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Patton MH, Thomas KT, Bayazitov IT, Newman KD, Kurtz NB, Robinson CG, Ramirez CA, Trevisan AJ, Bikoff JB, Peters ST, Pruett-Miller SM, Jiang Y, Schild AB, Nityanandam A, Zakharenko SS. Synaptic plasticity in human thalamocortical assembloids. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114503. [PMID: 39018245 PMCID: PMC11407288 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114503] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticities, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), tune synaptic efficacy and are essential for learning and memory. Current studies of synaptic plasticity in humans are limited by a lack of adequate human models. Here, we modeled the thalamocortical system by fusing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived thalamic and cortical organoids. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing revealed that >80% of cells in thalamic organoids were glutamatergic neurons. When fused to form thalamocortical assembloids, thalamic and cortical organoids formed reciprocal long-range axonal projections and reciprocal synapses detectable by light and electron microscopy, respectively. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and two-photon imaging, we characterized glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Thalamocortical and corticothalamic synapses displayed short-term plasticity analogous to that in animal models. LTP and LTD were reliably induced at both synapses; however, their mechanisms differed from those previously described in rodents. Thus, thalamocortical assembloids provide a model system for exploring synaptic plasticity in human circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H Patton
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kristen T Thomas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ildar T Bayazitov
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kyle D Newman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Nathaniel B Kurtz
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Camenzind G Robinson
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Cody A Ramirez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Alexandra J Trevisan
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jay B Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Samuel T Peters
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Yanbo Jiang
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Andrew B Schild
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Anjana Nityanandam
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S Zakharenko
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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Petty GH, Bruno RM. Attentional modulation of secondary somatosensory and visual thalamus of mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586242. [PMID: 38585833 PMCID: PMC10996504 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Each sensory modality has its own primary and secondary thalamic nuclei. While the primary thalamic nuclei are well understood to relay sensory information from the periphery to the cortex, the role of secondary sensory nuclei is elusive. One hypothesis has been that secondary nuclei may support feature-based attention. If this is true, one would also expect the activity in different nuclei to reflect the degree to which modalities are or are not behaviorally relevant in a task. We trained head-fixed mice to attend to one sensory modality while ignoring a second modality, namely to attend to touch and ignore vision, or vice versa. Arrays were used to record simultaneously from secondary somatosensory thalamus (POm) and secondary visual thalamus (LP). In mice trained to respond to tactile stimuli and ignore visual stimuli, POm was robustly activated by touch and largely unresponsive to visual stimuli. A different pattern was observed when mice were trained to respond to visual stimuli and ignore touch, with POm now more robustly activated during visual trials. This POm activity was not explained by differences in movements (i.e., whisking, licking, pupil dilation) resulting from the two tasks. Post hoc histological reconstruction of array tracks through POm revealed that subregions varied in their degree of plasticity. LP exhibited similar phenomena. We conclude that behavioral training reshapes activity in secondary thalamic nuclei. Secondary nuclei may respond to behaviorally relevant, reward-predicting stimuli regardless of stimulus modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon H Petty
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 USA
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
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3
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Marrero K, Aruljothi K, Delgadillo C, Kabbara S, Swatch L, Zagha E. Goal-directed learning is multidimensional and accompanied by diverse and widespread changes in neocortical signaling. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae328. [PMID: 39110412 PMCID: PMC11304966 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
New tasks are often learned in stages with each stage reflecting a different learning challenge. Accordingly, each learning stage is likely mediated by distinct neuronal processes. And yet, most rodent studies of the neuronal correlates of goal-directed learning focus on individual outcome measures and individual brain regions. Here, we longitudinally studied mice from naïve to expert performance in a head-fixed, operant conditioning whisker discrimination task. In addition to tracking the primary behavioral outcome of stimulus discrimination, we tracked and compared an array of object-based and temporal-based behavioral measures. These behavioral analyses identify multiple, partially overlapping learning stages in this task, consistent with initial response implementation, early stimulus-response generalization, and late response inhibition. To begin to understand the neuronal foundations of these learning processes, we performed widefield Ca2+ imaging of dorsal neocortex throughout learning and correlated behavioral measures with neuronal activity. We found distinct and widespread correlations between neocortical activation patterns and various behavioral measures. For example, improvements in sensory discrimination correlated with target stimulus evoked activations of response-related cortices along with distractor stimulus evoked global cortical suppression. Our study reveals multidimensional learning for a simple goal-directed learning task and generates hypotheses for the neuronal modulations underlying these various learning processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista Marrero
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Krithiga Aruljothi
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Christian Delgadillo
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Sarah Kabbara
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Lovleen Swatch
- College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Edward Zagha
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Regele-Blasco E, Palmer LM. The plasticity of pyramidal neurons in the behaving brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230231. [PMID: 38853566 PMCID: PMC11407500 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0231] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurons are plastic. That is, they change their activity according to different behavioural conditions. This endows pyramidal neurons with an incredible computational power for the integration and processing of synaptic inputs. Plasticity can be investigated at different levels of investigation within a single neuron, from spines to dendrites, to synaptic input. Although most of our knowledge stems from the in vitro brain slice preparation, plasticity plays a vital role during behaviour by providing a flexible substrate for the execution of appropriate actions in our ever-changing environment. Owing to advances in recording techniques, the plasticity of neurons and the neural networks in which they are embedded is now beginning to be realized in the in vivo intact brain. This review focuses on the structural and functional synaptic plasticity of pyramidal neurons, with a specific focus on the latest developments from in vivo studies. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Long-term potentiation: 50 years on'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Regele-Blasco
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne , Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Lucy M Palmer
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne , Victoria 3052, Australia
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Zhu M, Kuhlman SJ, Barth AL. Transient enhancement of stimulus-evoked activity in neocortex during sensory learning. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053870. [PMID: 38955432 PMCID: PMC11261211 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053870.123] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic potentiation has been linked to learning in sensory cortex, but the connection between this potentiation and increased sensory-evoked neural activity is not clear. Here, we used longitudinal in vivo Ca2+ imaging in the barrel cortex of awake mice to test the hypothesis that increased excitatory synaptic strength during the learning of a whisker-dependent sensory-association task would be correlated with enhanced stimulus-evoked firing. To isolate stimulus-evoked responses from dynamic, task-related activity, imaging was performed outside of the training context. Although prior studies indicate that multiwhisker stimuli drive robust subthreshold activity, we observed sparse activation of L2/3 pyramidal (Pyr) neurons in both control and trained mice. Despite evidence for excitatory synaptic strengthening at thalamocortical and intracortical synapses in this brain area at the onset of learning-indeed, under our imaging conditions thalamocortical axons were robustly activated-we observed that L2/3 Pyr neurons in somatosensory (barrel) cortex displayed only modest increases in stimulus-evoked activity that were concentrated at the onset of training. Activity renormalized over longer training periods. In contrast, when stimuli and rewards were uncoupled in a pseudotraining paradigm, stimulus-evoked activity in L2/3 Pyr neurons was significantly suppressed. These findings indicate that sensory-association training but not sensory stimulation without coupled rewards may briefly enhance sensory-evoked activity, a phenomenon that might help link sensory input to behavioral outcomes at the onset of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Zhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Sandra J Kuhlman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Alison L Barth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
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Gonzales DL, Khan HF, Keri HVS, Yadav S, Steward C, Muller LE, Pluta SR, Jayant K. A Translaminar Spacetime Code Supports Touch-Evoked Traveling Waves. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.09.593381. [PMID: 38766232 PMCID: PMC11100787 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.09.593381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Linking sensory-evoked traveling waves to underlying circuit patterns is critical to understanding the neural basis of sensory perception. To form this link, we performed simultaneous electrophysiology and two-photon calcium imaging through transparent NeuroGrids and mapped touch-evoked cortical traveling waves and their underlying microcircuit dynamics. In awake mice, both passive and active whisker touch elicited traveling waves within and across barrels, with a fast early component followed by a variable late wave that lasted hundreds of milliseconds post-stimulus. Strikingly, late-wave dynamics were modulated by stimulus value and correlated with task performance. Mechanistically, the late wave component was i) modulated by motor feedback, ii) complemented by a sparse ensemble pattern across layer 2/3, which a balanced-state network model reconciled via inhibitory stabilization, and iii) aligned to regenerative Layer-5 apical dendritic Ca 2+ events. Our results reveal a translaminar spacetime pattern organized by cortical feedback in the sensory cortex that supports touch-evoked traveling waves. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT AND HIGHLIGHTS Whisker touch evokes both early- and late-traveling waves in the barrel cortex over 100's of millisecondsReward reinforcement modulates wave dynamics Late wave emergence coincides with network sparsity in L23 and time-locked L5 dendritic Ca 2+ spikes Experimental and computational results link motor feedback to distinct translaminar spacetime patterns.
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7
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Lakshminarasimhan KJ, Xie M, Cohen JD, Sauerbrei BA, Hantman AW, Litwin-Kumar A, Escola S. Specific connectivity optimizes learning in thalamocortical loops. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114059. [PMID: 38602873 PMCID: PMC11104520 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical loops have a central role in cognition and motor control, but precisely how they contribute to these processes is unclear. Recent studies showing evidence of plasticity in thalamocortical synapses indicate a role for the thalamus in shaping cortical dynamics through learning. Since signals undergo a compression from the cortex to the thalamus, we hypothesized that the computational role of the thalamus depends critically on the structure of corticothalamic connectivity. To test this, we identified the optimal corticothalamic structure that promotes biologically plausible learning in thalamocortical synapses. We found that corticothalamic projections specialized to communicate an efference copy of the cortical output benefit motor control, while communicating the modes of highest variance is optimal for working memory tasks. We analyzed neural recordings from mice performing grasping and delayed discrimination tasks and found corticothalamic communication consistent with these predictions. These results suggest that the thalamus orchestrates cortical dynamics in a functionally precise manner through structured connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marjorie Xie
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jeremy D Cohen
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27559, USA
| | - Britton A Sauerbrei
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Adam W Hantman
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27559, USA
| | - Ashok Litwin-Kumar
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Sean Escola
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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8
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Yonk AJ, Linares-García I, Pasternak L, Juliani SE, Gradwell MA, George AJ, Margolis DJ. Role of Posterior Medial Thalamus in the Modulation of Striatal Circuitry and Choice Behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.21.586152. [PMID: 38585753 PMCID: PMC10996534 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.21.586152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The posterior medial (POm) thalamus is heavily interconnected with sensory and motor circuitry and is likely involved in behavioral modulation and sensorimotor integration. POm provides axonal projections to the dorsal striatum, a hotspot of sensorimotor processing, yet the role of POm-striatal projections has remained undetermined. Using optogenetics with slice electrophysiology, we found that POm provides robust synaptic input to direct and indirect pathway striatal spiny projection neurons (D1- and D2-SPNs, respectively) and parvalbumin-expressing fast spiking interneurons (PVs). During the performance of a whisker-based tactile discrimination task, POm-striatal projections displayed learning-related activation correlating with anticipatory, but not reward-related, pupil dilation. Inhibition of POm-striatal axons across learning caused slower reaction times and an increase in the number of training sessions for expert performance. Our data indicate that POm-striatal inputs provide a behaviorally relevant arousal-related signal, which may prime striatal circuitry for efficient integration of subsequent choice-related inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Yonk
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Ivan Linares-García
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Logan Pasternak
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Sofia E. Juliani
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Mark A. Gradwell
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Arlene J. George
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - David J. Margolis
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
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Patton MH, Thomas KT, Bayazitov IT, Newman KD, Kurtz NB, Robinson CG, Ramirez CA, Trevisan AJ, Bikoff JB, Peters ST, Pruett-Miller SM, Jiang Y, Schild AB, Nityanandam A, Zakharenko SS. Synaptic plasticity in human thalamocortical assembloids. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.01.578421. [PMID: 38352415 PMCID: PMC10862901 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.01.578421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticities, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), tune synaptic efficacy and are essential for learning and memory. Current studies of synaptic plasticity in humans are limited by a lack of adequate human models. Here, we modeled the thalamocortical system by fusing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived thalamic and cortical organoids. Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing revealed that most cells in mature thalamic organoids were glutamatergic neurons. When fused to form thalamocortical assembloids, thalamic and cortical organoids formed reciprocal long-range axonal projections and reciprocal synapses detectable by light and electron microscopy, respectively. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and two-photon imaging, we characterized glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Thalamocortical and corticothalamic synapses displayed short-term plasticity analogous to that in animal models. LTP and LTD were reliably induced at both synapses; however, their mechanisms differed from those previously described in rodents. Thus, thalamocortical assembloids provide a model system for exploring synaptic plasticity in human circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H. Patton
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kristen T. Thomas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ildar T. Bayazitov
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kyle D. Newman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Nathaniel B. Kurtz
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Camenzind G. Robinson
- Cell and Tissue Imaging Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Cody A. Ramirez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Alexandra J. Trevisan
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jay B. Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Samuel T. Peters
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M. Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Yanbo Jiang
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Andrew B. Schild
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Anjana Nityanandam
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stanislav S. Zakharenko
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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Dai J, Sun QQ. Learning induced neuronal identity switch in the superficial layers of the primary somatosensory cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.30.555603. [PMID: 37693620 PMCID: PMC10491147 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.555603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
During learning, multi-dimensional inputs are integrated within the sensory cortices. However, the strategies by which the sensory cortex employs to achieve learning remains poorly understood. We studied the sensory cortical neuronal coding of trace eyeblink conditioning (TEC) in head-fixed, freely running mice, where whisker deflection was used as a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an air puff to the cornea delivered after an interval was used as unconditioned stimulus (US). After training, mice learned the task with a set of stereotypical behavioral changes, most prominent ones include prolonged closure of eyelids, and increased reverse running between CS and US onset. The local blockade of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) activities with muscimol abolished the behavior learning suggesting that S1 is required for the TEC. In naive animals, based on the response properties to the CS and US, identities of the small proportion (~20%) of responsive primary neurons (PNs) were divided into two subtypes: CR (i.e. CS-responsive) and UR neurons (i.e. US-responsive). After animals learned the task, identity of CR and UR neurons changed: while the CR neurons are less responsive to CS, UR neurons gain responsiveness to CS, a new phenomenon we defined as 'learning induced neuronal identity switch (LINIS)'. To explore the potential mechanisms underlying LINIS, we found that systemic and local (i.e. in S1) administration of the nicotinic receptor antagonist during TEC training blocked the LINIS, and concomitantly disrupted the behavior learning. Additionally, we monitored responses of two types of cortical interneurons (INs) and observed that the responses of the somatostatin-expressing (SST), but not parvalbumin-expressing (PV) INs are negatively correlated with the learning performance, suggesting that SST-INs contribute to the LINIS. Thus, we conclude that L2/3 PNs in S1 encode perceptual learning by LINIS like mechanisms, and cholinergic pathways and cortical SST interneurons are involved in the formation of LINIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaman Dai
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY82071, USA
- Wyoming Sensory Biology Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY82071, USA
| | - Qian-Quan Sun
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY82071, USA
- Wyoming Sensory Biology Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY82071, USA
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Atsumi Y, Oisi Y, Odagawa M, Matsubara C, Saito Y, Uwamori H, Kobayashi K, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Murayama M. Anatomical identification of a corticocortical top-down recipient inhibitory circuitry by enhancer-restricted transsynaptic tracing. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1245097. [PMID: 37720921 PMCID: PMC10502327 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1245097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of postsynaptic inhibitory circuitry targeted by mid/long-range projections (e.g., top-down projections) in cognitive functions, its anatomical properties, such as laminar profile and neuron type, are poorly understood owing to the lack of efficient tracing methods. To this end, we developed a method that combines conventional adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated transsynaptic tracing with a distal-less homeobox (Dlx) enhancer-restricted expression system to label postsynaptic inhibitory neurons. We called this method "Dlx enhancer-restricted Interneuron-SpECific transsynaptic Tracing" (DISECT). We applied DISECT to a top-down corticocortical circuit from the secondary motor cortex (M2) to the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in wild-type mice. First, we injected AAV1-Cre into the M2, which enabled Cre recombinase expression in M2-input recipient S1 neurons. Second, we injected AAV1-hDlx-flex-green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the S1 to transduce GFP into the postsynaptic inhibitory neurons in a Cre-dependent manner. We succeeded in exclusively labeling the recipient inhibitory neurons in the S1. Laminar profile analysis of the neurons labeled via DISECT indicated that the M2-input recipient inhibitory neurons were distributed in the superficial and deep layers of the S1. This laminar distribution was aligned with the laminar density of axons projecting from the M2. We further classified the labeled neuron types using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. This post hoc classification revealed that the dominant top-down M2-input recipient neuron types were somatostatin-expressing neurons in the superficial layers and parvalbumin-expressing neurons in the deep layers. These results demonstrate that DISECT enables the investigation of multiple anatomical properties of the postsynaptic inhibitory circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Atsumi
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Life Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Oisi
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Maya Odagawa
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Chie Matsubara
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Saito
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe-shi, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Uwamori
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kenta Kobayashi
- Section of Viral Vector Development, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki-shi, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masanori Murayama
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
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12
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Ramamurthy DL, Chen A, Zhou J, Park C, Huang PC, Bharghavan P, Krishna G, Liu J, Casale K, Feldman DE. VIP interneurons in sensory cortex encode sensory and action signals but not direct reward signals. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3398-3408.e7. [PMID: 37499665 PMCID: PMC10528032 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.086] [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: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons in sensory cortex modulate sensory responses based on global exploratory behavior and arousal state, but their function during non-exploratory, goal-directed behavior is not well understood. In particular, whether VIP cells are activated by sensory cues, reward-seeking actions, or directly by reinforcement is unclear. We trained mice on a Go/NoGo whisker touch detection task that included a delay period and other features designed to separate sensory-evoked, action-related, and reward-related neural activity. Mice had to lick in response to a whisker stimulus to receive a variable-sized reward. Using two-photon calcium imaging, we measured ΔF/F responses of L2/3 VIP neurons in whisker somatosensory cortex (S1) during behavior. In both expert and novice mice, VIP cells were strongly activated by whisker stimuli and goal-directed actions (licking), but not by reinforcement. VIP cells showed somatotopic whisker tuning that was spatially organized relative to anatomical columns in S1, unlike lick-related signals which were spatially widespread. In expert mice, lick-related VIP responses were suppressed, not enhanced, when a reward was delivered, and the amount of suppression increased with reward size. This reward-related suppression was not seen in novice mice, where reward delivery was not yoked to licking. These results indicate that besides arousal and global state variables, VIP cells are activated by local sensory features and goal-directed actions, but not directly by reinforcement. Instead, our results are consistent with a role for VIP cells in encoding the expectation of reward associated with motor actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa L Ramamurthy
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
| | - Andrew Chen
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Jiayu Zhou
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Chanbin Park
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Patrick C Huang
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Priyanka Bharghavan
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Gayathri Krishna
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Jinjian Liu
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Kayla Casale
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA
| | - Daniel E Feldman
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3200, USA.
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13
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Quantitative Fluorescence Analysis Reveals Dendrite-Specific Thalamocortical Plasticity in L5 Pyramidal Neurons during Learning. J Neurosci 2023; 43:584-600. [PMID: 36639912 PMCID: PMC9888508 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1372-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput anatomic data can stimulate and constrain new hypotheses about how neural circuits change in response to experience. Here, we use fluorescence-based reagents for presynaptic and postsynaptic labeling to monitor changes in thalamocortical synapses onto different compartments of layer 5 (L5) pyramidal (Pyr) neurons in somatosensory (barrel) cortex from mixed-sex mice during whisker-dependent learning (Audette et al., 2019). Using axonal fills and molecular-genetic tags for synapse identification in fixed tissue from Rbp4-Cre transgenic mice, we found that thalamocortical synapses from the higher-order posterior medial thalamic nucleus showed rapid morphologic changes in both presynaptic and postsynaptic structures at the earliest stages of sensory association training. Detected increases in thalamocortical synaptic size were compartment specific, occurring selectively in the proximal dendrites onto L5 Pyr and not at inputs onto their apical tufts in L1. Both axonal and dendritic changes were transient, normalizing back to baseline as animals became expert in the task. Anatomical measurements were corroborated by electrophysiological recordings at different stages of training. Thus, fluorescence-based analysis of input- and target-specific synapses can reveal compartment-specific changes in synapse properties during learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Synaptic changes underlie the cellular basis of learning, experience, and neurologic diseases. Neuroanatomical methods to assess synaptic plasticity can provide critical spatial information necessary for building models of neuronal computations during learning and experience but are technically and fiscally intensive. Here, we describe a confocal fluorescence microscopy-based analytical method to assess input, cell type, and dendritic location-specific synaptic plasticity in a sensory learning assay. Our method not only confirms prior electrophysiological measurements but allows us to predict functional strength of synapses in a pathway-specific manner. Our findings also indicate that changes in primary sensory cortices are transient, occurring during early learning. Fluorescence-based synapse identification can be an efficient and easily adopted approach to study synaptic changes in a variety of experimental paradigms.
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14
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Loeb GE. Remembrance of things perceived: Adding thalamocortical function to artificial neural networks. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1108271. [PMID: 36959924 PMCID: PMC10027940 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1108271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent research has illuminated the complexity and importance of the thalamocortical system but it has been difficult to identify what computational functions it performs. Meanwhile, deep-learning artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on bio-inspired models of purely cortical circuits have achieved surprising success solving sophisticated cognitive problems associated historically with human intelligence. Nevertheless, the limitations and shortcomings of artificial intelligence (AI) based on such ANNs are becoming increasingly clear. This review considers how the addition of thalamocortical connectivity and its putative functions related to cortical attention might address some of those shortcomings. Such bio-inspired models are now providing both testable theories of biological cognition and improved AI technology, much of which is happening outside the usual academic venues.
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15
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Probing top-down information in neocortical layer 1. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:20-31. [PMID: 36428192 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Accurate perception of the environment is a constructive process that requires integration of external bottom-up sensory signals with internally generated top-down information. Decades of work have elucidated how sensory neocortex processes physical stimulus features. By contrast, examining how top-down information is encoded and integrated with bottom-up signals has been challenging using traditional neuroscience methods. Recent technological advances in functional imaging of brain-wide afferents in behaving mice have enabled the direct measurement of top-down information. Here, we review the emerging literature on encoding of these internally generated signals by different projection systems enriched in neocortical layer 1 during defined brain functions, including memory, attention, and predictive coding. Moreover, we identify gaps in current knowledge and highlight future directions for this rapidly advancing field.
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16
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Jin Y, Mao Y, Chen D, Tai Y, Hu R, Yang CL, Zhou J, Chen L, Liu X, Gu E, Jia C, Zhang Z, Tao W. Thalamocortical circuits drive remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:158742. [PMID: 36519547 PMCID: PMC9754001 DOI: 10.1172/jci158742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (RIH) is a severe but common postoperative clinical problem with elusive underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we discovered that glutamatergic neurons in the thalamic ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPLGlu) exhibited significantly elevated burst firing accompanied by upregulation of Cav3.1 T-type calcium channel expression and function in RIH model mice. In addition, we identified a glutamatergic neuronal thalamocortical circuit in the VPL projecting to hindlimb primary somatosensory cortex glutamatergic neurons (S1HLGlu) that mediated RIH. In vivo calcium imaging and multi-tetrode recordings revealed heightened S1HLGlu neuronal activity during RIH. Moreover, preoperative suppression of Cav3.1-dependent burst firing in VPLGlu neurons or chemogenetic inhibition of VPLGlu neuronal terminals in the S1HL abolished the increased S1HLGlu neuronal excitability while alleviating RIH. Our findings suggest that remifentanil induces postoperative hyperalgesia by upregulating T-type calcium channel-dependent burst firing in VPLGlu neurons to activate S1HLGlu neurons, thus revealing an ion channel-mediated neural circuit basis for RIH that can guide analgesic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Jin
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology and,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Yu Mao
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology and,Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Danyang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Yingju Tai
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chen-Ling Yang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of head, neck, and breast Surgery, Western district of the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Lijian Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xuesheng Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Erwei Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chunhui Jia
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, USTC, Hefei, China
| | - Wenjuan Tao
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology and,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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17
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Qi J, Ye C, Naskar S, Inácio AR, Lee S. Posteromedial thalamic nucleus activity significantly contributes to perceptual discrimination. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001896. [PMID: 36441759 PMCID: PMC9731480 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher-order sensory thalamic nuclei are densely connected with multiple cortical and subcortical areas, yet the role of these nuclei remains elusive. The posteromedial thalamic nucleus (POm), the higher-order thalamic nucleus in the rodent somatosensory system, is an anatomical hub broadly connected with multiple sensory and motor brain areas yet weakly responds to passive sensory stimulation and whisker movements. To understand the role of POm in sensory perception, we developed a self-initiated, two-alternative forced-choice task in freely moving mice during active sensing. Using optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulation, we show that POm plays a significant role in sensory perception and the projection from the primary somatosensory cortex to POm is critical for the contribution of POm in sensory perception during active sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Qi
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Changquan Ye
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shovan Naskar
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ana R. Inácio
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Soohyun Lee
- Unit on Functional Neural Circuits, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Computational role of exploration noise in error-based de novo motor learning. Neural Netw 2022; 153:349-372. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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19
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La Terra D, Rosier M, Bjerre AS, Masuda R, Ryan TJ, Palmer LM. The role of higher order thalamus during learning and correct performance in goal-directed behavior. eLife 2022; 11:77177. [PMID: 35259091 PMCID: PMC8937217 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77177] [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: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The thalamus is a gateway to the cortex. Cortical encoding of complex behavior can therefore only be understood by considering the thalamic processing of sensory and internally generated information. Here, we use two-photon Ca2+ imaging and optogenetics to investigate the role of axonal projections from the posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (POm) to the forepaw area of the mouse primary somatosensory cortex (forepaw S1). By recording the activity of POm axonal projections within forepaw S1 during expert and chance performance in two tactile goal-directed tasks, we demonstrate that POm axons increase activity in the response and, to a lesser extent, reward epochs specifically during correct HIT performance. When performing at chance level during learning of a new behavior, POm axonal activity was decreased to naive rates and did not correlate with task performance. However, once evoked, the Ca2+ transients were larger than during expert performance, suggesting POm input to S1 differentially encodes chance and expert performance. Furthermore, the POm influences goal-directed behavior, as photoinactivation of archaerhodopsin-expressing neurons in the POm decreased the learning rate and overall success in the behavioral task. Taken together, these findings expand the known roles of the higher-thalamic nuclei, illustrating the POm encodes and influences correct action during learning and performance in a sensory-based goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo La Terra
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Marius Rosier
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ann-Sofie Bjerre
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rei Masuda
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Lucy Maree Palmer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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20
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Lee J, Urban-Ciecko J, Park E, Zhu M, Myal SE, Margolis DJ, Barth AL. FosGFP expression does not capture a sensory learning-related engram in superficial layers of mouse barrel cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2112212118. [PMID: 34930843 PMCID: PMC8719899 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112212118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Immediate-early gene (IEG) expression has been used to identify small neural ensembles linked to a particular experience, based on the principle that a selective subset of activated neurons will encode specific memories or behavioral responses. The majority of these studies have focused on "engrams" in higher-order brain areas where more abstract or convergent sensory information is represented, such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, or amygdala. In primary sensory cortex, IEG expression can label neurons that are responsive to specific sensory stimuli, but experience-dependent shaping of neural ensembles marked by IEG expression has not been demonstrated. Here, we use a fosGFP transgenic mouse to longitudinally monitor in vivo expression of the activity-dependent gene c-fos in superficial layers (L2/3) of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) during a whisker-dependent learning task. We find that sensory association training does not detectably alter fosGFP expression in L2/3 neurons. Although training broadly enhances thalamocortical synaptic strength in pyramidal neurons, we find that synapses onto fosGFP+ neurons are not selectively increased by training; rather, synaptic strengthening is concentrated in fosGFP- neurons. Taken together, these data indicate that expression of the IEG reporter fosGFP does not facilitate identification of a learning-specific engram in L2/3 in barrel cortex during whisker-dependent sensory association learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiseok Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Joanna Urban-Ciecko
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eunsol Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Mo Zhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Stephanie E Myal
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - David J Margolis
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Alison L Barth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213;
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21
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Whilden CM, Chevée M, An SY, Brown SP. The synaptic inputs and thalamic projections of two classes of layer 6 corticothalamic neurons in primary somatosensory cortex of the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3751-3771. [PMID: 33908623 PMCID: PMC8551307 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although corticothalamic neurons (CThNs) represent the largest source of synaptic input to thalamic neurons, their role in regulating thalamocortical interactions remains incompletely understood. CThNs in sensory cortex have historically been divided into two types, those with cell bodies in Layer 6 (L6) that project back to primary sensory thalamic nuclei and those with cell bodies in Layer 5 (L5) that project to higher-order thalamic nuclei and subcortical structures. Recently, diversity among L6 CThNs has increasingly been appreciated. In the rodent somatosensory cortex, two major classes of L6 CThNs have been identified: one projecting to the ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPM-only L6 CThNs) and one projecting to both VPM and the posterior medial nucleus (VPM/POm L6 CThNs). Using rabies-based tracing methods in mice, we asked whether these L6 CThN populations integrate similar synaptic inputs. We found that both types of L6 CThNs received local input from somatosensory cortex and thalamic input from VPM and POm. However, VPM/POm L6 CThNs received significantly more input from a number of additional cortical areas, higher order thalamic nuclei, and subcortical structures. We also found that the two types of L6 CThNs target different functional regions within the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Together, our results indicate that these two types of L6 CThNs represent distinct information streams in the somatosensory cortex and suggest that VPM-only L6 CThNs regulate, via their more restricted circuits, sensory responses related to a cortical column while VPM/POm L6 CThNs, which are integrated into more widespread POm-related circuits, relay contextual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Michelle Whilden
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Seong Yeol An
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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22
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Petty GH, Kinnischtzke AK, Hong YK, Bruno RM. Effects of arousal and movement on secondary somatosensory and visual thalamus. eLife 2021; 10:67611. [PMID: 34842139 PMCID: PMC8660016 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical sensory areas have associated primary and secondary thalamic nuclei. While primary nuclei transmit sensory information to cortex, secondary nuclei remain poorly understood. We recorded juxtasomally from secondary somatosensory (POm) and visual (LP) nuclei of awake mice while tracking whisking and pupil size. POm activity correlated with whisking, but not precise whisker kinematics. This coarse movement modulation persisted after facial paralysis and thus was not due to sensory reafference. This phenomenon also continued during optogenetic silencing of somatosensory and motor cortex and after lesion of superior colliculus, ruling out a motor efference copy mechanism. Whisking and pupil dilation were strongly correlated, possibly reflecting arousal. Indeed LP, which is not part of the whisker system, tracked whisking equally well, further indicating that POm activity does not encode whisker movement per se. The semblance of movement-related activity is likely instead a global effect of arousal on both nuclei. We conclude that secondary thalamus monitors behavioral state, rather than movement, and may exist to alter cortical activity accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon H Petty
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, New York, United States.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, United States
| | - Amanda K Kinnischtzke
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, New York, United States.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, United States
| | - Y Kate Hong
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, New York, United States.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, United States
| | - Randy M Bruno
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, New York, United States.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, United States
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23
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Learning-induced plasticity in the barrel cortex is disrupted by inhibition of layer 4 somatostatin-containing interneurons. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1869:119146. [PMID: 34599984 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Gaba-ergic neurons are a diverse cell class with extensive influence over cortical processing, but their role in experience-dependent plasticity is not completely understood. Here we addressed the role of cortical somatostatin- (SOM-INs) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide- (VIP-INs) containing interneurons in a Pavlovian conditioning where stimulation of the vibrissae is used as a conditioned stimulus and tail shock as unconditioned one. This procedure induces a plastic change observed as an enlargement of the cortical functional representation of vibrissae activated during conditioning. Using layer-targeted, cell-selective DREADD transductions, we examined the involvement of SOM-INs and VIP-INs activity in learning-related plastic changes. Under optical recordings, we injected DREADD-expressing vectors into layer IV (L4) barrels or layer II/III (L2/3) areas corresponding to the activated vibrissae. The activity of the interneurons was modulated during all conditioning sessions, and functional 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) maps were obtained 24 h after the last session. In mice with L4 but not L2/3 SOM-INs suppressed during conditioning, the plastic change of whisker representation was absent. The behavioral effect of conditioning was disturbed. Both L4 SOM-INs excitation and L2/3 VIP-INs inhibition during conditioning did not affect the plasticity or the conditioned response. We found the activity of L4 SOM-INs is indispensable in the formation of learning-induced plastic change. We propose that L4 SOM-INs may provide disinhibition by blocking L4 parvalbumin interneurons, allowing a flow of information into upper cortical layers during learning.
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24
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Mease RA, Gonzalez AJ. Corticothalamic Pathways From Layer 5: Emerging Roles in Computation and Pathology. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:730211. [PMID: 34566583 PMCID: PMC8458899 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.730211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Large portions of the thalamus receive strong driving input from cortical layer 5 (L5) neurons but the role of this important pathway in cortical and thalamic computations is not well understood. L5-recipient "higher-order" thalamic regions participate in cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuits that are increasingly recognized to be (1) anatomically and functionally distinct from better-studied "first-order" CTC networks, and (2) integral to cortical activity related to learning and perception. Additionally, studies are beginning to elucidate the clinical relevance of these networks, as dysfunction across these pathways have been implicated in several pathological states. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding L5 CTC networks across sensory modalities and brain regions, particularly studies leveraging cell-type-specific tools that allow precise experimental access to L5 CTC circuits. We aim to provide a focused and accessible summary of the anatomical, physiological, and computational properties of L5-originating CTC networks, and outline their underappreciated contribution in pathology. We particularly seek to connect single-neuron and synaptic properties to network (dys)function and emerging theories of cortical computation, and highlight information processing in L5 CTC networks as a promising focus for computational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Biophysics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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25
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Kim N, Bahn S, Choi JH, Kim JS, Rah JC. Synapses from the Motor Cortex and a High-Order Thalamic Nucleus are Spatially Clustered in Proximity to Each Other in the Distal Tuft Dendrites of Mouse Somatosensory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:737-754. [PMID: 34355731 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus (POm) and vibrissal primary motor cortex (vM1) convey essential information to the barrel cortex (S1BF) regarding whisker position and movement. Therefore, understanding the relative spatial relationship of these two inputs is a critical prerequisite for acquiring insights into how S1BF synthesizes information to interpret the location of an object. Using array tomography, we identified the locations of synapses from vM1 and POm on distal tuft dendrites of L5 pyramidal neurons where the two inputs are combined. Synapses from vM1 and POm did not show a significant branchlet preference and impinged on the same set of dendritic branchlets. Within dendritic branches, on the other hand, the two inputs formed robust spatial clusters of their own type. Furthermore, we also observed POm clusters in proximity to vM1 clusters. This work constitutes the first detailed description of the relative distribution of synapses from POm and vM1, which is crucial to elucidate the synaptic integration of whisker-based sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nari Kim
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41067, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangkyu Bahn
- Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41067, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Ho Choi
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41067, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseop S Kim
- Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41067, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Cheol Rah
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41067, Republic of Korea.,Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
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26
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Circuit mechanisms for cortical plasticity and learning. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 125:68-75. [PMID: 34332885 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex integrates sensory information with emotional states and internal representations to produce coherent percepts, form associations, and execute voluntary actions. For the cortex to optimize perception, its neuronal network needs to dynamically retrieve and encode new information. Over the last few decades, research has started to provide insight into how the cortex serves these functions. Building on classical Hebbian plasticity models, the latest hypotheses hold that throughout experience and learning, streams of feedforward, feedback, and modulatory information operate in selective and coordinated manners to alter the strength of synapses and ultimately change the response properties of cortical neurons. Here, we describe cortical plasticity mechanisms that involve the concerted action of feedforward and long-range feedback input onto pyramidal neurons as well as the implication of local disinhibitory circuit motifs in this process.
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27
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Phillips JM, Kambi NA, Redinbaugh MJ, Mohanta S, Saalmann YB. Disentangling the influences of multiple thalamic nuclei on prefrontal cortex and cognitive control. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:487-510. [PMID: 34216654 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has a complex relationship with the thalamus, involving many nuclei which occupy predominantly medial zones along its anterior-to-posterior extent. Thalamocortical neurons in most of these nuclei are modulated by the affective and cognitive signals which funnel through the basal ganglia. We review how PFC-connected thalamic nuclei likely contribute to all aspects of cognitive control: from the processing of information on internal states and goals, facilitating its interactions with mnemonic information and learned values of stimuli and actions, to their influence on high-level cognitive processes, attentional allocation and goal-directed behavior. This includes contributions to transformations such as rule-to-choice (parvocellular mediodorsal nucleus), value-to-choice (magnocellular mediodorsal nucleus), mnemonic-to-choice (anteromedial nucleus) and sensory-to-choice (medial pulvinar). Common mechanisms appear to be thalamic modulation of cortical gain and cortico-cortical functional connectivity. The anatomy also implies a unique role for medial PFC in modulating processing in thalamocortical circuits involving other orbital and lateral PFC regions. We further discuss how cortico-basal ganglia circuits may provide a mechanism through which PFC controls cortico-cortical functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Niranjan A Kambi
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Michelle J Redinbaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Sounak Mohanta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Yuri B Saalmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 Capitol Ct., Madison, WI 53715, United States.
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28
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Wiring of higher-order cortical areas: Spatiotemporal development of cortical hierarchy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:35-49. [PMID: 34034988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A hierarchical development of cortical areas was suggested over a century ago, but the diversity and complexity of cortical hierarchy properties have so far prevented a formal demonstration. The aim of this review is to clarify the similarities and differences in the developmental processes underlying cortical development of primary and higher-order areas. We start by recapitulating the historical and recent advances underlying the biological principle of cortical hierarchy in adults. We then revisit the arguments for a hierarchical maturation of cortical areas, and further integrate the principles of cortical areas specification during embryonic and postnatal development. We highlight how the dramatic expansion in cortical size might have contributed to the increased number of association areas sustaining cognitive complexification in evolution. Finally, we summarize the recent observations of an alteration of cortical hierarchy in neuropsychiatric disorders and discuss their potential developmental origins.
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29
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Distinct thalamocortical circuits underlie allodynia induced by tissue injury and by depression-like states. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:542-553. [PMID: 33686297 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00811-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In humans, tissue injury and depression can both cause pain hypersensitivity, but whether this involves distinct circuits remains unknown. Here, we identify two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the posterior thalamic nucleus (POGlu) to primary somatosensory cortex glutamatergic neurons (S1Glu) mediates allodynia from tissue injury, whereas a pathway from the parafascicular thalamic nucleus (PFGlu) to anterior cingulate cortex GABA-containing neurons to glutamatergic neurons (ACCGABA→Glu) mediates allodynia associated with a depression-like state. In vivo calcium imaging and multi-tetrode electrophysiological recordings reveal that POGlu and PFGlu populations undergo different adaptations in the two conditions. Artificial manipulation of each circuit affects allodynia resulting from either tissue injury or depression-like states, but not both. Our study demonstrates that the distinct thalamocortical circuits POGlu→S1Glu and PFGlu→ACCGABA→Glu subserve allodynia associated with tissue injury and depression-like states, respectively, thus providing insights into the circuit basis of pathological pain resulting from different etiologies.
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30
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Doron G, Shin JN, Takahashi N, Drüke M, Bocklisch C, Skenderi S, de Mont L, Toumazou M, Ledderose J, Brecht M, Naud R, Larkum ME. Perirhinal input to neocortical layer 1 controls learning. Science 2021; 370:370/6523/eaaz3136. [PMID: 33335033 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz3136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal output influences memory formation in the neocortex, but this process is poorly understood because the precise anatomical location and the underlying cellular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that perirhinal input, predominantly to sensory cortical layer 1 (L1), controls hippocampal-dependent associative learning in rodents. This process was marked by the emergence of distinct firing responses in defined subpopulations of layer 5 (L5) pyramidal neurons whose tuft dendrites receive perirhinal inputs in L1. Learning correlated with burst firing and the enhancement of dendritic excitability, and it was suppressed by disruption of dendritic activity. Furthermore, bursts, but not regular spike trains, were sufficient to retrieve learned behavior. We conclude that hippocampal information arriving at L5 tuft dendrites in neocortical L1 mediates memory formation in the neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Doron
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jiyun N Shin
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Naoya Takahashi
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz Drüke
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina Bocklisch
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Salina Skenderi
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa de Mont
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Toumazou
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Ledderose
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10115 Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard Naud
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.,Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Matthew E Larkum
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany. .,NeuroCure Cluster, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
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31
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Buchan MJ, Gothard G, von Klemperer A, van Rheede J. Diverse roles for the posteromedial thalamus in sensory-evoked cortical plasticity. J Neurophysiol 2020; 125:537-539. [PMID: 33356869 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00291.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The posteromedial thalamus (POm) has extensive recurrent connectivity with the whisker-related primary somatosensory cortex (wS1) of rodents. However, its functional contribution to somatosensory processing in wS1 remains unclear. This article reviews several recent findings, which begin to elucidate the role of POm in sensory-evoked plasticity and discusses their implications for somatosensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Buchan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Gothard
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Joram van Rheede
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Oxford, United Kingdom
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32
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Bernhard SM, Lee J, Zhu M, Hsu A, Erskine A, Hires SA, Barth AL. An automated homecage system for multiwhisker detection and discrimination learning in mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232916. [PMID: 33264281 PMCID: PMC7710058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Automated, homecage behavioral training for rodents has many advantages: it is low stress, requires little interaction with the experimenter, and can be easily manipulated to adapt to different experimental conditions. We have developed an inexpensive, Arduino-based, homecage training apparatus for sensory association training in freely-moving mice using multiwhisker air current stimulation coupled to a water reward. Animals learn this task readily, within 1–2 days of training, and performance progressively improves with training. We examined the parameters that regulate task acquisition using different stimulus intensities, directions, and reward valence. Learning was assessed by comparing anticipatory licking for the stimulus compared to the no-stimulus (blank) trials. At high stimulus intensities (>9 psi), animals showed markedly less participation in the task. Conversely, very weak air current intensities (1–2 psi) were not sufficient to generate rapid learning behavior. At intermediate stimulus intensities (5–6 psi), a majority of mice learned that the multiwhisker stimulus predicted the water reward after 24–48 hrs of training. Both exposure to isoflurane and lack of whiskers decreased animals’ ability to learn the task. Following training at an intermediate stimulus intensity, mice were able to transfer learning behavior when exposed to a lower stimulus intensity, an indicator of perceptual learning. Mice learned to discriminate between two directions of stimulation rapidly and accurately, even when the angular distance between the stimuli was <15 degrees. Switching the reward to a more desirable reward, aspartame, had little effect on learning trajectory. Our results show that a tactile association task in an automated homecage environment can be monitored by anticipatory licking to reveal rapid and progressive behavioral change. These Arduino-based, automated mouse cages enable high-throughput training that facilitate analysis of large numbers of genetically modified mice with targeted manipulations of neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Bernhard
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jiseok Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mo Zhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alex Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andrew Erskine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Samuel A. Hires
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Alison L. Barth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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33
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Pardi MB, Vogenstahl J, Dalmay T, Spanò T, Pu DL, Naumann LB, Kretschmer F, Sprekeler H, Letzkus JJ. A thalamocortical top-down circuit for associative memory. Science 2020; 370:844-848. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abc2399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Belén Pardi
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Tamas Dalmay
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Teresa Spanò
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - De-Lin Pu
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura B. Naumann
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Henning Sprekeler
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes J. Letzkus
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute for Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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34
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Genescu I, Garel S. Being superficial: a developmental viewpoint on cortical layer 1 wiring. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 66:125-134. [PMID: 33186879 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Functioning of the neocortex relies on a complex architecture of circuits, as illustrated by the causal link between neocortical excitation/inhibition imbalance and the etiology of several neurodevelopmental disorders. An important entry point to cortical circuits is located in the superficial layer 1 (L1), which contains mostly local and long-range inputs and sparse inhibitory interneurons that collectively regulate cerebral functions. While increasing evidence indicates that L1 has important physiological roles, our understanding of how it wires up during development remains limited. Here, we provide an integrated overview of L1 anatomy, function and development, with a focus on transient early born Cajal-Retzius neurons, and highlight open questions key for progressing our understanding of this essential yet understudied layer of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Genescu
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sonia Garel
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France; Collège de France, Paris, France.
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35
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Frandolig JE, Matney CJ, Lee K, Kim J, Chevée M, Kim SJ, Bickert AA, Brown SP. The Synaptic Organization of Layer 6 Circuits Reveals Inhibition as a Major Output of a Neocortical Sublamina. Cell Rep 2020; 28:3131-3143.e5. [PMID: 31533036 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical cortical microcircuit has principally been defined by interlaminar excitatory connections among the six layers of the neocortex. However, excitatory neurons in layer 6 (L6), a layer whose functional organization is poorly understood, form relatively rare synaptic connections with other cortical excitatory neurons. Here, we show that the vast majority of parvalbumin inhibitory neurons in a sublamina within L6 send axons through the cortical layers toward the pia. These interlaminar inhibitory neurons receive local synaptic inputs from both major types of L6 excitatory neurons and receive stronger input from thalamocortical afferents than do neighboring pyramidal neurons. The distribution of these interlaminar interneurons and their synaptic connectivity further support a functional subdivision within the standard six layers of the cortex. Positioned to integrate local and long-distance inputs in this sublayer, these interneurons generate an inhibitory interlaminar output. These findings call for a revision to the canonical cortical microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Ellen Frandolig
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chanel Joylae Matney
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kihwan Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Su-Jeong Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Aaron Andrew Bickert
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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36
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Martinez-Garcia RI, Voelcker B, Zaltsman JB, Patrick SL, Stevens TR, Connors BW, Cruikshank SJ. Two dynamically distinct circuits drive inhibition in the sensory thalamus. Nature 2020; 583:813-818. [PMID: 32699410 PMCID: PMC7394732 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2512-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Most sensory information destined for the neocortex is relayed through the thalamus, where considerable transformation occurs1,2. One means of transformation involves interactions between excitatory thalamocortical neurons that carry data to the cortex and inhibitory neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) that regulate the flow of those data3-6. Although the importance of the TRN has long been recognised7-9, understanding of its cell types, their organization and their functional properties has lagged behind that of the thalamocortical systems they control. Here we address this by investigating the somatosensory and visual circuits of the TRN in mice. In the somatosensory TRN we observed two groups of genetically defined neurons that are topographically segregated and physiologically distinct, and that connect reciprocally with independent thalamocortical nuclei through dynamically divergent synapses. Calbindin-expressing cells-located in the central core-connect with the ventral posterior nucleus, the primary somatosensory thalamocortical relay. By contrast, somatostatin-expressing cells-which reside along the surrounding edges of the TRN-synapse with the posterior medial thalamic nucleus, a higher-order structure that carries both top-down and bottom-up information10-12. The two TRN cell groups process their inputs in pathway-specific ways. Synapses from the ventral posterior nucleus to central TRN cells transmit rapid excitatory currents that depress deeply during repetitive activity, driving phasic spike output. Synapses from the posterior medial thalamic nucleus to edge TRN cells evoke slower, less depressing excitatory currents that drive more persistent spiking. Differences in the intrinsic physiology of TRN cell types, including state-dependent bursting, contribute to these output dynamics. The processing specializations of these two somatosensory TRN subcircuits therefore appear to be tuned to the signals they carry-a primary central subcircuit tuned to discrete sensory events, and a higher-order edge subcircuit tuned to temporally distributed signals integrated from multiple sources. The structure and function of visual TRN subcircuits closely resemble those of the somatosensory TRN. These results provide insights into how subnetworks of TRN neurons may differentially process distinct classes of thalamic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa I Martinez-Garcia
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Bettina Voelcker
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julia B Zaltsman
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Saundra L Patrick
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Tanya R Stevens
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Barry W Connors
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Robert J. & Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Scott J Cruikshank
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. .,The UAB Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. .,UAB Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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37
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Gilad A, Maor I, Mizrahi A. Learning-related population dynamics in the auditory thalamus. eLife 2020; 9:56307. [PMID: 32639231 PMCID: PMC7371423 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning to associate sensory stimuli with a chosen action involves a dynamic interplay between cortical and thalamic circuits. While the cortex has been widely studied in this respect, how the thalamus encodes learning-related information is still largely unknown. We studied learning-related activity in the medial geniculate body (MGB; Auditory thalamus), targeting mainly the dorsal and medial regions. Using fiber photometry, we continuously imaged population calcium dynamics as mice learned a go/no-go auditory discrimination task. The MGB was tuned to frequency and responded to cognitive features like the choice of the mouse within several hundred milliseconds. Encoding of choice in the MGB increased with learning, and was highly correlated with the learning curves of the mice. MGB also encoded motor parameters of the mouse during the task. These results provide evidence that the MGB encodes task- motor- and learning-related information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Gilad
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ido Maor
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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38
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Gilad A, Helmchen F. Spatiotemporal refinement of signal flow through association cortex during learning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1744. [PMID: 32269226 PMCID: PMC7142160 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15534-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Association areas in neocortex encode novel stimulus-outcome relationships, but the principles of their engagement during task learning remain elusive. Using chronic wide-field calcium imaging, we reveal two phases of spatiotemporal refinement of layer 2/3 cortical activity in mice learning whisker-based texture discrimination in the dark. Even before mice reach learning threshold, association cortex-including rostro-lateral (RL), posteromedial (PM), and retrosplenial dorsal (RD) areas-is generally suppressed early during trials (between auditory start cue and whisker-texture touch). As learning proceeds, a spatiotemporal activation sequence builds up, spreading from auditory areas to RL immediately before texture touch (whereas PM and RD remain suppressed) and continuing into barrel cortex, which eventually efficiently discriminates between textures. Additional correlation analysis substantiates this diverging learning-related refinement within association cortex. Our results indicate that a pre-learning phase of general suppression in association cortex precedes a learning-related phase of task-specific signal flow enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Gilad
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, 9112001, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Nigro MJ. Sense and Action across the Layers of the Rat Posterior Parietal Cortex. J Neurosci 2020; 40:1606-1607. [PMID: 32075948 PMCID: PMC7046335 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2289-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliano José Nigro
- Centre for Neural Computation, Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
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40
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Area-Specific Synapse Structure in Branched Posterior Nucleus Axons Reveals a New Level of Complexity in Thalamocortical Networks. J Neurosci 2020; 40:2663-2679. [PMID: 32054677 PMCID: PMC7096142 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2886-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalamocortical posterior nucleus (Po) axons innervating the vibrissal somatosensory (S1) and motor (MC) cortices are key links in the brain neuronal network that allows rodents to explore the environment whisking with their motile snout vibrissae. Thalamocortical posterior nucleus (Po) axons innervating the vibrissal somatosensory (S1) and motor (MC) cortices are key links in the brain neuronal network that allows rodents to explore the environment whisking with their motile snout vibrissae. Here, using fine-scale high-end 3D electron microscopy, we demonstrate in adult male C57BL/6 wild-type mice marked differences between MC versus S1 Po synapses in (1) bouton and active zone size, (2) neurotransmitter vesicle pool size, (3) distribution of mitochondria around synapses, and (4) proportion of synapses established on dendritic spines and dendritic shafts. These differences are as large, or even more pronounced, than those between Po and ventro-posterior thalamic nucleus synapses in S1. Moreover, using single-axon transfection labeling, we demonstrate that the above differences actually occur on the MC versus the S1 branches of individual Po cell axons that innervate both areas. Along with recently-discovered divergences in efficacy and plasticity, the synaptic structure differences reported here thus reveal a new subcellular level of complexity. This is a finding that upends current models of thalamocortical circuitry, and that might as well illuminate the functional logic of other branched projection axon systems. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Many long-distance brain connections depend on neurons whose branched axons target separate regions. Using 3D electron microscopy and single-cell transfection, we investigated the mouse Posterior thalamic nucleus (Po) cell axons that simultaneously innervate motor and sensory areas of the cerebral cortex involved in whisker movement control. We demonstrate significant differences in the size of the boutons made in each area by individual Po axons, as well as in functionally-relevant parameters in the composition of their synapses. In addition, we found similarly large differences between the synapses of Po versus ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus axons in the whisker sensory cortex. Area-specific synapse structure in individual axons implies a new, unsuspected level of complexity in long-distance brain connections.
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Sermet BS, Truschow P, Feyerabend M, Mayrhofer JM, Oram TB, Yizhar O, Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Pathway-, layer- and cell-type-specific thalamic input to mouse barrel cortex. eLife 2019; 8:e52665. [PMID: 31860443 PMCID: PMC6924959 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse primary somatosensory barrel cortex (wS1) processes whisker sensory information, receiving input from two distinct thalamic nuclei. The first-order ventral posterior medial (VPM) somatosensory thalamic nucleus most densely innervates layer 4 (L4) barrels, whereas the higher-order posterior thalamic nucleus (medial part, POm) most densely innervates L1 and L5A. We optogenetically stimulated VPM or POm axons, and recorded evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in different cell-types across cortical layers in wS1. We found that excitatory neurons and parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons received the largest EPSPs, dominated by VPM input to L4 and POm input to L5A. In contrast, somatostatin-expressing inhibitory neurons received very little input from either pathway in any layer. Vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing inhibitory neurons received an intermediate level of excitatory input with less apparent layer-specificity. Our data help understand how wS1 neocortical microcircuits might process and integrate sensory and higher-order inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Semihcan Sermet
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Pavel Truschow
- Institute for Neuroanatomy,University Medical CenterGeorg-August-University GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Michael Feyerabend
- Institute for Neuroanatomy,University Medical CenterGeorg-August-University GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Johannes M Mayrhofer
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Tess B Oram
- Department of NeurobiologyWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Department of NeurobiologyWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Jochen F Staiger
- Institute for Neuroanatomy,University Medical CenterGeorg-August-University GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Carl CH Petersen
- Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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42
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Inhibitory microcircuits for top-down plasticity of sensory representations. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5055. [PMID: 31699994 PMCID: PMC6838080 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12972-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rewards influence plasticity of early sensory representations, but the underlying changes in circuitry are unclear. Recent experimental findings suggest that inhibitory circuits regulate learning. In addition, inhibitory neurons are highly modulated by diverse long-range inputs, including reward signals. We, therefore, hypothesise that inhibitory plasticity plays a major role in adjusting stimulus representations. We investigate how top-down modulation by rewards interacts with local plasticity to induce long-lasting changes in circuitry. Using a computational model of layer 2/3 primary visual cortex, we demonstrate how interneuron circuits can store information about rewarded stimuli to instruct long-term changes in excitatory connectivity in the absence of further reward. In our model, stimulus-tuned somatostatin-positive interneurons develop strong connections to parvalbumin-positive interneurons during reward such that they selectively disinhibit the pyramidal layer henceforth. This triggers excitatory plasticity, leading to increased stimulus representation. We make specific testable predictions and show that this two-stage model allows for translation invariance of the learned representation. Rewards can improve stimulus processing in early sensory areas but the underlying neural circuit mechanisms are unknown. Here, the authors build a computational model of layer 2/3 primary visual cortex and suggest that plastic inhibitory circuits change first and then increase excitatory representations beyond the presence of rewards.
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43
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Barth AL, Ray A. Progressive Circuit Changes during Learning and Disease. Neuron 2019; 104:37-46. [PMID: 31600514 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A critical step toward understanding cognition, learning, and brain dysfunction will be identification of the underlying cellular computations that occur in and across discrete brain areas, as well as how they are progressively altered by experience or disease. These computations will be revealed by targeted analyses of the neurons that perform these calculations, defined not only by their firing properties but also by their molecular identity and how they are wired within the local and broad-scale network of the brain. New studies that take advantage of sophisticated genetic tools for cell-type-specific identification and control are revealing how learning and neurological disorders initiate and successively change the properties of defined neural circuits. Understanding the temporal sequence of adaptive or pathological synaptic changes across multiple synapses within a network will shed light into how small-scale neural circuits contribute to higher cognitive functions during learning and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Barth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Ajit Ray
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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LeMessurier AM, Laboy-Juárez KJ, McClain K, Chen S, Nguyen T, Feldman DE. Enrichment drives emergence of functional columns and improves sensory coding in the whisker map in L2/3 of mouse S1. eLife 2019; 8:46321. [PMID: 31418693 PMCID: PMC6697414 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory maps in layer (L) 2/3 of rodent cortex lack precise functional column boundaries, and instead exhibit locally heterogeneous (salt-and-pepper) tuning superimposed on smooth global topography. Could this organization be a byproduct of impoverished experience in laboratory housing? We compared whisker map somatotopy in L2/3 and L4 excitatory cells of somatosensory (S1) cortex in normally housed vs. tactile-enriched mice, using GCaMP6s imaging. Normally housed mice had a dispersed, salt-and-pepper whisker map in L2/3, but L4 was more topographically precise. Enrichment (P21 to P46-71) sharpened whisker tuning and decreased, but did not abolish, local tuning heterogeneity. In L2/3, enrichment strengthened and sharpened whisker point representations, and created functional boundaries of tuning similarity and noise correlations at column edges. Thus, enrichment drives emergence of functional columnar topography in S1, and reduces local tuning heterogeneity. These changes predict better touch detection by neural populations within each column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M LeMessurier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Keven J Laboy-Juárez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Kathryn McClain
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Shilin Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Theresa Nguyen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Daniel E Feldman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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Abstract
A recent study (Audette et al., 2019) demonstrates that thalamic input from the posterior medial (POm) nucleus to somatosensory cortex plays an unexpected role in plasticity resulting from associative sensory learning. POm-mediated plasticity may be critical for coordinating learning-related sensorimotor circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Yonk
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David J Margolis
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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