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Shigematsu N, Miyamoto Y, Esumi S, Fukuda T. The Anterolateral Barrel Subfield Differs from the Posteromedial Barrel Subfield in the Morphology and Cell Density of Parvalbumin-Positive GABAergic Interneurons. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0518-22.2024. [PMID: 38438262 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0518-22.2024] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Layer 4 of the rodent somatosensory cortex has unitary structures called barrels that receive tactile information from individual vibrissae. Barrels in the anterolateral barrel subfield (ALBSF) are much smaller and have gained less attention than larger barrels in the posteromedial barrel subfield (PMBSF), though the former outnumber the latter. We compared the morphological features of barrels between the ALBSF and PMBSF in male mice using deformation-free tangential sections and confocal optical slice-based, precise reconstructions of barrels. The average volume of a single barrel in the ALBSF was 34.7% of that in the PMBSF, but the numerical density of parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneurons in the former was 1.49 times higher than that in the latter. Moreover, PV neuron density in septa was 2.08 times higher in the ALBSF than that in the PMBSF. The proportions of PV neuron number to both all neuron number and all GABAergic neuron number in the ALBSF were also higher than those in the PMBSF. Somata of PV neurons in barrels and septa in the ALBSF received 1.64 and 1.50 times more vesicular glutamate transporter Type 2-labeled boutons than those in the PMBSF, suggesting more potent feedforward inhibitory circuits in the ALBSF. The mode of connectivity through dendritic gap junctions among PV neurons also differed between the ALBSF and PMBSF. Clusters of smaller unitary structures containing a higher density of representative GABAergic interneurons with differential morphological features in the ALBSF suggest a division of functional roles in the two vibrissa-barrel systems, as has been demonstrated by behavioral studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Shigematsu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yuta Miyamoto
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Esumi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Takaichi Fukuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
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2
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Young TR, Yamamoto M, Kikuchi SS, Yoshida AC, Abe T, Inoue K, Johansen JP, Benucci A, Yoshimura Y, Shimogori T. Thalamocortical control of cell-type specificity drives circuits for processing whisker-related information in mouse barrel cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6077. [PMID: 37770450 PMCID: PMC10539368 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41749-x] [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: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Excitatory spiny stellate neurons are prominently featured in the cortical circuits of sensory modalities that provide high salience and high acuity representations of the environment. These specialized neurons are considered developmentally linked to bottom-up inputs from the thalamus, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their diversification and function are unknown. Here, we investigated this in mouse somatosensory cortex, where spiny stellate neurons and pyramidal neurons have distinct roles in processing whisker-evoked signals. Utilizing spatial transcriptomics, we identified reciprocal patterns of gene expression which correlated with these cell-types and were linked to innervation by specific thalamic inputs during development. Genetic manipulation that prevents the acquisition of spiny stellate fate highlighted an important role for these neurons in processing distinct whisker signals within functional cortical columns, and as a key driver in the formation of specific whisker-related circuits in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Young
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Mariko Yamamoto
- Division of Visual Information Processing, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Satomi S Kikuchi
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Aya C Yoshida
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 6500047, Japan
| | - Kenichi Inoue
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 6500047, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- Laboratory for Neural Circuitry of Learning and Memory, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Andrea Benucci
- Laboratory for Neural Circuits and Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Yumiko Yoshimura
- Division of Visual Information Processing, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Tomomi Shimogori
- Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
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Ueta Y, Miyata M. Functional and structural synaptic remodeling mechanisms underlying somatotopic organization and reorganization in the thalamus. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105332. [PMID: 37524138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The somatosensory system organizes the topographic representation of body maps, termed somatotopy, at all levels of an ascending hierarchy. Postnatal maturation of somatotopy establishes optimal somatosensation, whereas deafferentation in adults reorganizes somatotopy, which underlies pathological somatosensation, such as phantom pain and complex regional pain syndrome. Here, we focus on the mouse whisker somatosensory thalamus to study how sensory experience shapes the fine topography of afferent connectivity during the critical period and what mechanisms remodel it and drive a large-scale somatotopic reorganization after peripheral nerve injury. We will review our findings that, following peripheral nerve injury in adults, lemniscal afferent synapses onto thalamic neurons are remodeled back to immature configuration, as if the critical period reopens. The remodeling process is initiated with local activation of microglia in the brainstem somatosensory nucleus downstream to injured nerves and heterosynaptically controlled by input from GABAergic and cortical neurons to thalamic neurons. These fruits of thalamic studies complement well-studied cortical mechanisms of somatotopic organization and reorganization and unveil potential intervention points in treating pathological somatosensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshifumi Ueta
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Mariko Miyata
- Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
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4
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Klich D, Łopucki R, Kaczor S, Zwolak I, Didkowska A, Wiącek D, Bielecki W, Perzanowski K, Wojciechowska M, Olech W. Comorbidities and concentration of trace elements in livers of European bison from Bieszczady Mountains (Poland). Sci Rep 2023; 13:4332. [PMID: 36922557 PMCID: PMC10017800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31245-z] [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: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
European bison is a species for which health monitoring is essential in conservation activities. So far, little research has been carried out on the concentration of elements in this species. Most previous studies did not associate the concentration of elements with susceptibility to diseases. In this study we investigate the relationship between comorbidities in European bison and concentrations of a wide spectrum of elements in the liver. Samples were collected during the monitoring of the European bison population in Bieszczady (southeast Poland) over the 2020-2022 period. Each individual was also visually inspected by a veterinarian in the field for the presence of lesions as a part of a post-mortem examination. The animals were divided into 3 groups: group A-one type of clinical sign; group B-two types of clinical signs; group C-three or more types of clinical signs. The ICP-OES method was applied to assess the concentration of 40 elements in livers. Discriminant analysis showed clear differences between the mineral status of individuals in the groups with one, two, and at least three types of clinical signs. Detailed analysis of selected elements showed that, in the case of eight elements, there was a relationship with age, sex, or comorbidities. Cu, Se, and Zn showed significant differences in relation to comorbidities, but only Cu concentration was lower when the frequency of lesions was higher. We concluded that in research on the mineral status of the population, apart from the availability of trace elements in the environment, the health condition of the studied individuals should also be considered. However, inferring the mineral status of the population on the basis of randomly obtained samples from dead individuals may give an incomplete view of the population, especially in the case of species susceptible to diseases, such as European bison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Klich
- Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Rafał Łopucki
- Department of Biomedicine and Environmental Research, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1J, 20-708, Lublin, Poland
| | - Stanisław Kaczor
- County Veterinary Inspectorate, Młynarska 45, 38-500, Sanok, Poland
| | - Iwona Zwolak
- Department of Biomedicine and Environmental Research, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1J, 20-708, Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Didkowska
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz Wiącek
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290, Lublin, Poland
| | - Wojciech Bielecki
- Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kajetan Perzanowski
- The Institute of Biological Sciences, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1 H, 20-708, Lublin, Poland
| | - Marlena Wojciechowska
- Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wanda Olech
- Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786, Warsaw, Poland
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5
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Convergence of forepaw somatosensory and motor cortical projections in the striatum, claustrum, thalamus, and pontine nuclei of cats. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:361-379. [PMID: 34665323 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02405-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia and pontocerebellar systems regulate somesthetic-guided motor behaviors and receive prominent inputs from sensorimotor cortex. In addition, the claustrum and thalamus are forebrain subcortical structures that have connections with somatosensory and motor cortices. Our previous studies in rats have shown that primary and secondary somatosensory cortex (S1 and S2) send overlapping projections to the neostriatum and pontine nuclei, whereas, overlap of primary motor cortex (M1) and S1 was much weaker. In addition, we have shown that M1, but not S1, projects to the claustrum in rats. The goal of the current study was to compare these rodent projection patterns with connections in cats, a mammalian species that evolved in a separate phylogenetic superorder. Three different anterograde tracers were injected into the physiologically identified forepaw representations of M1, S1, and S2 in cats. Labeled fibers terminated throughout the ipsilateral striatum (caudate and putamen), claustrum, thalamus, and pontine nuclei. Digital reconstructions of tracer labeling allowed us to quantify both the normalized distribution of labeling in each subcortical area from each tracer injection, as well as the amount of tracer overlap. Surprisingly, in contrast to our previous findings in rodents, we observed M1 and S1 projections converging prominently in striatum and pons, whereas, S1 and S2 overlap was much weaker. Furthermore, whereas, rat S1 does not project to claustrum, we confirmed dense claustral inputs from S1 in cats. These findings suggest that the basal ganglia, claustrum, and pontocerebellar systems in rat and cat have evolved distinct patterns of sensorimotor cortical convergence.
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6
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An increase in dendritic plateau potentials is associated with experience-dependent cortical map reorganization. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2024920118. [PMID: 33619110 PMCID: PMC7936269 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024920118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we describe a mechanism for cortical map plasticity. Classically, representational map changes are thought to be driven by changes within cortico-cortical circuits, e.g., Hebbian plasticity of synaptic circuits that lost vs. maintained an excitatory drive from the first-order thalamus, possibly steered by neuromodulatory forces from deep brain regions. Our work provides evidence for an additional gating mechanism, provided by plateau potentials, which are driven by higher-order thalamic feedback. Higher-order thalamic neurons are characterized by broad receptive fields, and the plateau potentials that they evoke strongly facilitate long-term potentiation and elicit spikes. We show that these features combined constitute a powerful driving force for the fusion or expansion of sensory representations within cortical maps. The organization of sensory maps in the cerebral cortex depends on experience, which drives homeostatic and long-term synaptic plasticity of cortico-cortical circuits. In the mouse primary somatosensory cortex (S1) afferents from the higher-order, posterior medial thalamic nucleus (POm) gate synaptic plasticity in layer (L) 2/3 pyramidal neurons via disinhibition and the production of dendritic plateau potentials. Here we address whether these thalamocortically mediated responses play a role in whisker map plasticity in S1. We find that trimming all but two whiskers causes a partial fusion of the representations of the two spared whiskers, concomitantly with an increase in the occurrence of POm-driven N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent plateau potentials. Blocking the plateau potentials restores the archetypical organization of the sensory map. Our results reveal a mechanism for experience-dependent cortical map plasticity in which higher-order thalamocortically mediated plateau potentials facilitate the fusion of normally segregated cortical representations.
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7
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Jablonka JA, Binkowski R, Kazmierczak M, Sadowska M, Sredniawa W, Szlachcic A, Urban P. The Role of Interhemispheric Interactions in Cortical Plasticity. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:631328. [PMID: 34305511 PMCID: PMC8299724 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.631328] [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: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that there is a growing awareness to the callosal connections between hemispheres the two hemispheres of the brain are commonly treated as independent structures when peripheral or cortical manipulations are applied to one of them. The contralateral hemisphere is often used as a within-animal control of plastic changes induced onto the other side of the brain. This ensures uniform conditions for producing experimental and control data, but it may overlook possible interhemispheric interactions. In this paper we provide, for the first time, direct proof that cortical, experience-dependent plasticity is not a unilateral, independent process. We mapped metabolic brain activity in rats with 2-[14C] deoxyglucose (2DG) following experience-dependent plasticity induction after a month of unilateral (left), partial whiskers deprivation (only row B was left). This resulted in ∼45% widening of the cortical sensory representation of the spared whiskers in the right, contralateral barrel field (BF). We show that the width of 2DG visualized representation is less than 20% when only contralateral stimulation of the spared row of whiskers is applied in immobilized animals. This means that cortical map remodeling, which is induced by experience-dependent plasticity mechanisms, depends partially on the contralateral hemisphere. The response, which is observed by 2DG brain mapping in the partially deprived BF after standard synchronous bilateral whiskers stimulation, is therefore the outcome of at least two separately activated plasticity mechanisms. A focus on the integrated nature of cortical plasticity, which is the outcome of the emergent interactions between deprived and non-deprived areas in both hemispheres may have important implications for learning and rehabilitation. There is also a clear implication that there is nothing like “control hemisphere” since any plastic changes in one hemisphere have to have influence on functioning of the opposite one.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marcin Kazmierczak
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maria Sadowska
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Władysław Sredniawa
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.,College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Paulina Urban
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Su M, Liu J, Yu B, Zhou K, Sun C, Yang M, Zhao C. Loss of Calretinin in L5a impairs the formation of the barrel cortex leading to abnormal whisker-mediated behaviors. Mol Brain 2021; 14:67. [PMID: 33845857 PMCID: PMC8042711 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00775-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent whisker-barrel cortex system has been established as an ideal model for studying sensory information integration. The barrel cortex consists of barrel and septa columns that receive information input from the lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways, respectively. Layer 5a is involved in both barrel and septa circuits and play a key role in information integration. However, the role of layer 5a in the development of the barrel cortex remains unclear. Previously, we found that calretinin is dynamically expressed in layer 5a. In this study, we analyzed calretinin KO mice and found that the dendritic complexity and length of layer 5a pyramidal neurons were significantly decreased after calretinin ablation. The membrane excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission of layer 5a neurons were increased. Consequently, the organization of the barrels was impaired. Moreover, layer 4 spiny stellate cells were not able to properly gather, leading to abnormal formation of barrel walls as the ratio of barrel/septum size obviously decreased. Calretinin KO mice exhibited deficits in exploratory and whisker-associated tactile behaviors as well as social novelty preference. Our study expands our knowledge of layer 5a pyramidal neurons in the formation of barrel walls and deepens the understanding of the development of the whisker-barrel cortex system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhao Su
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Junhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Baocong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Kaixing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Congli Sun
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Mengjie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Chunjie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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9
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Oh SW, Son SJ, Morris JA, Choi JH, Lee C, Rah JC. Comprehensive Analysis of Long-Range Connectivity from and to the Posterior Parietal Cortex of the Mouse. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:356-378. [PMID: 32901251 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa230] [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: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is a major multimodal association cortex implicated in a variety of higher order cognitive functions, such as visuospatial perception, spatial attention, categorization, and decision-making. The PPC is known to receive inputs from a collection of sensory cortices as well as various subcortical areas and integrate those inputs to facilitate the execution of functions that require diverse information. Although many recent works have been performed with the mouse as a model system, a comprehensive understanding of long-range connectivity of the mouse PPC is scarce, preventing integrative interpretation of the rapidly accumulating functional data. In this study, we conducted a detailed neuroanatomic and bioinformatic analysis of the Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas data to summarize afferent and efferent connections to/from the PPC. Then, we analyzed variability between subregions of the PPC, functional/anatomical modalities, and species, and summarized the organizational principle of the mouse PPC. Finally, we confirmed key results by using additional neurotracers. A comprehensive survey of the connectivity will provide an important future reference to comprehend the function of the PPC and allow effective paths forward to various studies using mice as a model system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sook Jin Son
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Korea
| | | | - Joon Ho Choi
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Korea
| | - Changkyu Lee
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jong-Cheol Rah
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
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10
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Staiger JF, Petersen CCH. Neuronal Circuits in Barrel Cortex for Whisker Sensory Perception. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:353-415. [PMID: 32816652 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The array of whiskers on the snout provides rodents with tactile sensory information relating to the size, shape and texture of objects in their immediate environment. Rodents can use their whiskers to detect stimuli, distinguish textures, locate objects and navigate. Important aspects of whisker sensation are thought to result from neuronal computations in the whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). Each whisker is individually represented in the somatotopic map of wS1 by an anatomical unit named a 'barrel' (hence also called barrel cortex). This allows precise investigation of sensory processing in the context of a well-defined map. Here, we first review the signaling pathways from the whiskers to wS1, and then discuss current understanding of the various types of excitatory and inhibitory neurons present within wS1. Different classes of cells can be defined according to anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular features. The synaptic connectivity of neurons within local wS1 microcircuits, as well as their long-range interactions and the impact of neuromodulators, are beginning to be understood. Recent technological progress has allowed cell-type-specific connectivity to be related to cell-type-specific activity during whisker-related behaviors. An important goal for future research is to obtain a causal and mechanistic understanding of how selected aspects of tactile sensory information are processed by specific types of neurons in the synaptically connected neuronal networks of wS1 and signaled to downstream brain areas, thus contributing to sensory-guided decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen F Staiger
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carl C H Petersen
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Göttingen, Germany; and Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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11
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Sato TK. Long-range connections enrich cortical computations. Neurosci Res 2020; 162:1-12. [PMID: 32470355 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.05.004] [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: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex can perform powerful computations, including those involved in higher cognitive functions. Cortical processing for such computations is executed by local circuits and is further enriched by long-range connectivity. This connectivity is activated under specific conditions and modulates local processing, providing flexibility in the computational performance of the cortex. For instance, long-range connectivity in the primary visual cortex exerts facilitatory impacts when the cortex is silent but suppressive impacts when the cortex is strongly sensory-stimulated. These dual impacts can be captured by a divisive gain control model. Recent methodological advances such as optogenetics, anatomical tracing, and two-photon microscopy have enabled neuroscientists to probe the circuit and synaptic bases of long-range connectivity in detail. Here, I review a series of evidence indicating essential roles of long-range connectivity in visual and hierarchical processing involving numerous cortical areas. I also describe an overview of the challenges encountered in investigating underlying synaptic mechanisms and highlight recent technical approaches that may overcome these difficulties and provide new insights into synaptic mechanisms for cortical processing involving long-range connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuo K Sato
- Dept. of Physiology, Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Inst., Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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12
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Shigematsu N, Nishi A, Fukuda T. Gap Junctions Interconnect Different Subtypes of Parvalbumin-Positive Interneurons in Barrels and Septa with Connectivity Unique to Each Subtype. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1414-1429. [PMID: 29490016 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneurons form dendritic gap junctions with one another, but the connectivity among gap junction-coupled dendrites remains uninvestigated in most neocortical areas. We visualized gap junctions in layer 4 of the mouse barrel cortex and examined their structural details. PV neurons were divided into 4 types based on the location of soma and dendrites within or outside barrels. Type 1 neurons that had soma and all dendrites inside a barrel, considered most specific to single vibrissa-derived signals, unexpectedly formed gap junctions only with other types but never with each other. Type 2 neurons inside a barrel elongated dendrites outward, forming gap junctions within a column that contained the home barrel. Type 3 neurons located outside barrels established connections with all types including Type 4 neurons that were confined inside the inter-barrel septa. The majority (33/38, 86.8%) of dendritic gap junctions were within 75 μm from at least 1 of 2 paired somata. All types received vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive axon terminals preferentially on somata and proximal dendrites, indicating the involvement of all types in thalamocortical feedforward regulation in which proximal gap junctions may also participate. These structural organizations provide a new morphological basis for regulatory mechanisms in barrel cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Shigematsu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Akinori Nishi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takaichi Fukuda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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13
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Bahia CP, Vianna-Barbosa RJ, Tovar-Moll F, Lent R. Terminal Arbors of Callosal Axons Undergo Plastic Changes in Early-Amputated Rats. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1460-1472. [PMID: 30873555 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory information is processed in specific brain regions, and shared between the cerebral hemispheres by axons that cross the midline through the corpus callosum. However, sensory deprivation usually causes sensory losses and/or functional changes. This is the case of people who suffered limb amputation and show changes of body map organization within the somatosensory cortex (S1) of the deafferented cerebral hemisphere (contralateral to the amputated limb), as well as in the afferented hemisphere (ipsilateral to the amputated limb). Although several studies have approached these functional changes, the possible finer morphological alterations, such as those occurring in callosal axons, still remain unknown. The present work combined histochemistry, single-axon tracing and 3D microscopy to analyze the fine morphological changes that occur in callosal axons of the forepaw representation in early amputated rats. We showed that the forepaw representation in S1 was reduced in the deafferented hemisphere and expanded in the afferented side. Accordingly, after amputation, callosal axons originating from the deafferented cortex undergo an expansion of their terminal arbors with increased number of terminal boutons within the homotopic representation at the afferented cerebral hemisphere. Similar microscale structural changes may underpin the macroscale morphological and functional phenomena that characterize limb amputation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlomagno Pacheco Bahia
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil.,Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, CEP 66075-110 Belém (PA), Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Jorge Vianna-Barbosa
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
| | - Fernanda Tovar-Moll
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil.,D'Or Institute of Research and Education, CEP 22281-100 Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
| | - Roberto Lent
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil
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14
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Somatostatin receptors (SSTR1-5) on inhibitory interneurons in the barrel cortex. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 225:387-401. [PMID: 31873798 PMCID: PMC6957562 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-02011-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons in the cerebral cortex contain specific proteins or peptides characteristic for a certain interneuron subtype. In mice, three biochemical markers constitute non-overlapping interneuron populations, which account for 80–90% of all inhibitory cells. These interneurons express parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SST), or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). SST is not only a marker of a specific interneuron subtype, but also an important neuropeptide that participates in numerous biochemical and signalling pathways in the brain via somatostatin receptors (SSTR1-5). In the nervous system, SST acts as a neuromodulator and neurotransmitter affecting, among others, memory, learning, and mood. In the sensory cortex, the co-localisation of GABA and SST is found in approximately 30% of interneurons. Considering the importance of interactions between inhibitory interneurons in cortical plasticity and the possible GABA and SST co-release, it seems important to investigate the localisation of different SSTRs on cortical interneurons. Here, we examined the distribution of SSTR1-5 on barrel cortex interneurons containing PV, SST, or VIP. Immunofluorescent staining using specific antibodies was performed on brain sections from transgenic mice that expressed red fluorescence in one specific interneuron subtype (PV-Ai14, SST-Ai14, and VIP-Ai14 mice). SSTRs expression on PV, SST, and VIP interneurons varied among the cortical layers and we found two patterns of SSTRs distribution in L4 of barrel cortex. We also demonstrated that, in contrast to other interneurons, PV cells did not express SSTR2, but expressed other SSTRs. SST interneurons, which were not found to make chemical synapses among themselves, expressed all five SSTR subtypes.
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15
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Functional Architecture and Encoding of Tactile Sensorimotor Behavior in Rat Posterior Parietal Cortex. J Neurosci 2019; 39:7332-7343. [PMID: 31332000 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0693-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in rodents is reciprocally connected to primary somatosensory and vibrissal motor cortices. The PPC neuronal circuitry could thus encode and potentially integrate incoming somatosensory information and whisker motor output. However, the information encoded across PPC layers during refined sensorimotor behavior remains largely unknown. To uncover the sensorimotor features represented in PPC during voluntary whisking and object touch, we performed loose-patch single-unit recordings and extracellular recordings of ensemble activity, covering all layers of PPC in anesthetized and awake, behaving male rats. First, using single-cell receptive field mapping, we revealed the presence of coarse somatotopy along the mediolateral axis in PPC. Second, we found that spiking activity was modulated during exploratory whisking in layers 2-4 and layer 6, but not in layer 5 of awake, behaving rats. Population spiking activity preceded actual movement, and whisker trajectory endpoints could be decoded by population spiking, suggesting that PPC is involved in movement planning. Finally, population spiking activity further increased in response to active whisker touch but only in PPC layers 2-4. Thus, we find layer-specific processing, which emphasizes the computational role of PPC during whisker sensorimotor behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is thought to merge information on motor output and sensory input to orchestrate interaction with the environment, but the function of different PPC microcircuit components is poorly understood. We recorded neuronal activity in rat PPC during sensorimotor behavior involving motor and sensory pathways. We uncovered that PPC layers have dedicated function: motor and sensory information is merged in layers 2-4; layer 6 predominantly represents motor information. Collectively, PPC activity predicts future motor output, thus entailing a motor plan. Our results are important for understanding how PPC computationally processes motor output and sensory input. This understanding may facilitate decoding of brain activity when using brain-machine interfaces to overcome loss of function after, for instance, spinal cord injury.
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16
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Bullmann T, Feneberg E, Kretzschmann TP, Ogunlade V, Holzer M, Arendt T. Hibernation Impairs Odor Discrimination - Implications for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:69. [PMID: 31379517 PMCID: PMC6646461 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reversible formation of PHF-like phosphorylated tau, an early feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was previously shown to occur in torpor during hibernation in the Golden hamster (Syrian hamster, Mesocricetus auratus). Here, we tackled the question to what extent hibernating Golden hamsters can serve as a model for the early stage of AD. During early AD, anosmia, the loss of olfactory function, is a common and typical feature. We, thus, investigated tau phosphorylation, synaptic plasticity and behavioral physiology of the olfactory system during hibernation. Tau was phosphorylated on several AD-relevant epitopes, and distribution of PHF-like phosphorylated tau in the olfactory bulb was quite similar to what is seen in AD. Tau phosphorylation was not associated with a destabilization of microtubules and did not lead to fibril formation. Previously, we observed a transient spine reduction in pyramidal cells in the hippocampus, which is correlated with the distribution of phosphorylated tau. Here we show that granule cells in the olfactory bulb are devoid of phosphorylated tau and maintain their spines number during torpor. No reduction of synaptic proteins was observed. However, hibernation did impair the recall performance in a two-odor discrimination task. We conclude that hibernation is associated with a specific olfactory memory deficit, which might not be attributed to the formation of PHF-like phosphorylated tau within the olfactory bulb. We discuss a possible involvement of modulatory input provided by cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, which are affected by hibernation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Bullmann
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emily Feneberg
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tanja Petra Kretzschmann
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vera Ogunlade
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Max Holzer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Arendt
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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17
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Almási Z, Dávid C, Witte M, Staiger JF. Distribution Patterns of Three Molecularly Defined Classes of GABAergic Neurons Across Columnar Compartments in Mouse Barrel Cortex. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:45. [PMID: 31114486 PMCID: PMC6503091 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse somatosensory cortex is an excellent model to study the structural basis of cortical information processing, since it possesses anatomically recognizable domains that receive different thalamic inputs, which indicates spatial segregation of different processing tasks. In this work we examined three genetically labeled, non-overlapping subpopulations of GABAergic neurons: parvalbumin- (PV+), somatostatin- (SST+), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing (VIP+) cells. Each of these subpopulations displayed a unique cellular distribution pattern across layers. In terms of columnar localization, the distribution of these three populations was not quantitatively different between barrel-related versus septal compartments in most layers. However, in layer IV (LIV), SST+, and VIP+, but not PV+ neurons preferred the septal compartment over barrels. The examined cell types showed a tendency toward differential distribution in supragranular and infragranular barrel-related versus septal compartments, too. Our data suggests that the location of GABAergic neuron cell bodies correlates with the spatial pattern of cortical domains receiving different kinds of thalamic input. Thus, at least in LIV, lemniscal inputs present a close spatial relation preferentially to PV+ cells whereas paralemniscal inputs target compartments in which more SST+ and VIP+ cells are localized. Our findings suggest pathway-specific roles for neocortical GABAergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsanna Almási
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Dávid
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mirko Witte
- Center Anatomy, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jochen F. Staiger
- Center Anatomy, Institute for Neuroanatomy, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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18
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Crandall SR, Patrick SL, Cruikshank SJ, Connors BW. Infrabarrels Are Layer 6 Circuit Modules in the Barrel Cortex that Link Long-Range Inputs and Outputs. Cell Rep 2018; 21:3065-3078. [PMID: 29241536 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent somatosensory cortex includes well-defined examples of cortical columns-the barrel columns-that extend throughout the cortical depth and are defined by discrete clusters of neurons in layer 4 (L4) called barrels. Using the cell-type-specific Ntsr1-Cre mouse line, we found that L6 contains infrabarrels, readily identifiable units that align with the L4 barrels. Corticothalamic (CT) neurons and their local axons cluster within the infrabarrels, whereas corticocortical (CC) neurons are densest between infrabarrels. Optogenetic experiments showed that CC cells received robust input from somatosensory thalamic nuclei, whereas CT cells received much weaker thalamic inputs. We also found that CT neurons are intrinsically less excitable, revealing that both synaptic and intrinsic mechanisms contribute to the low firing rates of CT neurons often reported in vivo. In summary, infrabarrels are discrete cortical circuit modules containing two partially separated excitatory networks that link long-distance thalamic inputs with specific outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane R Crandall
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Saundra L Patrick
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Scott J Cruikshank
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Barry W Connors
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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19
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Deitcher Y, Eyal G, Kanari L, Verhoog MB, Atenekeng Kahou GA, Mansvelder HD, de Kock CPJ, Segev I. Comprehensive Morpho-Electrotonic Analysis Shows 2 Distinct Classes of L2 and L3 Pyramidal Neurons in Human Temporal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:5398-5414. [PMID: 28968789 PMCID: PMC5939232 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
There have been few quantitative characterizations of the morphological, biophysical, and cable properties of neurons in the human neocortex. We employed feature-based statistical methods on a rare data set of 60 3D reconstructed pyramidal neurons from L2 and L3 in the human temporal cortex (HL2/L3 PCs) removed after brain surgery. Of these cells, 25 neurons were also characterized physiologically. Thirty-two morphological features were analyzed (e.g., dendritic surface area, 36 333 ± 18 157 μm2; number of basal trees, 5.55 ± 1.47; dendritic diameter, 0.76 ± 0.28 μm). Eighteen features showed a significant gradual increase with depth from the pia (e.g., dendritic length and soma radius). The other features showed weak or no correlation with depth (e.g., dendritic diameter). The basal dendritic terminals in HL2/L3 PCs are particularly elongated, enabling multiple nonlinear processing units in these dendrites. Unlike the morphological features, the active biophysical features (e.g., spike shapes and rates) and passive/cable features (e.g., somatic input resistance, 47.68 ± 15.26 MΩ, membrane time constant, 12.03 ± 1.79 ms, average dendritic cable length, 0.99 ± 0.24) were depth-independent. A novel descriptor for apical dendritic topology yielded 2 distinct classes, termed hereby as “slim-tufted” and “profuse-tufted” HL2/L3 PCs; the latter class tends to fire at higher rates. Thus, our morpho-electrotonic analysis shows 2 distinct classes of HL2/L3 PCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Deitcher
- Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.,Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Guy Eyal
- Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Lida Kanari
- Blue Brain Project, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Chemin de Mines, 9, Geneva 1202, Switzerland
| | - Matthijs B Verhoog
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam NL-1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Guy Antoine Atenekeng Kahou
- Blue Brain Project, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Chemin de Mines, 9, Geneva 1202, Switzerland
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam NL-1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam NL-1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Idan Segev
- Department of Neurobiology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.,Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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20
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Pham T, Haas JS. Electrical synapses between inhibitory neurons shape the responses of principal neurons to transient inputs in the thalamus: a modeling study. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7763. [PMID: 29773817 PMCID: PMC5958104 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25956-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As multimodal sensory information proceeds to the cortex, it is intercepted and processed by the nuclei of the thalamus. The main source of inhibition within thalamus is the reticular nucleus (TRN), which collects signals both from thalamocortical relay neurons and from thalamocortical feedback. Within the reticular nucleus, neurons are densely interconnected by connexin36-based gap junctions, known as electrical synapses. Electrical synapses have been shown to coordinate neuronal rhythms, including thalamocortical spindle rhythms, but their role in shaping or modulating transient activity is less understood. We constructed a four-cell model of thalamic relay and TRN neurons, and used it to investigate the impact of electrical synapses on closely timed inputs delivered to thalamic relay cells. We show that the electrical synapses of the TRN assist cortical discrimination of these inputs through effects of truncation, delay or inhibition of thalamic spike trains. We expect that these are principles whereby electrical synapses play similar roles in regulating the processing of transient activity in excitatory neurons across the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan Pham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Julie S Haas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
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21
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Convergence of Primary Sensory Cortex and Cerebellar Nuclei Pathways in the Whisker System. Neuroscience 2018; 368:229-239. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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22
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Fox K. Deconstructing the cortical column in the barrel cortex. Neuroscience 2017; 368:17-28. [PMID: 28739527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The question of what function is served by the cortical column has occupied neuroscientists since its original description some 60years ago. The answer seems tractable in the somatosensory cortex when considering the inputs to the cortical column and the early stages of information processing, but quickly breaks down once the multiplicity of output streams and their sub-circuits are brought into consideration. This article describes the early stages of information processing in the barrel cortex, through generation of the center and surround receptive field components of neurons that subserve integration of multi whisker information, before going on to consider the diversity of properties exhibited by the layer 5 output neurons. The layer 5 regular spiking (RS) neurons differ from intrinsic bursting (IB) neurons in having different input connections, plasticity mechanisms and corticofugal projections. In particular, layer 5 RS cells employ noise reduction and homeostatic plasticity mechanism to preserve and even increase information transfer, while IB cells use more conventional Hebbian mechanisms to achieve a similar outcome. It is proposed that the rodent analog of the dorsal and ventral streams, a division reasonably well established in primate cortex, might provide a further level of organization for RS cell function and hence sub-circuit specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Fox
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, United Kingdom.
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23
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Ebisu H, Iwai-Takekoshi L, Fujita-Jimbo E, Momoi T, Kawasaki H. Foxp2 Regulates Identities and Projection Patterns of Thalamic Nuclei During Development. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:3648-3659. [PMID: 27384060 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of the thalamus during development have been investigated intensively. Although transcription factors distinguishing the thalamic primordium from adjacent brain structures have been uncovered, those involved in patterning inside the thalamus are largely unclear. Here, we show that Foxp2, a member of the forkhead transcription factor family, regulates thalamic patterning during development. We found a graded expression pattern of Foxp2 in the thalamic primordium of the mouse embryo. The expression levels of Foxp2 were high in the posterior region and low in the anterior region of the thalamic primordium. In Foxp2 (R552H) knockin mice, which have a missense loss-of-function mutation in the forkhead domain of Foxp2, thalamic nuclei of the posterior region of the thalamus were shrunken, while those of the intermediate region were expanded. Consistently, Foxp2 (R552H) knockin mice showed changes in thalamocortical projection patterns. Our results uncovered important roles of Foxp2 in thalamic patterning and thalamocortical projections during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Ebisu
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
- Brain/Liver Interface Medicine Research Center, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Lena Iwai-Takekoshi
- Department of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Eriko Fujita-Jimbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
| | - Takashi Momoi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
- Brain/Liver Interface Medicine Research Center, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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24
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Estebanez L, Bertherat J, Shulz DE, Bourdieu L, Léger JF. A radial map of multi-whisker correlation selectivity in the rat barrel cortex. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13528. [PMID: 27869114 PMCID: PMC5121329 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the barrel cortex, several features of single-whisker stimuli are organized in functional maps. The barrel cortex also encodes spatio-temporal correlation patterns of multi-whisker inputs, but so far the cortical mapping of neurons tuned to such input statistics is unknown. Here we report that layer 2/3 of the rat barrel cortex contains an additional functional map based on neuronal tuning to correlated versus uncorrelated multi-whisker stimuli: neuron responses to uncorrelated multi-whisker stimulation are strongest above barrel centres, whereas neuron responses to correlated and anti-correlated multi-whisker stimulation peak above the barrel–septal borders, forming rings of multi-whisker synchrony-preferring cells. Barrel cortex contains a functional map of whiskers but how neuronal activity maps multi-whisker inputs has not been studied. Here the authors show that while uncorrelated multi-whisker stimuli activate barrel neurons, correlated multi-whisker inputs activate neurons in a ring at the barrel-septa boundary
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Estebanez
- École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Paris F-75005, France.,Unité de Neurosciences, Information et Complexité, UNIC-FRE3693, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette, F-91198, France
| | - Julien Bertherat
- École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Paris F-75005, France.,Unité de Neurosciences, Information et Complexité, UNIC-FRE3693, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette, F-91198, France
| | - Daniel E Shulz
- Unité de Neurosciences, Information et Complexité, UNIC-FRE3693, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette, F-91198, France
| | - Laurent Bourdieu
- École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Paris F-75005, France
| | - Jean-François Léger
- École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Paris F-75005, France
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25
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Reig R, Silberberg G. Distinct Corticostriatal and Intracortical Pathways Mediate Bilateral Sensory Responses in the Striatum. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:4405-4415. [PMID: 27664965 PMCID: PMC5193142 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual striatal neurons integrate somatosensory information from both sides of the body, however, the afferent pathways mediating these bilateral responses are unclear. Whereas ipsilateral corticostriatal projections are prevalent throughout the neocortex, contralateral projections provide sparse input from primary sensory cortices, in contrast to the dense innervation from motor and frontal regions. There is, therefore, an apparent discrepancy between the observed anatomical pathways and the recorded striatal responses. We used simultaneous in vivo whole-cell and extracellular recordings combined with focal cortical silencing, to dissect the afferent pathways underlying bilateral sensory integration in the mouse striatum. We show that unlike direct corticostriatal projections mediating responses to contralateral whisker deflection, responses to ipsilateral stimuli are mediated mainly by intracortical projections from the contralateral somatosensory cortex (S1). The dominant pathway is the callosal projection from contralateral to ipsilateral S1. Our results suggest a functional difference between the cortico-basal ganglia pathways underlying bilateral sensory and motor processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Reig
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Gilad Silberberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
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26
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Sabri MM, Adibi M, Arabzadeh E. Dynamics of Population Activity in Rat Sensory Cortex: Network Correlations Predict Anatomical Arrangement and Information Content. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:49. [PMID: 27458347 PMCID: PMC4933716 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the spatiotemporal dynamics of neural activity in a cortical population, we implanted a 10 × 10 microelectrode array in the vibrissal cortex of urethane-anesthetized rats. We recorded spontaneous neuronal activity as well as activity evoked in response to sustained and brief sensory stimulation. To quantify the temporal dynamics of activity, we computed the probability distribution function (PDF) of spiking on one electrode given the observation of a spike on another. The spike-triggered PDFs quantified the strength, temporal delay, and temporal precision of correlated activity across electrodes. Nearby cells showed higher levels of correlation at short delays, whereas distant cells showed lower levels of correlation, which tended to occur at longer delays. We found that functional space built based on the strength of pairwise correlations predicted the anatomical arrangement of electrodes. Moreover, the correlation profile of electrode pairs during spontaneous activity predicted the "signal" and "noise" correlations during sensory stimulation. Finally, mutual information analyses revealed that neurons with stronger correlations to the network during spontaneous activity, conveyed higher information about the sensory stimuli in their evoked response. Given the 400-μm-distance between adjacent electrodes, our functional quantifications unravel the spatiotemporal dynamics of activity among nearby and distant cortical columns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mahdi Sabri
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM)Tehran, Iran; Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The Australian National University NodeCanberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Mehdi Adibi
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The Australian National University NodeCanberra, ACT, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South WalesSydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ehsan Arabzadeh
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National UniversityCanberra, ACT, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, The Australian National University NodeCanberra, ACT, Australia
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Carron SF, Alwis DS, Rajan R. Traumatic Brain Injury and Neuronal Functionality Changes in Sensory Cortex. Front Syst Neurosci 2016; 10:47. [PMID: 27313514 PMCID: PMC4889613 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2016.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), caused by direct blows to the head or inertial forces during relative head-brain movement, can result in long-lasting cognitive and motor deficits which can be particularly consequential when they occur in young people with a long life ahead. Much is known of the molecular and anatomical changes produced in TBI but much less is known of the consequences of these changes to neuronal functionality, especially in the cortex. Given that much of our interior and exterior lives are dependent on responsiveness to information from and about the world around us, we have hypothesized that a significant contributor to the cognitive and motor deficits seen after TBI could be changes in sensory processing. To explore this hypothesis, and to develop a model test system of the changes in neuronal functionality caused by TBI, we have examined neuronal encoding of simple and complex sensory input in the rat’s exploratory and discriminative tactile system, the large face macrovibrissae, which feeds to the so-called “barrel cortex” of somatosensory cortex. In this review we describe the short-term and long-term changes in the barrel cortex encoding of whisker motion modeling naturalistic whisker movement undertaken by rats engaged in a variety of tasks. We demonstrate that the most common form of TBI results in persistent neuronal hyperexcitation specifically in the upper cortical layers, likely due to changes in inhibition. We describe the types of cortical inhibitory neurons and their roles and how selective effects on some of these could produce the particular forms of neuronal encoding changes described in TBI, and then generalize to compare the effects on inhibition seen in other forms of brain injury. From these findings we make specific predictions as to how non-invasive extra-cranial electrophysiology can be used to provide the high-precision information needed to monitor and understand the temporal evolution of changes in neuronal functionality in humans suffering TBI. Such detailed understanding of the specific changes in an individual patient’s cortex can allow for treatment to be tailored to the neuronal changes in that particular patient’s brain in TBI, a precision that is currently unavailable with any technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone F Carron
- Neuroscience Research Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University Monash, VIC, Australia
| | - Dasuni S Alwis
- Neuroscience Research Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash University Monash, VIC, Australia
| | - Ramesh Rajan
- Neuroscience Research Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Physiology, Monash UniversityMonash, VIC, Australia; Ear Sciences Institute of AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia
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Sá ALD, Bahia CP, Correa VC, Dias IA, Batista C, Gomes-Leal W, Pinho ALS, Houzel JC, Picanço-Diniz CW, Pereira A. Morphometric analysis of feedforward pathways from the primary somatosensory area (S1) of rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 49:e5115. [PMID: 27191604 PMCID: PMC4869823 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20155115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We used biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) to anterogradely label individual axons
projecting from primary somatosensory cortex (S1) to four different cortical areas in
rats. A major goal was to determine whether axon terminals in these target areas
shared morphometric similarities based on the shape of individual terminal arbors and
the density of two bouton types: en passant (Bp) and
terminaux (Bt). Evidence from tridimensional reconstructions of
isolated axon terminal fragments (n=111) did support a degree of morphological
heterogeneity establishing two broad groups of axon terminals. Morphological
parameters associated with the complexity of terminal arbors and the proportion of
beaded Bp vs stalked Bt were found to differ significantly in these
two groups following a discriminant function statistical analysis across axon
fragments. Interestingly, both groups occurred in all four target areas, possibly
consistent with a commonality of presynaptic processing of tactile information. These
findings lay the ground for additional work aiming to investigate synaptic function
at the single bouton level and see how this might be associated with emerging
properties in postsynaptic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L de Sá
- Instituto do Cérebro, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - C P Bahia
- Laboratório de Neuroplasticidade, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - V C Correa
- Laboratório de Neuroproteção e Neurorregeneração Experimental, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - I A Dias
- Laboratório de Neuroplasticidade, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - C Batista
- Laboratório de Neuroplasticidade, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - W Gomes-Leal
- Laboratório de Neuroproteção e Neurorregeneração Experimental, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - A L S Pinho
- Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
| | - J C Houzel
- Laboratório de Fronteiras em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - C W Picanço-Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - A Pereira
- Instituto do Cérebro, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brasil
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Suter BA, Shepherd GMG. Reciprocal interareal connections to corticospinal neurons in mouse M1 and S2. J Neurosci 2015; 35:2959-74. [PMID: 25698734 PMCID: PMC4331623 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4287-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Revised: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary motor (M1) and secondary somatosensory (S2) cortices, although anatomically and functionally distinct, share an intriguing cellular component: corticospinal neurons (CSP) in layer 5B. Here, we investigated the long-range circuits of CSPs in mouse forelimb-M1 and S2. We found that interareal projections (S2 → M1 and M1 → S2) monosynaptically excited pyramidal neurons across multiple layers, including CSPs. Area-specific differences were observed in the relative strengths of inputs to subsets of CSPs and other cell types, but the general patterns were similar. Furthermore, subcellular mapping of the dendritic distributions of these corticocortical excitatory synapses onto CSPs in both areas also showed similar patterns. Because layer 5B is particularly thick in M1, but not S2, we studied M1-CSPs at different cortical depths, quantifying their dendritic morphology and mapping inputs from additional cortical (M2, contralateral M1, and local layer 2/3) and thalamic (VL nucleus) sources. These results indicated that CSPs exhibit area-specific modifications on an otherwise conserved synaptic organization, and that different afferents innervate M1-CSP dendritic domains in a source-specific manner. In the cervical spinal cord, CSP axons from S2 and M1 partly converged on middle layers, but S2-CSP axons extended further dorsally, and M1-CSP axons ventrally. Thus, our findings identify many shared features in the circuits of M1 and S2 and show that these areas communicate via mutual projections that give each area monosynaptic access to the other area's CSPs. These interareally yoked CSP circuits may enable M1 and S2 to operate in a coordinated yet differentiated manner in the service of sensorimotor integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Suter
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Gordon M G Shepherd
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
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Liu J, Liu B, Zhang X, Yu B, Guan W, Wang K, Yang Y, Gong Y, Wu X, Yanagawa Y, Wu S, Zhao C. Calretinin-positive L5a pyramidal neurons in the development of the paralemniscal pathway in the barrel cortex. Mol Brain 2014; 7:84. [PMID: 25404384 PMCID: PMC4246560 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-014-0084-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The rodent barrel cortex has been established as an ideal model for studying the development and plasticity of a neuronal circuit. The barrel cortex consists of barrel and septa columns, which receive various input signals through distinct pathways. The lemniscal pathway transmits whisker-specific signals to homologous barrel columns, and the paralemniscal pathway transmits multi-whisker signals to both barrel and septa columns. The integration of information from both lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways in the barrel cortex is critical for precise object recognition. As the main target of the posterior medial nucleus (POm) in the paralemniscal pathway, layer 5a (L5a) pyramidal neurons are involved in both barrel and septa circuits and are considered an important site of information integration. However, information on L5a neurons is very limited. This study aims to explore the cellular features of L5a neurons and to provide a morphological basis for studying their roles in the development of the paralemniscal pathway and in information integration. Results 1. We found that the calcium-binding protein calretinin (CR) is dynamically expressed in L5a excitatory pyramidal neurons of the barrel cortex, and L5a neurons form a unique serrated pattern similar to the distributions of their presynaptic POm axon terminals. 2. Infraorbital nerve transection disrupts this unique alignment, indicating that it is input dependent. 3. The formation of the L5a neuronal alignment develops synchronously with barrels, which suggests that the lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways may interact with each other to regulate pattern formation and refinement in the barrel cortex. 4. CR is specifically expressed in the paralemniscal pathway, and CR deletion disrupts the unique L5a neuronal pattern, which indicates that CR may be required for the development of the paralemniscal pathway. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that L5a neurons form a unique, input-dependent serrated alignment during the development of cortical barrels and that CR may play an important role in the development of the paralemniscal pathway. Our data provide a morphological basis for studying the role of L5a pyramidal neurons in information integration within the lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - XiaoYun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Baocong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Wuqiang Guan
- Institute of Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
| | - Kun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Yifan Gong
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Xiaojing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
| | - Yuchio Yanagawa
- Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan.
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, PR China.
| | - Chunjie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, MOE, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China. .,Center of Depression, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, 100069, PR China.
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31
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Richards K, Calamante F, Tournier JD, Kurniawan ND, Sadeghian F, Retchford AR, Jones GD, Reid CA, Reutens DC, Ordidge R, Connelly A, Petrou S. Mapping somatosensory connectivity in adult mice using diffusion MRI tractography and super-resolution track density imaging. Neuroimage 2014; 102 Pt 2:381-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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32
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Plomp G, Quairiaux C, Kiss JZ, Astolfi L, Michel CM. Dynamic connectivity among cortical layers in local and large-scale sensory processing. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3215-23. [PMID: 25145779 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cortical processing of sensory stimuli typically recruits multiple areas, but how each area dynamically incorporates activity from other areas is not well understood. We investigated interactions between cortical columns of bilateral primary sensory regions (S1s) in rats by recording local field potentials and multi-unit activity simultaneously in both S1s with electrodes positioned at each cortical layer. Using dynamic connectivity analysis based on Granger-causal modeling, we found that, shortly after whisker stimulation (< 10 ms), contralateral S1 (cS1) already relays activity to granular and infragranular layers of S1 in the other hemisphere, after which cS1 shows a pattern of within-column interactions that directs activity upwards toward superficial layers. This pattern of predominant upward driving was also observed in S1 ipsilateral to stimulation, but at longer latencies. In addition, we found that interactions between the two S1s most strongly target granular and infragranular layers. Taken together, the results suggest a possible mechanism for how cortical columns integrate local and large-scale neocortical computation by relaying information from deeper layers to local processing in superficial layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gijs Plomp
- Functional Brain Mapping Laboratory, Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
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33
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Cerebellum involvement in cortical sensorimotor circuits for the control of voluntary movements. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:1233-9. [PMID: 25064850 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sensorimotor integration is crucial to perception and motor control. How and where this process takes place in the brain is still largely unknown. Here we analyze the cerebellar contribution to sensorimotor integration in the whisker system of mice. We identify an area in the cerebellum where cortical sensory and motor inputs converge at the cellular level. Optogenetic stimulation of this area affects thalamic and motor cortex activity, alters parameters of ongoing movements and thereby modifies qualitatively and quantitatively touch events against surrounding objects. These results shed light on the cerebellum as an active component of sensorimotor circuits and show the importance of sensorimotor cortico-cerebellar loops in the fine control of voluntary movements.
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34
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Ghoshal A, Lustig B, Popescu M, Ebner F, Pouget P. Unilateral whisker trimming in newborn rats alters neuronal coincident discharge among mature barrel cortex neurons. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:1925-35. [PMID: 25057142 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00562.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that sensory deprivation, including postnatal whisker trimming, can lead to severe deficits in the firing rate properties of cortical neurons. Recent results indicate that development of synchronous discharge among cortical neurons is also activity influenced, and that correlated discharge is significantly impaired following loss of bilateral sensory input in rats. Here we investigate whether unilateral whisker trimming (unilateral deprivation or UD) after birth interferes in the same way with the development of synchronous discharge in cortex. We measured the coincidence of spikes among pairs of neurons recorded under urethane anesthesia in one whisker barrel field deprived by trimming all contralateral whiskers for 60 days after birth (UD), and in untrimmed controls (CON). In the septal columns around barrels, UD significantly increased the coincident discharge among cortical neurons compared with CON, most notably in layers II/III. In contrast, synchronous discharge was normal between layer IV UD barrel neurons: i.e., not different from CON. Thus, while bilateral whisker deprivation (BD) produced a global deficit in the development of synchrony in layer IV, UD did not block the development of synchrony between neurons in layer IV barrels and increased synchrony within septal circuits. We conclude that changes in synchronous discharge after UD are unexpectedly different from those recorded after BD, and we speculate that this effect may be due to the driven activity from active commissural inputs arising from the contralateral hemisphere that received normal activity levels during postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayan Ghoshal
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative & Cognitive Neuroscience, Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee;
| | - Brian Lustig
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative & Cognitive Neuroscience, Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | | | - Ford Ebner
- Department of Psychology, Center for Integrative & Cognitive Neuroscience, Vanderbilt Vision Research Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Pierre Pouget
- CM, INSERM UMRS 975, CNRS 7225, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
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Pilli J, Kumar SS. Potentiation of convergent synaptic inputs onto pyramidal neurons in somatosensory cortex: dependence on brain wave frequencies and NMDA receptor subunit composition. Neuroscience 2014; 272:271-85. [PMID: 24814019 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) at layer (L)1/primary whisker motor cortex synaptic inputs are distinct from thalamic/striatal (Str) synaptic inputs onto L5 pyramidal neurons in the rat somatosensory cortex. However, the consequences of differential expression of putative GluN3A-containing triheteromeric NMDARs at L1 inputs and GluN2A-containing diheteromeric NMDARs at Str inputs on plasticity of the underlying synapses at the respective inputs remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that L1, but not Str, synapses are potentiated following delta burst stimulation (dBS). This potentiation is blocked by d-serine and/or intracellular 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) suggesting that it is subunit-specific and dependent on elevations in intracellular Ca(2+). Interestingly, ifenprodil, the GluN2B-preferring antagonist, suppresses baseline L1 responses but does not prevent induction of dBS-evoked potentiation. Unlike L1, Str synapses are maximally potentiated following theta burst stimulation (tBS) and this potentiation is blocked with BAPTA and/or the GluN2A-preferring antagonist NVP-AAM077. We show further that while dBS is both necessary and sufficient to potentiate L1 synapses, tBS is most effective in potentiating Str synapses. Our data suggest distinct potentiating paradigms for the two convergent inputs onto pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex and co-dependence of synaptic potentiation on brain wave-tuned frequencies of burst stimulation and subunit composition of underlying NMDARs. A model for predicting the likelihood of enhancing synaptic efficacy is proposed based on Ca(2+) influx through these receptors and integration of EPSPs at these inputs. Together, these findings raise the possibility of input-specific enhancements of synaptic efficacy in neurons as a function of the animal's behavioral state and/or arousal in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Pilli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine & Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1115 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300, United States
| | - S S Kumar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine & Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1115 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300, United States.
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Frangeul L, Porrero C, Garcia-Amado M, Maimone B, Maniglier M, Clascá F, Jabaudon D. Specific activation of the paralemniscal pathway during nociception. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:1455-64. [PMID: 24580836 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Two main neuronal pathways connect facial whiskers to the somatosensory cortex in rodents: (i) the lemniscal pathway, which originates in the brainstem principal trigeminal nucleus and is relayed in the ventroposterior thalamic nucleus and (ii) the paralemniscal pathway, originating in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and relayed in the posterior thalamic nucleus. While lemniscal neurons are readily activated by whisker contacts, the contribution of paralemniscal neurons to perception is less clear. Here, we functionally investigated these pathways by manipulating input from the whisker pad in freely moving mice. We report that while lemniscal neurons readily respond to neonatal infraorbital nerve sectioning or whisker contacts in vivo, paralemniscal neurons do not detectably respond to these environmental changes. However, the paralemniscal pathway is specifically activated upon noxious stimulation of the whisker pad. These findings reveal a nociceptive function for paralemniscal neurons in vivo that may critically inform context-specific behaviour during environmental exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Frangeul
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, 1 rue Michel Servet, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
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Zakiewicz IM, Bjaalie JG, Leergaard TB. Brain-wide map of efferent projections from rat barrel cortex. Front Neuroinform 2014; 8:5. [PMID: 24550819 PMCID: PMC3914153 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2014.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The somatotopically organized whisker barrel field of the rat primary somatosensory (S1) cortex is a commonly used model system for anatomical and physiological investigations of sensory processing. The neural connections of the barrel cortex have been extensively mapped. But most investigations have focused on connections to limited regions of the brain, and overviews in the literature of the connections across the brain thus build on a range of material from different laboratories, presented in numerous publications. Furthermore, given the limitations of the conventional journal article format, analyses and interpretations are hampered by lack of access to the underlying experimental data. New opportunities for analyses have emerged with the recent release of an online resource of experimental data consisting of collections of high-resolution images from 6 experiments in which anterograde tracers were injected in S1 whisker or forelimb representations. Building on this material, we have conducted a detailed analysis of the brain wide distribution of the efferent projections of the rat barrel cortex. We compare our findings with the available literature and reports accumulated in the Brain Architecture Management System (BAMS2) database. We report well-known and less known intracortical and subcortical projections of the barrel cortex, as well as distinct differences between S1 whisker and forelimb related projections. Our results correspond well with recently published overviews, but provide additional information about relative differences among S1 projection targets. Our approach demonstrates how collections of shared experimental image data are suitable for brain-wide analysis and interpretation of connectivity mapping data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela M Zakiewicz
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan G Bjaalie
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway
| | - Trygve B Leergaard
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo Oslo, Norway
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38
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Kim U, Lee T. Intra-areal and corticocortical circuits arising in the dysgranular zone of rat primary somatosensory cortex that processes deep somatic input. J Comp Neurol 2014; 521:2585-601. [PMID: 23322443 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Revised: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Somesthesis-guided exploration of the external world requires cortical processing of both cutaneous and proprioceptive information and their integration into motor commands to guide further haptic movement. In the past, attention has been given mostly to the cortical circuits processing cutaneous information for somatic motor integration. By comparison, little has been examined about how cortical circuits are organized for higher order proprioceptive processing. Using the rat cortex as a model, we characterized the intrinsic and corticocortical circuits arising in the major proprioceptive region of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) that is conventionally referred to as the dysgranular zone (DSZ). We made small injections of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) as an anterograde tracer in various parts of the DSZ, revealing three distinct principles of its cortical circuit organization. First, its intrinsic circuits extend mainly along the major axis of DSZ to organize multiple patches of interconnections. Second, the central and peripheral regions of DSZ produce differential patterns of intra-areal and corticocortical circuits. Third, the projection fields of DSZ encompass only selective regions of the second somatic (SII), posterior parietal (PPC), and primary motor (MI) cortices. These projection fields are at least partially separated from those of SI cutaneous areas. We hypothesize, based on these observations, that the cortical circuits of DSZ facilitate a modular integration of proprioceptive information along its major axis and disseminate this information to only selective parts of higher order somatic and MI cortices in parallel with cutaneous information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uhnoh Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.
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39
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Chen JL, Carta S, Soldado-Magraner J, Schneider BL, Helmchen F. Behaviour-dependent recruitment of long-range projection neurons in somatosensory cortex. Nature 2013; 499:336-40. [DOI: 10.1038/nature12236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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40
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Johnstone VPA, Yan EB, Alwis DS, Rajan R. Cortical hypoexcitation defines neuronal responses in the immediate aftermath of traumatic brain injury. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63454. [PMID: 23667624 PMCID: PMC3646737 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a blow to the head is often associated with complex patterns of brain abnormalities that accompany deficits in cognitive and motor function. Previously we reported that a long-term consequence of TBI, induced with a closed-head injury method modelling human car and sporting accidents, is neuronal hyper-excitation in the rat sensory barrel cortex that receives tactile input from the face whiskers. Hyper-excitation occurred only in supra-granular layers and was stronger to complex than simple stimuli. We now examine changes in the immediate aftermath of TBI induced with same injury method. At 24 hours post-trauma significant sensorimotor deficits were observed and characterisation of the cortical population neuronal responses at that time revealed a depth-dependent suppression of neuronal responses, with reduced responses from supragranular layers through to input layer IV, but not in infragranular layers. In addition, increased spontaneous firing rate was recorded in cortical layers IV and V. We postulate that this early post-injury suppression of cortical processing of sensory input accounts for immediate post-trauma sensory morbidity and sets into train events that resolve into long-term cortical hyper-excitability in upper sensory cortex layers that may account for long-term sensory hyper-sensitivity in humans with TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ramesh Rajan
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Monash, VIC, Australia
- * E-mail:
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41
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Freire MAM, Santos JR. Distinct morphological features of NADPH diaphorase neurons across rodent's primary cortices. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:83. [PMID: 23637654 PMCID: PMC3636462 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marco A M Freire
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute for Neuroscience of Natal Natal, Brazil
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42
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Feldmeyer D, Brecht M, Helmchen F, Petersen CC, Poulet JF, Staiger JF, Luhmann HJ, Schwarz C. Barrel cortex function. Prog Neurobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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43
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Kinnischtzke AK, Simons DJ, Fanselow EE. Motor cortex broadly engages excitatory and inhibitory neurons in somatosensory barrel cortex. Cereb Cortex 2013; 24:2237-48. [PMID: 23547136 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bht085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anatomical studies have shown that primary somatosensory (S1) and primary motor (M1) cortices are reciprocally connected. The M1 to S1 projection is thought to represent a modulatory signal that conveys motor-related information to S1. Here, we investigated M1 synaptic inputs to S1 by injecting an AAV virus containing channelrhodopsin-2 and a fluorescent tag into M1. Consistent with previous results, we found labeling of M1 axons within S1 that was most robust in the deep layers and in L1. Labeling was sparse in L4 and was concentrated in the interbarrel septa, largely avoiding barrel centers. In S1, we recorded in vitro from regular-spiking excitatory neurons and fast-spiking and somatostatin-expressing inhibitory interneurons. All 3 cell types had a high probability of receiving direct excitatory M1 input. Both excitatory and inhibitory cells within L4 were the least likely to receive such input from M1. Disynaptic inhibition was observed frequently, indicating that M1 recruits substantial inhibition within S1. Additionally, a subpopulation of L6 regular-spiking excitatory neurons received exceptionally strong M1 input. Overall, our results suggest that activation of M1 evokes within S1 a bombardment of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity that could contribute in a layer-specific manner to state-dependent changes in S1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Kinnischtzke
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Daniel J Simons
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Erika E Fanselow
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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Byron CD, Vanvalkinburgh D, Northcutt K, Young V. Plasticity in the Cerebellum and Primary Somatosensory Cortex Relating to Habitual and Continuous Slender Branch Climbing in Laboratory Mice (Mus musculus). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2013; 296:822-33. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.22685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Craig D. Byron
- Department of Biology; Mercer University; 1400 Coleman Avenue Macon Georgia
| | | | | | - Virginia Young
- Department of Biology; Mercer University; 1400 Coleman Avenue Macon Georgia
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Lustig BR, Friedman RM, Winberry JE, Ebner FF, Roe AW. Voltage-sensitive dye imaging reveals shifting spatiotemporal spread of whisker-induced activity in rat barrel cortex. J Neurophysiol 2013; 109:2382-92. [PMID: 23390314 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00430.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In rats, navigating through an environment requires continuous information about objects near the head. Sensory information such as object location and surface texture are encoded by spike firing patterns of single neurons within rat barrel cortex. Although there are many studies using single-unit electrophysiology, much less is known regarding the spatiotemporal pattern of activity of populations of neurons in barrel cortex in response to whisker stimulation. To examine cortical response at the population level, we used voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging to examine ensemble spatiotemporal dynamics of barrel cortex in response to stimulation of single or two adjacent whiskers in urethane-anesthetized rats. Single whisker stimulation produced a poststimulus fluorescence response peak within 12-16 ms in the barrel corresponding to the stimulated whisker (principal whisker). This fluorescence subsequently propagated throughout the barrel field, spreading anisotropically preferentially along a barrel row. After paired whisker stimulation, the VSD signal showed sublinear summation (less than the sum of 2 single whisker stimulations), consistent with previous electrophysiological and imaging studies. Surprisingly, we observed a spatial shift in the center of activation occurring over a 10- to 20-ms period with shift magnitudes of 1-2 barrels. This shift occurred predominantly in the posteromedial direction within the barrel field. Our data thus reveal previously unreported spatiotemporal patterns of barrel cortex activation. We suggest that this nontopographical shift is consistent with known functional and anatomic asymmetries in barrel cortex and that it may provide an important insight for understanding barrel field activation during whisking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Lustig
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
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Smith JB, Alloway KD. Rat whisker motor cortex is subdivided into sensory-input and motor-output areas. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:4. [PMID: 23372545 PMCID: PMC3556600 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent whisking is an exploratory behavior that can be modified by sensory feedback. Consistent with this, many whisker-sensitive cortical regions project to agranular motor [motor cortex (MI)] cortex, but the relative topography of these afferent projections has not been established. Intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) evokes whisker movements that are used to map the functional organization of MI, but no study has compared the whisker-related inputs to MI with the ICMS sites that evoke whisker movements. To elucidate this relationship, anterograde tracers were placed in posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and in the primary somatosensory (SI) and secondary somatosensory (SII) cortical areas so that their labeled projections to MI could be analyzed with respect to ICMS sites that evoke whisker movements. Projections from SI and SII terminate in a narrow zone that marks the transition between the medial agranular (AGm) and lateral agranular (AGl) cortical areas, but PPC projects more medially and terminates in AGm proper. Paired recordings of MI neurons indicate that the region between AGm and AGl is highly responsive to whisker deflections, but neurons in AGm display negligible responses to whisker stimulation. By contrast, AGm microstimulation is more effective in evoking whisker movements than microstimulation of the transitional region between AGm and AGl. The AGm region was also found to contain a larger concentration of corticotectal neurons, which could convey whisker-related information to the facial nucleus. These results indicate that rat whisker MI is comprised of at least two functionally distinct subregions: a sensory processing zone in the transitional region between AGm and AGl, and a motor-output region located more medially in AGm proper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared B Smith
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University Hershey, PA, USA ; Center for Neural Engineering, Penn State University University Park, PA, USA
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Lee T, Kim U. Descending projections from the dysgranular zone of rat primary somatosensory cortex processing deep somatic input. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:1021-46. [PMID: 21935942 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In the mammalian somatic system, peripheral inputs from cutaneous and deep receptors ascend via different subcortical channels and terminate in largely separate regions of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). How these inputs are processed in SI and then projected back to the subcortical relay centers is critical for understanding how SI may regulate somatic information processing in the subcortex. Although it is now relatively well understood how SI cutaneous areas project to the subcortical structures, little is known about the descending projections from SI areas processing deep somatic input. We examined this issue by using the rodent somatic system as a model. In rat SI, deep somatic input is processed mainly in the dysgranular zone (DSZ) enclosed by the cutaneous barrel subfields. By using biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) as anterograde tracer, we characterized the topography of corticostriatal and corticofugal projections arising in the DSZ. The DSZ projections terminate mainly in the lateral subregions of the striatum that are also known as the target of certain SI cutaneous areas. This suggests that SI processing of deep and cutaneous information may be integrated, to a certain degree, in this striatal region. By contrast, at both thalamic and prethalamic levels as far as the spinal cord, descending projections from DSZ terminate in areas largely distinguishable from those that receive input from SI cutaneous areas. These subcortical targets of DSZ include not only the sensory but also motor-related structures, suggesting that SI processing of deep input may engage in regulating somatic and motor information flow between the cortex and periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taehee Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA
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Sehara K, Wakimoto M, Ako R, Kawasaki H. Distinct developmental principles underlie the formation of ipsilateral and contralateral whisker-related axonal patterns of layer 2/3 neurons in the barrel cortex. Neuroscience 2012; 226:289-304. [PMID: 23000626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2012] [Revised: 09/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Axonal organizations with specific patterns underlie the functioning of local intracortical circuitry, but their precise anatomy and development still remain elusive. Here, we selectively visualized layer 2/3 neurons using in utero electroporation and examined their axonal organization in the barrel cortex contralateral to the electroporated side. We found that callosal axons run preferentially in septal regions of layer 4 and showed a whisker-related pattern in the contralateral barrel cortex in rats and mice. In addition, presynaptic marker proteins were found in this whisker-related axonal organization. Although the whisker-related patterns were observed in both the ipsilateral and contralateral barrel cortex, we found a difference in their developmental processes. While the formation of the whisker-related pattern in the ipsilateral cortex consisted of two distinct steps, that in the contralateral cortex did not have the 1st step, in which the axons were diffusely distributed without preference to septal or barrel regions. We also found that these more diffuse axons ran close to radial glial fibers. Together, our results uncovered a whisker-related axonal pattern of callosal axons and two independent developmental processes involved in the formation of the axonal trajectories of layer 2/3 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sehara
- Department of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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Feldmeyer D. Excitatory neuronal connectivity in the barrel cortex. Front Neuroanat 2012; 6:24. [PMID: 22798946 PMCID: PMC3394394 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2012.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neocortical areas are believed to be organized into vertical modules, the cortical columns, and the horizontal layers 1–6. In the somatosensory barrel cortex these columns are defined by the readily discernible barrel structure in layer 4. Information processing in the neocortex occurs along vertical and horizontal axes, thereby linking individual barrel-related columns via axons running through the different cortical layers of the barrel cortex. Long-range signaling occurs within the neocortical layers but also through axons projecting through the white matter to other neocortical areas and subcortical brain regions. Because of the ease of identification of barrel-related columns, the rodent barrel cortex has become a prototypical system to study the interactions between different neuronal connections within a sensory cortical area and between this area and other cortical as well subcortical regions. Such interactions will be discussed specifically for the feed-forward and feedback loops between the somatosensory and the somatomotor cortices as well as the different thalamic nuclei. In addition, recent advances concerning the morphological characteristics of excitatory neurons and their impact on the synaptic connectivity patterns and signaling properties of neuronal microcircuits in the whisker-related somatosensory cortex will be reviewed. In this context, their relationship between the structural properties of barrel-related columns and their function as a module in vertical synaptic signaling in the whisker-related cortical areas will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, Research Centre Jülich Jülich, Germany
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Transcallosal Pathway of Whisker Information Between Rat Primary Somatosensory Cortices*. PROG BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2012. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1206.2012.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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