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Pali E, D’Angelo E, Prestori F. Understanding Cerebellar Input Stage through Computational and Plasticity Rules. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:403. [PMID: 38927283 PMCID: PMC11200477 DOI: 10.3390/biology13060403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
A central hypothesis concerning brain functioning is that plasticity regulates the signal transfer function by modifying the efficacy of synaptic transmission. In the cerebellum, the granular layer has been shown to control the gain of signals transmitted through the mossy fiber pathway. Until now, the impact of plasticity on incoming activity patterns has been analyzed by combining electrophysiological recordings in acute cerebellar slices and computational modeling, unraveling a broad spectrum of different forms of synaptic plasticity in the granular layer, often accompanied by forms of intrinsic excitability changes. Here, we attempt to provide a brief overview of the most prominent forms of plasticity at the excitatory synapses formed by mossy fibers onto primary neuronal components (granule cells, Golgi cells and unipolar brush cells) in the granular layer. Specifically, we highlight the current understanding of the mechanisms and their functional implications for synaptic and intrinsic plasticity, providing valuable insights into how inputs are processed and reconfigured at the cerebellar input stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Pali
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.P.)
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.P.)
- Digital Neuroscience Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Prestori
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (E.P.)
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2
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Tejwani L, Ravindra NG, Lee C, Cheng Y, Nguyen B, Luttik K, Ni L, Zhang S, Morrison LM, Gionco J, Xiang Y, Yoon J, Ro H, Haidery F, Grijalva RM, Bae E, Kim K, Martuscello RT, Orr HT, Zoghbi HY, McLoughlin HS, Ranum LPW, Shakkottai VG, Faust PL, Wang S, van Dijk D, Lim J. Longitudinal single-cell transcriptional dynamics throughout neurodegeneration in SCA1. Neuron 2024; 112:362-383.e15. [PMID: 38016472 PMCID: PMC10922326 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.039] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is a protracted process involving progressive changes in myriad cell types that ultimately results in the death of vulnerable neuronal populations. To dissect how individual cell types within a heterogeneous tissue contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of a neurodegenerative disorder, we performed longitudinal single-nucleus RNA sequencing of mouse and human spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) cerebellar tissue, establishing continuous dynamic trajectories of each cell population. Importantly, we defined the precise transcriptional changes that precede loss of Purkinje cells and, for the first time, identified robust early transcriptional dysregulation in unipolar brush cells and oligodendroglia. Finally, we applied a deep learning method to predict disease state accurately and identified specific features that enable accurate distinction of wild-type and SCA1 cells. Together, this work reveals new roles for diverse cerebellar cell types in SCA1 and provides a generalizable analysis framework for studying neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Tejwani
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Neal G Ravindra
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Changwoo Lee
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yubao Cheng
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Billy Nguyen
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kimberly Luttik
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Luhan Ni
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Shupei Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Logan M Morrison
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - John Gionco
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yangfei Xiang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Hannah Ro
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Rosalie M Grijalva
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Kristen Kim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Regina T Martuscello
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hayley S McLoughlin
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Neurogenetics, College of Medicine, Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Vikram G Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Phyllis L Faust
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Siyuan Wang
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - David van Dijk
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Janghoo Lim
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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3
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Liu D, Wang J, Tian E, Chen J, Kong W, Lu Y, Zhang S. mGluR1/IP3/ERK signaling pathway regulates vestibular compensation in ON UBCs of the cerebellar flocculus. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14419. [PMID: 37622292 PMCID: PMC10848063 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14419] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the role of mGluR1α in cerebellar unipolar brush cells (UBC) in mediating vestibular compensation (VC), using mGluR1α agonist and antagonist to modulate ON UBC neurons, and explore the mGluR1/IP3/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. METHODS First, AAV virus that knockdown ON UBC (mGluR1α) were injected into cerebellar UBC by stereotactic, and verified by immunofluorescence and western blot. The effect on VC was evaluated after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). Second, saline, (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG), and LY367385 were injected into tubes implanted in rats at different time points after UL separately. The effect on ON UBC neuron activity was evaluated by immunofluorescence. Then, Phosphoinositide (PI) and p-ERK1/2 levels of mGluR1α were analyzed by ELISA after UL. The protein levels of p-ERK and total ERK were verified by western blot. In addition, the effect of mGluR1α activation or inhibition on VC-related behavior was observed. RESULTS mGluR1α knockdown induced VC phenotypes. DHPG increased ON UBC activity, while LY367385 reduced ON UBC activity. DHPG group showed an increase in PI and p-ERK1/2 levels, while LY367385 group showed a decrease in PI and p-ERK1/2 levels in cerebellar UBC of rats. The western blot results of p-ERK and total ERK confirm and support the observations. DHPG alleviated VC-related behavior phenotypes, while LY367385 exacerbated vestibular decompensation-like behavior induced by UL. CONCLUSION mGluR1α activity in cerebellar ON UBC is crucial for mediating VC through the mGluR1/IP3/ERK signaling pathway, which affects ON UBC neuron activity and contributes to the pathogenesis of VC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - E. Tian
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Jingyu Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Weijia Kong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yisheng Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic MedicineHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain ScienceHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Sulin Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
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Hariani HN, Algstam AB, Candler CT, Witteveen IF, Sidhu JK, Balmer TS. A system of feed-forward cerebellar circuits that extend and diversify sensory signaling. eLife 2024; 12:RP88321. [PMID: 38270517 PMCID: PMC10945699 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88321] [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] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensory signals are processed by the cerebellum to coordinate movements. Numerous cerebellar functions are thought to require the maintenance of a sensory representation that extends beyond the input signal. Granule cells receive sensory input, but they do not prolong the signal and are thus unlikely to maintain a sensory representation for much longer than the inputs themselves. Unipolar brush cells (UBCs) are excitatory interneurons that project to granule cells and transform sensory input into prolonged increases or decreases in firing, depending on their ON or OFF UBC subtype. Further extension and diversification of the input signal could be produced by UBCs that project to one another, but whether this circuitry exists is unclear. Here we test whether UBCs innervate one another and explore how these small networks of UBCs could transform spiking patterns. We characterized two transgenic mouse lines electrophysiologically and immunohistochemically to confirm that they label ON and OFF UBC subtypes and crossed them together, revealing that ON and OFF UBCs innervate one another. A Brainbow reporter was used to label UBCs of the same ON or OFF subtype with different fluorescent proteins, which showed that UBCs innervate their own subtypes as well. Computational models predict that these feed-forward networks of UBCs extend the length of bursts or pauses and introduce delays-transformations that may be necessary for cerebellar functions from modulation of eye movements to adaptive learning across time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsh N Hariani
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - A Brynn Algstam
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- Barrett Honors College, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Christian T Candler
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | | | - Jasmeen K Sidhu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Timothy S Balmer
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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5
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Hariani HN, Algstam AB, Candler CT, Witteveen IF, Sidhu JK, Balmer TS. A system of feed-forward cerebellar circuits that extend and diversify sensory signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.11.536335. [PMID: 37090638 PMCID: PMC10120650 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.11.536335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Sensory signals are processed by the cerebellum to coordinate movements. Numerous cerebellar functions are thought to require the maintenance of a sensory representation that extends beyond the input signal. Granule cells receive sensory input, but they do not prolong the signal and are thus unlikely to maintain a sensory representation for much longer than the inputs themselves. Unipolar brush cells (UBCs) are excitatory interneurons that project to granule cells and transform sensory input into prolonged increases or decreases in firing, depending on their ON or OFF UBC subtype. Further extension and diversification of the input signal could be produced by UBCs that project to one another, but whether this circuitry exists is unclear. Here we test whether UBCs innervate one another and explore how these small networks of UBCs could transform spiking patterns. We characterized two transgenic mouse lines electrophysiologically and immunohistochemically to confirm that they label ON and OFF UBC subtypes and crossed them together, revealing that ON and OFF UBCs innervate one another. A Brainbow reporter was used to label UBCs of the same ON or OFF subtype with different fluorescent proteins, which showed that UBCs innervate their own subtypes as well. Computational models predict that these feed-forward networks of UBCs extend the length of bursts or pauses and introduce delays-transformations that may be necessary for cerebellar functions from modulation of eye movements to adaptive learning across time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsh N. Hariani
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287
| | - A. Brynn Algstam
- Barrett Honors College
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287
| | - Christian T. Candler
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287
| | | | - Jasmeen K. Sidhu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287
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Jing J, Hu M, Ngodup T, Ma Q, Lau SNN, Ljungberg C, McGinley MJ, Trussell LO, Jiang X. Comprehensive analysis of cellular specializations that initiate parallel auditory processing pathways in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.15.539065. [PMID: 37293040 PMCID: PMC10245571 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.15.539065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The cochlear nuclear complex (CN) is the starting point for all central auditory processing and comprises a suite of neuronal cell types that are highly specialized for neural coding of acoustic signals. To examine how their striking functional specializations are determined at the molecular level, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing of the mouse CN to molecularly define all constituent cell types and related them to morphologically- and electrophysiologically-defined neurons using Patch-seq. We reveal an expanded set of molecular cell types encompassing all previously described major types and discover new subtypes both in terms of topographic and cell-physiologic properties. Our results define a complete cell-type taxonomy in CN that reconciles anatomical position, morphological, physiological, and molecular criteria. This high-resolution account of cellular heterogeneity and specializations from the molecular to the circuit level illustrates molecular underpinnings of functional specializations and enables genetic dissection of auditory processing and hearing disorders with unprecedented specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzhan Jing
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ming Hu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tenzin Ngodup
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Qianqian Ma
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shu-Ning Natalie Lau
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cecilia Ljungberg
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew J. McGinley
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laurence O. Trussell
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Xiaolong Jiang
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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7
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Huson V, Newman L, Regehr WG. A Continuum of Response Properties across the Population of Unipolar Brush Cells in the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6035-6045. [PMID: 37507229 PMCID: PMC10451148 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0873-23.2023] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Unipolar brush cells (UBCs) in the cerebellum and dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) perform temporal transformations by converting brief mossy fiber bursts into long-lasting responses. In the cerebellar UBC population, mixing inhibition with graded mGluR1-dependent excitation leads to a continuum of temporal responses. In the DCN, it has been thought that mGluR1 contributes little to mossy fiber responses and that there are distinct excitatory and inhibitory UBC subtypes. Here, we investigate UBC response properties using noninvasive cell-attached recordings in the DCN of mice of either sex. We find a continuum of responses to mossy fiber bursts ranging from 100 ms excitation to initial inhibition followed by several seconds of excitation to inhibition lasting for hundreds of milliseconds. Pharmacological interrogation reveals excitatory responses are primarily mediated by mGluR1 Thus, UBCs in both the DCN and cerebellum rely on mGluR1 and have a continuum of response durations. The continuum of responses in the DCN may allow more flexible and efficient temporal processing than can be achieved with distinct excitatory and inhibitory populations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT UBCs are specialized excitatory interneurons in cerebellar-like structures that greatly prolong the temporal responses of mossy fiber inputs. They are thought to help cancel out self-generated signals. In the DCN, the prevailing view was that there are two distinct ON and OFF subtypes of UBCs. Here, we show that instead the UBC population has a continuum of response properties. Many cells show suppression and excitation consecutively, and the response durations vary considerably. mGluR1s are crucial in generating a continuum of responses. To understand how UBCs contribute to temporal processing, it is essential to consider the continuous variations of UBC responses, which have advantages over just having opposing ON/OFF subtypes of UBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Huson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Leannah Newman
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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8
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Liu D, Wang J, Zhou L, Tian E, Chen J, Kong W, Lu Y, Zhang S. Differential Modulation of Cerebellar Flocculus Unipolar Brush Cells during Vestibular Compensation. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051298. [PMID: 37238967 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Vestibular compensation is a natural behavioral recovery process following unilateral vestibular injury. Understanding the mechanism can considerably enhance vestibular disorder therapy and advance the adult central nervous system functional plasticity study after injury. The cerebellum, particularly the flocculonodular lobe, tightly modulates the vestibular nucleus, the center for vestibular compensation; however, it is still unclear if the flocculus on both sides is involved in vestibular compensation. Here we report that the unipolar brush cells (UBCs) in the flocculus are modulated by unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). UBCs are excitatory interneurons targeting granule cells to provide feedforward innervation to the Purkinje cells, the primary output neurons in the cerebellum. According to the upregulated or downregulated response to the mossy fiber glutamatergic input, UBC can be classified into ON and OFF forms of UBCs. Furthermore, we discovered that the expression of marker genes of ON and OFF UBCs, mGluR1α and calretinin, was increased and decreased, respectively, only in ipsilateral flocculus 4-8 h after UL. According to further immunostaining studies, the number of ON and OFF UBCs was not altered during UL, demonstrating that the shift in marker gene expression level in the flocculus was not caused by the transformation of cell types between UBCs and non-UBCs. These findings imply the importance of ipsilateral flocculus UBCs in the acute response of UL, and ON and OFF UBCs may be involved in vestibular compensation in opposite directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Liuqing Zhou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - E Tian
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jingyu Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Weijia Kong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yisheng Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Sulin Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
- Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
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9
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Abstract
The cerebellar cortex is an important system for relating neural circuits and learning. Its promise reflects the longstanding idea that it contains simple, repeated circuit modules with only a few cell types and a single plasticity mechanism that mediates learning according to classical Marr-Albus models. However, emerging data have revealed surprising diversity in neuron types, synaptic connections, and plasticity mechanisms, both locally and regionally within the cerebellar cortex. In light of these findings, it is not surprising that attempts to generate a holistic model of cerebellar learning across different behaviors have not been successful. While the cerebellum remains an ideal system for linking neuronal function with behavior, it is necessary to update the cerebellar circuit framework to achieve its great promise. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of cerebellar-cortical cell types, synaptic connections, signaling mechanisms, and forms of plasticity that enrich cerebellar processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Court Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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10
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Balmer TS, Trussell LO. Descending Axonal Projections from the Inferior Colliculus Target Nearly All Excitatory and Inhibitory Cell Types of the Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3381-3393. [PMID: 35273085 PMCID: PMC9034789 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1190-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) integrates auditory nerve input with nonauditory sensory signals and is proposed to function in sound source localization and suppression of self-generated sounds. The DCN also integrates activity from descending auditory pathways, including a particularly large feedback projection from the inferior colliculus (IC), the main ascending target of the DCN. Understanding how these descending feedback signals are integrated into the DCN circuit and what role they play in hearing requires knowing the targeted DCN cell types and their postsynaptic responses. In order to explore these questions, neurons in the DCN that received descending synaptic input from the IC were labeled with a trans-synaptic viral approach in male and female mice, which allowed them to be targeted for whole-cell recording in acute brain slices. We tested their synaptic responses to optogenetic activation of the descending IC projection. Every cell type in the granule cell domain received monosynaptic, glutamatergic input from the IC, indicating that this region, considered an integrator of nonauditory sensory inputs, processes auditory input as well and may have complex and underappreciated roles in hearing. Additionally, we found that DCN cell types outside the granule cell regions also receive descending IC signals, including the principal projection neurons, as well as the neurons that inhibit them, leading to a circuit that may sharpen tuning through feedback excitation and lateral inhibition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Auditory processing starts in the cochlea and ascends through the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) to the inferior colliculus (IC) and beyond. Here, we investigated the feedback projection from IC to DCN, whose synaptic targets and roles in auditory processing are unclear. We found that all cell types in the granule cell regions, which process multisensory feedback, also process this descending auditory feedback. Surprisingly, all except one cell type in the entire DCN receive IC input. The IC-DCN projection may therefore modulate the multisensory pathway as well as sharpen tuning and gate auditory signals that are sent to downstream areas. This excitatory feedback loop from DCN to IC and back to DCN could underlie hyperexcitability in DCN, widely considered an etiology of tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Balmer
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
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11
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Do MTH. Individual variations of visual information. Neuron 2022; 110:564-565. [PMID: 35176239 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.024] [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] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In this issue of Neuron, Shah et al. reveal that coding of visual space by the primate retina varies across individuals and sexes. A computational model provides insight into themes and variations of coding. Implications for sight restoration are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tri H Do
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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12
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Kozareva V, Martin C, Osorno T, Rudolph S, Guo C, Vanderburg C, Nadaf N, Regev A, Regehr WG, Macosko E. A transcriptomic atlas of mouse cerebellar cortex comprehensively defines cell types. Nature 2021; 598:214-219. [PMID: 34616064 PMCID: PMC8494635 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03220-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellar cortex is a well-studied brain structure with diverse roles in motor learning, coordination, cognition and autonomic regulation. However, a complete inventory of cerebellar cell types is currently lacking. Here, using recent advances in high-throughput transcriptional profiling1–3, we molecularly define cell types across individual lobules of the adult mouse cerebellum. Purkinje neurons showed considerable regional specialization, with the greatest diversity occurring in the posterior lobules. For several types of cerebellar interneuron, the molecular variation within each type was more continuous, rather than discrete. In particular, for the unipolar brush cells—an interneuron population previously subdivided into discrete populations—the continuous variation in gene expression was associated with a graded continuum of electrophysiological properties. Notably, we found that molecular layer interneurons were composed of two molecularly and functionally distinct types. Both types show a continuum of morphological variation through the thickness of the molecular layer, but electrophysiological recordings revealed marked differences between the two types in spontaneous firing, excitability and electrical coupling. Together, these findings provide a comprehensive cellular atlas of the cerebellar cortex, and outline a methodological and conceptual framework for the integration of molecular, morphological and physiological ontologies for defining brain cell types. A comprehensive atlas of cell types and regional specializations in the mouse cerebellar cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Velina Kozareva
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Martin
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tomas Osorno
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Chong Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles Vanderburg
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Naeem Nadaf
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Guo C, Huson V, Macosko EZ, Regehr WG. Graded heterogeneity of metabotropic signaling underlies a continuum of cell-intrinsic temporal responses in unipolar brush cells. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5491. [PMID: 34620856 PMCID: PMC8497507 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22893-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many neuron types consist of populations with continuously varying molecular properties. Here, we show a continuum of postsynaptic molecular properties in three types of neurons and assess the functional correlates in cerebellar unipolar brush cells (UBCs). While UBCs are generally thought to form discrete functional subtypes, with mossy fiber (MF) activation increasing firing in ON-UBCs and suppressing firing in OFF-UBCs, recent work also points to a heterogeneity of response profiles. Indeed, we find a continuum of response profiles that reflect the graded and inversely correlated expression of excitatory mGluR1 and inhibitory mGluR2/3 pathways. MFs coactivate mGluR2/3 and mGluR1 in many UBCs, leading to sequential inhibition-excitation because mGluR2/3-currents are faster. Additionally, we show that DAG-kinase controls mGluR1 response duration, and that graded DAG kinase levels correlate with systematic variation of response duration over two orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate that continuous variations in metabotropic signaling can generate a stable cell-autonomous basis for temporal integration and learning over multiple time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vincent Huson
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, 450 Main St., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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Guo C, Rudolph S, Neuwirth ME, Regehr WG. Purkinje cell outputs selectively inhibit a subset of unipolar brush cells in the input layer of the cerebellar cortex. eLife 2021; 10:e68802. [PMID: 34369877 PMCID: PMC8352585 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circuitry of the cerebellar cortex is regionally and functionally specialized. Unipolar brush cells (UBCs), and Purkinje cell (PC) synapses made by axon collaterals in the granular layer, are both enriched in areas that control balance and eye movement. Here, we find a link between these specializations in mice: PCs preferentially inhibit metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1 (mGluR1)-expressing UBCs that respond to mossy fiber (MF) inputs with long lasting increases in firing, but PCs do not inhibit mGluR1-lacking UBCs. PCs inhibit about 29% of mGluR1-expressing UBCs by activating GABAA receptors (GABAARs) and inhibit almost all mGluR1-expressing UBCs by activating GABAB receptors (GABABRs). PC to UBC synapses allow PC output to regulate the input layer of the cerebellar cortex in diverse ways. Based on optogenetic studies and a small number of paired recordings, GABAAR-mediated feedback is fast and unreliable. GABABR-mediated inhibition is slower and is sufficiently large to strongly influence the input-output transformations of mGluR1-expressing UBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Stephanie Rudolph
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Morgan E Neuwirth
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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15
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Tang Y, An L, Wang Q, Liu JK. Regulating synchronous oscillations of cerebellar granule cells by different types of inhibition. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009163. [PMID: 34181653 PMCID: PMC8270418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009163] [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: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchronous oscillations in neural populations are considered being controlled by inhibitory neurons. In the granular layer of the cerebellum, two major types of cells are excitatory granular cells (GCs) and inhibitory Golgi cells (GoCs). GC spatiotemporal dynamics, as the output of the granular layer, is highly regulated by GoCs. However, there are various types of inhibition implemented by GoCs. With inputs from mossy fibers, GCs and GoCs are reciprocally connected to exhibit different network motifs of synaptic connections. From the view of GCs, feedforward inhibition is expressed as the direct input from GoCs excited by mossy fibers, whereas feedback inhibition is from GoCs via GCs themselves. In addition, there are abundant gap junctions between GoCs showing another form of inhibition. It remains unclear how these diverse copies of inhibition regulate neural population oscillation changes. Leveraging a computational model of the granular layer network, we addressed this question to examine the emergence and modulation of network oscillation using different types of inhibition. We show that at the network level, feedback inhibition is crucial to generate neural oscillation. When short-term plasticity was equipped on GoC-GC synapses, oscillations were largely diminished. Robust oscillations can only appear with additional gap junctions. Moreover, there was a substantial level of cross-frequency coupling in oscillation dynamics. Such a coupling was adjusted and strengthened by GoCs through feedback inhibition. Taken together, our results suggest that the cooperation of distinct types of GoC inhibition plays an essential role in regulating synchronous oscillations of the GC population. With GCs as the sole output of the granular network, their oscillation dynamics could potentially enhance the computational capability of downstream neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhong Tang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lingling An
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
- Guangzhou institute of technology, Xidian University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Quan Wang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jian K. Liu
- Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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16
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Balmer TS, Borges-Merjane C, Trussell LO. Incomplete removal of extracellular glutamate controls synaptic transmission and integration at a cerebellar synapse. eLife 2021; 10:e63819. [PMID: 33616036 PMCID: PMC7935485 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses of glutamatergic mossy fibers (MFs) onto cerebellar unipolar brush cells (UBCs) generate slow excitatory (ON) or inhibitory (OFF) postsynaptic responses dependent on the complement of glutamate receptors expressed on the UBC's large dendritic brush. Using mouse brain slice recording and computational modeling of synaptic transmission, we found that substantial glutamate is maintained in the UBC synaptic cleft, sufficient to modify spontaneous firing in OFF UBCs and tonically desensitize AMPARs of ON UBCs. The source of this ambient glutamate was spontaneous, spike-independent exocytosis from the MF terminal, and its level was dependent on activity of glutamate transporters EAAT1-2. Increasing levels of ambient glutamate shifted the polarity of evoked synaptic responses in ON UBCs and altered the phase of responses to in vivo-like synaptic activity. Unlike classical fast synapses, receptors at the UBC synapse are virtually always exposed to a significant level of glutamate, which varies in a graded manner during transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Balmer
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Carolina Borges-Merjane
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
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17
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McDonough A, Elsen GE, Daza RM, Bachleda AR, Pizzo D, DelleTorri OM, Hevner RF. Unipolar (Dendritic) Brush Cells Are Morphologically Complex and Require Tbr2 for Differentiation and Migration. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:598548. [PMID: 33488348 PMCID: PMC7820753 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.598548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated specific expression of transcription factor Tbr2 in unipolar brush cells (UBCs) of the cerebellum during development and adulthood. To further study UBCs and the role of Tbr2 in their development we examined UBC morphology in transgenic mouse lines (reporter and lineage tracer) and also examined the effects of Tbr2 deficiency in Tbr2 (MGI: Eomes) conditional knock-out (cKO) mice. In Tbr2 reporter and lineage tracer cerebellum, UBCs exhibited more complex morphologies than previously reported including multiple dendrites, bifurcating dendrites, and up to four dendritic brushes. We propose that “dendritic brush cells” (DBCs) may be a more apt nomenclature. In Tbr2 cKO cerebellum, mature UBCs were completely absent. Migration of UBC precursors from rhombic lip to cerebellar cortex and other nuclei was impaired in Tbr2 cKO mice. Our results indicate that UBC migration and differentiation are sensitive to Tbr2 deficiency. To investigate whether UBCs develop similarly in humans as in rodents, we studied Tbr2 expression in mid-gestational human cerebellum. Remarkably, Tbr2+ UBC precursors migrate along the same pathways in humans as in rodent cerebellum and disperse to create the same “fountain-like” appearance characteristic of UBCs exiting the rhombic lip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley McDonough
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Gina E Elsen
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ray M Daza
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Amelia R Bachleda
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Donald Pizzo
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Olivia M DelleTorri
- California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, CA, United States
| | - Robert F Hevner
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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18
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Siemann JK, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Wallace MT. Approaches to Understanding Multisensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1430-1449. [PMID: 32869933 PMCID: PMC7721996 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal sensory responses are a DSM-5 symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and research findings demonstrate altered sensory processing in ASD. Beyond difficulties with processing information within single sensory domains, including both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity, difficulties in multisensory processing are becoming a core issue of focus in ASD. These difficulties may be targeted by treatment approaches such as "sensory integration," which is frequently applied in autism treatment but not yet based on clear evidence. Recently, psychophysical data have emerged to demonstrate multisensory deficits in some children with ASD. Unlike deficits in social communication, which are best understood in humans, sensory and multisensory changes offer a tractable marker of circuit dysfunction that is more easily translated into animal model systems to probe the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Paralleling experimental paradigms that were previously applied in humans and larger mammals, we and others have demonstrated that multisensory function can also be examined behaviorally in rodents. Here, we review the sensory and multisensory difficulties commonly found in ASD, examining laboratory findings that relate these findings across species. Next, we discuss the known neurobiology of multisensory integration, drawing largely on experimental work in larger mammals, and extensions of these paradigms into rodents. Finally, we describe emerging investigations into multisensory processing in genetic mouse models related to autism risk. By detailing findings from humans to mice, we highlight the advantage of multisensory paradigms that can be easily translated across species, as well as the potential for rodent experimental systems to reveal opportunities for novel treatments. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory and multisensory deficits are commonly found in ASD and may result in cascading effects that impact social communication. By using similar experiments to those in humans, we discuss how studies in animal models may allow an understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie difficulties in multisensory integration, with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1430-1449. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Siemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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19
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An L, Tang Y, Wang D, Jia S, Pei Q, Wang Q, Yu Z, Liu JK. Intrinsic and Synaptic Properties Shaping Diverse Behaviors of Neural Dynamics. Front Comput Neurosci 2020; 14:26. [PMID: 32372936 PMCID: PMC7187274 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2020.00026] [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: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of neurons in the neuronal system of the brain have a complex morphological structure, which diversifies the dynamics of neurons. In the granular layer of the cerebellum, there exists a unique cell type, the unipolar brush cell (UBC), that serves as an important relay cell for transferring information from outside mossy fibers to downstream granule cells. The distinguishing feature of the UBC is that it has a simple morphology, with only one short dendritic brush connected to its soma. Based on experimental evidence showing that UBCs exhibit a variety of dynamic behaviors, here we develop two simple models, one with a few detailed ion channels for simulation and the other one as a two-variable dynamical system for theoretical analysis, to characterize the intrinsic dynamics of UBCs. The reasonable values of the key channel parameters of the models can be determined by analysis of the stability of the resting membrane potential and the rebound firing properties of UBCs. Considered together with a large variety of synaptic dynamics installed on UBCs, we show that the simple-structured UBCs, as relay cells, can extend the range of dynamics and information from input mossy fibers to granule cells with low-frequency resonance and transfer stereotyped inputs to diverse amplitudes and phases of the output for downstream granule cells. These results suggest that neuronal computation, embedded within intrinsic ion channels and the diverse synaptic properties of single neurons without sophisticated morphology, can shape a large variety of dynamic behaviors to enhance the computational ability of local neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling An
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuanhong Tang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China
| | - Doudou Wang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shanshan Jia
- National Engineering Laboratory for Video Technology, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qingqi Pei
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China
| | - Quan Wang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhaofei Yu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Video Technology, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian K Liu
- Centre for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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20
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Kreko-Pierce T, Boiko N, Harbidge DG, Marcus DC, Stockand JD, Pugh JR. Cerebellar Ataxia Caused by Type II Unipolar Brush Cell Dysfunction in the Asic5 Knockout Mouse. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2168. [PMID: 32034189 PMCID: PMC7005805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58901-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Unipolar brush cells (UBCs) are excitatory granular layer interneurons in the vestibulocerebellum. Here we assessed motor coordination and balance to investigate if deletion of acid-sensing ion channel 5 (Asic5), which is richly expressed in type II UBCs, is sufficient to cause ataxia. The possible cellular mechanism underpinning ataxia in this global Asic5 knockout model was elaborated using brain slice electrophysiology. Asic5 deletion impaired motor performance and decreased intrinsic UBC excitability, reducing spontaneous action potential firing by slowing maximum depolarization rate. Reduced intrinsic excitability in UBCs was partially compensated by suppression of the magnitude and duration of delayed hyperpolarizing K+ currents triggered by glutamate. Glutamate typically stimulates burst firing subsequent to this hyperpolarization in normal type II UBCs. Burst firing frequency was elevated in knockout type II UBCs because it was initiated from a more depolarized potential compared to normal cells. Findings indicate that Asic5 is important for type II UBC activity and that loss of Asic5 contributes to impaired movement, likely, at least in part, due to altered temporal processing of vestibular input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabita Kreko-Pierce
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78299, USA
| | - Nina Boiko
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78299, USA
| | - Donald G Harbidge
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Daniel C Marcus
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - James D Stockand
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78299, USA.
| | - Jason R Pugh
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78299, USA
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21
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Yin TC, Smith PH, Joris PX. Neural Mechanisms of Binaural Processing in the Auditory Brainstem. Compr Physiol 2019; 9:1503-1575. [DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c180036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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22
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Abstract
How does the inner ear communicate with the cerebellar cortex to maintain balance and posture?
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Ango
- Department of Neuroscience, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS and INSERM, Montpellier, France
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23
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Balmer TS, Trussell LO. Selective targeting of unipolar brush cell subtypes by cerebellar mossy fibers. eLife 2019; 8:44964. [PMID: 30994458 PMCID: PMC6469928 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In vestibular cerebellum, primary afferents carry signals from single vestibular end organs, whereas secondary afferents from vestibular nucleus carry integrated signals. Selective targeting of distinct mossy fibers determines how the cerebellum processes vestibular signals. We focused on vestibular projections to ON and OFF classes of unipolar brush cells (UBCs), which transform single mossy fiber signals into long-lasting excitation or inhibition respectively, and impact the activity of ensembles of granule cells. To determine whether these contacts are indeed selective, connectivity was traced back from UBC to specific ganglion cell, hair cell and vestibular organ subtypes in mice. We show that a specialized subset of primary afferents contacts ON UBCs, but not OFF UBCs, while secondary afferents contact both subtypes. Striking anatomical differences were observed between primary and secondary afferents, their synapses, and the UBCs they contact. Thus, each class of UBC functions to transform specific signals through distinct anatomical pathways. While out jogging, you have no trouble keeping your eyes fixed on objects in the distance even though your head and eyes are moving with every step. Humans owe this stability of the visual world partly to a region of the brain called the vestibular cerebellum. From its position underneath the rest of the brain, the vestibular cerebellum detects head motion and then triggers compensatory movements to stabilize the head, body and eyes. The vestibular cerebellum receives sensory input from the body via direct and indirect routes. The direct input comes from five structures within the inner ear, each of which detects movement of the head in one particular direction. The indirect input travels to the cerebellum via the brainstem, which connects the brain with the spinal cord. The indirect input contains information on head movements in multiple directions combined with input from other senses such as vision. By studying the mouse brain, Balmer and Trussell have now mapped the direct and indirect circuits that carry sensory information to the vestibular cerebellum. Both types of input activate cells within the vestibular cerebellum called unipolar brush cells (UBCs). There are two types of UBCs: ON and OFF. Direct sensory input from the inner ear activates only ON UBCs. These cells respond to the arrival of sensory input by increasing their activity. Indirect input from the brainstem activates both ON UBCs and OFF UBCs. The latter respond to the input by decreasing their activity. The vestibular cerebellum thus processes direct and indirect inputs via segregated pathways containing different types of UBCs. The next step in understanding how the cerebellum maintains a stable visual world is to identify the circuitry beyond the UBCs. Understanding these circuits will ultimately provide insights into balance disorders, such as vertigo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Balmer
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
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24
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Wu C, Shore SE. Multisensory activation of ventral cochlear nucleus D-stellate cells modulates dorsal cochlear nucleus principal cell spatial coding. J Physiol 2018; 596:4537-4548. [PMID: 30074618 DOI: 10.1113/jp276280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Dorsal cochlear nucleus fusiform cells receive spectrally relevant auditory input for sound localization. Fusiform cells integrate auditory with other multisensory inputs. Here we elucidate how somatosensory and vestibular stimulation modify the fusiform cell spatial code through activation of an inhibitory interneuron: the ventral cochlear nucleus D-stellate cell. These results suggests that multisensory cues interact early in an ascending sensory pathway to serve an essential function. ABSTRACT In the cochlear nucleus (CN), the first central site for coding sound location, numerous multisensory projections and their modulatory effects have been reported. However, multisensory influences on sound location processing in the CN remain unknown. The principal output neurons of the dorsal CN, fusiform cells, encode spatial information through frequency-selective responses to direction-dependent spectral features. Here, single-unit recordings from the guinea pig CN revealed transient alterations by somatosensory and vestibular stimulation in fusiform cell spatial coding. Changes in fusiform cell spectral sensitivity correlated with multisensory modulation of ventral CN D-stellate cell responses, which provide direct, wideband inhibition to fusiform cells. These results suggest that multisensory inputs contribute to spatial coding in DCN fusiform cells via an inhibitory interneuron, the D-stellate cell. This early multisensory integration circuit likely confers important consequences on perceptual organization downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calvin Wu
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Susan E Shore
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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25
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26
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Population-scale organization of cerebellar granule neuron signaling during a visuomotor behavior. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16240. [PMID: 29176570 PMCID: PMC5701187 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15938-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Granule cells at the input layer of the cerebellum comprise over half the neurons in the human brain and are thought to be critical for learning. However, little is known about granule neuron signaling at the population scale during behavior. We used calcium imaging in awake zebrafish during optokinetic behavior to record transgenically identified granule neurons throughout a cerebellar population. A significant fraction of the population was responsive at any given time. In contrast to core precerebellar populations, granule neuron responses were relatively heterogeneous, with variation in the degree of rectification and the balance of positive versus negative changes in activity. Functional correlations were strongest for nearby cells, with weak spatial gradients in the degree of rectification and the average sign of response. These data open a new window upon cerebellar function and suggest granule layer signals represent elementary building blocks under-represented in core sensorimotor pathways, thereby enabling the construction of novel patterns of activity for learning.
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27
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Lu HW, Balmer TS, Romero GE, Trussell LO. Slow AMPAR Synaptic Transmission Is Determined by Stargazin and Glutamate Transporters. Neuron 2017; 96:73-80.e4. [PMID: 28919175 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
AMPARs mediate the briefest synaptic currents in the brain by virtue of their rapid gating kinetics. However, at the mossy fiber-to-unipolar brush cell synapse in the cerebellum, AMPAR-mediated EPSCs last for hundreds of milliseconds, and it has been proposed that this time course reflects slow diffusion from a complex synaptic space. We show that upon release of glutamate, synaptic AMPARs were desensitized by transmitter by >90%. As glutamate levels subsequently fell, recovery of transmission occurred due to the presence of the AMPAR accessory protein stargazin that enhances the AMPAR response to low levels of transmitter. This gradual increase in receptor activity following desensitization accounted for the majority of synaptic transmission at this synapse. Moreover, the amplitude, duration, and shape of the synaptic response was tightly controlled by plasma membrane glutamate transporters, indicating that clearance of synaptic glutamate during the slow EPSC is dictated by an uptake process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Wei Lu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Timothy S Balmer
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gabriel E Romero
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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28
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Dugué GP, Tihy M, Gourévitch B, Léna C. Cerebellar re-encoding of self-generated head movements. eLife 2017; 6:e26179. [PMID: 28608779 PMCID: PMC5489315 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Head movements are primarily sensed in a reference frame tied to the head, yet they are used to calculate self-orientation relative to the world. This requires to re-encode head kinematic signals into a reference frame anchored to earth-centered landmarks such as gravity, through computations whose neuronal substrate remains to be determined. Here, we studied the encoding of self-generated head movements in the rat caudal cerebellar vermis, an area essential for graviceptive functions. We found that, contrarily to peripheral vestibular inputs, most Purkinje cells exhibited a mixed sensitivity to head rotational and gravitational information and were differentially modulated by active and passive movements. In a subpopulation of cells, this mixed sensitivity underlay a tuning to rotations about an axis defined relative to gravity. Therefore, we show that the caudal vermis hosts a re-encoded, gravitationally polarized representation of self-generated head kinematics in freely moving rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume P Dugué
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Inserm U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Matthieu Tihy
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Inserm U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Boris Gourévitch
- Genetics and Physiology of Hearing Laboratory, Inserm UMR1120, University Paris 6, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Clément Léna
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Inserm U1024, CNRS UMR8197, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
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29
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Brozoski T, Brozoski D, Wisner K, Bauer C. Chronic tinnitus and unipolar brush cell alterations in the cerebellum and dorsal cochlear nucleus. Hear Res 2017; 350:139-151. [PMID: 28478300 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal model research has shown that the central features of tinnitus, the perception of sound without an acoustic correlate, include elevated spontaneous and stimulus-driven activity, enhanced burst-mode firing, decreased variance of inter-spike intervals, and distortion of tonotopic frequency representation. Less well documented are cell-specific correlates of tinnitus. Unipolar brush cell (UBC) alterations in animals with psychophysical evidence of tinnitus has recently been reported. UBCs are glutamatergic interneurons that appear to function as local-circuit signal amplifiers. UBCs are abundant in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) and very abundant in the flocculus (FL) and paraflocculus (PFL) of the cerebellum. In the present research, two indicators of UBC structure and function were examined: Doublecortin (DCX) and epidermal growth factor receptor substrate 8 (Eps8). DCX is a protein that binds to microtubules where it can modify their assembly and growth. Eps8 is a cell-surface tyrosine kinase receptor mediating the response to epidermal growth factor; it appears to have a role in actin polymerization as well as cytoskeletal protein interactions. Both functions could contribute to synaptic remodeling. In the present research UBC Eps8 and DCX immunoreactivity (IR) were determined in 4 groups of rats distinguished by their exposure to high-level sound and psychophysical performance: Unexposed, exposed to high-level sound with behavioral evidence of tinnitus, and two exposed groups without behavioral evidence of tinnitus. Compared to unexposed controls, exposed animals with tinnitus had Eps8 IR elevated in their PFL; other structures were not affected, nor was DCX IR affected. This was interpreted as UBC upregulation in animals with tinnitus. Exposure that failed to produce tinnitus did not increase either Eps8 or DCX IR. Rather Eps8 IR was decreased in the FL and DCN of one subgroup (Least-Tinnitus), while DCX IR decreased in the FL of the other subgroup (No-Tinnitus). Neuron degeneration was also documented in the cochlear nucleus and PFL of exposed animals, both with and without tinnitus. Degeneration was not found in unexposed animals. Implications for tinnitus neuropathy are discussed in the context of synaptic remodeling and cerebellar sensory modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Brozoski
- Division of Otolaryngology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794, United States.
| | - Daniel Brozoski
- Division of Otolaryngology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794, United States
| | - Kurt Wisner
- Division of Otolaryngology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794, United States
| | - Carol Bauer
- Division of Otolaryngology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62794, United States
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30
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Richardson BD, Rossi DJ. Recreational concentrations of alcohol enhance synaptic inhibition of cerebellar unipolar brush cells via pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:267-279. [PMID: 28381493 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00963.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in cerebellar sensitivity to alcohol/ethanol (EtOH) is a heritable trait associated with alcohol use disorder in humans and high EtOH consumption in rodents, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. A recently identified cellular substrate of cerebellar sensitivity to EtOH, the GABAergic system of cerebellar granule cells (GCs), shows divergent responses to EtOH paralleling EtOH consumption and motor impairment phenotype. Although GCs are the dominant afferent integrator in the cerebellum, such integration is shared by unipolar brush cells (UBCs) in vestibulocerebellar lobes. UBCs receive both GABAergic and glycinergic inhibition, both of which may mediate diverse neurological effects of EtOH. Therefore, the impact of recreational concentrations of EtOH (~10-50 mM) on GABAA receptor (GABAAR)- and glycine receptor (GlyR)-mediated spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) of UBCs in cerebellar slices was characterized. Sprague-Dawley rat (SDR) UBCs exhibited sIPSCs mediated by GABAARs, GlyRs, or both, and EtOH dose-dependently (10, 26, 52 mM) increased their frequency and amplitude. EtOH increased the frequency of glycinergic and GABAergic sIPSCs and selectively enhanced the amplitude of glycinergic sIPSCs. This GlyR-specific enhancement of sIPSC amplitude resulted from EtOH actions at presynaptic Golgi cells and via protein kinase C-dependent direct actions on postsynaptic GlyRs. The magnitude of EtOH-induced increases in UBC sIPSC activity varied across SDRs and two lines of mice, in parallel with their respective alcohol consumption/motor impairment phenotypes. These data indicate that Golgi cell-to-UBC inhibitory synapses are targets of EtOH, which acts at pre- and postsynaptic sites, via Golgi cell excitation and direct GlyR enhancement.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Genetic variability in cerebellar alcohol/ethanol sensitivity (ethanol-induced ataxia) predicts ethanol consumption phenotype in rodents and humans, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying genetic differences are largely unknown. Here it is demonstrated that recreational concentrations of alcohol (10-30 mM) enhance glycinergic and GABAergic inhibition of unipolar brush cells through increases in glycine/GABA release and postsynaptic enhancement of glycine receptor-mediated responses. Ethanol effects varied across rodent genotypes parallel to ethanol consumption and motor sensitivity phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben D Richardson
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; and.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - David J Rossi
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; and .,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
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31
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Leto K, Arancillo M, Becker EBE, Buffo A, Chiang C, Ding B, Dobyns WB, Dusart I, Haldipur P, Hatten ME, Hoshino M, Joyner AL, Kano M, Kilpatrick DL, Koibuchi N, Marino S, Martinez S, Millen KJ, Millner TO, Miyata T, Parmigiani E, Schilling K, Sekerková G, Sillitoe RV, Sotelo C, Uesaka N, Wefers A, Wingate RJT, Hawkes R. Consensus Paper: Cerebellar Development. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2016; 15:789-828. [PMID: 26439486 PMCID: PMC4846577 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0724-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The development of the mammalian cerebellum is orchestrated by both cell-autonomous programs and inductive environmental influences. Here, we describe the main processes of cerebellar ontogenesis, highlighting the neurogenic strategies used by developing progenitors, the genetic programs involved in cell fate specification, the progressive changes of structural organization, and some of the better-known abnormalities associated with developmental disorders of the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketty Leto
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10026, Turin, Italy.
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy.
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Esther B E Becker
- Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Annalisa Buffo
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10026, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy
| | - Chin Chiang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 4114 MRB III, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Baojin Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605-2324, USA
| | - William B Dobyns
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Genetics Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Isabelle Dusart
- Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Univ Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, France, 75005, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, France, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Parthiv Haldipur
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mary E Hatten
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mikio Hoshino
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan
| | - Alexandra L Joyner
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Masanobu Kano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Daniel L Kilpatrick
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605-2324, USA
| | - Noriyuki Koibuchi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Silvia Marino
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Salvador Martinez
- Department Human Anatomy, IMIB-Arrixaca, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Kathleen J Millen
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas O Millner
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Takaki Miyata
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Elena Parmigiani
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10026, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy
| | - Karl Schilling
- Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Anatomisches Institut, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gabriella Sekerková
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Constantino Sotelo
- Institut de la Vision, UPMC Université de Paris 06, Paris, 75012, France
| | - Naofumi Uesaka
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Annika Wefers
- Center for Neuropathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Richard J T Wingate
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Richard Hawkes
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 4NI, AB, Canada
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32
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Warren R, Sawtell NB. A comparative approach to cerebellar function: insights from electrosensory systems. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 41:31-37. [PMID: 27504860 PMCID: PMC5123925 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite its simple and highly-ordered circuitry the function of the cerebellum remains a topic of vigorous debate. This review explores connections between the cerebellum and sensory processing structures that closely resemble the cerebellum in terms of their evolution, development, patterns of gene expression, and circuitry. Recent studies of cerebellum-like structures involved in electrosensory processing in fish have provided insights into the functions of granule cells and unipolar brush cells-cell types shared with the cerebellum. We also discuss the possibility, supported by recent studies, that generating and subtracting predictions of the sensory consequences of motor commands may be core functions shared by both cerebellum-like structures and the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Warren
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Nathaniel B Sawtell
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, United States.
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33
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Sawtell NB. Neural Mechanisms for Predicting the Sensory Consequences of Behavior: Insights from Electrosensory Systems. Annu Rev Physiol 2016; 79:381-399. [PMID: 27813831 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-021115-105003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Perception of the environment requires differentiating between external sensory inputs and those that are self-generated. Some of the clearest insights into the neural mechanisms underlying this process have come from studies of the electrosensory systems of fish. Neurons at the first stage of electrosensory processing generate negative images of the electrosensory consequences of the animal's own behavior. By canceling out the effects of predictable, self-generated inputs, negative images allow for the selective encoding of unpredictable, externally generated stimuli. Combined experimental and theoretical studies of electrosensory systems have led to detailed accounts of how negative images are formed at the level of synaptic plasticity rules, cells, and circuits. Here, I review these accounts and discuss their implications for understanding how predictions of the sensory consequences of behavior may be generated in other sensory structures and the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel B Sawtell
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032;
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34
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Zampini V, Liu JK, Diana MA, Maldonado PP, Brunel N, Dieudonné S. Mechanisms and functional roles of glutamatergic synapse diversity in a cerebellar circuit. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27642013 PMCID: PMC5074806 DOI: 10.7554/elife.15872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic currents display a large degree of heterogeneity of their temporal characteristics, but the functional role of such heterogeneities remains unknown. We investigated in rat cerebellar slices synaptic currents in Unipolar Brush Cells (UBCs), which generate intrinsic mossy fibers relaying vestibular inputs to the cerebellar cortex. We show that UBCs respond to sinusoidal modulations of their sensory input with heterogeneous amplitudes and phase shifts. Experiments and modeling indicate that this variability results both from the kinetics of synaptic glutamate transients and from the diversity of postsynaptic receptors. While phase inversion is produced by an mGluR2-activated outward conductance in OFF-UBCs, the phase delay of ON UBCs is caused by a late rebound current resulting from AMPAR recovery from desensitization. Granular layer network modeling indicates that phase dispersion of UBC responses generates diverse phase coding in the granule cell population, allowing climbing-fiber-driven Purkinje cell learning at arbitrary phases of the vestibular input. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15872.001 Whether walking, riding a bicycle or simply standing still, we continually adjust our posture in small ways to prevent ourselves from falling. Our sense of balance depends on a set of structures inside the inner ear called the vestibular system. These structures detect movements of the head and relay this information to the brain in the form of electrical signals. A brain area called the vestibulo-cerebellum then combines these signals with sensory input from the eyes and muscles, before sending out further signals to trigger any adjustments necessary for balance. One of the main cell types within the vestibulo-cerebellum is the unipolar brush cell (or UBC for short). UBCs pass on signals to another type of neuron called Purkinje cells, which support the learning of motor skills such as adjusting posture. Zampini, Liu et al. set out to test the idea that UBCs transform inputs from the vestibular system into a format that makes it easier for cerebellar Purkinje cells to drive this kind of learning. First, recordings from slices of rodent brain revealed that UBCs respond in highly variable ways to vestibular input, with both the size and timing of responses varying between cells. This is because vestibular signals trigger the release of a chemical messenger called glutamate onto UBCs, but UBCs possess a variety of different types of glutamate receptors. Vestibular input therefore activates distinct signaling cascades from one UBC to the next. According to a computer model, this variability in UBC responses ensures that a subset of UBCs will always be active at any point during vestibular input. This in turn means that Purkinje cells can fire at any stage of a movement, which boosts the learning of motor skills. The next steps will be to test this hypothesis using mutant mice that lack specific receptor subtypes in UBCs or UBCs completely. A further challenge for the future will be to build a computer model of the vestibulo-cerebellar system that includes all of its component cell types. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15872.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Zampini
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1024, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8197, Paris, France
| | - Jian K Liu
- Neurosciences Federation, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.,Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marco A Diana
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1024, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8197, Paris, France
| | - Paloma P Maldonado
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1024, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8197, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Brunel
- Neurosciences Federation, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.,Department of Statistics and Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Stéphane Dieudonné
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1024, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8197, Paris, France
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35
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Yaeger DB, Trussell LO. Auditory Golgi cells are interconnected predominantly by electrical synapses. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:540-51. [PMID: 27121584 PMCID: PMC4978786 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01108.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mossy fiber-granule cell-parallel fiber system conveys proprioceptive and corollary discharge information to principal cells in cerebellum-like systems. In the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), Golgi cells inhibit granule cells and thus regulate information transfer along the mossy fiber-granule cell-parallel fiber pathway. Whereas excitatory synaptic inputs to Golgi cells are well understood, inhibitory and electrical synaptic inputs to Golgi cells have not been examined. Using paired recordings in a mouse brain slice preparation, we find that Golgi cells of the cochlear nucleus reliably form electrical synapses onto one another. Golgi cells were only rarely electrically coupled to superficial stellate cells, which form a separate network of electrically coupled interneurons in the DCN. Spikelets had a biphasic effect on the excitability of postjunctional Golgi cells, with a brief excitatory phase and a prolonged inhibitory phase due to the propagation of the prejunctional afterhyperpolarization through gap junctions. Golgi cells and stellate cells made weak inhibitory chemical synapses onto Golgi cells with low probability. Electrical synapses are therefore the predominant form of synaptic communication between auditory Golgi cells. We propose that electrical synapses between Golgi cells may function to regulate the synchrony of Golgi cell firing when electrically coupled Golgi cells receive temporally correlated excitatory synaptic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Yaeger
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; and
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Vollum Institute and Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
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36
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Editorial on the honorary cerebellum issue for the retirement of Enrico Mugnaini. THE CEREBELLUM 2016; 14:487-90. [PMID: 26450590 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0729-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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37
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Abstract
Unipolar brush cells (UBCs) are glutamatergic interneurons prominently present in the granular layer of the vestibulocerebellum. UBCs engage in extensive synaptic contact with a single presynaptic mossy fiber and signal to downstream granule cells through an elaborate network of mossy fiber-like axons. Ultrastructural examinations and electrophysiological recordings in organotypic slice cultures have indicated that UBCs target not only granule cells but also other UBCs, thus forming chains of two or perhaps more interconnected UBCs. In this report, we show recordings of spontaneous and evoked (di)synaptic events in granule cells and UBCs in fresh cerebellar slices from juvenile mice (5–7 weeks). The patterns of arrival of synaptic events were consistent with the presence of a presynaptic UBC, and recordings from UBCs displayed spontaneous protracted synaptic events characteristic of UBC excitatory synaptic transmission. These results highlight that chains of UBCs could further extend the temporal range of delayed and protracted signaling in the cerebellar cortical network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn van Dorp
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, NL-3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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