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Cody CR, de la Villarmois EA, Fernandez AM, Lardizabal J, McKnight C, Tseng K, Brenhouse HC. Effects of early life adversity and adolescent basolateral amygdala activity on corticolimbic connectivity and anxiety behaviors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.26.586708. [PMID: 38853948 PMCID: PMC11160567 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.26.586708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Early postnatal development of corticolimbic circuitry is shaped by the environment and is vulnerable to early life challenges. Prior work has shown that early life adversity (ELA) leads to hyperinnervation of glutamatergic basolateral amygdala (BLA) projections to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in adolescence. While hyperinnervation is associated with later-life anxiety behaviors, the physiological changes underpinning corticolimbic and behavioral impacts of ELA are not understood. We tested whether postsynaptic BLA-driven PFC activity is enhanced in ELA-exposed animals, using the maternal separation (MS) model of ELA. PFC local-field potential following BLA stimulation was facilitated in MS-exposed adolescents. Since ELA increases activity of the early-developing BLA, while the PFC exhibits protracted development, we further examined impacts of glutamatergic BLA activity during early adolescence on later-life PFC innervation and heightened anxiety. In early adolescence, MS-exposed animals exhibited decreased anxiety-like behavior, and acute adolescent BLA inhibition induced behaviors that resembled those of MS animals. To examine long-lasting impacts of adolescent BLA activity on innervation, BLA-originating axonal boutons in the PFC were quantified in late adolescence after early adolescent BLA inhibition. We further tested whether late adolescent BLA-PFC changes were associated with anxious reactivity expressed as heightened acoustic startle responses. MS rearing increased BLA-PFC innervation and threat reactivity in late adolescence, however early adolescent BLA inhibition was insufficient to prevent MS effects, suggesting that earlier BLA activity or post-synaptic receptor rearrangement in the PFC drives altered innervation. Taken together, these findings highlight both pre- and postsynaptic changes in the adolescent BLA-PFC circuit following ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn R Cody
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston MA 02115
| | | | | | | | - Chaney McKnight
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston MA 02115
| | - Kuei Tseng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois, Chicago IL 60612
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Collins SA, Stinson HE, Himes A, Nestor-Kalinoski A, Ninan I. Sex-specific modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex by glutamatergic median raphe neurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg4800. [PMID: 37948526 PMCID: PMC10637752 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg4800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
A substantial proportion of raphe neurons are glutamatergic. However, little is known about how these glutamatergic neurons modulate the forebrain. We investigated how glutamatergic median raphe nucleus (MRN) input modulates the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a critical component of fear circuitry. We show that vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3)-expressing MRN neurons activate VGLUT3- and somatostatin-expressing neurons in the mPFC. Consistent with this modulation of mPFC GABAergic neurons, activation of MRN (VGLUT3) neurons enhances GABAergic transmission in mPFC pyramidal neurons and attenuates fear memory in female but not male mice. Serotonin plays a key role in MRN (VGLUT3) neuron-mediated GABAergic plasticity in the mPFC. In agreement with these female-specific effects, we observed sex differences in glutamatergic transmission onto MRN (VGLUT3) neurons and in mPFC (VGLUT3) neuron-mediated dual release of glutamate and GABA. Our results demonstrate a cell type-specific modulation of the mPFC by MRN (VGLUT3) neurons and reveal a sex-specific role of this neuromodulation in mPFC synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A. Collins
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Hannah E. Stinson
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Amanda Himes
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Andrea Nestor-Kalinoski
- Department of Surgery, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Ipe Ninan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
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Collins SA, Stinson HE, Himes A, Ninan I. Sex-specific modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex by glutamatergic median raphe neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.30.555555. [PMID: 37693545 PMCID: PMC10491205 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.555555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The current understanding of the neuromodulatory role of the median raphe nucleus (MRN) is primarily based on its putative serotonergic output. However, a significant proportion of raphe neurons are glutamatergic. The present study investigated how glutamatergic MRN input modulates the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a critical component of the fear circuitry. Our studies show that VGLUT3-expressing MRN neurons modulate VGLUT3- and somatostatin-expressing neurons in the mPFC. Consistent with this modulation of mPFC GABAergic neurons, activation of MRN (VGLUT3) neurons suppresses mPFC pyramidal neuron activity and attenuates fear memory in female but not male mice. In agreement with these female-specific effects, we observed sex differences in glutamatergic transmission onto MRN (VGLUT3) neurons and mPFC (VGLUT3) neuron-mediated dual release of glutamate and GABA. Thus, our results demonstrate a cell type-specific modulation of the mPFC by MRN (VGLUT3) neurons and reveal a sex-specific role of this neuromodulation in mPFC synaptic plasticity and fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda Himes
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
| | - Ipe Ninan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
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Daw TB, El-Nahal HG, Basso MA, Jun EJ, Bautista AR, Samulski RJ, Sommer MA, Bohlen MO. Direct Comparison of Epifluorescence and Immunostaining for Assessing Viral Mediated Gene Expression in the Primate Brain. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:228-246. [PMID: 36719771 PMCID: PMC10031143 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.194] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral vector technologies are commonly used in neuroscience research to understand and manipulate neural circuits, but successful applications of these technologies in non-human primate models have been inconsistent. An essential component to improve these technologies is an impartial and accurate assessment of the effectiveness of different viral constructs in the primate brain. We tested a diverse array of viral vectors delivered to the brain and extraocular muscles of macaques and compared three methods for histological assessment of viral-mediated fluorescent transgene expression: epifluorescence (Epi), immunofluorescence (IF), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Importantly, IF and IHC identified a greater number of transduced neurons compared to Epi. Furthermore, IF and IHC reliably provided enhanced visualization of transgene in most cellular compartments (i.e., dendritic, axonal, and terminal fields), whereas the degree of labeling provided by Epi was inconsistent and predominantly restricted to somas and apical dendrites. Because Epi signals are unamplified (in contrast to IF and IHC), Epi may provide a more veridical assessment for the amount of accumulated transgene and, thus, the potential to chemogenetically or optogenetically manipulate neuronal activity. The comparatively weak Epi signals suggest that the current generations of viral constructs, regardless of delivered transgene, are not optimized for primates. This reinforces an emerging viewpoint that viral vectors tailored for the primate brain are necessary for basic research and human gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierney B. Daw
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hala G. El-Nahal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michele A. Basso
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Jun
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alex R. Bautista
- Fuster Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - R. Jude Samulski
- Gene Therapy Center and Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- R&D Department, Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), Research Triangle, North Carolina, USA
| | - Marc A. Sommer
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Martin O. Bohlen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Babiczky Á, Matyas F. Molecular characteristics and laminar distribution of prefrontal neurons projecting to the mesolimbic system. eLife 2022; 11:78813. [PMID: 36063145 PMCID: PMC9444245 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical influence over the mesolimbic system - including the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) - is implicated in various cognitive processes and behavioral malfunctions. The functional versatility of this system could be explained by an underlying anatomical complexity; however, the detailed characterization of the medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) innervation of the NAc and VTA is still lacking. Therefore, combining classical retrograde and conditional viral tracing techniques with multiple fluorescent immunohistochemistry, we sought to deliver a precise, cell- and layer-specific anatomical description of the cortico-mesolimbic pathways in mice. We demonstrated that NAc- (mPFCNAc) and VTA-projecting mPFC (mPFCVTA) populations show different laminar distribution (layers 2/3-5a and 5b-6, respectively) and express different molecular markers. Specifically, calbindin and Ntsr1 are specific to mPFCNAc neurons, while mPFCVTA neurons express high levels of Ctip2 and FoxP2, indicating that these populations are mostly separated at the cellular level. We directly tested this with double retrograde tracing and Canine adenovirus type 2-mediated viral labeling and found that there is indeed minimal overlap between the two populations. Furthermore, whole-brain analysis revealed that the projection pattern of these populations is also different throughout the brain. Taken together, we demonstrated that the NAc and the VTA are innervated by two, mostly nonoverlapping mPFC populations with different laminar distribution and molecular profile. These results can contribute to the advancement in our understanding of mesocorticolimbic functions and its disorders in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ákos Babiczky
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Psychology/Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Matyas
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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Boy RL, Hong A, Aoki JI, Floeter-Winter LM, Laranjeira-Silva MF. Reporter gene systems: a powerful tool for Leishmania studies. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2022; 3:100165. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2022.100165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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Botterill JJ, Khlaifia A, Walters BJ, Brimble MA, Scharfman HE, Arruda-Carvalho M. Off-Target Expression of Cre-Dependent Adeno-Associated Viruses in Wild-Type C57BL/6J Mice. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0363-21.2021. [PMID: 34785571 PMCID: PMC8614227 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0363-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are a commonly used tool in neuroscience to efficiently label, trace, and/or manipulate neuronal populations. Highly specific targeting can be achieved through recombinase-dependent AAVs in combination with transgenic rodent lines that express Cre-recombinase in specific cell types. Visualization of viral expression is typically achieved through fluorescent reporter proteins (e.g., GFP or mCherry) packaged within the AAV genome. Although nonamplified fluorescence is usually sufficient to observe viral expression, immunohistochemical amplification of the fluorescent reporter is routinely used to improve viral visualization. In the present study, Cre-dependent AAVs were injected into the neocortex of wild-type C57BL/6J mice. While we observed weak but consistent nonamplified off-target double inverted open reading frame (DIO) expression in C57BL/6J mice, antibody amplification of the GFP or mCherry reporter revealed notable Cre-independent viral expression. Off-target expression of DIO constructs in wild-type C57BL/6J mice occurred independent of vendor, AAV serotype, or promoter. We also evaluated whether Cre-independent expression had functional effects via designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). The DREADD agonist C21 (compound 21) had no effect on contextual fear conditioning or c-Fos expression in DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry+ cells of C57BL/6J mice. Together, our results indicate that DIO constructs have off-target expression in wild-type subjects. Our findings are particularly important for the design of experiments featuring sensitive systems and/or quantitative measurements that could be negatively impacted by off-target expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Botterill
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Abdessattar Khlaifia
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Brandon J Walters
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Mark A Brimble
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennnessee 38105
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York 10962
- Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Physiology, and Psychiatry, and New York University Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York 10016
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
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Mohr MA, Esparza LA, Steffen P, Micevych PE, Kauffman AS. Progesterone Receptors in AVPV Kisspeptin Neurons Are Sufficient for Positive Feedback Induction of the LH Surge. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6348143. [PMID: 34379733 PMCID: PMC8423423 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin, encoded by Kiss1, stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons to govern reproduction. In female rodents, estrogen-sensitive kisspeptin neurons in the rostral anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) hypothalamus are thought to mediate estradiol (E2)-induced positive feedback induction of the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. AVPV kisspeptin neurons coexpress estrogen and progesterone receptors (PGRs) and are activated during the LH surge. While E2 effects on kisspeptin neurons have been well studied, progesterone's regulation of kisspeptin neurons is less understood. Using transgenic mice lacking PGR exclusively in kisspeptin cells (termed KissPRKOs), we previously demonstrated that progesterone action specifically in kisspeptin cells is essential for ovulation and normal fertility. Unlike control females, KissPRKO females did not generate proper LH surges, indicating that PGR signaling in kisspeptin cells is required for positive feedback. However, because PGR was knocked out from all kisspeptin neurons in the brain, that study was unable to determine the specific kisspeptin population mediating PGR action on the LH surge. Here, we used targeted Cre-mediated adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology to reintroduce PGR selectively into AVPV kisspeptin neurons of adult KissPRKO females, and tested whether this rescues occurrence of the LH surge. We found that targeted upregulation of PGR in kisspeptin neurons exclusively in the AVPV is sufficient to restore proper E2-induced LH surges in KissPRKO females, suggesting that this specific kisspeptin population is a key target of the necessary progesterone action for the surge. These findings further highlight the critical importance of progesterone signaling, along with E2 signaling, in the positive feedback induction of LH surges and ovulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Mohr
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lourdes A Esparza
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Paige Steffen
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Paul E Micevych
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alexander S Kauffman
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Correspondence: Dr. Alexander S. Kauffman, Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, #0674, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. E-mail:
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