1
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Long X, Deng B, Shen R, Yang L, Chen L, Ran Q, Du X, Zhang SJ. Border cells without theta rhythmicity in the medial prefrontal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321614121. [PMID: 38857401 PMCID: PMC11194599 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321614121] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a key brain structure for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and goal-directed behavior, many of which require awareness of spatial variables including one's current position within the surrounding environment. Although previous studies have reported spatially tuned activities in mPFC during memory-related trajectory, the spatial tuning of mPFC network during freely foraging behavior remains elusive. Here, we reveal geometric border or border-proximal representations from the neural activity of mPFC ensembles during naturally exploring behavior, with both allocentric and egocentric boundary responses. Unlike most of classical border cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) discharging along a single wall, a large majority of border cells in mPFC fire particularly along four walls. mPFC border cells generate new firing fields to external insert, and remain stable under darkness, across distinct shapes, and in novel environments. In contrast to hippocampal theta entrainment during spatial working memory tasks, mPFC border cells rarely exhibited theta rhythmicity during spontaneous locomotion behavior. These findings reveal spatially modulated activity in mPFC, supporting local computation for cognitive functions involving spatial context and contributing to a broad spatial tuning property of cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Long
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Bin Deng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Rui Shen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Liping Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Qingxia Ran
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Xin Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
| | - Sheng-Jia Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400037, China
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2
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Brünner H, Kim H, Ährlund-Richter S, van Lunteren JA, Crestani AP, Meletis K, Carlén M. Cell-type-specific representation of spatial context in the rat prefrontal cortex. iScience 2024; 27:109743. [PMID: 38711459 PMCID: PMC11070673 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to represent one's own position in relation to cues, goals, or threats is crucial to successful goal-directed behavior. Using optotagging in knock-in rats expressing Cre recombinase in parvalbumin (PV) neurons (PV-Cre rats), we demonstrate cell-type-specific encoding of spatial and movement variables in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during goal-directed reward seeking. Single neurons encoded the conjunction of the animal's spatial position and the run direction, referred to as the spatial context. The spatial context was most prominently represented by the inhibitory PV interneurons. Movement toward the reward was signified by increased local field potential (LFP) oscillations in the gamma band but this LFP signature was not related to the spatial information in the neuronal firing. The results highlight how spatial information is incorporated into cognitive operations in the mPFC. The presented PV-Cre line opens the door for expanded research approaches in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Brünner
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hoseok Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Ana Paula Crestani
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Marie Carlén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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3
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Wang Y, Wang X, Wang L, Zheng L, Meng S, Zhu N, An X, Wang L, Yang J, Zheng C, Ming D. Dynamic prediction of goal location by coordinated representation of prefrontal-hippocampal theta sequences. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1866-1879.e6. [PMID: 38608677 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal (PFC) and hippocampal (HPC) sequences of neuronal firing modulated by theta rhythms could represent upcoming choices during spatial memory-guided decision-making. How the PFC-HPC network dynamically coordinates theta sequences to predict specific goal locations and how it is interrupted in memory impairments induced by amyloid beta (Aβ) remain unclear. Here, we detected theta sequences of firing activities of PFC neurons and HPC place cells during goal-directed spatial memory tasks. We found that PFC ensembles exhibited predictive representation of the specific goal location since the starting phase of memory retrieval, earlier than the hippocampus. High predictive accuracy of PFC theta sequences existed during successful memory retrieval and positively correlated with memory performance. Coordinated PFC-HPC sequences showed PFC-dominant prediction of goal locations during successful memory retrieval. Furthermore, we found that theta sequences of both regions still existed under Aβ accumulation, whereas their predictive representation of goal locations was weakened with disrupted spatial representation of HPC place cells and PFC neurons. These findings highlight the essential role of coordinated PFC-HPC sequences in successful memory retrieval of a precise goal location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xueling Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shuang Meng
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Nan Zhu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xingwei An
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Statistics and Data Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
| | - Jiajia Yang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China; Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Chenguang Zheng
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China; Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Dong Ming
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin 300072, China; Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin 300072, China.
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4
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Tamboli S, Singh S, Topolnik D, El Amine Barkat M, Radhakrishnan R, Guet-McCreight A, Topolnik L. Mouse hippocampal CA1 VIP interneurons detect novelty in the environment and support recognition memory. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114115. [PMID: 38607918 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
In the CA1 hippocampus, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons (VIP-INs) play a prominent role in disinhibitory circuit motifs. However, the specific behavioral conditions that lead to circuit disinhibition remain uncertain. To investigate the behavioral relevance of VIP-IN activity, we employed wireless technologies allowing us to monitor and manipulate their function in freely behaving mice. Our findings reveal that, during spatial exploration in new environments, VIP-INs in the CA1 hippocampal region become highly active, facilitating the rapid encoding of novel spatial information. Remarkably, both VIP-INs and pyramidal neurons (PNs) exhibit increased activity when encountering novel changes in the environment, including context- and object-related alterations. Concurrently, somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory populations show an inverse relationship with VIP-IN and PN activity, revealing circuit disinhibition that occurs on a timescale of seconds. Thus, VIP-IN-mediated disinhibition may constitute a crucial element in the rapid encoding of novelty and the acquisition of recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhel Tamboli
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ-CHUL, Quebec City, PQ, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada
| | - Sanjay Singh
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ-CHUL, Quebec City, PQ, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada
| | - Dimitry Topolnik
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ-CHUL, Quebec City, PQ, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada
| | - Mohamed El Amine Barkat
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ-CHUL, Quebec City, PQ, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada
| | - Risna Radhakrishnan
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ-CHUL, Quebec City, PQ, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada
| | | | - Lisa Topolnik
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ-CHUL, Quebec City, PQ, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Quebec City, PQ, Canada.
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5
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Contreras MP, Mendez M, Shan X, Fechner J, Sawangjit A, Born J, Inostroza M. Context memory formed in medial prefrontal cortex during infancy enhances learning in adulthood. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2475. [PMID: 38509099 PMCID: PMC10954687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46734-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Adult behavior is commonly thought to be shaped by early-life experience, although episodes experienced during infancy appear to be forgotten. Exposing male rats during infancy to discrete spatial experience we show that these rats in adulthood are significantly better at forming a spatial memory than control rats without such infantile experience. We moreover show that the adult rats' improved spatial memory capability is mainly based on memory for context information during the infantile experiences. Infantile spatial experience increased c-Fos activity at memory testing during adulthood in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not in the hippocampus. Inhibiting prelimbic mPFC at testing during adulthood abolished the enhancing effect of infantile spatial experience on learning. Adult spatial memory capability only benefitted from spatial experience occurring during the sensitive period of infancy, but not when occurring later during childhood, and when sleep followed the infantile experience. In conclusion, the infantile brain, by a sleep-dependent mechanism, favors consolidation of memory for the context in which episodes are experienced. These representations comprise mPFC regions and context-dependently facilitate learning in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- María P Contreras
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Neural & Behavioral Science, International Max Planck Research School, Tübingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute of Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marta Mendez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Xia Shan
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Neural & Behavioral Science, International Max Planck Research School, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Fechner
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Neural & Behavioral Science, International Max Planck Research School, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anuck Sawangjit
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan Born
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Werner Reichert Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD)-Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Center Munich (IDM) at the University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Marion Inostroza
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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6
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Muysers H, Chen HL, Hahn J, Folschweiller S, Sigurdsson T, Sauer JF, Bartos M. A persistent prefrontal reference frame across time and task rules. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2115. [PMID: 38459033 PMCID: PMC10923947 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavior can be remarkably consistent, even over extended time periods, yet whether this is reflected in stable or 'drifting' neuronal responses to task features remains controversial. Here, we find a persistently active ensemble of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of mice that reliably maintains trajectory-specific tuning over several weeks while performing an olfaction-guided spatial memory task. This task-specific reference frame is stabilized during learning, upon which repeatedly active neurons show little representational drift and maintain their trajectory-specific tuning across long pauses in task exposure and across repeated changes in cue-target location pairings. These data thus suggest a 'core ensemble' of prefrontal neurons forming a reference frame of task-relevant space for the performance of consistent behavior over extended periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Muysers
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Hung-Ling Chen
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Johannes Hahn
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shani Folschweiller
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Sleep-Wake-Epilepsy Center and Center for Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
| | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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7
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Ferreira-Fernandes E, Laranjo M, Reis T, Canijo B, Ferreira PA, Martins P, Vilarinho J, Tavakoli M, Kunicki C, Peça J. In vivo recordings in freely behaving mice using independent silicon probes targeting multiple brain regions. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1293620. [PMID: 38186631 PMCID: PMC10771849 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1293620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In vivo recordings in freely behaving animals are crucial to understand the neuronal circuit basis of behavior. Although current multi-channel silicon probes provide unparalleled sampling density, the study of interacting neuronal populations requires the implantation of multiple probes across different regions of the brain. Ideally, these probes should be independently adjustable, to maximize the yield, and recoverable, to mitigate costs. In this work, we describe the implementation of a miniaturized 3D-printed headgear system for chronic in vivo recordings in mice using independently movable silicon probes targeting multiple brain regions. We successfully demonstrated the performance of the headgear by simultaneously recording the neuronal activity in the prelimbic cortex and dorsal hippocampus. The system proved to be sturdy, ensuring high-quality stable recordings and permitted reuse of the silicon probes, with no observable interference in mouse innate behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Ferreira-Fernandes
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mariana Laranjo
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- PhD Program in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Tiago Reis
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- PhD Program in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Canijo
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Pedro A. Ferreira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Pedro Martins
- Department of Architecture, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Vilarinho
- Institute of Systems and Robotics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mahmoud Tavakoli
- Institute of Systems and Robotics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carolina Kunicki
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Vasco da Gama Research Center (CIVG), Vasco da Gama University School (EUVG), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Peça
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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8
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Frost NA, Donohue KC, Sohal V. Context-invariant socioemotional encoding by prefrontal ensembles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.19.563015. [PMID: 37961143 PMCID: PMC10634670 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.19.563015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex plays a key role in social interactions, anxiety-related avoidance, and flexible context- dependent behaviors, raising the question: how do prefrontal neurons represent socioemotional information across different environments? Are contextual and socioemotional representations segregated or intermixed, and does this cause socioemotional encoding to remap or generalize across environments? To address this, we imaged neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice engaged in social interactions or anxiety-related avoidance within different environments. Neuronal ensembles representing context and social interaction overlapped more than expected while remaining orthogonal. Anxiety-related representations similarly generalized across environments while remaining orthogonal to contextual information. This shows how prefrontal cortex multiplexes parallel information streams using the same neurons, rather than distinct subcircuits, achieving context-invariant encoding despite context-specific reorganization of population-level activity.
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9
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Nardin M, Kaefer K, Stella F, Csicsvari J. Theta oscillations as a substrate for medial prefrontal-hippocampal assembly interactions. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113015. [PMID: 37632747 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The execution of cognitive functions requires coordinated circuit activity across different brain areas that involves the associated firing of neuronal assemblies. Here, we tested the circuit mechanism behind assembly interactions between the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of adult rats by recording neuronal populations during a rule-switching task. We identified functionally coupled CA1-mPFC cells that synchronized their activity beyond that expected from common spatial coding or oscillatory firing. When such cell pairs fired together, the mPFC cell strongly phase locked to CA1 theta oscillations and maintained consistent theta firing phases, independent of the theta timing of their CA1 counterpart. These functionally connected CA1-mPFC cells formed interconnected assemblies. While firing together with their CA1 assembly partners, mPFC cells fired along specific theta sequences. Our results suggest that upregulated theta oscillatory firing of mPFC cells can signal transient interactions with specific CA1 assemblies, thus enabling distributed computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Nardin
- IST Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria; Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
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10
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Alonso I, Scheer I, Palacio-Manzano M, Frézel-Jacob N, Philippides A, Prsa M. Peripersonal encoding of forelimb proprioception in the mouse somatosensory cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1866. [PMID: 37045825 PMCID: PMC10097678 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37575-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Conscious perception of limb movements depends on proprioceptive neural responses in the somatosensory cortex. In contrast to tactile sensations, proprioceptive cortical coding is barely studied in the mammalian brain and practically non-existent in rodent research. To understand the cortical representation of this important sensory modality we developed a passive forelimb displacement paradigm in behaving mice and also trained them to perceptually discriminate where their limb is moved in space. We delineated the rodent proprioceptive cortex with wide-field calcium imaging and optogenetic silencing experiments during behavior. Our results reveal that proprioception is represented in both sensory and motor cortical areas. In addition, behavioral measurements and responses of layer 2/3 neurons imaged with two-photon microscopy reveal that passive limb movements are both perceived and encoded in the mouse cortex as a spatial direction vector that interfaces the limb with the body's peripersonal space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Alonso
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Irina Scheer
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Palacio-Manzano
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Noémie Frézel-Jacob
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Philippides
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mario Prsa
- Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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11
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Hanganu-Opatz IL, Klausberger T, Sigurdsson T, Nieder A, Jacob SN, Bartos M, Sauer JF, Durstewitz D, Leibold C, Diester I. Resolving the prefrontal mechanisms of adaptive cognitive behaviors: A cross-species perspective. Neuron 2023; 111:1020-1036. [PMID: 37023708 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.017] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) enables a staggering variety of complex behaviors, such as planning actions, solving problems, and adapting to new situations according to external information and internal states. These higher-order abilities, collectively defined as adaptive cognitive behavior, require cellular ensembles that coordinate the tradeoff between the stability and flexibility of neural representations. While the mechanisms underlying the function of cellular ensembles are still unclear, recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that temporal coordination dynamically binds prefrontal neurons into functional ensembles. A so far largely separate stream of research has investigated the prefrontal efferent and afferent connectivity. These two research streams have recently converged on the hypothesis that prefrontal connectivity patterns influence ensemble formation and the function of neurons within ensembles. Here, we propose a unitary concept that, leveraging a cross-species definition of prefrontal regions, explains how prefrontal ensembles adaptively regulate and efficiently coordinate multiple processes in distinct cognitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Klausberger
- Center for Brain Research, Division of Cognitive Neurobiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon N Jacob
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Daniel Durstewitz
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health & Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Faculty of Biology, Bernstein Center Freiburg, BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ilka Diester
- Optophysiology - Optogenetics and Neurophysiology, IMBIT // BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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12
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Tang W, Shin JD, Jadhav SP. Geometric transformation of cognitive maps for generalization across hippocampal-prefrontal circuits. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112246. [PMID: 36924498 PMCID: PMC10124109 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to abstract information to guide decisions during navigation across changing environments is essential for adaptation and requires the integrity of the hippocampal-prefrontal circuitry. The hippocampus encodes navigational information in a cognitive map, but it remains unclear how cognitive maps are transformed across hippocampal-prefrontal circuits to support abstraction and generalization. Here, we simultaneously record hippocampal-prefrontal ensembles as rats generalize navigational rules across distinct environments. We find that, whereas hippocampal representational maps maintain specificity of separate environments, prefrontal maps generalize across environments. Furthermore, while both maps are structured within a neural manifold of population activity, they have distinct representational geometries. Prefrontal geometry enables abstraction of rule-informative variables, a representational format that generalizes to novel conditions of existing variable classes. Hippocampal geometry lacks such abstraction. Together, these findings elucidate how cognitive maps are structured into distinct geometric representations to support abstraction and generalization while maintaining memory specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Tang
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
| | - Justin D Shin
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Shantanu P Jadhav
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, and Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
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Parallel Pathways Provide Hippocampal Spatial Information to Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2023; 43:68-81. [PMID: 36414405 PMCID: PMC9838712 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0846-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range synaptic connections define how information flows through neuronal networks. Here, we combined retrograde and anterograde trans-synaptic viruses to delineate areas that exert direct and indirect influence over the dorsal and ventral prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the rat (both sexes). Notably, retrograde tracing using pseudorabies virus (PRV) revealed that both dorsal and ventral areas of the PFC receive prominent disynaptic input from the dorsal CA3 (dCA3) region of the hippocampus. The PRV experiments also identified candidate anatomical relays for this disynaptic pathway, namely, the ventral hippocampus, lateral septum, thalamus, amygdala, and basal forebrain. To determine the viability of each of these relays, we performed three additional experiments. In the first, we injected the retrograde monosynaptic tracer Fluoro-Gold into the PFC and the anterograde monosynaptic tracer Fluoro-Ruby into the dCA3 to confirm the first-order connecting areas and revealed several potential relay regions between the PFC and dCA3. In the second, we combined PRV injection in the PFC with polysynaptic anterograde viral tracer (HSV-1) in the dCA3 to reveal colabeled connecting neurons, which were evident only in the ventral hippocampus. In the third, we combined retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAV) injections in the PFC with an anterograde AAV in the dCA3 to reveal anatomical relay neurons in the ventral hippocampus and dorsal lateral septum. Together, these findings reveal parallel disynaptic pathways from the dCA3 to the PFC, illuminating a new anatomical framework for understanding hippocampal-prefrontal interactions. We suggest that the representation of context and space may be a universal feature of prefrontal function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The known functions of the prefrontal cortex are shaped by input from multiple brain areas. We used transneuronal viral tracing to discover multiple prominent disynaptic pathways through which the dorsal hippocampus (specifically, the dorsal CA3) has the potential to shape the actions of the prefrontal cortex. The demonstration of neuronal relays in the ventral hippocampus and lateral septum presents a new foundation for understanding long-range influences over prefrontal interactions, including the specific contribution of the dorsal CA3 to prefrontal function.
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Draguhn A. No single place for space: neuronal representation of location beyond the hippocampus : Comment on: Sauer JF, Folschweiller S, Bartos M (2022) Topographically organized representation of space and context in the medial prefrontal cortex. PNAS 119:e2117300119. Pflugers Arch 2022; 474:569-571. [PMID: 35524801 PMCID: PMC9117354 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-022-02699-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Draguhn
- Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 326, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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15
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Folschweiller S, Sauer JF. Phase-specific pooling of sparse assembly activity by respiration-related brain oscillations. J Physiol 2022; 600:1991-2011. [PMID: 35218015 DOI: 10.1113/jp282631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal assemblies activate phase-coupled to ongoing respiration-related oscillations (RROs) in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice. The phase coupling strength of assemblies exceeds that of individual neurons. Assemblies preferentially activate during the descending phase of RRO. Despite higher assembly frequency during descending RRO, overlap between active assemblies remains constant across RRO phase. Putative GABAergic interneurons are preferentially recruited by assembly neurons during descending RRO, suggesting that interneurons might contribute to the segregation of active assemblies during the descending phase of RRO. ABSTRACT: Nasal breathing affects cognitive functions, but it has remained largely unclear how respiration-driven inputs shape information processing in neuronal circuits. Current theories emphasize the role of neuronal assemblies, coalitions of transiently active pyramidal cells, as the core unit of cortical network computations. Here, we show that the phase of respiration-related oscillations (RROs) influences the likelihood of activation of a subset of neuronal assemblies in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of awake mice. RROs bias the activation of neuronal assemblies more efficiently than that of individual neurons by entraining the coactivity of assembly neurons. Moreover, the activation of assemblies is moderately biased towards the descending phase of RROs. Despite the enriched activation of assemblies during descending RRO, the overlap between individual assemblies remains constant across RRO phases. Putative GABAergic interneurons are shown to coactivate with assemblies and receive enhanced excitatory drive from assembly neurons during descending RRO, suggesting that the phase-specific recruitment of putative interneurons might help to keep the activation of different assemblies separated from each other during times of preferred assembly activation. Our results thus identify respiration-synchronized brain rhythms as drivers of neuronal assemblies and point to a role of RROs in defining time windows of enhanced yet segregated assembly activity. Abstract figure legend. Nasal breathing affects cognitive functions, but it has remained largely unclear how respiration-driven inputs shape information processing in neuronal circuits. We show that the phase of respiration-related oscillations (RROs) influences the likelihood of the activation of a subset of neuronal assemblies in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of awake mice. The activation of assemblies is moderately biased towards the descending phase of RROs, while the overlap between individual assemblies remains constant across RRO phases. Putative GABAergic interneurons are shown to coactivate with assemblies and receive enhanced excitatory drive from assembly neurons during descending RRO, suggesting that the phase-specific recruitment of putative interneurons might help to keep the activation of different assemblies separated from each other. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Folschweiller
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 7, Freiburg, D-79104, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, Freiburg, D-79104, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 7, Freiburg, D-79104, Germany
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