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Ordiway G, McDonnell M, Sanchez JT. Revisiting the Chicken Auditory Brainstem Response: Frequency Specificity, Threshold Sensitivity, and Cross Species Comparison. Neurosci Insights 2024; 19:26331055241228308. [PMID: 38304551 PMCID: PMC10832403 DOI: 10.1177/26331055241228308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is important for both clinical and basic auditory research. It is a non-invasive measure of hearing function with millisecond-level precision. The ABR can not only measure the synchrony, speed, and efficacy of auditory physiology but also detect different modalities of hearing pathology and hearing loss. ABRs are easily acquired in vertebrate animal models like reptiles, birds, and mammals, and complement existing molecular, developmental, and systems-level research. One such model system is the chicken; an excellent animal for studying auditory development, structure, and function. However, the ABR for chickens was last reported nearly 4 decades ago. The current study examines how decades of ABR characterization in other animal species support findings from the chicken ABR. We replicated and expanded on previous research using 43 chicken hatchlings 1- and 2-day post-hatch. We report that click-evoked chicken ABRs presented with a peak waveform morphology, amplitude, and latency like previous avian studies. Tone-evoked ABRs were found for frequencies from 250 to 4000 Hertz (Hz) and exhibited a range of best sensitivity between 750 and 2000 Hz. Objective click-evoked and tone-evoked ABR thresholds were comparable to subjective thresholds. With these revisited measurements, the chicken ABR still proves to be an excellent example of precocious avian development that complements decades of molecular, neuronal, and systems-level research in the same model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Ordiway
- Roxelyn and Richard Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Central Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Miranda McDonnell
- Roxelyn and Richard Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Central Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jason Tait Sanchez
- Roxelyn and Richard Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Central Auditory Physiology Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Knowles Hearing Research Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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2
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Han D, Carr CE. Central projections of auditory nerve fibers in the western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus). J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:1261-1273. [PMID: 37245999 PMCID: PMC10590474 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Despite the absence of tympanic middle ears, snakes can hear. They are thought to primarily detect substrate vibration via connections between the lower jaw and the inner ear. We used the western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) to determine how vibration is processed in the brain. We measured vibration-evoked potential recordings to reveal sensitivity to low-frequency vibrations. We then used tract tracing combined with immunohistochemistry and Nissl staining to describe the central projections of the papillar branch of the VIIIth nerve. Applications of biotinylated dextran amine to the basilar papilla (homologous to the organ of Corti of mammals) labeled bouton-like terminals in two first-order cochlear nuclei, a rostrolateral nucleus angularis (NA) and a caudomedial nucleus magnocellularis (NM). NA formed a distinct dorsal eminence, consisted of heterogenous cell types, and was parvalbumin positive. NM was smaller and poorly separated from the surrounding vestibular nuclei. NM was distinguished by positive calbindin label and included fusiform and round cells. Thus, the atympanate western rat snake shares similar first-order projections to tympanate reptiles. Auditory pathways may be used for detecting vibration, not only in snakes but also potentially in atympanate early tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Han
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Catherine E. Carr
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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3
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Zemel BM, Nevue AA, Tavares LES, Dagostin A, Lovell PV, Jin DZ, Mello CV, von Gersdorff H. Motor cortex analogue neurons in songbirds utilize Kv3 channels to generate ultranarrow spikes. eLife 2023; 12:e81992. [PMID: 37158590 PMCID: PMC10241522 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex motor skills in vertebrates require specialized upper motor neurons with precise action potential (AP) firing. To examine how diverse populations of upper motor neurons subserve distinct functions and the specific repertoire of ion channels involved, we conducted a thorough study of the excitability of upper motor neurons controlling somatic motor function in the zebra finch. We found that robustus arcopallialis projection neurons (RAPNs), key command neurons for song production, exhibit ultranarrow spikes and higher firing rates compared to neurons controlling non-vocal somatic motor functions (dorsal intermediate arcopallium [AId] neurons). Pharmacological and molecular data indicate that this striking difference is associated with the higher expression in RAPNs of high threshold, fast-activating voltage-gated Kv3 channels, that likely contain Kv3.1 (KCNC1) subunits. The spike waveform and Kv3.1 expression in RAPNs mirror properties of Betz cells, specialized upper motor neurons involved in fine digit control in humans and other primates but absent in rodents. Our study thus provides evidence that songbirds and primates have convergently evolved the use of Kv3.1 to ensure precise, rapid AP firing in upper motor neurons controlling fast and complex motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Zemel
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Alexander A Nevue
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Leonardo ES Tavares
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - Andre Dagostin
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Dezhe Z Jin
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
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Electrical signaling in cochlear efferents is driven by an intrinsic neuronal oscillator. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2209565119. [PMID: 36306331 PMCID: PMC9636947 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209565119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Efferent neurons are believed to play essential roles in maintaining auditory function. The lateral olivocochlear (LOC) neurons-which project from the brainstem to the inner ear, where they release multiple transmitters including peptides, catecholamines, and acetylcholine-are the most numerous yet least understood elements of efferent control of the cochlea. Using in vitro calcium imaging and patch-clamp recordings, we found that LOC neurons in juvenile and young adult mice exhibited extremely slow waves of activity (∼0.1 Hz). These seconds-long bursts of Na+ spikes were driven by an intrinsic oscillator dependent on L-type Ca2+ channels and were not observed in prehearing mice, suggesting an age-dependent mechanism underlying the intrinsic oscillator. Using optogenetic approaches, we identified both ascending (T-stellate cells of the cochlear nucleus) and descending (auditory cortex) sources of synaptic excitation, as well as the synaptic receptors used for such excitation. Additionally, we identified potent inhibition originating in the glycinergic medial nucleus of trapezoid body (MNTB). Conductance-clamp experiments revealed an unusual mechanism of electrical signaling in LOC neurons, in which synaptic excitation and inhibition served to switch on and off the intrinsically generated spike burst mechanism, allowing for prolonged periods of activity or silence controlled by brief synaptic events. Protracted bursts of action potentials may be essential for effective exocytosis of the diverse transmitters released by LOC fibers in the cochlea.
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Saleh AJ, Nothwang HG. Differential expression of microRNAs in the developing avian auditory hindbrain. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3477-3496. [PMID: 34180540 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The avian auditory hindbrain is a longstanding model for studying neural circuit development. Information on gene regulatory network (GRN) components underlying this process, however, is scarce. Recently, the spatiotemporal expression of 12 microRNAs (miRNAs) was investigated in the mammalian auditory hindbrain. As a comparative study, we here investigated the spatiotemporal expression of the orthologous miRNAs during development of the chicken auditory hindbrain. All miRNAs were expressed both at E13, an immature stage, and P14, a mature stage of the auditory system. In most auditory nuclei, a homogeneous expression pattern was observed at both stages, like the mammalian system. An exception was the nucleus magnocellularis (NM). There, at E13, nine miRNAs showed a differential expression pattern along the cochleotopic axis with high expression at the rostromedial pole. One of them showed a gradient expression whereas eight showed a spatially selective expression at the rostral pole that reflected the different rhombomeric origins of this composite nucleus. The miRNA differential expression persisted in the NM to the mature stage, with the selective expression changed to linear gradients. Bioinformatics analysis predicted mRNA targets that are associated with neuronal developmental processes such as neurite and synapse organization, calcium and ephrin-Eph signaling, and neurotransmission. Overall, this first analysis of miRNAs in the chicken central auditory system reveals shared and strikingly distinct features between chicken and murine orthologues. The embryonic gradient expression of these GRN elements in the NM adds miRNA patterns to the list of cochleotopic and developmental gradients in the central auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Jason Saleh
- Division of Neurogenetics and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Hans Gerd Nothwang
- Division of Neurogenetics and Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Center for Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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6
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Fu M, Zhang L, Xie X, Wang N, Xiao Z. Differential contributions of voltage-gated potassium channel subunits in enhancing temporal coding in the bushy cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:1954-1972. [PMID: 33852808 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00435.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal coding precision of bushy cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), critical for sound localization and communication, depends on the generation of rapid and temporally precise action potentials (APs). Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are critically involved in this. The bushy cells in rat VCN express Kv1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 3.1, 4.2, and 4.3 subunits. The Kv1.1 subunit contributes to the generation of a temporally precise single AP. However, the understanding of the functions of other Kv subunits expressed in the bushy cells is limited. Here, we investigated the functional diversity of Kv subunits concerning their contributions to temporal coding. We characterized the electrophysiological properties of the Kv channels with different subunits using whole cell patch-clamp recording and pharmacological methods. The neuronal firing pattern changed from single to multiple APs only when the Kv1.1 subunit was blocked. The Kv subunits, including the Kv1.1, 1.2, 1.6, or 3.1, were involved in enhancing temporal coding by lowering membrane excitability, shortening AP latencies, reducing jitter, and regulating AP kinetics. Meanwhile, all the Kv subunits contributed to rapid repolarization and sharpening peaks by narrowing half-width and accelerating fall rate, and the Kv1.1 subunit also affected the depolarization of AP. The Kv1.1, 1.2, and 1.6 subunits endowed bushy cells with a rapid time constant and a low input resistance of membrane for enhancing spike timing precision. The present results indicate that the Kv channels differentially affect intrinsic membrane properties to optimize the generation of rapid and reliable APs for temporal coding.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study investigates the roles of Kv channels in effecting precision using electrophysiological and pharmacological methods in bushy cells. Different Kv channels have varying electrophysiological characteristics, which contribute to the interplay between changes in the membrane properties and regulation of neuronal excitability which then improve temporal coding. We conclude that the Kv channels are specialized to promote the precise and rapid coding of acoustic input by optimizing the generation of reliable APs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Fu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Xie
- Nanhai Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Ningqian Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongju Xiao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Nanhai Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
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Takahashi M, Sanchez JT. Effects of Neurotrophin-3 on Intrinsic Neuronal Properties at a Central Auditory Structure. Neurosci Insights 2020; 15:2633105520980442. [PMID: 33354669 PMCID: PMC7734498 DOI: 10.1177/2633105520980442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophins, a class of growth factor proteins that control neuronal proliferation, morphology, and apoptosis, are found ubiquitously throughout the nervous system. One particular neurotrophin (NT-3) and its cognate tyrosine receptor kinase (TrkC) have recently received attention as a possible therapeutic target for synaptopathic sensorineural hearing loss. Additionally, research shows that NT-3-TrkC signaling plays a role in establishing the sensory organization of frequency topology (ie, tonotopic order) in the cochlea of the peripheral inner ear. However, the neurotrophic effects of NT-3 on central auditory properties are unclear. In this study we examined whether NT-3-TrkC signaling affects the intrinsic electrophysiological properties at a first-order central auditory structure in chicken, known as nucleus magnocellularis (NM). Here, the expression pattern of specific neurotrophins is well known and tightly regulated. By using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, we show that NT-3 application to brainstem slices does not affect intrinsic properties of high-frequency neuronal regions but had robust effects for low-frequency neurons, altering voltage-dependent potassium functions, action potential repolarization kinetics, and passive membrane properties. We suggest that NT-3 may contribute to the precise establishment and organization of tonotopy in the central auditory pathway by playing a specialized role in regulating the development of intrinsic neuronal properties of low-frequency NM neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoko Takahashi
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jason Tait Sanchez
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- The Hugh Knowles Hearing Research Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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8
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Lovell PV, Wirthlin M, Kaser T, Buckner AA, Carleton JB, Snider BR, McHugh AK, Tolpygo A, Mitra PP, Mello CV. ZEBrA: Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas-A resource for comparative molecular neuroanatomy and brain evolution studies. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2099-2131. [PMID: 32037563 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the genetics and evolution of brain function and behavior requires a detailed mapping of gene expression in functional brain circuits across major vertebrate clades. Here we present the Zebra finch Expression Brain Atlas (ZEBrA; www.zebrafinchatlas.org, RRID: SCR_012988), a web-based resource that maps the expression of genes linked to a broad range of functions onto the brain of zebra finches. ZEBrA is a first of its kind gene expression brain atlas for a bird species and a first for any sauropsid. ZEBrA's >3,200 high-resolution digital images of in situ hybridized sections for ~650 genes (as of June 2019) are presented in alignment with an annotated histological atlas and can be browsed down to cellular resolution. An extensive relational database connects expression patterns to information about gene function, mouse expression patterns and phenotypes, and gene involvement in human diseases and communication disorders. By enabling brain-wide gene expression assessments in a bird, ZEBrA provides important substrates for comparative neuroanatomy and molecular brain evolution studies. ZEBrA also provides unique opportunities for linking genetic pathways to vocal learning and motor control circuits, as well as for novel insights into the molecular basis of sex steroids actions, brain dimorphisms, reproductive and social behaviors, sleep function, and adult neurogenesis, among many fundamental themes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Lovell
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Morgan Wirthlin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Taylor Kaser
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Alexa A Buckner
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Julia B Carleton
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Brian R Snider
- Center for Spoken Language Understanding, Institute on Development and Disability, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Anne K McHugh
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - Partha P Mitra
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
| | - Claudio V Mello
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
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