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Ma J, O'Malley JJ, Kreiker M, Leng Y, Khan I, Kindel M, Penzo MA. Convergent direct and indirect cortical streams shape avoidance decisions in mice via the midline thalamus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6598. [PMID: 39097600 PMCID: PMC11297946 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50941-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Current concepts of corticothalamic organization in the mammalian brain are mainly based on sensory systems, with less focus on circuits for higher-order cognitive functions. In sensory systems, first-order thalamic relays are driven by subcortical inputs and modulated by cortical feedback, while higher-order relays receive strong excitatory cortical inputs. The applicability of these principles beyond sensory systems is uncertain. We investigated mouse prefronto-thalamic projections to the midline thalamus, revealing distinct top-down control. Unlike sensory systems, this pathway relies on indirect modulation via the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). Specifically, the prelimbic area, which influences emotional and motivated behaviors, impacts instrumental avoidance responses through direct and indirect projections to the paraventricular thalamus. Both pathways promote defensive states, but the indirect pathway via the TRN is essential for organizing avoidance decisions through disinhibition. Our findings highlight intra-thalamic circuit dynamics that integrate cortical cognitive signals and their role in shaping complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - John J O'Malley
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Malaz Kreiker
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yan Leng
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isbah Khan
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Morgan Kindel
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Section on the Neural Circuits of Emotion and Motivation, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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2
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Catalbas K, Pattnaik T, Congdon S, Nelson C, Villano LC, Sweeney P. Hypothalamic AgRP neurons regulate the hyperphagia of lactation. Mol Metab 2024; 86:101975. [PMID: 38925247 PMCID: PMC11268337 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The lactational period is associated with profound hyperphagia to accommodate the energy demands of nursing. These changes are important for the long-term metabolic health of the mother and children as altered feeding during lactation increases the risk of mothers and offspring developing metabolic disorders later in life. However, the specific behavioral mechanisms and neural circuitry mediating the hyperphagia of lactation are incompletely understood. METHODS Here, we utilized home cage feeding devices to characterize the dynamics of feeding behavior in lactating mice. A combination of pharmacological and behavioral assays were utilized to determine how lactation alters meal structure, circadian aspects of feeding, hedonic feeding, and sensitivity to hunger and satiety signals in lactating mice. Finally, we utilized chemogenetic, immunohistochemical, and in vivo imaging approaches to characterize the role of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in lactational-hyperphagia. RESULTS The lactational period is associated with increased meal size, altered circadian patterns of feeding, reduced sensitivity to gut-brain satiety signals, and enhanced sensitivity to negative energy balance. Hypothalamic AgRP neurons display increased sensitivity to negative energy balance and altered in vivo activity during the lactational state. Further, using in vivo imaging approaches we demonstrate that AgRP neurons are directly activated by lactation. Chemogenetic inhibition of AgRP neurons acutely reduces feeding in lactating mice, demonstrating an important role for these neurons in lactational-hyperphagia. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results show that lactation collectively alters multiple components of feeding behavior and position AgRP neurons as an important cellular substrate mediating the hyperphagia of lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerem Catalbas
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, USA; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Neuroscience Program, USA
| | - Tanya Pattnaik
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, USA
| | - Samuel Congdon
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, USA
| | - Christina Nelson
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, USA
| | - Lara C Villano
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, USA
| | - Patrick Sweeney
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, USA; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Neuroscience Program, USA.
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Shanazz K, Xie K, Oliver T, Bogan J, Vale F, Sword J, Kirov SA, Terry A, O'Herron P, Blake DT. Cortical Acetylcholine Response to Deep Brain Stimulation of the Basal Forebrain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.30.605828. [PMID: 39131297 PMCID: PMC11312592 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.30.605828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS), the direct electrical stimulation of neuronal tissue in the basal forebrain to enhance release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, is under consideration as a method to improve executive function in patients with dementia. While some small studies indicate a positive response in the clinical setting, the relationship between DBS and acetylcholine pharmacokinetics is incompletely understood. Objective We examined the cortical acetylcholine response to different stimulation parameters of the basal forebrain. Methods 2-photon imaging was combined with deep brain stimulation. Stimulating electrodes were implanted in the subpallidal basal forebrain, and the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex was imaged. Acetylcholine activity was determined using the GRABACh-3.0 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor sensor, and blood vessels were imaged with Texas red. Results Experiments manipulating pulse train frequency demonstrated that integrated acetylcholine induced fluorescence was insensitive to frequency, and that peak levels were achieved with frequencies from 60 to 130 Hz. Altering pulse train length indicated that longer stimulation resulted in higher peaks and more activation with sublinear summation. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil increased the peak response to 10s of stimulation at 60Hz, and the integrated response increased 57% with the 2 mg/kg dose, and 126% with the 4 mg/kg dose. Acetylcholine levels returned to baseline with a time constant of 14 to 18 seconds in all experiments. Conclusions These data demonstrate that acetylcholine receptor activation is insensitive to frequency between 60 and 130 Hz. High peak responses are achieved with up to 900 pulses. Donepezil increases total acetylcholine receptor activation associated with DBS but did not change temporal kinetics. The long time constants observed in the cerebral cortex add to the evidence supporting volume in addition to synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijah Shanazz
- Dept of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Kun Xie
- Dept of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Tucker Oliver
- Dept of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Jamal Bogan
- Dept of Science and Mathematics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Fernando Vale
- Dept of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Jeremy Sword
- Dept of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Sergei A Kirov
- Dept of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
- Dept of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Alvin Terry
- Dept of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Philip O'Herron
- Dept of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - David T Blake
- Dept of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
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4
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McKenzie S, Sommer AL, Pimentel I, Kakani M, Choi IJ, Newman EL, English DF. Event boundaries drive norepinephrine release and distinctive neural representations of space in the rodent hippocampus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.30.605900. [PMID: 39131365 PMCID: PMC11312532 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.30.605900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memories are temporally segmented around event boundaries that tend to coincide with moments of environmental change. During these times, the state of the brain should change rapidly, or reset, to ensure that the information encountered before and after an event boundary is encoded in different neuronal populations. Norepinephrine (NE) is thought to facilitate this network reorganization. However, it is unknown whether event boundaries drive NE release in the hippocampus and, if so, how NE release relates to changes in hippocampal firing patterns. The advent of the new GRABNE sensor now allows for the measurement of NE binding with sub-second resolution. Using this tool in mice, we tested whether NE is released into the dorsal hippocampus during event boundaries defined by unexpected transitions between spatial contexts and presentations of novel objections. We found that NE binding dynamics were well explained by the time elapsed after each of these environmental changes, and were not related to conditioned behaviors, exploratory bouts of movement, or reward. Familiarity with a spatial context accelerated the rate in which phasic NE binding decayed to baseline. Knowing when NE is elevated, we tested how hippocampal coding of space differs during these moments. Immediately after context transitions we observed relatively unique patterns of neural spiking which settled into a modal state at a similar rate in which NE returned to baseline. These results are consistent with a model wherein NE release drives hippocampal representations away from a steady-state attractor. We hypothesize that the distinctive neural codes observed after each event boundary may facilitate long-term memory and contribute to the neural basis for the primacy effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam McKenzie
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM 87106
| | - Alexandra L. Sommer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM 87106
| | - Infania Pimentel
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM 87106
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering, Medford MA 02155
| | - Meenakshi Kakani
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM 87106
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
| | - Irene Jungyeon Choi
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405
| | - Ehren L. Newman
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405
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Engel L, Wolff AR, Blake M, Collins VL, Sinha S, Saunders BT. Dopamine neurons drive spatiotemporally heterogeneous striatal dopamine signals during learning. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3086-3101.e4. [PMID: 38925117 PMCID: PMC11279555 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.069] [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: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Environmental cues, through Pavlovian learning, become conditioned stimuli that invigorate and guide animals toward rewards. Dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SNc) are crucial for this process, via engagement of a reciprocally connected network with their striatal targets. Critically, it remains unknown how dopamine neuron activity itself engages dopamine signals throughout the striatum, across learning. Here, we investigated how optogenetic Pavlovian cue conditioning of VTA or SNc dopamine neurons directs cue-evoked behavior and shapes subregion-specific striatal dopamine dynamics. We used a fluorescent biosensor to monitor dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and shell, dorsomedial striatum (DMS), and dorsolateral striatum (DLS). We demonstrate spatially heterogeneous, learning-dependent dopamine changes across striatal regions. Although VTA stimulation-evoked robust dopamine release in NAc core, shell, and DMS, predictive cues preferentially recruited dopamine release in NAc core, starting early in training, and DMS, late in training. Negative prediction error signals, reflecting a violation in the expectation of dopamine neuron activation, only emerged in the NAc core and DMS. Despite the development of vigorous movement late in training, conditioned dopamine signals did not emerge in the DLS, even during Pavlovian conditioning with SNc dopamine neuron activation, which elicited robust DLS dopamine release. Together, our studies show a broad dissociation in the fundamental prediction and reward-related information generated by VTA and SNc dopamine neuron populations and signaled by dopamine across the striatum. Further, they offer new insight into how larger-scale adaptations across the striatal network emerge during learning to coordinate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv Engel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Amy R Wolff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Madelyn Blake
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Val L Collins
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sonal Sinha
- Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Benjamin T Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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6
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Demaestri C, Pisciotta M, Altunkeser N, Berry G, Hyland H, Breton J, Darling A, Williams B, Bath KG. Central amygdala CRF+ neurons promote heightened threat reactivity following early life adversity in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5522. [PMID: 38951506 PMCID: PMC11217353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49828-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Failure to appropriately predict and titrate reactivity to threat is a core feature of fear and anxiety-related disorders and is common following early life adversity (ELA). A population of neurons in the lateral central amygdala (CeAL) expressing corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) have been proposed to be key in processing threat of different intensities to mediate active fear expression. Here, we use in vivo fiber photometry to show that ELA results in sex-specific changes in the activity of CeAL CRF+ neurons, yielding divergent mechanisms underlying the augmented startle in ELA mice, a translationally relevant behavior indicative of heightened threat reactivity and hypervigilance. Further, chemogenic inhibition of CeAL CRF+ neurons selectively diminishes startle and produces a long-lasting suppression of threat reactivity. These findings identify a mechanism for sex-differences in susceptibility for anxiety following ELA and have broad implications for understanding the neural circuitry that encodes and gates the behavioral expression of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Margaux Pisciotta
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naira Altunkeser
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Georgia Berry
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Hyland
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jocelyn Breton
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Darling
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brenna Williams
- Doctoral Program in Cellular and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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7
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Chen Y, Chien J, Dai B, Lin D, Chen ZS. Identifying behavioral links to neural dynamics of multifiber photometry recordings in a mouse social behavior network. J Neural Eng 2024; 21:10.1088/1741-2552/ad5702. [PMID: 38861996 PMCID: PMC11246699 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ad5702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Distributed hypothalamic-midbrain neural circuits help orchestrate complex behavioral responses during social interactions. Given rapid advances in optical imaging, it is a fundamental question how population-averaged neural activity measured by multi-fiber photometry (MFP) for calcium fluorescence signals correlates with social behaviors is a fundamental question. This paper aims to investigate the correspondence between MFP data and social behaviors.Approach:We propose a state-space analysis framework to characterize mouse MFP data based on dynamic latent variable models, which include a continuous-state linear dynamical system and a discrete-state hidden semi-Markov model. We validate these models on extensive MFP recordings during aggressive and mating behaviors in male-male and male-female interactions, respectively.Main results:Our results show that these models are capable of capturing both temporal behavioral structure and associated neural states, and produce interpretable latent states. Our approach is also validated in computer simulations in the presence of known ground truth.Significance:Overall, these analysis approaches provide a state-space framework to examine neural dynamics underlying social behaviors and reveals mechanistic insights into the relevant networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program in Artificial Intelligence, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Equal contributions (Y.C. and J.C.)
| | - Jonathan Chien
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Equal contributions (Y.C. and J.C.)
| | - Bing Dai
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayu Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhe Sage Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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8
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Zhou S, Duan S, Yang H. Protocol for fiber photometry recording from deep brain regions in head-fixed mice. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:103131. [PMID: 38875116 PMCID: PMC11225901 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
To exclude the influence of motion on in vivo calcium imaging, animals usually need to be fixed. However, the whole-body restraint can cause stress in animals, affecting experimental results. In addition, some brain regions are prone to bleeding during surgery, which lowers the success rate of calcium imaging. Here, we present a protocol for calcium imaging using heparin-treated fiber in head-fixed mice. We describe steps for stereotaxic surgery, including virus injection and optic fiber implantation, fiber photometry, and data analysis. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Du et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyao Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Affiliated Mental Health Center of Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Affiliated Mental Health Center of Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Hongbin Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Affiliated Mental Health Center of Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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9
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Bonnefont X. Cell Signaling in the Circadian Pacemaker: New Insights from in vivo Imaging. Neuroendocrinology 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38754404 DOI: 10.1159/000539344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND "One for all, and all for one," the famous rallying cry of the Three Musketeers, in Alexandre Dumas's popular novel, certainly applies to the 20,000 cells composing the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). These cells work together to form the central clock that coordinates body rhythms in tune with the day-night cycle. Like virtually every body cell, individual SCN cells exhibit autonomous circadian oscillations, but this rhythmicity only reaches a high level of precision and robustness when the cells are coupled with their neighbors. Therefore, understanding the functional network organization of SCN cells beyond their core rhythmicity is an important issue in circadian biology. SUMMARY The present review summarizes the main results from our recent study demonstrating the feasibility of recording SCN cells in freely moving mice and the significance of variations in intracellular calcium over several timescales. KEY MESSAGE We discuss how in vivo imaging at the cell level will be pivotal to interrogate the mammalian master clock, in an integrated context that preserves the SCN network organization, with intact inputs and outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Bonnefont
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
- BioCampus Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
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10
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Piantadosi SC, Lee MK, Wu M, Huynh H, Avila R, Pizzano C, Zamorano CA, Wu Y, Xavier R, Stanslaski M, Kang J, Thai S, Kim Y, Zhang J, Huang Y, Kozorovitskiy Y, Good CH, Banks AR, Rogers JA, Bruchas MR. An integrated microfluidic and fluorescence platform for probing in vivo neuropharmacology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.14.594203. [PMID: 38798493 PMCID: PMC11118345 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.14.594203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Neurotechnologies and genetic tools for dissecting neural circuit functions have advanced rapidly over the past decade, although the development of complementary pharmacological method-ologies has comparatively lagged. Understanding the precise pharmacological mechanisms of neuroactive compounds is critical for advancing basic neurobiology and neuropharmacology, as well as for developing more effective treatments for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, integrating modern tools for assessing neural activity in large-scale neural networks with spatially localized drug delivery remains a major challenge. Here, we present a dual microfluidic-photometry platform that enables simultaneous intracranial drug delivery with neural dynamics monitoring in the rodent brain. The integrated platform combines a wireless, battery-free, miniaturized fluidic microsystem with optical probes, allowing for spatially and temporally specific drug delivery while recording activity-dependent fluorescence using genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs), neurotransmitter sensors GRAB NE and GRAB DA , and neuropeptide sensors. We demonstrate the performance this platform for investigating neuropharmacological mechanisms in vivo and characterize its efficacy in probing precise mechanistic actions of neuroactive compounds across several rapidly evolving neuroscience domains.
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11
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Costa KM, Zhang Z, Zhuo Y, Li G, Li Y, Schoenbaum G. Dopamine and acetylcholine correlations in the nucleus accumbens depend on behavioral task states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.03.592439. [PMID: 38746204 PMCID: PMC11092761 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine in the nucleus accumbens ramps up as animals approach desired goals. These ramps have received intense scrutiny because they seem to violate long-held hypotheses on dopamine function. Furthermore, it has been proposed that they are driven by local acetylcholine release, i.e., that they are mechanistically separate from dopamine signals related to reward prediction errors. Here, we tested this hypothesis by simultaneously recording accumbal dopamine and acetylcholine signals in rats executing a task involving motivated approach. Contrary to recent reports, we found that dopamine ramps were not coincidental with changes in acetylcholine. Instead, we found that acetylcholine could be positively, negatively, or uncorrelated with dopamine depending on whether the task phase was determined by a salient cue, reward prediction error, or active approach, respectively. Our results suggest that accumbal dopamine and acetylcholine are largely independent but may combine to engage different postsynaptic mechanisms depending on the behavioral task states.
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12
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Engel L, Wolff AR, Blake M, Collins VL, Sinha S, Saunders BT. Dopamine neurons drive spatiotemporally heterogeneous striatal dopamine signals during learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.01.547331. [PMID: 38585717 PMCID: PMC10996462 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.01.547331] [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
Environmental cues, through Pavlovian learning, become conditioned stimuli that invigorate and guide animals toward acquisition of rewards. Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SNC) are crucial for this process. Dopamine neurons are embedded in a reciprocally connected network with their striatal targets, the functional organization of which remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated how learning during optogenetic Pavlovian cue conditioning of VTA or SNC dopamine neurons directs cue-evoked behavior and shapes subregion-specific striatal dopamine dynamics. We used a fluorescent dopamine biosensor to monitor dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and shell, dorsomedial striatum (DMS), and dorsolateral striatum (DLS). We demonstrate spatially heterogeneous, learning-dependent dopamine changes across striatal regions. While VTA stimulation evoked robust dopamine release in NAc core, shell, and DMS, cues predictive of this activation preferentially recruited dopamine release in NAc core, starting early in training, and DMS, late in training. Corresponding negative prediction error signals, reflecting a violation in the expectation of dopamine neuron activation, only emerged in the NAc core and DMS, and not the shell. Despite development of vigorous movement late in training, conditioned dopamine signals did not similarly emerge in the DLS, even during Pavlovian conditioning with SNC dopamine neuron activation, which elicited robust DLS dopamine release. Together, our studies show broad dissociation in the fundamental prediction and reward-related information generated by different dopamine neuron populations and signaled by dopamine across the striatum. Further, they offer new insight into how larger-scale plasticity across the striatal network emerges during Pavlovian learning to coordinate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv Engel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota
- Current Address: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
| | - Amy R Wolff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota
| | - Madelyn Blake
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota
| | - Val L Collins
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota
| | | | - Benjamin T Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota
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Rohner VL, Lamothe-Molina PJ, Patriarchi T. Engineering, applications, and future perspectives of GPCR-based genetically encoded fluorescent indicators for neuromodulators. J Neurochem 2024; 168:163-184. [PMID: 38288673 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
This review explores the evolving landscape of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-based genetically encoded fluorescent indicators (GEFIs), with a focus on their development, structural components, engineering strategies, and applications. We highlight the unique features of this indicator class, emphasizing the importance of both the sensing domain (GPCR structure and activation mechanism) and the reporting domain (circularly permuted fluorescent protein (cpFP) structure and fluorescence modulation). Further, we discuss indicator engineering approaches, including the selection of suitable cpFPs and expression systems. Additionally, we showcase the diversity and flexibility of their application by presenting a summary of studies where such indicators were used. Along with all the advantages, we also focus on the current limitations as well as common misconceptions that arise when using these indicators. Finally, we discuss future directions in indicator engineering, including strategies for screening with increased throughput, optimization of the ligand-binding properties, structural insights, and spectral diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Lu Rohner
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Tommaso Patriarchi
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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