1
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Yang D, Qi G, Ort J, Witzig V, Bak A, Delev D, Koch H, Feldmeyer D. Modulation of large rhythmic depolarizations in human large basket cells by norepinephrine and acetylcholine. Commun Biol 2024; 7:885. [PMID: 39033173 PMCID: PMC11271271 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06546-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Rhythmic brain activity is critical to many brain functions and is sensitive to neuromodulation, but so far very few studies have investigated this activity on the cellular level in vitro in human brain tissue samples. This study reveals and characterizes a novel rhythmic network activity in the human neocortex. Using intracellular patch-clamp recordings of human cortical neurons, we identify large rhythmic depolarizations (LRDs) driven by glutamate release but not by GABA. These LRDs are intricate events made up of multiple depolarizing phases, occurring at ~0.3 Hz, have large amplitudes and long decay times. Unlike human tissue, rat neocortex layers 2/3 exhibit no such activity under identical conditions. LRDs are mainly observed in a subset of L2/3 interneurons that receive substantial excitatory inputs and are likely large basket cells based on their morphology. LRDs are highly sensitive to norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh), two neuromodulators that affect network dynamics. NE increases LRD frequency through β-adrenergic receptor activity while ACh decreases it via M4 muscarinic receptor activation. Multi-electrode array recordings show that NE enhances and synchronizes oscillatory network activity, whereas ACh causes desynchronization. Thus, NE and ACh distinctly modulate LRDs, exerting specific control over human neocortical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Yang
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Juelich, 52425, Juelich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Juelich, 52425, Juelich, Germany
| | - Jonas Ort
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Aachen (NAILA), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, Universities Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Bonn, Germany
| | - Victoria Witzig
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aniella Bak
- Department of Neurology, Section Epileptology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Daniel Delev
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Aachen (NAILA), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, Universities Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Bonn, Germany
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology, Section Epileptology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Juelich, 52425, Juelich, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany.
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2
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Ding C, Yang D, Feldmeyer D. Adenosinergic Modulation of Layer 6 Microcircuitry in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Is Specific to Presynaptic Cell Type. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1606232023. [PMID: 38429106 PMCID: PMC11007316 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1606-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Adenosinergic modulation in the PFC is recognized for its involvement in various behavioral aspects including sleep homoeostasis, decision-making, spatial working memory and anxiety. While the principal cells of layer 6 (L6) exhibit a significant morphological diversity, the detailed cell-specific regulatory mechanisms of adenosine in L6 remain unexplored. Here, we quantitatively analyzed the morphological and electrophysiological parameters of L6 neurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) using whole-cell recordings combined with morphological reconstructions. We were able to identify two different morphological categories of excitatory neurons in the mPFC of both juvenile and young adult rats with both sexes. These categories were characterized by a leading dendrite that was oriented either upright (toward the pial surface) or inverted (toward the white matter). These two excitatory neuron subtypes exhibited different electrophysiological and synaptic properties. Adenosine at a concentration of 30 µM indiscriminately suppressed connections with either an upright or an inverted presynaptic excitatory neuron. However, using lower concentrations of adenosine (10 µM) revealed that synapses originating from L6 upright neurons have a higher sensitivity to adenosine-induced inhibition of synaptic release. Adenosine receptor activation causes a reduction in the probability of presynaptic neurotransmitter release that could be abolished by specifically blocking A1 adenosine receptors (A1ARs) using 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT). Our results demonstrate a differential expression level of A1ARs at presynaptic sites of two functionally and morphologically distinct subpopulations of L6 principal neurons, suggesting the intricate functional role of adenosine in neuronal signaling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ding
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Juelich, Juelich 52425, Germany
| | - Danqing Yang
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Juelich, Juelich 52425, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Juelich, Juelich 52425, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen 52074, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen 52074, Germany
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3
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Ding L, Balsamo G, Diamantaki M, Preston-Ferrer P, Burgalossi A. Opto-juxtacellular interrogation of neural circuits in freely moving mice. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:2415-2440. [PMID: 37420087 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00842-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Neural circuits are assembled from an enormous variety of neuronal cell types. Although significant advances have been made in classifying neurons on the basis of morphological, molecular and electrophysiological properties, understanding how this diversity contributes to brain function during behavior has remained a major experimental challenge. Here, we present an extension to our previous protocol, in which we describe the technical procedures for performing juxtacellular opto-tagging of single neurons in freely moving mice by using Channelrhodopsin-2-expressing viral vectors. This method allows one to selectively target molecularly defined cell classes for in vivo single-cell recordings. The targeted cells can be labeled via juxtacellular procedures and further characterized via post-hoc morphological and molecular analysis. In its current form, the protocol allows multiple recording and labeling attempts to be performed within individual animals, by means of a mechanical pipette micropositioning system. We provide proof-of-principle validation of this technique by recording from Calbindin-positive pyramidal neurons in the mouse hippocampus during spatial exploration; however, this approach can easily be extended to other behaviors and cortical or subcortical areas. The procedures described here, from the viral injection to the histological processing of brain sections, can be completed in ~4-5 weeks.This protocol is an extension to: Nat. Protoc. 9, 2369-2381 (2014): https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2014.161.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjun Ding
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience-International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Balsamo
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience-International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Maria Diamantaki
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience-International Max-Planck Research School (IMPRS), Tübingen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Patricia Preston-Ferrer
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Andrea Burgalossi
- Institute of Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Werner-Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany.
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4
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Qi G, Feldmeyer D. Cell-Type Specific Neuromodulation of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons via Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Layer 4 of Rat Barrel Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:843025. [PMID: 35250496 PMCID: PMC8894850 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.843025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuromodulator acetylcholine (ACh) plays an important role in arousal, attention, vigilance, learning and memory. ACh is released during different behavioural states and affects the brain microcircuit by regulating neuronal and synaptic properties. Here, we investigated how a low concentration of ACh (30 μM) affects the intrinsic properties of electrophysiologically and morphologically identified excitatory and inhibitory neurons in layer 4 (L4) of rat barrel cortex. ACh altered the membrane potential of L4 neurons in a heterogeneous manner. Nearly all L4 regular spiking (RS) excitatory neurons responded to bath-application of ACh with a M4 muscarinic ACh receptor-mediated hyperpolarisation. In contrast, in the majority of L4 fast spiking (FS) and non-fast spiking (nFS) interneurons 30 μM ACh induced a depolarisation while the remainder showed a hyperpolarisation or no response. The ACh-induced depolarisation of L4 FS interneurons was much weaker than that in L4 nFS interneurons. There was no clear difference in the response to ACh for three morphological subtypes of L4 FS interneurons. However, in four morpho-electrophysiological subtypes of L4 nFS interneurons, VIP+-like interneurons showed the strongest ACh-induced depolarisation; occasionally, even action potential firing was elicited. The ACh-induced depolarisation in L4 FS interneurons was exclusively mediated by M1 muscarinic ACh receptors; in L4 nFS interneurons it was mainly mediated by M1 and/or M3/5 muscarinic ACh receptors. In a subset of L4 nFS interneurons, a co-operative activation of muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors was also observed. The present study demonstrates that low-concentrations of ACh affect different L4 neuron types in a cell-type specific way. These effects result from a specific expression of different muscarinic and/or nicotinic ACh receptors on the somatodendritic compartments of L4 neurons. This suggests that even at low concentrations ACh may tune the excitability of L4 excitatory and inhibitory neurons and their synaptic microcircuits differentially depending on the behavioural state during which ACh is released.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Reseach Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Guanxiao Qi,
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Reseach Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance-Brain, Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
- Dirk Feldmeyer,
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5
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Yang D, Qi G, Ding C, Feldmeyer D. Layer 6A Pyramidal Cell Subtypes Form Synaptic Microcircuits with Distinct Functional and Structural Properties. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2095-2111. [PMID: 34628499 PMCID: PMC9113278 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical layer 6 plays a crucial role in sensorimotor co-ordination and integration through functionally segregated circuits linking intracortical and subcortical areas. We performed whole-cell recordings combined with morphological reconstructions to identify morpho-electric types of layer 6A pyramidal cells (PCs) in rat barrel cortex. Cortico-thalamic (CT), cortico-cortical (CC), and cortico-claustral (CCla) PCs were classified based on their distinct morphologies and have been shown to exhibit different electrophysiological properties. We demonstrate that these three types of layer 6A PCs innervate neighboring excitatory neurons with distinct synaptic properties: CT PCs establish weak facilitating synapses onto other L6A PCs; CC PCs form synapses of moderate efficacy, while synapses made by putative CCla PCs display the highest release probability and a marked short-term depression. For excitatory-inhibitory synaptic connections in layer 6, both the presynaptic PC type and the postsynaptic interneuron type govern the dynamic properties of the respective synaptic connections. We have identified a functional division of local layer 6A excitatory microcircuits which may be responsible for the differential temporal engagement of layer 6 feed-forward and feedback networks. Our results provide a basis for further investigations on the long-range CC, CT, and CCla pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Yang
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Chao Ding
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Center Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, 52425 Juelich, Germany.,RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Dept of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany
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6
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Newkirk GS, Guan D, Dembrow N, Armstrong WE, Foehring RC, Spain WJ. Kv2.1 Potassium Channels Regulate Repetitive Burst Firing in Extratelencephalic Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1055-1076. [PMID: 34435615 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coincidence detection and cortical rhythmicity are both greatly influenced by neurons' propensity to fire bursts of action potentials. In the neocortex, repetitive burst firing can also initiate abnormal neocortical rhythmicity (including epilepsy). Bursts are generated by inward currents that underlie a fast afterdepolarization (fADP) but less is known about outward currents that regulate bursting. We tested whether Kv2 channels regulate the fADP and burst firing in labeled layer 5 PNs from motor cortex of the Thy1-h mouse. Kv2 block with guangxitoxin-1E (GTx) converted single spike responses evoked by dendritic stimulation into multispike bursts riding on an enhanced fADP. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Thy1-h PNs expressed Kv2.1 (not Kv2.2) channels perisomatically (not in the dendrites). In somatic macropatches, GTx-sensitive current was the largest component of outward current with biophysical properties well-suited for regulating bursting. GTx drove ~40% of Thy1 PNs stimulated with noisy somatic current steps to repetitive burst firing and shifted the maximal frequency-dependent gain. A network model showed that reduction of Kv2-like conductance in a small subset of neurons resulted in repetitive bursting and entrainment of the circuit to seizure-like rhythmic activity. Kv2 channels play a dominant role in regulating onset bursts and preventing repetitive bursting in Thy1 PNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg S Newkirk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dongxu Guan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Nikolai Dembrow
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Epilepsy Center of Excellence, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - William E Armstrong
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Robert C Foehring
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - William J Spain
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Epilepsy Center of Excellence, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
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7
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Lee BR, Budzillo A, Hadley K, Miller JA, Jarsky T, Baker K, Hill D, Kim L, Mann R, Ng L, Oldre A, Rajanbabu R, Trinh J, Vargas S, Braun T, Dalley RA, Gouwens NW, Kalmbach BE, Kim TK, Smith KA, Soler-Llavina G, Sorensen S, Tasic B, Ting JT, Lein E, Zeng H, Murphy GJ, Berg J. Scaled, high fidelity electrophysiological, morphological, and transcriptomic cell characterization. eLife 2021; 10:e65482. [PMID: 34387544 PMCID: PMC8428855 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Patch-seq approach is a powerful variation of the patch-clamp technique that allows for the combined electrophysiological, morphological, and transcriptomic characterization of individual neurons. To generate Patch-seq datasets at scale, we identified and refined key factors that contribute to the efficient collection of high-quality data. We developed patch-clamp electrophysiology software with analysis functions specifically designed to automate acquisition with online quality control. We recognized the importance of extracting the nucleus for transcriptomic success and maximizing membrane integrity during nucleus extraction for morphology success. The protocol is generalizable to different species and brain regions, as demonstrated by capturing multimodal data from human and macaque brain slices. The protocol, analysis and acquisition software are compiled at https://githubcom/AllenInstitute/patchseqtools. This resource can be used by individual labs to generate data across diverse mammalian species and that is compatible with large publicly available Patch-seq datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Lee
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Tim Jarsky
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | | | - DiJon Hill
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Lisa Kim
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Rusty Mann
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Lindsay Ng
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Aaron Oldre
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Ram Rajanbabu
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Jessica Trinh
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Sara Vargas
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Brian E Kalmbach
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Tae Kyung Kim
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | | | | | | | | | - Jonathan T Ting
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Ed Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Hongkui Zeng
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
| | - Gabe J Murphy
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Jim Berg
- Allen Institute for Brain ScienceSeattleUnited States
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8
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Nagaeva E, Zubarev I, Korpi ER. Electrophysiological Properties of Neurons: Current-Clamp Recordings in Mouse Brain Slices and Firing-Pattern Analysis. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4061. [PMID: 34263004 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterization of an electrically active cell, such as a neuron, demands measurement of its electrical properties. Due to differences in gene activation, location, innervation patterns, and functions, the millions of neurons in the mammalian brain are tremendously diverse in their membrane characteristics and abilities to generate action potentials. These features can be measured with a patch-clamp technique in whole-cell current-clamp configuration followed by detailed post-hoc analysis of firing patterns. This analysis can be time-consuming, and different laboratories have their own methods to perform it, either manually or with custom-written scripts. Here, we describe in detail a protocol for firing-pattern registration in neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as an example and introduce a software for its fast and convenient analysis. With the help of this article, other research groups can easily apply this method and generate unified types of data that are comparable between brain regions and various studies. Graphic abstract: Workflow of the Protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Nagaeva
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ivan Zubarev
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, 11000 Espoo, Finland
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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9
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Barz CS, Garderes PM, Ganea DA, Reischauer S, Feldmeyer D, Haiss F. Functional and Structural Properties of Highly Responsive Somatosensory Neurons in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4533-4553. [PMID: 33963394 PMCID: PMC8408454 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sparse population activity is a well-known feature of supragranular sensory neurons in neocortex. The mechanisms underlying sparseness are not well understood because a direct link between the neurons activated in vivo, and their cellular properties investigated in vitro has been missing. We used two-photon calcium imaging to identify a subset of neurons in layer L2/3 (L2/3) of mouse primary somatosensory cortex that are highly active following principal whisker vibrotactile stimulation. These high responders (HRs) were then tagged using photoconvertible green fluorescent protein for subsequent targeting in the brain slice using intracellular patch-clamp recordings and biocytin staining. This approach allowed us to investigate the structural and functional properties of HRs that distinguish them from less active control cells. Compared to less responsive L2/3 neurons, HRs displayed increased levels of stimulus-evoked and spontaneous activity, elevated noise and spontaneous pairwise correlations, and stronger coupling to the population response. Intrinsic excitability was reduced in HRs, while we found no evidence for differences in other electrophysiological and morphological parameters. Thus, the choice of which neurons participate in stimulus encoding may be determined largely by network connectivity rather than by cellular structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Barz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance - Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - P M Garderes
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - D A Ganea
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Biomedical Department, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - S Reischauer
- Medical Clinic I, (Cardiology/Angiology) and Campus Kerckhoff, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35390 Giessen Germany.,Department of Developmental Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany.,Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - D Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance - Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - F Haiss
- IZKF Aachen, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Unit of Neural Circuits Dynamics and Decision Making, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
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10
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Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model organism used to study circadian rhythms, historically for elucidating the molecular basis of the clock and, more recently, for allowing for dissection of neural circuits underlying rhythmic behavior. The fly can be used to investigate the neuronal basis of complex behaviors at single-neuron resolution. Patch clamp electrophysiology permits single-neuron recording of resting membrane potential and action potential firing in response to genetic or environmental manipulations or application of drugs and neurotransmitters. Here we describe a protocol for dissecting Drosophila brains for electrophysiology, setting up and using a patch clamp system, and analyzing firing data around the circadian day and in stimulation-response experiments to test for functional neuronal connectivity in circadian circuits.
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11
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Abstract
This protocol describes stable in vivo recordings of neuronal membrane potential in awake behaving, head-fixed mice. Previous protocols often highlight the need to minimize animal movements by anesthesia or restraint. This protocol is optimized to minimize brain movements during animal motion and has been used to record neurons in the olfactory bulb and visual cortex during active licking and locomotion behaviors. Under optimal conditions, success rates lie between 30% and 50% (recordings per microelectrode), with durations of up to 30 min. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Jordan et al. (2018) and Jordan and Keller (2020). Protocol for stable head plate and recording chamber implantation Instructions for stable and clean craniotomy and durectomy Step-by-step guide for blind whole-cell recordings in mouse dorsal brain structures Additional instructions for pipette retraction after neuronal filling
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Jordan
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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12
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Brennan EKW, Sudhakar SK, Jedrasiak-Cape I, John TT, Ahmed OJ. Hyperexcitable Neurons Enable Precise and Persistent Information Encoding in the Superficial Retrosplenial Cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 30:1598-1612.e8. [PMID: 32023472 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is essential for memory and navigation, but the neural codes underlying these functions remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the most prominent cell type in layers 2/3 (L2/3) of the mouse granular RSC is a hyperexcitable, small pyramidal cell. These cells have a low rheobase (LR), high input resistance, lack of spike frequency adaptation, and spike widths intermediate to those of neighboring fast-spiking (FS) inhibitory neurons and regular-spiking (RS) excitatory neurons. LR cells are excitatory but rarely synapse onto neighboring neurons. Instead, L2/3 is a feedforward, not feedback, inhibition-dominated network with dense connectivity between FS cells and from FS to LR neurons. Biophysical models of LR but not RS cells precisely and continuously encode sustained input from afferent postsubicular head-direction cells. Thus, the distinct intrinsic properties of LR neurons can support both the precision and persistence necessary to encode information over multiple timescales in the RSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen K W Brennan
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | | | - Tibin T John
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Omar J Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Kresge Hearing Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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13
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Ding C, Emmenegger V, Schaffrath K, Feldmeyer D. Layer-Specific Inhibitory Microcircuits of Layer 6 Interneurons in Rat Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:32-47. [PMID: 32829414 PMCID: PMC7727376 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons in different cortical areas play important roles in diverse higher-order cognitive functions. The heterogeneity of interneurons is well characterized in different sensory cortices, in particular in primary somatosensory and visual cortex. However, the structural and functional properties of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) interneurons have received less attention. In this study, a cluster analysis based on axonal projection patterns revealed four distinct clusters of L6 interneurons in rat mPFC: Cluster 1 interneurons showed axonal projections similar to Martinotti-like cells extending to layer 1, cluster 2 displayed translaminar projections mostly to layer 5, and cluster 3 interneuron axons were confined to the layer 6, whereas those of cluster 4 interneurons extend also into the white matter. Correlations were found between neuron location and axonal distribution in all clusters. Moreover, all cluster 1 L6 interneurons showed a monotonically adapting firing pattern with an initial high-frequency burst. All cluster 2 interneurons were fast-spiking, while neurons in cluster 3 and 4 showed heterogeneous firing patterns. Our data suggest that L6 interneurons that have distinct morphological and physiological characteristics are likely to innervate different targets in mPFC and thus play differential roles in the L6 microcircuitry and in mPFC-associated functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ding
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Vishalini Emmenegger
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kim Schaffrath
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Medical School, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10 Function of Cortical Microcircuits Group, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Translational Brain Medicine, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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14
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Age-dependent shift in spontaneous excitation-inhibition balance of infralimbic prefrontal layer II/III neurons is accelerated by early life stress, independent of forebrain mineralocorticoid receptor expression. Neuropharmacology 2020; 180:108294. [PMID: 32882227 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study we tested the hypothesis i) that age-dependent shifts in the excitation-inhibition balance of prefrontal neurons are accelerated by early life stress, a risk factor for the etiology of many psychiatric disorders; and if so, ii) that this process is exacerbated by genetic forebrain-specific downregulation of the mineralocorticoid receptor, a receptor that was earlier found to be a protective factor for negative effects of early life stress in both rodents and humans. In agreement with the literature, an age-dependent downregulation of the excitation-inhibition balance was found both with regard to spontaneous and evoked synaptic currents. The age-dependent shift in spontaneous excitatory relative to inhibitory currents was significantly accelerated by early life stress, but this was not exacerbated by reduction in mineralocorticoid receptor expression. The age-dependent changes in the excitation-inhibition balance were mirrored by similar changes in receptor subunit expression and morphological alterations, particularly in spine density, which could thus potentially contribute to the functional changes. However, none of these parameters displayed acceleration by early life stress, nor depended on mineralocorticoid receptor expression. We conclude that, in agreement with the hypothesis, early life stress accelerates the developmental shift of the excitation-inhibition balance but, contrary to expectation, there is no evidence for a putative protective role of the mineralocorticoid receptor in this system. In view of the modest effect of early life stress on the excitation-inhibition balance, alternative mechanisms potentially underlying the development of psychiatric disorders should be further explored.
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15
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Robles RM, Domínguez-Sala E, Martínez S, Geijo-Barrientos E. Layer 2/3 Pyramidal Neurons of the Mouse Granular Retrosplenial Cortex and Their Innervation by Cortico-Cortical Axons. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:576504. [PMID: 33224026 PMCID: PMC7669619 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.576504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The retrosplenial cortex forms part of the cingulate cortex and is involved in memory and navigation. It is ventral region, the granular retrosplenial cortex, or GRSC is characterized by the presence, of small pyramidal neurons with a distinctive late-spiking (LS) firing pattern in layer 2/3. Using in vitro brain slices of the mouse GRSC we have studied the electrophysiological properties and synaptic responses of these LS neurons, comparing them with neighboring non-LS pyramidal neurons. LS and non-LS neurons showed different responses during cortical propagation of epileptiform discharges. All non-LS neurons generated large supra-threshold excitatory responses that generated bursts of action potentials. Contrastingly, the LS neurons showed small, and invariably subthreshold excitatory synaptic potentials. Although both types of pyramidal neurons were readily intermingled in the GRSC, we observed differences in their innervation by cortico-cortical axons. The application of glutamate to activate cortical neurons evoked synaptic responses in LS neurons only when applied at less than 250 μm, while in non-LS neurons we found synaptic responses when glutamate was applied at larger distances. Analysis of the synaptic responses evoked by long-range cortico-cortical axons (with the origin at 1200 μm from the recorded neurons or in the contralateral hemisphere) confirmed that non-LS neurons were strongly innervated by these axons, while they evoked only small responses or no response at all in the LS neurons (contralateral stimulation, non-LS: 194.0 ± 196.63 pA, n = 22; LS: 51.91 ± 35.26 pA, n = 10; p = 0.004). The excitatory/inhibitory balance was similar in both types of pyramidal neurons, but the latency of the EPSCs evoked by long-range cortico-cortical axons was longer in LS neurons (contralateral stimulation non-LS: 8.13 ± 1.23 ms, n = 17; LS: 10.76 ± 1.58 ms, n = 7; p = 0.004) suggesting a disynaptic mechanism. Our findings highlight the differential cortico-cortical axonal innervation of LS and non-LS pyramidal neurons, and that the two types of neurons are incorporated in different cortico-cortical neuronal circuits. This strongly suggests that the functional organization of the dorsal part of the GRSC is based on independent cortico-cortical circuits (among other elements).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita M Robles
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Campus de San Juan, Alicante, Spain
| | - Eduardo Domínguez-Sala
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Campus de San Juan, Alicante, Spain
| | - Salvador Martínez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Campus de San Juan, Alicante, Spain.,CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Geijo-Barrientos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Campus de San Juan, Alicante, Spain
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16
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VEGF-D Downregulation in CA1 Pyramidal Neurons Exerts Asymmetric Changes of Dendritic Morphology without Correlated Electrophysiological Alterations. Neuroscience 2020; 448:28-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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17
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Minimizing shrinkage of acute brain slices using metal spacers during histological embedding. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2577-2589. [PMID: 32918613 PMCID: PMC7544706 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02141-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The morphological structure of neurons provides the basis for their functions and is a major focus of contemporary neuroscience studies. Intracellular staining of single cells in acute slices is a well-established approach, offering high-resolution information on neuronal morphology, complementing their physiology. Despite major technical advances, however, a common histological artifact often precludes precise morphological analysis: shrinkage of the sampled tissue after embedding for microscopy. Here, we describe a new approach using a metal spacer, sandwiched between two coverslips to reduce shrinkage of whole-mount slice preparations during embedding with aqueous mounting medium under a coverslip. This approach additionally allows imaging the slices from both sides to obtain better quality images of deeper structures. We demonstrate that the use of this spacer system can efficiently and stably reduce the shrinkage of slices, whereas conventional embedding methods without spacer or with agar spacer cause severe, progressive shrinkage after embedding. We further show that the shrinkage of slices is not uniform and artifacts in morphology and anatomical parameters produced cannot be compensated using linear correction algorithms. Our study, thus, emphasizes the importance of preventing the deformation of slice preparations and offers an effective means for reducing shrinkage and associated artifacts during embedding.
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18
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Frandolig JE, Matney CJ, Lee K, Kim J, Chevée M, Kim SJ, Bickert AA, Brown SP. The Synaptic Organization of Layer 6 Circuits Reveals Inhibition as a Major Output of a Neocortical Sublamina. Cell Rep 2020; 28:3131-3143.e5. [PMID: 31533036 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical cortical microcircuit has principally been defined by interlaminar excitatory connections among the six layers of the neocortex. However, excitatory neurons in layer 6 (L6), a layer whose functional organization is poorly understood, form relatively rare synaptic connections with other cortical excitatory neurons. Here, we show that the vast majority of parvalbumin inhibitory neurons in a sublamina within L6 send axons through the cortical layers toward the pia. These interlaminar inhibitory neurons receive local synaptic inputs from both major types of L6 excitatory neurons and receive stronger input from thalamocortical afferents than do neighboring pyramidal neurons. The distribution of these interlaminar interneurons and their synaptic connectivity further support a functional subdivision within the standard six layers of the cortex. Positioned to integrate local and long-distance inputs in this sublayer, these interneurons generate an inhibitory interlaminar output. These findings call for a revision to the canonical cortical microcircuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Ellen Frandolig
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chanel Joylae Matney
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kihwan Lee
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Su-Jeong Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Aaron Andrew Bickert
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Solange Pezon Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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19
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Nagaeva E, Zubarev I, Bengtsson Gonzales C, Forss M, Nikouei K, de Miguel E, Elsilä L, Linden AM, Hjerling-Leffler J, Augustine GJ, Korpi ER. Heterogeneous somatostatin-expressing neuron population in mouse ventral tegmental area. eLife 2020; 9:59328. [PMID: 32749220 PMCID: PMC7440918 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular architecture of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the main hub of the brain reward system, remains only partially characterized. To extend the characterization to inhibitory neurons, we have identified three distinct subtypes of somatostatin (Sst)-expressing neurons in the mouse VTA. These neurons differ in their electrophysiological and morphological properties, anatomical localization, as well as mRNA expression profiles. Importantly, similar to cortical Sst-containing interneurons, most VTA Sst neurons express GABAergic inhibitory markers, but some of them also express glutamatergic excitatory markers and a subpopulation even express dopaminergic markers. Furthermore, only some of the proposed marker genes for cortical Sst neurons were expressed in the VTA Sst neurons. Physiologically, one of the VTA Sst neuron subtypes locally inhibited neighboring dopamine neurons. Overall, our results demonstrate the remarkable complexity and heterogeneity of VTA Sst neurons and suggest that these cells are multifunctional players in the midbrain reward circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Nagaeva
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ivan Zubarev
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Mikko Forss
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kasra Nikouei
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena de Miguel
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lauri Elsilä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni-Maija Linden
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jens Hjerling-Leffler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - George J Augustine
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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20
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Nagaeva E, Zubarev I, Bengtsson Gonzales C, Forss M, Nikouei K, de Miguel E, Elsilä L, Linden AM, Hjerling-Leffler J, Augustine GJ, Korpi ER. Heterogeneous somatostatin-expressing neuron population in mouse ventral tegmental area. eLife 2020. [PMID: 32749220 DOI: 10.1038/gene] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular architecture of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the main hub of the brain reward system, remains only partially characterized. To extend the characterization to inhibitory neurons, we have identified three distinct subtypes of somatostatin (Sst)-expressing neurons in the mouse VTA. These neurons differ in their electrophysiological and morphological properties, anatomical localization, as well as mRNA expression profiles. Importantly, similar to cortical Sst-containing interneurons, most VTA Sst neurons express GABAergic inhibitory markers, but some of them also express glutamatergic excitatory markers and a subpopulation even express dopaminergic markers. Furthermore, only some of the proposed marker genes for cortical Sst neurons were expressed in the VTA Sst neurons. Physiologically, one of the VTA Sst neuron subtypes locally inhibited neighboring dopamine neurons. Overall, our results demonstrate the remarkable complexity and heterogeneity of VTA Sst neurons and suggest that these cells are multifunctional players in the midbrain reward circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Nagaeva
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ivan Zubarev
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | | | - Mikko Forss
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kasra Nikouei
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena de Miguel
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lauri Elsilä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni-Maija Linden
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jens Hjerling-Leffler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - George J Augustine
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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21
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Qi G, Yang D, Ding C, Feldmeyer D. Unveiling the Synaptic Function and Structure Using Paired Recordings From Synaptically Coupled Neurons. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:5. [PMID: 32116641 PMCID: PMC7026682 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission between neurons is the basic mechanism for information processing in cortical microcircuits. To date, paired recording from synaptically coupled neurons is the most widely used method which allows a detailed functional characterization of unitary synaptic transmission at the cellular and synaptic level in combination with a structural characterization of both pre- and postsynaptic neurons at the light and electron microscopic level. In this review, we will summarize the many applications of paired recordings to investigate synaptic function and structure. Paired recordings have been used to study the detailed electrophysiological and anatomical properties of synaptically coupled cell pairs within a synaptic microcircuit; this is critical in order to understand the connectivity rules and dynamic properties of synaptic transmission. Paired recordings can also be adopted for quantal analysis of an identified synaptic connection and to study the regulation of synaptic transmission by neuromodulators such as acetylcholine, the monoamines, neuropeptides, and adenosine etc. Taken together, paired recordings from synaptically coupled neurons will remain a very useful approach for a detailed characterization of synaptic transmission not only in the rodent brain but also that of other species including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Danqing Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Chao Ding
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany
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22
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Three-dimensional reconstruction of Picea wilsonii Mast. pollen grains using automated electron microscopy. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2019; 63:171-179. [PMID: 31625022 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-019-9820-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM) has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to provide detailed information with respect to developmental analysis. However, large-scale high-resolution 3D reconstruction of biological samples remains challenging. Herein, we present a 3D view of a Picea wilsonii Mast. pollen grain with 100 nm axial and 38.57 nm lateral resolution using AutoCUTS-SEM (automatic collector of ultrathin sections-scanning electron microscopy). We established a library of 3,127 100 nm thick serial sections of pollen grains for preservation and observation, demonstrating that the protocol can be used to analyze large-volume samples. After obtaining the SEM images, we reconstructed an entire pollen grain comprising 734 serial sections. The images produced by 3D reconstruction clearly revealed the main components of the P. wilsonii pollen grain, i.e., two sacci and pollen corpus, tube cell, generative cell, and two degenerated prothallial cells, and their internal organization. In addition, we performed a quantitative analysis of the different pollen grain cells, including sacci, and found that there were 202 connections within a saccus SEM image. Thus, for the first time, this study provided a global 3D view of the entire pollen grain, which will be useful for analyzing pollen development and growth.
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23
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Brigidi GS, Hayes MGB, Delos Santos NP, Hartzell AL, Texari L, Lin PA, Bartlett A, Ecker JR, Benner C, Heinz S, Bloodgood BL. Genomic Decoding of Neuronal Depolarization by Stimulus-Specific NPAS4 Heterodimers. Cell 2019; 179:373-391.e27. [PMID: 31585079 PMCID: PMC6800120 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cells regulate gene expression in response to salient external stimuli. In neurons, depolarization leads to the expression of inducible transcription factors (ITFs) that direct subsequent gene regulation. Depolarization encodes both a neuron's action potential (AP) output and synaptic inputs, via excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). However, it is unclear if distinct types of electrical activity can be transformed by an ITF into distinct modes of genomic regulation. Here, we show that APs and EPSPs in mouse hippocampal neurons trigger two spatially segregated and molecularly distinct induction mechanisms that lead to the expression of the ITF NPAS4. These two pathways culminate in the formation of stimulus-specific NPAS4 heterodimers that exhibit distinct DNA binding patterns. Thus, NPAS4 differentially communicates increases in a neuron's spiking output and synaptic inputs to the nucleus, enabling gene regulation to be tailored to the type of depolarizing activity along the somato-dendritic axis of a neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Stefano Brigidi
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Michael G B Hayes
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Nathaniel P Delos Santos
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Andrea L Hartzell
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Lorane Texari
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Pei-Ann Lin
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Anna Bartlett
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Joseph R Ecker
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christopher Benner
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Sven Heinz
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA
| | - Brenda L Bloodgood
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA.
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24
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Scala F, Kobak D, Shan S, Bernaerts Y, Laturnus S, Cadwell CR, Hartmanis L, Froudarakis E, Castro JR, Tan ZH, Papadopoulos S, Patel SS, Sandberg R, Berens P, Jiang X, Tolias AS. Layer 4 of mouse neocortex differs in cell types and circuit organization between sensory areas. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4174. [PMID: 31519874 PMCID: PMC6744474 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Layer 4 (L4) of mammalian neocortex plays a crucial role in cortical information processing, yet a complete census of its cell types and connectivity remains elusive. Using whole-cell recordings with morphological recovery, we identified one major excitatory and seven inhibitory types of neurons in L4 of adult mouse visual cortex (V1). Nearly all excitatory neurons were pyramidal and all somatostatin-positive (SOM+) non-fast-spiking interneurons were Martinotti cells. In contrast, in somatosensory cortex (S1), excitatory neurons were mostly stellate and SOM+ interneurons were non-Martinotti. These morphologically distinct SOM+ interneurons corresponded to different transcriptomic cell types and were differentially integrated into the local circuit with only S1 neurons receiving local excitatory input. We propose that cell type specific circuit motifs, such as the Martinotti/pyramidal and non-Martinotti/stellate pairs, are used across the cortex as building blocks to assemble cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Scala
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dmitry Kobak
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Shen Shan
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yves Bernaerts
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sophie Laturnus
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Cathryn Rene Cadwell
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leonard Hartmanis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emmanouil Froudarakis
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jesus Ramon Castro
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zheng Huan Tan
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stelios Papadopoulos
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Saumil Surendra Patel
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philipp Berens
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaolong Jiang
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Andreas Savas Tolias
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computational Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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25
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Lukas M, Suyama H, Egger V. Vasopressin Cells in the Rodent Olfactory Bulb Resemble Non-Bursting Superficial Tufted Cells and Are Primarily Inhibited upon Olfactory Nerve Stimulation. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0431-18.2019. [PMID: 31217196 PMCID: PMC6620393 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0431-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic vasopressin system of the olfactory bulb is involved in social odor processing and consists of glutamatergic vasopressin cells (VPCs) located at the medial border of the glomerular layer. To characterize VPCs in detail, we combined various electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, and two-photon Ca2+ imaging techniques in acute bulb slices from juvenile transgenic rats with eGFP-labeled VPCs. VPCs showed regular non-bursting firing patterns, and displayed slower membrane time constants and higher input resistances versus other glutamatergic tufted cell types. VPC axons spread deeply into the external plexiform and superficial granule cell layer (GCL). Axonal projections fell into two subclasses, with either denser local columnar collaterals or longer-ranging single projections running laterally within the internal plexiform layer and deeper within the granule cell layer. VPCs always featured lateral dendrites and a tortuous apical dendrite that innervated a single glomerulus with a homogenously branching tuft. These tufts lacked Ca2+ transients in response to single somatically-evoked action potentials and showed a moderate Ca2+ increase upon prolonged action potential trains.Notably, electrical olfactory nerve stimulation did not result in synaptic excitation of VPCs, but triggered substantial GABAA receptor-mediated IPSPs that masked excitatory barrages with yet longer latency. Exogenous vasopressin application reduced those IPSPs, as well as olfactory nerve-evoked EPSPs recorded from external tufted cells. In summary, VPCs can be classified as non-bursting, vertical superficial tufted cells. Moreover, our findings imply that sensory input alone cannot trigger excitation of VPCs, arguing for specific additional pathways for excitation or disinhibition in social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lukas
- Institute of Zoology, Neurophysiology, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hajime Suyama
- Institute of Zoology, Neurophysiology, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Veronica Egger
- Institute of Zoology, Neurophysiology, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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26
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Emmenegger V, Qi G, Wang H, Feldmeyer D. Morphological and Functional Characterization of Non-fast-Spiking GABAergic Interneurons in Layer 4 Microcircuitry of Rat Barrel Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:1439-1457. [PMID: 29329401 PMCID: PMC6093438 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons are notorious for their heterogeneity, despite constituting a small fraction of the neuronal population in the neocortex. Classification of interneurons is crucial for understanding their widespread cortical functions as they provide a complex and dynamic network, balancing excitation and inhibition. Here, we investigated different types of non-fast-spiking (nFS) interneurons in Layer 4 (L4) of rat barrel cortex using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings with biocytin-filling. Based on a quantitative analysis on a combination of morphological and electrophysiological parameters, we identified 5 distinct types of L4 nFS interneurons: 1) trans-columnar projecting interneurons, 2) locally projecting non-Martinotti-like interneurons, 3) supra-granular projecting Martinotti-like interneurons, 4) intra-columnar projecting VIP-like interneurons, and 5) locally projecting neurogliaform-like interneurons. Trans-columnar projecting interneurons are one of the most striking interneuron types, which have not been described so far in Layer 4. They feature extensive axonal collateralization not only in their home barrel but also in adjacent barrels. Furthermore, we identified that most of the L4 nFS interneurons express somatostatin, while few are positive for the transcription factor Prox1. The morphological and electrophysiological characterization of different L4 nFS interneuron types presented here provides insights into their synaptic connectivity and functional role in cortical information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishalini Emmenegger
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2 and INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Biosystems Sciences and Engineering, Bio Engineering Lab, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2 and INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Haijun Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2 and INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- School of Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2 and INM-10, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), Aachen, Germany
- Address correspondence to Dirk Feldmeyer, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2), Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
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27
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Riedemann S, Sutor B, Bergami M, Riedemann T. Gad1-promotor-driven GFP expression in non-GABAergic neurons of the nucleus endopiriformis in a transgenic mouse line. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:2215-2232. [PMID: 30847931 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic animals have become a widely used model to identify and study specific cell types in whole organs. Promotor-driven reporter gene labeling of the cells under investigation has promoted experimental efficacy to a large degree. However, rigorous assessment of transgene expression specificity in these animal models is highly recommended to validate cellular identity and to isolate potentially mislabeled cell populations. Here, we report on one such mislabeled neuron population in a widely used transgenic mouse line in which GABAergic somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SOMpos INs) are labeled by eGFP (so-called GIN mouse, FVB-Tg(GadGFP)45704Swn/J). These neurons represent a subpopulation of all SOMpos INs. However, we report here on GFP labeling of non-GABAergic neurons in the nucleus endopiriformis of this mouse line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Riedemann
- Department of Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Sutor
- Department of Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Matteo Bergami
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD) and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Therese Riedemann
- Department of Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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28
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Yang D, Günter R, Qi G, Radnikow G, Feldmeyer D. Muscarinic and Nicotinic Modulation of Neocortical Layer 6A Synaptic Microcircuits Is Cooperative and Cell-Specific. Cereb Cortex 2019; 30:3528-3542. [PMID: 32026946 PMCID: PMC7233001 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) is known to regulate cortical activity during different behavioral states, for example, wakefulness and attention. Here we show a differential expression of muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) and nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) in different layer 6A (L6A) pyramidal cell (PC) types of somatosensory cortex. At low concentrations, ACh induced a persistent hyperpolarization in corticocortical (CC) but a depolarization in corticothalamic (CT) L6A PCs via M 4 and M1 mAChRs, respectively. At ~ 1 mM, ACh depolarized exclusively CT PCs via α4β2 subunit-containing nAChRs without affecting CC PCs. Miniature EPSC frequency in CC PCs was decreased by ACh but increased in CT PCs. In synaptic connections with a presynaptic CC PC, glutamate release was suppressed via M4 mAChR activation but enhanced by nAChRs via α4β2 nAChRs when the presynaptic neuron was a CT PC. Thus, in L6A, the interaction of mAChRs and nAChRs results in an altered excitability and synaptic release, effectively strengthening CT output while weakening CC synaptic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Function of Neuronal Microcircuits, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Robert Günter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Function of Neuronal Microcircuits, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Function of Neuronal Microcircuits, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Gabriele Radnikow
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Function of Neuronal Microcircuits, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-10), Function of Neuronal Microcircuits, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), D-52074 Aachen, Germany
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29
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Durand-de Cuttoli R, Mondoloni S, Marti F, Lemoine D, Nguyen C, Naudé J, d'Izarny-Gargas T, Pons S, Maskos U, Trauner D, Kramer RH, Faure P, Mourot A. Manipulating midbrain dopamine neurons and reward-related behaviors with light-controllable nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. eLife 2018; 7:37487. [PMID: 30176987 PMCID: PMC6122951 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) integrate cholinergic inputs to regulate key functions such as motivation and goal-directed behaviors. Yet the temporal dynamic range and mechanism of action of acetylcholine (ACh) on the modulation of VTA circuits and reward-related behaviors are not known. Here, we used a chemical-genetic approach for rapid and precise optical manipulation of nicotinic neurotransmission in VTA neurons in living mice. We provide direct evidence that the ACh tone fine-tunes the firing properties of VTA DA neurons through β2-containing (β2*) nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs). Furthermore, locally photo-antagonizing these receptors in the VTA was sufficient to reversibly switch nicotine reinforcement on and off. By enabling control of nicotinic transmission in targeted brain circuits, this technology will help unravel the various physiological functions of nAChRs and may assist in the design of novel therapies relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Mondoloni
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fabio Marti
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Damien Lemoine
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Claire Nguyen
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jérémie Naudé
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Thibaut d'Izarny-Gargas
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Pons
- Unité de Neurobiologie Intégrative des Systèmes Cholinergiques, Department of Neuroscience, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Uwe Maskos
- Unité de Neurobiologie Intégrative des Systèmes Cholinergiques, Department of Neuroscience, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Dirk Trauner
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Richard H Kramer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Philippe Faure
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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30
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Hartzell AL, Martyniuk KM, Brigidi GS, Heinz DA, Djaja NA, Payne A, Bloodgood BL. NPAS4 recruits CCK basket cell synapses and enhances cannabinoid-sensitive inhibition in the mouse hippocampus. eLife 2018; 7:35927. [PMID: 30052197 PMCID: PMC6105310 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent expression of immediate-early gene transcription factors (IEG-TFs) can transiently change the transcriptome of active neurons and initiate persistent changes in cellular function. However, the impact of IEG-TFs on circuit connectivity and function is poorly understood. We investigate the specificity with which the IEG-TF NPAS4 governs experience-dependent changes in inhibitory synaptic input onto CA1 pyramidal neurons (PNs). We show that novel sensory experience selectively enhances somatic inhibition mediated by cholecystokinin-expressing basket cells (CCKBCs) in an NPAS4-dependent manner. NPAS4 specifically increases the number of synapses made onto PNs by individual CCKBCs without altering synaptic properties. Additionally, we find that sensory experience-driven NPAS4 expression enhances depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), a short-term form of cannabinoid-mediated plasticity expressed at CCKBC synapses. Our results indicate that CCKBC inputs are a major target of the NPAS4-dependent transcriptional program in PNs and that NPAS4 is an important regulator of plasticity mediated by endogenous cannabinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Hartzell
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Kelly M Martyniuk
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - G Stefano Brigidi
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Daniel A Heinz
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States.,Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Nathalie A Djaja
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Anja Payne
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Brenda L Bloodgood
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Neurobiology, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States
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31
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Riedemann T, Straub T, Sutor B. Two types of somatostatin-expressing GABAergic interneurons in the superficial layers of the mouse cingulate cortex. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200567. [PMID: 30001424 PMCID: PMC6042774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin-expressing (SOM+), inhibitory interneurons represent a heterogeneous group of cells and given their remarkable diversity, classification of SOM+ interneurons remains a challenging task. Electrophysiological, morphological and neurochemical classes of SOM+ interneurons have been proposed in the past but it remains unclear as to what extent these classes are congruent. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from 127 GFP-labeled SOM+ interneurons ('GIN') of the superficial cingulate cortex with subsequent biocytin-filling and immunocytochemical labeling. Principal component analysis followed by k-means clustering predicted two putative subtypes of SOM+ interneurons, which we designated as group I and group II GIN. A key finding of our study is the fact that these electrophysiologically and morphologically distinct groups of SOM+ interneurons can be correlated with two neurochemical subtypes of SOM+ interneurons described recently in our laboratory. In particular, all SOM+ interneurons expressing calbindin but no calretinin could be classified as group I GIN, whereas all but one neuropeptide Y- and calretinin-positive interneurons were found in group II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Riedemann
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Biomedical Center, Physiological Genomics, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Tobias Straub
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Biomedical Center, Core Facility Bioinformatics, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Sutor
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Biomedical Center, Physiological Genomics, Munich, Germany
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32
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Qi G, van Aerde K, Abel T, Feldmeyer D. Adenosine Differentially Modulates Synaptic Transmission of Excitatory and Inhibitory Microcircuits in Layer 4 of Rat Barrel Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:4411-4422. [PMID: 27522071 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenosine is considered to be a key regulator of sleep homeostasis by promoting slow-wave sleep through inhibition of the brain's arousal centers. However, little is known about the effect of adenosine on neuronal network activity at the cellular level in the neocortex. Here, we show that adenosine differentially modulates synaptic transmission between different types of neurons in cortical layer 4 (L4) through activation of pre- and/or postsynaptically located adenosine A1 receptors. In recurrent excitatory connections between L4 spiny neurons, adenosine suppresses synaptic transmission through activation of both pre- and postsynaptic A1 receptors. In reciprocal excitatory and inhibitory connections between L4 spiny neurons and interneurons, adenosine strongly suppresses excitatory transmission via activating presynaptic A1 receptors but only slightly suppresses inhibitory transmission via activating postsynaptic A1 receptors. Adenosine has no effect on inhibitory transmission between L4 interneurons. The effect of adenosine is concentration dependent and first visible at a concentration of 1 μM. The effect of adenosine is blocked by the specific A1 receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyltheophylline or the nonspecific adenosine receptor antagonist, caffeine. By differentially affecting excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, adenosine changes the excitation-inhibition balance and causes an overall shift to lower excitability in L4 primary somatosensory (barrel) cortical microcircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Karlijn van Aerde
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance-Brain, Translational Brain Medicine, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
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33
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Marx M, Qi G, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Kilb W, Luhmann HJ, Feldmeyer D. Neocortical Layer 6B as a Remnant of the Subplate - A Morphological Comparison. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1011-1026. [PMID: 26637449 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fate of the subplate (SP) is still a matter of debate. The SP and layer 6 (which is ontogenetically the oldest and innermost neocortical lamina) develop coincidentally. Yet, the function of sublamina 6B is largely unknown. It has been suggested that it consists partly of neurons from the transient SP, however, experimental evidence for this hypothesis is still missing. To obtain first insights into the neuronal complement of layer 6B in the somatosensory rat barrel cortex, we used biocytin stainings of SP neurons (aged 0-4 postnatal days, PND) and layer 6B neurons (PND 11-35) obtained during in vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Neurons were reconstructed for a quantitative characterization of their axonal and dendritic morphology. An unsupervised cluster analysis revealed that the SP and layer 6B consist of heterogeneous but comparable neuronal cell populations. Both contain 5 distinct spine-bearing cell types whose relative fractions change with increasing age. Pyramidal cells were more prominent in layer 6B, whereas non-pyramidal neurons were less frequent. Because of the high morphological similarity of SP and layer 6B neurons, we suggest that layer 6B consists of persistent non-pyramidal neurons from the SP and cortical L6B pyramidal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Marx
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, D-52428 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, D-52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), D-20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Werner Kilb
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, D-52428 Jülich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.,Jülich Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA Brain), D-52074 Aachen, Germany
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34
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TGF-β Signaling in Dopaminergic Neurons Regulates Dendritic Growth, Excitatory-Inhibitory Synaptic Balance, and Reversal Learning. Cell Rep 2017; 17:3233-3245. [PMID: 28009292 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits involving midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons regulate reward and goal-directed behaviors. Although local GABAergic input is known to modulate DA circuits, the mechanism that controls excitatory/inhibitory synaptic balance in DA neurons remains unclear. Here, we show that DA neurons use autocrine transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling to promote the growth of axons and dendrites. Surprisingly, removing TGF-β type II receptor in DA neurons also disrupts the balance in TGF-β1 expression in DA neurons and neighboring GABAergic neurons, which increases inhibitory input, reduces excitatory synaptic input, and alters phasic firing patterns in DA neurons. Mice lacking TGF-β signaling in DA neurons are hyperactive and exhibit inflexibility in relinquishing learned behaviors and re-establishing new stimulus-reward associations. These results support a role for TGF-β in regulating the delicate balance of excitatory/inhibitory synaptic input in local microcircuits involving DA and GABAergic neurons and its potential contributions to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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35
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Sempere-Ferràndez A, Andrés-Bayón B, Geijo-Barrientos E. Callosal responses in a retrosplenial column. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:1051-1069. [PMID: 29081006 PMCID: PMC5869903 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1529-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The axons forming the corpus callosum sustain the interhemispheric communication across homotopic cortical areas. We have studied how neurons throughout the columnar extension of the retrosplenial cortex integrate the contralateral input from callosal projecting neurons in cortical slices. Our results show that pyramidal neurons in layers 2/3 and the large, thick-tufted pyramidal neurons in layer 5B showed larger excitatory callosal responses than layer 5A and layer 5B thin-tufted pyramidal neurons, while layer 6 remained silent to this input. Feed-forward inhibitory currents generated by fast spiking, parvalbumin expressing interneurons recruited by callosal axons mimicked the response size distribution of excitatory responses across pyramidal subtypes, being larger in those of superficial layers and in the layer 5B thick-tufted pyramidal cells. Overall, the combination of the excitatory and inhibitory currents evoked by callosal input had a strong and opposed effect in different layers of the cortex; while layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons were powerfully inhibited, the thick-tufted but not thin-tufted pyramidal neurons in layer 5 were strongly recruited. We believe that these results will help to understand the functional role of callosal connections in physiology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Sempere-Ferràndez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de San Juan, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Belén Andrés-Bayón
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de San Juan, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Emilio Geijo-Barrientos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de San Juan, Avenida Ramón y Cajal s/n, 03550, San Juan de Alicante, Spain.
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Conde-Sousa E, Szücs P, Peng H, Aguiar P. N3DFix: an Algorithm for Automatic Removal of Swelling Artifacts in Neuronal Reconstructions. Neuroinformatics 2017; 15:5-12. [PMID: 27412029 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-016-9308-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that not only electrophysiology but also morphology plays an important role in shaping the functional properties of neurons. In order to properly quantify morphological features it is first necessary to translate observational histological data into 3-dimensional geometric reconstructions of the neuronal structures. This reconstruction process, independently of being manual or (semi-)automatic, requires several preparation steps (e.g. histological processing) before data acquisition using specialized software. Unfortunately these processing steps likely produce artifacts which are then carried to the reconstruction, such as tissue shrinkage and formation of swellings. If not accounted for and corrected, these artifacts can change significantly the results from morphometric analysis and computer simulations. Here we present N3DFix, an open-source software which uses a correction algorithm to automatically find and fix swelling artifacts in neuronal reconstructions. N3DFix works as a post-processing tool and therefore can be used in either manual or (semi-)automatic reconstructions. The algorithm's internal parameters have been defined using a "ground truth" dataset produced by a neuroanatomist, involving two complementary manual reconstruction procedures: in the first, neuronal topology was faithfully reconstructed, including all swelling artifacts; in the second procedure a meticulous correction of the artifacts was manually performed directly during neuronal tracing. The internal parameters of N3DFix were set to minimize the differences between manual amendments and the algorithm's corrections. It is shown that the performance of N3DFix is comparable to careful manual correction of the swelling artifacts. To promote easy access and wide adoption, N3DFix is available in NEURON, Vaa3D and Py3DN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Conde-Sousa
- CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- CIBIO-InBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- CMUP - Centro de Matemática, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Peter Szücs
- MTA-DE-NAP B-Pain Control Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Paulo Aguiar
- CMUP - Centro de Matemática, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Follmann R, Goldsmith CJ, Stein W. Spatial distribution of intermingling pools of projection neurons with distinct targets: A 3D analysis of the commissural ganglia in Cancer borealis. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:1827-1843. [PMID: 28001296 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Projection neurons play a key role in carrying long-distance information between spatially distant areas of the nervous system and in controlling motor circuits. Little is known about how projection neurons with distinct anatomical targets are organized, and few studies have addressed their spatial organization at the level of individual cells. In the paired commissural ganglia (CoGs) of the stomatogastric nervous system of the crab Cancer borealis, projection neurons convey sensory, motor, and modulatory information to several distinct anatomical regions. While the functions of descending projection neurons (dPNs) which control downstream motor circuits in the stomatogastric ganglion are well characterized, their anatomical distribution as well as that of neurons projecting to the labrum, brain, and thoracic ganglion have received less attention. Using cell membrane staining, we investigated the spatial distribution of CoG projection neurons in relation to all CoG neurons. Retrograde tracing revealed that somata associated with different axonal projection pathways were not completely spatially segregated, but had distinct preferences within the ganglion. Identified dPNs had diameters larger than 70% of CoG somata and were restricted to the most medial and anterior 25% of the ganglion. They were contained within a cluster of motor neurons projecting through the same nerve to innervate the labrum, indicating that soma position was independent of function and target area. Rather, our findings suggest that CoG neurons projecting to a variety of locations follow a generalized rule: for all nerve pathway origins, the soma cluster centroids in closest proximity are those whose axons project down that pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosangela Follmann
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
| | | | - Wolfgang Stein
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
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Burton HE, Freij JM, Espino DM. Dynamic Viscoelasticity and Surface Properties of Porcine Left Anterior Descending Coronary Arteries. Cardiovasc Eng Technol 2017; 8:41-56. [PMID: 27957718 PMCID: PMC5320017 DOI: 10.1007/s13239-016-0288-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was, for the first time, to measure and compare quantitatively the viscoelastic properties and surface roughness of coronary arteries. Porcine left anterior descending coronary arteries were dissected ex vivo. Viscoelastic properties were measured longitudinally using dynamic mechanical analysis, for a range of frequencies from 0.5 to 10 Hz. Surface roughness was calculated following three-dimensional reconstructed of surface images obtained using an optical microscope. Storage modulus ranged from 14.47 to 25.82 MPa, and was found to be frequency-dependent, decreasing as the frequency increased. Storage was greater than the loss modulus, with the latter found to be frequency-independent with a mean value of 2.10 ± 0.33 MPa. The circumferential surface roughness was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than the longitudinal surface roughness, ranging from 0.73 to 2.83 and 0.35 to 0.92 µm, respectively. However, if surface roughness values were corrected for shrinkage during processing, circumferential and longitudinal surface roughness were not significantly different (1.04 ± 0.47, 0.89 ± 0.27 µm, respectively; p > 0.05). No correlation was found between the viscoelastic properties and surface roughness. It is feasible to quantitatively measure the viscoelastic properties of coronary arteries and the roughness of their endothelial surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna E. Burton
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Jenny M. Freij
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Daniel M. Espino
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
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Synapsin II Regulation of GABAergic Synaptic Transmission Is Dependent on Interneuron Subtype. J Neurosci 2017; 37:1757-1771. [PMID: 28087765 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0844-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapsins are epilepsy susceptibility genes that encode phosphoproteins reversibly associated with synaptic vesicles. Synapsin II (SynII) gene deletion produces a deficit in inhibitory synaptic transmission, and this defect is thought to cause epileptic activity. We systematically investigated how SynII affects synchronous and asynchronous release components of inhibitory transmission in the CA1 region of the mouse hippocampus. We found that the asynchronous GABAergic release component is diminished in SynII-deleted (SynII(-)) slices. To investigate this defect at different interneuron subtypes, we selectively blocked either N-type or P/Q-type Ca2+ channels. SynII deletion suppressed the asynchronous release component at synapses dependent on N-type Ca2+ channels but not at synapses dependent on P/Q-type Ca2+ channels. We then performed paired double-patch recordings from inhibitory basket interneurons connected to pyramidal neurons and used cluster analysis to classify interneurons according to their spiking and synaptic parameters. We identified two cell subtypes, presumably parvalbumin (PV) and cholecystokinin (CCK) expressing basket interneurons. To validate our interneuron classification, we took advantage of transgenic animals with fluorescently labeled PV interneurons and confirmed that their spiking and synaptic parameters matched the parameters of presumed PV cells identified by the cluster analysis. The analysis of the release time course at the two interneuron subtypes demonstrated that the asynchronous release component was selectively reduced at SynII(-) CCK interneurons. In contrast, the transmission was desynchronized at SynII(-) PV interneurons. Together, our results demonstrate that SynII regulates the time course of GABAergic release, and that this SynII function is dependent on the interneuron subtype.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Deletion of the neuronal protein synapsin II (SynII) leads to the development of epilepsy, probably due to impairments in inhibitory synaptic transmission. We systematically investigated SynII function at different subtypes of inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus. We discovered that SynII affects the time course of GABA release, and that this effect is interneuron subtype specific. Within one of the subtypes, SynII deficiency synchronizes the release and suppresses the asynchronous release component, while at the other subtype SynII deficiency suppresses the synchronous release component. These results reveal a new SynII function in the regulation of the time course of GABA release and demonstrate that this function is dependent on the interneuron subtype.
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Zandt BJ, Liu JH, Veruki ML, Hartveit E. AII amacrine cells: quantitative reconstruction and morphometric analysis of electrophysiologically identified cells in live rat retinal slices imaged with multi-photon excitation microscopy. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:151-182. [PMID: 26951289 PMCID: PMC5225199 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1206-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
AII amacrine cells have been found in all mammalian retinas examined and play an important role for visual processing under both scotopic and photopic conditions. Whereas ultrastructural investigations have provided a detailed understanding of synaptic connectivity, there is little information available with respect to quantitative properties and variation of cellular morphology. Here, we performed whole-cell recordings from AII amacrine cells in rat retinal slices and filled the cells with fluorescent dyes. Multi-photon excitation microscopy was used to acquire image stacks and after deconvolution, we performed quantitative morphological reconstruction by computer-aided manual tracing. We reconstructed and performed morphometric analysis on 43 AII amacrine cells, with a focus on branching pattern, dendritic lengths and diameters, surface area, and number and distribution of dendritic varicosities. Compared to previous descriptions, the most surprising result was the considerable extent of branching, with the maximum branch order ranging from approximately 10-40. We found that AII amacrine cells conform to a recently described general structural design principle for neural arbors, where arbor density decreases proportionally to increasing territory size. We confirmed and quantified the bi-stratified morphology of AII amacrine cells by analyzing the arborizations as a function of retinal localization or with Sholl spheres. Principal component and cluster analysis revealed no evidence for morphological subtypes of AII amacrines. These results establish a database of morphometric properties important for studies of development, regeneration, degeneration, and disease processes, as well as a workflow compatible with compartmental modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas-Jan Zandt
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jian Hao Liu
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Margaret Lin Veruki
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway
| | - Espen Hartveit
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009, Bergen, Norway.
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41
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Engel D. Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons. J Vis Exp 2016. [PMID: 27842379 PMCID: PMC5226116 DOI: 10.3791/54601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendrites of dopaminergic neurons receive and convey synaptic input, support action potential back-propagation and neurotransmitter release. Understanding these fundamental functions will shed light on the information transfer in these neurons. Dendritic patch-clamp recordings provide the possibility to directly examine the electrical properties of dendrites and underlying voltage-gated ion channels. However, these fine structures are not easily accessible to patch pipettes because of their small diameter. This report describes a step-by-step procedure to collect stable and reliable recordings from the dendrites of dopaminergic neurons in acute slices. Electrophysiological measurements are combined with post hoc recovery of cell morphology. Successful experiments rely on improved preparation of slices, solutions and pipettes, adequate adjustment of the optics and stability of the pipette in contact with the recorded structure. Standard principles of somatic patch-clamp recording are applied to dendrites but with a gentler approach of the pipette. These versatile techniques can be implemented to address various questions concerning the excitable properties of dendrites.
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Selten MM, Meyer F, Ba W, Vallès A, Maas DA, Negwer M, Eijsink VD, van Vugt RWM, van Hulten JA, van Bakel NHM, Roosen J, van der Linden RJ, Schubert D, Verheij MMM, Kasri NN, Martens GJM. Increased GABA B receptor signaling in a rat model for schizophrenia. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34240. [PMID: 27687783 PMCID: PMC5043235 DOI: 10.1038/srep34240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex disorder that affects cognitive function and has been linked, both in patients and animal models, to dysfunction of the GABAergic system. However, the pathophysiological consequences of this dysfunction are not well understood. Here, we examined the GABAergic system in an animal model displaying schizophrenia-relevant features, the apomorphine-susceptible (APO-SUS) rat and its phenotypic counterpart, the apomorphine-unsusceptible (APO-UNSUS) rat at postnatal day 20-22. We found changes in the expression of the GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD67 specifically in the prelimbic- but not the infralimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), indicative of reduced inhibitory function in this region in APO-SUS rats. While we did not observe changes in basal synaptic transmission onto LII/III pyramidal cells in the mPFC of APO-SUS compared to APO-UNSUS rats, we report reduced paired-pulse ratios at longer inter-stimulus intervals. The GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 55845 abolished this reduction, indicating that the decreased paired-pulse ratio was caused by increased GABAB signaling. Consistently, we find an increased expression of the GABAB1 receptor subunit in APO-SUS rats. Our data provide physiological evidence for increased presynaptic GABAB signaling in the mPFC of APO-SUS rats, further supporting an important role for the GABAergic system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn M. Selten
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Francisca Meyer
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Wei Ba
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neurosciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Dorien A. Maas
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Moritz Negwer
- Department of Language and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Vivian D. Eijsink
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ruben W. M. van Vugt
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Josephus A. van Hulten
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nick H. M. van Bakel
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Joey Roosen
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Robert J. van der Linden
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michel M. M. Verheij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard J. M. Martens
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Tao C, Zhang G, Zhou C, Wang L, Yan S, Zhang LI, Zhou Y, Xiong Y. Synaptic Basis for the Generation of Response Variation in Auditory Cortex. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31024. [PMID: 27484928 PMCID: PMC4971572 DOI: 10.1038/srep31024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical neurons can exhibit significant variation in their responses to the same sensory stimuli, as reflected by the reliability and temporal precision of spikes. However the synaptic mechanism underlying response variation still remains unclear. Here, in vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recording of excitatory neurons revealed variation in the amplitudes as well as the temporal profiles of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs evoked by the same sound stimuli in layer 4 of the rat primary auditory cortex. Synaptic inputs were reliably induced by repetitive stimulation, although with large variation in amplitude. The variation in the amplitude of excitation was much higher than that of inhibition. In addition, the temporal jitter of the synaptic onset latency was much smaller than the jitter of spike response. We further demonstrated that the amplitude variation of excitatory inputs can largely account for the spike variation, while the jitter in spike timing can be primarily attributed to the temporal variation of excitatory inputs. Furthermore, the spike reliability of excitatory but not inhibitory neurons is dependent on tone frequency. Our results thus revealed an inherent cortical synaptic contribution for the generation of variation in the spike responses of auditory cortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Tao
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Guangwei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Chang Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Sumei Yan
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., Chongqing, 400038, China
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Interdependent Conductances Drive Infraslow Intrinsic Rhythmogenesis in a Subset of Accessory Olfactory Bulb Projection Neurons. J Neurosci 2016; 36:3127-44. [PMID: 26985025 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2520-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The accessory olfactory system controls social and sexual behavior. However, key aspects of sensory signaling along the accessory olfactory pathway remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate patterns of spontaneous neuronal activity in mouse accessory olfactory bulb mitral cells, the direct neural link between vomeronasal sensory input and limbic output. Both in vitro and in vivo, we identify a subpopulation of mitral cells that exhibit slow stereotypical rhythmic discharge. In intrinsically rhythmogenic neurons, these periodic activity patterns are maintained in absence of fast synaptic drive. The physiological mechanism underlying mitral cell autorhythmicity involves cyclic activation of three interdependent ionic conductances: subthreshold persistent Na(+) current, R-type Ca(2+) current, and Ca(2+)-activated big conductance K(+) current. Together, the interplay of these distinct conductances triggers infraslow intrinsic oscillations with remarkable periodicity, a default output state likely to affect sensory processing in limbic circuits. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show for the first time that some rodent accessory olfactory bulb mitral cells-the direct link between vomeronasal sensory input and limbic output-are intrinsically rhythmogenic. Driven by ≥ 3 distinct interdependent ionic conductances, infraslow intrinsic oscillations show remarkable periodicity both in vitro and in vivo. As a novel default state, infraslow autorhythmicity is likely to affect limbic processing of pheromonal information.
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Riedemann T, Schmitz C, Sutor B. Immunocytochemical heterogeneity of somatostatin-expressing GABAergic interneurons in layers II and III of the mouse cingulate cortex: A combined immunofluorescence/design-based stereologic study. J Comp Neurol 2015; 524:2281-99. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Therese Riedemann
- Physiological Genomics, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich; 80336 Munich Germany
| | - Christoph Schmitz
- Department of Neuroanatomy; Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich; 80336 Munich Germany
| | - Bernd Sutor
- Physiological Genomics, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich; 80336 Munich Germany
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Abstract
Growing evidence supports a critical role for the dorsal striatum in cognitive as well as motor control. Both lesions and in vivo recordings demonstrate a transition in the engaged dorsal striatal subregion, from dorsomedial to dorsolateral, as skill performance shifts from an attentive phase to a more automatic or habitual phase. What are the neural mechanisms supporting the cognitive and behavioral transitions in skill learning? To pursue this question, we used T-maze training during which rats transition from early, attentive (dorsomedial) to late habitual (dorsolateral) performance. Following early or late training, we performed the first direct comparison of bidirectional synaptic plasticity in striatal brain slices, and the first evaluation of striatal synaptic plasticity by hemisphere relative to a learned turn. Consequently, we find that long-term potentiation and long-term depression are independently modulated with learning rather than reciprocally linked as previously suggested. Our results establish that modulation of evoked synaptic plasticity with learning depends on striatal subregion, training stage, and hemisphere relative to the learned turn direction. Exclusive to the contralateral hemisphere, intrinsic excitability is enhanced in dorsomedial relative to dorsolateral medium spiny neurons early in training and population responses are dampened late in training. Neuronal reconstructions indicate dendritic remodeling after training, which may represent a novel form of pruning. In conclusion, we describe region- and hemisphere-specific changes in striatal synaptic, intrinsic, and morphological plasticity which correspond to T-maze learning stages, and which may play a role in the cognitive transition between attentive and habitual strategies. Significance statement: We investigated neural plasticity in dorsal striatum from rats that were briefly or extensively trained on a directional T-maze task. Our results demonstrate that both the extent of training and the direction a rat learns to turn control the location and type of change in synaptic plasticity. In addition, brief training produces changes in neuron excitability only within one striatal subregion, whereas all training produces widespread changes in dendritic morphology. Our results suggest that activity in dorsomedial striatum strengthens the rewarded turn after brief training, whereas activity in dorsolateral striatum suppresses unrewarded turns after extensive training. This study illuminates how plasticity mediates learning using a task recognized for transitioning subjects from attentive to automatic performance.
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47
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Cadherin-13, a risk gene for ADHD and comorbid disorders, impacts GABAergic function in hippocampus and cognition. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e655. [PMID: 26460479 PMCID: PMC4930129 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cadherin-13 (CDH13), a unique glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored member of the cadherin family of cell adhesion molecules, has been identified as a risk gene for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and various comorbid neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, including depression, substance abuse, autism spectrum disorder and violent behavior, while the mechanism whereby CDH13 dysfunction influences pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders remains elusive. Here we explored the potential role of CDH13 in the inhibitory modulation of brain activity by investigating synaptic function of GABAergic interneurons. Cellular and subcellular distribution of CDH13 was analyzed in the murine hippocampus and a mouse model with a targeted inactivation of Cdh13 was generated to evaluate how CDH13 modulates synaptic activity of hippocampal interneurons and behavioral domains related to psychopathologic (endo)phenotypes. We show that CDH13 expression in the cornu ammonis (CA) region of the hippocampus is confined to distinct classes of interneurons. Specifically, CDH13 is expressed by numerous parvalbumin and somatostatin-expressing interneurons located in the stratum oriens, where it localizes to both the soma and the presynaptic compartment. Cdh13(-/-) mice show an increase in basal inhibitory, but not excitatory, synaptic transmission in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Associated with these alterations in hippocampal function, Cdh13(-/-) mice display deficits in learning and memory. Taken together, our results indicate that CDH13 is a negative regulator of inhibitory synapses in the hippocampus, and provide insights into how CDH13 dysfunction may contribute to the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance observed in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism.
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Saunders A, Oldenburg IA, Berezovskii VK, Johnson CA, Kingery ND, Elliott HL, Xie T, Gerfen CR, Sabatini BL. A direct GABAergic output from the basal ganglia to frontal cortex. Nature 2015; 521:85-9. [PMID: 25739505 PMCID: PMC4425585 DOI: 10.1038/nature14179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia (BG) are phylogenetically conserved subcortical nuclei necessary for coordinated motor action and reward learning1. Current models postulate that the BG modulate cerebral cortex indirectly via an inhibitory output to thalamus, bidirectionally controlled by the BG via direct (dSPNs) and indirect (iSPNs) pathway striatal projection neurons2–4. The BG thalamic output sculpts cortical activity by interacting with signals from sensory and motor systems5. Here we describe a direct projection from the globus pallidus externus (GP), a central nucleus of the BG, to frontal regions of the cerebral cortex (FC). Two cell types make up the GP-FC projection, distinguished by their electrophysiological properties, cortical projections and expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), a synthetic enzyme for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Despite these differences, ChAT+ cells, which have been historically identified as an extension of the nucleus basalis (NB), as well as ChAT− cells, release the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) and are inhibited by iSPNs and dSPNs of dorsal striatum. Thus GP-FC cells comprise a direct GABAergic/cholinergic projection under the control of striatum that activates frontal cortex in vivo. Furthermore, iSPN inhibition of GP-FC cells is sensitive to dopamine 2 receptor signaling, revealing a pathway by which drugs that target dopamine receptors for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders can act in the BG to modulate frontal cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpiar Saunders
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Ian A Oldenburg
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Vladimir K Berezovskii
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Caroline A Johnson
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Nathan D Kingery
- Neurobiology Imaging Facility, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Hunter L Elliott
- Image and Data Analysis Core, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Tiao Xie
- Image and Data Analysis Core, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Charles R Gerfen
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Wang G, Wyskiel DR, Yang W, Wang Y, Milbern LC, Lalanne T, Jiang X, Shen Y, Sun QQ, Zhu JJ. An optogenetics- and imaging-assisted simultaneous multiple patch-clamp recording system for decoding complex neural circuits. Nat Protoc 2015; 10:397-412. [PMID: 25654757 PMCID: PMC4505930 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2015.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Deciphering neuronal circuitry is central to understanding brain function and dysfunction, yet it remains a daunting task. To facilitate the dissection of neuronal circuits, a process requiring functional analysis of synaptic connections and morphological identification of interconnected neurons, we present here a method for stable simultaneous octuple patch-clamp recordings. This method allows physiological analysis of synaptic interconnections among 4-8 simultaneously recorded neurons and/or 10-30 sequentially recorded neurons, and it allows anatomical identification of >85% of recorded interneurons and >99% of recorded principal neurons. We describe how to apply the method to rodent tissue slices; however, it can be used on other model organisms. We also describe the latest refinements and optimizations of mechanics, electronics, optics and software programs that are central to the realization of a combined single- and two-photon microscopy-based, optogenetics- and imaging-assisted, stable, simultaneous quadruple-viguple patch-clamp recording system. Setting up the system, from the beginning of instrument assembly and software installation to full operation, can be completed in 3-4 d.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Daniel R Wyskiel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Weiguo Yang
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Yiqing Wang
- 1] Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. [2] Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Lana C Milbern
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Txomin Lalanne
- 1] Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. [2] Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Xiaolong Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Chinese Ministry of Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qian-Quan Sun
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - J Julius Zhu
- 1] Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. [2] Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Koelbl C, Helmstaedter M, Lübke J, Feldmeyer D. A barrel-related interneuron in layer 4 of rat somatosensory cortex with a high intrabarrel connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2015; 25:713-25. [PMID: 24076498 PMCID: PMC4318534 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic connections between identified fast-spiking (FS), parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneurons, and excitatory spiny neurons in layer 4 (L4) of the barrel cortex were investigated using patch-clamp recordings and simultaneous biocytin fillings. Three distinct clusters of FS L4 interneurons were identified based on their axonal morphology relative to the barrel column suggesting that these neurons do not constitute a homogeneous interneuron population. One L4 FS interneuron type had an axonal domain strictly confined to a L4 barrel and was therefore named "barrel-confined inhibitory interneuron" (BIn). BIns established reliable inhibitory synaptic connections with L4 spiny neurons at a high connectivity rate of 67%, of which 69% were reciprocal. Unitary IPSPs at these connections had a mean amplitude of 0.9 ± 0.8 mV with little amplitude variation and weak short-term synaptic depression. We found on average 3.7 ± 1.3 putative inhibitory synaptic contacts that were not restricted to perisomatic areas. In conclusion, we characterized a novel type of barrel cortex interneuron in the major thalamo-recipient layer 4 forming dense synaptic networks with L4 spiny neurons. These networks constitute an efficient and powerful inhibitory feedback system, which may serve to rapidly reset the barrel microcircuitry following sensory activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Koelbl
- Department of Cell Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Medical Research, Jahnstr. 20, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Current address: Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, 88 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Moritz Helmstaedter
- Department of Cell Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Medical Research, Jahnstr. 20, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Current address: Structure of Neocortical Circuits Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Joachim Lübke
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, Leo-Brandt-Str., D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelstr. 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA-Brain), D-52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich, Leo-Brandt-Str., D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelstr. 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Translational Brain Medicine (JARA-Brain), D-52074, Aachen, Germany
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