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Desai NS, Zhong C, Kim R, Talmage DA, Role LW. A simple MATLAB toolbox for analyzing calcium imaging data in vitro and in vivo. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 409:110202. [PMID: 38906335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110202] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fluorescence imaging of calcium dynamics in neuronal populations is powerful because it offers a way of relating the activity of individual cells to the broader population of nearby cells. The method's growth across neuroscience has particularly been driven by the introduction of sophisticated mathematical techniques related to motion correction, image registration, cell detection, spike estimation, and population characterization. However, for many researchers, making good use of these techniques has been difficult because they have been devised by different workers and impose differing - and sometimes stringent - technical requirements on those who seek to use them. NEW METHOD We have built a simple toolbox of analysis routines that encompass the complete workflow for analyzing calcium imaging data. The workflow begins with preprocessing of data, includes motion correction and longitudinal image registration, detects active cells using constrained non-negative matrix factorization, and offers multiple options for estimating spike times and characterizing population activity. The routines can be navigated through a simple graphical user interface. Although written in MATLAB, a standalone version for researchers who do not have access to MATLAB is included. RESULTS We have used the toolbox on two very different preparations: spontaneously active brain slices and microendoscopic imaging from deep structures in awake behaving mice. In both cases, the toolbox offered a seamless flow from raw data all the way through to prepared graphs. CONCLUSION The field of calcium imaging has benefited from the development of numerous innovative mathematical techniques. Here we offer a simple toolbox that allows ordinary researchers to fully exploit these techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj S Desai
- Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Signaling Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 90892, USA.
| | - Chongbo Zhong
- Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Signaling Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 90892, USA
| | - Ronald Kim
- Genetics of Neuronal Signaling Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 90892, USA
| | - David A Talmage
- Genetics of Neuronal Signaling Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 90892, USA
| | - Lorna W Role
- Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Signaling Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 90892, USA.
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2
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Ben-Simon Y, Hooper M, Narayan S, Daigle T, Dwivedi D, Way SW, Oster A, Stafford DA, Mich JK, Taormina MJ, Martinez RA, Opitz-Araya X, Roth JR, Allen S, Ayala A, Bakken TE, Barcelli T, Barta S, Bendrick J, Bertagnolli D, Bowlus J, Boyer G, Brouner K, Casian B, Casper T, Chakka AB, Chakrabarty R, Chance RK, Chavan S, Departee M, Donadio N, Dotson N, Egdorf T, Gabitto M, Gary A, Gasperini M, Goldy J, Gore BB, Graybuck L, Greisman N, Haeseleer F, Halterman C, Helback O, Hockemeyer D, Huang C, Huff S, Hunker A, Johansen N, Juneau Z, Kalmbach B, Khem S, Kutsal R, Larsen R, Lee C, Lee AY, Leibly M, Lenz GH, Liang E, Lusk N, Malone J, Mollenkopf T, Morin E, Newman D, Ng L, Ngo K, Omstead V, Oyama A, Pham T, Pom CA, Potekhina L, Ransford S, Rette D, Rimorin C, Rocha D, Ruiz A, Sanchez REA, Sedeno-Cortes A, Sevigny JP, Shapovalova N, Shulga L, Sigler AR, Siverts LA, Somasundaram S, Stewart K, Tieu M, Trader C, van Velthoven CTJ, Walker M, Weed N, Wirthlin M, Wood T, Wynalda B, Yao Z, Zhou T, Ariza J, Dee N, Reding M, Ronellenfitch K, Mufti S, Sunkin SM, Smith KA, Esposito L, Waters J, Thyagarajan B, Yao S, Lein ES, Zeng H, Levi BP, Ngai J, Ting J, Tasic B. A suite of enhancer AAVs and transgenic mouse lines for genetic access to cortical cell types. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.10.597244. [PMID: 38915722 PMCID: PMC11195086 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.10.597244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian cortex is comprised of cells with different morphological, physiological, and molecular properties that can be classified according to shared properties into cell types. Defining the contribution of each cell type to the computational and cognitive processes that are guided by the cortex is essential for understanding its function in health and disease. We use transcriptomic and epigenomic cortical cell type taxonomies from mice and humans to define marker genes and enhancers, and to build genetic tools for cortical cell types. Here, we present a large toolkit for selective targeting of cortical populations, including mouse transgenic lines and recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors containing genomic enhancers. We report evaluation of fifteen new transgenic driver lines and over 680 different enhancer AAVs covering all major subclasses of cortical cells, with many achieving a high degree of specificity, comparable with existing transgenic lines. We find that the transgenic lines based on marker genes can provide exceptional specificity and completeness of cell type labeling, but frequently require generation of a triple-transgenic cross for best usability/specificity. On the other hand, enhancer AAVs are easy to screen and use, and can be easily modified to express diverse cargo, such as recombinases. However, their use depends on many factors, such as viral titer and route of administration. The tools reported here as well as the scaled process of tool creation provide an unprecedented resource that should enable diverse experimental strategies towards understanding mammalian cortex and brain function.
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3
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Hartung J, Schroeder A, Péréz Vázquez RA, Poorthuis RB, Letzkus JJ. Layer 1 NDNF interneurons are specialized top-down master regulators of cortical circuits. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114212. [PMID: 38743567 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114212] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Diverse types of inhibitory interneurons (INs) impart computational power and flexibility to neocortical circuits. Whereas markers for different IN types in cortical layers 2-6 (L2-L6) have been instrumental for generating a wealth of functional insights, only the recent identification of a selective marker (neuron-derived neurotrophic factor [NDNF]) has opened comparable opportunities for INs in L1 (L1INs). However, at present we know very little about the connectivity of NDNF L1INs with other IN types, their input-output conversion, and the existence of potential NDNF L1IN subtypes. Here, we report pervasive inhibition of L2/3 INs (including parvalbumin INs and vasoactive intestinal peptide INs) by NDNF L1INs. Intersectional genetics revealed similar physiology and connectivity in the NDNF L1IN subpopulation co-expressing neuropeptide Y. Finally, NDNF L1INs prominently and selectively engage in persistent firing, a physiological hallmark disconnecting their output from the current input. Collectively, our work therefore identifies NDNF L1INs as specialized master regulators of superficial neocortex according to their pervasive top-down afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hartung
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools, IMBIT (Institute for Machine-Brain Interfacing Technology), University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 201, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Anna Schroeder
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Rogier B Poorthuis
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes J Letzkus
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools, IMBIT (Institute for Machine-Brain Interfacing Technology), University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 201, 79110 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModul Basics), University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
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4
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Wu Y, Temple BA, Sevilla N, Zhang J, Zhu H, Zolotavin P, Jin Y, Duarte D, Sanders E, Azim E, Nimmerjahn A, Pfaff SL, Luan L, Xie C. Ultraflexible electrodes for recording neural activity in the mouse spinal cord during motor behavior. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114199. [PMID: 38728138 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114199] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Implantable electrode arrays are powerful tools for directly interrogating neural circuitry in the brain, but implementing this technology in the spinal cord in behaving animals has been challenging due to the spinal cord's significant motion with respect to the vertebral column during behavior. Consequently, the individual and ensemble activity of spinal neurons processing motor commands remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that custom ultraflexible 1-μm-thick polyimide nanoelectronic threads can conduct laminar recordings of many neuronal units within the lumbar spinal cord of unrestrained, freely moving mice. The extracellular action potentials have high signal-to-noise ratio, exhibit well-isolated feature clusters, and reveal diverse patterns of activity during locomotion. Furthermore, chronic recordings demonstrate the stable tracking of single units and their functional tuning over multiple days. This technology provides a path for elucidating how spinal circuits compute motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin A Temple
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nicole Sevilla
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jiaao Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hanlin Zhu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pavlo Zolotavin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yifu Jin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniela Duarte
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Elischa Sanders
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eiman Azim
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Axel Nimmerjahn
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Samuel L Pfaff
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Lan Luan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Chong Xie
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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5
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Eom K, Jung J, Kim B, Hyun JH. Molecular tools for recording and intervention of neuronal activity. Mol Cells 2024; 47:100048. [PMID: 38521352 PMCID: PMC11021360 DOI: 10.1016/j.mocell.2024.100048] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Observing the activity of neural networks is critical for the identification of learning and memory processes, as well as abnormal activities of neural circuits in disease, particularly for the purpose of tracking disease progression. Methodologies for describing the activity history of neural networks using molecular biology techniques first utilized genes expressed by active neurons, followed by the application of recently developed techniques including optogenetics and incorporation of insights garnered from other disciplines, including chemistry and physics. In this review, we will discuss ways in which molecular biological techniques used to describe the activity of neural networks have evolved along with the potential for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kisang Eom
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhwan Jung
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungsoo Kim
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Hyun
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea; Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Coverdell TC, Abbott SBG, Campbell JN. Molecular cell types as functional units of the efferent vagus nerve. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 156:210-218. [PMID: 37507330 PMCID: PMC10811285 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The vagus nerve vitally connects the brain and body to coordinate digestive, cardiorespiratory, and immune functions. Its efferent neurons, which project their axons from the brainstem to the viscera, are thought to comprise "functional units" - neuron populations dedicated to the control of specific vagal reflexes or organ functions. Previous research indicates that these functional units differ from one another anatomically, neurochemically, and physiologically but have yet to define their identity in an experimentally tractable way. However, recent work with genetic technology and single-cell genomics suggests that genetically distinct subtypes of neurons may be the functional units of the efferent vagus. Here we review how these approaches are revealing the organizational principles of the efferent vagus in unprecedented detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana C Coverdell
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Stephen B G Abbott
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - John N Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
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7
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Lv Z, Chen L, Chen P, Peng H, Rong Y, Hong W, Zhou Q, Li N, Li B, Paolicelli RC, Zhan Y. Clearance of β-amyloid and synapses by the optogenetic depolarization of microglia is complement selective. Neuron 2024; 112:740-754.e7. [PMID: 38295790 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.003] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Microglia actively monitor the neighboring brain microenvironments and constantly contact synapses with their unique ramified processes. In neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), microglia undergo morphological and functional alterations. Whether the direct manipulation of microglia can selectively or concurrently modulate synaptic function and the response to disease-associated factors remains elusive. Here, we employ optogenetic methods to stimulate microglia in vitro and in vivo. Membrane depolarization rapidly changes microglia morphology and leads to enhanced phagocytosis. We found that the optogenetic stimulation of microglia can efficiently promote β-amyloid (Aβ) clearance in the brain parenchyma, but it can also enhance synapse elimination. Importantly, the inhibition of C1q selectively prevents synapse loss induced by microglia depolarization but does not affect Aβ clearance. Our data reveal independent microglia-mediated phagocytosis pathways toward Aβ and synapses. Our results also shed light on a synergistic strategy of depolarizing microglia and inhibiting complement functions for the clearance of Aβ while sparing synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zezhong Lv
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lixi Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Huipai Peng
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, CAS Key Laboratory for Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yi Rong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei Hong
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Nan Li
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, CAS Key Laboratory for Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Boxing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Rosa C Paolicelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1005, Switzerland
| | - Yang Zhan
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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8
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Castaneda AN, Huda A, Whitaker IBM, Reilly JE, Shelby GS, Bai H, Ni L. Functional labeling of individualized postsynaptic neurons using optogenetics and trans-Tango in Drosophila (FLIPSOT). PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011190. [PMID: 38483970 PMCID: PMC10965055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011190] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A population of neurons interconnected by synapses constitutes a neural circuit, which performs specific functions upon activation. It is essential to identify both anatomical and functional entities of neural circuits to comprehend the components and processes necessary for healthy brain function and the changes that characterize brain disorders. To date, few methods are available to study these two aspects of a neural circuit simultaneously. In this study, we developed FLIPSOT, or functional labeling of individualized postsynaptic neurons using optogenetics and trans-Tango. FLIPSOT uses (1) trans-Tango to access postsynaptic neurons genetically, (2) optogenetic approaches to activate (FLIPSOTa) or inhibit (FLIPSOTi) postsynaptic neurons in a random and sparse manner, and (3) fluorescence markers tagged with optogenetic genes to visualize these neurons. Therefore, FLIPSOT allows using a presynaptic driver to identify the behavioral function of individual postsynaptic neurons. It is readily applied to identify functions of individual postsynaptic neurons and has the potential to be adapted for use in mammalian circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison N. Castaneda
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ainul Huda
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Iona B. M. Whitaker
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Julianne E. Reilly
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Grace S. Shelby
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Hua Bai
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lina Ni
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
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9
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Wu J, Chen Y, Veeraraghavan A, Seidemann E, Robinson JT. Mesoscopic calcium imaging in a head-unrestrained male non-human primate using a lensless microscope. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1271. [PMID: 38341403 PMCID: PMC10858944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45417-6] [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] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Mesoscopic calcium imaging enables studies of cell-type specific neural activity over large areas. A growing body of literature suggests that neural activity can be different when animals are free to move compared to when they are restrained. Unfortunately, existing systems for imaging calcium dynamics over large areas in non-human primates (NHPs) are table-top devices that require restraint of the animal's head. Here, we demonstrate an imaging device capable of imaging mesoscale calcium activity in a head-unrestrained male non-human primate. We successfully miniaturize our system by replacing lenses with an optical mask and computational algorithms. The resulting lensless microscope can fit comfortably on an NHP, allowing its head to move freely while imaging. We are able to measure orientation columns maps over a 20 mm2 field-of-view in a head-unrestrained macaque. Our work establishes mesoscopic imaging using a lensless microscope as a powerful approach for studying neural activity under more naturalistic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimin Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Yuzhi Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th St., Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Ashok Veeraraghavan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Eyal Seidemann
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 100 E 24th St., Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Jacob T Robinson
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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10
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Liu Y, Lin W, Liu J, Zhu H. Structural and temporal dynamics analysis of neural circuit from 2002 to 2022: A bibliometric analysis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24649. [PMID: 38298625 PMCID: PMC10828061 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24649] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In the pursuit of causal insights into neural circuit functionality, various interventions, including electrical, genetic, and pharmacological approaches, have been applied over recent decades. This study employs a comprehensive bibliometric perspective to explore the field of neural circuits. Methods Reviews and articles on neural circuits were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database on Apr. 12, 2023. In this article, co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis, citation analysis, bibliographic analysis, and co-citation analysis were used to clarify the authors, journals, institutions, countries, topics, and internal associations between them. Results More than 2000 organizations from 52 different countries published 3975 articles in the field of "neural circuit" were used to analysis. Luo liqun emerged as the most prolific author, and Deisseroth Karl garners the highest co-citations (3643). The Journal of Neuroscience leaded in publications, while Nature toped in citations. Chinese Academy of Science recorded the highest article count institutionally, with Stanford University ranking first with 14,350 citations. Since 2020, neurodynamic, anxiety-related mechanisms, and GABAergic neurons have gained prominence, shaping the trajectory of neural circuitry research. Conclusions Our investigation has discerned a paradigmatic reorientation towards neurodynamic processes, anxiety-related mechanisms, and GABAergic neurons within the domain of neural circuit research. This identification intimates a prospective trajectory for the field. In the future, it is imperative for research endeavors to accord priority to the translational application of these discernments, with the aim of materializing tangible clinical solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Cancer Research Center Nantong, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wei Lin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Haixia Zhu
- Cancer Research Center Nantong, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Pang B, Wu X, Chen H, Yan Y, Du Z, Yu Z, Yang X, Wang W, Lu K. Exploring the memory: existing activity-dependent tools to tag and manipulate engram cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1279032. [PMID: 38259503 PMCID: PMC10800721 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1279032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The theory of engrams, proposed several years ago, is highly crucial to understanding the progress of memory. Although it significantly contributes to identifying new treatments for cognitive disorders, it is limited by a lack of technology. Several scientists have attempted to validate this theory but failed. With the increasing availability of activity-dependent tools, several researchers have found traces of engram cells. Activity-dependent tools are based on the mechanisms underlying neuronal activity and use a combination of emerging molecular biological and genetic technology. Scientists have used these tools to tag and manipulate engram neurons and identified numerous internal connections between engram neurons and memory. In this review, we provide the background, principles, and selected examples of applications of existing activity-dependent tools. Using a combination of traditional definitions and concepts of engram cells, we discuss the applications and limitations of these tools and propose certain developmental directions to further explore the functions of engram cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hailun Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiwen Yan
- School of Basic Medicine Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zibo Du
- The First Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zihan Yu
- School of Basic Medicine Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiai Yang
- Department of Neurology, Ankang Central Hospital, Ankang, China
| | - Wanshan Wang
- Laboratory Animal Management Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou Southern Medical Laboratory Animal Sci. and Tech. Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangrong Lu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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12
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Buhlan M, Ljaschenko D, Scholz N, Langenhan T. Experimental modulation of physiological force application on leg joint neurons in intact Drosophila melanogaster. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:113-126. [PMID: 37945792 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00907-7] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The study of how mechanical forces affect biological events in living tissue is important for the understanding of a multitude of physiogical and pathophysiological phenomena. However, these investigations are often impeded by insufficient knowledge about force parameters, inadequate experimental administration of force stimuli and lack of noninvasive means to record their molecular and cellular effects. We therefore introduced a procedure to study the impact of force stimulation on adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor dissociation in mechanosensory neurons. Here, we detail a procedure to harness the mechanical force spectrum that emerges during the natural flexion-extension cycle of the femorotibial joint of adult fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). Mechanical load generated during the joint's motion is transmitted to specialized mechanosensory neurons residing close to the joint axis, which serve as proprioceptive sensors in the peripheral nervous system of the animal. Temporary immobilization of the joint by a restraint made of a human hair allows for the observation of transgenic mechanosensitive reporters by using fluorescent readout in the neurons before, during and after cessation of mechanical stimulation. The assay harnesses physiologically adequate stimuli for joint flexion and extension, can be conducted noninvasively in live specimens and is compatible with various transgenic reporter systems beyond the initially conceived strategy and mechanobiological hypotheses tested. The application of the protocol requires knowledge in Drosophila genetics, husbandry and fluorescence imaging and micromanipulation skills. The experimental procedure can be completed in 10 h and requires an additional 30 min in advance for fly fixation and leg immobilization. The apple agar cooking and heptane glue preparation requires a maximum of 30 min on the day before the experiment is conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Buhlan
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Ljaschenko
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Scholz
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Tobias Langenhan
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
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13
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Chen Y, Wang J, Liu J, Lin J, Lin Y, Nie J, Yue Q, Deng C, Qi X, Li Y, Dai J, Lu Z. A Novel Retrograde AAV Variant for Functional Manipulation of Cortical Projection Neurons in Mice and Monkeys. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:90-102. [PMID: 37432585 PMCID: PMC10774509 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01091-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Retrograde adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are capable of infecting the axons of projection neurons and serve as a powerful tool for the anatomical and functional characterization of neural networks. However, few retrograde AAV capsids have been shown to offer access to cortical projection neurons across different species and enable the manipulation of neural function in non-human primates (NHPs). Here, we report the development of a novel retrograde AAV capsid, AAV-DJ8R, which efficiently labeled cortical projection neurons after local administration into the striatum of mice and macaques. In addition, intrastriatally injected AAV-DJ8R mediated opsin expression in the mouse motor cortex and induced robust behavioral alterations. Moreover, AAV-DJ8R markedly increased motor cortical neuron firing upon optogenetic light stimulation after viral delivery into the macaque putamen. These data demonstrate the usefulness of AAV-DJ8R as an efficient retrograde tracer for cortical projection neurons in rodents and NHPs and indicate its suitability for use in conducting functional interrogations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yefei Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518027, China
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518027, China
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jianbang Lin
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yunping Lin
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jinyao Nie
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qi Yue
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chunshan Deng
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xiaofei Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518027, China.
| | - Yuantao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, 518027, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Ji Dai
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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14
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Yang W, Wang L, Fan L, Li W, Zhao Y, Shang L, Jiang M. Photothermal Responsive Microcarriers Encapsulated With Cangrelor and 5-Fu for Colorectal Cancer Treatment. SMALL METHODS 2023:e2301002. [PMID: 38127997 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Localized chemotherapy is emerging as a potential strategy for cancer treatment due to its low systemic toxicity. However, the immune evasion of tumor cells and the lack of an intelligent design of the delivery system limit its clinical application. Herein, photothermal responsive microcarriers are designed by microfluidic electrospray for colorectal tumor treatment. The microcarriers loaded with Cangrelor, 5-FU and MXene (G-M@F/C+NIR) show sustained delivery of antiplatelet drug Cangrelor, thus inhibiting the activity of platelets, interactions of platelet-tumor cell, as well as the tumor cells invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, the sustained delivery of chemotherapeutics 5-FU and the photothermal effect provided by MXene enable the microcarriers to inhibit tumor cells proliferation and migration. In vivo studies validate that the G-M@F/C+NIR microcarriers significantly inhibites tumor growth, decreased the expression of Ki-67 in tumor cells and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumor microenvironment, while increased the expression of E-cadherin. It is believe that by means of the proposed photothermal responsive microcarriers, the synergistic strategy of platelet inhibition, chemotherapy, and photothermal therapy can find practical applications in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yang
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Li Wang
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Lu Fan
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Wenzhao Li
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Minghua Jiang
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
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15
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Zayyad ZA, Maunsell JHR, MacLean JN. Normalization in mouse primary visual cortex. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295140. [PMID: 38109430 PMCID: PMC10727357 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295140] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
When multiple stimuli appear together in the receptive field of a visual cortical neuron, the response is typically close to the average of that neuron's response to each individual stimulus. The departure from a linear sum of each individual response is referred to as normalization. In mammals, normalization has been best characterized in the visual cortex of macaques and cats. Here we study visually evoked normalization in the visual cortex of awake mice using imaging of calcium indicators in large populations of layer 2/3 (L2/3) V1 excitatory neurons and electrophysiological recordings across layers in V1. Regardless of recording method, mouse visual cortical neurons exhibit normalization to varying degrees. The distributions of normalization strength are similar to those described in cats and macaques, albeit slightly weaker on average.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaina A. Zayyad
- Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - John H. R. Maunsell
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Jason N. MacLean
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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16
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Bazinet V, Hansen JY, Misic B. Towards a biologically annotated brain connectome. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:747-760. [PMID: 37848663 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00752-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The brain is a network of interleaved neural circuits. In modern connectomics, brain connectivity is typically encoded as a network of nodes and edges, abstracting away the rich biological detail of local neuronal populations. Yet biological annotations for network nodes - such as gene expression, cytoarchitecture, neurotransmitter receptors or intrinsic dynamics - can be readily measured and overlaid on network models. Here we review how connectomes can be represented and analysed as annotated networks. Annotated connectomes allow us to reconceptualize architectural features of networks and to relate the connection patterns of brain regions to their underlying biology. Emerging work demonstrates that annotated connectomes help to make more veridical models of brain network formation, neural dynamics and disease propagation. Finally, annotations can be used to infer entirely new inter-regional relationships and to construct new types of network that complement existing connectome representations. In summary, biologically annotated connectomes offer a compelling way to study neural wiring in concert with local biological features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Bazinet
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Justine Y Hansen
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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17
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Neske GT, Cardin JA. Transthalamic input to higher-order cortex selectively conveys state information. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.08.561424. [PMID: 37873181 PMCID: PMC10592671 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.08.561424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Communication among different neocortical areas is largely thought to be mediated by long-range synaptic interactions between cortical neurons, with the thalamus providing only an initial relay of information from the sensory periphery. Higher-order thalamic nuclei receive strong synaptic inputs from the cortex and send robust projections back to other cortical areas, providing a distinct and potentially critical route for cortico-cortical communication. However, the relative contributions of corticocortical and thalamocortical inputs to higher-order cortical function remain unclear. Using imaging of cortical neurons and projection axon terminals in combination with optogenetic manipulations, we find that the higher-order visual thalamus of mice conveys a specialized stream of information to higher-order visual cortex. Whereas corticocortical projections from lower cortical areas convey robust visual information, higher-order thalamocortical projections convey strong behavioral state information. Together, these findings suggest a key role for higher-order thalamus in providing contextual signals that flexibly modulate sensory processing in higher-order cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett T. Neske
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Present address: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jessica A. Cardin
- Department of Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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18
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Grieco SF, Holmes TC, Xu X. Probing neural circuit mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease using novel technologies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4407-4420. [PMID: 36959497 PMCID: PMC10827671 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02018-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The study of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has traditionally focused on neuropathological mechanisms that has guided therapies that attenuate neuropathological features. A new direction is emerging in AD research that focuses on the progressive loss of cognitive function due to disrupted neural circuit mechanisms. Evidence from humans and animal models of AD show that dysregulated circuits initiate a cascade of pathological events that culminate in functional loss of learning, memory, and other aspects of cognition. Recent progress in single-cell, spatial, and circuit omics informs this circuit-focused approach by determining the identities, locations, and circuitry of the specific cells affected by AD. Recently developed neuroscience tools allow for precise access to cell type-specific circuitry so that their functional roles in AD-related cognitive deficits and disease progression can be tested. An integrated systems-level understanding of AD-associated neural circuit mechanisms requires new multimodal and multi-scale interrogations that longitudinally measure and/or manipulate the ensemble properties of specific molecularly-defined neuron populations first susceptible to AD. These newly developed technological and conceptual advances present new opportunities for studying and treating circuits vulnerable in AD and represent the beginning of a new era for circuit-based AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven F Grieco
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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19
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Li Z, Shang Z, Liu J, Zhen H, Zhu E, Zhong S, Sturgess RN, Zhou Y, Hu X, Zhao X, Wu Y, Li P, Lin R, Ren J. D-LMBmap: a fully automated deep-learning pipeline for whole-brain profiling of neural circuitry. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1593-1604. [PMID: 37770711 PMCID: PMC10555838 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01998-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent proliferation and integration of tissue-clearing methods and light-sheet fluorescence microscopy has created new opportunities to achieve mesoscale three-dimensional whole-brain connectivity mapping with exceptionally high throughput. With the rapid generation of large, high-quality imaging datasets, downstream analysis is becoming the major technical bottleneck for mesoscale connectomics. Current computational solutions are labor intensive with limited applications because of the exhaustive manual annotation and heavily customized training. Meanwhile, whole-brain data analysis always requires combining multiple packages and secondary development by users. To address these challenges, we developed D-LMBmap, an end-to-end package providing an integrated workflow containing three modules based on deep-learning algorithms for whole-brain connectivity mapping: axon segmentation, brain region segmentation and whole-brain registration. D-LMBmap does not require manual annotation for axon segmentation and achieves quantitative analysis of whole-brain projectome in a single workflow with superior accuracy for multiple cell types in all of the modalities tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyu Li
- Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zengyi Shang
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingyi Liu
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haotian Zhen
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Entao Zhu
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shilin Zhong
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
| | - Robyn N Sturgess
- Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yitian Zhou
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuemeng Hu
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xingyue Zhao
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi Wu
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Peiqi Li
- School of Software Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Lin
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
| | - Jing Ren
- Division of Neurobiology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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20
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Dynes JL, Yeromin AV, Cahalan MD. Photoswitching alters fluorescence readout of jGCaMP8 Ca 2+ indicators tethered to Orai1 channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309328120. [PMID: 37729200 PMCID: PMC10523504 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309328120] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We used electrophysiology and Ca2+ channel tethering to evaluate the performance of jGCaMP8 genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs). Orai1 Ca2+ channel-jGCaMP8 fusions were transfected into HEK 293A cells and jGCaMP8 fluorescence responses recorded by simultaneous total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology. Noninactivating currents from the Orai1 Y80E mutant provided a steady flux of Ca2+ controlled on a millisecond time scale by step changes in membrane potential. Test pulses to -100 mV produced Orai1 Y80E-jGCaMP8f fluorescence traces that unexpectedly declined by ~50% over 100 ms before reaching a stable plateau. Testing of Orai1-jGCaMP8f using unroofed cells further demonstrated that rapid and partial fluorescence inactivation is a property of the indicator itself, rather than channel function. Photoinactivation spontaneously recovered over 5 min in the dark, and recovery was accelerated in the absence of Ca2+. Mutational analysis of residues near the tripeptide fluorophore of jGCaMP8f pointed to a mechanism: Q69M/C70V greatly increased (~90%) photoinactivation, reminiscent of fluorescent protein fluorophore cis-trans photoswitching. Indeed, 405-nm illumination of jGCaMP8f or 8m/8s/6f led to immediate photorecovery, and simultaneous illumination with 405 and 488-nm light blocked photoinactivation. Subsequent mutagenesis produced a variant, V203Y, that lacks photoinactivation but largely preserves the desirable properties of jGCaMP8f. Our results point to caution in interpreting rapidly changing Ca2+ signals using jGCaMP8 and earlier series GECIs, suggest strategies to avoid photoswitching, and serve as a starting point to produce more photostable, and thus more accurate, GECI derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L. Dynes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Andriy V. Yeromin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
| | - Michael D. Cahalan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, CA92697
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21
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Faress I, Khalil V, Yamamoto H, Sajgo S, Yonehara K, Nabavi S. Recombinase-independent AAV for anterograde transsynaptic tracing. Mol Brain 2023; 16:66. [PMID: 37715263 PMCID: PMC10504749 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01053-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral transsynaptic labeling has become indispensable for investigating the functional connectivity of neural circuits in the mammalian brain. Adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (AAV1) allows for anterograde transneuronal labeling and manipulation of postsynaptic neurons. However, it is limited to delivering an AAV1 expressing a recombinase which relies on using transgenic animals or genetic access to postsynaptic neurons. We reasoned that a strong expression level could overcome this limitation. To this end, we used a self-complementary AAV of serotype 1 (scAAV1) under a strong promoter (CAG). We demonstrated the anterograde transneuronal efficiency of scAAV1 by delivering a fluorescent marker in mouse retina-superior colliculus and thalamic-amygdala pathways in a recombinase-independent manner in the mouse brain. In addition to investigating neuronal connectivity, anterograde transsynaptic AAVs with a strong promoter may be suitable for functional mapping and imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Center for Proteins in Memory-PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory-PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Haruka Yamamoto
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Szilard Sajgo
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
- Multiscale Sensory Structure Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory-PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus, Denmark
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22
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Lehnert J, Cha K, Halperin J, Yang K, Zheng DF, Khadra A, Cook EP, Krishnaswamy A. Visual attention to features and space in mice using reverse correlation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3690-3701.e4. [PMID: 37611588 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Visual attention allows the brain to evoke behaviors based on the most important visual features. Mouse models offer immense potential to gain a circuit-level understanding of this phenomenon, yet how mice distribute attention across features and locations is not well understood. Here, we describe a new approach to address this limitation by training mice to detect weak vertical bars in a background of dynamic noise while spatial cues manipulate their attention. By adapting a reverse-correlation method from human studies, we linked behavioral decisions to stimulus features and locations. We show that mice deployed attention to a small rostral region of the visual field. Within this region, mice attended to multiple features (orientation, spatial frequency, contrast) that indicated the presence of weak vertical bars. This attentional tuning grew with training, multiplicatively scaled behavioral sensitivity, approached that of an ideal observer, and resembled the effects of attention in humans. Taken together, we demonstrate that mice can simultaneously attend to multiple features and locations of a visual stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Lehnert
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada
| | - Kuwook Cha
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Jamie Halperin
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Kerry Yang
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Daniel F Zheng
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Anmar Khadra
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada; Centre for Applied Mathematics in Bioscience and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada
| | - Erik P Cook
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada; Centre for Applied Mathematics in Bioscience and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada.
| | - Arjun Krishnaswamy
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada; Quantitative Life Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3, Canada.
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23
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Weber TD, Moya MV, Kılıç K, Mertz J, Economo MN. High-speed multiplane confocal microscopy for voltage imaging in densely labeled neuronal populations. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1642-1650. [PMID: 37604887 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01408-2] [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: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) hold immense potential for monitoring neuronal population activity. To date, best-in-class GEVIs rely on one-photon excitation. However, GEVI imaging of dense neuronal populations remains difficult because out-of-focus background fluorescence produces low contrast and excess noise when paired with conventional one-photon widefield imaging methods. To address this challenge, we developed an imaging system capable of efficient, high-contrast GEVI imaging at near-kHz rates and demonstrate it for in vivo and ex vivo imaging applications in the mouse neocortex. Our approach uses simultaneous multiplane imaging to monitor activity within contiguous tissue volumes with no penalty in speed or requirement for high excitation power. This approach, multi-Z imaging with confocal detection (MuZIC), permits high signal-to-noise ratio voltage imaging in densely labeled neuronal populations and is compatible with imaging through micro-optics. Moreover, it minimizes artifacts associated with concurrent imaging and optogenetic photostimulation for all-optical electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Weber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria V Moya
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kıvılcım Kılıç
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jerome Mertz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael N Economo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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24
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Zhu JJ. Architectural organization of ∼1,500-neuron modular minicolumnar disinhibitory circuits in healthy and Alzheimer's cortices. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112904. [PMID: 37531251 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112904] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of neuronal circuit architectures, central to understanding brain function and dysfunction, remains prohibitively challenging. Here I report the development of a simultaneous and sequential octuple-sexdecuple whole-cell patch-clamp recording system that enables architectural reconstruction of complex cortical circuits. The method unveils the canonical layer 1 single bouquet cell (SBC)-led disinhibitory neuronal circuits across the mouse somatosensory, motor, prefrontal, and medial entorhinal cortices. The ∼1,500-neuron modular circuits feature the translaminar, unidirectional, minicolumnar, and independent disinhibition and optimize cortical complexity, subtlety, plasticity, variation, and redundancy. Moreover, architectural reconstruction uncovers age-dependent deficits at SBC-disinhibited synapses in the senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8, an animal model of Alzheimer's disease. The deficits exhibit the characteristic Alzheimer's-like cortical spread and correlation with cognitive impairments. These findings decrypt operations of the elementary processing units in healthy and Alzheimer's mouse cortices and validate the efficacy of octuple-sexdecuple patch-clamp recordings for architectural reconstruction of complex neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Julius Zhu
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neurophysiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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25
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Hayashi S, Ohno N, Knott G, Molnár Z. Correlative light and volume electron microscopy to study brain development. Microscopy (Oxf) 2023; 72:279-286. [PMID: 36620906 DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfad002] [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] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in volume electron microscopy (EM) have been driving our thorough understanding of the brain architecture. Volume EM becomes increasingly powerful when cells and their subcellular structures that are imaged in light microscopy are correlated to those in ultramicrographs obtained with EM. This correlative approach, called correlative light and volume electron microscopy (vCLEM), is used to link three-dimensional ultrastructural information with physiological data such as intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. Genetic tools to express fluorescent proteins and/or an engineered form of a soybean ascorbate peroxidase allow us to perform vCLEM using natural landmarks including blood vessels without immunohistochemical staining. This immunostaining-free vCLEM has been successfully employed in two-photon Ca2+ imaging in vivo as well as in studying complex synaptic connections in thalamic neurons that receive a variety of specialized inputs from the cerebral cortex. In this mini-review, we overview how volume EM and vCLEM have contributed to studying the developmental processes of the brain. We also discuss potential applications of genetic manipulation of target cells using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 and subsequent volume EM to the analysis of protein localization as well as to loss-of-function studies of genes regulating brain development. We give examples for the combinatorial usage of genetic tools with vCLEM that will further enhance our understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Hayashi
- Department of Anatomy, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Ohno
- Department of Anatomy, Division of Histology and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
- Division of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Graham Knott
- Biological Electron Microscopy Facility, Faculty of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Route Cantonale, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sherrington Building, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
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26
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Zhao C, Ries C, Du Y, Zhang J, Sakimura K, Itoi K, Deussing JM. Differential CRH expression level determines efficiency of Cre- and Flp-dependent recombination. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1163462. [PMID: 37599997 PMCID: PMC10434532 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1163462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone expressing (CRH+) neurons are distributed throughout the brain and play a crucial role in shaping the stress responses. Mouse models expressing site-specific recombinases (SSRs) or reporter genes are important tools providing genetic access to defined cell types and have been widely used to address CRH+ neurons and connected brain circuits. Here, we investigated a recently generated CRH-FlpO driver line expanding the CRH system-related tool box. We directly compared it to a previously established and widely used CRH-Cre line with respect to the FlpO expression pattern and recombination efficiency. In the brain, FlpO mRNA distribution fully recapitulates the expression pattern of endogenous Crh. Combining both Crh locus driven SSRs driver lines with appropriate reporters revealed an overall coherence of respective spatial patterns of reporter gene activation validating CRH-FlpO mice as a valuable tool complementing existing CRH-Cre and reporter lines. However, a substantially lower number of reporter-expressing neurons was discerned in CRH-FlpO mice. Using an additional CRH reporter mouse line (CRH-Venus) and a mouse line allowing for conversion of Cre into FlpO activity (CAG-LSL-FlpO) in combination with intersectional and subtractive mouse genetic approaches, we were able to demonstrate that the reduced number of tdTomato reporter expressing CRH+ neurons can be ascribed to the lower recombination efficiency of FlpO compared to Cre recombinase. This discrepancy particularly manifests under conditions of low CRH expression and can be overcome by utilizing homozygous CRH-FlpO mice. These findings have direct experimental implications which have to be carefully considered when targeting CRH+ neurons using CRH-FlpO mice. However, the lower FlpO-dependent recombination efficiency also entails advantages as it provides a broader dynamic range of expression allowing for the visualization of cells showing stress-induced CRH expression which is not detectable in highly sensitive CRH-Cre mice as Cre-mediated recombination has largely been completed in all cells generally possessing the capacity to express CRH. These findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of novel SSR driver lines prior to their application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhao
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Clemens Ries
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Ying Du
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jingwei Zhang
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Keiichi Itoi
- Super-Network Brain Physiology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Jan M. Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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27
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Watakabe A, Skibbe H, Nakae K, Abe H, Ichinohe N, Rachmadi MF, Wang J, Takaji M, Mizukami H, Woodward A, Gong R, Hata J, Van Essen DC, Okano H, Ishii S, Yamamori T. Local and long-distance organization of prefrontal cortex circuits in the marmoset brain. Neuron 2023; 111:2258-2273.e10. [PMID: 37196659 PMCID: PMC10789578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.028] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has dramatically expanded in primates, but its organization and interactions with other brain regions are only partially understood. We performed high-resolution connectomic mapping of the marmoset PFC and found two contrasting corticocortical and corticostriatal projection patterns: "patchy" projections that formed many columns of submillimeter scale in nearby and distant regions and "diffuse" projections that spread widely across the cortex and striatum. Parcellation-free analyses revealed representations of PFC gradients in these projections' local and global distribution patterns. We also demonstrated column-scale precision of reciprocal corticocortical connectivity, suggesting that PFC contains a mosaic of discrete columns. Diffuse projections showed considerable diversity in the laminar patterns of axonal spread. Altogether, these fine-grained analyses reveal important principles of local and long-distance PFC circuits in marmosets and provide insights into the functional organization of the primate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiya Watakabe
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Henrik Skibbe
- Brain Image Analysis Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Ken Nakae
- Integrated Systems Biology Laboratory, Department of Systems Science, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Abe
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Noritaka Ichinohe
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-0031, Japan
| | - Muhammad Febrian Rachmadi
- Brain Image Analysis Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Jawa Barat 16424, Indonesia
| | - Jian Wang
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Masafumi Takaji
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Mizukami
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Alexander Woodward
- Connectome Analysis Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Rui Gong
- Connectome Analysis Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Junichi Hata
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 116-8551, Japan
| | - David C Van Essen
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 108-8345, Japan
| | - Shin Ishii
- Integrated Systems Biology Laboratory, Department of Systems Science, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yamamori
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Marmoset Biology and Medicine, Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan.
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28
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Hutt A, Rich S, Valiante TA, Lefebvre J. Intrinsic neural diversity quenches the dynamic volatility of neural networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218841120. [PMID: 37399421 PMCID: PMC10334753 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218841120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity is the norm in biology. The brain is no different: Neuronal cell types are myriad, reflected through their cellular morphology, type, excitability, connectivity motifs, and ion channel distributions. While this biophysical diversity enriches neural systems' dynamical repertoire, it remains challenging to reconcile with the robustness and persistence of brain function over time (resilience). To better understand the relationship between excitability heterogeneity (variability in excitability within a population of neurons) and resilience, we analyzed both analytically and numerically a nonlinear sparse neural network with balanced excitatory and inhibitory connections evolving over long time scales. Homogeneous networks demonstrated increases in excitability, and strong firing rate correlations-signs of instability-in response to a slowly varying modulatory fluctuation. Excitability heterogeneity tuned network stability in a context-dependent way by restraining responses to modulatory challenges and limiting firing rate correlations, while enriching dynamics during states of low modulatory drive. Excitability heterogeneity was found to implement a homeostatic control mechanism enhancing network resilience to changes in population size, connection probability, strength and variability of synaptic weights, by quenching the volatility (i.e., its susceptibility to critical transitions) of its dynamics. Together, these results highlight the fundamental role played by cell-to-cell heterogeneity in the robustness of brain function in the face of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Hutt
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inria, ICube, MLMS, MIMESIS, StrasbourgF-67000, France
| | - Scott Rich
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, ONM5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Taufik A. Valiante
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, ONM5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G9, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 1A8, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5G 2C4, Canada
- Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5G 2A2, Canada
- Max Planck-University of Toronto Center for Neural Science and Technology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Jérémie Lefebvre
- Krembil Brain Institute, Division of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, ONM5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ONK1N 6N5, Canada
- Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ONM5S 2E4, Canada
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29
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Osanai H, Nair IR, Kitamura T. Dissecting cell-type-specific pathways in medial entorhinal cortical-hippocampal network for episodic memory. J Neurochem 2023; 166:172-188. [PMID: 37248771 PMCID: PMC10538947 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Episodic memory, which refers to our ability to encode and recall past events, is essential to our daily lives. Previous research has established that both the entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus (HPC) play a crucial role in the formation and retrieval of episodic memories. However, to understand neural circuit mechanisms behind these processes, it has become necessary to monitor and manipulate the neural activity in a cell-type-specific manner with high temporal precision during memory formation, consolidation, and retrieval in the EC-HPC networks. Recent studies using cell-type-specific labeling, monitoring, and manipulation have demonstrated that medial EC (MEC) contains multiple excitatory neurons that have differential molecular markers, physiological properties, and anatomical features. In this review, we will comprehensively examine the complementary roles of superficial layers of neurons (II and III) and the roles of deeper layers (V and VI) in episodic memory formation and recall based on these recent findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisayuki Osanai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Indrajith R Nair
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Takashi Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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30
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Courtney CD, Pamukcu A, Chan CS. Cell and circuit complexity of the external globus pallidus. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1147-1159. [PMID: 37336974 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01368-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The external globus pallidus (GPe) of the basal ganglia has been underappreciated owing to poor understanding of its cells and circuits. It was assumed that the GPe consisted of a homogeneous neuron population primarily serving as a 'relay station' for information flowing through the indirect basal ganglia pathway. However, the advent of advanced tools in rodent models has sparked a resurgence in interest in the GPe. Here, we review recent data that have unveiled the cell and circuit complexity of the GPe. These discoveries have revealed that the GPe does not conform to traditional views of the basal ganglia. In particular, recent evidence confirms that the afferent and efferent connections of the GPe span both the direct and the indirect pathways. Furthermore, the GPe displays broad interconnectivity beyond the basal ganglia, consistent with its emerging multifaceted roles in both motor and non-motor functions. In summary, recent data prompt new proposals for computational rules of the basal ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor D Courtney
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Arin Pamukcu
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - C Savio Chan
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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31
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Woodson J, Bergan JF. Uncovering the brain-wide pattern of synaptic input to vasopressin-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:1017-1031. [PMID: 37121600 PMCID: PMC10566340 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25476] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide critical for the mammalian stress response and social behavior. AVP produced in the hypothalamus regulates water osmolality and vasoconstriction in the body, and in the brain, it regulates social behavior, aggression, and anxiety. However, the circuit mechanisms that link AVP to social behavior, homeostatic function, and disease are not well understood. This study investigates the circuit configurations of AVP-expressing neurons in the rodent hypothalamus and characterizes synaptic input from the entire brain. We targeted the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) using retrograde viral tracing techniques to identify direct afferent synaptic connections made onto AVP-expressing neurons. AVP neurons in the PVN display region-specific anatomical configurations that reflect their unique contributions to homeostatic function, motor behaviors, feeding, and affiliative behavior. The afferent connections identified were similar in both sexes and subsequent molecular investigation of these inputs shows that those local hypothalamic inputs are overwhelmingly nonpeptidergic cells indicating a potential interneuron nexus between hormone cell activation and broader cortical connection. This proposed work reveals new insights into the organization of social behavior circuits in the brain, and how neuropeptides act centrally to modulate social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Woodson
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph F Bergan
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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32
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Dura-Bernal S, Neymotin SA, Suter BA, Dacre J, Moreira JVS, Urdapilleta E, Schiemann J, Duguid I, Shepherd GMG, Lytton WW. Multiscale model of primary motor cortex circuits predicts in vivo cell-type-specific, behavioral state-dependent dynamics. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112574. [PMID: 37300831 PMCID: PMC10592234 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding cortical function requires studying multiple scales: molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral. We develop a multiscale, biophysically detailed model of mouse primary motor cortex (M1) with over 10,000 neurons and 30 million synapses. Neuron types, densities, spatial distributions, morphologies, biophysics, connectivity, and dendritic synapse locations are constrained by experimental data. The model includes long-range inputs from seven thalamic and cortical regions and noradrenergic inputs. Connectivity depends on cell class and cortical depth at sublaminar resolution. The model accurately predicts in vivo layer- and cell-type-specific responses (firing rates and LFP) associated with behavioral states (quiet wakefulness and movement) and experimental manipulations (noradrenaline receptor blockade and thalamus inactivation). We generate mechanistic hypotheses underlying the observed activity and analyzed low-dimensional population latent dynamics. This quantitative theoretical framework can be used to integrate and interpret M1 experimental data and sheds light on the cell-type-specific multiscale dynamics associated with several experimental conditions and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
| | - Samuel A Neymotin
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University (NYU), New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin A Suter
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Joshua Dacre
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joao V S Moreira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Eugenio Urdapilleta
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Julia Schiemann
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Ian Duguid
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - William W Lytton
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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33
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Lin FV, Zuo Y, Conwell Y, Wang KH. New horizons in emotional well-being and brain aging: Potential lessons from cross-species research. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2023; 38:e5936. [PMID: 37260057 PMCID: PMC10652707 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Emotional wellbeing (EWB) is a multi-faceted concept of immediate relevance to human health. NIH recently initiated a series of research networks to advance understanding of EWB. Our network (NEW Brain Aging) focuses on mechanistic understanding of EWB in relation to brain aging. Here, by synthesizing the literature on emotional processing and the underlying brain circuit mechanisms in human and non-human animals, we propose a reactivity and reappraisal model for understanding EWB and its age-related changes. This model emphasizes the dynamic interactions between affective stimuli, behavioral/physiological responses, brain emotional states, and subjective feelings. It also aims to integrate the unique emotional processes involved in explaining EWB in aging humans with the emerging mechanistic insight of topologically conserved emotional brain networks from cross-species studies. We also highlight the research opportunities and challenges in EWB and brain aging research and the potential application of the model in addressing these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Vankee Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
| | - Yeates Conwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Kuan Hong Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
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34
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Wang H, Kwan AC. Competitive and cooperative games for probing the neural basis of social decision-making in animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105158. [PMID: 37019249 PMCID: PMC10175234 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
In a social environment, it is essential for animals to consider the behavior of others when making decisions. To quantitatively assess such social decisions, games offer unique advantages. Games may have competitive and cooperative components, modeling situations with antagonistic and shared objectives between players. Games can be analyzed by mathematical frameworks, including game theory and reinforcement learning, such that an animal's choice behavior can be compared against the optimal strategy. However, so far games have been underappreciated in neuroscience research, particularly for rodent studies. In this review, we survey the varieties of competitive and cooperative games that have been tested, contrasting strategies employed by non-human primates and birds with rodents. We provide examples of how games can be used to uncover neural mechanisms and explore species-specific behavioral differences. We assess critically the limitations of current paradigms and propose improvements. Together, the synthesis of current literature highlights the advantages of using games to probe the neural basis of social decisions for neuroscience studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Wang
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alex C Kwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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35
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Park H, Jo SH, Lee RH, Macks CP, Ku T, Park J, Lee CW, Hur JK, Sohn CH. Spatial Transcriptomics: Technical Aspects of Recent Developments and Their Applications in Neuroscience and Cancer Research. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206939. [PMID: 37026425 PMCID: PMC10238226 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics is a newly emerging field that enables high-throughput investigation of the spatial localization of transcripts and related analyses in various applications for biological systems. By transitioning from conventional biological studies to "in situ" biology, spatial transcriptomics can provide transcriptome-scale spatial information. Currently, the ability to simultaneously characterize gene expression profiles of cells and relevant cellular environment is a paradigm shift for biological studies. In this review, recent progress in spatial transcriptomics and its applications in neuroscience and cancer studies are highlighted. Technical aspects of existing technologies and future directions of new developments (as of March 2023), computational analysis of spatial transcriptome data, application notes in neuroscience and cancer studies, and discussions regarding future directions of spatial multi-omics and their expanding roles in biomedical applications are emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han‐Eol Park
- Center for NanomedicineInstitute for Basic ScienceYonsei UniversitySeoul03722Republic of Korea
- Graduate Program in Nanobiomedical EngineeringAdvanced Science InstituteYonsei UniversitySeoul03722Republic of Korea
- School of Biological SciencesSeoul National UniversitySeoul08826Republic of Korea
| | - Song Hyun Jo
- Graduate School of Medical Science and EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Rosalind H. Lee
- School of Life SciencesGwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)Gwangju61005Republic of Korea
| | - Christian P. Macks
- Center for NanomedicineInstitute for Basic ScienceYonsei UniversitySeoul03722Republic of Korea
- Graduate Program in Nanobiomedical EngineeringAdvanced Science InstituteYonsei UniversitySeoul03722Republic of Korea
| | - Taeyun Ku
- Graduate School of Medical Science and EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Daejeon34141Republic of Korea
| | - Jihwan Park
- School of Life SciencesGwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)Gwangju61005Republic of Korea
| | - Chung Whan Lee
- Department of ChemistryGachon UniversitySeongnamGyeonggi‐do13120Republic of Korea
| | - Junho K. Hur
- Department of GeneticsCollege of MedicineHanyang UniversitySeoul04763Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Ho Sohn
- Center for NanomedicineInstitute for Basic ScienceYonsei UniversitySeoul03722Republic of Korea
- Graduate Program in Nanobiomedical EngineeringAdvanced Science InstituteYonsei UniversitySeoul03722Republic of Korea
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36
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Pan Q, Guo SS, Chen M, Su XY, Gao ZL, Wang Q, Xu TL, Liu MG, Hu J. Representation and control of pain and itch by distinct prefrontal neural ensembles. Neuron 2023:S0896-6273(23)00342-2. [PMID: 37224813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Pain and itch are two closely related but essentially distinct sensations that elicit different behavioral responses. However, it remains mysterious how pain and itch information is encoded in the brain to produce differential perceptions. Here, we report that nociceptive and pruriceptive signals are separately represented and processed by distinct neural ensembles in the prelimbic (PL) subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mice. Pain- and itch-responsive cortical neural ensembles were found to significantly differ in electrophysiological properties, input-output connectivity profiles, and activity patterns to nociceptive or pruriceptive stimuli. Moreover, these two groups of cortical neural ensembles oppositely modulate pain- or itch-related sensory and emotional behaviors through their preferential projections to specific downstream regions such as the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). These findings uncover separate representations of pain and itch by distinct prefrontal neural ensembles and provide a new framework for understanding somatosensory information processing in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Pan
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Su-Shan Guo
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ming Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xin-Yu Su
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zi-Long Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201600, China; Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Ming-Gang Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200030, China.
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37
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Xiao C, Wei J, Zhang GW, Tao C, Huang JJ, Shen L, Wickersham IR, Tao HW, Zhang LI. Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in pontine central gray mediate opposing valence-specific behaviors through a global network. Neuron 2023; 111:1486-1503.e7. [PMID: 36893756 PMCID: PMC10164086 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Extracting the valence of environmental cues is critical for animals' survival. How valence in sensory signals is encoded and transformed to produce distinct behavioral responses remains not well understood. Here, we report that the mouse pontine central gray (PCG) contributes to encoding both negative and positive valences. PCG glutamatergic neurons were activated selectively by aversive, but not reward, stimuli, whereas its GABAergic neurons were preferentially activated by reward signals. The optogenetic activation of these two populations resulted in avoidance and preference behavior, respectively, and was sufficient to induce conditioned place aversion/preference. Suppression of them reduced sensory-induced aversive and appetitive behaviors, respectively. These two functionally opponent populations, receiving a broad range of inputs from overlapping yet distinct sources, broadcast valence-specific information to a distributed brain network with distinguishable downstream effectors. Thus, PCG serves as a critical hub to process positive and negative valences of incoming sensory signals and drive valence-specific behaviors with distinct circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Xiao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jinxing Wei
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; 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, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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38
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Zayyad ZA, Maunsell JHR, MacLean JN. Normalization in mouse primary visual cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.18.537260. [PMID: 37131716 PMCID: PMC10153131 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.18.537260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
When multiple stimuli appear together in the receptive field of a visual cortical neuron, the response is typically close to the average of that neuron's response to each individual stimulus. The departure from a linear sum of each individual response is referred to as normalization. In mammals, normalization has been best characterized in the visual cortex of macaques and cats. Here we study visually evoked normalization in the visual cortex of awake mice using optical imaging of calcium indicators in large populations of layer 2/3 (L2/3) V1 excitatory neurons and electrophysiological recordings across layers in V1. Regardless of recording method, mouse visual cortical neurons exhibit normalization to varying degrees. The distributions of normalization strength are similar to those described in cats and macaques, albeit slightly weaker on average.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaina A. Zayyad
- Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - John H. R. Maunsell
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Jason N. MacLean
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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39
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Hasani H, Sun J, Zhu SI, Rong Q, Willomitzer F, Amor R, McConnell G, Cossairt O, Goodhill GJ. Whole-brain imaging of freely-moving zebrafish. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1127574. [PMID: 37139528 PMCID: PMC10150962 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1127574] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the holy grails of neuroscience is to record the activity of every neuron in the brain while an animal moves freely and performs complex behavioral tasks. While important steps forward have been taken recently in large-scale neural recording in rodent models, single neuron resolution across the entire mammalian brain remains elusive. In contrast the larval zebrafish offers great promise in this regard. Zebrafish are a vertebrate model with substantial homology to the mammalian brain, but their transparency allows whole-brain recordings of genetically-encoded fluorescent indicators at single-neuron resolution using optical microscopy techniques. Furthermore zebrafish begin to show a complex repertoire of natural behavior from an early age, including hunting small, fast-moving prey using visual cues. Until recently work to address the neural bases of these behaviors mostly relied on assays where the fish was immobilized under the microscope objective, and stimuli such as prey were presented virtually. However significant progress has recently been made in developing brain imaging techniques for zebrafish which are not immobilized. Here we discuss recent advances, focusing particularly on techniques based on light-field microscopy. We also draw attention to several important outstanding issues which remain to be addressed to increase the ecological validity of the results obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Hasani
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Jipeng Sun
- Department of Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Shuyu I. Zhu
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Qiangzhou Rong
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Florian Willomitzer
- Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Rumelo Amor
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gail McConnell
- Centre for Biophotonics, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Cossairt
- Department of Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Geoffrey J. Goodhill
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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40
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Sunil S, Jiang J, Shah S, Kura S, Kilic K, Erdener SE, Ayata C, Devor A, Boas DA. Neurovascular coupling is preserved in chronic stroke recovery after targeted photothrombosis. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103377. [PMID: 36948140 PMCID: PMC10034641 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103377] [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: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging, which measures hemodynamic responses to brain activity, has great potential for monitoring recovery in stroke patients and guiding rehabilitation during recovery. However, hemodynamic responses after stroke are almost always altered relative to responses in healthy subjects and it is still unclear if these alterations reflect the underlying brain physiology or if the alterations are purely due to vascular injury. In other words, we do not know the effect of stroke on neurovascular coupling and are therefore limited in our ability to use functional neuroimaging to accurately interpret stroke pathophysiology. To address this challenge, we simultaneously captured neural activity, through fluorescence calcium imaging, and hemodynamics, through intrinsic optical signal imaging, during longitudinal stroke recovery. Our data suggest that neurovascular coupling was preserved in the chronic phase of recovery (2 weeks and 4 weeks post-stoke) and resembled pre-stroke neurovascular coupling. This indicates that functional neuroimaging faithfully represents the underlying neural activity in chronic stroke. Further, neurovascular coupling in the sub-acute phase of stroke recovery was predictive of long-term behavioral outcomes. Stroke also resulted in increases in global brain oscillations, which showed distinct patterns between neural activity and hemodynamics. Increased neural excitability in the contralesional hemisphere was associated with increased contralesional intrahemispheric connectivity. Additionally, sub-acute increases in hemodynamic oscillations were associated with improved sensorimotor outcomes. Collectively, these results support the use of hemodynamic measures of brain activity post-stroke for predicting functional and behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smrithi Sunil
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - John Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Shashwat Shah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sreekanth Kura
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kivilcim Kilic
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sefik Evren Erdener
- Institute of Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Cenk Ayata
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Anna Devor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David A Boas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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41
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Narayanan DP, Tsukano H, Kline AM, Onodera K, Kato HK. Biological constraints on stereotaxic targeting of functionally-defined cortical areas. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3293-3310. [PMID: 35834935 PMCID: PMC10016058 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac275] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding computational principles in hierarchically organized sensory systems requires functional parcellation of brain structures and their precise targeting for manipulations. Although brain atlases are widely used to infer area locations in the mouse neocortex, it has been unclear whether stereotaxic coordinates based on standardized brain morphology accurately represent functional domains in individual animals. Here, we used intrinsic signal imaging to evaluate the accuracy of area delineation in the atlas by mapping functionally-identified auditory cortices onto bregma-based stereotaxic coordinates. We found that auditory cortices in the brain atlas correlated poorly with the true complexity of functional area boundaries. Inter-animal variability in functional area locations predicted surprisingly high error rates in stereotaxic targeting with atlas coordinates. This variability was not simply attributed to brain sizes or suture irregularities but instead reflected differences in cortical geography across animals. Our data thus indicate that functional mapping in individual animals is essential for dissecting cortical area-specific roles with high precision.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroaki Tsukano
- Corresponding authors: Hiroyuki Kato, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States. ; Hiroaki Tsukano, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States.
| | | | | | - Hiroyuki K Kato
- Corresponding authors: Hiroyuki Kato, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States. ; Hiroaki Tsukano, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States.
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42
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Gao C, Gohel CA, Leng Y, Ma J, Goldman D, Levine AJ, Penzo MA. Molecular and spatial profiling of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. eLife 2023; 12:81818. [PMID: 36867023 PMCID: PMC10014079 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is known to regulate various cognitive and behavioral processes. However, while functional diversity among PVT circuits has often been linked to cellular differences, the molecular identity and spatial distribution of PVT cell types remain unclear. To address this gap, here we used single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and identified five molecularly distinct PVT neuronal subtypes in the mouse brain. Additionally, multiplex fluorescent in situ hybridization of top marker genes revealed that PVT subtypes are organized by a combination of previously unidentified molecular gradients. Lastly, comparing our dataset with a recently published single-cell sequencing atlas of the thalamus yielded novel insight into the PVT's connectivity with the cortex, including unexpected innervation of auditory and visual areas. This comparison also revealed that our data contains a largely non-overlapping transcriptomic map of multiple midline thalamic nuclei. Collectively, our findings uncover previously unknown features of the molecular diversity and anatomical organization of the PVT and provide a valuable resource for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Gao
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Chiraag A Gohel
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Yan Leng
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jun Ma
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - David Goldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismRockvilleUnited States
| | - Ariel J Levine
- National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentBethesdaUnited States
| | - Mario A Penzo
- National Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaUnited States
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43
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Astrocyte heterogeneity and interactions with local neural circuits. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:93-106. [PMID: 36748397 PMCID: PMC10011406 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are ubiquitous within the central nervous system (CNS). These cells possess many individual processes which extend out into the neuropil, where they interact with a variety of other cell types, including neurons at synapses. Astrocytes are now known to be active players in all aspects of the synaptic life cycle, including synapse formation and elimination, synapse maturation, maintenance of synaptic homeostasis and modulation of synaptic transmission. Traditionally, astrocytes have been studied as a homogeneous group of cells. However, recent studies have uncovered a surprising degree of heterogeneity in their development and function, suggesting that astrocytes may be matched to neurons to support local circuits. Hence, a better understanding of astrocyte heterogeneity and its implications are needed to understand brain function.
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44
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Zhang Y, Rózsa M, Liang Y, Bushey D, Wei Z, Zheng J, Reep D, Broussard GJ, Tsang A, Tsegaye G, Narayan S, Obara CJ, Lim JX, Patel R, Zhang R, Ahrens MB, Turner GC, Wang SSH, Korff WL, Schreiter ER, Svoboda K, Hasseman JP, Kolb I, Looger LL. Fast and sensitive GCaMP calcium indicators for imaging neural populations. Nature 2023; 615:884-891. [PMID: 36922596 PMCID: PMC10060165 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05828-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 152.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Calcium imaging with protein-based indicators1,2 is widely used to follow neural activity in intact nervous systems, but current protein sensors report neural activity at timescales much slower than electrical signalling and are limited by trade-offs between sensitivity and kinetics. Here we used large-scale screening and structure-guided mutagenesis to develop and optimize several fast and sensitive GCaMP-type indicators3-8. The resulting 'jGCaMP8' sensors, based on the calcium-binding protein calmodulin and a fragment of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, have ultra-fast kinetics (half-rise times of 2 ms) and the highest sensitivity for neural activity reported for a protein-based calcium sensor. jGCaMP8 sensors will allow tracking of large populations of neurons on timescales relevant to neural computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Márton Rózsa
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yajie Liang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Bushey
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Ziqiang Wei
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Jihong Zheng
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Daniel Reep
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | | | - Arthur Tsang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Getahun Tsegaye
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Sujatha Narayan
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jing-Xuan Lim
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Ronak Patel
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Rongwei Zhang
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Misha B Ahrens
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Glenn C Turner
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Samuel S-H Wang
- Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Wyatt L Korff
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Eric R Schreiter
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Karel Svoboda
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Jeremy P Hasseman
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
| | - Ilya Kolb
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Loren L Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Genetically Encoded Neural Indicator and Effector (GENIE) Project, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA.
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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45
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Arnatkeviciute A, Markello RD, Fulcher BD, Misic B, Fornito A. Toward Best Practices for Imaging Transcriptomics of the Human Brain. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:391-404. [PMID: 36725139 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Modern brainwide transcriptional atlases provide unprecedented opportunities for investigating the molecular correlates of brain organization, as quantified using noninvasive neuroimaging. However, integrating neuroimaging data with transcriptomic measures is not straightforward, and careful consideration is required to make valid inferences. In this article, we review recent work exploring how various methodological choices affect 3 main phases of imaging transcriptomic analyses, including 1) processing of transcriptional atlas data; 2) relating transcriptional measures to independently derived neuroimaging phenotypes; and 3) evaluating the functional implications of identified associations through gene enrichment analyses. Our aim is to facilitate the development of standardized and reproducible approaches for this rapidly growing field. We identify sources of methodological variability, key choices that can affect findings, and considerations for mitigating false positive and/or spurious results. Finally, we provide an overview of freely available open-source toolboxes implementing current best-practice procedures across all 3 analysis phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurina Arnatkeviciute
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Ross D Markello
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ben D Fulcher
- School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bratislav Misic
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alex Fornito
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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46
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Tasaka GI, Maggi C, Taha E, Mizrahi A. The local and long-range input landscape of inhibitory neurons in mouse auditory cortex. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:502-514. [PMID: 36453284 PMCID: PMC10107844 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25437] [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: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Roughly 20% of the neurons in the mouse cortex are inhibitory interneurons (INs). Of these, the three major subtypes are parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) expressing neurons. We used monosynaptic rabies tracing to compare the presynaptic input landscape onto these three IN subtypes in the mouse primary auditory cortex (A1). We compared both local patterns of monosynaptic inputs as well as long-range input patterns. The local monosynaptic input landscape to SST neurons was more widespread as compared to PV and VIP neurons. The brain-wide input landscape was rich and heterogeneous with >40 brain regions connecting to all the three INs subtypes from both hemispheres. The general pattern of the long-range input landscape was similar among the groups of INs. Nevertheless, a few differences could be identified. At low resolution, the proportion of local versus long-range inputs was smaller for PV neurons. At mesoscale resolution, we found fewer inputs from temporal association area to VIP INs, and more inputs to SST neurons from basal forebrain and lateral amygdala. Our work can be used as a resource for a quantitative comparison of the location and level of inputs impinging onto discrete populations of neurons in mouse A1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen-Ichi Tasaka
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Claudia Maggi
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Elham Taha
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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47
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Organizational Principles of the Centrifugal Projections to the Olfactory Bulb. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054579. [PMID: 36902010 PMCID: PMC10002860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054579] [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: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Centrifugal projections in the olfactory system are critical to both olfactory processing and behavior. The olfactory bulb (OB), the first relay station in odor processing, receives a substantial number of centrifugal inputs from the central brain regions. However, the anatomical organization of these centrifugal connections has not been fully elucidated, especially for the excitatory projection neurons of the OB, the mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs). Using rabies virus-mediated retrograde monosynaptic tracing in Thy1-Cre mice, we identified that the three most prominent inputs of the M/TCs came from the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), the piriform cortex (PC), and the basal forebrain (BF), similar to the granule cells (GCs), the most abundant population of inhibitory interneurons in the OB. However, M/TCs received proportionally less input from the primary olfactory cortical areas, including the AON and PC, but more input from the BF and contralateral brain regions than GCs. Unlike organizationally distinct inputs from the primary olfactory cortical areas to these two types of OB neurons, inputs from the BF were organized similarly. Furthermore, individual BF cholinergic neurons innervated multiple layers of the OB, forming synapses on both M/TCs and GCs. Taken together, our results indicate that the centrifugal projections to different types of OB neurons may provide complementary and coordinated strategies in olfactory processing and behavior.
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48
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Fischer FP, Karge RA, Weber YG, Koch H, Wolking S, Voigt A. Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies: An overview. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1116000. [PMID: 36873106 PMCID: PMC9978166 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1116000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting more than 45 million people worldwide. Recent advances in genetic techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, have driven genetic discovery and increased our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind many epilepsy syndromes. These insights prompt the development of personalized therapies tailored to the genetic characteristics of an individual patient. However, the surging number of novel genetic variants renders the interpretation of pathogenetic consequences and of potential therapeutic implications ever more challenging. Model organisms can help explore these aspects in vivo. In the last decades, rodent models have significantly contributed to our understanding of genetic epilepsies but their establishment is laborious, expensive, and time-consuming. Additional model organisms to investigate disease variants on a large scale would be desirable. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a model organism in epilepsy research since the discovery of "bang-sensitive" mutants more than half a century ago. These flies respond to mechanical stimulation, such as a brief vortex, with stereotypic seizures and paralysis. Furthermore, the identification of seizure-suppressor mutations allows to pinpoint novel therapeutic targets. Gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9, are a convenient way to generate flies carrying disease-associated variants. These flies can be screened for phenotypic and behavioral abnormalities, shifting of seizure thresholds, and response to anti-seizure medications and other substances. Moreover, modification of neuronal activity and seizure induction can be achieved using optogenetic tools. In combination with calcium and fluorescent imaging, functional alterations caused by mutations in epilepsy genes can be traced. Here, we review Drosophila as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies, especially as 81% of human epilepsy genes have an orthologous gene in Drosophila. Furthermore, we discuss newly established analysis techniques that might be used to further unravel the pathophysiological aspects of genetic epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian P Fischer
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Robin A Karge
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yvonne G Weber
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wolking
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aaron Voigt
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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49
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Yaguchi K, Hagihara M, Konno A, Hirai H, Yukinaga H, Miyamichi K. Dynamic modulation of pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons in lactating wild-type mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285589. [PMID: 37163565 PMCID: PMC10171594 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding, which is essential for the survival of mammalian infants, is critically mediated by pulsatile secretion of the pituitary hormone oxytocin from the central oxytocin neurons located in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei of mothers. Despite its importance, the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms of the milk ejection reflex remain poorly understood, in part because a mouse model to study lactation was only recently established. In our previous study, we successfully introduced fiber photometry-based chronic imaging of the pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons during lactation. However, the necessity of Cre recombinase-based double knock-in mice substantially compromised the use of various Cre-dependent neuroscience toolkits. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a simple Cre-free method for monitoring oxytocin neurons by an adeno-associated virus vector driving GCaMP6s under a 2.6 kb mouse oxytocin mini-promoter. Using this method, we monitored calcium ion transients of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus in wild-type C57BL/6N and ICR mothers without genetic crossing. By combining this method with video recordings of mothers and pups, we found that the pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons require physical mother-pup contact for the milk ejection reflex. Notably, the frequencies of photometric signals were dynamically modulated by mother-pup reunions after isolation and during natural weaning stages. Collectively, the present study illuminates the temporal dynamics of pulsatile activities of oxytocin neurons in wild-type mice and provides a tool to characterize maternal oxytocin functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasane Yaguchi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mitsue Hagihara
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Ayumu Konno
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hiroko Yukinaga
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
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50
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Zhai X, Zhou D, Han Y, Han MH, Zhang H. Noradrenergic modulation of stress resilience. Pharmacol Res 2023; 187:106598. [PMID: 36481260 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Resilience represents an active adaption process in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. Investigations of neurobiological mechanisms of resilience opens an innovative direction for preclinical research and drug development for various stress-related disorders. The locus coeruleus norepinephrine system has been implicated in mediating stress susceptibility versus resilience. It has attracted increasing attention over the past decades with the revolution of modern neuroscience technologies. In this review article, we first briefly go over resilience-related concepts and introduce rodent paradigms for segregation of susceptibility and resilience, then highlight recent literature that identifies the neuronal and molecular substrates of active resilience in the locus coeruleus, and discuss possible future directions for resilience investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Zhai
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Dongyu Zhou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Yi Han
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangdong 518055, China; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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