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Rozenfeld E, Ehmann N, Manoim JE, Kittel RJ, Parnas M. Homeostatic synaptic plasticity rescues neural coding reliability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2993. [PMID: 37225688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals must recognize reoccurring stimuli. This necessitates a reliable stimulus representation by the neural code. While synaptic transmission underlies the propagation of neural codes, it is unclear how synaptic plasticity can maintain coding reliability. By studying the olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster, we aimed to obtain a deeper mechanistic understanding of how synaptic function shapes neural coding in the live, behaving animal. We show that the properties of the active zone (AZ), the presynaptic site of neurotransmitter release, are critical for generating a reliable neural code. Reducing neurotransmitter release probability of olfactory sensory neurons disrupts both neural coding and behavioral reliability. Strikingly, a target-specific homeostatic increase of AZ numbers rescues these defects within a day. These findings demonstrate an important role for synaptic plasticity in maintaining neural coding reliability and are of pathophysiological interest by uncovering an elegant mechanism through which the neural circuitry can counterbalance perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Rozenfeld
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Nadine Ehmann
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia E Manoim
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Robert J Kittel
- Department of Animal Physiology, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Moshe Parnas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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Wichmann C, Kuner T. Heterogeneity of glutamatergic synapses: cellular mechanisms and network consequences. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:269-318. [PMID: 34727002 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00039.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical synapses are commonly known as a structurally and functionally highly diverse class of cell-cell contacts specialized to mediate communication between neurons. They represent the smallest "computational" unit of the brain and are typically divided into excitatory and inhibitory as well as modulatory categories. These categories are subdivided into diverse types, each representing a different structure-function repertoire that in turn are thought to endow neuronal networks with distinct computational properties. The diversity of structure and function found among a given category of synapses is referred to as heterogeneity. The main building blocks for this heterogeneity are synaptic vesicles, the active zone, the synaptic cleft, the postsynaptic density, and glial processes associated with the synapse. Each of these five structural modules entails a distinct repertoire of functions, and their combination specifies the range of functional heterogeneity at mammalian excitatory synapses, which are the focus of this review. We describe synapse heterogeneity that is manifested on different levels of complexity ranging from the cellular morphology of the pre- and postsynaptic cells toward the expression of different protein isoforms at individual release sites. We attempt to define the range of structural building blocks that are used to vary the basic functional repertoire of excitatory synaptic contacts and discuss sources and general mechanisms of synapse heterogeneity. Finally, we explore the possible impact of synapse heterogeneity on neuronal network function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Wichmann
- Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, InnerEarLab and Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg, Germany
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Chipman PH, Fung CCA, Pazo Fernandez A, Sawant A, Tedoldi A, Kawai A, Ghimire Gautam S, Kurosawa M, Abe M, Sakimura K, Fukai T, Goda Y. Astrocyte GluN2C NMDA receptors control basal synaptic strengths of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in the stratum radiatum. eLife 2021; 10:70818. [PMID: 34693906 PMCID: PMC8594917 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent plasticity is a key feature of brain synapses for which neuronal N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play a major role, from developmental circuit refinement to learning and memory. Astrocytes also express NMDARs, although their exact function has remained controversial. Here, we identify in mouse hippocampus, a circuit function for GluN2C NMDAR, a subtype highly expressed in astrocytes, in layer-specific tuning of synaptic strengths in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Interfering with astrocyte NMDAR or GluN2C NMDAR activity reduces the range of presynaptic strength distribution specifically in the stratum radiatum inputs without an appreciable change in the mean presynaptic strength. Mathematical modeling shows that narrowing of the width of presynaptic release probability distribution compromises the expression of long-term synaptic plasticity. Our findings suggest a novel feedback signaling system that uses astrocyte GluN2C NMDARs to adjust basal synaptic weight distribution of Schaffer collateral inputs, which in turn impacts computations performed by the CA1 pyramidal neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chi Chung Alan Fung
- Neural Coding and Brain Computing Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Japan
| | | | | | - Angelo Tedoldi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kawai
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
| | | | | | - Manabu Abe
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Animal Model Development, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tomoki Fukai
- Neural Coding and Brain Computing Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Japan
| | - Yukiko Goda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
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Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity Makes Neurons Sensitive to the Distribution of Presynaptic Population Firing Rates. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0297-20.2021. [PMID: 33579731 PMCID: PMC8035045 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0297-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to discriminate spikes that encode a particular stimulus from spikes produced by background activity is essential for reliable information processing in the brain. We describe how synaptic short-term plasticity (STP) modulates the output of presynaptic populations as a function of the distribution of the spiking activity and find a strong relationship between STP features and sparseness of the population code, which could solve this problem. Furthermore, we show that feedforward excitation followed by inhibition (FF-EI), combined with target-dependent STP, promote substantial increase in the signal gain even for considerable deviations from the optimal conditions, granting robustness to this mechanism. A simulated neuron driven by a spiking FF-EI network is reliably modulated as predicted by a rate analysis and inherits the ability to differentiate sparse signals from dense background activity changes of the same magnitude, even at very low signal-to-noise conditions. We propose that the STP-based distribution discrimination is likely a latent function in several regions such as the cerebellum and the hippocampus.
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Zhang L, Liang Z, Zhu P, Li M, Yi YH, Liao WP, Su T. Altered intrinsic properties and bursting activities of neurons in layer IV of somatosensory cortex from Fmr-1 knockout mice. Exp Neurol 2016; 280:60-9. [PMID: 27048919 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Neuroadaptations and alterations in neuronal excitability are critical in brain maturation and many neurological diseases. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by extensive synaptic and circuit dysfunction. It is still unclear about the alterations in intrinsic excitability of individual neurons and their link to hyperexcitable circuitry. In this study, whole cell patch-clamp recordings were employed to characterize the membrane and firing properties of layer IV cells in slices of the somatosensory cortex of Fmr-1 knockout (KO) mice. These cells generally exhibited a regular spiking (RS) pattern, while there were significant increases in the number of cells that adopted intrinsic bursting (IB) compared with age-matched wild type (WT) cells. The cells subgrouped according to their firing patterns and maturation differed significantly in membrane and discharge properties between KO and WT. The changes in the intrinsic properties were consistent with highly facilitated discharges in KO cells induced by current injection. Spontaneous activities of RS neurons driven by local network were also increased in the KO cells, especially in neonate groups. Under an epileptiform condition mimicked by omission of Mg(2+) in extracellular solution, these RS neurons from KO mice were more likely to switch to burst discharges. Analysis on bursts revealed that the KO cells tended to form burst discharges and even severe events manifested as seizure-like ictal discharges. These results suggest that alterations in intrinsic properties in individual neurons are involved in the abnormal excitability of cortical circuitry and possibly account for the pathogenesis of epilepsy in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linming Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China; Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhanrong Liang
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pingping Zhu
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meng Li
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Hong Yi
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Ping Liao
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Su
- Institute of Neuroscience and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou, China.
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Emulating short-term synaptic dynamics with memristive devices. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18639. [PMID: 26725838 PMCID: PMC4698662 DOI: 10.1038/srep18639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromorphic architectures offer great promise for achieving computation capacities beyond conventional Von Neumann machines. The essential elements for achieving this vision are highly scalable synaptic mimics that do not undermine biological fidelity. Here we demonstrate that single solid-state TiO2 memristors can exhibit non-associative plasticity phenomena observed in biological synapses, supported by their metastable memory state transition properties. We show that, contrary to conventional uses of solid-state memory, the existence of rate-limiting volatility is a key feature for capturing short-term synaptic dynamics. We also show how the temporal dynamics of our prototypes can be exploited to implement spatio-temporal computation, demonstrating the memristors full potential for building biophysically realistic neural processing systems.
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Esposito U, Giugliano M, Vasilaki E. Adaptation of short-term plasticity parameters via error-driven learning may explain the correlation between activity-dependent synaptic properties, connectivity motifs and target specificity. Front Comput Neurosci 2015; 8:175. [PMID: 25688203 PMCID: PMC4310301 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2014.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The anatomical connectivity among neurons has been experimentally found to be largely non-random across brain areas. This means that certain connectivity motifs occur at a higher frequency than would be expected by chance. Of particular interest, short-term synaptic plasticity properties were found to colocalize with specific motifs: an over-expression of bidirectional motifs has been found in neuronal pairs where short-term facilitation dominates synaptic transmission among the neurons, whereas an over-expression of unidirectional motifs has been observed in neuronal pairs where short-term depression dominates. In previous work we found that, given a network with fixed short-term properties, the interaction between short- and long-term plasticity of synaptic transmission is sufficient for the emergence of specific motifs. Here, we introduce an error-driven learning mechanism for short-term plasticity that may explain how such observed correspondences develop from randomly initialized dynamic synapses. By allowing synapses to change their properties, neurons are able to adapt their own activity depending on an error signal. This results in more rich dynamics and also, provided that the learning mechanism is target-specific, leads to specialized groups of synapses projecting onto functionally different targets, qualitatively replicating the experimental results of Wang and collaborators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Esposito
- Department Computer Science, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK
| | - Michele Giugliano
- Department Computer Science, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK ; Theoretical Neurobiology and Neuroengineering Laboratory, Department Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium ; Laboratory of Neural Microcircuitry, Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eleni Vasilaki
- Department Computer Science, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK ; Theoretical Neurobiology and Neuroengineering Laboratory, Department Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium ; INSIGNEO Institute for in Silico Medicine, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK
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Deadwyler SA, Berger TW, Opris I, Song D, Hampson RE. Neurons and networks organizing and sequencing memories. Brain Res 2014; 1621:335-44. [PMID: 25553617 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal CA1 and CA3 neurons sampled randomly in large numbers in primate brain show conclusive examples of hierarchical encoding of task specific information. Hierarchical encoding allows multi-task utilization of the same hippocampal neural networks via distributed firing between neurons that respond to subsets, attributes or "categories" of stimulus features which can be applied in events in different contexts. In addition, such networks are uniquely adaptable to neural systems unrestricted by rigid synaptic architecture (i.e. columns, layers or "patches") which physically limits the number of possible task-specific interactions between neurons. Also hierarchical encoding is not random; it requires multiple exposures to the same types of relevant events to elevate synaptic connectivity between neurons for different stimulus features that occur in different task-dependent contexts. The large number of cells within associated hierarchical circuits in structures such as hippocampus provides efficient processing of information relevant to common memory-dependent behavioral decisions within different contextual circumstances. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Brain and Memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam A Deadwyler
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, USA.
| | - Theodore W Berger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, 1042 Downey Way (DRB140), Los Angeles, CA 90089-1111, USA
| | - Ioan Opris
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, USA
| | - Dong Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, 1042 Downey Way (DRB140), Los Angeles, CA 90089-1111, USA
| | - Robert E Hampson
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, USA
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