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Jiang W, Xiao D, Wu C, Yang J, Peng X, Chen L, Zhang J, Zha G, Li W, Ju R, Xiang M, Xie Z. Circular RNA-based therapy provides sustained and robust neuroprotection for retinal ganglion cells. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102258. [PMID: 39045516 PMCID: PMC11264179 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Ocular neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma lead to progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, causing irreversible vision impairment. Neuroprotection is needed to preserve RGCs across debilitating conditions. Nerve growth factor (NGF) protein therapy shows efficacy, but struggles with limited bioavailability and a short half-life. Here we explore a novel approach to address this deficiency by utilizing circular RNA (circRNA)-based therapy. We show that circRNAs exhibit an exceptional capacity for prolonged protein expression and circRNA-expressed NGF protects cells from glucose deprivation. In a mouse optic nerve crush model, lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-formulated circNGF administered intravitreally protects RGCs and axons from injury-induced degeneration. It also significantly outperforms NGF protein therapy without detectable retinal toxicity. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics revealed LNP-circNGF's multifaceted therapeutic effects, enhancing genes related to visual perception while reducing trauma-associated changes. This study signifies the promise of circRNA-based therapies for treating ocular neurodegenerative diseases and provides an innovative intervention platform for other ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Cheng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jiaqi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xinghua Peng
- Research and Development Center, Shenzhen MagicRNA Biotech, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Linfeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jiamin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Gaofeng Zha
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital. Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rong Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
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2
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Liu F, Li R, Zhu Z, Yang Y, Lu F. Current developments of gene therapy in human diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e645. [PMID: 39156766 PMCID: PMC11329757 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy has witnessed substantial advancements in recent years, becoming a constructive tactic for treating various human diseases. This review presents a comprehensive overview of these developments, with a focus on their diverse applications in different disease contexts. It explores the evolution of gene delivery systems, encompassing viral (like adeno-associated virus; AAV) and nonviral approaches, and evaluates their inherent strengths and limitations. Moreover, the review delves into the progress made in targeting specific tissues and cell types, spanning the eye, liver, muscles, and central nervous system, among others, using these gene technologies. This targeted approach is crucial in addressing a broad spectrum of genetic disorders, such as inherited lysosomal storage diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Recent clinical trials and successful outcomes in gene therapy, particularly those involving AAV and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated proteins, are highlighted, illuminating the transformative potentials of this approach in disease treatment. The review summarizes the current status of gene therapy, its prospects, and its capacity to significantly ameliorate patient outcomes and quality of life. By offering comprehensive analysis, this review provides invaluable insights for researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders, enriching the ongoing discourse on the trajectory of disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanfei Liu
- Department of OphthalmologyWest China HospitalChengduSichuanChina
| | - Ruiting Li
- State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalChengduSichuanChina
| | - Zilin Zhu
- College of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of OphthalmologyWest China HospitalChengduSichuanChina
- State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalChengduSichuanChina
| | - Fang Lu
- Department of OphthalmologyWest China HospitalChengduSichuanChina
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3
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Timalsina B, Lee S, Kaang BK. Advances in the labelling and selective manipulation of synapses. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024:10.1038/s41583-024-00851-9. [PMID: 39174832 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00851-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Synapses are highly specialized neuronal structures that are essential for neurotransmission, and they are dynamically regulated throughout the lifetime. Although accumulating evidence indicates that these structures are crucial for information processing and storage in the brain, their precise roles beyond neurotransmission are yet to be fully appreciated. Genetically encoded fluorescent tools have deepened our understanding of synaptic structure and function, but developing an ideal methodology to selectively visualize, label and manipulate synapses remains challenging. Here, we provide an overview of currently available synapse labelling techniques and describe their extension to enable synapse manipulation. We categorize these approaches on the basis of their conceptual bases and target molecules, compare their advantages and limitations and propose potential modifications to improve their effectiveness. These methods have broad utility, particularly for investigating mechanisms of synaptic function and synaptopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Timalsina
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Sangkyu Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea.
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4
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Peng B, Huang JJ, Li Z, Zhang LI, Tao HW. Cross-modal enhancement of defensive behavior via parabigemino-collicular projections. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3616-3631.e5. [PMID: 39019036 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.052] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Effective detection and avoidance from environmental threats are crucial for animals' survival. Integration of sensory cues associated with threats across different modalities can significantly enhance animals' detection and behavioral responses. However, the neural circuit-level mechanisms underlying the modulation of defensive behavior or fear response under simultaneous multimodal sensory inputs remain poorly understood. Here, we report in mice that bimodal looming stimuli combining coherent visual and auditory signals elicit more robust defensive/fear reactions than unimodal stimuli. These include intensified escape and prolonged hiding, suggesting a heightened defensive/fear state. These various responses depend on the activity of the superior colliculus (SC), while its downstream nucleus, the parabigeminal nucleus (PBG), predominantly influences the duration of hiding behavior. PBG temporally integrates visual and auditory signals and enhances the salience of threat signals by amplifying SC sensory responses through its feedback projection to the visual layer of the SC. Our results suggest an evolutionarily conserved pathway in defense circuits for multisensory integration and cross-modality enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Peng
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Zhong Li
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Huizhong Whit Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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5
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Park G, Park Y, Yang S, Cho Y, Serikov A, Jung D, Seo DC, Lee SE, Nam MH, Kim D, Kim J. Neurotensin-specific corticothalamic circuit regulates innate response conflict. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3473-3487.e6. [PMID: 39067450 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Animals must simultaneously select and balance multiple action contingencies in ambiguous situations: for instance, evading danger during feeding. This has rarely been examined in the context of information selection; despite corticothalamic pathways that mediate sensory attention being relatively well characterized, neural mechanisms filtering conflicting actions remain unclear. Here, we develop a new loom/feed test to observe conflict between naturally induced fear and feeding and identify a novel anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) output to the ventral anterior and ventral lateral thalamus (VA/VL) that adjusts selectivity between these innate actions. Using micro-endoscopy and fiber photometry, we reveal that activity in corticofugal outputs was lowered during unbalanced/singularly occupied periods, as were the resulting decreased thalamic initiation-related signals for less-favored actions, suggesting that the integration of ACC-thalamic firing may directly regulate the output of behavior choices. Accordingly, the optoinhibition of ACC-VA/VL circuits induced high bias toward feeding at the expense of defense. To identify upstream "commander" cortical cells gating this output, we established dual-order tracing (DOT)-translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP)-a scheme to label upstream neurons with transcriptome analysis-and found a novel population of neurotensin-positive interneurons (ACCNts). The photoexcitation of ACCNts cells indeed caused similarly hyper-selective behaviors. Collectively, this new "corticofugal action filter" scheme suggests that communication in multi-step cingulate circuits may critically influence the summation of motor signals in thalamic outputs, regulating bias between innate action types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geunhong Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjun Park
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulkee Yang
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjeong Cho
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Almas Serikov
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dajung Jung
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Chan Seo
- Research Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Research Animal Resources Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ho Nam
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Daesoo Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongjin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea; Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Asinof SK, Card GM. Neural Control of Naturalistic Behavior Choices. Annu Rev Neurosci 2024; 47:369-388. [PMID: 38724026 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-094019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
In the natural world, animals make decisions on an ongoing basis, continuously selecting which action to undertake next. In the lab, however, the neural bases of decision processes have mostly been studied using artificial trial structures. New experimental tools based on the genetic toolkit of model organisms now make it experimentally feasible to monitor and manipulate neural activity in small subsets of neurons during naturalistic behaviors. We thus propose a new approach to investigating decision processes, termed reverse neuroethology. In this approach, experimenters select animal models based on experimental accessibility and then utilize cutting-edge tools such as connectomes and genetically encoded reagents to analyze the flow of information through an animal's nervous system during naturalistic choice behaviors. We describe how the reverse neuroethology strategy has been applied to understand the neural underpinnings of innate, rapid decision making, with a focus on defensive behavioral choices in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel K Asinof
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
| | - Gwyneth M Card
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neuroscience, and Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA;
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
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7
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Wang D, Zhao D, Wang W, Hu F, Cui M, Liu J, Meng F, Liu C, Qiu C, Liu D, Xu Z, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Li W, Li C. How do lateral septum projections to the ventral CA1 influence sociability? Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1789-1801. [PMID: 38103246 PMCID: PMC10960288 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.389304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202408000-00033/figure1/v/2023-12-16T180322Z/r/image-tiff Social dysfunction is a risk factor for several neuropsychiatric illnesses. Previous studies have shown that the lateral septum (LS)-related pathway plays a critical role in mediating social behaviors. However, the role of the connections between the LS and its downstream brain regions in social behaviors remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a three-chamber test using electrophysiological and chemogenetic approaches in mice to determine how LS projections to ventral CA1 (vCA1) influence sociability. Our results showed that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons were activated following social experience, and that social behaviors were enhanced by chemogenetic modulation of these neurons. Moreover, LS GABAergic neurons extended their functional neural connections via vCA1 glutamatergic pyramidal neurons, and regulating LSGABA→vCA1Glu neural projections affected social behaviors, which were impeded by suppressing LS-projecting vCA1 neuronal activity or inhibiting GABAA receptors in vCA1. These findings support the hypothesis that LS inputs to the vCA1 can control social preferences and social novelty behaviors. These findings provide new insights regarding the neural circuits that regulate sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Wentao Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Fengai Hu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Minghu Cui
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Fantao Meng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Cuilan Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Changyun Qiu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Dunjiang Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhicheng Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yameng Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- College of Nursing, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
- Department of Psychology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong Province, China
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8
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Liu Z, Sun W, Ng YH, Dong H, Quake SR, Südhof TC. The cortical amygdala consolidates a socially transmitted long-term memory. Nature 2024; 632:366-374. [PMID: 38961294 PMCID: PMC11306109 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07632-5] [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: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Social communication guides decision-making, which is essential for survival. Social transmission of food preference (STFP) is an ecologically relevant memory paradigm in which an animal learns a desirable food odour from another animal in a social context, creating a long-term memory1,2. How food-preference memory is acquired, consolidated and stored is unclear. Here we show that the posteromedial nucleus of the cortical amygdala (COApm) serves as a computational centre in long-term STFP memory consolidation by integrating social and sensory olfactory inputs. Blocking synaptic signalling by the COApm-based circuit selectively abolished STFP memory consolidation without impairing memory acquisition, storage or recall. COApm-mediated STFP memory consolidation depends on synaptic inputs from the accessory olfactory bulb and on synaptic outputs to the anterior olfactory nucleus. STFP memory consolidation requires protein synthesis, suggesting a gene-expression mechanism. Deep single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomics revealed robust but distinct gene-expression signatures induced by STFP memory formation in the COApm that are consistent with synapse restructuring. Our data thus define a neural circuit for the consolidation of a socially communicated long-term memory, thereby mechanistically distinguishing protein-synthesis-dependent memory consolidation from memory acquisition, storage or retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Wenfei Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yi Han Ng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hua Dong
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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9
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Chen C, Niehaus JK, Dinc F, Huang KL, Barnette AL, Tassou A, Shuster SA, Wang L, Lemire A, Menon V, Ritola K, Hantman AW, Zeng H, Schnitzer MJ, Scherrer G. Neural circuit basis of placebo pain relief. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07816-z. [PMID: 39048016 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07816-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Placebo effects are notable demonstrations of mind-body interactions1,2. During pain perception, in the absence of any treatment, an expectation of pain relief can reduce the experience of pain-a phenomenon known as placebo analgesia3-6. However, despite the strength of placebo effects and their impact on everyday human experience and the failure of clinical trials for new therapeutics7, the neural circuit basis of placebo effects has remained unclear. Here we show that analgesia from the expectation of pain relief is mediated by rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) neurons that project to the pontine nucleus (rACC→Pn)-a precerebellar nucleus with no established function in pain. We created a behavioural assay that generates placebo-like anticipatory pain relief in mice. In vivo calcium imaging of neural activity and electrophysiological recordings in brain slices showed that expectations of pain relief boost the activity of rACC→Pn neurons and potentiate neurotransmission in this pathway. Transcriptomic studies of Pn neurons revealed an abundance of opioid receptors, further suggesting a role in pain modulation. Inhibition of the rACC→Pn pathway disrupted placebo analgesia and decreased pain thresholds, whereas activation elicited analgesia in the absence of placebo conditioning. Finally, Purkinje cells exhibited activity patterns resembling those of rACC→Pn neurons during pain-relief expectation, providing cellular-level evidence for a role of the cerebellum in cognitive pain modulation. These findings open the possibility of targeting this prefrontal cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway with drugs or neurostimulation to treat pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jesse K Niehaus
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Fatih Dinc
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karen L Huang
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexander L Barnette
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Adrien Tassou
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - S Andrew Shuster
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lihua Wang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Andrew Lemire
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kimberly Ritola
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Adam W Hantman
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hongkui Zeng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mark J Schnitzer
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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10
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Chen M, Wang C, Lin Y, Chen Y, Xie W, Huang X, Zhang F, Fu C, Zhuang K, Zou T, Can D, Li H, Wu S, Luo C, Zhang J. Dorsal raphe nucleus-hippocampus serotonergic circuit underlies the depressive and cognitive impairments in 5×FAD male mice. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:34. [PMID: 39044270 PMCID: PMC11267773 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00425-w] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depressive symptoms often occur in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and exacerbate the pathogenesis of AD. However, the neural circuit mechanisms underlying the AD-associated depression remain unclear. The serotonergic system plays crucial roles in both AD and depression. METHODS We used a combination of in vivo trans-synaptic circuit-dissecting anatomical approaches, chemogenetic manipulations, optogenetic manipulations, pharmacological methods, behavioral testing, and electrophysiological recording to investigate dorsal raphe nucleus serotonergic circuit in AD-associated depression in AD mouse model. RESULTS We found that the activity of dorsal raphe nucleus serotonin neurons (DRN5-HT) and their projections to the dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1) terminals (DRN5-HT-dCA1CaMKII) both decreased in brains of early 5×FAD mice. Chemogenetic or optogenetic activation of the DRN5-HT-dCA1CaMKII neural circuit attenuated the depressive symptoms and cognitive impairments in 5×FAD mice through serotonin receptor 1B (5-HT1BR) and 4 (5-HT4R). Pharmacological activation of 5-HT1BR or 5-HT4R attenuated the depressive symptoms and cognitive impairments in 5×FAD mice by regulating the DRN5-HT-dCA1CaMKII neural circuit to improve synaptic plasticity. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide a new mechanistic connection between depression and AD and provide potential pharmaceutical prevention targets for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqin Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Chenlu Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Yinan Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Yanbing Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Wenting Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Xiaoting Huang
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Congrui Fu
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Kai Zhuang
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Tingting Zou
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Dan Can
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Huifang Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Ceng Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350004, China.
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11
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Kim DI, Park S, Park S, Ye M, Chen JY, Kang SJ, Jhang J, Hunker AC, Zweifel LS, Caron KM, Vaughan JM, Saghatelian A, Palmiter RD, Han S. Presynaptic sensor and silencer of peptidergic transmission reveal neuropeptides as primary transmitters in pontine fear circuit. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00709-8. [PMID: 39043179 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Neurons produce and release neuropeptides to communicate with one another. Despite their importance in brain function, circuit-based mechanisms of peptidergic transmission are poorly understood, primarily due to the lack of tools for monitoring and manipulating neuropeptide release in vivo. Here, we report the development of two genetically encoded tools for investigating peptidergic transmission in behaving mice: a genetically encoded large dense core vesicle (LDCV) sensor that detects presynaptic neuropeptide release and a genetically encoded silencer that specifically degrades neuropeptides inside LDCVs. Using these tools, we show that neuropeptides, not glutamate, encode the unconditioned stimulus in the parabrachial-to-amygdalar threat pathway during Pavlovian threat learning. We also show that neuropeptides play important roles in encoding positive valence and suppressing conditioned threat response in the amygdala-to-parabrachial endogenous opioidergic circuit. These results show that our sensor and silencer for presynaptic peptidergic transmission are reliable tools to investigate neuropeptidergic systems in awake, behaving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Il Kim
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sekun Park
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Seahyung Park
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mao Ye
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jane Y Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sukjae J Kang
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jinho Jhang
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Avery C Hunker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kathleen M Caron
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joan M Vaughan
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Alan Saghatelian
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Richard D Palmiter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sung Han
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
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12
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Luo NS, Cai YX, Han ZP, Sui XK, Yuan WJ, Zhang ZL, Guo HD, Wang J, Lin KZ, Xu FQ. Engineered AAV13 variants with enhanced transduction and confined spread. Zool Res 2024; 45:781-790. [PMID: 38894521 PMCID: PMC11298675 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Precise targeting of specific regions within the central nervous system (CNS) is crucial for both scientific research and gene therapy in the context of brain diseases. Adeno-associated virus 13 (AAV13) is known for its restricted diffusion range within the CNS, making it an ideal choice for precise labeling and administration within small brain regions. However, AAV13 mediates relatively low expression of target genes. Here, we introduced specifically engineered modifications to the AAV13 capsid protein to enhance its transduction efficiency. We first constructed AAV13-YF by mutating tyrosine to phenylalanine on the surface of the AAV13 capsid. We then inserted the 7m8 peptide, known to enhance cell transduction, into positions 587/588 and 585/586 of the AAV13 capsid, resulting in two distinct variants named AAV13-587-7m8 and AAV13-585-7m8, respectively. We found that AAV13-YF exhibited superior in vitro infectivity in HEK293T cells compared to AAV13, while AAV13-587-7m8 and AAV13-585-7m8 showed enhanced CNS infection capabilities in C57BL/6 mice, with AAV13-587-7m8 infection retaining a limited spread range. These modified AAV13 variants hold promising potential for applications in gene therapy and neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neng-Song Luo
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Yu-Xiang Cai
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Zeng-Peng Han
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Kai Sui
- Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Wen-Jia Yuan
- Brain Case Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Zi-Lian Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Hao-Dong Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kun-Zhang Lin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China. E-mail:
| | - Fu-Qiang Xu
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. E-mail:
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Słyk Ż, Stachowiak N, Małecki M. Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors for Gene Therapy of the Central Nervous System: Delivery Routes and Clinical Aspects. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1523. [PMID: 39062095 PMCID: PMC11274884 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Central Nervous System (CNS) is vulnerable to a range of diseases, including neurodegenerative and oncological conditions, which present significant treatment challenges. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts molecule penetration, complicating the achievement of therapeutic concentrations in the CNS following systemic administration. Gene therapy using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors emerges as a promising strategy for treating CNS diseases, demonstrated by the registration of six gene therapy products in the past six years and 87 ongoing clinical trials. This review explores the implementation of rAAV vectors in CNS disease treatment, emphasizing AAV biology and vector engineering. Various administration methods-such as intravenous, intrathecal, and intraparenchymal routes-and experimental approaches like intranasal and intramuscular administration are evaluated, discussing their advantages and limitations in different CNS contexts. Additionally, the review underscores the importance of optimizing therapeutic efficacy through the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of rAAV vectors. A comprehensive analysis of clinical trials reveals successes and challenges, including barriers to commercialization. This review provides insights into therapeutic strategies using rAAV vectors in neurological diseases and identifies areas requiring further research, particularly in optimizing rAAV PK/PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Żaneta Słyk
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Stachowiak
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Małecki
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
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14
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Wu Y, Zhang D, Liu J, Jiang J, Xie K, Wu L, Leng Y, Liang P, Zhu T, Zhou C. Activity of the Sodium Leak Channel Maintains the Excitability of Paraventricular Thalamus Glutamatergic Neurons to Resist Anesthetic Effects of Sevoflurane in Mice. Anesthesiology 2024; 141:56-74. [PMID: 38625708 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000005015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stimulation of the paraventricular thalamus has been found to enhance anesthesia recovery; however, the underlying molecular mechanism by which general anesthetics modulate paraventricular thalamus is unclear. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the sodium leak channel (NALCN) maintains neuronal activity in the paraventricular thalamus to resist anesthetic effects of sevoflurane in mice. METHODS Chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations, in vivo multiple-channel recordings, and electroencephalogram recordings were used to investigate the role of paraventricular thalamus neuronal activity in sevoflurane anesthesia. Virus-mediated knockdown and/or overexpression was applied to determine how NALCN influenced excitability of paraventricular thalamus glutamatergic neurons under sevoflurane. Viral tracers and local field potentials were used to explore the downstream pathway. RESULTS Single neuronal spikes in the paraventricular thalamus were suppressed by sevoflurane anesthesia and recovered during emergence. Optogenetic activation of paraventricular thalamus glutamatergic neurons shortened the emergence period from sevoflurane anesthesia, while chemogenetic inhibition had the opposite effect. Knockdown of the NALCN in the paraventricular thalamus delayed the emergence from sevoflurane anesthesia (recovery time: from 24 ± 14 to 64 ± 19 s, P < 0.001; concentration for recovery of the righting reflex: from 1.13% ± 0.10% to 0.97% ± 0.13%, P < 0.01). As expected, the overexpression of the NALCN in the paraventricular thalamus produced the opposite effects. At the circuit level, knockdown of the NALCN in the paraventricular thalamus decreased the neuronal activity of the nucleus accumbens, as indicated by the local field potential and decreased single neuronal spikes in the nucleus accumbens. Additionally, the effects of NALCN knockdown in the paraventricular thalamus on sevoflurane actions were reversed by optical stimulation of the nucleus accumbens. CONCLUSIONS Activity of the NALCN maintains the excitability of paraventricular thalamus glutamatergic neurons to resist the anesthetic effects of sevoflurane in mice. EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Donghang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jingyao Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Keyu Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Leng
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Peng Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Joo B, Xu S, Park H, Kim K, Rah JC, Koo JW. Parietal-Frontal Pathway Controls Relapse of Fear Memory in a Novel Context. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100315. [PMID: 38726036 PMCID: PMC11078648 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Fear responses significantly affect daily life and shape our approach to uncertainty. However, the potential resurgence of fear in unfamiliar situations poses a significant challenge to exposure-based therapies for maladaptive fear responses. Nonetheless, how novel contextual stimuli are associated with the relapse of extinguished fear remains unknown. Methods Using a context-dependent fear renewal model, the functional circuits and underlying mechanisms of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were investigated using optogenetic, histological, in vivo, and ex vivo electrophysiological and pharmacological techniques. Results We demonstrated that the PPC-to-ACC pathway governs fear relapse in a novel context. We observed enhanced populational calcium activity in the ACC neurons that received projections from the PPC and increased synaptic activity in the basolateral amygdala-projecting PPC-to-ACC neurons upon renewal in a novel context, where excitatory postsynaptic currents amplitudes increased but inhibitory postsynaptic current amplitudes decreased. In addition, we found that parvalbumin-expressing interneurons controlled novel context-dependent fear renewal, which was blocked by the chronic administration of fluoxetine. Conclusions Our findings highlight the PPC-to-ACC pathway in mediating the relapse of extinguished fear in novel contexts, thereby contributing significant insights into the intricate neural mechanisms that govern fear renewal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bitna Joo
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Shijie Xu
- Medical Research Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Hyungju Park
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Neurovascular Unit Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Kipom Kim
- Research Strategy Office, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Cheol Rah
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Sensory & Motor Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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Hu Z, Huang X, Liu J, Wang Z, Xi Y, Yang Y, Lin S, So KF, Huang L, Tao Q, Ren C. A visual circuit related to the parabrachial nucleus for the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114356. [PMID: 38865246 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In addition to its role in vision, light also serves non-image-forming visual functions. Despite clinical evidence suggesting the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment, the circuit mechanisms underlying the effects of light on itch-related behaviors remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that bright light treatment reduces itch-related behaviors in mice through a visual circuit related to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN). Specifically, a subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) innervates GABAergic neurons in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and intergeniculate leaflet (vLGN/IGL), which subsequently inhibit CaMKIIα+ neurons in the LPBN. Activation of both the vLGN/IGL-projecting RGCs and the vLGN/IGL-to-LPBN projections is sufficient to reduce itch-related behaviors induced by various pruritogens. Importantly, we demonstrate that the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment rely on the activation of the retina-vLGN/IGL-LPBN pathway. Collectively, our findings elucidate a visual circuit related to the LPBN that underlies the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengfang Hu
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaodan Huang
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jianyu Liu
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ziyang Wang
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yue Xi
- Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation Institute, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Song Lin
- Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Kwok-Fai So
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation Institute, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lu Huang
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Qian Tao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Psychology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
| | - Chaoran Ren
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation Institute, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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17
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Zhang Z, Su J, Tang J, Chung L, Page JC, Winter CC, Liu Y, Kegeles E, Conti S, Zhang Y, Biundo J, Chalif JI, Hua CY, Yang Z, Yao X, Yang Y, Chen S, Schwab JM, Wang KH, Chen C, Prerau MJ, He Z. Spinal projecting neurons in rostral ventromedial medulla co-regulate motor and sympathetic tone. Cell 2024; 187:3427-3444.e21. [PMID: 38733990 PMCID: PMC11193620 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.022] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Many behaviors require the coordinated actions of somatic and autonomic functions. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. By opto-stimulating different populations of descending spinal projecting neurons (SPNs) in anesthetized mice, we show that stimulation of excitatory SPNs in the rostral ventromedial medulla (rVMM) resulted in a simultaneous increase in somatomotor and sympathetic activities. Conversely, opto-stimulation of rVMM inhibitory SPNs decreased both activities. Anatomically, these SPNs innervate both sympathetic preganglionic neurons and motor-related regions in the spinal cord. Fiber-photometry recording indicated that the activities of rVMM SPNs correlate with different levels of muscle and sympathetic tone during distinct arousal states. Inhibiting rVMM excitatory SPNs reduced basal muscle and sympathetic tone, impairing locomotion initiation and high-speed performance. In contrast, silencing the inhibitory population abolished muscle atonia and sympathetic hypoactivity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Together, these results identify rVMM SPNs as descending spinal projecting pathways controlling the tone of both the somatomotor and sympathetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicong Zhang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junfeng Su
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Tang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leeyup Chung
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica C Page
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carla C Winter
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuchu Liu
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evgenii Kegeles
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Conti
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason Biundo
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua I Chalif
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles Y Hua
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhiyun Yang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xue Yao
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shuqiang Chen
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan M Schwab
- Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Chinfei Chen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J Prerau
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhigang He
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Fan F, Yin T, Wu B, Zheng J, Deng J, Wu G, Hu S. The role of spinal neurons targeted by corticospinal neurons in central poststroke neuropathic pain. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14813. [PMID: 38887838 PMCID: PMC11183184 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central poststroke pain (CPSP) is one of the primary sequelae following stroke, yet its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. METHODS By lesioning the lateral thalamic nuclei, we first established a CPSP model that exhibits mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. Innocuous mechanical stimuli following the thalamic lesion evoked robust neural activation in somatosensory corticospinal neurons (CSNs), as well as in the deep dorsal horn, where low threshold mechanosensory afferents terminate. In this study, we used viral-based mapping and intersectional functional manipulations to decipher the role of somatosensory CSNs and their spinal targets in the CPSP pathophysiology. RESULTS We first mapped the post-synaptic spinal targets of lumbar innervating CSNs using an anterograde trans-synaptic AAV1-based strategy and showed these spinal interneurons were activated by innocuous tactile stimuli post-thalamic lesion. Functionally, tetanus toxin-based chronic inactivation of spinal neurons targeted by CSNs prevented the development of CPSP. Consistently, transient chemogenetic silencing of these neurons alleviated established mechanical pain hypersensitivity and innocuous tactile stimuli evoked aversion linked to the CPSP. In contrast, chemogenetic activation of these neurons was insufficient to induce robust mechanical allodynia typically observed in the CPSP. CONCLUSION The CSNs and their spinal targets are required but insufficient for the establishment of CPSP hypersensitivity. Our study provided novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying CPSP and potential therapeutic interventions to treat refractory central neuropathic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenqqi Fan
- Department of Pain, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Tianze Yin
- Department of Pain, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Biwu Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jiajun Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jiaojiao Deng
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shukun Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neurocritical Care, Huashan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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19
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Concina G, Milano L, Renna A, Manassero E, Stabile F, Sacchetti B. Hippocampus-to-amygdala pathway drives the separation of remote memories of related events. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114151. [PMID: 38656872 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The mammalian brain can store and retrieve memories of related events as distinct memories and remember common features of those experiences. How it computes this function remains elusive. Here, we show in rats that recent memories of two closely timed auditory fear events share overlapping neuronal ensembles in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and are functionally linked. However, remote memories have reduced neuronal overlap and are functionally independent. The activity of parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons in the BLA plays a crucial role in forming separate remote memories. Chemogenetic blockade of PV preserves individual remote memories but prevents their segregation, resulting in reciprocal associations. The hippocampus drives this process through specific excitatory connections with BLA GABAergic interneurons. These findings provide insights into the neuronal mechanisms that minimize the overlap between distinct remote memories and enable the retrieval of related memories separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Concina
- Rita Levi-Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Luisella Milano
- Rita Levi-Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Annamaria Renna
- Rita Levi-Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Eugenio Manassero
- Rita Levi-Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Stabile
- Rita Levi-Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Benedetto Sacchetti
- Rita Levi-Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy.
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20
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Zhang Y, Zhang W, Wang L, Liu D, Xie T, Le Z, Li X, Gong H, Xu XH, Xu M, Yao H. Whole-brain Mapping of Inputs and Outputs of Specific Orbitofrontal Cortical Neurons in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8. [PMID: 38801564 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (ORB), a region crucial for stimulus-reward association, decision-making, and flexible behaviors, extensively connects with other brain areas. However, brain-wide inputs to projection-defined ORB neurons and the distribution of inhibitory neurons postsynaptic to neurons in specific ORB subregions remain poorly characterized. Here we mapped the inputs of five types of projection-specific ORB neurons and ORB outputs to two types of inhibitory neurons. We found that different projection-defined ORB neurons received inputs from similar cortical and thalamic regions, albeit with quantitative variations, particularly in somatomotor areas and medial groups of the dorsal thalamus. By counting parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST) interneurons innervated by neurons in specific ORB subregions, we found a higher fraction of PV neurons in sensory cortices and a higher fraction of SST neurons in subcortical regions targeted by medial ORB neurons. These results provide insights into understanding and investigating the function of specific ORB neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Lizhao Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Dechen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Taorong Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Ziwei Le
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiangning Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Hui Gong
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haishan Yao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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21
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Shao Q, Chen L, Li X, Li M, Cui H, Li X, Zhao X, Shi Y, Sun Q, Yan K, Wang G. A non-canonical visual cortical-entorhinal pathway contributes to spatial navigation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4122. [PMID: 38750027 PMCID: PMC11096324 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48483-y] [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: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual information is important for accurate spatial coding and memory-guided navigation. As a crucial area for spatial cognition, the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) harbors diverse spatially tuned cells and functions as the major gateway relaying sensory inputs to the hippocampus containing place cells. However, how visual information enters the MEC has not been fully understood. Here, we identify a pathway originating in the secondary visual cortex (V2) and directly targeting MEC layer 5a (L5a). L5a neurons served as a network hub for visual processing in the MEC by routing visual inputs from multiple V2 areas to other local neurons and hippocampal CA1. Interrupting this pathway severely impaired visual stimulus-evoked neural activity in the MEC and performance of mice in navigation tasks. These observations reveal a visual cortical-entorhinal pathway highlighting the role of MEC L5a in sensory information transmission, a function typically attributed to MEC superficial layers before.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiming Shao
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Ligu Chen
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaowan Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Miao Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Hui Cui
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xiaoyue Li
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Xinran Zhao
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yuying Shi
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Qiang Sun
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Kaiyue Yan
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Guangfu Wang
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
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22
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Fang S, Luo Z, Wei Z, Qin Y, Zheng J, Zhang H, Jin J, Li J, Miao C, Yang S, Li Y, Liang Z, Yu XD, Zhang XM, Xiong W, Zhu H, Gan WB, Huang L, Li B. Sexually dimorphic control of affective state processing and empathic behaviors. Neuron 2024; 112:1498-1517.e8. [PMID: 38430912 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Recognizing the affective states of social counterparts and responding appropriately fosters successful social interactions. However, little is known about how the affective states are expressed and perceived and how they influence social decisions. Here, we show that male and female mice emit distinct olfactory cues after experiencing distress. These cues activate distinct neural circuits in the piriform cortex (PiC) and evoke sexually dimorphic empathic behaviors in observers. Specifically, the PiC → PrL pathway is activated in female observers, inducing a social preference for the distressed counterpart. Conversely, the PiC → MeA pathway is activated in male observers, evoking excessive self-grooming behaviors. These pathways originate from non-overlapping PiC neuron populations with distinct gene expression signatures regulated by transcription factors and sex hormones. Our study unveils how internal states of social counterparts are processed through sexually dimorphic mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels and offers insights into the neural mechanisms underpinning sex differences in higher brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunchang Fang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhengyi Luo
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zicheng Wei
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yuxin Qin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jieyan Zheng
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Hongyang Zhang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jianhua Jin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jiali Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Chenjian Miao
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shana Yang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zirui Liang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao Min Zhang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hongying Zhu
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | | | - Lianyan Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Boxing Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Advanced Medical Technology Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510655, China.
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23
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Lubejko ST, Livrizzi G, Buczynski SA, Patel J, Yung JC, Yaksh TL, Banghart MR. Inputs to the locus coeruleus from the periaqueductal gray and rostroventral medulla shape opioid-mediated descending pain modulation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj9581. [PMID: 38669335 PMCID: PMC11051679 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj9581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The supraspinal descending pain modulatory system (DPMS) shapes pain perception via monoaminergic modulation of sensory information in the spinal cord. However, the role and synaptic mechanisms of descending noradrenergic signaling remain unclear. Here, we establish that noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC) are essential for supraspinal opioid antinociception. While much previous work has emphasized the role of descending serotonergic pathways, we find that opioid antinociception is primarily driven by excitatory output from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) to the LC. Furthermore, we identify a previously unknown opioid-sensitive inhibitory input from the rostroventromedial medulla (RVM), the suppression of which disinhibits LC neurons to drive spinal noradrenergic antinociception. We describe pain-related activity throughout this circuit and report the presence of prominent bifurcating outputs from the vlPAG to the LC and the RVM. Our findings substantially revise current models of the DPMS and establish a supraspinal antinociceptive pathway that may contribute to multiple forms of descending pain modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan T. Lubejko
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Giulia Livrizzi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stanley A. Buczynski
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Janki Patel
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jean C. Yung
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Tony L. Yaksh
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Matthew R. Banghart
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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24
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Carmona LM, Thomas ED, Smith K, Tasic B, Costa RM, Nelson A. Topographical and cell type-specific connectivity of rostral and caudal forelimb corticospinal neuron populations. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113993. [PMID: 38551963 PMCID: PMC11100358 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113993] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Corticospinal neurons (CSNs) synapse directly on spinal neurons, a diverse assortment of cells with unique structural and functional properties necessary for body movements. CSNs modulating forelimb behavior fractionate into caudal forelimb area (CFA) and rostral forelimb area (RFA) motor cortical populations. Despite their prominence, the full diversity of spinal neurons targeted by CFA and RFA CSNs is uncharted. Here, we use anatomical and RNA sequencing methods to show that CSNs synapse onto a remarkably selective group of spinal cell types, favoring inhibitory populations that regulate motoneuron activity and gate sensory feedback. CFA and RFA CSNs target similar spinal neuron types, with notable exceptions that suggest that these populations differ in how they influence behavior. Finally, axon collaterals of CFA and RFA CSNs target similar brain regions yet receive highly divergent inputs. These results detail the rules of CSN connectivity throughout the brain and spinal cord for two regions critical for forelimb behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Marcela Carmona
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric D Thomas
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kimberly Smith
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bosiljka Tasic
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rui M Costa
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anders Nelson
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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25
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Martinez de Morentin PB, Gonzalez JA, Dowsett GKC, Martynova Y, Yeo GSH, Sylantyev S, Heisler LK. A brainstem to hypothalamic arcuate nucleus GABAergic circuit drives feeding. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1646-1656.e4. [PMID: 38518777 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
The obesity epidemic is principally driven by the consumption of more calories than the body requires. It is therefore essential that the mechanisms underpinning feeding behavior are defined. Neurons within the brainstem dorsal vagal complex (DVC) receive direct information from the digestive system and project to second-order regions in the brain to regulate food intake. Although γ-aminobutyric acid is expressed in the DVC (GABADVC), its function in this region has not been defined. In order to discover the unique gene expression signature of GABADVC cells, we used single-nucleus RNA sequencing (Nuc-seq), and this revealed 19 separate clusters. We next probed the function of GABADVC cells and discovered that the selective activation of GABADVC neurons significantly controls food intake and body weight. Optogenetic interrogation of GABADVC circuitry identified GABADVC → hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) projections as appetite suppressive without creating aversion. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that GABADVC → ARC stimulation inhibits hunger-promoting neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons via GABA release. Adopting an intersectional genetics strategy, we clarify that the GABADVC → ARC circuit curbs food intake. These data identify GABADVC as a new modulator of feeding behavior and body weight and a controller of orexigenic NPY neuron activity, thereby providing insight into the neural underpinnings of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo B Martinez de Morentin
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road W, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Woodhouse LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - J Antonio Gonzalez
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road W, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Georgina K C Dowsett
- MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Yuliia Martynova
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road W, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Giles S H Yeo
- MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Sergiy Sylantyev
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road W, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; Odesa National Mechnikov University, Biological Department, 2 Shampansky Ln., Odesa 65015, Ukraine.
| | - Lora K Heisler
- The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Ashgrove Road W, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
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Minetti A. Unlocking the potential of adeno-associated virus in neuroscience: a brief review. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:563. [PMID: 38647711 PMCID: PMC11035420 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09521-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as a pivotal tool in neuroscience research, owing to its remarkable versatility and efficiency in delivering genetic material to diverse cell types within the nervous system. This mini review aims to underscore the advanced applications of AAV vectors in neuroscience and their profound potential to revolutionize our understanding of brain function and therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders. By providing a concise overview of the latest developments and strategies employing AAV vectors, this review illuminates the transformative role of AAV technology in unraveling the complexities of neural circuits and paving the way for innovative treatments. Through elucidating the multifaceted capabilities of AAV-mediated gene delivery, this review underscores its pivotal role as a cornerstone in contemporary neuroscience research, promising remarkable insights into the intricacies of brain biology and offering new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antea Minetti
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Weiler S, Rahmati V, Isstas M, Wutke J, Stark AW, Franke C, Graf J, Geis C, Witte OW, Hübener M, Bolz J, Margrie TW, Holthoff K, Teichert M. A primary sensory cortical interareal feedforward inhibitory circuit for tacto-visual integration. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3081. [PMID: 38594279 PMCID: PMC11003985 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47459-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Tactile sensation and vision are often both utilized for the exploration of objects that are within reach though it is not known whether or how these two distinct sensory systems combine such information. Here in mice, we used a combination of stereo photogrammetry for 3D reconstruction of the whisker array, brain-wide anatomical tracing and functional connectivity analysis to explore the possibility of tacto-visual convergence in sensory space and within the circuitry of the primary visual cortex (VISp). Strikingly, we find that stimulation of the contralateral whisker array suppresses visually evoked activity in a tacto-visual sub-region of VISp whose visual space representation closely overlaps with the whisker search space. This suppression is mediated by local fast-spiking interneurons that receive a direct cortico-cortical input predominantly from layer 6 neurons located in the posterior primary somatosensory barrel cortex (SSp-bfd). These data demonstrate functional convergence within and between two primary sensory cortical areas for multisensory object detection and recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Weiler
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neuronal Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London, W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Vahid Rahmati
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Marcel Isstas
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Johann Wutke
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Walter Stark
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Applied Optics and Biophysics, Fröbelstieg 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Franke
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Applied Optics and Biophysics, Fröbelstieg 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena Center for Soft Matter, Philosophenweg 7, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Abbe Center of Photonics, Albert-Einstein-Straße 6, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Graf
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Geis
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Otto W Witte
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Mark Hübener
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bolz
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of General Zoology and Animal Physiology, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Troy W Margrie
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neuronal Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, 25 Howland Street, London, W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Knut Holthoff
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Manuel Teichert
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
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Dai Q, Qu T, Shen G, Wang H. Characterization of the neural circuitry of the auditory thalamic reticular nucleus and its potential role in salicylate-induced tinnitus. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1368816. [PMID: 38629053 PMCID: PMC11019010 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1368816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Subjective tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external acoustic source, is often subsequent to noise-induced hearing loss or ototoxic medications. The condition is believed to result from neuroplastic alterations in the auditory centers, characterized by heightened spontaneous neural activities and increased synchrony due to an imbalance between excitation and inhibition. However, the role of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), a structure composed exclusively of GABAergic neurons involved in thalamocortical oscillations, in the pathogenesis of tinnitus remains largely unexplored. Methods We induced tinnitus in mice using sodium salicylate and assessed tinnitus-like behaviors using the Gap Pre-Pulse Inhibition of the Acoustic Startle (GPIAS) paradigm. We utilized combined viral tracing techniques to identify the neural circuitry involved and employed immunofluorescence and confocal imaging to determine cell types and activated neurons. Results Salicylate-treated mice exhibited tinnitus-like behaviors. Our tracing clearly delineated the inputs and outputs of the auditory-specific TRN. We discovered that chemogenetic activation of the auditory TRN significantly reduced the salicylate-evoked rise in c-Fos expression in the auditory cortex. Discussion This finding posits the TRN as a potential modulatory target for tinnitus treatment. Furthermore, the mapped sensory inputs to the auditory TRN suggest possibilities for employing optogenetic or sensory stimulations to manipulate thalamocortical activities. The precise mapping of the auditory TRN-mediated neural pathways offers a promising avenue for designing targeted interventions to alleviate tinnitus symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guoming Shen
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Haitao Wang
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
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29
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Bertero A, Apicella AJ. Distinct electrophysiological properties of long-range GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons from the lateral amygdala to the auditory cortex of the mouse. J Physiol 2024; 602:1733-1757. [PMID: 38493320 DOI: 10.1113/jp286094] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Differentiating between auditory signals of various emotional significance plays a crucial role in an individual's ability to thrive and excel in social interactions and in survival. Multiple approaches, including anatomical studies, electrophysiological investigations, imaging techniques, optogenetics and chemogenetics, have confirmed that the auditory cortex (AC) impacts fear-related behaviours driven by auditory stimuli by conveying auditory information to the lateral amygdala (LA) through long-range excitatory glutamatergic and GABAergic connections. In addition, the LA provides glutamatergic projections to the AC which are important to fear memory expression and are modified by associative fear learning. Here we test the hypothesis that the LA also sends long-range direct inhibitory inputs to the cortex. To address this fundamental question, we used anatomical and electrophysiological approaches, allowing us to directly assess the nature of GABAergic inputs from the LA to the AC in the mouse. Our findings elucidate the existence of a long-range inhibitory pathway from the LA to the AC (LAC) via parvalbumin-expressing (LAC-Parv) and somatostatin-expressing (LAC-SOM) neurons. This research identifies distinct electrophysiological properties for genetically defined long-range GABAergic neurons involved in the communication between the LA and the cortex (LAC-Parv inhibitory projections → AC neurons; LAC-Som inhibitory projections → AC neurons) within the lateral amygdala cortical network. KEY POINTS: The mouse auditory cortex receives inputs from the lateral amygdala. Retrograde viral tracing techniques allowed us to identify two previously undescribed lateral amygdala to auditory cortex (LAC) GABAergic projecting neurons. Extensive electrophysiological, morphological and anatomical characterization of LAC neurons is provided here, demonstrating key differences in the three populations. This study paves the way for a better understanding of the growing complexity of the cortico-amygdala-cortico circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bertero
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Alfonso Junior Apicella
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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30
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Cregg JM, Sidhu SK, Leiras R, Kiehn O. Basal ganglia-spinal cord pathway that commands locomotor gait asymmetries in mice. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:716-727. [PMID: 38347200 PMCID: PMC11001584 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01569-8] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The basal ganglia are essential for executing motor actions. How the basal ganglia engage spinal motor networks has remained elusive. Medullary Chx10 gigantocellular (Gi) neurons are required for turning gait programs, suggesting that turning gaits organized by the basal ganglia are executed via this descending pathway. Performing deep brainstem recordings of Chx10 Gi Ca2+ activity in adult mice, we show that striatal projection neurons initiate turning gaits via a dominant crossed pathway to Chx10 Gi neurons on the contralateral side. Using intersectional viral tracing and cell-type-specific modulation, we uncover the principal basal ganglia-spinal cord pathway for locomotor asymmetries in mice: basal ganglia → pontine reticular nucleus, oral part (PnO) → Chx10 Gi → spinal cord. Modulating the restricted PnO → Chx10 Gi pathway restores turning competence upon striatal damage, suggesting that dysfunction of this pathway may contribute to debilitating turning deficits observed in Parkinson's disease. Our results reveal the stratified circuit architecture underlying a critical motor program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Cregg
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Simrandeep K Sidhu
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roberto Leiras
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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31
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de Malmazet D, Kühn NK, Li C, Farrow K. Retinal origin of orientation but not direction selective maps in the superior colliculus. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1222-1233.e7. [PMID: 38417446 PMCID: PMC10980837 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.001] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Neurons in the mouse superior colliculus ("colliculus") are arranged in ordered spatial maps. While orientation-selective (OS) neurons form a concentric map aligned to the center of vision, direction-selective (DS) neurons are arranged in patches with changing preferences across the visual field. It remains unclear whether these maps are a consequence of feedforward input from the retina or local computations in the colliculus. To determine whether these maps originate in the retina, we mapped the local and global distribution of OS and DS retinal ganglion cell axon boutons using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. We found that OS boutons formed patches that matched the distribution of OS neurons within the colliculus. DS boutons displayed fewer regional specializations, better reflecting the organization of DS neurons in the retina. Both eyes convey similar orientation but different DS inputs to the colliculus, as shown in recordings from retinal explants. These data demonstrate that orientation and direction maps within the colliculus are independent, where orientation maps are likely inherited from the retina, but direction maps require additional computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel de Malmazet
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven 3001, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven 3000, Belgium; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Norma K Kühn
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven 3001, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven 3000, Belgium; VIB, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Chen Li
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven 3001, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Leuven 3001, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Biology & Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven 3000, Belgium; VIB, Leuven 3001, Belgium; imec, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
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32
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Chen YL, Feng XL, Tam KW, Fan CY, Cheung MPL, Yang YT, Wong S, Shum DKY, Chan YS, Cheung CW, Cheung M, Liu JA. Intrinsic and extrinsic actions of human neural progenitors with SUFU inhibition promote tissue repair and functional recovery from severe spinal cord injury. NPJ Regen Med 2024; 9:13. [PMID: 38519518 PMCID: PMC10959923 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-024-00352-4] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells(hPSCs) provide major cell sources for repairing damaged neural circuitry and enabling axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the injury niche and inadequate intrinsic factors in the adult spinal cord restrict the therapeutic potential of transplanted NPCs. The Sonic Hedgehog protein (Shh) has crucial roles in neurodevelopment by promoting the formation of motorneurons and oligodendrocytes as well as its recently described neuroprotective features in response to the injury, indicating its essential role in neural homeostasis and tissue repair. In this study, we demonstrate that elevated SHH signaling in hNPCs by inhibiting its negative regulator, SUFU, enhanced cell survival and promoted robust neuronal differentiation with extensive axonal outgrowth, counteracting the harmful effects of the injured niche. Importantly, SUFU inhibition in NPCs exert non-cell autonomous effects on promoting survival and neurogenesis of endogenous cells and modulating the microenvironment by reducing suppressive barriers around lesion sites. The combined beneficial effects of SUFU inhibition in hNPCs resulted in the effective reconstruction of neuronal connectivity with the host and corticospinal regeneration, significantly improving neurobehavioral recovery in recipient animals. These results demonstrate that SUFU inhibition confers hNPCs with potent therapeutic potential to overcome extrinsic and intrinsic barriers in transplantation treatments for SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Long Chen
- Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiang-Lan Feng
- Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kin-Wai Tam
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chao-Yang Fan
- Department of Neuroscience, Tat Chee Avenue, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - May Pui-Lai Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yong-Ting Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Tat Chee Avenue, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stanley Wong
- Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Daisy Kwok-Yan Shum
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ying-Shing Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi-Wai Cheung
- Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong sanatorium hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Martin Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jessica Aijia Liu
- Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Neuroscience, Tat Chee Avenue, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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Russell LE, Fişek M, Yang Z, Tan LP, Packer AM, Dalgleish HWP, Chettih SN, Harvey CD, Häusser M. The influence of cortical activity on perception depends on behavioral state and sensory context. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2456. [PMID: 38503769 PMCID: PMC10951313 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46484-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic link between neural circuit activity and behavior remains unclear. While manipulating cortical activity can bias certain behaviors and elicit artificial percepts, some tasks can still be solved when cortex is silenced or removed. Here, mice were trained to perform a visual detection task during which we selectively targeted groups of visually responsive and co-tuned neurons in L2/3 of primary visual cortex (V1) for two-photon photostimulation. The influence of photostimulation was conditional on two key factors: the behavioral state of the animal and the contrast of the visual stimulus. The detection of low-contrast stimuli was enhanced by photostimulation, while the detection of high-contrast stimuli was suppressed, but crucially, only when mice were highly engaged in the task. When mice were less engaged, our manipulations of cortical activity had no effect on behavior. The behavioral changes were linked to specific changes in neuronal activity. The responses of non-photostimulated neurons in the local network were also conditional on two factors: their functional similarity to the photostimulated neurons and the contrast of the visual stimulus. Functionally similar neurons were increasingly suppressed by photostimulation with increasing visual stimulus contrast, correlating with the change in behavior. Our results show that the influence of cortical activity on perception is not fixed, but dynamically and contextually modulated by behavioral state, ongoing activity and the routing of information through specific circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lloyd E Russell
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mehmet Fişek
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zidan Yang
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lynn Pei Tan
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adam M Packer
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
| | - Henry W P Dalgleish
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Michael Häusser
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, UK.
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Koga K, Kobayashi K, Tsuda M, Pickering AE, Furue H. Anterior cingulate cross-hemispheric inhibition via the claustrum resolves painful sensory conflict. Commun Biol 2024; 7:330. [PMID: 38491200 PMCID: PMC10943010 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06008-9] [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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) responds to noxious and innocuous sensory inputs, and integrates them to coordinate appropriate behavioral reactions. However, the role of the projections of ACC neurons to subcortical areas and their influence on sensory processing are not fully investigated. Here, we identified that ACC neurons projecting to the contralateral claustrum (ACC→contraCLA) preferentially respond to contralateral mechanical sensory stimulation. These sensory responses were enhanced during attending behavior. Optogenetic activation of ACC→contraCLA neurons silenced pyramidal neurons in the contralateral ACC by recruiting local circuit fast-spiking interneuron activation via an excitatory relay in the CLA. This circuit activation suppressed withdrawal behavior to mechanical stimuli ipsilateral to the ACC→contraCLA neurons. Chemogenetic silencing showed that the cross-hemispheric circuit has an important role in the suppression of contralateral nociceptive behavior during sensory-driven attending behavior. Our findings identify a cross-hemispheric cortical-subcortical-cortical arc allowing the brain to give attentional priority to competing innocuous and noxious inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Koga
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
| | - Kenta Kobayashi
- Section of Viral Vector Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Makoto Tsuda
- Department of Molecular and System Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Anthony E Pickering
- Anesthesia, Pain and Critical Care Research, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Hidemasa Furue
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
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35
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Cody P, Kumar M, Tzounopoulos T. Cortical Zinc Signaling Is Necessary for Changes in Mouse Pupil Diameter That Are Evoked by Background Sounds with Different Contrasts. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0939232024. [PMID: 38242698 PMCID: PMC10941062 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0939-23.2024] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Luminance-independent changes in pupil diameter (PD) during wakefulness influence and are influenced by neuromodulatory, neuronal, and behavioral responses. However, it is unclear whether changes in neuromodulatory activity in a specific brain area are necessary for the associated changes in PD or whether some different mechanisms cause parallel fluctuations in both PD and neuromodulation. To answer this question, we simultaneously recorded PD and cortical neuronal activity in male and female mice. Namely, we measured PD and neuronal activity during adaptation to sound contrast, which is a well-described adaptation conserved in many species and brain areas. In the primary auditory cortex (A1), increases in the variability of sound level (contrast) induce a decrease in the slope of the neuronal input-output relationship, neuronal gain, which depends on cortical neuromodulatory zinc signaling. We found a previously unknown modulation of PD by changes in background sensory context: high stimulus contrast sounds evoke larger increases in evoked PD compared with low-contrast sounds. To explore whether these changes in evoked PD are controlled by cortical neuromodulatory zinc signaling, we imaged single-cell neural activity in A1, manipulated zinc signaling in the cortex, and assessed PD in the same awake mouse. We found that cortical synaptic zinc signaling is necessary for increases in PD during high-contrast background sounds compared with low-contrast sounds. This finding advances our knowledge about how cortical neuromodulatory activity affects PD changes and thus advances our understanding of the brain states, circuits, and neuromodulatory mechanisms that can be inferred from pupil size fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cody
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology, Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
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36
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Zhao W, Zhang K, Dong WY, Tang HD, Sun JQ, Huang JY, Wan GL, Guan RR, Guo XT, Cheng PK, Tao R, Sun JW, Zhang Z, Zhu X. A pharynx-to-brain axis controls pharyngeal inflammation-induced anxiety. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312136121. [PMID: 38446848 PMCID: PMC10945766 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312136121] [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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is a remarkably common condition among patients with pharyngitis, but the relationship between these disorders has received little research attention, and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that the densely innervated pharynx transmits signals induced by pharyngeal inflammation to glossopharyngeal and vagal sensory neurons of the nodose/jugular/petrosal (NJP) superganglia in mice. Specifically, the NJP superganglia project to norepinephrinergic neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTSNE). These NTSNE neurons project to the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) that induces anxiety-like behaviors in a murine model of pharyngeal inflammation. Inhibiting this pharynx→NJP→NTSNE→vBNST circuit can alleviate anxiety-like behaviors associated with pharyngeal inflammation. This study thus defines a pharynx-to-brain axis that mechanistically links pharyngeal inflammation and emotional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wan-Ying Dong
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao-Di Tang
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Laboratory, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia-Qiang Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ji-Ye Huang
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guang-Lun Wan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui-Rui Guan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Tao Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping-Kai Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ran Tao
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei230601, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing-Wu Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
- The Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine, Institute of Health and Medicine, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xia Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, People’s Republic of China
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Washburn S, Oñate M, Yoshida J, Vera J, Bhuvanasundaram R, Khatami L, Nadim F, Khodakhah K. The cerebellum directly modulates the substantia nigra dopaminergic activity. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:497-513. [PMID: 38272967 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01560-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Evidence of direct reciprocal connections between the cerebellum and basal ganglia has challenged the long-held notion that these structures function independently. While anatomical studies have suggested the presence of cerebellar projections to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the nature and function of these connections (Cb-SNc) is unknown. Here we show, in mice, that Cb-SNc projections form monosynaptic glutamatergic synapses with dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons in the SNc. Optogenetic activation of Cb-SNc axons in the SNc is associated with increased SNc activity, elevated striatal dopamine levels and increased locomotion. During behavior, Cb-SNc projections are bilaterally activated before ambulation and unilateral lever manipulation. Cb-SNc projections show prominent activation for water reward and higher activation for sweet water, suggesting that the pathway also encodes reward value. Thus, the cerebellum directly, rapidly and effectively modulates basal ganglia dopamine levels and conveys information related to movement initiation, vigor and reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Washburn
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Maritza Oñate
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Junichi Yoshida
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jorge Vera
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Leila Khatami
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Farzan Nadim
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Kamran Khodakhah
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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38
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Novello M, Bosman LWJ, De Zeeuw CI. A Systematic Review of Direct Outputs from the Cerebellum to the Brainstem and Diencephalon in Mammals. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:210-239. [PMID: 36575348 PMCID: PMC10864519 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01499-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum is involved in many motor, autonomic and cognitive functions, and new tasks that have a cerebellar contribution are discovered on a regular basis. Simultaneously, our insight into the functional compartmentalization of the cerebellum has markedly improved. Additionally, studies on cerebellar output pathways have seen a renaissance due to the development of viral tracing techniques. To create an overview of the current state of our understanding of cerebellar efferents, we undertook a systematic review of all studies on monosynaptic projections from the cerebellum to the brainstem and the diencephalon in mammals. This revealed that important projections from the cerebellum, to the motor nuclei, cerebral cortex, and basal ganglia, are predominantly di- or polysynaptic, rather than monosynaptic. Strikingly, most target areas receive cerebellar input from all three cerebellar nuclei, showing a convergence of cerebellar information at the output level. Overall, there appeared to be a large level of agreement between studies on different species as well as on the use of different types of neural tracers, making the emerging picture of the cerebellar output areas a solid one. Finally, we discuss how this cerebellar output network is affected by a range of diseases and syndromes, with also non-cerebellar diseases having impact on cerebellar output areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuele Novello
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Narai E, Watanabe T, Koba S. Hypothalamic Orexinergic Neurons Projecting to the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region Are Activated by Voluntary Wheel Running Exercise in Rats. Yonago Acta Med 2024; 67:52-60. [PMID: 38371276 PMCID: PMC10867236 DOI: 10.33160/yam.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Background Cardiovascular changes during exercise are regulated by a motor volitional signal, called central command, which originates in the rostral portions of the brain and simultaneously regulates somatomotor and autonomic nervous systems. Whereas we recently elucidated mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) neurons projecting to the rostral ventrolateral medulla as a crucial component of the central circuit responsible for transmitting central command signals, upstream circuits that regulate the MLR neurons remain unknown. Orexinergic neurons, which primarily originate from the perifornical area (PeFA) of the hypothalamus and reportedly play roles in eliciting locomotion and elevating sympathetic activity, send axonal projection to the MLR. The knowledge led us to investigate whether central command signals are relayed through orexinergic neurons projecting to the MLR. Methods We performed anterograde transsynaptic tagging with AAV1 encoding Cre to confirm the presence of MLR neurons postsynaptic to the PeFA in rats. We also conducted retrograde neural tracing with retrograde AAV, combined with immunohistochemical staining, to examine the excitability of MLR-projecting orexinergic neurons in rats that were allowed to freely run on the wheel for 90 min. Results A significant number of MLR neurons were labeled with Cre, indicating that PeFA neurons make synaptic contacts with MLR neurons. Moreover, immunoreactivities of Fos, a marker of neuronal excitation, were found in many MLR-projecting orexinergic neurons by voluntary wheel running exercise, compared to non-exercising control rats, especially in the intermediate-posterior, rather than anterior, and medial, rather than lateral, portions within the orexinergic neuron-distributing domain. Conclusion The findings suggest that specifically located orexinergic neurons transmit central command signals onto the MLR for running exercise. Elucidating the role of these MLR-projecting orexinergic neurons in somatomotor control and autonomic cardiovascular control deserves further study to unveil central circuit mechanisms responsible for central command function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emi Narai
- Division of Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Watanabe
- Division of Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan
| | - Satoshi Koba
- Division of Integrative Physiology, School of Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago 683-8503, Japan
- Division of Veterinary Physiology, Tottori University Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori 680-8550, Japan
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40
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McDevitt DS, Wade QW, McKendrick GE, Nelsen J, Starostina M, Tran N, Blendy JA, Graziane NM. The Paraventricular Thalamic Nucleus and Its Projections in Regulating Reward and Context Associations. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0524-23.2024. [PMID: 38351131 PMCID: PMC10883411 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0524-23.2024] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) is a brain region that mediates aversive and reward-related behaviors as shown in animals exposed to fear conditioning, natural rewards, or drugs of abuse. However, it is unknown whether manipulations of the PVT, in the absence of external factors or stimuli (e.g., fear, natural rewards, or drugs of abuse), are sufficient to drive reward-related behaviors. Additionally, it is unknown whether drugs of abuse administered directly into the PVT are sufficient to drive reward-related behaviors. Here, using behavioral as well as pathway and cell-type specific approaches, we manipulate PVT activity as well as the PVT-to-nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) neurocircuit to explore reward phenotypes. First, we show that bath perfusion of morphine (10 µM) caused hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential, increased rheobase, and decreased intrinsic membrane excitability in PVT neurons that project to the NAcSh. Additionally, we found that direct injections of morphine (50 ng) in the PVT of mice were sufficient to generate conditioned place preference (CPP) for the morphine-paired chamber. Mimicking the inhibitory effect of morphine, we employed a chemogenetic approach to inhibit PVT neurons that projected to the NAcSh and found that pairing the inhibition of these PVT neurons with a specific context evoked the acquisition of CPP. Lastly, using brain slice electrophysiology, we found that bath-perfused morphine (10 µM) significantly reduced PVT excitatory synaptic transmission on both dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons in the NAcSh, but that inhibiting PVT afferents in the NAcSh was not sufficient to evoke CPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon S McDevitt
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Quinn W Wade
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Greer E McKendrick
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Jacob Nelsen
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Mariya Starostina
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Nam Tran
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Julie A Blendy
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Nicholas M Graziane
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
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41
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Hu G, Chen A, Ye J, Liu Q, Wang J, Fan C, Wang X, Huang M, Dai M, Shi X, Gu Y. A developmental critical period for ocular dominance plasticity of binocular neurons in mouse superior colliculus. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113667. [PMID: 38184852 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Detecting visual features in the environment is crucial for animals' survival. The superior colliculus (SC) is implicated in motion detection and processing, whereas how the SC integrates visual inputs from the two eyes remains unclear. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we show that mouse SC contains many binocular neurons that display robust ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in a critical period during early development, which is similar to, but not dependent on, the primary visual cortex. NR2A- and NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play an essential role in the regulation of SC plasticity. Blocking NMDA receptors can largely prevent the impairment of predatory hunting caused by monocular deprivation, indicating that maintaining the binocularity of SC neurons is required for efficient hunting behavior. Together, our studies reveal the existence and function of OD plasticity in SC, which broadens our understanding of the development of subcortical visual circuitry relating to motion detection and predatory hunting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanglei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Ailin Chen
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Clinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Jingjing Ye
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Clinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300020, China; Medical College of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Qiong Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Jiafeng Wang
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Clinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Cunxiu Fan
- Jiading Branch of Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 800 Huangjiahuayuan Road, Shanghai 201803, China
| | - Xiaoqing Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Mengqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Menghan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xuefeng Shi
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tianjin Eye Institute, Clinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300020, China; Medical College of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250014, China; Institute of Ophthalmology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300020, China.
| | - Yu Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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42
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Matsuda T, Kobayashi K, Kobayashi K, Noda M. Two parabrachial Cck neurons involved in the feedback control of thirst or salt appetite. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113619. [PMID: 38157299 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Thirst and salt appetite are temporarily suppressed after water and salt ingestion, respectively, before absorption; however, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is the relay center of ingestion signals from the digestive organs. We herein identify two distinct neuronal populations expressing cholecystokinin (Cck) mRNA in the lateral PBN that are activated in response to water and salt intake, respectively. The two Cck neurons in the dorsal-lateral compartment of the PBN project to the median preoptic nucleus and ventral part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, respectively. The optogenetic stimulation of respective Cck neurons suppresses thirst or salt appetite under water- or salt-depleted conditions. The combination of optogenetics and in vivo Ca2+ imaging during ingestion reveals that both Cck neurons control GABAergic neurons in their target nuclei. These findings provide the feedback mechanisms for the suppression of thirst and salt appetite after ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Matsuda
- Homeostatic Mechanism Research Unit, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
| | - Kenta Kobayashi
- Section of Viral Vector Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Masaharu Noda
- Homeostatic Mechanism Research Unit, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan.
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43
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Li M, Yang G. A mesocortical glutamatergic pathway modulates neuropathic pain independent of dopamine co-release. Nat Commun 2024; 15:643. [PMID: 38245542 PMCID: PMC10799877 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45035-2] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction in the mesocortical pathway, connecting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the prefrontal cortex, has been implicated in chronic pain. While extensive research has focused on the role of dopamine, the contribution of glutamatergic signaling in pain modulation remains unknown. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we observe diminished VTA glutamatergic activity targeting the prelimbic cortex (PL) in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Optogenetic activation of VTA glutamatergic terminals in the PL alleviates neuropathic pain, whereas inhibiting these terminals in naïve mice induces pain-like responses. Importantly, this pain-modulating effect is independent of dopamine co-release, as demonstrated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene deletion. Furthermore, we show that VTA neurons primarily project to excitatory neurons in the PL, and their activation restores PL outputs to the anterior cingulate cortex, a key region involved in pain processing. These findings reveal a distinct mesocortical glutamatergic pathway that critically modulates neuropathic pain independent of dopamine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Lv SS, Lv XJ, Cai YQ, Hou XY, Zhang ZZ, Wang GH, Chen LQ, Lv N, Zhang YQ. Corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons control trigeminal neuralgia-induced anxiodepression via a hippocampus-to-prefrontal circuit. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj4196. [PMID: 38241377 PMCID: PMC10798562 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj4196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are frequently observed in patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia (TN), but neural circuits and mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. Here, we identified a dedicated neural circuit from the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that mediates TN-related anxiodepression. We found that TN caused an increase in excitatory synaptic transmission from vHPCCaMK2A neurons to mPFC inhibitory neurons marked by the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Activation of CRH+ neurons subsequently led to feed-forward inhibition of layer V pyramidal neurons in the mPFC via activation of the CRH receptor 1 (CRHR1). Inhibition of the vHPCCaMK2A-mPFCCRH circuit ameliorated TN-induced anxiodepression, whereas activating this pathway sufficiently produced anxiodepressive-like behaviors. Thus, our studies identified a neural pathway driving pain-related anxiodepression and a molecular target for treating pain-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Su Lv
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xue-Jing Lv
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ya-Qi Cai
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xin-Yu Hou
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhi-Zhe Zhang
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guo-Hong Wang
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Li-Qiang Chen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ning Lv
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing’an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Clarke-Williams CJ, Lopes-Dos-Santos V, Lefèvre L, Brizee D, Causse AA, Rothaermel R, Hartwich K, Perestenko PV, Toth R, McNamara CG, Sharott A, Dupret D. Coordinating brain-distributed network activities in memory resistant to extinction. Cell 2024; 187:409-427.e19. [PMID: 38242086 PMCID: PMC7615560 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Certain memories resist extinction to continue invigorating maladaptive actions. The robustness of these memories could depend on their widely distributed implementation across populations of neurons in multiple brain regions. However, how dispersed neuronal activities are collectively organized to underpin a persistent memory-guided behavior remains unknown. To investigate this, we simultaneously monitored the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the mouse brain from initial recall to post-extinction renewal of a memory involving cocaine experience. We uncover a higher-order pattern of short-lived beta-frequency (15-25 Hz) activities that are transiently coordinated across these networks during memory retrieval. The output of a divergent pathway from upstream VTA glutamatergic neurons, paced by a slower (4-Hz) oscillation, actuates this multi-network beta-band coactivation; its closed-loop phase-informed suppression prevents renewal of cocaine-biased behavior. Binding brain-distributed neural activities in this temporally structured manner may constitute an organizational principle of robust memory expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie J Clarke-Williams
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK.
| | - Vítor Lopes-Dos-Santos
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Laura Lefèvre
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Demi Brizee
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Adrien A Causse
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Roman Rothaermel
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Katja Hartwich
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Pavel V Perestenko
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Robert Toth
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Colin G McNamara
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Andrew Sharott
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK.
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Chen K, Gupta R, Martín‐Ávila A, Cui M, Xie Z, Yang G. Anesthesia-induced hippocampal-cortical hyperactivity and tau hyperphosphorylation impair remote memory retrieval in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:494-510. [PMID: 37695022 PMCID: PMC10843666 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anesthesia often exacerbates memory recall difficulties in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. METHODS We used in vivo Ca2+ imaging, viral-based circuit tracing, and chemogenetic approaches to investigate anesthesia-induced remote memory impairment in mouse models of presymptomatic AD. RESULTS Our study identified pyramidal neuron hyperactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as a significant contributor to anesthesia-induced remote memory impairment. This ACC hyperactivation arises from the disinhibition of local inhibitory circuits and increased excitatory inputs from the hippocampal CA1 region. Inhibiting hyperactivity in the CA1-ACC circuit improved memory recall after anesthesia. Moreover, anesthesia led to increased tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus, and inhibiting this hyperphosphorylation prevented ACC hyperactivity and subsequent memory impairment. DISCUSSION Hippocampal-cortical hyperactivity plays a role in anesthesia-induced remote memory impairment. Targeting tau hyperphosphorylation shows promise as a therapeutic strategy to mitigate anesthesia-induced neural network dysfunction and retrograde amnesia in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- Department of AnesthesiologyColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Riya Gupta
- Barnard College of Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Meng Cui
- Department of BiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Zhongcong Xie
- Geriatric Anesthesia Research UnitDepartment of AnesthesiaCritical Care and Pain MedicineMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of AnesthesiologyColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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Sohn J. Synaptic configuration and reconfiguration in the neocortex are spatiotemporally selective. Anat Sci Int 2024; 99:17-33. [PMID: 37837522 PMCID: PMC10771605 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-023-00743-5] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Brain computation relies on the neural networks. Neurons extend the neurites such as dendrites and axons, and the contacts of these neurites that form chemical synapses are the biological basis of signal transmissions in the central nervous system. Individual neuronal outputs can influence the other neurons within the range of the axonal spread, while the activities of single neurons can be affected by the afferents in their somatodendritic fields. The morphological profile, therefore, binds the functional role each neuron can play. In addition, synaptic connectivity among neurons displays preference based on the characteristics of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Here, the author reviews the "spatial" and "temporal" connection selectivity in the neocortex. The histological description of the neocortical circuitry depends primarily on the classification of cell types, and the development of gene engineering techniques allows the cell type-specific visualization of dendrites and axons as well as somata. Using genetic labeling of particular cell populations combined with immunohistochemistry and imaging at a subcellular spatial resolution, we revealed the "spatial selectivity" of cortical wirings in which synapses are non-uniformly distributed on the subcellular somatodendritic domains in a presynaptic cell type-specific manner. In addition, cortical synaptic dynamics in learning exhibit presynaptic cell type-dependent "temporal selectivity": corticocortical synapses appear only transiently during the learning phase, while learning-induced new thalamocortical synapses persist, indicating that distinct circuits may supervise learning-specific ephemeral synapse and memory-specific immortal synapse formation. The selectivity of spatial configuration and temporal reconfiguration in the neural circuitry may govern diverse functions in the neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaerin Sohn
- Department of Systematic Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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Huo L, Ye Z, Liu M, He Z, Huang M, Li D, Wu Q, Wang Q, Wang X, Cao P, Dong J, Shang C. Brain circuits for retching-like behavior. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwad256. [PMID: 38288368 PMCID: PMC10824557 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Nausea and vomiting are important defensive responses to cope with pathogens and toxins that invade the body. The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is important for initiating these responses. However, the molecular heterogeneities and cellular diversities of the NTS occlude a better understanding of these defensive responses. Here, we constructed the single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of NTS cells and found multiple populations of NTS neurons that may be involved in these defensive responses. Among these, we identified Calbindin1-positive (Calb1+) NTS neurons that are molecularly distinct from Tac1+ neurons. These Calb1+ neurons are critical for nausea and retching induced by cereulide; an emetic toxin secreted by Bacillus Cereus. Strikingly, we found that cereulide can directly modulate vagal sensory neurons that innervate Calb1+ NTS neurons, a novel mechanism distinct from that for nausea and retching induced by Staphylococcal enterotoxin A. Together, our transcriptomic atlas of NTS neurons and the functional analyses revealed the neural mechanism for cereulide-induced retching-like behavior. These results demonstrate the molecular and cellular complexities in the brain that underlie defensive responses to the diversities of pathogens and toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Huo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou National Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Zhimin Ye
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou National Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Meiling Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou National Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Ziqing He
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou National Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Meizhu Huang
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Dapeng Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Qian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Changping Life Science Laboratory, Beijing 102299, China
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Peng Cao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Ji Dong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou National Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
| | - Congping Shang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou National Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510799, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510320, China
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Cui LL, Wang XX, Liu H, Luo F, Li CH. Projections from infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex glutamatergic outputs to amygdala mediates opioid induced hyperalgesia in male rats. Mol Pain 2024; 20:17448069241226960. [PMID: 38172075 PMCID: PMC10851759 DOI: 10.1177/17448069241226960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Repeated use of opioid analgesics may cause a paradoxically exacerbated pain known as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), which hinders effective clinical intervention for severe pain. Currently, little is known about the neural circuits underlying OIH modulation. Previous studies suggest that laterocapsular division of the central nucleus of amygdala (CeLC) is critically involved in the regulation of OIH. Our purpose is to clarify the role of the projections from infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex (IL) to CeLC in OIH. We first produced an OIH model by repeated fentanyl subcutaneous injection in male rats. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that c-Fos-positive neurons were significantly increased in the right CeLC in OIH rats than the saline controls. Then, we used calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) labeling and the patch-clamp recordings with ex vivo optogenetics to detect the functional projections from glutamate pyramidal neurons in IL to the CeLC. The synaptic transmission from IL to CeLC, shown in the excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs), inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs) and paired-pulse ratio (PPR), was observably enhanced after fentanyl administration. Moreover, optogenetic activation of this IL-CeLC pathway decreased c-Fos expression in CeLC and ameliorated mechanical and thermal pain in OIH. On the contrary, silencing this pathway by chemogenetics exacerbated OIH by activating the CeLC. Combined with the electrophysiology results, the enhanced synaptic transmission from IL to CeLC might be a cortical gain of IL to relieve OIH rather than a reason for OIH generation. Scaling up IL outputs to CeLC may be an effective neuromodulation strategy to treat OIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ling Cui
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi-Xi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Liu
- The Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen-Hong Li
- The Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
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Melleu FF, Canteras NS. Pathways from the Superior Colliculus to the Basal Ganglia. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1431-1453. [PMID: 37702174 PMCID: PMC11097988 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230911102118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The present work aims to review the structural organization of the mammalian superior colliculus (SC), the putative pathways connecting the SC and the basal ganglia, and their role in organizing complex behavioral output. First, we review how the complex intrinsic connections between the SC's laminae projections allow for the construction of spatially aligned, visual-multisensory maps of the surrounding environment. Moreover, we present a summary of the sensory-motor inputs of the SC, including a description of the integration of multi-sensory inputs relevant to behavioral control. We further examine the major descending outputs toward the brainstem and spinal cord. As the central piece of this review, we provide a thorough analysis covering the putative interactions between the SC and the basal ganglia. To this end, we explore the diverse thalamic routes by which information from the SC may reach the striatum, including the pathways through the lateral posterior, parafascicular, and rostral intralaminar thalamic nuclei. We also examine the interactions between the SC and subthalamic nucleus, representing an additional pathway for the tectal modulation of the basal ganglia. Moreover, we discuss how information from the SC might also be relayed to the basal ganglia through midbrain tectonigral and tectotegmental projections directed at the substantia nigra compacta and ventrotegmental area, respectively, influencing the dopaminergic outflow to the dorsal and ventral striatum. We highlight the vast interplay between the SC and the basal ganglia and raise several missing points that warrant being addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Newton Sabino Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
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