Postnatal expression pattern of calcium-binding proteins in organotypic thalamic cultures and in the dorsal thalamus in vivo

Rodent somatosensory thalamocortical circuitry: Neurons, synapses, and connectivity

As our understanding of the thalamocortical system deepens, the questions we face become more complex. Their investigation requires the adoption of novel experimental approaches complemented with increasingly sophisticated computational modeling. In this review, we take stock of current data and knowledge about the circuitry of the somatosensory thalamocortical loop in rodents, discussing common principles across modalities and species whenever appropriate. We review the different levels of organization, including the cells, synapses, neuroanatomy, and network connectivity. We provide a complete overview of this system that should be accessible for newcomers to this field while nevertheless being comprehensive enough to serve as a reference for seasoned neuroscientists and computational modelers studying the thalamocortical system. We further highlight key gaps in data and knowledge that constitute pressing targets for future experimental work. Filling these gaps would provide invaluable information for systematically unveiling how this system supports behavioral and cognitive processes.

A Bridge Between in vitro and in vivo Studies in Neuroscience: Organotypic Brain Slice Cultures

In vitro and in vivo models are efficiently used systems in neuroscience research to study the brain in normal or pathological conditions. There are many advantages to these systems, yet they also have significant limitations. In vitro cell cultures offer the opportunity to investigate the cell basics or primary response of a cell population against any treatment. However, these models do not always predict in vivo behavior. In vivo animal studies constitute the most realistic platform for research and therapeutic approaches, yet they are laborious, open to secondary complications and painful or stressful for the animals from an ethical point of view. Organotypic brain slice cultures provide an in vivo-like environment since they maintain three-dimensional cytoarchitecture of the brain thus enable to study many cell types in one system and allow precise control of the microenvironment. In this review, we will focus on the history and key features of organotypic brain slice cultures as well as its preparation.

Organotypic brain slice cultures to model neurodegenerative proteinopathies

Organotypic slice cultures of brain or spinal cord have been a longstanding tool in neuroscience research but their utility for understanding Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative proteinopathies has only recently begun to be evaluated. Organotypic brain slice cultures (BSCs) represent a physiologically relevant three-dimensional model of the brain. BSCs support all the central nervous system (CNS) cell types and can be produced from brain areas involved in neurodegenerative disease. BSCs can be used to better understand the induction and significance of proteinopathies underlying the development and progression of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, and in the future may serve as bridging technologies between cell culture and in vivo experiments for the development and evaluation of novel therapeutic targets and strategies. We review the initial development and general use of BSCs in neuroscience research and highlight the advantages of these cultures as an ex vivo model. Subsequently we focus on i) BSC-based modeling of AD and other neurodegenerative proteinopathies ii) use of BSCs to understand mechanisms underlying these diseases and iii) how BSCs can serve as tools to screen for suitable therapeutics prior to in vivo investigations. Finally, we will examine i) open questions regarding the use of such cultures and ii) how emerging technologies such as recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) may be combined with these models to advance translational research relevant to neurodegenerative disorders.

The sleep relay--the role of the thalamus in central and decentral sleep regulation

Surprisingly, the concept of sleep, its necessity and function, the mechanisms of action, and its elicitors are far from being completely understood. A key to sleep function is to determine how and when sleep is induced. The aim of this review is to merge the classical concepts of central sleep regulation by the brainstem and hypothalamus with the recent findings on decentral sleep regulation in local neuronal assemblies and sleep regulatory substances that create a scenario in which sleep is both local and use dependent. The interface between these concepts is provided by thalamic cellular and network mechanisms that support rhythmogenesis of sleep-related activity. The brainstem and the hypothalamus centrally set the pace for sleep-related activity throughout the brain. Decentral regulation of the sleep-wake cycle was shown in the cortex, and the homeostat of non-rapid-eye-movement sleep is made up by molecular networks of sleep regulatory substances, allowing individual neurons or small neuronal assemblies to enter sleep-like states. Thalamic neurons provide state-dependent gating of sensory information via their ability to produce different patterns of electrogenic activity during wakefulness and sleep. Many mechanisms of sleep homeostasis or sleep-like states of neuronal assemblies, e.g. by the action of adenosine, can also be found in thalamic neurons, and we summarize cellular and network mechanisms of the thalamus that may elicit non-REM sleep. It is argued that both central and decentral regulators ultimately target the thalamus to induce global sleep-related oscillatory activity. We propose that future studies should integrate ideas of central, decentral, and thalamic sleep generation.

Membrane Resting Potential of Thalamocortical Relay Neurons Is Shaped by the Interaction Among TASK3 and HCN2 Channels

By combining molecular biological, electrophysiological, immunological, and computer modeling techniques, we here demonstrate a counterbalancing contribution of TASK channels, underlying hyperpolarizing K+ leak currents, and HCN channels, underlying depolarizing Ih, to the resting membrane potential of thalamocortical relay (TC) neurons. RT-PCR experiments revealed the expression of TASK1, TASK3, and HCN1–4. Quantitative determination of mRNA expression levels and immunocytochemical staining demonstrated that TASK3 and HCN2 channels represent the dominant thalamic isoforms and are coexpressed in TC neurons. Extracellular acidification, a standard procedure to inhibit TASK channels, blocked a TASK current masked by additional action on HCN channels. Only in the presence of the HCN blocker ZD7288 was the pH-sensitive component typical for a TASK current, i.e., outward rectification and current reversal at the K+ equilibrium potential. In a similar way extracellular acidification was able to shift the activity pattern of TC neurons from burst to tonic firing only during block of Ih or genetic knock out of HCN channels. A single compartmental computer model of TC neurons simulated the counterbalancing influence of TASK and HCN on the resting membrane potential. It is concluded that TASK3 and HCN2 channels stabilize the membrane potential by a mutual functional interaction, that the most efficient way to regulate the membrane potential of TC neurons is the converse modulation of TASK and HCN channels, and that TC neurons are potentially more resistant to insults accompanied by extracellular pH shifts in comparison to other CNS regions.

Impaired regulation of thalamic pacemaker channels through an imbalance of subunit expression in absence epilepsy

The role of hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channel isoforms and hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) for seizure-related burst firing in thalamocortical (TC) neurons was investigated in a rat genetic model of absence epilepsy [Wistar Albino Glaxo rats, bred in Rijswijk (WAG/Rij)]. Burst discharges in TC neurons locked to seizure activity in vivo were prolonged during blockade of Ih by Cs+ and ZD7288 (4-ethylphenylamino-1,2-dimethyl-6-methylaminopyrimidinium chloride). In vitro analyses revealed a hyperpolarizing shift of half-maximal Ih activation (Vh) in WAG/Rij (Vh = -93.2 mV) compared with nonepileptic controls [August x Copenhagen-Irish (ACI) (Vh = -88.0 mV)]. This effect is explained by a shift of the responsiveness of Ih to cAMP toward higher concentrations in TC neurons from WAG/Rij, as revealed by application of 8-bromo-cAMP and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX. During blockade of adenylyl cyclase activity, Ih activation was similar in the two strains, whereas the difference in cAMP responsiveness persisted, thereby voting against different ambient cAMP levels between strains. Increasing the intracellular cAMP level and shifting Ih activation led to a change from burst to tonic firing mode in WAG/Rij but not in ACI rats. Furthermore, HCN1 expression was significantly increased on mRNA and protein levels, with no changes in HCN2-4 expression. In conclusion, there is an increase in HCN1 expression in the epileptic thalamus, associated with a decrease in cAMP responsiveness of Ih in TC neurons and resulting impairment to control the shift from burst to tonic firing, which, in turn, will prolong burst activity after recruitment of Ih during absence seizures.

A maternal blood‐borne factor promotes survival of the developing thalamus

In this report, we describe the identification of a polypeptide survival-promoting factor that is produced by maternal and early postnatal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the immune system in Long-Evans rats and humans. The factor, termed Y-P30, most likely arises from proteolytic processing of a larger precursor protein and accumulates mainly in pyramidal neurons of the developing cortex and hippocampus but not in astrocytes. It was released from neurons grown in culture and substantially promotes survival of cells in explant monocultures of perinatal thalamus from the offspring. Y-P30 mRNA was not detectable in infant or adult brain and was present only in blood cells of pregnant rats and humans but not in nonpregnant controls. However, Y-P30 transcription could be induced in PBMCs of adult animals by a central nervous system lesion (i.e., optic nerve crush), which points to a potential role of the factor not only in neuronal development but also in neuroinflammation after white matter injury.

Chemical anatomy of the human paraventricular thalamic nucleus

The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (Pa) lies in the most medial aspect of the thalamus and is considered one of the midline thalamic nuclei. In the present study, we carried out histochemical and immunohistochemical procedures in the Pa of normal individuals to visualize the pattern of distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), calbindin D-28k (CB), parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR), limbic system-associated membrane protein (LAMP), substance P (SP), and enkephalin (ENK). Other cytoarchitectural and myeloarchitectural techniques, such as Nissl and Gallyas, were also employed to delineate the boundaries of the Pa. The main findings of this study are: 1) AChE staining in the Pa was heterogeneously distributed along its anteroposterior and mediolateral axes; 2) the Pa harbored numerous CB- and CR-immunoreactive (ir) cells and neuropil, but this nucleus was largely devoid of PV; 3) the Pa was highly enriched in LAMP and this protein appeared uniformly distributed through its whole extent; and, 4) the SP and ENK immunoreactivities in the Pa revealed numerous highly varicose fibers scattered throughout this nucleus, but no stained cells. This morphological study demonstrates that the Pa is a heterogeneous chemical structure in humans. The functional significance of these results is discussed in the light of similar data gathered in several mammalian species.

Novel vistas of calcium-mediated signalling in the thalamus

Traditionally, the role of calcium ions (Ca(2+)) in thalamic neurons has been viewed as that of electrical charge carriers. Recent experimental findings in thalamic cells have only begun to unravel a highly complex Ca(2+) signalling network that exploits extra- and intracellular Ca(2+) sources. In thalamocortical relay neurons, interactions between T-type Ca(2+) channel activation, Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of adenylyl cyclase activity and the hyperpolarization-activated cation current ( I(h)) regulate oscillatory burst firing during periods of sleep and generalized epilepsy, while a functional triad between Ca(2+) influx through high-voltage-activated (most likely L-type) Ca(2+) channels, Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release via ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and a repolarizing mechanism (possibly via K(+) channels of the BK(Ca) type) supports tonic spike firing as required during wakefulness. The mechanisms seem to be located mostly at dendritic and somatic sites, respectively. One functional compartment involving local GABAergic interneurons in certain thalamic relay nuclei is the glomerulus, in which the dendritic release of GABA is regulated by Ca(2+) influx via canonical transient receptor potential channels (TRPC), thereby presumably enabling transmitters of extrathalamic input systems that are coupled to phospholipase C (PLC)-activating receptors to control feed-forward inhibition in the thalamus. Functional interplay between T-type Ca(2+) channels in dendrites and the A-type K(+) current controls burst firing, contributing to the range of oscillatory activity observed in these interneurons. GABAergic neurons in the reticular thalamic (RT) nucleus recruit a specific set of Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms for the generation of rhythmic burst firing, of which a particular T-type Ca(2+) channel in the dendritic membrane, the Ca(2+)-dependent activation of non-specific cation channels ( I(CAN)) and of K(+) channels (SK(Ca) type) are key players. Glial Ca(2+) signalling in the thalamus appears to be a basic mechanism of the dynamic and integrated exchange of information between glial cells and neurons. The conclusion from these observations is that a localized calcium signalling network exists in all neuronal and probably also glial cell types in the thalamus and that this network is dedicated to the precise regulation of the functional mode of the thalamus during various behavioural states.

Cortical diffusible factors increase MAP-2 immunoreactive neuronal population in thalamic cultures

Previous experiments have established that grafts of embryonic day (E) 16 frontal cortex placed into the occipital cortex of postnatal day (P) 0-P1 rats selectively attract axons from the ventrolateral and ventromedial (VL/VM) thalamic nuclei (Frappé et al., Exp. Neurol. 169 (2001) 264). The present study was therefore undertaken to identify any possible maturation-promoting activity of the cortex on VL/VM thalamic cells. In a first step, a primary culture of VL/VM thalamic cells taken from P0-P1 rats was developed. Neurons, glial cells and a few immature, nestin immunoreactive cells were identified in the culture. In a second step, VL/VM thalamic cells that had been maintained in vitro for 4-5 days were cultured for 7 additional days in isolation (control condition) or with an E16 or P5 explant of frontal or occipital cortex placed on a microporous membrane. In control conditions, the total cell population and the percentage of MAP-2 immunoreactive neurons were not modified with time. In contrast, the percentage of MAP-2 immunoreactive neurons was increased in E16 cortex co-cultures whereas the total cell population was unchanged and the proliferative activity remained very low. Also, the mean number of neurites per neuron was increased but no effect was found on neuritic length. Similar effects on neuronal maturation were found with E16 frontal or occipital cortex explants, indicating a lack of areal specificity. P5 cortex also produced, but to a lesser extent, an increase in percentage of MAP-2 immunoreactive neurons. Further, P5 cortex had no effect on mean number of neurites per neuron but substantially promoted elongation of neuronal processes. We propose that in addition to their well-established survival promoting effect, diffusible molecules released by embryonic and early postnatal cortex can promote in vitro the maturation of thalamic neurons.

Parvalbumin and calbindin are differentially distributed within primary and secondary subregions of the mouse auditory forebrain

The calcium binding proteins parvalbumin and calbindin are thought to differentially regulate physiological functions and often show complementary distributions in the CNS. Our goal was to determine parvalbumin and calbindin distributions in the different subdivisions of mouse auditory thalamus and auditory cortex. Following fixation, FVB mouse brains (postnatal days 38-80) were sectioned along coronal and horizontal planes, then processed for parvalbumin and calbindin immunohistochemistry (antibodies: parvalbumin pa-235, calbindin-d-28k cl-300). Strong complementary differences in calcium binding protein distributions were found in mouse auditory thalamus. The ventral division of the medial geniculate, which is the principal relay to primary auditory cortex, exhibited dense parvalbumin but weak calbindin immunoreactivity. In contrast, most of the 'secondary' auditory thalamic regions surrounding the ventral division showed strong calbindin and lighter parvalbumin levels. Thus, the mouse auditory thalamus is composed of a parvalbumin positive 'core' surrounded by a calbindin positive 'shell'. Parvalbumin immunoreactivity was also more prominent in the primary auditory cortex than in the secondary belt auditory cortex. Calbindin immunoreactivity in auditory cortex was less clearly divided along primary/secondary lines, especially in supragranular layers. However, within infragranular layers, there was heavier staining in belt areas than in primary auditory cortex. In auditory thalamus, parvalbumin labeling was largely confined to the neuropil, whereas calbindin labeling involved somata and neuropil. In auditory cortex, somata and neuropil were positive for both proteins.In summary, the calcium binding proteins parvalbumin and calbindin were found to be differentially distributed within the primary and non-primary regions of mouse auditory forebrain. These differences in protein distribution may contribute to the distinct types of physiological responses that occur in the primary vs. non-primary areas.

Vertical bias in dendritic trees of non-pyramidal neocortical neurons expressing GAD67-GFP in vitro

The neocortical neuropil has a strong vertical (orthogonal to pia) orientation, constraining the intracortical flow of information and forming the basis for the functional parcellation of the cortex into semi-independent vertical columns or 'modules'. Apical dendrites of excitatory pyramidal neurons are a major component of this vertical neuropil, but the extent to which inhibitory, GABAergic neurons conform to this structural and functional design is less well documented. We used a gene gun to transfect organotypic slice cultures of mouse and rat neocortex with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene driven by the promoter for glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67), an enzyme expressed exclusively in GABAergic cells. Many GAD67-GFP expressing cells were highly fluorescent, and their dendritic morphologies and axonal patterns, revealed in minute detail, were characteristic of GABAergic neurons. We traced 150 GFP-expressing neurons from confocal image stacks, and estimated the degree of vertical bias in their dendritic trees using a novel computational metric. Over 70% of the neurons in our sample had dendritic trees with a highly significant vertical bias. We conclude that GABAergic neurons make an important contribution to the vertical neocortical neuropil, and are likely to integrate synaptic inputs from axons terminating within their own module.

Muscarinic regulation of dendritic and axonal outputs of rat thalamic interneurons: a new cellular mechanism for uncoupling distal dendrites

Inhibition is crucial for sharpening the sensory information relayed through the thalamus. To understand how the interneuron-mediated inhibition in the thalamus is regulated, we studied the muscarinic effects on interneurons in the lateral posterior nucleus and lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. Here, we report that activation of muscarinic receptors switched the firing pattern in thalamic interneurons from bursting to tonic. Although neuromodulators switch the firing mode in several other types of neurons by altering their membrane potential, we found that activation of muscarinic subtype 2 receptors switched the fire mode in thalamic interneurons by selectively decreasing their input resistance. This is attributable to the muscarinic enhancement of a hyperpolarizing potassium conductance and two depolarizing cation conductances. The decrease in input resistance appeared to electrotonically uncouple the distal dendrites of thalamic interneurons, which effectively changed the inhibition pattern in thalamocortical cells. These results suggest a novel cellular mechanism for the cholinergic transformation of long-range, slow dendrite- and axon-originated inhibition into short-range, fast dendrite-originated inhibition in the thalamus observed in vivo. It is concluded that the electrotonic properties of the dendritic compartments of thalamic interneurons can be dynamically regulated by muscarinic activity.

Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release supports the relay mode of activity in thalamocortical cells

Ca2+ ions play an important role during rhythmic bursting of thalamocortical neurons within sleep. The function of Ca2+ during the tonic relay mode of these neurons during wakefulness is less clear. Here, we report that tonic activity in thalamocortical cells results in an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration and subsequent release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores mediated via ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Blockade of Ca2+ release shifted the regular firing of single action potentials toward the generation of spike clusters. Regular spike firing and intracellular Ca2+ release thus appear to be functionally coupled in a positive feedback manner, thereby supporting the relay mode of thalamocortical cells during wakefulness. Regulatory influences may be coupled to this system via the cyclic ADP ribose pathway.

Cellular reactivity to mechanical axonal injury in an organotypic in vitro model of neurotrauma

An in vitro model of traumatic brain injury is described that is based on organotypic cocultures (OTCs) of rat neocortex and thalamus connected by reciprocal axonal projections. Localized mechanical compression of this projection was inflicted with a mechanical device, and the effects on cell viability, axonal morphology, and protein expression levels were analyzed. Within 24 h after insult, major cell damage occurred in infragranular cortical layers containing the corticothalamic projection neurons and in thalamic regions adjacent to the mechanical impact as was assessed through the use of the vital stain Syto 21, and propidium iodide labeling. A small, but significant number of calretinin-positive interneurons in cortical and thalamic areas displayed symptoms of injury. Axonal elements, as revealed by neurofilament (NF-H/M) immunohistochemistry, in the corticothalamic transition zone displayed pathomorphological changes, such as axonal bulbs and swellings, already 4 h after insult. Densitometric analysis revealed that MAP-2a,b expression was not significantly changed within 4 h after injury. A significant reduction in MAP-2a,b amount was evident at 20 h after injury in thalamus (by 31.6%) and cortex (by 30%) maintained for 12 days in vitro (DIV), but not in OTCs aged 20 DIV. The axonally localized form MAP-2c significantly increased in cortex of 12-DIV OTCs at 4 and 20 h after insult (65.6% and 33.4%, respectively). MAP-2c levels in cortex of 20 DIV initially increased by 47.7% and declined below control values 20 h after injury. Thalamic areas revealed a delay in MAP-2c reactivity, in that expression was significantly elevated only at 20 h after injury (by 84.4% in 12-DIV and by 39.6% in 20-DIV OTCs, respectively). These data may reflect the regenerative ability of juvenile, but not of older neurons in response to mechanical axonal injury.