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Abstract
The cerebellum has a well-established role in controlling motor functions, including coordination, posture, and the learning of skilled movements. The mechanisms for how it carries out motor behavior remain under intense investigation. Interestingly though, in recent years the mechanisms of cerebellar function have faced additional scrutiny since nonmotor behaviors may also be controlled by the cerebellum. With such complexity arising, there is now a pressing need to better understand how cerebellar structure, function, and behavior intersect to influence behaviors that are dynamically called upon as an animal experiences its environment. Here, we discuss recent experimental work that frames possible neural mechanisms for how the cerebellum shapes disparate behaviors and why its dysfunction is catastrophic in hereditary and acquired conditions-both motor and nonmotor. For these reasons, the cerebellum might be the ideal therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda H Kim
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
| | - Detlef H Heck
- Center for Cerebellar Network Structure and Function in Health and Disease, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Program in Developmental Biology, and Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA;
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2
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Cerebellar deep brain stimulation for movement disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 175:105899. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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3
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Wagle Shukla A. Reduction of neuronal hyperexcitability with modulation of T-type calcium channel or SK channel in essential tremor. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 163:335-355. [PMID: 35750369 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Essential tremor is one of the most prevalent movement disorders. Propranolol and primidone are the first-line pharmacological therapies. They provide symptomatic control in less than 50% of patients. Topiramate, alprazolam, clonazepam, gabapentin, and botulinum toxin injections are the next line of treatments. These medications lead to modest improvements and are therefore commonly used as add-on agents. Surgical therapies, including deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery and focused ultrasound beam targeted to the thalamus, are considered for treating tremor refractory to medications and lead to greater than 75% improvements in tremor symptoms. However, DBS is a costly and an invasive procedure; some patients report tolerance to benefits. Focused ultrasound therapy leading to brain lesions is associated with a possibility for permanent clinical deficits. Therefore, research efforts to develop the next generation of oral medications with greater benefits and lesser adverse effects are warranted. There is considerable evidence that the increased functions of calcium channels (P/Q-type and T-type channels) and reduced functions of calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) located in the neuronal membranes lead to tremor oscillations. Consequently, many new pharmacological studies have targeted these channels to leverage better clinical outcomes. The current review will discuss the pathophysiology, the specific importance of these channels, and the early clinical experience of using compounds targeting these channels to treat essential tremor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Wagle Shukla
- Department of Neurology, Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
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4
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Zhu M, Yan Y, Cao X, Zeng F, Xu G, Shen W, Li F, Luo L, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Zhang D, Liu T. Electrophysiological and Morphological Features of Rebound Depolarization Characterized Interneurons in Rat Superficial Spinal Dorsal Horn. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:736879. [PMID: 34621158 PMCID: PMC8490703 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.736879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons, which are located in the spinal dorsal horn (lamina II), have been identified as the “central gate” for the transmission and modulation of nociceptive information. Rebound depolarization (RD), a biophysical property mediated by membrane hyperpolarization that is frequently recorded in the central nervous system, contributes to shaping neuronal intrinsic excitability and, in turn, contributes to neuronal output and network function. However, the electrophysiological and morphological properties of SG neurons exhibiting RD remain unclarified. In this study, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed on SG neurons from parasagittal spinal cord slices. RD was detected in 44.44% (84 out of 189) of the SG neurons recorded. We found that RD-expressing neurons had more depolarized resting membrane potentials, more hyperpolarized action potential (AP) thresholds, higher AP amplitudes, shorter AP durations, and higher spike frequencies in response to depolarizing current injection than neurons without RD. Based on their firing patterns and morphological characteristics, we propose that most of the SG neurons with RD mainly displayed tonic firing (69.05%) and corresponded to islet cell morphology (58.82%). Meanwhile, subthreshold currents, including the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) and T-type calcium current (IT), were identified in SG neurons with RD. Blockage of Ih delayed the onset of the first spike in RD, while abolishment of IT significantly blunted the amplitude of RD. Regarding synaptic inputs, SG neurons with RD showed lower frequencies in both spontaneous and miniature excitatory synaptic currents. Furthermore, RD-expressing neurons received either Aδ- or C-afferent-mediated monosynaptic and polysynaptic inputs. However, RD-lacking neurons received afferents from monosynaptic and polysynaptic Aδ fibers and predominantly polysynaptic C-fibers. These findings demonstrate that SG neurons with RD have a specific cell-type distribution, and may differentially process somatosensory information compared to those without RD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengye Zhu
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Yi Yan
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Xuezhong Cao
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Fei Zeng
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Gang Xu
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Fan Li
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Lingyun Luo
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhijian Wang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Xuexue Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Daying Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Institute of Pain Medicine, Jiangxi Academy of Clinical and Medical Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Center for Experimental Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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5
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Differential Coding Strategies in Glutamatergic and GABAergic Neurons in the Medial Cerebellar Nucleus. J Neurosci 2019; 40:159-170. [PMID: 31694963 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0806-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum drives motor coordination and sequencing of actions at the millisecond timescale through adaptive control of cerebellar nuclear output. Cerebellar nuclei integrate high-frequency information from both the cerebellar cortex and the two main excitatory inputs of the cerebellum: the mossy fibers and the climbing fiber collaterals. However, how nuclear cells process rate and timing of inputs carried by these inputs is still debated. Here, we investigate the influence of the cerebellar cortical output, the Purkinje cells, on identified cerebellar nuclei neurons in vivo in male mice. Using transgenic mice expressing Channelrhodopsin2 specifically in Purkinje cells and tetrode recordings in the medial nucleus, we identified two main groups of neurons based on the waveform of their action potentials. These two groups of neurons coincide with glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons identified by optotagging after Chrimson expression in VGLUT2-cre and GAD-cre mice, respectively. The glutamatergic-like neurons fire at high rate and respond to both rate and timing of Purkinje cell population inputs, whereas GABAergic-like neurons only respond to the mean population firing rate of Purkinje cells at high frequencies. Moreover, synchronous activation of Purkinje cells can entrain the glutamatergic-like, but not the GABAergic-like, cells over a wide range of frequencies. Our results suggest that the downstream effect of synchronous and rhythmic Purkinje cell discharges depends on the type of cerebellar nuclei neurons targeted.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motor coordination and skilled movements are driven by the permanent discharge of neurons from the cerebellar nuclei that communicate cerebellar computation to other brain areas. Here, we set out to study how specific subtypes of cerebellar nuclear neurons of the medial nucleus are controlled by Purkinje cells, the sole output of the cerebellar cortex. We could isolate different subtypes of nuclear cell that differentially encode Purkinje cell inhibition. Purkinje cell stimulation entrains glutamatergic projection cells at their firing frequency, whereas GABAergic neurons are only inhibited. These differential coding strategies may favor temporal precision of cerebellar excitatory outputs associated with specific features of movement control while setting the global level of cerebellar activity through inhibition via rate coding mechanisms.
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Neonatal Sepsis Alters the Excitability of Regular Spiking Cells in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract in Rats. Shock 2019; 54:265-271. [DOI: 10.1097/shk.0000000000001453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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7
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Ten Brinke MM, Boele HJ, De Zeeuw CI. Conditioned climbing fiber responses in cerebellar cortex and nuclei. Neurosci Lett 2018; 688:26-36. [PMID: 29689340 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The eyeblink conditioning paradigm captures an elementary form of associative learning in a neural circuitry that is understood to an extraordinary degree. Cerebellar cortical Purkinje cell simple spike suppression is widely regarded as the main process underlying conditioned responses (CRs), leading to disinhibition of neurons in the cerebellar nuclei that innervate eyelid muscles downstream. However, recent work highlights the addition of a conditioned Purkinje cell complex spike response, which at the level of the interposed nucleus seems to translate to a transient spike suppression that can be followed by a rapid spike facilitation. Here, we review the characteristics of these responses at the cerebellar cortical and nuclear level, and discuss possible origins and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Ten Brinke
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - H J Boele
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Lawrenson C, Bares M, Kamondi A, Kovács A, Lumb B, Apps R, Filip P, Manto M. The mystery of the cerebellum: clues from experimental and clinical observations. CEREBELLUM & ATAXIAS 2018; 5:8. [PMID: 29610671 PMCID: PMC5877388 DOI: 10.1186/s40673-018-0087-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum has a striking homogeneous cytoarchitecture and participates in both motor and non-motor domains. Indeed, a wealth of evidence from neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, neuroimaging and clinical studies has substantially modified our traditional view on the cerebellum as a sole calibrator of sensorimotor functions. Despite the major advances of the last four decades of cerebellar research, outstanding questions remain regarding the mechanisms and functions of the cerebellar circuitry. We discuss major clues from both experimental and clinical studies, with a focus on rodent models in fear behaviour, on the role of the cerebellum in motor control, on cerebellar contributions to timing and our appraisal of the pathogenesis of cerebellar tremor. The cerebellum occupies a central position to optimize behaviour, motor control, timing procedures and to prevent body oscillations. More than ever, the cerebellum is now considered as a major actor on the scene of disorders affecting the CNS, extending from motor disorders to cognitive and affective disorders. However, the respective roles of the mossy fibres, the climbing fibres, cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei remains unknown or partially known at best in most cases. Research is now moving towards a better definition of the roles of cerebellar modules and microzones. This will impact on the management of cerebellar disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Lawrenson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tankard’s Close, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD UK
| | - Martin Bares
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne’s Teaching Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Anita Kamondi
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Amerikai út 57, Budapest, 1145 Hungary
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, 1083 Hungary
| | - Andrea Kovács
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Amerikai út 57, Budapest, 1145 Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Üllői út 26, Budapest, 1083 Hungary
| | - Bridget Lumb
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tankard’s Close, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD UK
| | - Richard Apps
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tankard’s Close, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD UK
| | - Pavel Filip
- First Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne’s Teaching Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Mario Manto
- FNRS ULB-Erasme, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium
- Service des Neurosciences, UMons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Charleroi, 6000 Charleroi, Belgium
- Laboratoire de Médecine Expérimentale, Site Vésale, ULB Unité 222, 6110 Montigny-le-Tilleul, Belgium
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9
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Kros L, Lindeman S, Eelkman Rooda OHJ, Murugesan P, Bina L, Bosman LWJ, De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE. Synchronicity and Rhythmicity of Purkinje Cell Firing during Generalized Spike-and-Wave Discharges in a Natural Mouse Model of Absence Epilepsy. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:346. [PMID: 29163057 PMCID: PMC5671558 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Absence epilepsy is characterized by the occurrence of generalized spike and wave discharges (GSWDs) in electrocorticographical (ECoG) recordings representing oscillatory activity in thalamocortical networks. The oscillatory nature of GSWDs has been shown to be reflected in the simple spike activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells and in the activity of their target neurons in the cerebellar nuclei, but it is unclear to what extent complex spike activity is implicated in generalized epilepsy. Purkinje cell complex spike firing is elicited by climbing fiber activation and reflects action potential firing in the inferior olive. Here, we investigated to what extent modulation of complex spike firing is reflected in the temporal patterns of seizures. Extracellular single-unit recordings in awake, head-restrained homozygous tottering mice, which suffer from a mutation in the voltage-gated CaV2.1 calcium channel, revealed that a substantial proportion of Purkinje cells (26%) showed increased complex spike activity and rhythmicity during GSWDs. Moreover, Purkinje cells, recorded either electrophysiologically or by using Ca2+-imaging, showed a significant increase in complex spike synchronicity for both adjacent and remote Purkinje cells during ictal events. These seizure-related changes in firing frequency, rhythmicity and synchronicity were most prominent in the lateral cerebellum, a region known to receive cerebral input via the inferior olive. These data indicate profound and widespread changes in olivary firing that are most likely induced by seizure-related activity changes in the thalamocortical network, thereby highlighting the possibility that olivary neurons can compensate for pathological brain-state changes by dampening oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieke Kros
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander Lindeman
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Oscar H J Eelkman Rooda
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Lorenzo Bina
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Dutch Academy for Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Freek E Hoebeek
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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10
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Grimsley CA, Green DB, Sivaramakrishnan S. L-type calcium channels refine the neural population code of sound level. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:2550-2563. [PMID: 27605536 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00657.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The coding of sound level by ensembles of neurons improves the accuracy with which listeners identify how loud a sound is. In the auditory system, the rate at which neurons fire in response to changes in sound level is shaped by local networks. Voltage-gated conductances alter local output by regulating neuronal firing, but their role in modulating responses to sound level is unclear. We tested the effects of L-type calcium channels (CaL: CaV1.1-1.4) on sound-level coding in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) in the auditory midbrain. We characterized the contribution of CaL to the total calcium current in brain slices and then examined its effects on rate-level functions (RLFs) in vivo using single-unit recordings in awake mice. CaL is a high-threshold current and comprises ∼50% of the total calcium current in ICC neurons. In vivo, CaL activates at sound levels that evoke high firing rates. In RLFs that increase monotonically with sound level, CaL boosts spike rates at high sound levels and increases the maximum firing rate achieved. In different populations of RLFs that change nonmonotonically with sound level, CaL either suppresses or enhances firing at sound levels that evoke maximum firing. CaL multiplies the gain of monotonic RLFs with dynamic range and divides the gain of nonmonotonic RLFs with the width of the RLF. These results suggest that a single broad class of calcium channels activates enhancing and suppressing local circuits to regulate the sensitivity of neuronal populations to sound level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calum Alex Grimsley
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio
| | - David Brian Green
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio
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11
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Dykstra S, Engbers JDT, Bartoletti TM, Turner RW. Determinants of rebound burst responses in rat cerebellar nuclear neurons to physiological stimuli. J Physiol 2016; 594:985-1003. [PMID: 26662168 DOI: 10.1113/jp271894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Cerebellar Purkinje cells project GABAergic inhibitory input to neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) that generate a rebound increase in firing, but the specific patterns of input that might elicit a rebound response have not been established. We used recordings of Purkinje cell firing obtained during perioral whisker stimulation in vivo to create a physiological stimulus template to activate Purkinje cell afferents in vitro. DCN cell bursts were evoked by the stimulus pattern but not in relation to the perioral whisker stimulus, complex spikes or regular patterns within the Purkinje cell record. Reverse correlation revealed that bursts were triggered by an elevation-pause pattern of Purkinje cell firing, with pause duration a key factor in burst generation. Our data identify for the first time a physiological pattern of Purkinje cell input that can be encoded by the generation of rebound bursts in DCN cells. ABSTRACT The end result of signal processing in cerebellar cortex is encoded in the output of Purkinje cells that project inhibitory input to deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) neurons. DCN cells can respond to a period of inhibition in vitro with a rebound burst of firing, yet the optimal physiological pattern of Purkinje cell input that might evoke a rebound burst is unknown. The current study used spike trains recorded from rat Purkinje cells in response to perioral stimuli in vivo to create a physiological pattern to stimulate Purkinje cell axons in vitro. The perioral stimulus-evoked Purkinje cell firing pattern proved to be virtually ineffective in evoking a rebound burst despite the ability to reliably evoke rebounds using a traditional brief 100 Hz stimulus. Similarly, neither complex spike firing nor Purkinje cell patterns identified by CV2 analysis were reliably associated with rebound bursts. Reverse correlation revealed that the optimal Purkinje cell input to evoke a rebound burst was a sequential increase in mean firing rate of at least 30 Hz above baseline over 250 ms followed by a reduction of 40-60 Hz below baseline for up to 500 ms. The most important factor was the duration of a pause in Purkinje cell firing that allowed DCN cells to recover from a state of net inhibitory influence. These data indicate that physiological patterns of Purkinje cell firing can elicit rebound bursts in DCN cells in vitro, with pauses in Purkinje cell firing rate acting as a key stimulus for DCN cell rebound responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Dykstra
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - Jordan D T Engbers
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - Theodore M Bartoletti
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
| | - Ray W Turner
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1
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12
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Abstract
A central theme in the quest to unravel the genetic basis of epilepsy has been the effort to elucidate the roles played by inherited defects in ion channels. The ubiquitous expression of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) throughout the central nervous system (CNS), along with their involvement in fundamental processes, such as neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, has made them attractive candidates. Recent insights provided by the identification of mutations in the P/Q-type calcium channel in humans and rodents with epilepsy and the finding of thalamic T-type calcium channel dysfunction in the absence of seizures have raised expectations of a causal role of calcium channels in the polygenic inheritance of idiopathic epilepsy. In this review, we consider how genetic variation in neuronal VGCCs may influence the development of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev Rajakulendran
- UCL-Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Michael G Hanna
- UCL-Institute of Neurology, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
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13
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Frolov RV, Weckström M. Harnessing the Flow of Excitation: TRP, Voltage-Gated Na(+), and Voltage-Gated Ca(2+) Channels in Contemporary Medicine. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2015; 103:25-95. [PMID: 26920687 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cellular signaling in both excitable and nonexcitable cells involves several classes of ion channels. Some of them are of minor importance, with very specialized roles in physiology, but here we concentrate on three major channel classes: TRP (transient receptor potential channels), voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav), and voltage-gated calcium channels (Cav). Here, we first propose a conceptual framework binding together all three classes of ion channels, a "flow-of-excitation model" that takes into account the inputs mediated by TRP and other similar channels, the outputs invariably provided by Cav channels, and the regenerative transmission of signals in the neural networks, for which Nav channels are responsible. We use this framework to examine the function, structure, and pharmacology of these channel classes both at cellular and also at whole-body physiological level. Building on that basis we go through the pathologies arising from the direct or indirect malfunction of the channels, utilizing ion channel defects, the channelopathies. The pharmacological interventions affecting these channels are numerous. Part of those are well-established treatments, like treatment of hypertension or some forms of epilepsy, but many other are deeply problematic due to poor drug specificity, ion channel diversity, and widespread expression of the channels in tissues other than those actually targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman V Frolov
- Division of Biophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Oulun Yliopisto, Finland.
| | - Matti Weckström
- Division of Biophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Oulun Yliopisto, Finland
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14
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Coutelier M, Blesneac I, Monteil A, Monin ML, Ando K, Mundwiller E, Brusco A, Le Ber I, Anheim M, Castrioto A, Duyckaerts C, Brice A, Durr A, Lory P, Stevanin G. A Recurrent Mutation in CACNA1G Alters Cav3.1 T-Type Calcium-Channel Conduction and Causes Autosomal-Dominant Cerebellar Ataxia. Am J Hum Genet 2015; 97:726-37. [PMID: 26456284 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary cerebellar ataxias (CAs) are neurodegenerative disorders clinically characterized by a cerebellar syndrome, often accompanied by other neurological or non-neurological signs. All transmission modes have been described. In autosomal-dominant CA (ADCA), mutations in more than 30 genes are implicated, but the molecular diagnosis remains unknown in about 40% of cases. Implication of ion channels has long been an ongoing topic in the genetics of CA, and mutations in several channel genes have been recently connected to ADCA. In a large family affected by ADCA and mild pyramidal signs, we searched for the causative variant by combining linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing. In CACNA1G, we identified a c.5144G>A mutation, causing an arginine-to-histidine (p.Arg1715His) change in the voltage sensor S4 segment of the T-type channel protein Cav3.1. Two out of 479 index subjects screened subsequently harbored the same mutation. We performed electrophysiological experiments in HEK293T cells to compare the properties of the p.Arg1715His and wild-type Cav3.1 channels. The current-voltage and the steady-state activation curves of the p.Arg1715His channel were shifted positively, whereas the inactivation curve had a higher slope factor. Computer modeling in deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) neurons suggested that the mutation results in decreased neuronal excitability. Taken together, these data establish CACNA1G, which is highly expressed in the cerebellum, as a gene whose mutations can cause ADCA. This is consistent with the neuropathological examination, which showed severe Purkinje cell loss. Our study further extends our knowledge of the link between calcium channelopathies and CAs.
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15
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Functional expression of T-type Ca2+ channels in spinal motoneurons of the adult turtle. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108187. [PMID: 25255145 PMCID: PMC4177857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels are transmembrane proteins comprising three subfamilies named CaV1, CaV2 and CaV3. The CaV3 channel subfamily groups the low-voltage activated Ca2+ channels (LVA or T-type) a significant role in regulating neuronal excitability. CaV3 channel activity may lead to the generation of complex patterns of action potential firing such as the postinhibitory rebound (PIR). In the adult spinal cord, these channels have been found in dorsal horn interneurons where they control physiological events near the resting potential and participate in determining excitability. In motoneurons, CaV3 channels have been found during development, but their functional expression has not yet been reported in adult animals. Here, we show evidence for the presence of CaV3 channel-mediated PIR in motoneurons of the adult turtle spinal cord. Our results indicate that Ni2+ and NNC55-0396, two antagonists of CaV3 channel activity, inhibited PIR in the adult turtle spinal cord. Molecular biology and biochemical assays revealed the expression of the CaV3.1 channel isotype and its localization in motoneurons. Together, these results provide evidence for the expression of CaV3.1 channels in the spinal cord of adult animals and show also that these channels may contribute to determine the excitability of motoneurons.
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16
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Simms BA, Zamponi GW. Neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels: structure, function, and dysfunction. Neuron 2014; 82:24-45. [PMID: 24698266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 420] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated calcium channels are the primary mediators of depolarization-induced calcium entry into neurons. There is great diversity of calcium channel subtypes due to multiple genes that encode calcium channel α1 subunits, coassembly with a variety of ancillary calcium channel subunits, and alternative splicing. This allows these channels to fulfill highly specialized roles in specific neuronal subtypes and at particular subcellular loci. While calcium channels are of critical importance to brain function, their inappropriate expression or dysfunction gives rise to a variety of neurological disorders, including, pain, epilepsy, migraine, and ataxia. This Review discusses salient aspects of voltage-gated calcium channel function, physiology, and pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett A Simms
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Gerald W Zamponi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
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17
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Feng SS, Lin R, Gauck V, Jaeger D. Gain control of synaptic response function in cerebellar nuclear neurons by a calcium-activated potassium conductance. THE CEREBELLUM 2014; 12:692-706. [PMID: 23605187 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-013-0476-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Small conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (SK) current provides an important modulator of excitatory synaptic transmission, which undergoes plastic regulation via multiple mechanisms. We examined whether inhibitory input processing is also dependent on SK current in the cerebellar nuclei (CN) where inhibition provides the only route of information transfer from the cerebellar cortical Purkinje cells. We employed dynamic clamping in conjunction with computer simulations to address this question. We found that SK current plays a critical role in the inhibitory synaptic control of spiking output. Specifically, regulation of SK current density resulted in a gain control of spiking output, such that low SK current promoted large output signaling for large inhibitory cell input fluctuations due to Purkinje cell synchronization. In contrast, smaller nonsynchronized Purkinje cell input fluctuations were not amplified. Regulation of SK density in the CN therefore would likely lead to important consequences for the transmission of synchronized Purkinje cell activity to the motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Si Feng
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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18
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Engbers JDT, Anderson D, Zamponi GW, Turner RW. Signal processing by T-type calcium channel interactions in the cerebellum. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:230. [PMID: 24348329 PMCID: PMC3841819 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
T-type calcium channels of the Cav3 family are unique among voltage-gated calcium channels due to their low activation voltage, rapid inactivation, and small single channel conductance. These special properties allow Cav3 calcium channels to regulate neuronal processing in the subthreshold voltage range. Here, we review two different subthreshold ion channel interactions involving Cav3 channels and explore the ability of these interactions to expand the functional roles of Cav3 channels. In cerebellar Purkinje cells, Cav3 and intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium (IKCa) channels form a novel complex which creates a low voltage-activated, transient outward current capable of suppressing temporal summation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). In large diameter neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei, Cav3-mediated calcium current (I T) and hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I H) are activated during trains of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. These currents have distinct, and yet synergistic, roles in the subthreshold domain with I T generating a rebound burst and I H controlling first spike latency and rebound spike precision. However, by shortening the membrane time constant the membrane returns towards resting value at a faster rate, allowing I H to increase the efficacy of I T and increase the range of burst frequencies that can be generated. The net effect of Cav3 channels thus depends on the channels with which they are paired. When expressed in a complex with a KCa channel, Cav3 channels reduce excitability when processing excitatory inputs. If functionally coupled with an HCN channel, the depolarizing effect of Cav3 channels is accentuated, allowing for efficient inversion of inhibitory inputs to generate a rebound burst output. Therefore, signal processing relies not only on the activity of individual subtypes of channels but also on complex interactions between ion channels whether based on a physical complex or by indirect effects on membrane properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan D. T. Engbers
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, Canada
| | - Dustin Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, Canada
| | - Gerald W. Zamponi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, Canada
| | - Ray W. Turner
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, Canada
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19
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Schneider ER, Civillico EF, Wang SSH. Calcium-based dendritic excitability and its regulation in the deep cerebellar nuclei. J Neurophysiol 2013; 109:2282-92. [PMID: 23427305 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00925.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) convey the final output of the cerebellum and are a major site of activity-dependent plasticity. Here, using patch-clamp recording and two-photon calcium imaging in rat brain slices, we demonstrate that DCN dendrites exhibit three hallmarks of active amplification of electrical signals. First, they produce calcium transients with rise times of tens of milliseconds, comparable in amplitude and duration to calcium spikes in other neurons. Second, calcium signal amplitudes are undiminished along the length of dendrites to the farthest distances from the soma. Third, they can generate calcium signals even in the presence of tetrodotoxin, a sodium channel blocker that abolishes somatic action potential initiation. DCN calcium transients do require the action of T-type calcium channels, a common voltage-gated conductance in excitable dendrites. Dendritic calcium influx was evoked by release from hyperpolarization, peaked within tens of milliseconds, and was observed in both transient- and weak-rebound-firing neurons. In a survey across the DCN, transient-burst rebound firing, which was accompanied by the most rapid calcium flux, was more common in lateral nucleus than in interpositus nucleus and was not seen in medial nucleus. Rebound firing and calcium transients were not present in animals shipped 1-3 days before recording, a condition associated with elevated maternal and pup corticosterone and reduced pup body weight. Rebounds could be restored by the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate. Thus local calcium-based dendritic excitability supports a stage of presomatic amplification that is under regulation by stress and neuromodulatory influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve R Schneider
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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20
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Uusisaari M, Knöpfel T. Functional classification of neurons in the mouse lateral cerebellar nuclei. THE CEREBELLUM 2012; 10:637-46. [PMID: 21116763 PMCID: PMC3215887 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0240-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) are at the center of the cerebellum not only anatomically but also functionally. Classical anatomical studies have described different types of DCN neurons according to their expression of various marker proteins, but only recently have we begun to characterize these different cell types according to their electrophysiological properties. These efforts have benefited greatly from the availability of transgenic mouse lines that express green fluorescent protein under the control of the glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) and glycine transporter (GlyT2) promoters, which are markers for GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, respectively. These studies have identified several types of neurons within the lateral cerebellar nuclei, each of which exhibits distinct active membrane properties. In addition to their differential use of neurotransmitters (glutamate, GABA, or glycine), these cell types also receive and provide synaptic information from different sources and to different targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marylka Uusisaari
- Laboratory for Neuronal Circuit Dynamics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198 Japan
- Theoretical and Experimental Neurobiology Unit, OIST, Onna, Okinawa 904-0412 Japan
| | - Thomas Knöpfel
- Laboratory for Neuronal Circuit Dynamics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198 Japan
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21
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Adelman
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239;
| | - James Maylie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239;
| | - Pankaj Sah
- The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia;
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22
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Segura-Chama P, Rivera-Cerecedo CV, González-Ramírez R, Felix R, Hernández-Guijo JM, Hernández-Cruz A. Atypical Ca2+ currents in chromaffin cells from SHR and WKY rat strains result from the deficient expression of a splice variant of the α1D Ca2+ channel. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2012; 302:H467-78. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00849.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ca2+ currents ( ICa) recorded from adrenal chromaffin cells (CCs) of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats are similar to one another, but different from those recorded in other rodent species. ICa in WKY/SHR CCs comprises an early, transient ( ICae) and a late, sustained component ( ICas). In Wistar CCs, ICae is absent, and ICas is of greater amplitude. Activation and steady-state inactivation of ICae and ICas in WKY/SHR CCs suggest the recruitment of at least two populations of Ca2+ channels with different voltage dependence and kinetics. In WKY/SHR CCs, ICae is inhibited by nifedipine, enhanced by BAY K 8644, is not blocked by the mibefradil analog NNC 55–0396, and displays Ca2+-dependent inactivation and fast deactivation kinetics, suggesting that it results from the opening of L-type rather than T-type Ca2+ channels. ICae properties suggest that it originates from the opening of Ca2+ channels formed with the short splice variant (CaV1.342A). RT-PCR showed that expression of CaV1.342A mRNA is similar in both Wistar and WKY/SHR, but that the long variant (CaV1.342) is virtually absent in WKY/SHR. Thus ICae corresponds to the recruitment of CaV1.342A channels, unmasked by the absence of CaV1.342 channels. Studies in WKY CCs do not report major functional alterations, despite the unusual expression pattern of CaV1.3 splice variants. It remains to be established if more subtle functional alterations exist, and if the atypical splicing pattern of CaV1.3 could be related to the functional and behavioral alterations reported in WKY/SHR rats, including their susceptibility to develop hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia V. Rivera-Cerecedo
- Unidad Académica Bioterio, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, and
| | - Ricardo González-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Histocompatibilidad, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City; and
| | - Ricardo Felix
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Mexico City, Mexico; and
| | - Jesús M. Hernández-Guijo
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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23
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Witter L, De Zeeuw CI, Ruigrok TJH, Hoebeek FE. The cerebellar nuclei take center stage. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2011; 10:633-6. [PMID: 21279491 PMCID: PMC3215877 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0245-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laurens Witter
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, Ee 1202, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom J. H. Ruigrok
- Department of Neuroscience, Ee 1202, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek E. Hoebeek
- Department of Neuroscience, Ee 1202, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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24
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Engbers JDT, Anderson D, Tadayonnejad R, Mehaffey WH, Molineux ML, Turner RW. Distinct roles for I(T) and I(H) in controlling the frequency and timing of rebound spike responses. J Physiol 2011; 589:5391-413. [PMID: 21969455 PMCID: PMC3240880 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.215632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability for neurons to generate rebound bursts following inhibitory synaptic input relies on ion channels that respond in a unique fashion to hyperpolarization. Inward currents provided by T-type calcium channels (I(T)) and hyperpolarization-activated HCN channels (I(H)) increase in availability upon hyperpolarization, allowing for a rebound depolarization after a period of inhibition. Although rebound responses have long been recognized in deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) neurons, the actual extent to which I(T) and I(H) contribute to rebound spike output following physiological levels of membrane hyperpolarization has not been clearly established. The current study used recordings and simulations of large diameter cells of the in vitro rat DCN slice preparation to define the roles for I(T) and I(H) in a rebound response. We find that physiological levels of hyperpolarization make only small proportions of the total I(T) and I(H) available, but that these are sufficient to make substantial contributions to a rebound response. At least 50% of the early phase of the rebound spike frequency increase is generated by an I(T)-mediated depolarization. An additional frequency increase is provided by I(H) in reducing the time constant and thus the extent of I(T) inactivation as the membrane returns from a hyperpolarized state to the resting level. An I(H)-mediated depolarization creates an inverse voltage-first spike latency relationship and produces a 35% increase in the precision of the first spike latency of a rebound. I(T) and I(H) can thus be activated by physiologically relevant stimuli and have distinct roles in the frequency, timing and precision of rebound responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan D T Engbers
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive N.W., Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1.
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25
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Anderson TM, Abbinanti MD, Peck JH, Gilmour M, Brownstone RM, Masino MA. Low-threshold calcium currents contribute to locomotor-like activity in neonatal mice. J Neurophysiol 2011; 107:103-13. [PMID: 21994264 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00583.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we examined the contribution of a low-threshold calcium current [I(Ca(T))] to locomotor-related activity in the neonatal mouse. Specifically, the role of I(Ca(T)) was studied during chemically induced, locomotor-like activity in the isolated whole cord and in a genetically distinct population of ventromedial spinal interneurons marked by the homeobox gene Hb9. In isolated whole spinal cords, cycle frequency was decreased in the presence of low-threshold calcium channel blockers, which suggests a role for I(Ca(T)) in the network that produces rhythmic, locomotor-like activity. Additionally, we used Hb9 interneurons as a model to study the cellular responses to application of low-threshold calcium channel blockers. In transverse slice preparations from transgenic Hb9::enhanced green fluorescent protein neonatal mice, N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced membrane potential oscillations in identified Hb9 interneurons also slowed in frequency with application of nickel when fast, spike-mediated, synaptic transmission was blocked with TTX. Voltage-clamp and immunolabeling experiments confirmed expression of I(Ca(T)) and channels, respectively, in Hb9 interneurons located in the ventromedial spinal cord. Taken together, these results provide support that T-type calcium currents play an important role in network-wide rhythm generation during chemically evoked, fictive locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana M Anderson
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Univ. of Minnesota, 321 Church St., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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26
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Prolonged postinhibitory rebound firing in the cerebellar nuclei mediated by group I metabotropic glutamate receptor potentiation of L-type calcium currents. J Neurosci 2011; 31:10283-92. [PMID: 21753005 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1834-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the cerebellar nuclei fire at accelerated rates for prolonged periods after trains of synaptic inhibition that interrupt spontaneous firing. Both in vitro and in vivo, however, this prolonged rebound firing is favored by strong stimulation of afferents, suggesting that neurotransmitters other than GABA may contribute to the increased firing rates. Here, we tested whether metabotropic glutamate receptors modulate excitability of nuclear cells in cerebellar slices from mouse. In current clamp, the prolonged rebound firing rate after high-frequency synaptic stimulation was reduced by a variety of group I mGluR antagonists, including CPCCOEt [7-(hydroxyimino)cyclopropa[b]chromen-1a-carboxylate ethyl ester], JNJ16259685 (3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrano[2,3-b]quinolin-7-yl)-(cis-4-methoxycyclohexyl)-methanone) plus MPEP, or 3-MATIDA (α-amino-5-carboxy-3-methyl-2-thiopheneacetic acid) plus MPEP, as long as both mGluR1 and mGluR5 were blocked. This mGluR-dependent acceleration of firing was reduced but still evident when IPSPs were prevented by GABA(A) receptor antagonists. In voltage clamp, voltage ramps revealed a non-inactivating, low-voltage-activated, nimodipine-sensitive current that was enhanced by the selective group I mGluR agonist s-DHPG [(S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine]. This putative L-type current also increased when mGluRs were activated by trains of evoked synaptic currents instead of direct application of agonist. In current clamp, blocking L-type Ca channels with the specific blocker nifedipine greatly reduced prolonged poststimulus firing and occluded the effect of adding group I mGluR antagonists. Thus, potentiation of a low-voltage-activated L-type current by synaptically released glutamate accounted nearly fully for the mGluR-dependent acceleration of firing. Together, these data suggest that prolonged rebound firing in the cerebellar nuclei in vivo is most likely to occur when GABA(A) and mGluRs are simultaneously activated by concurrent excitation and inhibition.
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27
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Boehme R, Uebele VN, Renger JJ, Pedroarena C. Rebound excitation triggered by synaptic inhibition in cerebellar nuclear neurons is suppressed by selective T-type calcium channel block. J Neurophysiol 2011; 106:2653-61. [PMID: 21849607 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00612.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Following hyperpolarizing inputs, many neurons respond with an increase in firing rate, a phenomenon known as rebound excitation. Rebound excitation has been proposed as a mechanism to encode and process inhibitory signals and transfer them to target structures. Activation of low-voltage-activated T-type calcium channels and the ensuing low-threshold calcium spikes is one of the mechanisms proposed to support rebound excitation. However, there is still not enough evidence that the hyperpolarization provided by inhibitory inputs, particularly those dependent on chloride ions, is adequate to deinactivate a sufficient number of T-type calcium channels to drive rebound excitation on return to baseline. Here, this issue was investigated in the deep cerebellar nuclear neurons (DCNs), which receive the output of the cerebellar cortex conveyed exclusively by the inhibitory Purkinje cells and are also known to display rebound excitation. Using cerebellar slices and whole cell recordings of large DCNs, we show that a novel piperidine-based compound that selectively antagonizes T-type calcium channel activity, 3,5-dichloro-N-[1-(2,2-dimethyl-tetrahydropyran-4-ylmethyl)-4-fluoro-piperidin-4-ylmethyl]-benzamide (TTA-P2), suppressed rebound excitation elicited by current injection as well as by synaptic inhibition, whereas other electrophysiological properties of large DCNs were unaltered. Furthermore, TTA-P2 suppressed transient high-frequency rebounds found in DCNs with low-threshold spikes as well as the slow rebounds present in DCNs without low-threshold spikes. These findings demonstrate that chloride-dependent synaptic inhibition effectively triggers T-type calcium channel-mediated rebounds and that the latter channels may support slow rebound excitation in neurons without low-threshold spikes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Boehme
- Dept. of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute, Univ. of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 27, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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28
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De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE, Bosman LWJ, Schonewille M, Witter L, Koekkoek SK. Spatiotemporal firing patterns in the cerebellum. Nat Rev Neurosci 2011; 12:327-44. [PMID: 21544091 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurons are generally considered to communicate information by increasing or decreasing their firing rate. However, in principle, they could in addition convey messages by using specific spatiotemporal patterns of spiking activities and silent intervals. Here, we review expanding lines of evidence that such spatiotemporal coding occurs in the cerebellum, and that the olivocerebellar system is optimally designed to generate and employ precise patterns of complex spikes and simple spikes during the acquisition and consolidation of motor skills. These spatiotemporal patterns may complement rate coding, thus enabling precise control of motor and cognitive processing at a high spatiotemporal resolution by fine-tuning sensorimotor integration and coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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29
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Bengtsson F, Ekerot CF, Jörntell H. In vivo analysis of inhibitory synaptic inputs and rebounds in deep cerebellar nuclear neurons. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18822. [PMID: 21552556 PMCID: PMC3084242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal function depends on the properties of the synaptic inputs the neuron receive and on its intrinsic responsive properties. However, the conditions for synaptic integration and activation of intrinsic responses may to a large extent depend on the level of background synaptic input. In this respect, the deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) neurons are of particular interest: they feature a massive background synaptic input and an intrinsic, postinhibitory rebound depolarization with profound effects on the synaptic integration. Using in vivo whole cell patch clamp recordings from DCN cells in the cat, we find that the background of Purkinje cell input provides a tonic inhibitory synaptic noise in the DCN cell. Under these conditions, individual Purkinje cells appear to have a near negligible influence on the DCN cell and clear-cut rebounds are difficult to induce. Peripheral input that drives the simple spike output of the afferent PCs to the DCN cell generates a relatively strong DCN cell inhibition, but do not induce rebounds. In contrast, synchronized climbing fiber activation, which leads to a synchronized input from a large number of Purkinje cells, can induce profound rebound responses. In light of what is known about climbing fiber activation under behaviour, the present findings suggest that DCN cell rebound responses may be an unusual event. Our results also suggest that cortical modulation of DCN cell output require a substantial co-modulation of a large proportion of the PCs that innervate the cell, which is a possible rationale for the existence of the cerebellar microcomplex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Bengtsson
- Section for Neurophysiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carl-Fredrik Ekerot
- Section for Neurophysiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Henrik Jörntell
- Section for Neurophysiology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- NeuroNano Research Center, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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30
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Chen CC, Fan YP, Shin HS, Su CK. Basal sympathetic activity generated in neonatal mouse brainstem-spinal cord preparation requires T-type calcium channel subunit α1H. Exp Physiol 2011; 96:486-94. [DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2010.056085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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31
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Tadayonnejad R, Anderson D, Molineux ML, Mehaffey WH, Jayasuriya K, Turner RW. Rebound discharge in deep cerebellar nuclear neurons in vitro. THE CEREBELLUM 2011; 9:352-74. [PMID: 20396983 PMCID: PMC2949560 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0168-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurons of the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) play a critical role in defining the output of cerebellum in the course of encoding Purkinje cell inhibitory inputs. The earliest work performed with in vitro preparations established that DCN cells have the capacity to translate membrane hyperpolarizations into a rebound increase in firing frequency. The primary means of distinguishing between DCN neurons has been according to cell size and transmitter phenotype, but in some cases, differences in the firing properties of DCN cells maintained in vitro have been reported. In particular, it was shown that large diameter cells in the rat DCN exhibit two phenotypes of rebound discharge in vitro that may eventually help define their functional roles in cerebellar output. A transient burst and weak burst phenotype can be distinguished based on the frequency and pattern of rebound discharge immediately following a hyperpolarizing stimulus. Work to date indicates that the difference in excitability arises from at least the degree of activation of T-type Ca(2+) current during the immediate phase of rebound firing and Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channels that underlie afterhyperpolarizations. Both phenotypes can be detected following stimulation of Purkinje cell inhibitory inputs under conditions that preserve resting membrane potential and natural ionic gradients. In this paper, we review the evidence supporting the existence of different rebound phenotypes in DCN cells and the ion channel expression patterns that underlie their generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Tadayonnejad
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Dustin Anderson
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Michael L. Molineux
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
| | - W. Hamish Mehaffey
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Kusala Jayasuriya
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
| | - Ray W. Turner
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, HRIC 1AA14, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. N.W., Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 4N1
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32
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Bidirectional plasticity gated by hyperpolarization controls the gain of postsynaptic firing responses at central vestibular nerve synapses. Neuron 2011; 68:763-75. [PMID: 21092864 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Linking synaptic plasticity with behavioral learning requires understanding how synaptic efficacy influences postsynaptic firing in neurons whose role in behavior is understood. Here, we examine plasticity at a candidate site of motor learning: vestibular nerve synapses onto neurons that mediate reflexive movements. Pairing nerve activity with changes in postsynaptic voltage induced bidirectional synaptic plasticity in vestibular nucleus projection neurons: long-term potentiation relied on calcium-permeable AMPA receptors and postsynaptic hyperpolarization, whereas long-term depression relied on NMDA receptors and postsynaptic depolarization. Remarkably, both forms of plasticity uniformly scaled synaptic currents evoked by pulse trains, and these changes in synaptic efficacy were translated into linear increases or decreases in postsynaptic firing responses. Synapses onto local inhibitory neurons were also plastic but expressed only long-term depression. Bidirectional, linear gain control of vestibular nerve synapses onto projection neurons provides a plausible mechanism for motor learning underlying adaptation of vestibular reflexes.
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Shabani M, Hosseinmardi N, Haghani M, Shaibani V, Janahmadi M. Maternal exposure to the CB1 cannabinoid agonist WIN 55212-2 produces robust changes in motor function and intrinsic electrophysiological properties of cerebellar Purkinje neurons in rat offspring. Neuroscience 2010; 172:139-52. [PMID: 20969930 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2010] [Revised: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 10/09/2010] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum, which controls coordinated and rapid movements, is a potential target for the deleterious effects of drugs of abuse including cannabis (i.e. marijuana, cannabinoids). Prenatal exposure to cannabinoids has been documented to cause abnormalities in motor and cognitive development, but the exact mechanism of this effect at the cellular level has not been fully elucidated. Previous studies indicate that cannabinoids are capable of modulating synaptic neurotransmission. In addition to altering synaptic activity, cannabinoid exposure may also change intrinsic neuronal properties. In the present study several different approaches including behavioral assays, extracellular field potential recordings and whole-cell patch clamp recordings, were used to address whether maternal exposure to the CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55-212-2 (WIN) affects the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of Purkinje neurons. WIN treatment of pregnant rats produced a significant decrease in the rearing frequency, total distance moved and mobility of the offspring, but significantly increased the time of the righting reflex, the grooming frequency and immobility. Neuromotor function, as assessed in the grip test and balance beam test, was also significantly impaired in prenatally WIN-treated group. Prenatal exposure to WIN increased the amplitude of population spikes (PS) recorded from the cerebellar Purkinje cell layer of offspring following synaptic blockage. WIN treatment of pregnant rats also profoundly affected the intrinsic properties of Purkinje neurons in offspring. This treatment increased the firing regularity, firing frequency, amplitude of afterhyperpolarization (AHP), the peak amplitude of action potential and the first spike latency, but decreased significantly the time to peak and duration of action potentials, the instantaneous firing frequency, the rate of rebound action potential and the voltage "sag" ratio. These results raise the possibility that maternal exposure to cannabinoids may profoundly affect the intrinsic membrane properties of cerebellar Purkinje neurons of offspring by altering the membrane excitability through modulation of intrinsic ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Centre and Department of Physiology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Evin, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
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Goudarzi I, Kaffashian M, Shabani M, Haghdoost-Yazdi H, Behzadi G, Janahmadi M. In vivo 4-aminopyridine treatment alters the neurotoxin 3-acetylpyridine-induced plastic changes in intrinsic electrophysiological properties of rat cerebellar Purkinje neurones. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 642:56-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2009] [Revised: 04/29/2010] [Accepted: 05/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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35
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Zheng N, Raman IM. Synaptic inhibition, excitation, and plasticity in neurons of the cerebellar nuclei. THE CEREBELLUM 2010; 9:56-66. [PMID: 19847585 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-009-0140-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei generate the non-vestibular output of the cerebellum. Like other neurons, they integrate excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs and filter them through their intrinsic properties to produce patterns of action potential output. The synaptic and intrinsic features of cerebellar nuclear cells are unusual in several respects, however: these neurons receive an overwhelming amount of basal and driven inhibition from Purkinje neurons, but are also spontaneously active, producing action potentials even without excitation. Moreover, not only is spiking by nuclear cells sensitive to the amount of inhibition, but the strength of inhibition is also sensitive to the amount of spiking, through multiple forms of long-term plasticity. Here, we review the properties of synaptic excitation and inhibition, their short-term plasticity, and their influence on action potential firing of cerebellar nuclear neurons, as well as the interactions among excitation, inhibition, and spiking that produce long-term changes in synaptic strength. The data provide evidence that electrical and synaptic signaling in the cerebellar circuit is both plastic and resilient: the strength of IPSPs and EPSPs readily changes as the activity of cerebellar nuclear cells is modified. Notably, however, many of the identified forms of plasticity have an apparently homeostatic effect, responding to perturbations of input by restoring cerebellar output toward pre-perturbation values. Such forms of self-regulation appear consistent with the role of cerebellar output in coordinating movements. In contrast, other forms of plasticity in nuclear cells, including a long-term potentiation of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and excitation-driven increases in intrinsic excitability, are non-homeostatic, and instead appear suited to bring the circuit to a new set point. Interestingly, the combinations of inhibitory and excitatory stimuli that potentiate EPSCs resemble patterns of activity predicted to occur during eyelid conditioning, suggesting that this form long-term potentiation, perhaps amplified by intrinsic plasticity, may represent a cellular mechanism that is engaged during cerebellar learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zheng
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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36
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Pedroarena CM. Mechanisms supporting transfer of inhibitory signals into the spike output of spontaneously firing cerebellar nuclear neurons in vitro. THE CEREBELLUM 2010; 9:67-76. [PMID: 20148319 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-009-0153-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar cortical signals are carried to their principal target, the deep cerebellar nuclear neurons (DCNs), via the inhibitory pathway formed by Purkinje cell (PC) axons. Two different intrinsic properties of DCNs, rebound excitation and automatic firing, have been proposed to support ensuing mechanisms for information transfer via inhibitory synapses. The efficacy of these mechanisms was investigated using whole-cell recordings of spontaneously firing DCNs in cerebellar slices. Results using current injection revealed that both mechanisms are effective in spontaneously firing DCNs but operate at different ranges of membrane potential. Rebound frequency was well correlated to the duration and amplitude of the preceding hyperpolarization. Activation of PC synapses with trains of stimuli few seconds long elicited rebound firing in all tested neurons, demonstrating that inhibition can elicit rebounds in DCNs held at their spontaneous membrane potential. Rebounds could be also elicited by single stimulus in a subset of neurons. The rebound frequency was significantly correlated to the synaptic stimulus strength, supporting the idea that rebound frequency may encode the amplitude of inhibition and thus serve to transfer inhibitory signals in the cerebellar circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Pedroarena
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Str. 27, Tübingen, Germany.
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Handforth A, Homanics GE, Covey DF, Krishnan K, Lee JY, Sakimura K, Martin FC, Quesada A. T-type calcium channel antagonists suppress tremor in two mouse models of essential tremor. Neuropharmacology 2010; 59:380-7. [PMID: 20547167 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2009] [Revised: 05/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Essential tremor is a common disorder that lacks molecular targets for therapeutic development. T-type calcium channel activation has been postulated to underlie rhythmicity in the olivo-cerebellar system that is implicated in essential tremor. We therefore tested whether compounds that antagonize T-type calcium channel currents suppress tremor in two mouse models that possess an essential tremor-like pharmacological response profile. Tremor was measured using digitized spectral motion power analysis with harmaline-induced tremor and in the GABA(A) receptor α1 subunit-null model. Mice were given ethosuximide, zonisamide, the neuroactive steroid (3β,5α,17β)-17-hydroxyestrane-3-carbonitrile (ECN), the 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivative KYS05064, the mibefradil derivative NNC 55-0396, or vehicle. In non-sedating doses, each compound reduced harmaline-induced tremor by at least 50% (range of maximal suppression: 53-81%), and in the GABA(A) α1-null model by at least 70% (range 70-93%). Because the T-type calcium channel Cav3.1 is the dominant subtype expressed in the inferior olive, we assessed the tremor response of Cav3.1-deficient mice to harmaline, and found that null and heterozygote mice exhibit as much tremor as wild-type mice. In addition, ECN and NNC 55-0396 suppressed harmaline tremor as well in Cav3.1-null mice as in wild-type mice. The finding that five T-type calcium antagonists suppress tremor in two animal tremor models suggests that T-type calcium channels may be an appropriate target for essential tremor therapy development. It is uncertain whether medications developed to block only the Cav3.1 subtype would exhibit efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Handforth
- Neurology Service (W127), Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
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Wilson GW, Garthwaite J. Hyperpolarization-activated ion channels as targets for nitric oxide signalling in deep cerebellar nuclei. Eur J Neurosci 2010; 31:1935-45. [PMID: 20529121 PMCID: PMC2955965 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07226.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Most biological effects of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain are mediated by guanylyl cyclase-coupled NO receptors, whose activation results in increased intracellular cGMP levels. Apart from protein kinase activation little is known about subsequent cGMP signal transduction. In optic nerve axons, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-modulated cation (HCN) channels, which bind cGMP or cAMP directly, were recently suggested to be a target. The aim here was to test this possibility more directly. Neurones of the rat deep cerebellar nuclei were selected for this purpose, their suitability being attested by immunocytochemistry showing that the principal neurones expressed guanylyl cyclase protein and that NO synthase-containing fibres were abundant in the neuropil. Using whole-cell voltage-clamp recording, HCN channels in the neurones were activated in response to isoprenaline and exogenous cAMP but only occasionally did they respond to NO, although exogenous cGMP was routinely effective. With the less invasive sharp microelectrode recording technique, however, exogenous NO modulated the channels reproducibly, as measured by the size of the HCN channel-mediated voltage sag following hyperpolarization. Moreover, NO also blunted the subsequent rebound depolarizing potentials, consistent with it increasing the hyperpolarization-activated current. Optimizing the whole-cell solution to improve the functioning of NO-activated guanylyl cyclase failed to restore NO sensitivity. Minimizing cellular dialysis by using the perforated-patch technique, however, was successful. The results provide evidence that HCN channels are potential downstream mediators of NO signalling in deep cerebellar nuclei neurones and suggest that the more general importance of this transduction pathway may have been overlooked previously because of unsuitable recording methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary W Wilson
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Differential olivo-cerebellar cortical control of rebound activity in the cerebellar nuclei. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:8410-5. [PMID: 20395550 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0907118107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The output of the cerebellar cortex is controlled by two main inputs, (i.e., the climbing fiber and mossy fiber-parallel fiber pathway) and activations of these inputs elicit characteristic effects in its Purkinje cells: that is, the so-called complex spikes and simple spikes. Target neurons of the Purkinje cells in the cerebellar nuclei show rebound firing, which has been implicated in the processing and storage of motor coordination signals. Yet, it is not known to what extent these rebound phenomena depend on different modes of Purkinje cell activation. Using extracellular as well as patch-clamp recordings, we show here in both anesthetized and awake rodents that simple and complex spike-like train stimuli to the cerebellar cortex, as well as direct activation of the inferior olive, all result in rebound increases of the firing frequencies of cerebellar nuclei neurons for up to 250 ms, whereas single-pulse stimuli to the cerebellar cortex predominantly elicit well-timed spiking activity without changing the firing frequency of cerebellar nuclei neurons. We conclude that the rebound phenomenon offers a rich and powerful mechanism for cerebellar nuclei neurons, which should allow them to differentially process the climbing fiber and mossy fiber inputs in a physiologically operating cerebellum.
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40
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Ca currents activated by spontaneous firing and synaptic disinhibition in neurons of the cerebellar nuclei. J Neurosci 2009; 29:9826-38. [PMID: 19657035 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2069-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In neurons of the cerebellar nuclei, long-term potentiation of EPSCs is induced by high-frequency synaptic excitation by mossy fibers followed by synaptic inhibition by Purkinje cells. Induction requires activation of synaptic receptors as well as voltage-gated Ca channels. To examine how Purkinje-mediated inhibition of nuclear neurons affects Ca levels during plasticity-inducing stimuli, we have combined electrophysiology, Ca imaging, and pharmacology of cerebellar nuclear neurons in mouse cerebellar slices. We find that spontaneous firing generates tonic Ca signals in both somata and dendrites, which drop during 500 ms, 100 Hz trains of Purkinje IPSPs or hyperpolarizing steps. Although the presence of low-voltage-activated (T-type) Ca channels in nuclear neurons has fostered the inference that disinhibition activates these channels, synaptic inhibition with a physiological chloride equilibrium potential (E(Cl)) (-75 mV) fails to hyperpolarize neurons sufficiently for T-type channels to recover substantially. Consequently, after IPSPs, Ca signals return to baseline, although firing is accelerated by approximately 20 Hz for approximately 300 ms. Only after hyperpolarizations beyond E(Cl) does Ca rise gradually beyond baseline, as firing further exceeds spontaneous rates. Cd(2+) (100 microm), which nearly eliminates L-type, N-type, P/Q-type, and R-type Ca currents while sparing approximately one-half the T-type current, prevents Ca changes during and after hyperpolarizations to E(Cl). Thus, high-frequency IPSPs in cerebellar nuclear neurons evoke little postinhibitory current through T-type channels. Instead, inhibition regulates Ca levels simply by preventing action potentials, which usually permit Ca influx through high-voltage-activated channels. The decreases and restoration of Ca levels associated with Purkinje-mediated inhibition are likely to contribute to synaptic plasticity.
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Pugh JR, Raman IM. Nothing can be coincidence: synaptic inhibition and plasticity in the cerebellar nuclei. Trends Neurosci 2009; 32:170-7. [PMID: 19178955 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2008.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2008] [Revised: 11/29/2008] [Accepted: 12/01/2008] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Many cerebellar neurons fire spontaneously, generating 10-100 action potentials per second even without synaptic input. This high basal activity correlates with information-coding mechanisms that differ from those of cells that are quiescent until excited synaptically. For example, in the deep cerebellar nuclei, Hebbian patterns of coincident synaptic excitation and postsynaptic firing fail to induce long-term increases in the strength of excitatory inputs. Instead, excitatory synaptic currents are potentiated by combinations of inhibition and excitation that resemble the activity of Purkinje and mossy fiber afferents that is predicted to occur during cerebellar associative learning tasks. Such results indicate that circuits with intrinsically active neurons have rules for information transfer and storage that distinguish them from other brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Pugh
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
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