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Utashiro N, MacLaren DAA, Liu YC, Yaqubi K, Wojak B, Monyer H. Long-range inhibition from prelimbic to cingulate areas of the medial prefrontal cortex enhances network activity and response execution. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5772. [PMID: 38982042 PMCID: PMC11233578 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50055-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
It is well established that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) exerts top-down control of many behaviors, but little is known regarding how cross-talk between distinct areas of the mPFC influences top-down signaling. We performed virus-mediated tracing and functional studies in male mice, homing in on GABAergic projections whose axons are located mainly in layer 1 and that connect two areas of the mPFC, namely the prelimbic area (PrL) with the cingulate area 1 and 2 (Cg1/2). We revealed the identity of the targeted neurons that comprise two distinct types of layer 1 GABAergic interneurons, namely single-bouquet cells (SBCs) and neurogliaform cells (NGFs), and propose that this connectivity links GABAergic projection neurons with cortical canonical circuits. In vitro electrophysiological and in vivo calcium imaging studies support the notion that the GABAergic projection neurons from the PrL to the Cg1/2 exert a crucial role in regulating the activity in the target area by disinhibiting layer 5 output neurons. Finally, we demonstrated that recruitment of these projections affects impulsivity and mechanical responsiveness, behaviors which are known to be modulated by Cg1/2 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Utashiro
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Duncan Archibald Allan MacLaren
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yu-Chao Liu
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kaneschka Yaqubi
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Düsseldorf and Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Wojak
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg University and of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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2
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Pak S, Lee M, Lee S, Zhao H, Baeg E, Yang S, Yang S. Cortical surface plasticity promotes map remodeling and alleviates tinnitus in adult mice. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 231:102543. [PMID: 37924858 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102543] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Tinnitus induced by hearing loss is caused primarily by irreversible damage to the peripheral auditory system, which results in abnormal neural responses and frequency map disruption in the central auditory system. It remains unclear whether and how electrical rehabilitation of the auditory cortex can alleviate tinnitus. We hypothesize that stimulation of the cortical surface can alleviate tinnitus by enhancing neural responses and promoting frequency map reorganization. To test this hypothesis, we assessed and activated cortical maps using our newly designed graphene-based electrode array with a noise-induced tinnitus animal model. We found that cortical surface stimulation increased cortical activity, reshaped sensory maps, and alleviated hearing loss-induced tinnitus behavior in adult mice. These effects were likely due to retained long-term synaptic potentiation capabilities, as shown in cortical slices from the mice model. These findings suggest that cortical surface activation can be used to facilitate practical functional recovery from phantom percepts induced by sensory deprivation. They also provide a working principle for various treatment methods that involve electrical rehabilitation of the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sojeong Pak
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Minseok Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Department of Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangwon Lee
- Department of Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; gBrain Inc., Incheon 21984, Republic of Korea
| | - Huilin Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Eunha Baeg
- Department of Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunggu Yang
- Department of Nano-bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; Center for Brain-Machine Interface, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; gBrain Inc., Incheon 21984, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sungchil Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
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3
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Hilscher MM, Mikulovic S, Perry S, Lundberg S, Kullander K. The alpha2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a subunit with unique and selective expression in inhibitory interneurons associated with principal cells. Pharmacol Res 2023; 196:106895. [PMID: 37652281 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play crucial roles in various human disorders, with the α7, α4, α6, and α3-containing nAChR subtypes extensively studied in relation to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, nicotine dependence, mood disorders, and stress disorders. In contrast, the α2-nAChR subunit has received less attention due to its more restricted expression and the scarcity of specific agonists and antagonists for studying its function. Nevertheless, recent research has shed light on the unique expression pattern of the Chrna2 gene, which encodes the α2-nAChR subunit, and its involvement in distinct populations of inhibitory interneurons. This review highlights the structure, pharmacology, localization, function, and disease associations of α2-containing nAChRs and points to the unique expression pattern of the Chrna2 gene and its role in different inhibitory interneuron populations. These populations, including the oriens lacunosum moleculare (OLM) cells in the hippocampus, Martinotti cells in the neocortex, and Renshaw cells in the spinal cord, share common features and contribute to recurrent inhibitory microcircuits. Thus, the α2-nAChR subunit's unique expression pattern in specific interneuron populations and its role in recurrent inhibitory microcircuits highlight its importance in various physiological processes. Further research is necessary to uncover the comprehensive functionality of α2-containing nAChRs, delineate their specific contributions to neuronal circuits, and investigate their potential as therapeutic targets for related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus M Hilscher
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sanja Mikulovic
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Cognition & Emotion Laboratory, Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Mental Health(DZPG), Germany
| | - Sharn Perry
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Stina Lundberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Klas Kullander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden.
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4
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Almeida VN, Radanovic M. Semantic processing and neurobiology in Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108337. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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5
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Qi G, Feldmeyer D. Cell-Type Specific Neuromodulation of Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons via Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Layer 4 of Rat Barrel Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:843025. [PMID: 35250496 PMCID: PMC8894850 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.843025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuromodulator acetylcholine (ACh) plays an important role in arousal, attention, vigilance, learning and memory. ACh is released during different behavioural states and affects the brain microcircuit by regulating neuronal and synaptic properties. Here, we investigated how a low concentration of ACh (30 μM) affects the intrinsic properties of electrophysiologically and morphologically identified excitatory and inhibitory neurons in layer 4 (L4) of rat barrel cortex. ACh altered the membrane potential of L4 neurons in a heterogeneous manner. Nearly all L4 regular spiking (RS) excitatory neurons responded to bath-application of ACh with a M4 muscarinic ACh receptor-mediated hyperpolarisation. In contrast, in the majority of L4 fast spiking (FS) and non-fast spiking (nFS) interneurons 30 μM ACh induced a depolarisation while the remainder showed a hyperpolarisation or no response. The ACh-induced depolarisation of L4 FS interneurons was much weaker than that in L4 nFS interneurons. There was no clear difference in the response to ACh for three morphological subtypes of L4 FS interneurons. However, in four morpho-electrophysiological subtypes of L4 nFS interneurons, VIP+-like interneurons showed the strongest ACh-induced depolarisation; occasionally, even action potential firing was elicited. The ACh-induced depolarisation in L4 FS interneurons was exclusively mediated by M1 muscarinic ACh receptors; in L4 nFS interneurons it was mainly mediated by M1 and/or M3/5 muscarinic ACh receptors. In a subset of L4 nFS interneurons, a co-operative activation of muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors was also observed. The present study demonstrates that low-concentrations of ACh affect different L4 neuron types in a cell-type specific way. These effects result from a specific expression of different muscarinic and/or nicotinic ACh receptors on the somatodendritic compartments of L4 neurons. This suggests that even at low concentrations ACh may tune the excitability of L4 excitatory and inhibitory neurons and their synaptic microcircuits differentially depending on the behavioural state during which ACh is released.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanxiao Qi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Reseach Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Guanxiao Qi,
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-10, Reseach Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance-Brain, Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
- Dirk Feldmeyer,
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6
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Rivera-Perez LM, Kwapiszewski JT, Roberts MT. α 3β 4 ∗ Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Strongly Modulate the Excitability of VIP Neurons in the Mouse Inferior Colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:709387. [PMID: 34434092 PMCID: PMC8381226 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.709387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC), the midbrain hub of the central auditory system, receives extensive cholinergic input from the pontomesencephalic tegmentum. Activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the IC can alter acoustic processing and enhance auditory task performance. However, how nAChRs affect the excitability of specific classes of IC neurons remains unknown. Recently, we identified vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) neurons as a distinct class of glutamatergic principal neurons in the IC. Here, in experiments using male and female mice, we show that cholinergic terminals are routinely located adjacent to the somas and dendrites of VIP neurons. Using whole-cell electrophysiology in brain slices, we found that acetylcholine drives surprisingly strong and long-lasting excitation and inward currents in VIP neurons. This excitation was unaffected by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine. Application of nAChR antagonists revealed that acetylcholine excites VIP neurons mainly via activation of α3β4∗ nAChRs, a nAChR subtype that is rare in the brain. Furthermore, we show that acetylcholine excites VIP neurons directly and does not require intermediate activation of presynaptic inputs that might express nAChRs. Lastly, we found that low frequency trains of acetylcholine puffs elicited temporal summation in VIP neurons, suggesting that in vivo-like patterns of cholinergic input can reshape activity for prolonged periods. These results reveal the first cellular mechanisms of nAChR regulation in the IC, identify a functional role for α3β4∗ nAChRs in the auditory system, and suggest that cholinergic input can potently influence auditory processing by increasing excitability in VIP neurons and their postsynaptic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Rivera-Perez
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Julia T Kwapiszewski
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Michael T Roberts
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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7
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Neurophysiological basis of the N400 deflection, from Mismatch Negativity to Semantic Prediction Potentials and late positive components. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 166:134-150. [PMID: 34097935 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.06.001] [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: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The first theoretical model on the neurophysiological basis of the N400: the deflection reflects layer I dendritic plateaus on a preparatory state of synaptic integration that precedes layer V somatic burst firing for conscious identification of the higher-order features of the stimulus (a late positive shift). Plateaus ensue from apical disinhibition by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-positive interneurons (VIPs) through suppression of Martinotti cells, opening the gates for glutamatergic feedback to trigger dendritic regenerative potentials. Cholinergic transients contribute to these dynamics directly, holding a central role in the N400 deflection. The stereotypical timing of the (frontal) glutamatergic feedback and the accompanying cholinergic transients account for the enigmatic "invariability" of the peak latency in the face of a gamut of different stimuli and paradigms. The theoretical postulations presented here may bring about unprecedented level of detail for the N400 deflection to be used in the study of schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and other higher-order pathologies. The substrates of a late positive component, the Mismatch Negativity and the Semantic Prediction Potentials are also surveyed.
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8
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Hay YA, Jarzebowski P, Zhang Y, Digby R, Brendel V, Paulsen O, Magloire V. Cholinergic modulation of Up-Down states in the mouse medial entorhinal cortex in vitro. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:1378-1393. [PMID: 33131134 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15032] [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: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic tone is high during wake and rapid eye movement sleep and lower during slow wave sleep (SWS). Nevertheless, the low tone of acetylcholine during SWS modulates sharp wave ripple incidence in the hippocampus and slow wave activity in the neocortex. Linking the hippocampus and neocortex, the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) regulates the coupling between these structures during SWS, alternating between silent Down states and active Up states, which outlast neocortical ones. Here, we investigated how low physiological concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh; 100-500 nM) modulate Up and Down states in a mEC slice preparation. We find that ACh has a dual effect on mEC activity: it prolongs apparent Up state duration as recorded in individual cells and decreases the total synaptic charge transfer, without affecting the duration of detectable synaptic activity. The overall outcome of ACh application is excitatory and we show that ACh increases Up state incidence via muscarinic receptor activation. The mean firing rate of principal neurons increased in around half of the cells while the other half showed a decrease in firing rate. Using two-photon calcium imaging of population activity, we found that population-wide network events are more frequent and rhythmic during ACh and confirmed that ACh modulates cell participation in these network events, consistent with a role for cholinergic modulation in regulating information flow between the hippocampus and neocortex during SWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Audrey Hay
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Przemyslaw Jarzebowski
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard Digby
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Viktoria Brendel
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ole Paulsen
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Vincent Magloire
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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9
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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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10
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Azimi H, Klaassen AL, Thomas K, Harvey MA, Rainer G. Role of the Thalamus in Basal Forebrain Regulation of Neural Activity in the Primary Auditory Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4481-4495. [PMID: 32244254 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have implicated the basal forebrain (BF) as a potent regulator of sensory encoding even at the earliest stages of or cortical processing. The source of this regulation involves the well-documented corticopetal cholinergic projections from BF to primary cortical areas. However, the BF also projects to subcortical structures, including the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), which has abundant reciprocal connections with sensory thalamus. Here we present naturalistic auditory stimuli to the anesthetized rat while making simultaneous single-unit recordings from the ventral medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) and primary auditory cortex (A1) during electrical stimulation of the BF. Like primary visual cortex, we find that BF stimulation increases the trial-to-trial reliability of A1 neurons, and we relate these results to change in the response properties of MGN neurons. We discuss several lines of evidence that implicate the BF to thalamus pathway in the manifestation of BF-induced changes to cortical sensory processing and support our conclusions with supplementary TRN recordings, as well as studies in awake animals showing a strong relationship between endogenous BF activity and A1 reliability. Our findings suggest that the BF subcortical projections that modulate MGN play an important role in auditory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Azimi
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
| | - A-L Klaassen
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
| | - K Thomas
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
| | - M A Harvey
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
| | - G Rainer
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
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11
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Shenkarev ZO, Shulepko MA, Bychkov ML, Kulbatskii DS, Shlepova OV, Vasilyeva NA, Andreev-Andrievskiy AA, Popova AS, Lagereva EA, Loktyushov EV, Koshelev SG, Thomsen MS, Dolgikh DA, Kozlov SA, Balaban PM, Kirpichnikov MP, Lyukmanova EN. Water-soluble variant of human Lynx1 positively modulates synaptic plasticity and ameliorates cognitive impairment associated with α7-nAChR dysfunction. J Neurochem 2020; 155:45-61. [PMID: 32222974 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Lynx1 is a GPI-tethered protein colocalized with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain areas important for learning and memory. Previously, we demonstrated that at low micromolar concentrations the water-soluble Lynx1 variant lacking GPI-anchor (ws-Lynx1) acts on α7-nAChRs as a positive allosteric modulator. We hypothesized that ws-Lynx1 could be used for improvement of cognitive processes dependent on nAChRs. Here we showed that 2 µM ws-Lynx1 increased the acetylcholine-evoked current at α7-nAChRs in the rat primary visual cortex L1 interneurons. At higher concentrations ws-Lynx1 inhibits α7-nAChRs expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes with IC50 ~ 50 µM. In mice, ws-Lynx1 penetrated the blood-brain barrier upon intranasal administration and accumulated in the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Chronic ws-Lynx1 treatment prevented the olfactory memory and motor learning impairment induced by the α7-nAChRs inhibitor methyllycaconitine (MLA). Enhanced long-term potentiation and increased paired-pulse facilitation ratio were observed in the hippocampal slices incubated with ws-Lynx1 and in the slices from ws-Lynx1-treated mice. Long-term potentiation blockade observed in MLA-treated mice was abolished by ws-Lynx1 co-administration. To understand the mechanism of ws-Lynx1 action, we studied the interaction of ws-Lynx1 and MLA at α7-nAChRs, measured the basal concentrations of endogenous Lynx1 and the α7 nAChR subunit and their association in the mouse brain. Our findings suggest that endogenous Lynx1 limits α7-nAChRs activation in the adult brain. Ws-Lynx1 partially displaces Lynx1 causing positive modulation of α7-nAChRs and enhancement of synaptic plasticity. Ws-Lynx1 and similar compounds may constitute useful hits for treatment of cognitive deficits associated with the cholinergic system dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakhar O Shenkarev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow region, Russia
| | - Mikhail A Shulepko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim L Bychkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitrii S Kulbatskii
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V Shlepova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow region, Russia
| | - Nathalia A Vasilyeva
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander A Andreev-Andrievskiy
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anfisa S Popova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeniya A Lagereva
- Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Sergey G Koshelev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Dmitry A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey A Kozlov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel M Balaban
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina N Lyukmanova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow region, Russia
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12
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Poorthuis RB, Muhammad K, Wang M, Verhoog MB, Junek S, Wrana A, Mansvelder HD, Letzkus JJ. Rapid Neuromodulation of Layer 1 Interneurons in Human Neocortex. Cell Rep 2019; 23:951-958. [PMID: 29694902 PMCID: PMC5946807 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons govern virtually all computations in neocortical circuits and are in turn controlled by neuromodulation. While a detailed understanding of the distinct marker expression, physiology, and neuromodulator responses of different interneuron types exists for rodents and recent studies have highlighted the role of specific interneurons in converting rapid neuromodulatory signals into altered sensory processing during locomotion, attention, and associative learning, it remains little understood whether similar mechanisms exist in human neocortex. Here, we use whole-cell recordings combined with agonist application, transgenic mouse lines, in situ hybridization, and unbiased clustering to directly determine these features in human layer 1 interneurons (L1-INs). Our results indicate pronounced nicotinic recruitment of all L1-INs, whereas only a small subset co-expresses the ionotropic HTR3 receptor. In addition to human specializations, we observe two comparable physiologically and genetically distinct L1-IN types in both species, together indicating conserved rapid neuromodulation of human neocortical circuits through layer 1. Layer 1 interneurons in human and mouse neocortex respond strongly to acetylcholine These rapid responses are mediated by α7 and β2-containing nicotinic receptors Human layer 1 comprises neurogliaform cells expressing the conserved marker Ndnf Apart from conserved features, human L1 interneurons show a number of specializations
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karzan Muhammad
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mantian Wang
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Matthijs B Verhoog
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stephan Junek
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Anne Wrana
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Askew CE, Lopez AJ, Wood MA, Metherate R. Nicotine excites VIP interneurons to disinhibit pyramidal neurons in auditory cortex. Synapse 2019; 73:e22116. [PMID: 31081950 PMCID: PMC6767604 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and improves cognitive and sensory function, in part by its actions in cortical regions. Physiological studies show that nicotine amplifies stimulus-evoked responses in sensory cortex, potentially contributing to enhancement of sensory processing. However, the role of specific cell types and circuits in the nicotinic modulation of sensory cortex remains unclear. Here, we performed whole-cell recordings from pyramidal (Pyr) neurons and inhibitory interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SOM), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in mouse auditory cortex, in vitro. Bath application of nicotine strongly depolarized and excited VIP neurons, weakly depolarized Pyr neurons, and had no effect on the membrane potential of SOM or PV neurons. The use of receptor antagonists showed that nicotine's effects on VIP and Pyr neurons were direct and indirect, respectively. Nicotine also enhanced the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in Pyr, VIP, and SOM, but not PV, cells. Using Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), we show that chemogenetic inhibition of VIP neurons prevents nicotine's effects on Pyr neurons. Since VIP cells preferentially contact other inhibitory interneurons, we suggest that nicotine drives VIP cell firing to disinhibit Pyr cell somata, potentially making Pyr cells more responsive to auditory stimuli. In parallel, activation of VIP cells also directly inhibits Pyr neurons, likely altering integration of other synaptic inputs. These cellular and synaptic mechanisms likely contribute to nicotine's beneficial effects on cognitive and sensory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Askew
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Hearing ResearchUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCalifornia
| | - Alberto J. Lopez
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Hearing ResearchUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCalifornia
| | - Marcelo A. Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Hearing ResearchUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCalifornia
| | - Raju Metherate
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Center for Hearing ResearchUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCalifornia
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Colangelo C, Shichkova P, Keller D, Markram H, Ramaswamy S. Cellular, Synaptic and Network Effects of Acetylcholine in the Neocortex. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:24. [PMID: 31031601 PMCID: PMC6473068 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neocortex is densely innervated by basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons. Long-range axons of cholinergic neurons regulate higher-order cognitive function and dysfunction in the neocortex by releasing acetylcholine (ACh). ACh release dynamically reconfigures neocortical microcircuitry through differential spatiotemporal actions on cell-types and their synaptic connections. At the cellular level, ACh release controls neuronal excitability and firing rate, by hyperpolarizing or depolarizing target neurons. At the synaptic level, ACh impacts transmission dynamics not only by altering the presynaptic probability of release, but also the magnitude of the postsynaptic response. Despite the crucial role of ACh release in physiology and pathophysiology, a comprehensive understanding of the way it regulates the activity of diverse neocortical cell-types and synaptic connections has remained elusive. This review aims to summarize the state-of-the-art anatomical and physiological data to develop a functional map of the cellular, synaptic and microcircuit effects of ACh in the neocortex of rodents and non-human primates, and to serve as a quantitative reference for those intending to build data-driven computational models on the role of ACh in governing brain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Colangelo
- Blue Brain Project, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Srikanth Ramaswamy
- Blue Brain Project, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
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15
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Lam YW, Sherman SM. Convergent synaptic inputs to layer 1 cells of mouse cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 49:1388-1399. [PMID: 30585669 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We used whole cell recordings from slice preparations of mouse cortex to identify various inputs to neurons of layer 1. Two sensory cortical areas were targeted: a primary somatosensory area, namely, the barrel cortex of S1, and a higher order visual area, namely, V2M. Results were similar from both areas. By activating local inputs using photostimulation with caged glutamate, we also identified glutamatergic (and possibly GABAergic) inputs from all lower layers plus GABAergic inputs from nearby layer 1 neurons. However, the patterns of such inputs to layer 1 neurons showed great variation among cells. In separate experiments, we found that electrical stimulation of axons running parallel to the cortical surface in layer 1 also evoked a variety of convergent input types to layer 1 neurons, including glutamatergic "drivers" and "modulators" plus classic modulatory inputs, including serotonergic, nicotinic, α- and β-adrenergic, from subcortical sites. Given that these layer 1 cells significantly affect the responses of other cortical neurons, especially via affecting the apical dendrites of pyramidal cells so important to cortical functioning, their role in cortical processing is significant. We believe that the data presented here lead to better understanding of the functioning of layer 1 neurons in their role of influencing cortical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Wan Lam
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - S Murray Sherman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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16
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Tricoire L, Drobac E, Tsuzuki K, Gallopin T, Picaud S, Cauli B, Rossier J, Lambolez B. Bioluminescence calcium imaging of network dynamics and their cholinergic modulation in slices of cerebral cortex from male rats. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:414-432. [PMID: 30604494 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The activity of neuronal ensembles was monitored in neocortical slices from male rats using wide-field bioluminescence imaging of a calcium sensor formed with the fusion of green fluorescent protein and aequorin (GA) and expressed through viral transfer. GA expression was restricted to pyramidal neurons and did not conspicuously alter neuronal morphology or neocortical cytoarchitecture. Removal of extracellular magnesium or addition of GABA receptor antagonists triggered epileptiform flashes of variable amplitude and spatial extent, indicating that the excitatory and inhibitory networks were functionally preserved in GA-expressing slices. We found that agonists of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors largely increased the peak bioluminescence response to local electrical stimulation in layer I or white matter, and gave rise to a slowly decaying response persisting for tens of seconds. The peak increase involved layers II/III and V and did not result in marked alteration of response spatial properties. The persistent response involved essentially layer V and followed the time course of the muscarinic afterdischarge depolarizing plateau in layer V pyramidal cells. This plateau potential triggered spike firing in layer V, but not layer II/III pyramidal cells, and was accompanied by recurrent synaptic excitation in layer V. Our results indicate that wide-field imaging of GA bioluminescence is well suited to monitor local and global network activity patterns, involving different mechanisms of intracellular calcium increase, and occurring on various timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Tricoire
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Estelle Drobac
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Keisuke Tsuzuki
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Gallopin
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Picaud
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Cauli
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Jean Rossier
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Lambolez
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
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17
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Four Unique Interneuron Populations Reside in Neocortical Layer 1. J Neurosci 2018; 39:125-139. [PMID: 30413647 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1613-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory perception depends on neocortical computations that contextually adjust sensory signals in different internal and environmental contexts. Neocortical layer 1 (L1) is the main target of cortical and subcortical inputs that provide "top-down" information for context-dependent sensory processing. Although L1 is devoid of excitatory cells, it contains the distal "tuft" dendrites of pyramidal cells (PCs) located in deeper layers. L1 also contains a poorly characterized population of GABAergic interneurons (INs), which regulate the impact that different top-down inputs have on PCs. A poor comprehension of L1 IN subtypes and how they affect PC activity has hampered our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie contextual modulation of sensory processing. We used novel genetic strategies in male and female mice combined with electrophysiological and morphological methods to help resolve differences that were unclear when using only electrophysiological and/or morphological approaches. We discovered that L1 contains four distinct populations of INs, each with a unique molecular profile, morphology, and electrophysiology, including a previously overlooked IN population (named here "canopy cells") representing 40% of L1 INs. In contrast to what is observed in other layers, most L1 neurons appear to be unique to the layer, highlighting the specialized character of the signal processing that takes place in L1. This new understanding of INs in L1, as well as the application of genetic methods based on the markers described here, will enable investigation of the cellular and circuit mechanisms of top-down processing in L1 with unprecedented detail.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neocortical layer 1 (L1) is the main target of corticocortical and subcortical projections that mediate top-down or context-dependent sensory perception. However, this unique layer is often referred to as "enigmatic" because its neuronal composition has been difficult to determine. Using a combination of genetic, electrophysiological, and morphological approaches that helped to resolve differences that were unclear when using a single approach, we were able to decipher the neuronal composition of L1. We identified markers that distinguish L1 neurons and found that the layer contains four populations of GABAergic interneurons, each with unique molecular profiles, morphologies, and electrophysiological properties. These findings provide a new framework for studying the circuit mechanisms underlying the processing of top-down inputs in neocortical L1.
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18
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Lateral inhibition by Martinotti interneurons is facilitated by cholinergic inputs in human and mouse neocortex. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4101. [PMID: 30291244 PMCID: PMC6173769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06628-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of inhibitory pathways encompassing different interneuron types shape activity of neocortical pyramidal neurons. While basket cells (BCs) mediate fast lateral inhibition between pyramidal neurons, Somatostatin-positive Martinotti cells (MCs) mediate a delayed form of lateral inhibition. Neocortical circuits are under control of acetylcholine, which is crucial for cortical function and cognition. Acetylcholine modulates MC firing, however, precisely how cholinergic inputs affect cortical lateral inhibition is not known. Here, we find that cholinergic inputs selectively augment and speed up lateral inhibition between pyramidal neurons mediated by MCs, but not by BCs. Optogenetically activated cholinergic inputs depolarize MCs through activation of ß2 subunit-containing nicotinic AChRs, not muscarinic AChRs, without affecting glutamatergic inputs to MCs. We find that these mechanisms are conserved in human neocortex. Cholinergic inputs thus enable cortical pyramidal neurons to recruit more MCs, and can thereby dynamically highlight specific circuit motifs, favoring MC-mediated pathways over BC-mediated pathways. Parvalbumin and somatostatin expressing interneurons mediate lateral inhibition between cortical neurons. Here the authors report the mechanisms by which acetylcholine from the basal forebrain selectively augments lateral inhibition via Martinotti cells and show that this is conserved in humans.
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19
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Target selectivity of septal cholinergic neurons in the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E2644-E2652. [PMID: 29487212 PMCID: PMC5856533 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1716531115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is a key modulator of hippocampal and entorhinal cortex (EC) function. The majority of cholinergic projections targeting these structures originate in the basal forebrain complex, specifically the medial septum. Many studies focused on the behavioral effects involving these projections, but there still is a paucity regarding their connectivity in the target area. Here we provide this missing link. By combining optogenetics with whole-cell recordings in superficial EC layers, we identified the synaptic target cells of septal cholinergic neurons. This level of analysis is an important step toward a better understanding of the modulatory action of acetylcholine in EC in vivo. The entorhinal cortex (EC) plays a pivotal role in processing and conveying spatial information to the hippocampus. It has long been known that EC neurons are modulated by cholinergic input from the medial septum. However, little is known as to how synaptic release of acetylcholine affects the different cell types in EC. Here we combined optogenetics and patch-clamp recordings to study the effect of cholinergic axon stimulation on distinct neurons in EC. We found dense cholinergic innervations that terminate in layer I and II (LI and LII). Light-activated stimulation of septal cholinergic projections revealed differential responses in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in LI and LII of both medial and lateral EC. We observed depolarizing responses mediated by nicotinic and muscarinic receptors primarily in putative serotonin receptor (p5HT3R)-expressing interneurons. Hyperpolarizing muscarinic receptor-mediated responses were found predominantly in excitatory cells. Additionally, some excitatory as well as a higher fraction of inhibitory neurons received mono- and/or polysynaptic GABAergic inputs, revealing that medial septum cholinergic neurons have the capacity to corelease GABA alongside acetylcholine. Notably, the synaptic effects of acetylcholine were similar in neurons of both medial and lateral EC. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that EC activity may be differentially modulated via the activation or the suppression of distinct subsets of LI and LII neurons by the septal cholinergic system.
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DeDominicis KE, Sahibzada N, Olson TT, Xiao Y, Wolfe BB, Kellar KJ, Yasuda RP. The ( α4) 3( β2) 2 Stoichiometry of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Predominates in the Rat Motor Cortex. Mol Pharmacol 2017; 92:327-337. [PMID: 28698187 DOI: 10.1124/mol.116.106880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is important in central nervous system physiology and in mediating several of the pharmacological effects of nicotine on cognition, attention, and affective states. It is also the likely receptor that mediates nicotine addiction. This receptor assembles in two distinct stoichiometries: (α4)2(β2)3 and (α4)3(β2)2, which are referred to as high-sensitivity (HS) and low-sensitivity (LS) nAChRs, respectively, based on a difference in the potency of acetylcholine to activate them. The physiologic and pharmacological differences between these two receptor subtypes have been described in heterologous expression systems. However, the presence of each stoichiometry in native tissue currently remains unknown. In this study, different ratios of rat α4 and β2 subunit cDNA were transfected into human embryonic kidney 293 cells to create a novel model system of HS and LS α4β2 nAChRs expressed in a mammalian cell line. The HS and LS nAChRs were characterized through pharmacological and biochemical methods. Isolation of surface proteins revealed higher amounts of α4 or β2 subunits in the LS or HS nAChR populations, respectively. In addition, sazetidine-A displayed different efficacies in activating these two receptor stoichiometries. Using this model system, a neurophysiological "two-concentration" acetylcholine or carbachol paradigm was developed and validated to determine α4/β2 subunit stoichiometry. This paradigm was then used in layers I-IV of slices of the rat motor cortex to determine the percent contribution of HS and LS α4β2 receptors in this brain region. We report that the majority of α4β2 nAChRs in this brain region possess a stoichiometry of the (α4)3(β2)2 LS subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen E DeDominicis
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Niaz Sahibzada
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Thao T Olson
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Yingxian Xiao
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Barry B Wolfe
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Kenneth J Kellar
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Robert P Yasuda
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
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Hilscher MM, Leão RN, Edwards SJ, Leão KE, Kullander K. Chrna2-Martinotti Cells Synchronize Layer 5 Type A Pyramidal Cells via Rebound Excitation. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2001392. [PMID: 28182735 PMCID: PMC5300109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Martinotti cells are the most prominent distal dendrite–targeting interneurons in the cortex, but their role in controlling pyramidal cell (PC) activity is largely unknown. Here, we show that the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α2 subunit (Chrna2) specifically marks layer 5 (L5) Martinotti cells projecting to layer 1. Furthermore, we confirm that Chrna2-expressing Martinotti cells selectively target L5 thick-tufted type A PCs but not thin-tufted type B PCs. Using optogenetic activation and inhibition, we demonstrate how Chrna2-Martinotti cells robustly reset and synchronize type A PCs via slow rhythmic burst activity and rebound excitation. Moreover, using optical feedback inhibition, in which PC spikes controlled the firing of surrounding Chrna2-Martinotti cells, we found that neighboring PC spike trains became synchronized by Martinotti cell inhibition. Together, our results show that L5 Martinotti cells participate in defined cortical circuits and can synchronize PCs in a frequency-dependent manner. These findings suggest that Martinotti cells are pivotal for coordinated PC activity, which is involved in cortical information processing and cognitive control. Cognitive functions and information processing are linked to the coordination of neuronal events and activities. This coordination is achieved through the synchronization of neuronal signals within subnetworks. Local networks contain different types of nerve cells, each of them playing distinct roles in the synchronization mechanism. To understand how synchronization is initiated and maintained, we have identified one of the key players using genetic strategies; we have identified a subtype of nicotine receptors uniquely expressed in cortical Martinotti cells. Because of their architecture and connection properties, Martinotti cells are able to synchronize ongoing activity of unconnected pyramidal cells (PCs). We show that this mechanism only applies to one subtype of PCs, thereby demonstrating that Martinotti cell inhibition is not spread randomly. By testing optimal firing patterns of Martinotti cells, we are able to coordinate the firing of this specific PC subtype over longer periods of time, showing how one unique interneuron is contributing to information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus M. Hilscher
- Unit of Developmental Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
- * E-mail: (MMH); (KK)
| | - Richardson N. Leão
- Unit of Developmental Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Steven J. Edwards
- Unit of Developmental Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katarina E. Leão
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Klas Kullander
- Unit of Developmental Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail: (MMH); (KK)
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Dose-dependent effect of donepezil administration on long-term enhancement of visually evoked potentials and cholinergic receptor overexpression in rat visual cortex. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 110:65-74. [PMID: 27913166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2016.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Stimulation of the cholinergic system tightly coupled with periods of visual stimulation boosts the processing of specific visual stimuli via muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in terms of intensity, priority and long-term effect. However, it is not known whether more diffuse pharmacological stimulation with donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, is an efficient tool for enhancing visual processing and perception. The goal of the present study was to potentiate cholinergic transmission with donepezil treatment (0.5 and 1mg/kg) during a 2-week visual training to examine the effect on visually evoked potentials and to profile the expression of cholinergic receptor subtypes. The visual training was performed daily, 10min a day, for 2weeks. One week after the last training session, visual evoked potentials were recorded, or the mRNA expression level of muscarinic (M1-5) and nicotinic (α/β) receptors subunits was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. The visual stimulation coupled with any of the two doses of donepezil produced significant amplitude enhancement of cortical evoked potentials compared to pre-training values. The enhancement induced by the 1mg/kg dose of donepezil was spread to neighboring spatial frequencies, suggesting a better sensitivity near the visual detection threshold. The M3, M4, M5 and α7 receptors mRNA were upregulated in the visual cortex for the higher dose of donepezil but not the lower one, and the receptors expression was stable in the somatosensory (non-visual control) cortex. Therefore, higher levels of acetylcholine within the cortex sustain the increased intensity of the cortical response and trigger the upregulation of cholinergic receptors.
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Aracri P, Meneghini S, Coatti A, Amadeo A, Becchetti A. α4β2 ∗ nicotinic receptors stimulate GABA release onto fast-spiking cells in layer V of mouse prefrontal (Fr2) cortex. Neuroscience 2016; 340:48-61. [PMID: 27793780 PMCID: PMC5231322 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
α4β2∗ nAChRs stimulate IPSCs in FS interneurons, in layer V of the mouse PFC (Fr2). In P16–P63 mice, nicotine increased both IPSC and mIPSC frequencies. GABAergic terminals adjacent to PV+ cells expressed α4 nAChR. The percentage of FS cells with somatic α4β2∗ currents decreased with age. Hence, nAChRs may be able to induce local circuit disinhibition in Fr2 PFC.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) produce widespread and complex effects on neocortex excitability. We studied how heteromeric nAChRs regulate inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs), in fast-spiking (FS) layer V neurons of the mouse frontal area 2 (Fr2). In the presence of blockers of ionotropic glutamate receptors, tonic application of 10 μM nicotine augmented the spontaneous IPSC frequency, with minor alterations of amplitudes and kinetics. These effects were studied since the 3rd postnatal week, and persisted throughout the first two months of postnatal life. The action of nicotine was blocked by 1 μM dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE; specific for α4∗ nAChRs), but not 10 nM methyllycaconitine (MLA; specific for α7∗ nAChRs). It was mimicked by 10 nM 5-iodo-3-[2(S)-azetidinylmethoxy]pyridine (5-IA; which activates β2∗ nAChRs). Similar results were obtained on miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs). Moreover, during the first five postnatal weeks, approximately 50% of FS cells displayed DHβE-sensitive whole-cell nicotinic currents. This percentage decreased to ∼5% in mice older than P45. By confocal microscopy, the α4 nAChR subunit was immunocytochemically identified on interneurons expressing either parvalbumin (PV), which mainly labels FS cells, or somatostatin (SOM), which labels the other major interneuron population in layer V. GABAergic terminals expressing α4 were observed to be juxtaposed to PV-positive (PV+) cells. A fraction of these terminals displayed PV immunoreactivity. We conclude that α4β2∗ nAChRs can produce sustained regulation of FS cells in Fr2 layer V. The effect presents a presynaptic component, whereas the somatic regulation decreases with age. These mechanisms may contribute to the nAChR-dependent stimulation of excitability during cognitive tasks as well as to the hyperexcitability caused by hyperfunctional heteromeric nAChRs in sleep-related epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Aracri
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, and NeuroMI (Milan Center of Neuroscience), University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, Milano 20126, Italy
| | - Simone Meneghini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, and NeuroMI (Milan Center of Neuroscience), University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, Milano 20126, Italy
| | - Aurora Coatti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, and NeuroMI (Milan Center of Neuroscience), University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, Milano 20126, Italy
| | - Alida Amadeo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, Milano 20133, Italy
| | - Andrea Becchetti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, and NeuroMI (Milan Center of Neuroscience), University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, Milano 20126, Italy.
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24
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Dannenberg H, Hinman JR, Hasselmo ME. Potential roles of cholinergic modulation in the neural coding of location and movement speed. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 110:52-64. [PMID: 27677935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral data suggest that cholinergic modulation may play a role in certain aspects of spatial memory, and neurophysiological data demonstrate neurons that fire in response to spatial dimensions, including grid cells and place cells that respond on the basis of location and running speed. These neurons show firing responses that depend upon the visual configuration of the environment, due to coding in visually-responsive regions of the neocortex. This review focuses on the physiological effects of acetylcholine that may influence the sensory coding of spatial dimensions relevant to behavior. In particular, the local circuit effects of acetylcholine within the cortex regulate the influence of sensory input relative to internal memory representations via presynaptic inhibition of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, and the modulation of intrinsic currents in cortical excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In addition, circuit effects of acetylcholine regulate the dynamics of cortical circuits including oscillations at theta and gamma frequencies. These effects of acetylcholine on local circuits and network dynamics could underlie the role of acetylcholine in coding of spatial information for the performance of spatial memory tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Dannenberg
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Memory and Brain, Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 2 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - James R Hinman
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Memory and Brain, Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 2 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Memory and Brain, Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 2 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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25
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Nelson A, Mooney R. The Basal Forebrain and Motor Cortex Provide Convergent yet Distinct Movement-Related Inputs to the Auditory Cortex. Neuron 2016; 90:635-48. [PMID: 27112494 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic inputs to the auditory cortex from the basal forebrain (BF) are important to auditory processing and plasticity, but little is known about the organization of these synapses onto different auditory cortical neuron types, how they influence auditory responsiveness, and their activity patterns during various behaviors. Using intersectional tracing, optogenetic circuit mapping, and in vivo calcium imaging, we found that cholinergic axons arising from the caudal BF target major excitatory and inhibitory auditory cortical cell types, rapidly modulate auditory cortical tuning, and display fast movement-related activity. Furthermore, the BF and the motor cortex-another source of movement-related activity-provide convergent input onto some of the same auditory cortical neurons. Cholinergic and motor cortical afferents to the auditory cortex display distinct activity patterns and presynaptic partners, indicating that the auditory cortex integrates bottom-up cholinergic signals related to ongoing movements and arousal with top-down information concerning impending movements and motor planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Nelson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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26
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Yelhekar TD, Druzin M, Karlsson U, Blomqvist E, Johansson S. How to Properly Measure a Current-Voltage Relation?-Interpolation vs. Ramp Methods Applied to Studies of GABAA Receptors. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:10. [PMID: 26869882 PMCID: PMC4735409 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The relation between current and voltage, I-V relation, is central to functional analysis of membrane ion channels. A commonly used method, since the introduction of the voltage-clamp technique, to establish the I-V relation depends on the interpolation of current amplitudes recorded at different steady voltages. By a theoretical computational approach as well as by experimental recordings from GABAA-receptor mediated currents in mammalian central neurons, we here show that this interpolation method may give reversal potentials and conductances that do not reflect the properties of the channels studied under conditions when ion flux may give rise to concentration changes. Therefore, changes in ion concentrations may remain undetected and conclusions on changes in conductance, such as during desensitization, may be mistaken. In contrast, an alternative experimental approach, using rapid voltage ramps, enable I-V relations that much better reflect the properties of the studied ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar D Yelhekar
- Section for Physiology, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Michael Druzin
- Section for Physiology, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Urban Karlsson
- Section for Physiology, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erii Blomqvist
- Section for Physiology, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Staffan Johansson
- Section for Physiology, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
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27
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Castejon C, Barros-Zulaica N, Nuñez A. Control of Somatosensory Cortical Processing by Thalamic Posterior Medial Nucleus: A New Role of Thalamus in Cortical Function. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148169. [PMID: 26820514 PMCID: PMC4731153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Current knowledge of thalamocortical interaction comes mainly from studying lemniscal thalamic systems. Less is known about paralemniscal thalamic nuclei function. In the vibrissae system, the posterior medial nucleus (POm) is the corresponding paralemniscal nucleus. POm neurons project to L1 and L5A of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in the rat brain. It is known that L1 modifies sensory-evoked responses through control of intracortical excitability suggesting that L1 exerts an influence on whisker responses. Therefore, thalamocortical pathways targeting L1 could modulate cortical firing. Here, using a combination of electrophysiology and pharmacology in vivo, we have sought to determine how POm influences cortical processing. In our experiments, single unit recordings performed in urethane-anesthetized rats showed that POm imposes precise control on the magnitude and duration of supra- and infragranular barrel cortex whisker responses. Our findings demonstrated that L1 inputs from POm imposed a time and intensity dependent regulation on cortical sensory processing. Moreover, we found that blocking L1 GABAergic inhibition or blocking P/Q-type Ca2+ channels in L1 prevents POm adjustment of whisker responses in the barrel cortex. Additionally, we found that POm was also controlling the sensory processing in S2 and this regulation was modulated by corticofugal activity from L5 in S1. Taken together, our data demonstrate the determinant role exerted by the POm in the adjustment of somatosensory cortical processing and in the regulation of cortical processing between S1 and S2. We propose that this adjustment could be a thalamocortical gain regulation mechanism also present in the processing of information between cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Castejon
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natali Barros-Zulaica
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angel Nuñez
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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28
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play an important role in the modulation of many cognitive functions but their role in integrated network activity remains unclear. This is at least partly because of the complexity of the cholinergic circuitry and the difficulty in comparing results from in vivo studies obtained under diverse experimental conditions and types of anesthetics. Hence the role of nAChRs in the synchronization of cortical activity during slow-wave sleep is still controversial, with some studies showing they are involved in ACh-dependent EEG desynchronization, and others suggesting that this effect is mediated exclusively by muscarinic receptors. Here we use an in vitro model of endogenous network activity, in the form of recurring self-maintained depolarized states (Up states), which allows us to examine the role of high-affinity nAChRs on network dynamics in a simpler form of the cortical microcircuit. We find that mice lacking nAChRs containing the β2-subunit (β2-nAChRs) have longer and more frequent Up states, and that this difference is eliminated when β2-nAChRs in wild-type mice are blocked. We further show that endogenously released ACh can modulate Up/Down states through the activation of both β2- and α7-containing nAChRs, but through distinct mechanisms: α7-nAChRs affect only the termination of spontaneous Up states, while β2-nAChRs also regulate their generation. Finally we provide evidence that the effects of β2-subunit-containing, but not α7-subunit-containing nAChRs, are mediated through GABAB receptors. To our knowledge this is the first study documenting direct nicotinic modulation of Up/Down state activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Through our experiments we were able to uncover a clear and previously disputed effect of nicotinic signaling in synchronized activity of neuronal networks of the cortex. We show that both high-affinity receptors (containing the β2-subunit, β2-nAChRs) and low-affinity receptors (containing the α7-subunit, α7-nAChRs) can regulate cortical network function exhibited in the form of Up/Down states. We further show that the effects of β2-nAChRs, but not α7-nAChRs, are mediated through the activation of GABAB receptors. These results suggest a possible synthesis of seemingly contradictory results in the literature and could be valuable for informing computational models of cortical function and for guiding the search for therapeutic interventions.
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29
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Letzkus J, Wolff S, Lüthi A. Disinhibition, a Circuit Mechanism for Associative Learning and Memory. Neuron 2015; 88:264-76. [PMID: 26494276 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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30
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Bertrand D, Lee CHL, Flood D, Marger F, Donnelly-Roberts D. Therapeutic Potential of α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. Pharmacol Rev 2015; 67:1025-73. [DOI: 10.1124/pr.113.008581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
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31
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Tang B, Luo D, Yang J, Xu XY, Zhu BL, Wang XF, Yan Z, Chen GJ. Modulation of AMPA receptor mediated current by nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in layer I neurons of rat prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14099. [PMID: 26370265 PMCID: PMC4572933 DOI: 10.1038/srep14099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Layer I neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) exhibit extensive synaptic connections with deep layer neurons, implying their important role in the neural circuit. Study demonstrates that activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) increases excitatory neurotransmission in this layer. Here we found that nicotine selectively increased the amplitude of AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated current and AMPA/NMDA ratio, while without effect on NMDA receptor-mediated current. The augmentation of AMPAR current by nicotine was inhibited by a selective α7-nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA) and intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA. In addition, nicotinic effect on mEPSC or paired-pulse ratio was also prevented by MLA. Moreover, an enhanced inward rectification of AMPAR current by nicotine suggested a functional role of calcium permeable and GluA1 containing AMPAR. Consistently, nicotine enhancement of AMPAR current was inhibited by a selective calcium-permeable AMPAR inhibitor IEM-1460. Finally, the intracellular inclusion of synthetic peptide designed to block GluA1 subunit of AMPAR at CAMKII, PKC or PKA phosphorylation site, as well as corresponding kinase inhibitor, blocked nicotinic augmentation of AMPA/NMDA ratio. These results have revealed that nicotine increases AMPAR current by modulating the phosphorylation state of GluA1 which is dependent on α7-nAChR and intracellular calcium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Tang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China.,The People's Hospital of Anyue County, 68 Wai-Nan Street, Anyue County, Si-Chuan Province, 642350,China
| | - Dong Luo
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Xu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Bing-Lin Zhu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xue-Feng Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Guo-Jun Chen
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing 400016, China
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32
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Tomková M, Tomek J, Novák O, Zelenka O, Syka J, Brom C. Formation and disruption of tonotopy in a large-scale model of the auditory cortex. J Comput Neurosci 2015; 39:131-53. [PMID: 26344164 DOI: 10.1007/s10827-015-0568-2] [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: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is ample experimental evidence describing changes of tonotopic organisation in the auditory cortex due to environmental factors. In order to uncover the underlying mechanisms, we designed a large-scale computational model of the auditory cortex. The model has up to 100 000 Izhikevich's spiking neurons of 17 different types, almost 21 million synapses, which are evolved according to Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP) and have an architecture akin to existing observations. Validation of the model revealed alternating synchronised/desynchronised states and different modes of oscillatory activity. We provide insight into these phenomena via analysing the activity of neuronal subtypes and testing different causal interventions into the simulation. Our model is able to produce experimental predictions on a cell type basis. To study the influence of environmental factors on the tonotopy, different types of auditory stimulations during the evolution of the network were modelled and compared. We found that strong white noise resulted in completely disrupted tonotopy, which is consistent with in vivo experimental observations. Stimulation with pure tones or spontaneous activity led to a similar degree of tonotopy as in the initial state of the network. Interestingly, weak white noise led to a substantial increase in tonotopy. As the STDP was the only mechanism of plasticity in our model, our results suggest that STDP is a sufficient condition for the emergence and disruption of tonotopy under various types of stimuli. The presented large-scale model of the auditory cortex and the core simulator, SUSNOIMAC, have been made publicly available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Tomková
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. .,Life Sciences Interface Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jakub Tomek
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.,Life Sciences Interface Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ondřej Novák
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Ondřej Zelenka
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Syka
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Cyril Brom
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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33
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Komal P, Estakhr J, Kamran M, Renda A, Nashmi R. cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibits α7 nicotinic receptor activity in layer 1 cortical interneurons through activation of D1/D5 dopamine receptors. J Physiol 2015; 593:3513-32. [PMID: 25990637 DOI: 10.1113/jp270469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Protein kinases can modify the function of many proteins including ion channels. However, the role of protein kinase A in modifying nicotinic receptors in the CNS has never been investigated. We showed through whole-cell recordings of layer 1 prefrontal cortical interneurons that α7 nicotinic responses are negatively modulated by protein kinase A. Furthermore, we show that stimulation of dopamine receptors can similarly attenuate α7 nicotinic responses through the activation of protein kinase A. These results suggest how the interaction of the cholinergic and dopaminergic systems may influence neuronal excitability in the brain. ABSTRACT Phosphorylation of ion channels, including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), by protein kinases plays a key role in the modification of synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. α7 nAChRs are the second most prevalent nAChR subtype in the CNS following α4β2. Serine 365 in the M3-M4 cytoplasmic loop of the α7 nAChR is a phosphorylation site for protein kinase A (PKA). D1/D5 dopamine receptors signal through the adenylate cyclase-PKA pathway and play a key role in working memory and attention in the prefrontal cortex. Thus, we examined whether the dopaminergic system, mediated through PKA, functionally interacts with the α7-dependent cholinergic neurotransmission. In layer 1 interneurons of mouse prefrontal cortex, α7 nicotinic currents were decreased upon stimulation with 8-Br-cAMP, a PKA activator. In HEK 293T cells, dominant negative PKA abolished 8-Br-cAMP's effect of diminishing α7 nicotinic currents, while a constitutively active PKA catalytic subunit decreased α7 currents. In brain slices, the PKA inhibitor KT-5720 nullified 8-Br-cAMP's effect of attenuating α7 nicotinic responses, while applying a PKA catalytic subunit in the pipette solution decreased α7 currents. 8-Br-cAMP stimulation reduced surface expression of α7 nAChRs, but there was no change in single-channel conductance. The D1/D5 dopamine receptor agonist SKF 83822 similarly attenuated α7 nicotinic currents from layer 1 interneurons and this attenuation of nicotinic current was prevented by KT-5720. These results demonstrate that dopamine receptor-mediated activation of PKA negatively modulates nicotinic neurotransmission in prefrontal cortical interneurons, which may be a contributing mechanism of dopamine modulation of cognitive behaviours such as attention or working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Komal
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jasem Estakhr
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melad Kamran
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anthony Renda
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Raad Nashmi
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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34
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Hay YA, Lambolez B, Tricoire L. Nicotinic Transmission onto Layer 6 Cortical Neurons Relies on Synaptic Activation of Non-α7 Receptors. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:2549-2562. [PMID: 25934969 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic excitation in neocortex is mediated by low-affinity α7 receptors and by high-affinity α4β2 receptors. There is evidence that α7 receptors are synaptic, but it is unclear whether high-affinity receptors are activated by volume transmission or synaptic transmission. To address this issue, we characterized responses of excitatory layer 6 (L6) neurons to optogenetic release of acetylcholine (ACh) in cortical slices. L6 responses consisted in a slowly decaying α4β2 current and were devoid of α7 component. Evidence that these responses were mediated by synapses was 4-fold. 1) Channelrhodopsin-positive cholinergic varicosities made close appositions onto responsive neurons. 2) Inhibition of ACh degradation failed to alter onset kinetics and amplitude of currents. 3) Quasi-saturation of α4β2 receptors occurred upon ACh release. 4) Response kinetics were unchanged in low release probability conditions. Train stimulations increased amplitude and decay time of responses and these effects appeared to involve recruitment of extrasynaptic receptors. Finally, we found that the α5 subunit, known to be associated with α4β2 in L6, regulates short-term plasticity at L6 synapses. Our results are consistent with previous anatomical observations of widespread cholinergic synapses and suggest that a significant proportion of these small synapses operate via high-affinity nicotinic receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Audrey Hay
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UM119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Paris F-75005, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8246, Paris F-75005, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U1130, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Bertrand Lambolez
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UM119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Paris F-75005, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8246, Paris F-75005, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U1130, Paris F-75005, France
| | - Ludovic Tricoire
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UM119, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Paris F-75005, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8246, Paris F-75005, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U1130, Paris F-75005, France
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35
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Topographic mapping between basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and the medial prefrontal cortex in mice. J Neurosci 2015; 34:16234-46. [PMID: 25471564 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3011-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal forebrain cholinergic innervation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for cognitive performance. However, little is known about the organization of connectivity between the basal forebrain and the mPFC in the mouse. Using focal virus injections inducing Cre-dependent enhanced yellow fluorescent protein expression in ChAT-IRES-Cre mice, we tested the hypothesis that there is a topographic mapping between the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and their axonal projections to the mPFC. We found that ascending cholinergic fibers to the mPFC follow four pathways and that cholinergic neurons take these routes depending on their location in the basal forebrain. In addition, a general mapping pattern was observed in which the position of cholinergic neurons measured along a rostral to caudal extent in the basal forebrain correlated with a ventral to dorsal and a rostral to caudal shift of cholinergic fiber distribution in mPFC. Finally, we found that neurons in the rostral and caudal parts of the basal forebrain differentially innervate the superficial and deep layers of the ventral regions of the mPFC. Thus, a frontocaudal organization of the cholinergic system exists in which distinct mPFC areas and cortical layers are targeted depending on the location of the cholinergic neuron in the basal forebrain.
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36
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Becchetti A, Aracri P, Meneghini S, Brusco S, Amadeo A. The role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. Front Physiol 2015; 6:22. [PMID: 25717303 PMCID: PMC4324070 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) is a focal epilepsy with attacks typically arising in the frontal lobe during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. It is characterized by clusters of complex and stereotyped hypermotor seizures, frequently accompanied by sudden arousals. Cognitive and psychiatric symptoms may be also observed. Approximately 12% of the ADNFLE families carry mutations on genes coding for subunits of the heteromeric neuronal nicotinic receptors (nAChRs). This is consistent with the widespread expression of these receptors, particularly the α4β2* subtype, in the neocortex and thalamus. However, understanding how mutant nAChRs lead to partial frontal epilepsy is far from being straightforward because of the complexity of the cholinergic regulation in both developing and mature brains. The relation with the sleep-waking cycle must be also explained. We discuss some possible pathogenetic mechanisms in the light of recent advances about the nAChR role in prefrontal regions as well as the studies carried out in murine models of ADNFLE. Functional evidence points to alterations in prefrontal GABA release, and the synaptic unbalance probably arises during the cortical circuit maturation. Although most of the available functional evidence concerns mutations on nAChR subunit genes, other genes have been recently implicated in the disease, such as KCNT1 (coding for a Na+-dependent K+ channel), DEPD5 (Disheveled, Egl-10 and Pleckstrin Domain-containing protein 5), and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone). Overall, the uncertainties about both the etiology and the pathogenesis of ADNFLE point to the current gaps in our knowledge the regulation of neuronal networks in the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Becchetti
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences and NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca Milano, Italy
| | - Patrizia Aracri
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences and NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca Milano, Italy
| | - Simone Meneghini
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences and NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca Milano, Italy
| | - Simone Brusco
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences and NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca Milano, Italy
| | - Alida Amadeo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milano Milano, Italy
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37
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Terry AV, Callahan PM, Bertrand D. R-(+) and S-(-) isomers of cotinine augment cholinergic responses in vitro and in vivo. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2014; 352:405-18. [PMID: 25503389 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.114.219881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The nicotine metabolite cotinine (1-methyl-5-[3-pyridynl]-2-pyrrolidinone), like its precursor, has been found to exhibit procognitive and neuroprotective effects in some model systems; however, the mechanism of these effects is unknown. In this study, both the R-(+) and S-(-) isomers of cotinine were initially evaluated in an extensive profiling screen and found to be relatively inactive across a wide range of potential pharmacologic targets. Electrophysiological studies on human α4β2 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) expressed in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the absence of agonistic activity of cotinine at α4β2 or α7 nAChRs. However, a significant increase in the current evoked by a low concentration of acetylcholine was observed at α7 nAChRs exposed to 1.0 μM R-(+)- or S-(-)-cotinine. Based on these results, we used a spontaneous novel object recognition (NOR) procedure for rodents to test the hypothesis that R-(+)- or S-(-)-cotinine might improve recognition memory when administered alone or in combination with the Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutic agent donepezil. Although both isomers enhanced NOR performance when they were coadministered with donepezil, neither isomer was active alone. Moreover, the procognitive effects of the drug combinations were blocked by methyllycaconitine and dihydro-β-erythroidine, indicating that both α7 and α4β2 nAChRs contribute to the response. These results indicate that cotinine may sensitize α7 nAChRs to low levels of acetylcholine (a previously uncharacterized mechanism), and that cotinine could be used as an adjunctive agent to improve the effective dose range of cholinergic compounds (e.g., donepezil) in the treatment of AD and other memory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin V Terry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Small Animal Behavior Core, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (A.V.T., P.M.C.); and HiQScreen Sàrl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.)
| | - Patrick M Callahan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Small Animal Behavior Core, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (A.V.T., P.M.C.); and HiQScreen Sàrl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.)
| | - Daniel Bertrand
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Small Animal Behavior Core, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (A.V.T., P.M.C.); and HiQScreen Sàrl, Geneva, Switzerland (D.B.)
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Riga D, Matos MR, Glas A, Smit AB, Spijker S, Van den Oever MC. Optogenetic dissection of medial prefrontal cortex circuitry. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:230. [PMID: 25538574 PMCID: PMC4260491 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critically involved in numerous cognitive functions, including attention, inhibitory control, habit formation, working memory and long-term memory. Moreover, through its dense interconnectivity with subcortical regions (e.g., thalamus, striatum, amygdala and hippocampus), the mPFC is thought to exert top-down executive control over the processing of aversive and appetitive stimuli. Because the mPFC has been implicated in the processing of a wide range of cognitive and emotional stimuli, it is thought to function as a central hub in the brain circuitry mediating symptoms of psychiatric disorders. New optogenetics technology enables anatomical and functional dissection of mPFC circuitry with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. This provides important novel insights in the contribution of specific neuronal subpopulations and their connectivity to mPFC function in health and disease states. In this review, we present the current knowledge obtained with optogenetic methods concerning mPFC function and dysfunction and integrate this with findings from traditional intervention approaches used to investigate the mPFC circuitry in animal models of cognitive processing and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Riga
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mariana R Matos
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Annet Glas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sabine Spijker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michel C Van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Luchicchi A, Bloem B, Viaña JNM, Mansvelder HD, Role LW. Illuminating the role of cholinergic signaling in circuits of attention and emotionally salient behaviors. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2014; 6:24. [PMID: 25386136 PMCID: PMC4209819 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) signaling underlies specific aspects of cognitive functions and behaviors, including attention, learning, memory and motivation. Alterations in ACh signaling are involved in the pathophysiology of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. In the central nervous system, ACh transmission is mainly guaranteed by dense innervation of select cortical and subcortical regions from disperse groups of cholinergic neurons within the basal forebrain (BF; e.g., diagonal band, medial septal, nucleus basalis) and the pontine-mesencephalic nuclei, respectively. Despite the fundamental role of cholinergic signaling in the CNS and the long standing knowledge of the organization of cholinergic circuitry, remarkably little is known about precisely how ACh release modulates cortical and subcortical neural activity and the behaviors these circuits subserve. Growing interest in cholinergic signaling in the CNS focuses on the mechanism(s) of action by which endogenously released ACh regulates cognitive functions, acting as a neuromodulator and/or as a direct transmitter via nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. The development of optogenetic techniques has provided a valuable toolbox with which we can address these questions, as it allows the selective manipulation of the excitability of cholinergic inputs to the diverse array of cholinergic target fields within cortical and subcortical domains. Here, we review recent papers that use the light-sensitive opsins in the cholinergic system to elucidate the role of ACh in circuits related to attention and emotionally salient behaviors. In particular, we highlight recent optogenetic studies which have tried to disentangle the precise role of ACh in the modulation of cortical-, hippocampal- and striatal-dependent functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Luchicchi
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bernard Bloem
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands ; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John Noel M Viaña
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Huibert D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lorna W Role
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Tingley D, Alexander AS, Kolbu S, de Sa VR, Chiba AA, Nitz DA. Task-phase-specific dynamics of basal forebrain neuronal ensembles. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:174. [PMID: 25309352 PMCID: PMC4173808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortically projecting basal forebrain neurons play a critical role in learning and attention, and their degeneration accompanies age-related impairments in cognition. Despite the impressive anatomical and cell-type complexity of this system, currently available data suggest that basal forebrain neurons lack complexity in their response fields, with activity primarily reflecting only macro-level brain states such as sleep and wake, onset of relevant stimuli and/or reward obtainment. The current study examined the spiking activity of basal forebrain neuron populations across multiple phases of a selective attention task, addressing, in particular, the issue of complexity in ensemble firing patterns across time. Clustering techniques applied to the full population revealed a large number of distinct categories of task-phase-specific activity patterns. Unique population firing-rate vectors defined each task phase and most categories of task-phase-specific firing had counterparts with opposing firing patterns. An analogous set of task-phase-specific firing patterns was also observed in a population of posterior parietal cortex neurons. Thus, consistent with the known anatomical complexity, basal forebrain population dynamics are capable of differentially modulating their cortical targets according to the unique sets of environmental stimuli, motor requirements, and cognitive processes associated with different task phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tingley
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew S Alexander
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sean Kolbu
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Virginia R de Sa
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrea A Chiba
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA, USA
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41
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Curtailing effect of awakening on visual responses of cortical neurons by cholinergic activation of inhibitory circuits. J Neurosci 2014; 34:10122-33. [PMID: 25057213 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0863-14.2014] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual responsiveness of cortical neurons changes depending on the brain state. Neural circuit mechanism underlying this change is unclear. By applying the method of in vivo two-photon functional calcium imaging to transgenic rats in which GABAergic neurons express fluorescent protein, we analyzed changes in visual response properties of cortical neurons when animals became awakened from anesthesia. In the awake state, the magnitude and reliability of visual responses of GABAergic neurons increased whereas the decay of responses of excitatory neurons became faster. To test whether the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic projection is involved in these changes, we analyzed effects of electrical and optogenetic activation of BF on visual responses of mouse cortical neurons with in vivo imaging and whole-cell recordings. Electrical BF stimulation in anesthetized animals induced the same direction of changes in visual responses of both groups of neurons as awakening. Optogenetic activation increased the frequency of visually evoked action potentials in GABAergic neurons but induced the delayed hyperpolarization that ceased the late generation of action potentials in excitatory neurons. Pharmacological analysis in slice preparations revealed that photoactivation-induced depolarization of layer 1 GABAergic neurons was blocked by a nicotinic receptor antagonist, whereas non-fast-spiking layer 2/3 GABAergic neurons was blocked only by the application of both nicotinic and muscarinic receptor antagonists. These results suggest that the effect of awakening is mediated mainly through nicotinic activation of layer 1 GABAergic neurons and mixed nicotinic/muscarinic activation of layer 2/3 non-fast-spiking GABAergic neurons, which together curtails the visual responses of excitatory neurons.
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42
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Kang JI, Huppé-Gourgues F, Vaucher E. Boosting visual cortex function and plasticity with acetylcholine to enhance visual perception. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:172. [PMID: 25278848 PMCID: PMC4167004 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system is a potent neuromodulatory system that plays critical roles in cortical plasticity, attention and learning. In this review, we propose that the cellular effects of acetylcholine (ACh) in the primary visual cortex during the processing of visual inputs might induce perceptual learning; i.e., long-term changes in visual perception. Specifically, the pairing of cholinergic activation with visual stimulation increases the signal-to-noise ratio, cue detection ability and long-term facilitation in the primary visual cortex. This cholinergic enhancement would increase the strength of thalamocortical afferents to facilitate the treatment of a novel stimulus while decreasing the cortico-cortical signaling to reduce recurrent or top-down modulation. This balance would be mediated by different cholinergic receptor subtypes that are located on both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons of the different cortical layers. The mechanisms of cholinergic enhancement are closely linked to attentional processes, long-term potentiation (LTP) and modulation of the excitatory/inhibitory balance. Recently, it was found that boosting the cholinergic system during visual training robustly enhances sensory perception in a long-term manner. Our hypothesis is that repetitive pairing of cholinergic and sensory stimulation over a long period of time induces long-term changes in the processing of trained stimuli that might improve perceptual ability. Various non-invasive approaches to the activation of the cholinergic neurons have strong potential to improve visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Il Kang
- École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Département de Neuroscience, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Elvire Vaucher
- École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
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Hay YA, Andjelic S, Badr S, Lambolez B. Orexin-dependent activation of layer VIb enhances cortical network activity and integration of non-specific thalamocortical inputs. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:3497-512. [PMID: 25108310 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0869-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Neocortical layer VI is critically involved in thalamocortical activity changes during the sleep/wake cycle. It receives dense projections from thalamic nuclei sensitive to the wake-promoting neuropeptides orexins, and its deepest part, layer VIb, is the only cortical lamina reactive to orexins. This convergence of wake-promoting inputs prompted us to investigate how layer VIb can modulate cortical arousal, using patch-clamp recordings and optogenetics in rat brain slices. We found that the majority of layer VIb neurons were excited by nicotinic agonists and orexin through the activation of nicotinic receptors containing α4-α5-β2 subunits and OX2 receptor, respectively. Specific effects of orexin on layer VIb neurons were potentiated by low nicotine concentrations and we used this paradigm to explore their intracortical projections. Co-application of nicotine and orexin increased the frequency of excitatory post-synaptic currents in the ipsilateral cortex, with maximal effect in infragranular layers and minimal effect in layer IV, as well as in the contralateral cortex. The ability of layer VIb to relay thalamocortical inputs was tested using photostimulation of channelrhodopsin-expressing fibers from the orexin-sensitive rhomboid nucleus in the parietal cortex. Photostimulation induced robust excitatory currents in layer VIa neurons that were not pre-synaptically modulated by orexin, but exhibited a delayed, orexin-dependent, component. Activation of layer VIb by orexin enhanced the reliability and spike-timing precision of layer VIa responses to rhomboid inputs. These results indicate that layer VIb acts as an orexin-gated excitatory feedforward loop that potentiates thalamocortical arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Audrey Hay
- UM CR 18, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75005, Paris, France.
- UMR 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France.
- UMR-S 1130, Institut national de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.
| | - Sofija Andjelic
- UM CR 18, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75005, Paris, France
- UMR 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
- UMR-S 1130, Institut national de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France
| | - Sammy Badr
- UM CR 18, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75005, Paris, France
- UMR 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
- UMR-S 1130, Institut national de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Lambolez
- UM CR 18, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 75005, Paris, France.
- UMR 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France.
- UMR-S 1130, Institut national de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.
- UMR 8246, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 9 quai St Bernard case 16, 75005, Paris, France.
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Behavioral state-dependent modulation of distinct interneuron subtypes and consequences for circuit function. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 29:118-25. [PMID: 25058112 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Multiple neuromodulators regulate neuronal response properties and synaptic connections in order to adjust circuit function. Inhibitory interneurons are a diverse group of cells that are differentially modulated depending on neuronal subtype and play key roles in regulating local circuit activity. Importantly, new tools to target specific subtypes are greatly improving our understanding of interneuron circuits and their modulation. Indeed, recent work has demonstrated that during different behavioral states interneuron activity changes in a subtype specific manner in both neocortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, in neocortex, modulation of specific interneuron microcircuits results in pyramidal cell disinhibition with important consequences for synaptic plasticity and animal behavior. Thus, neuromodulators tune the output of different interneuron subtypes to provide neural circuits with great flexibility.
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45
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Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in attention circuitry: the role of layer VI neurons of prefrontal cortex. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:1225-44. [PMID: 24122021 PMCID: PMC3949016 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1481-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic modulation of prefrontal cortex is essential for attention. In essence, it focuses the mind on relevant, transient stimuli in support of goal-directed behavior. The excitation of prefrontal layer VI neurons through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors optimizes local and top-down control of attention. Layer VI of prefrontal cortex is the origin of a dense feedback projection to the thalamus and is one of only a handful of brain regions that express the α5 nicotinic receptor subunit, encoded by the gene chrna5. This accessory nicotinic receptor subunit alters the properties of high-affinity nicotinic receptors in layer VI pyramidal neurons in both development and adulthood. Studies investigating the consequences of genetic deletion of α5, as well as other disruptions to nicotinic receptors, find attention deficits together with altered cholinergic excitation of layer VI neurons and aberrant neuronal morphology. Nicotinic receptors in prefrontal layer VI neurons play an essential role in focusing attention under challenging circumstances. In this regard, they do not act in isolation, but rather in concert with cholinergic receptors in other parts of prefrontal circuitry. This review urges an intensification of focus on the cellular mechanisms and plasticity of prefrontal attention circuitry. Disruptions in attention are one of the greatest contributing factors to disease burden in psychiatric and neurological disorders, and enhancing attention may require different approaches in the normal and disordered prefrontal cortex.
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46
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Poorthuis RB, Enke L, Letzkus JJ. Cholinergic circuit modulation through differential recruitment of neocortical interneuron types during behaviour. J Physiol 2014; 592:4155-64. [PMID: 24879871 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.273862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine is a crucial neuromodulator for attention, learning and memory. Release of acetylcholine in primary sensory cortex enhances processing of sensory stimuli, and many in vitro studies have pinpointed cellular mechanisms that could mediate this effect. In contrast, how cholinergic modulation shapes the function of intact circuits during behaviour is only beginning to emerge. Here we review recent data on the recruitment of identified interneuron types in neocortex by cholinergic signalling, obtained with a combination of genetic targeting of cell types, two-photon imaging and optogenetics. These results suggest that acetylcholine release during basal forebrain stimulation, and during physiological recruitment of the basal forebrain, can strongly and rapidly influence the firing of neocortical interneurons. In contrast to the traditional view of neuromodulation as a relatively slow process, cholinergic signalling can thus rapidly convey time-locked information to neocortex about the behavioural state of the animal and the occurrence of salient sensory stimuli. Importantly, these effects strongly depend on interneuron type, and different interneuron types in turn control distinct aspects of circuit function. One prominent effect of phasic acetylcholine release is disinhibition of pyramidal neurons, which can facilitate sensory processing and associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leona Enke
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
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47
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Abstract
Layer 1 neocortical GABAergic interneurons control the excitability of pyramidal neurons through cell-class-specific direct inhibitory and disynaptic disinhibitory circuitry. The engagement of layer 1 inhibitory circuits during behavior is powerfully controlled by the cholinergic neuromodulatory system. Here we report that acetylcholine (ACh) influences the excitability of layer 1 interneurons in a cell-class and activity-dependent manner. Whole-cell recordings from identified layer 1 interneurons of the rat somatosensory neocortex revealed that brief perisomatic application of ACh excited both neurogliaform cells (NGFCs) and classical-accommodating cells (c-ACs) at rest by the activation of nicotinic receptors. In contrast, under active, action potential firing states, ACh excited c-ACs, but inhibited NGFCs through muscarinic receptor-mediated, IP3 receptor-dependent elevations of intracellular calcium that gated surface-membrane calcium-activated potassium channels. These excitatory and inhibitory actions of ACh could be switched between by brief periods of NGFC action potential firing. Paired recordings demonstrated that cholinergic inhibition of NGFCs disinhibited the apical dendrites of layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons by silencing widespread, GABA(B) receptor-mediated, monosynaptic inhibition. Together, these data suggest that the cholinergic system modulates layer 1 inhibitory circuits in an activity-dependent manner to dynamically control dendritic synaptic inhibition of pyramidal neurons.
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48
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Arroyo S, Bennett C, Hestrin S. Nicotinic modulation of cortical circuits. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:30. [PMID: 24734005 PMCID: PMC3975109 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ascending cholinergic neuromodulatory system sends projections throughout cortex and has been shown to play an important role in a number of cognitive functions including arousal, working memory, and attention. However, despite a wealth of behavioral and anatomical data, understanding how cholinergic synapses modulate cortical function has been limited by the inability to selectively activate cholinergic axons. Now, with the development of optogenetic tools and cell-type specific Cre-driver mouse lines, it has become possible to stimulate cholinergic axons from the basal forebrain (BF) and probe cholinergic synapses in the cortex for the first time. Here we review recent work studying the cell-type specificity of nicotinic signaling in the cortex, synaptic mechanisms mediating cholinergic transmission, and the potential functional role of nicotinic modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Arroyo
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Corbett Bennett
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shaul Hestrin
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA, USA
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49
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Muñoz W, Rudy B. Spatiotemporal specificity in cholinergic control of neocortical function. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 26:149-60. [PMID: 24637201 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cholinergic actions are critical for normal cortical cognitive functions. The release of acetylcholine (ACh) in neocortex and the impact of this neuromodulator on cortical computations exhibit remarkable spatiotemporal precision, as required for the regulation of behavioral processes underlying attention and learning. We discuss how the organization of the cholinergic projections to the cortex and their release properties might contribute to this specificity. We also review recent studies suggesting that the modulatory influences of ACh on the properties of cortical neurons can have the necessary temporal dynamic range, emphasizing evidence of powerful interneuron subtype-specific effects. We discuss areas that require further investigation and point to technical advances in molecular and genetic manipulations that promise to make headway in understanding the neural bases of cholinergic modulation of cortical cognitive operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Muñoz
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, Smilow Research Building Sixth Floor, 522 First Ave, NY, NY, 10016, United States
| | - Bernardo Rudy
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU School of Medicine, Smilow Research Building Sixth Floor, 522 First Ave, NY, NY, 10016, United States.
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50
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Bloem B, Poorthuis RB, Mansvelder HD. Cholinergic modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex: the role of nicotinic receptors in attention and regulation of neuronal activity. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:17. [PMID: 24653678 PMCID: PMC3949318 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) release in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for normal cognitive performance. Despite the fact that many have studied how ACh affects neuronal processing in the mPFC and thereby influences attention behavior, there is still a lot unknown about how this occurs. Here we will review the evidence that cholinergic modulation of the mPFC plays a role in attention and we will summarize the current knowledge about the role between ACh receptors (AChRs) and behavior and how ACh receptor activation changes processing in the cortical microcircuitry. Recent evidence implicates fast phasic release of ACh in cue detection and attention. This review will focus mainly on the fast ionotropic nicotinic receptors and less on the metabotropic muscarinic receptors. Finally, we will review limitations of the existing studies and address how innovative technologies might push the field forward in order to gain understanding into the relation between ACh, neuronal activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Bloem
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdam, Netherlands
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Huibert D. Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije UniversiteitAmsterdam, Netherlands
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