties and robust mutual predictability. We identify layer-specific axon innervation pattern as a defining feature distinguishing different met-types. These met-types represent a unified definition of cortical GABAergic interneuron types, providing a systematic framework to capture existing knowledge and bridge future analyses across different modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Agata Budzillo
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Brian R Lee
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tim Jarsky
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lauren Alfiler
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Eliza Barkan
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kyla Berry
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Kris Bickley
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jasmine Bomben
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Thomas Braun
- Byte Physics, Schwarzastraße 9, Berlin 12055, Germany
| | - Krissy Brouner
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tamara Casper
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Tanya L Daigle
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Rachel Dalley
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Nick Dee
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tsega Desta
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | - Tom Egdorf
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Rachel Enstrom
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Luke Esposito
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Colin Farrell
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David Feng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Olivia Fong
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Rohan Gala
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Clare Gamlin
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Amanda Gary
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Jeff Goldy
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Melissa Gorham
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lucas Graybuck
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Hong Gu
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kristen Hadley
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Alex M Henry
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - DiJon Hill
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Madie Hupp
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Sara Kebede
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tae Kyung Kim
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lisa Kim
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Matthew Kroll
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Changkyu Lee
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | - Rusty Mann
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Medea McGraw
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Alice Mukora
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lindsay Ng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Lydia Ng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kiet Ngo
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Aaron Oldre
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Daniel Park
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Hanchuan Peng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Osnat Penn
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Thanh Pham
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Alice Pom
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Zoran Popović
- Center for Game Science, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | | | - Shea Ransford
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David Reid
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | | | - Augustin Ruiz
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - David Sandman
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kimberly Smith
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Josef Sulc
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Susan M Sunkin
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Aaron Szafer
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Michael Tieu
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Amy Torkelson
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jessica Trinh
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Herman Tung
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Wayne Wakeman
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Katelyn Ward
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Grace Williams
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Zhi Zhou
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Anton Arkhipov
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Uygar Sümbül
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ed S Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Christof Koch
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Zizhen Yao
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Bosiljka Tasic
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jim Berg
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gabe J Murphy
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Hongkui Zeng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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38
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Inglis GAS, Zhou Y, Patterson DG, Scharer CD, Han Y, Boss JM, Wen Z, Escayg A. Transcriptomic and epigenomic dynamics associated with development of human iPSC-derived GABAergic interneurons. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:2579-2595. [PMID: 32794569 PMCID: PMC7471504 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons (GINs) are a heterogeneous population of inhibitory neurons that collectively contribute to the maintenance of normal neuronal excitability and network activity. Identification of the genetic regulatory elements and transcription factors that contribute toward GIN function may provide new insight into the pathways underlying proper GIN activity while also indicating potential therapeutic targets for GIN-associated disorders, such as schizophrenia and epilepsy. In this study, we examined the temporal changes in gene expression and chromatin accessibility during GIN development by performing transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons at 22, 50 and 78 days (D) post-differentiation. We observed 13 221 differentially accessible regions (DARs) of chromatin that associate with temporal changes in gene expression at D78 and D50, relative to D22. We also classified families of transcription factors that are increasingly enriched at DARs during differentiation, indicating regulatory networks that likely drive GIN development. Collectively, these data provide a resource for examining the molecular networks regulating GIN functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Andrew S Inglis
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Dillon G Patterson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Christopher D Scharer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yanfei Han
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jeremy M Boss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Zhexing Wen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Andrew Escayg
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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39
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Buchan MJ. A subpopulation of L6b neurons provides driver-like input to the posteromedial thalamus. J Physiol 2020; 598:5313-5315. [PMID: 32857864 DOI: 10.1113/jp280472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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40
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Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Neuronal Circuits in Barrel Cortex for Whisker Sensory Perception. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:353-415. [PMID: 32816652 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The array of whiskers on the snout provides rodents with tactile sensory information relating to the size, shape and texture of objects in their immediate environment. Rodents can use their whiskers to detect stimuli, distinguish textures, locate objects and navigate. Important aspects of whisker sensation are thought to result from neuronal computations in the whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). Each whisker is individually represented in the somatotopic map of wS1 by an anatomical unit named a 'barrel' (hence also called barrel cortex). This allows precise investigation of sensory processing in the context of a well-defined map. Here, we first review the signaling pathways from the whiskers to wS1, and then discuss current understanding of the various types of excitatory and inhibitory neurons present within wS1. Different classes of cells can be defined according to anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular features. The synaptic connectivity of neurons within local wS1 microcircuits, as well as their long-range interactions and the impact of neuromodulators, are beginning to be understood. Recent technological progress has allowed cell-type-specific connectivity to be related to cell-type-specific activity during whisker-related behaviors. An important goal for future research is to obtain a causal and mechanistic understanding of how selected aspects of tactile sensory information are processed by specific types of neurons in the synaptically connected neuronal networks of wS1 and signaled to downstream brain areas, thus contributing to sensory-guided decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen F Staiger
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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41
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Augustinaite S, Kuhn B. Complementary Ca 2+ Activity of Sensory Activated and Suppressed Layer 6 Corticothalamic Neurons Reflects Behavioral State. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3945-3960.e5. [PMID: 32822605 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Layer 6 (L6) corticothalamic neurons project to thalamus, where they are thought to regulate sensory information transmission to cortex. However, the activity of these neurons during different behavioral states has not been described. Here, we imaged calcium changes in visual cortex L6 primary corticothalamic neurons with two-photon microscopy in head-fixed mice in response to passive viewing during a range of behavioral states, from locomotion to sleep. In addition to a substantial fraction of quiet neurons, we found sensory-activated and suppressed neurons, comprising two functionally distinct L6 feedback channels. Quiet neurons could be dynamically recruited to one or another functional channel, and the opposite, functional neurons could become quiet under different stimulation conditions or behavior states. The state dependence of neuronal activity was heterogeneous with respect to locomotion or level of alertness, although the average activity was largest during highest vigilance within populations of functional neurons. Interestingly, complementary activity of these distinct populations kept the overall corticothalamic feedback relatively constant during any given behavioral state. Thereby, in addition to sensory and non-sensory information, a constant activity level characteristic of behavioral state is conveyed to thalamus, where it can regulate signal transmission from the periphery to cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigita Augustinaite
- Optical Neuroimaging Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan.
| | - Bernd Kuhn
- Optical Neuroimaging Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, 904-0495 Okinawa, Japan.
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42
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Interhemispheric Callosal Projections Sharpen Frequency Tuning and Enforce Response Fidelity in Primary Auditory Cortex. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0256-20.2020. [PMID: 32769158 PMCID: PMC7438056 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0256-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory cortical areas receive glutamatergic callosal projections that link information processing between brain hemispheres. In primary auditory cortex (A1), ipsilateral principal cells from a particular tonotopic region project to neurons in matching frequency space of the contralateral cortex. However, the role of interhemispheric projections in shaping cortical responses to sound and frequency tuning in awake animals is unclear. Here, we use translaminar single-unit recordings and optogenetic approaches to probe how callosal inputs modulate spontaneous and tone-evoked activity in A1 of awake mice. Brief activation of callosal inputs drove either short-latency increases or decreases in firing of individual neurons. Across all cortical layers, the majority of responsive regular spiking (RS) cells received short-latency inhibition, whereas fast spiking (FS) cells were almost exclusively excited. Consistent with the callosal-evoked increases in FS cell activity in vivo, brain slice recordings confirmed that parvalbumin (PV)-expressing cells received stronger callosal input than pyramidal cells or other interneuron subtypes. Acute in vivo silencing of the contralateral cortex generally increased spontaneous firing across cortical layers and linearly transformed responses to pure tones via both divisive and additive operations. The net effect was a decrease in signal-to-noise ratio for evoked responses and a broadening of frequency tuning curves. Together, these results suggest that callosal input regulates both the salience and tuning sharpness of tone responses in A1 via PV cell-mediated feedforward inhibition.
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43
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Burkhanova G, Chernova K, Khazipov R, Sheroziya M. Effects of Cortical Cooling on Activity Across Layers of the Rat Barrel Cortex. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:52. [PMID: 32848644 PMCID: PMC7417609 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Moderate cortical cooling is known to suppress slow oscillations and to evoke persistent cortical activity. However, the cooling-induced changes in electrical activity across cortical layers remain largely unknown. Here, we performed multi-channel local field potential (LFP) and multi-unit activity (MUA) recordings with linear silicone probes through the layers of single cortical barrel columns in urethane-anesthetized rats under normothermia (38°C) and during local cortical surface cooling (30°C). During cortically generated slow oscillations, moderate cortical cooling decreased delta wave amplitude, delta-wave occurrence, the duration of silent states, and delta wave-locked MUA synchronization. Moderate cortical cooling increased total time spent in the active state and decreased total time spent in the silent state. Cooling-evoked changes in the MUA firing rate in cortical layer 5 (L5) varied from increase to decrease across animals, and the polarity of changes in L5 MUA correlated with changes in total time spent in the active state. The decrease in temperature reduced MUA firing rates in all other cortical layers. Sensory-evoked MUA responses also decreased during cooling through all cortical layers. The cooling-dependent slowdown was detected at the fast time-scale with a decreased frequency of sensory-evoked high-frequency oscillations (HFO). Thus, moderate cortical cooling suppresses slow oscillations and desynchronizes neuronal activity through all cortical layers, and is associated with reduced firing across all cortical layers except L5, where cooling induces variable and non-consistent changes in neuronal firing, which are common features of the transition from slow-wave synchronization to desynchronized activity in the barrel cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kseniya Chernova
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Roustem Khazipov
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.,Aix Marseille University, INSERM, INMED, Marseille, France
| | - Maxim Sheroziya
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
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44
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Ansorge J, Humanes‐Valera D, Pauzin FP, Schwarz MK, Krieger P. Cortical layer 6 control of sensory responses in higher‐order thalamus. J Physiol 2020; 598:3973-4001. [DOI: 10.1113/jp279915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Ansorge
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - Desire Humanes‐Valera
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - François P. Pauzin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
| | - Martin K. Schwarz
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research University of Bonn Medical School Bonn Germany
| | - Patrik Krieger
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Systems Neuroscience Ruhr University Bochum Bochum Germany
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45
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Layer 6b Is Driven by Intracortical Long-Range Projection Neurons. Cell Rep 2020; 30:3492-3505.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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