Fine tuning of olfactory orientation behaviour by the interaction of oscillatory and single neuronal activity

Current Practice in Using Voltage Imaging to Record Fast Neuronal Activity: Successful Examples from Invertebrate to Mammalian Studies

The optical imaging of neuronal activity with potentiometric probes has been credited with being able to address key questions in neuroscience via the simultaneous recording of many neurons. This technique, which was pioneered 50 years ago, has allowed researchers to study the dynamics of neural activity, from tiny subthreshold synaptic events in the axon and dendrites at the subcellular level to the fluctuation of field potentials and how they spread across large areas of the brain. Initially, synthetic voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs) were applied directly to brain tissue via staining, but recent advances in transgenic methods now allow the expression of genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs), specifically in selected neuron types. However, voltage imaging is technically difficult and limited by several methodological constraints that determine its applicability in a given type of experiment. The prevalence of this method is far from being comparable to patch clamp voltage recording or similar routine methods in neuroscience research. There are more than twice as many studies on VSDs as there are on GEVIs. As can be seen from the majority of the papers, most of them are either methodological ones or reviews. However, potentiometric imaging is able to address key questions in neuroscience by recording most or many neurons simultaneously, thus providing unique information that cannot be obtained via other methods. Different types of optical voltage indicators have their advantages and limitations, which we focus on in detail. Here, we summarize the experience of the scientific community in the application of voltage imaging and try to evaluate the contribution of this method to neuroscience research.

Do terrestrial gastropods use olfactory cues to locate and select food actively?

Having been investigated for over 40 years, some aspects of the biology of terrestrial gastropod's olfactory system have been challenging and highly contentious, while others still remain unresolved. For example, a number of terrestrial gastropod species can track the odor of food, while others have no strong preferences toward food odor; rather they find it by random encounter. Here, while assessing the most recent findings and comparing them with earlier studies, the aspects of the food selection based on olfactory cues are examined critically to highlight the speculations and controversies that have arisen. We analyzed and compared the potential role of airborne odors in the feeding behavior of several terrestrial gastropod species. The available results indicate that in the foraging of most of the terrestrial gastropod species odor cues contribute substantially to food finding and selection. The results also suggest, however, that what they will actually consume largely depends on where they live and the species of gastropod that they are. Due to the voluminous literature relevant to this object, this review is not intended to be exhaustive. Instead, I selected what I consider to be the most important or critical in studies regarding the role of the olfaction in feeding of terrestrial gastropods.

RNA synthesis and turnover in the molluscan nervous system studied by Click-iT method

RNA synthesis can be detected by means of the in vivo incorporation of 5-ethynyluridine (EU) in newly-synthesized RNA with the relatively simple Click-iT method. We used this method to study the RNA synthesis in the CNS tissue of adult and juvenile terrestrial snails Helix lucorum L. Temporally, first labeled neurons were detected in the adult CNS after 4-h of isolated CNS incubation in EU solution, while 12-h of incubation led to extensive labeling of most CNS neurons. The EU labeling was present as the nuclear and nucleolar staining. The cytoplasm staining was observed after 2-3 days of CNS washout following the EU exposure for 16 h. In juvenile CNS, the first staining reaction was apparent as the staining of apical region in the procerebral lobe of cerebral ganglia after 1h of CNS incubation in EU, while the maximum pattern of staining was obtained after 4h of CNS incubation. Thus, age-related differences in RNA synthesis are present. Activation of neurons elicited by serotonin and caffeine applications noticeably increased the intensity of staining. EU readily penetrates into the bodies of juvenile snails immersed in the EU solution. When the intact juvenile animals were immersed in the EU solution for 1h, the procerebrum staining, similar to the one detected in the incubated juvenile CNS, was observed.

Novel peripheral motor neurons in the posterior tentacles of the snail responsible for local tentacle movements

Three flexor muscles of the posterior tentacles of the snail Helix pomatia have recently been described. Here, we identify their local motor neurons by following the retrograde transport of neurobiotin injected into these muscles. The mostly unipolar motor neurons (15-35 µm) are confined to the tentacle digits and send motor axons to the M2 and M3 muscles. Electron microscopy revealed small dark neurons (5-7 µm diameter) and light neurons with 12-18 (T1 type) and 18-30 µm diameters (T2 type) in the digits. The diameters of the neurobiotin-labeled neurons corresponded to the T1 type light neurons. The neuronal processes of T1 type motor neurons arborize extensively in the neuropil area of the digits and receive synaptic inputs from local neuronal elements involved in peripheral olfactory information processing. These findings support the existence of a peripheral stimulus-response pathway, consisting of olfactory stimulus-local motor neuron-motor response components, to generate local lateral movements of the tentacle tip ("quiver"). In addition, physiological results showed that each flexor muscle receives distinct central motor commands via different peritentacular nerves and common central motor commands via tentacle digits, respectively. The distal axonal segments of the common pathway can receive inputs from local interneurons in the digits modulating the motor axon activity peripherally without soma excitation. These elements constitute a local microcircuit consisting of olfactory stimulus-distal segments of central motor axons-motor response components, to induce patterned contraction movements of the tentacle. The two local microcircuits described above provide a comprehensive neuroanatomical basis of tentacle movements without the involvement of the CNS.

Excitatory neurotransmitters in the tentacle flexor muscles responsible for space positioning of the snail olfactory organ

Recently, three novel flexor muscles (M1, M2 and M3) in the posterior tentacles of the snail have been described, which are responsible for the patterned movements of the tentacles of the snail, Helix pomatia. In this study, we have demonstrated that the muscles received a complex innervation pattern via the peritentacular and olfactory nerves originating from different clusters of motoneurons of the cerebral ganglia. The innervating axons displayed a number of varicosities and established neuromuscular contacts of different ultrastructural forms. Contractions evoked by nerve stimulation could be mimicked by external acetylcholine (ACh) and glutamate (Glu), suggesting that ACh and Glu are excitatory transmitters at the neuromuscular contacts. Choline acetyltransferase and vesicular glutamate transporter immunolabeled axons innervating flexor muscles were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and in Western blot experiments. Nerve- and transmitter-evoked contractions were similarly attenuated by cholinergic and glutamatergic antagonists supporting the dual excitatory innervation. Dopamine (DA, 10⁻⁵ M) oppositely modulated thin (M1/M2) and thick (M3) muscle responses evoked by stimulation of the olfactory nerve, decreasing the contractions of the M1/M2 and increasing those of M3. In both cases, the modulation site was presynaptic. Serotonin (5-HT) at high concentration (10⁻⁵ M) increased the amplitude of both the nerve- and the ACh-evoked contractions in all muscles. The relaxation rate was facilitated suggesting pre- and postsynaptic site of action. Our data provided evidence for a DAergic and 5-HTergic modulation of cholinergic nerves innervating flexor muscles of the tentacles as well as the muscles itself. These effects of DA and 5-HT may contribute to the regulation of sophisticated movements of tentacle muscles lacking inhibitory innervation.

Novel triplet of flexor muscles in the posterior tentacles of the snail, Helix pomatia

The anatomy of three novel flexor muscles in the posterior tentacles of Helix pomatia is described. The muscles originate from the ventral side of the sensory pad and are anchored at different sites in the base of the tentacle stem. The muscles span the tentacle and always take the length of the stem which depends on the rate of tentacle protrusion indicating that the muscles are both contractile and extremely stretchable. The three anchoring points at the base of the stem determine three space axes along which the contraction of a muscle or the synchronous contraction of the muscles can move the tentacle in space.

Neural control of olfaction and tentacle movements by serotonin and dopamine in terrestrial snail

We investigated the role of serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) in the regulation of olfactory system function and odor-evoked tentacle movements in the snail Helix. Preparations of the posterior tentacle (including sensory pad, tentacular ganglion and olfactory nerve) or central ganglia with attached posterior tentacles were exposed to cineole odorant and the evoked responses were affected by prior application of 5HT or DA or their precursors 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) and L: -DOPA, respectively. 5HT applications decreased cineole-evoked responses recorded in the olfactory nerve and hyperpolarized the identified tentacle retractor muscle motoneuron MtC3, while DA applications led to the opposite changes. 5HTP and L: -DOPA modified MtC3 activity comparable to 5HT and DA action. DA was also found to decrease the amplitude of spontaneous local field potential oscillations in the procerebrum, a central olfactory structure. In vivo studies demonstrated that injection of 5HTP in freely moving snails reduced the tentacle withdrawal response to aversive ethyl acetate odorant, whereas the injection of L: -DOPA increased responses to "neutral" cineole and aversive ethyl acetate odorants. Our data suggest that 5HT and DA affect the peripheral (sensory epithelium and tentacular ganglion), the central (procerebrum), and the single motor neuron (withdrawal motoneuron MtC3) level of the snail's nervous system.

Two morphological sub-systems within the olfactory organs of a terrestrial snail

In the present work, we have re-visited the problem of the olfactory neural system organization in the terrestrial snail. By staining the tentacle's nerves and their intrinsic tracts in different points of the cerebral ganglia-tentacles system we have found that the relatively small part of the primary sensory neurons from the sensory pad (7-8%) send their axons directly to the cerebral ganglia. The axons terminated in the metacerebral neuropil which suggests these receptors being not chemosensory but rather mechanosensory neurons. Majority of the primary sensory neurons are synaptically switching in the areas outside the cerebral ganglia, i.e. digits, glomeruli, tentacular ganglion. No primary sensory neurons of the olfactory pad were projecting directly to the procerebrum - the putative centre of olfactory information processing. The afferent tract innervating the procerebrum neuropil originated from the interneurons located in the tentacle ganglion and its digits. Our results suggest the presence of two different sub-systems within the snail nose - mechanosensory and chemosensory - with two different projection targets.

Changes in frequency of spontaneous oscillations in procerebrum correlate to behavioural choice in terrestrial snails

The aim of our study was to understand functional significance of spontaneous oscillations of local field potential in the olfactory brain lobe of terrestrial snail, the procerebrum (PC). We compared changes in frequency of oscillations in semi-intact preparations from snails trained to percept the same conditioned odor as positive (associated with food reinforcement) or negative (associated with noxious reinforcement). In vivo recordings in freely behaving naïve snails showed a significant decrease of spontaneous PC oscillations frequency during a stage of tentacle withdrawal to odor presentation. In in vitro preparations from naïve snails, a similar decrease in frequency of the PC oscillations to odor presentation was observed. Changes in frequency of the oscillations to cineole presentations in the “aversive” group of snails (demonstrating withdrawal) were much more pronounced than in naïve snails. No significant difference in responses to 5% and 20% cineole was noted. Changes in the spontaneous oscillations frequency in the snails trained to respond with positive reaction (approach) to cineole depended on the concentration of the applied odor, and these responses were qualitatively similar to responses of other groups during the first 10 s of responses to odor, but significantly different (increase in PC oscillations frequency) from the responses of the aversively trained and naïve snails in the interval 11–30 s, which corresponds to the end of the tentacle withdrawal and timing of decision making (approach or escape) in the free behaving snails. Obtained results suggest that frequency of the PC lobe spontaneous oscillations correlate to the choice of behavior in snails: withdrawal (decrease in frequency) or approach (increase in frequency) to the source of odor.

Primary sensory neurons containing command neuron peptide constitute a morphologically distinct class of sensory neurons in the terrestrial snail

In the central nervous system of the terrestrial snail Helix, the gene HCS2, which encodes several neuropeptides of the CNP (command neuron peptide) family, is mostly expressed in cells related to withdrawal behavior. In the present work, we demonstrate that a small percentage (0.1%) of the sensory cells, located in the sensory pad and in the surrounding epithelial region ("collar") of the anterior and posterior tentacles, is immunoreactive to antisera raised against the neuropeptides CNP2 and CNP4, encoded by the HCS2 gene. No CNP-like-immunoreactive neurons have been detected among the tentacular ganglionic interneurons. The CNP-like-immunoreactive fiber bundles enter the cerebral ganglia within the nerves of the tentacles (tentacular nerve and medial lip nerve) and innervate the metacerebral lobe, viz., the integrative brain region well-known as the target area for many cerebral ganglia nerves. The procerebral lobe, which is involved in the processing of olfactory information, is not CNP-immunoreactive. Our data suggest that the sensory cells, which contain the CNP neuropeptides, belong to a class of sensory neurons with a specific function, presumably involved in the withdrawal behavior of the snail.