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Aydin AG, Lemenze A, Bieszczad KM. Functional diversities within neurons and astrocytes in the adult rat auditory cortex revealed by single-nucleus RNA sequencing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.16.589831. [PMID: 38659766 PMCID: PMC11042262 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.16.589831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian cerebral cortex is composed of a rich diversity of cell types. Cortical cells are organized into networks that rely on their functional diversity to ultimately carry out a variety of sophisticated cognitive functions. To investigate the breadth of transcriptional diverse cell types in the sensory cortex, we have used single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) in the auditory cortex of the adult rat. A variety of unique excitatory and inhibitory neuron types were identified. In addition, we report for the first time a diversity of astrocytes in the auditory cortex that may represent functionally unique subtypes. Together, these results pave the way for building models of how neurons in the sensory cortex work in concert with astrocytes at synapses to fulfill high-cognitive functions like learning and memory.
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Graham G, Chimenti MS, Knudtson KL, Grenard DN, Co L, Sumner M, Tchou T, Bieszczad KM. Learning induces unique transcriptional landscapes in the auditory cortex. Hear Res 2023; 438:108878. [PMID: 37659220 PMCID: PMC10529106 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Learning can induce neurophysiological plasticity in the auditory cortex at multiple timescales. Lasting changes to auditory cortical function that persist over days, weeks, or even a lifetime, require learning to induce de novo gene expression. Indeed, transcription is the molecular determinant for long-term memories to form with a lasting impact on sound-related behavior. However, auditory cortical genes that support auditory learning, memory, and acquired sound-specific behavior are largely unknown. Using an animal model of adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats, this report is the first to identify genome-wide changes in learning-induced gene expression within the auditory cortex that may underlie long-lasting discriminative memory formation of acoustic frequency cues. Auditory cortical samples were collected from animals in the initial learning phase of a two-tone discrimination sound-reward task known to induce sound-specific neurophysiological and behavioral effects. Bioinformatic analyses on gene enrichment profiles from bulk RNA sequencing identified cholinergic synapse (KEGG rno04725), extra-cellular matrix receptor interaction (KEGG rno04512), and neuroactive receptor interaction (KEGG rno04080) among the top biological pathways are likely to be important for auditory discrimination learning. The findings characterize candidate effectors underlying the early stages of changes in cortical and behavioral function to ultimately support the formation of long-term discriminative auditory memory in the adult brain. The molecules and mechanisms identified are potential therapeutic targets to facilitate experiences that induce long-lasting changes to sound-specific auditory function in adulthood and prime for future gene-targeted investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Graham
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA; Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - M S Chimenti
- Iowa Institute of Human Genetics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - K L Knudtson
- Iowa Institute of Human Genetics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - D N Grenard
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - L Co
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - M Sumner
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - T Tchou
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - K M Bieszczad
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA; Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ, USA; Dept. of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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Graham G, Chimenti MS, Knudtson KL, Grenard DN, Co L, Sumner M, Tchou T, Bieszczad KM. Learning induces unique transcriptional landscapes in the auditory cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.15.536914. [PMID: 37090563 PMCID: PMC10120736 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.15.536914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Learning can induce neurophysiological plasticity in the auditory cortex at multiple timescales. Lasting changes to auditory cortical function that persist over days, weeks, or even a lifetime, require learning to induce de novo gene expression. Indeed, transcription is the molecular determinant for long-term memories to form with a lasting impact on sound-related behavior. However, auditory cortical genes that support auditory learning, memory, and acquired sound-specific behavior are largely unknown. This report is the first to identify in young adult male rats (Sprague-Dawley) genome-wide changes in learning-induced gene expression within the auditory cortex that may underlie the formation of long-lasting discriminative memory for acoustic frequency cues. Auditory cortical samples were collected from animals in the initial learning phase of a two-tone discrimination sound-reward task known to induce sound-specific neurophysiological and behavioral effects (e.g., Shang et al., 2019). Bioinformatic analyses on gene enrichment profiles from bulk RNA sequencing identified cholinergic synapse (KEGG 04725), extra-cellular matrix receptor interaction (KEGG 04512) , and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction (KEGG 04080) as top biological pathways for auditory discrimination learning. The findings characterize key candidate effectors underlying changes in cortical function that support the initial formation of long-term discriminative auditory memory in the adult brain. The molecules and mechanisms identified are potential therapeutic targets to facilitate lasting changes to sound-specific auditory function in adulthood and prime for future gene-targeted investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Graham
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
| | - M S Chimenti
- Iowa Institute of Human Genetics, Univ. of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - K L Knudtson
- Iowa Institute of Human Genetics, Univ. of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - D N Grenard
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
| | - L Co
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
| | - M Sumner
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
| | - T Tchou
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
| | - K M Bieszczad
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
- Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Dept. of Psychology, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
- Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ
- Dept. of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
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Shang A, Bieszczad KM. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate cue memory underlying discriminative behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104811. [PMID: 35961385 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104811] [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: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The burgeoning field of neuroepigenetics has introduced chromatin modification as an important interface between experience and brain function. For example, epigenetic mechanisms like histone acetylation and DNA methylation operate throughout a lifetime to powerfully regulate gene expression in the brain that is required for experiences to be transformed into long-term memories. This review highlights emerging evidence from sensory models of memory that converge on the premise that epigenetic regulation of activity-dependent transcription in the sensory brain facilitates highly precise memory recall. Chromatin modifications may be key for neurophysiological responses to transient sensory cue features experienced in the "here and now" to be recapitulated over the long term. We conclude that the function of epigenetic control of sensory system neuroplasticity is to regulate the amount and type of sensory information retained in long-term memories by regulating neural representations of behaviorally relevant cues that guide behavior. This is of broad importance in the neuroscience field because there are few circumstances in which behavioral acts are devoid of an initiating sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Shang
- Dept. of Psychology - Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Kasia M Bieszczad
- Dept. of Psychology - Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science (RuCCS), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USA.
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