1
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Karpova A, Aly AAA, Marosi EL, Mikulovic S. Fiber-based in vivo imaging: unveiling avenues for exploring mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and neuronal adaptations underlying behavior. NEUROPHOTONICS 2024; 11:S11507. [PMID: 38390518 PMCID: PMC10883581 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.11.s1.s11507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, various subfields within neuroscience, spanning molecular, cellular, and systemic dimensions, have significantly advanced our understanding of the elaborate molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin learning, memory, and adaptive behaviors. There have been notable advancements in imaging techniques, particularly in reaching superficial brain structures. This progress has led to their widespread adoption in numerous laboratories. However, essential physiological and cognitive processes, including sensory integration, emotional modulation of motivated behavior, motor regulation, learning, and memory consolidation, are intricately encoded within deeper brain structures. Hence, visualization techniques such as calcium imaging using miniscopes have gained popularity for studying brain activity in unrestrained animals. Despite its utility, miniscope technology is associated with substantial brain tissue damage caused by gradient refractive index lens implantation. Furthermore, its imaging capabilities are primarily confined to the neuronal somata level, thus constraining a comprehensive exploration of subcellular processes underlying adaptive behaviors. Consequently, the trajectory of neuroscience's future hinges on the development of minimally invasive optical fiber-based endo-microscopes optimized for cellular, subcellular, and molecular imaging within the intricate depths of the brain. In pursuit of this goal, select research groups have invested significant efforts in advancing this technology. In this review, we present a perspective on the potential impact of this innovation on various aspects of neuroscience, enabling the functional exploration of in vivo cellular and subcellular processes that underlie synaptic plasticity and the neuronal adaptations that govern behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Karpova
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, RG Neuroplasticity, Magdeburg, Germany
- Otto von Guericke University, Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ahmed A A Aly
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, RG Neuroplasticity, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Endre Levente Marosi
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, RG Cognition and Emotion, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sanja Mikulovic
- Otto von Guericke University, Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, RG Cognition and Emotion, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Centre for Mental Health (DZPG), Magdeburg, Germany
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2
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Vandael D, Jonas P. Structure, biophysics, and circuit function of a "giant" cortical presynaptic terminal. Science 2024; 383:eadg6757. [PMID: 38452088 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg6757] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The hippocampal mossy fiber synapse, formed between axons of dentate gyrus granule cells and dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons, is a key synapse in the trisynaptic circuitry of the hippocampus. Because of its comparatively large size, this synapse is accessible to direct presynaptic recording, allowing a rigorous investigation of the biophysical mechanisms of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Furthermore, because of its placement in the very center of the hippocampal memory circuit, this synapse seems to be critically involved in several higher network functions, such as learning, memory, pattern separation, and pattern completion. Recent work based on new technologies in both nanoanatomy and nanophysiology, including presynaptic patch-clamp recording, paired recording, super-resolution light microscopy, and freeze-fracture and "flash-and-freeze" electron microscopy, has provided new insights into the structure, biophysics, and network function of this intriguing synapse. This brings us one step closer to answering a fundamental question in neuroscience: how basic synaptic properties shape higher network computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vandael
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Jonas
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
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3
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Mao F, Yang W. How Merkel cells transduce mechanical stimuli: A biophysical model of Merkel cells. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011720. [PMID: 38117763 PMCID: PMC10732429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Merkel cells combine with Aβ afferents, producing slowly adapting type 1(SA1) responses to mechanical stimuli. However, how Merkel cells transduce mechanical stimuli into neural signals to Aβ afferents is still unclear. Here we develop a biophysical model of Merkel cells for mechanical transduction by incorporating main ingredients such as Ca2+ and K+ voltage-gated channels, Piezo2 channels, internal Ca2+ stores, neurotransmitters release, and cell deformation. We first validate our model with several experiments. Then we reveal that Ca2+ and K+ channels on the plasma membrane shape the depolarization of membrane potentials, further regulating the Ca2+ transients in the cells. We also show that Ca2+ channels on the plasma membrane mainly inspire the Ca2+ transients, while internal Ca2+ stores mainly maintain the Ca2+ transients. Moreover, we show that though Piezo2 channels are rapidly adapting mechanical-sensitive channels, they are sufficient to inspire sustained Ca2+ transients in Merkel cells, which further induce the release of neurotransmitters for tens of seconds. Thus our work provides a model that captures the membrane potentials and Ca2+ transients features of Merkel cells and partly explains how Merkel cells transduce the mechanical stimuli by Piezo2 channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangtao Mao
- Research Center for Humanoid Sensing, Intelligent Perception Research Institute of Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenzhen Yang
- Research Center for Humanoid Sensing, Intelligent Perception Research Institute of Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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4
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Friedenberger Z, Harkin E, Tóth K, Naud R. Silences, spikes and bursts: Three-part knot of the neural code. J Physiol 2023; 601:5165-5193. [PMID: 37889516 DOI: 10.1113/jp281510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
When a neuron breaks silence, it can emit action potentials in a number of patterns. Some responses are so sudden and intense that electrophysiologists felt the need to single them out, labelling action potentials emitted at a particularly high frequency with a metonym - bursts. Is there more to bursts than a figure of speech? After all, sudden bouts of high-frequency firing are expected to occur whenever inputs surge. The burst coding hypothesis advances that the neural code has three syllables: silences, spikes and bursts. We review evidence supporting this ternary code in terms of devoted mechanisms for burst generation, synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. We also review the learning and attention theories for which such a triad is beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Friedenberger
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artifical Intelligence, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa
| | - Emerson Harkin
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katalin Tóth
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Naud
- Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neural Dynamics and Artifical Intelligence, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa
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5
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Norman CA, Krishnakumar SS, Timofeeva Y, Volynski KE. The release of inhibition model reproduces kinetics and plasticity of neurotransmitter release in central synapses. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1091. [PMID: 37891212 PMCID: PMC10611806 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05445-2] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium-evoked release of neurotransmitters from synaptic vesicles (SVs) is catalysed by SNARE proteins. The predominant view is that, at rest, complete assembly of SNARE complexes is inhibited ('clamped') by synaptotagmin and complexin molecules. Calcium binding by synaptotagmins releases this fusion clamp and triggers fast SV exocytosis. However, this model has not been quantitatively tested over physiological timescales. Here we describe an experimentally constrained computational modelling framework to quantitatively assess how the molecular architecture of the fusion clamp affects SV exocytosis. Our results argue that the 'release-of-inhibition' model can indeed account for fast calcium-activated SV fusion, and that dual binding of synaptotagmin-1 and synaptotagmin-7 to the same SNARE complex enables synergistic regulation of the kinetics and plasticity of neurotransmitter release. The developed framework provides a powerful and adaptable tool to link the molecular biochemistry of presynaptic proteins to physiological data and efficiently test the plausibility of calcium-activated neurotransmitter release models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Norman
- University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
- Mathematics for Real-World Systems Centre for Doctoral Training, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Shyam S Krishnakumar
- University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- Department of Neurology, Yale Nanobiology Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Yulia Timofeeva
- University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Kirill E Volynski
- University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
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6
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Marosi EL, Arszovszki A, Brunner J, Szabadics J. Similar Presynaptic Action Potential-Calcium Influx Coupling in Two Types of Large Mossy Fiber Terminals Innervating CA3 Pyramidal Cells and Hilar Mossy Cells. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0017-23.2023. [PMID: 36697256 PMCID: PMC9907395 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0017-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphologically similar axon boutons form synaptic contacts with diverse types of postsynaptic cells. However, it is less known to what extent the local axonal excitability, presynaptic action potentials (APs), and AP-evoked calcium influx contribute to the functional diversity of synapses and neuronal activity. This is particularly interesting in synapses that contact cell types that show only subtle cellular differences but fulfill completely different physiological functions. Here, we tested these questions in two synapses that are formed by rat hippocampal granule cells (GCs) onto hilar mossy cells (MCs) and CA3 pyramidal cells, which albeit share several morphologic and synaptic properties but contribute to distinct physiological functions. We were interested in the deterministic steps of the action potential-calcium ion influx coupling as these complex modules may underlie the functional segregation between and within the two cell types. Our systematic comparison using direct axonal recordings showed that AP shapes, Ca2+ currents and their plasticity are indistinguishable in synapses onto these two cell types. These suggest that the complete module that couples granule cell activity to synaptic release is shared by hilar mossy cells and CA3 pyramidal cells. Thus, our findings present an outstanding example for the modular composition of distinct cell types, by which cells employ different components only for those functions that are deterministic for their specialized functions, while many of their main properties are shared.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - János Brunner
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, 1083, Hungary
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7
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Mendonça PRF, Tagliatti E, Langley H, Kotzadimitriou D, Zamora-Chimal CG, Timofeeva Y, Volynski KE. Asynchronous glutamate release is enhanced in low release efficacy synapses and dispersed across the active zone. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3497. [PMID: 35715404 PMCID: PMC9206079 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31070-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The balance between fast synchronous and delayed asynchronous release of neurotransmitters has a major role in defining computational properties of neuronal synapses and regulation of neuronal network activity. However, how it is tuned at the single synapse level remains poorly understood. Here, using the fluorescent glutamate sensor SF-iGluSnFR, we image quantal vesicular release in tens to hundreds of individual synaptic outputs from single pyramidal cells with 4 millisecond temporal and 75 nm spatial resolution. We find that the ratio between synchronous and asynchronous synaptic vesicle exocytosis varies extensively among synapses supplied by the same axon, and that the synchronicity of release is reduced at low release probability synapses. We further demonstrate that asynchronous exocytosis sites are more widely distributed within the release area than synchronous sites. Together, our results reveal a universal relationship between the two major functional properties of synapses - the timing and the overall efficacy of neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipe R F Mendonça
- University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK. .,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Erica Tagliatti
- University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Helen Langley
- University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | | | - Yulia Timofeeva
- University College London Institute of Neurology, London, UK. .,Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
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8
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Shahoha M, Cohen R, Ben-Simon Y, Ashery U. cAMP-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity at the Hippocampal Mossy Fiber Terminal. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:861215. [PMID: 35444523 PMCID: PMC9013808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.861215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a crucial second messenger involved in both pre- and postsynaptic plasticity in many neuronal types across species. In the hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapse, cAMP mediates presynaptic long-term potentiation and depression. The main cAMP-dependent signaling pathway linked to MF synaptic plasticity acts via the activation of the protein kinase A (PKA) molecular cascade. Accordingly, various downstream putative synaptic PKA target proteins have been linked to cAMP-dependent MF synaptic plasticity, such as synapsin, rabphilin, synaptotagmin-12, RIM1a, tomosyn, and P/Q-type calcium channels. Regulating the expression of some of these proteins alters synaptic release probability and calcium channel clustering, resulting in short- and long-term changes to synaptic efficacy. However, despite decades of research, the exact molecular mechanisms by which cAMP and PKA exert their influences in MF terminals remain largely unknown. Here, we review current knowledge of different cAMP catalysts and potential downstream PKA-dependent molecular cascades, in addition to non-canonical cAMP-dependent but PKA-independent cascades, which might serve as alternative, compensatory or competing pathways to the canonical PKA cascade. Since several other central synapses share a similar form of presynaptic plasticity with the MF, a better description of the molecular mechanisms governing MF plasticity could be key to understanding the relationship between the transcriptional and computational levels across brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meishar Shahoha
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronni Cohen
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoav Ben-Simon
- Department of Neurophysiology, Vienna Medical University, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Yoav Ben-Simon,
| | - Uri Ashery
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Uri Ashery,
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9
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Zemlianova K, Bose A, Rinzel J. A biophysical counting mechanism for keeping time. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2022; 116:205-218. [PMID: 35031845 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-021-00915-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The ability to estimate and produce appropriately timed responses is central to many behaviors including speaking, dancing, and playing a musical instrument. A classical framework for estimating or producing a time interval is the pacemaker-accumulator model in which pulses of a pacemaker are counted and compared to a stored representation. However, the neural mechanisms for how these pulses are counted remain an open question. The presence of noise and stochasticity further complicates the picture. We present a biophysical model of how to keep count of a pacemaker in the presence of various forms of stochasticity using a system of bistable Wilson-Cowan units asymmetrically connected in a one-dimensional array; all units receive the same input pulses from a central clock but only one unit is active at any point in time. With each pulse from the clock, the position of the activated unit changes thereby encoding the total number of pulses emitted by the clock. This neural architecture maps the counting problem into the spatial domain, which in turn translates count to a time estimate. We further extend the model to a hierarchical structure to be able to robustly achieve higher counts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amitabha Bose
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - John Rinzel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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10
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Guzman SJ, Schlögl A, Espinoza C, Zhang X, Suter BA, Jonas P. How connectivity rules and synaptic properties shape the efficacy of pattern separation in the entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus-CA3 network. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 1:830-842. [PMID: 38217181 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-021-00157-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Pattern separation is a fundamental brain computation that converts small differences in input patterns into large differences in output patterns. Several synaptic mechanisms of pattern separation have been proposed, including code expansion, inhibition and plasticity; however, which of these mechanisms play a role in the entorhinal cortex (EC)-dentate gyrus (DG)-CA3 circuit, a classical pattern separation circuit, remains unclear. Here we show that a biologically realistic, full-scale EC-DG-CA3 circuit model, including granule cells (GCs) and parvalbumin-positive inhibitory interneurons (PV+-INs) in the DG, is an efficient pattern separator. Both external gamma-modulated inhibition and internal lateral inhibition mediated by PV+-INs substantially contributed to pattern separation. Both local connectivity and fast signaling at GC-PV+-IN synapses were important for maximum effectiveness. Similarly, mossy fiber synapses with conditional detonator properties contributed to pattern separation. By contrast, perforant path synapses with Hebbian synaptic plasticity and direct EC-CA3 connection shifted the network towards pattern completion. Our results demonstrate that the specific properties of cells and synapses optimize higher-order computations in biological networks and might be useful to improve the deep learning capabilities of technical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jose Guzman
- IST Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Claudia Espinoza
- IST Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- Medical University of Austria, Division of Cognitive Neurobiology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Xiaomin Zhang
- IST Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Prince LY, Bacon T, Humphries R, Tsaneva-Atanasova K, Clopath C, Mellor JR. Separable actions of acetylcholine and noradrenaline on neuronal ensemble formation in hippocampal CA3 circuits. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009435. [PMID: 34597293 PMCID: PMC8513881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the hippocampus, episodic memories are thought to be encoded by the formation of ensembles of synaptically coupled CA3 pyramidal cells driven by sparse but powerful mossy fiber inputs from dentate gyrus granule cells. The neuromodulators acetylcholine and noradrenaline are separately proposed as saliency signals that dictate memory encoding but it is not known if they represent distinct signals with separate mechanisms. Here, we show experimentally that acetylcholine, and to a lesser extent noradrenaline, suppress feed-forward inhibition and enhance Excitatory-Inhibitory ratio in the mossy fiber pathway but CA3 recurrent network properties are only altered by acetylcholine. We explore the implications of these findings on CA3 ensemble formation using a hierarchy of models. In reconstructions of CA3 pyramidal cells, mossy fiber pathway disinhibition facilitates postsynaptic dendritic depolarization known to be required for synaptic plasticity at CA3-CA3 recurrent synapses. We further show in a spiking neural network model of CA3 how acetylcholine-specific network alterations can drive rapid overlapping ensemble formation. Thus, through these distinct sets of mechanisms, acetylcholine and noradrenaline facilitate the formation of neuronal ensembles in CA3 that encode salient episodic memories in the hippocampus but acetylcholine selectively enhances the density of memory storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Y. Prince
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Mila, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Travis Bacon
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Humphries
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- EPRSC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Clopath
- Bioengineering Department, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jack R. Mellor
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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12
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Lituma PJ, Kwon HB, Alviña K, Luján R, Castillo PE. Presynaptic NMDA receptors facilitate short-term plasticity and BDNF release at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. eLife 2021; 10:e66612. [PMID: 34061025 PMCID: PMC8186907 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter release is a highly controlled process by which synapses can critically regulate information transfer within neural circuits. While presynaptic receptors - typically activated by neurotransmitters and modulated by neuromodulators - provide a powerful way of fine-tuning synaptic function, their contribution to activity-dependent changes in transmitter release remains poorly understood. Here, we report that presynaptic NMDA receptors (preNMDARs) at mossy fiber boutons in the rodent hippocampus can be activated by physiologically relevant patterns of activity and selectively enhance short-term synaptic plasticity at mossy fiber inputs onto CA3 pyramidal cells and mossy cells, but not onto inhibitory interneurons. Moreover, preNMDARs facilitate brain-derived neurotrophic factor release and contribute to presynaptic calcium rise. Taken together, our results indicate that by increasing presynaptic calcium, preNMDARs fine-tune mossy fiber neurotransmission and can control information transfer during dentate granule cell burst activity that normally occur in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo J Lituma
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Hyung-Bae Kwon
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Karina Alviña
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Rafael Luján
- Instituto de Investigación en Discapacidades Neurológicas (IDINE), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Castilla-La ManchaAlbaceteSpain
| | - Pablo E Castillo
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
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13
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Rossbroich J, Trotter D, Beninger J, Tóth K, Naud R. Linear-nonlinear cascades capture synaptic dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008013. [PMID: 33720935 PMCID: PMC7993773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-term synaptic dynamics differ markedly across connections and strongly regulate how action potentials communicate information. To model the range of synaptic dynamics observed in experiments, we have developed a flexible mathematical framework based on a linear-nonlinear operation. This model can capture various experimentally observed features of synaptic dynamics and different types of heteroskedasticity. Despite its conceptual simplicity, we show that it is more adaptable than previous models. Combined with a standard maximum likelihood approach, synaptic dynamics can be accurately and efficiently characterized using naturalistic stimulation patterns. These results make explicit that synaptic processing bears algorithmic similarities with information processing in convolutional neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Rossbroich
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Trotter
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - John Beninger
- uOttawa Brain Mind Institute, Center for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Katalin Tóth
- uOttawa Brain Mind Institute, Center for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Richard Naud
- Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- uOttawa Brain Mind Institute, Center for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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14
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Chamberland S, Timofeeva Y, Evstratova A, Norman CA, Volynski K, Tóth K. Slow-decaying presynaptic calcium dynamics gate long-lasting asynchronous release at the hippocampal mossy fiber to CA3 pyramidal cell synapse. Synapse 2020; 74:e22178. [PMID: 32598500 PMCID: PMC7685170 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Action potentials trigger two modes of neurotransmitter release, with a fast synchronous component and a temporally delayed asynchronous release. Asynchronous release contributes to information transfer at synapses, including at the hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) to CA3 pyramidal cell synapse where it controls the timing of postsynaptic CA3 pyramidal neuron firing. Here, we identified and characterized the main determinants of asynchronous release at the MF–CA3 synapse. We found that asynchronous release at MF–CA3 synapses can last on the order of seconds following repetitive MF stimulation. Elevating the stimulation frequency or the external Ca2+ concentration increased the rate of asynchronous release, thus, arguing that presynaptic Ca2+ dynamics is the major determinant of asynchronous release rate. Direct MF bouton Ca2+ imaging revealed slow Ca2+ decay kinetics of action potential (AP) burst‐evoked Ca2+ transients. Finally, we observed that asynchronous release was preferentially mediated by Ca2+ influx through P/Q‐type voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels, while the contribution of N‐type VGCCs was limited. Overall, our results uncover the determinants of long‐lasting asynchronous release from MF terminals and suggest that asynchronous release could influence CA3 pyramidal cell firing up to seconds following termination of granule cell bursting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Chamberland
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Yulia Timofeeva
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Centre for Complexity Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alesya Evstratova
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Christopher A Norman
- Mathematics for Real-World Systems Centre for Doctoral Training, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Kirill Volynski
- University College London Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Katalin Tóth
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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15
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Vandael D, Borges-Merjane C, Zhang X, Jonas P. Short-Term Plasticity at Hippocampal Mossy Fiber Synapses Is Induced by Natural Activity Patterns and Associated with Vesicle Pool Engram Formation. Neuron 2020; 107:509-521.e7. [PMID: 32492366 PMCID: PMC7427323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) is an attractive candidate mechanism for hippocampus-dependent short-term memory. Although PTP has a uniquely large magnitude at hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 pyramidal neuron synapses, it is unclear whether it can be induced by natural activity and whether its lifetime is sufficient to support short-term memory. We combined in vivo recordings from granule cells (GCs), in vitro paired recordings from mossy fiber terminals and postsynaptic CA3 neurons, and “flash and freeze” electron microscopy. PTP was induced at single synapses and showed a low induction threshold adapted to sparse GC activity in vivo. PTP was mainly generated by enlargement of the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles, allowing multiplicative interaction with other plasticity forms. PTP was associated with an increase in the docked vesicle pool, suggesting formation of structural “pool engrams.” Absence of presynaptic activity extended the lifetime of the potentiation, enabling prolonged information storage in the hippocampal network. Natural activity patterns in hippocampal GCs in vivo induce PTP at mossy fiber synapses PTP is primarily caused by an increase in the readily releasable vesicle pool PTP is associated with an increase in the number of docked vesicles at active zones Sparse activity extends pool engram lifetime, increasing overlap with short-term memory
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vandael
- Cellular Neuroscience, Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Carolina Borges-Merjane
- Cellular Neuroscience, Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Xiaomin Zhang
- Cellular Neuroscience, Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Jonas
- Cellular Neuroscience, Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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16
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Tong R, Emptage NJ, Padamsey Z. A two-compartment model of synaptic computation and plasticity. Mol Brain 2020; 13:79. [PMID: 32434549 PMCID: PMC7238589 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00617-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The synapse is typically viewed as a single compartment, which acts as a linear gain controller on incoming input. Traditional plasticity rules enable this gain control to be dynamically optimized by Hebbian activity. Whilst this view nicely captures postsynaptic function, it neglects the non-linear dynamics of presynaptic function. Here we present a two-compartment model of the synapse in which the presynaptic terminal first acts to filter presynaptic input before the postsynaptic terminal, acting as a gain controller, amplifies or depresses transmission. We argue that both compartments are equipped with distinct plasticity rules to enable them to optimally adapt synaptic transmission to the statistics of pre- and postsynaptic activity. Specifically, we focus on how presynaptic plasticity enables presynaptic filtering to be optimally tuned to only transmit information relevant for postsynaptic firing. We end by discussing the advantages of having a presynaptic filter and propose future work to explore presynaptic function and plasticity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudi Tong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3QT, UK. .,Current address: McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, 3801 University Street, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Nigel J Emptage
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3QT, UK.
| | - Zahid Padamsey
- Centre of Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 9 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK.
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17
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Rama S, Jensen TP, Rusakov DA. Glutamate Imaging Reveals Multiple Sites of Stochastic Release in the CA3 Giant Mossy Fiber Boutons. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:243. [PMID: 31213985 PMCID: PMC6558140 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most studied central synapses which have provided fundamental insights into cellular mechanisms of neural connectivity is the “giant” excitatory connection between hippocampal mossy fibers (MFs) and CA3 pyramidal cells. Its large presynaptic bouton features multiple release sites and is densely packed with thousands of synaptic vesicles, to sustain a highly facilitating “detonator” transmission. However, whether glutamate release sites at this synapse act independently, in a stochastic manner, or rather synchronously, remains poorly understood. This knowledge is critical for a better understanding of mechanisms underpinning presynaptic plasticity and postsynaptic signal integration rules. Here, we use the optical glutamate sensor SF-iGluSnFR and the intracellular Ca2+ indicator Cal-590 to monitor spike-evoked glutamate release and presynaptic calcium entry in MF boutons. Multiplexed imaging reveals that distinct sites in individual MF giant boutons release glutamate in a probabilistic fashion, also showing use-dependent short-term facilitation. The present approach provides novel insights into the basic mechanisms of neurotransmitter release at excitatory synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Rama
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas P Jensen
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dmitri A Rusakov
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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18
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Bose A, Byrne Á, Rinzel J. A neuromechanistic model for rhythmic beat generation. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006450. [PMID: 31071078 PMCID: PMC6508617 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
When listening to music, humans can easily identify and move to the beat. Numerous experimental studies have identified brain regions that may be involved with beat perception and representation. Several theoretical and algorithmic approaches have been proposed to account for this ability. Related to, but different from the issue of how we perceive a beat, is the question of how we learn to generate and hold a beat. In this paper, we introduce a neuronal framework for a beat generator that is capable of learning isochronous rhythms over a range of frequencies that are relevant to music and speech. Our approach combines ideas from error-correction and entrainment models to investigate the dynamics of how a biophysically-based neuronal network model synchronizes its period and phase to match that of an external stimulus. The model makes novel use of on-going faster gamma rhythms to form a set of discrete clocks that provide estimates, but not exact information, of how well the beat generator spike times match those of a stimulus sequence. The beat generator is endowed with plasticity allowing it to quickly learn and thereby adjust its spike times to achieve synchronization. Our model makes generalizable predictions about the existence of asymmetries in the synchronization process, as well as specific predictions about resynchronization times after changes in stimulus tempo or phase. Analysis of the model demonstrates that accurate rhythmic time keeping can be achieved over a range of frequencies relevant to music, in a manner that is robust to changes in parameters and to the presence of noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amitabha Bose
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Áine Byrne
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John Rinzel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
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19
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Martinello K, Giacalone E, Migliore M, Brown DA, Shah MM. The subthreshold-active K V7 current regulates neurotransmission by limiting spike-induced Ca 2+ influx in hippocampal mossy fiber synaptic terminals. Commun Biol 2019; 2:145. [PMID: 31044170 PMCID: PMC6486593 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the properties and function of ion channels that affect synaptic terminal-resting properties. One particular subthreshold-active ion channel, the Kv7 potassium channel, is highly localized to axons, but its role in regulating synaptic terminal intrinsic excitability and release is largely unexplored. Using electrophysiological recordings together with computational modeling, we found that the KV7 current was active at rest in adult hippocampal mossy fiber synaptic terminals and enhanced their membrane conductance. The current also restrained action potential-induced Ca2+ influx via N- and P/Q-type Ca2+ channels in boutons. This was associated with a substantial reduction in the spike half-width and afterdepolarization following presynaptic spikes. Further, by constraining spike-induced Ca2+ influx, the presynaptic KV7 current decreased neurotransmission onto CA3 pyramidal neurons and short-term synaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. This is a distinctive mechanism by which KV7 channels influence hippocampal neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - David A. Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Mala M. Shah
- UCL School of Pharmacy University College London, London, WC1N 1AX UK
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