1
|
Wang AS, Wan X, Storch DS, Li VY, Cornez G, Balthazart J, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani E, Sakata JT. Cross-species conservation in the regulation of parvalbumin by perineuronal nets. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1297643. [PMID: 38179221 PMCID: PMC10766385 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1297643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV) neurons play an integral role in regulating neural dynamics and plasticity. Therefore, understanding the factors that regulate PV expression is important for revealing modulators of brain function. While the contribution of PV neurons to neural processes has been studied in mammals, relatively little is known about PV function in non-mammalian species, and discerning similarities in the regulation of PV across species can provide insight into evolutionary conservation in the role of PV neurons. Here we investigated factors that affect the abundance of PV in PV neurons in sensory and motor circuits of songbirds and rodents. In particular, we examined the degree to which perineuronal nets (PNNs), extracellular matrices that preferentially surround PV neurons, modulate PV abundance as well as how the relationship between PV and PNN expression differs across brain areas and species and changes over development. We generally found that cortical PV neurons that are surrounded by PNNs (PV+PNN neurons) are more enriched with PV than PV neurons without PNNs (PV-PNN neurons) across both rodents and songbirds. Interestingly, the relationship between PV and PNN expression in the vocal portion of the basal ganglia of songbirds (Area X) differed from that in other areas, with PV+PNN neurons having lower PV expression compared to PV-PNN neurons. These relationships remained consistent across development in vocal motor circuits of the songbird brain. Finally, we discovered a causal contribution of PNNs to PV expression in songbirds because degradation of PNNs led to a diminution of PV expression in PV neurons. These findings reveal a conserved relationship between PV and PNN expression in sensory and motor cortices and across songbirds and rodents and suggest that PV neurons could modulate plasticity and neural dynamics in similar ways across songbirds and rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela S. Wang
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Xinghaoyun Wan
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Vivian Y. Li
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gilles Cornez
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | | | - Etienne de Villers-Sidani
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jon T. Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wang AS, Wan X, Storch DS, Cornez G, Balthazart J, Cisneros-Franco JM, de Villers-Sidani E, Sakata JT. Cross-species conservation in the regulation of parvalbumin by perineuronal nets. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.13.557580. [PMID: 37745532 PMCID: PMC10515890 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.557580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV) neurons play an integral role in regulating neural dynamics and plasticity. Therefore, understanding the factors that regulate PV expression is important for revealing modulators of brain function. While the contribution of PV neurons to neural processes has been studied in mammals, relatively little is known about PV function in non-mammalian species, and discerning similarities in the regulation of PV across species can provide insight into evolutionary conservation in the role of PV neurons. Here we investigated factors that affect the abundance of PV in PV neurons in sensory and motor circuits of songbirds and rodents. In particular, we examined the degree to which perineuronal nets (PNNs), extracellular matrices that preferentially surround PV neurons, modulate PV abundance as well as how the relationship between PV and PNN expression differs across brain areas and species and changes over development. We generally found that cortical PV neurons that are surrounded by PNNs (PV+PNN neurons) are more enriched with PV than PV neurons without PNNs (PV-PNN neurons) across both rodents and songbirds. Interestingly, the relationship between PV and PNN expression in the vocal portion of the basal ganglia of songbirds (Area X) differed from that in other areas, with PV+PNN neurons having lower PV expression compared to PV-PNN neurons. These relationships remained consistent across development in vocal motor circuits of the songbird brain. Finally, we discovered a causal contribution of PNNs to PV expression in songbirds because degradation of PNNs led to a diminution of PV expression in PV neurons. These findings in reveal a conserved relationship between PV and PNN expression in sensory and motor cortices and across songbirds and rodents and suggest that PV neurons could modulate plasticity and neural dynamics in similar ways across songbirds and rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela S. Wang
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Xinghaoyun Wan
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Gilles Cornez
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | | | - Etienne de Villers-Sidani
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jon T. Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
de Bournonville C, Mendoza KR, Remage-Healey L. Aromatase and nonaromatase neurons in the zebra finch secondary auditory forebrain are indistinct in their song-driven gene induction and intrinsic electrophysiological properties. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:7072-7091. [PMID: 34535925 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Estrogens support major brain functions including cognition, reproduction, neuroprotection and sensory processing. Neuroestrogens are synthesized within some brain areas by the enzyme aromatase and can rapidly modulate local circuit functions, yet the cellular physiology and sensory-response profiles of aromatase neurons are essentially unknown. In songbirds, social and acoustic stimuli drive neuroestrogen elevations in the auditory forebrain caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). In both males and females, neuroestrogens rapidly enhance NCM auditory processing and auditory learning. Estrogen-producing neurons in NCM may therefore exhibit distinguishing profiles for sensory-activation and intrinsic electrophysiology. Here, we explored these questions using both immunocyctochemistry and electrophysiological recordings. Immunoreactivity for aromatase and the immediate early gene EGR1, a marker of activity and plasticity, were quantified in NCM of song-exposed animals versus silence-exposed controls. Using whole-cell patch clamp recordings from NCM slices, we also documented the intrinsic excitability profiles of aromatase-positive and aromatase-negative neurons. We observed that a subset of aromatase neurons were significantly activated during song playback, in both males and females, and in both hemispheres. A comparable population of non-aromatase-expressing neurons were also similarly driven by song stimulation. Membrane properties (i.e., resting membrane potential, rheobase, input resistance and multiple action potential parameters) were similarly indistinguishable between NCM aromatase and non-aromatase neurons. Together, these findings demonstrate that aromatase and non-aromatase neurons in NCM are indistinct in terms of their intrinsic electrophysiology and responses to song. Nevertheless, such similarities in response properties may belie more subtle differences in underlying conductances and/or computational roles that may be crucial to their function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyssia Ruth Mendoza
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Plasticity in the hippocampal formation of shorebirds during the wintering period: Stereological analysis of parvalbumin neurons in Actitis macularius. Learn Behav 2021; 50:45-54. [PMID: 34244975 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-021-00473-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The number of parvalbumin neurons can be modified by social, multisensory, and cognitive stimuli in both mammals and birds, but nothing is known about their plasticity in long-distance migratory shorebirds. Here, in the spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius), we investigated the plasticity of parvalbumin neurons of two brain areas during this species' wintering period at a lower latitude. We compared individuals in a nonmigratory rest period (November-January) and premigration (May-July) period. We used parvalbumin as a marker for counting a subpopulation of inhibitory neurons in the hippocampal formation (HF), with the magnocellular nucleus of the tectal isthmus (IMC) as a control area. Because the HF is involved in learning and memory and social interaction and the IMC is essential for control of head, neck, and eye movements, we hypothesized that parvalbumin neurons would increase in the HF and remain unchanged in the IMC. We used an optical fractionator to estimate cell numbers. Compared with the nonmigratory rest birds, parvalbumin neuron count estimates in the premigration birds increased significantly in the HF but remained unchanged in IMC. We suggest that the greater number of parvalbuminergic neurons in the HF of A. macularius in the premigration period represents adaptive circuitry changes involved in the migration back to reproductive niches in the northern hemisphere.
Collapse
|
5
|
Paul A, McLendon H, Rally V, Sakata JT, Woolley SC. Behavioral discrimination and time-series phenotyping of birdsong performance. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008820. [PMID: 33830995 PMCID: PMC8049717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in the acoustic structure of vocal signals is important to communicate social information. However, relatively little is known about the features that receivers extract to decipher relevant social information. Here, we took an expansive, bottom-up approach to delineate the feature space that could be important for processing social information in zebra finch song. Using operant techniques, we discovered that female zebra finches can consistently discriminate brief song phrases ("motifs") from different social contexts. We then applied machine learning algorithms to classify motifs based on thousands of time-series features and to uncover acoustic features for motif discrimination. In addition to highlighting classic acoustic features, the resulting algorithm revealed novel features for song discrimination, for example, measures of time irreversibility (i.e., the degree to which the statistical properties of the actual and time-reversed signal differ). Moreover, the algorithm accurately predicted female performance on individual motif exemplars. These data underscore and expand the promise of broad time-series phenotyping to acoustic analyses and social decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avishek Paul
- Dept. Electrical & Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Dept. Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Helen McLendon
- Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Jon T. Sakata
- Dept. Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- * E-mail: (JTS); (SCW)
| | - Sarah C. Woolley
- Dept. Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- * E-mail: (JTS); (SCW)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kosubek-Langer J, Scharff C. Dynamic FoxP2 levels in male zebra finches are linked to morphology of adult-born Area X medium spiny neurons. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4787. [PMID: 32179863 PMCID: PMC7075913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61740-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor FOXP2 is crucial for the formation and function of cortico-striatal circuits. FOXP2 mutations are associated with specific speech and language impairments. In songbirds, experimentally altered FoxP2 expression levels in the striatal song nucleus Area X impair vocal learning and song production. Overall FoxP2 protein levels in Area X are low in adult zebra finches and decrease further with singing. However, some Area X medium spiny neurons (MSNs) express FoxP2 at high levels (FoxP2high MSNs) and singing does not change this. Because Area X receives many new neurons throughout adulthood, we hypothesized that the FoxP2high MSNs are newly recruited neurons, not yet integrated into the local Area X circuitry and thus not active during singing. Contrary to our expectation, FoxP2 protein levels did not predict whether new MSNs were active during singing, assayed via immediate early gene expression. However, new FoxP2high MSNs had more complex dendrites, higher spine density and more mushroom spines than new FoxP2low MSNs. In addition, FoxP2 expression levels correlated positively with nucleus size of new MSNs. Together, our data suggest that dynamic FoxP2 levels in new MSNs shape their morphology during maturation and their incorporation into a neural circuit that enables the maintenance and social modulation of adult birdsong.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kosubek-Langer
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Constance Scharff
- Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kumar S, Mohapatra AN, Sharma HP, Singh UA, Kambi NA, Velpandian T, Rajan R, Iyengar S. Altering Opioid Neuromodulation in the Songbird Basal Ganglia Modulates Vocalizations. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:671. [PMID: 31333400 PMCID: PMC6618663 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the interplay between endogenous opioids and dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia (BG) is known to underlie diverse motor functions, few studies exist on their role in modulating speech and vocalization. Vocal impairment is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), wherein DA depletion affects striosomes rich in μ-opioid receptors (μ-ORs). Symptoms of opioid addiction also include deficiencies in verbal functions and speech. To understand the interplay between the opioid system and BG in vocalization, we used adult male songbirds wherein high levels of μ-ORs are expressed in Area X, a BG region which is part of a circuit similar to the mammalian thalamocortical-basal ganglia loop. Changes in DA, glutamate and GABA levels were analyzed during the infusion of different doses of the μ-OR antagonist naloxone (50 and 100 ng/ml) specifically in Area X. Blocking μ-ORs in Area X with 100 ng/ml naloxone led to increased levels of DA in this region without altering the number of songs directed toward females (FD). Interestingly, this manipulation also led to changes in the spectro-temporal properties of FD songs, suggesting that altered opioid modulation in the thalamocortical-basal ganglia circuit can affect vocalization. Our study suggests that songbirds are excellent model systems to explore how the interplay between μ-ORs and DA modulation in the BG affects speech/vocalization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hanuman Prasad Sharma
- Department of Ocular Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Dr. R. P. Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | - Thirumurthy Velpandian
- Department of Ocular Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Dr. R. P. Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Raghav Rajan
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Pune, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dopaminergic regulation of vocal-motor plasticity and performance. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 54:127-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
9
|
Dai JB, Chen Y, Sakata JT. EGR-1 Expression in Catecholamine-synthesizing Neurons Reflects Auditory Learning and Correlates with Responses in Auditory Processing Areas. Neuroscience 2018; 379:415-427. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
|