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Long C, Lee K, Yang L, Dafalias T, Wu AK, Masmanidis SC. Constraints on the subsecond modulation of striatal dynamics by physiological dopamine signaling. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1977-1986. [PMID: 38961230 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01699-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: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons play a crucial role in associative learning, but their capacity to regulate behavior on subsecond timescales remains debated. It is thought that dopaminergic neurons drive certain behaviors by rapidly modulating striatal spiking activity; however, a view has emerged that only artificially high (that is, supra-physiological) dopamine signals alter behavior on fast timescales. This raises the possibility that moment-to-moment striatal spiking activity is not strongly shaped by dopamine signals in the physiological range. To test this, we transiently altered dopamine levels while monitoring spiking responses in the ventral striatum of behaving mice. These manipulations led to only weak changes in striatal activity, except when dopamine release exceeded reward-matched levels. These findings suggest that dopaminergic neurons normally play a minor role in the subsecond modulation of striatal dynamics in relation to other inputs and demonstrate the importance of discerning dopaminergic neuron contributions to brain function under physiological and potentially nonphysiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charltien Long
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kwang Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Long Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Theresia Dafalias
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander K Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sotiris C Masmanidis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- California Nanosystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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2
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Conrad WS, Oriol L, Kollman G, Faget L, Hnasko TS. Proportion and distribution of neurotransmitter-defined cell types in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.28.582356. [PMID: 38464250 PMCID: PMC10925288 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.28.582356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Most studies on the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) have focused on dopamine neurons and their role in processes such as motivation, learning, movement, and associated disorders such as addiction. However there has been increasing attention on other VTA and SNc cell types that release GABA, glutamate, or a combination of neurotransmitters. Yet the relative distributions and proportions of neurotransmitter-defined cell types across VTA and SNc has remained unclear. Here, we used fluorescent in situ hybridization in male and female mice to label VTA and SNc neurons that expressed mRNA encoding the canonical vesicular transporters for dopamine, GABA, or glutamate: vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2), vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), and vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT2). Within VTA, we found that no one type was particularly more abundant, instead we observed similar numbers of VMAT2+ (44%), VGAT+ (37%) and VGLUT2+ (41%) neurons. In SNc we found that a slight majority of neurons expressed VMAT2 (54%), fewer were VGAT+ (42%), and VGLUT2+ neurons were least abundant (16%). Moreover, 20% of VTA neurons and 10% of SNc neurons expressed more than one vesicular transporter, including 45% of VGLUT2+ neurons. We also assessed within VTA and SNc subregions and found remarkable heterogeneity in cell-type composition. And by quantifying density across both anterior-posterior and medial-lateral axes we generated heatmaps to visualize the distribution of each cell type. Our data complement recent single-cell RNAseq studies and support a more diverse landscape of neurotransmitter-defined cell types in VTA and SNc than is typically appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S Conrad
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Lucie Oriol
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Grace Kollman
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Lauren Faget
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences, La Jolla CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego CA, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase MD 20815, USA
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Johnson NL, Cotelo-Larrea A, Stetzik LA, Akkaya UM, Zhang Z, Gadziola MA, Varga AG, Ma M, Wesson DW. Sniffing can be initiated by dopamine's actions on ventral striatum neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.19.581052. [PMID: 39229099 PMCID: PMC11370338 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.19.581052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Sniffing is a motivated behavior displayed by nearly all terrestrial vertebrates. While sniffing is associated with acquiring and processing odors, sniffing is also intertwined with affective and motivated states. The neuromodulatory systems which influence the display of sniffing are unclear. Here, we report that dopamine release into the ventral striatum is coupled with bouts of sniffing and that stimulation of dopaminergic terminals in these regions drives increases in respiratory rate to initiate sniffing whereas inhibition of these terminals reduces respiratory rate. Both the firing of individual neurons and the activity of post-synaptic D1 and D2 receptor-expressing neurons in the ventral striatum are also coupled with sniffing and local antagonism of D1 and D2 receptors squelches sniffing. Together, these results support a model whereby sniffing can be initiated by dopamine's actions upon ventral striatum neurons. The nature of sniffing being integral to both olfaction and motivated behaviors implicates this circuit in a wide array of functions.
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Marinescu AM, Labouesse MA. The nucleus accumbens shell: a neural hub at the interface of homeostatic and hedonic feeding. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1437210. [PMID: 39139500 PMCID: PMC11319282 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1437210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Feeding behavior is a complex physiological process regulated by the interplay between homeostatic and hedonic feeding circuits. Among the neural structures involved, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has emerged as a pivotal region at the interface of these two circuits. The NAc comprises distinct subregions and in this review, we focus mainly on the NAc shell (NAcSh). Homeostatic feeding circuits, primarily found in the hypothalamus, ensure the organism's balance in energy and nutrient requirements. These circuits monitor peripheral signals, such as insulin, leptin, and ghrelin, and modulate satiety and hunger states. The NAcSh receives input from these homeostatic circuits, integrating information regarding the organism's metabolic needs. Conversely, so-called hedonic feeding circuits involve all other non-hunger and -satiety processes, i.e., the sensory information, associative learning, reward, motivation and pleasure associated with food consumption. The NAcSh is interconnected with hedonics-related structures like the ventral tegmental area and prefrontal cortex and plays a key role in encoding hedonic information related to palatable food seeking or consumption. In sum, the NAcSh acts as a crucial hub in feeding behavior, integrating signals from both homeostatic and hedonic circuits, to facilitate behavioral output via its downstream projections. Moreover, the NAcSh's involvement extends beyond simple integration, as it directly impacts actions related to food consumption. In this review, we first focus on delineating the inputs targeting the NAcSh; we then present NAcSh output projections to downstream structures. Finally we discuss how the NAcSh regulates feeding behavior and can be seen as a neural hub integrating homeostatic and hedonic feeding signals, via a functionally diverse set of projection neuron subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina-Măriuca Marinescu
- Brain, Wire and Behavior Group, Translational Nutritional Biology Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marie A. Labouesse
- Brain, Wire and Behavior Group, Translational Nutritional Biology Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Barabás B, Reéb Z, Papp OI, Hájos N. Functionally linked amygdala and prefrontal cortical regions are innervated by both single and double projecting cholinergic neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1426153. [PMID: 39049824 PMCID: PMC11266109 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1426153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic cells have been proposed to innervate simultaneously those cortical areas that are mutually interconnected with each other. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the cholinergic innervation of functionally linked amygdala and prefrontal cortical regions. First, using tracing experiments, we determined that cholinergic cells located in distinct basal forebrain (BF) areas projected to the different nuclei of the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Specifically, cholinergic cells in the ventral pallidum/substantia innominata (VP/SI) innervated the basal nucleus (BA), while the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB) projected to its basomedial nucleus (BMA). In addition, cholinergic neurons in these two BF areas gave rise to overlapping innervation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), yet their axons segregated in the dorsal and ventral regions of the PFC. Using retrograde-anterograde viral tracing, we demonstrated that a portion of mPFC-projecting cholinergic neurons also innervated the BLA, especially the BA. By injecting retrograde tracers into the mPFC and BA, we found that 28% of retrogradely labeled cholinergic cells were double labeled, which typically located in the VP/SI. In addition, we found that vesicular glutamate transporter type 3 (VGLUT3)-expressing neurons within the VP/SI were also cholinergic and projected to the mPFC and BA, implicating that a part of the cholinergic afferents may release glutamate. In contrast, we uncovered that GABA is unlikely to be a co-transmitter molecule in HDB and VP/SI cholinergic neurons in adult mice. The dual innervation strategy, i.e., the existence of cholinergic cell populations with single as well as simultaneous projections to the BLA and mPFC, provides the possibility for both synchronous and independent control of the operation in these cortical areas, a structural arrangement that may maximize computational support for functionally linked regions. The presence of VGLUT3 in a portion of cholinergic afferents suggests more complex functional effects of cholinergic system in cortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Barabás
- HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Zsófia Reéb
- HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya I. Papp
- HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Norbert Hájos
- HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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6
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Spencer CD, Miller PA, Williams-Ikhenoba JG, Nikolova RG, Chee MJ. Regulation of the Mouse Ventral Tegmental Area by Melanin-Concentrating Hormone. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0790232024. [PMID: 38806249 PMCID: PMC11223476 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0790-23.2024] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) acts via its sole receptor MCHR1 in rodents and is an important regulator of homeostatic behaviors like feeding, sleep, and mood to impact overall energy balance. The loss of MCH signaling by MCH or MCHR1 deletion produces hyperactive mice with increased energy expenditure, and these effects are consistently associated with a hyperdopaminergic state. We recently showed that MCH suppresses dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, which principally receives dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), but the mechanisms underlying MCH-regulated dopamine release are not clearly defined. MCHR1 expression is widespread and includes dopaminergic VTA cells. However, as the VTA is a neurochemically diverse structure, we assessed Mchr1 gene expression at glutamatergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic VTA cells and determined if MCH inhibited the activity of VTA cells and/or their local microcircuit. Mchr1 expression was robust in major VTA cell types, including most dopaminergic (78%) or glutamatergic cells (52%) and some GABAergic cells (38%). Interestingly, MCH directly inhibited dopaminergic and GABAergic cells but did not regulate the activity of glutamatergic cells. Rather, MCH produced a delayed increase in excitatory input to dopamine cells and a corresponding decrease in GABAergic input to glutamatergic VTA cells. Our findings suggested that MCH may acutely suppress dopamine release while disinhibiting local glutamatergic signaling to restore dopamine levels. This indicated that the VTA is a target of MCH action, which may provide bidirectional regulation of energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Duncan Spencer
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Persephone A Miller
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Ralitsa G Nikolova
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Melissa J Chee
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
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Choudhary AG, Awathale SN, Dudhabhate BB, Pawar N, Jadhav G, Upadhya MA, Khedkar T, Gadhikar YA, Sakharkar AJ, Subhedar NK, Kokare DM. Response of nitrergic system in the brain of rat conditioned to intracranial self-stimulation. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1402-1419. [PMID: 38445395 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The role of nitrergic system in modulating the action of psychostimulants on reward processing is well established. However, the relevant anatomical underpinnings and scope of the involved interactions with mesolimbic dopaminergic system have not been clarified. Using immunohistochemistry, we track the changes in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) containing cell groups in the animals conditioned to intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) via an electrode implanted in the lateral hypothalamus-medial forebrain bundle (LH-MFB) area. An increase in the nNOS immunoreactivity was noticed in the cells and fibers in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), the primary loci of the reward system. In addition, nNOS was up-regulated in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC), vertical limb of diagonal band (VDB), locus coeruleus (LC), lateral hypothalamus (LH), superficial gray layer (SuG) of the superior colliculus, and periaqueductal gray (PAG). The brain tissue fragments drawn from these areas showed a change in nNOS mRNA expression, but in opposite direction. Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of nNOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) showed decreased lever press activity in a dose-dependent manner in ICSS task. While an increase in the dopamine (DA) and 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) efflux was noted in the microdialysates collected from the AcbSh of ICSS rats, pre-administration of 7-NI (icv route) attenuated the response. The study identifies nitrergic centers that probably mediate sensory, cognitive, and motor components of the goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit G Choudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Sanjay N Awathale
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Biru B Dudhabhate
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
| | - Namrata Pawar
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Gouri Jadhav
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Manoj A Upadhya
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India
| | - Trupti Khedkar
- Department of Zoology, Nabira Mahavidyalay, Katol, India
| | - Yashashree A Gadhikar
- Department of Zoology, Government Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities, Amravati, India
| | - Amul J Sakharkar
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | | | - Dadasaheb M Kokare
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, India
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8
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Moffa JC, Bland IN, Tooley JR, Kalyanaraman V, Heitmeier M, Creed MC, Copits BA. Cell-Specific Single Viral Vector CRISPR/Cas9 Editing and Genetically Encoded Tool Delivery in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0438-23.2024. [PMID: 38871457 PMCID: PMC11228695 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0438-23.2024] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing represents an exciting avenue to study genes of unknown function and can be combined with genetically encoded tools such as fluorescent proteins, channelrhodopsins, DREADDs, and various biosensors to more deeply probe the function of these genes in different cell types. However, current strategies to also manipulate or visualize edited cells are challenging due to the large size of Cas9 proteins and the limited packaging capacity of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). To overcome these constraints, we developed an alternative gene editing strategy using a single AAV vector and mouse lines that express Cre-dependent Cas9 to achieve efficient cell-type specific editing across the nervous system. Expressing Cre-dependent Cas9 from a genomic locus affords space to package guide RNAs for gene editing together with Cre-dependent, genetically encoded tools to manipulate, map, or monitor neurons using a single virus. We validated this strategy with three common tools in neuroscience: ChRonos, a channelrhodopsin, for studying synaptic transmission using optogenetics, GCaMP8f for recording Ca2+ transients using photometry, and mCherry for tracing axonal projections. We tested these tools in multiple brain regions and cell types, including GABAergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens, glutamatergic neurons projecting from the ventral pallidum to the lateral habenula, dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, and proprioceptive neurons in the periphery. This flexible approach could help identify and test the function of novel genes affecting synaptic transmission, circuit activity, or morphology with a single viral injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie C Moffa
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
- Washington University Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - India N Bland
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Jessica R Tooley
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
- Washington University Division of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Vani Kalyanaraman
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Monique Heitmeier
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Meaghan C Creed
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
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McGovern DJ, Phillips A, Ly A, Prévost ED, Ward L, Siletti K, Kim YS, Fenno LE, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Ford CP, Root DH. Salience signaling and stimulus scaling of ventral tegmental area glutamate neuron subtypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.598688. [PMID: 38915564 PMCID: PMC11195246 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Ventral tegmental area (VTA) glutamatergic neurons participate in reward, aversion, drug-seeking, and stress. Subsets of VTA VGluT2+ neurons are capable of co-transmitting glutamate and GABA (VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons), transmitting glutamate without GABA (VGluT2+VGaT- neurons), or co-transmitting glutamate and dopamine (VGluT2+TH+ neurons), but whether these molecularly distinct subpopulations show behavior-related differences is not wholly understood. We identified that neuronal activity of each VGluT2+ subpopulation is sensitive to reward value but signaled this in different ways. The phasic maximum activity of VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons increased with sucrose concentration, whereas VGluT2+VGaT- neurons increased maximum and sustained activity with sucrose concentration, and VGluT2+TH+ neurons increased sustained but not maximum activity with sucrose concentration. Additionally, VGluT2+ subpopulations signaled consummatory preferences in different ways. VGluT2+VGaT- neurons and VGluT2+TH+ neurons showed a signaling preference for a behaviorally-preferred fat reward over sucrose, but in temporally-distinct ways. In contrast, VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons uniquely signaled a less behaviorally-preferred sucrose reward compared with fat. Further experiments suggested that VGluT2+VGaT+ consummatory reward-related activity was related to sweetness, partially modulated by hunger state, and not dependent on caloric content or behavioral preference. All VGluT2+ subtypes increased neuronal activity following aversive stimuli but VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons uniquely scaled their magnitude and sustained activity with footshock intensity. Optogenetic activation of VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons during low intensity footshock enhanced fear-related behavior without inducing place preference or aversion. We interpret these data such that VTA glutamatergic subpopulations signal different elements of rewarding and aversive experiences and highlight the unique role of VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons in enhancing the salience of behavioral experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon J. McGovern
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Alysabeth Phillips
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Annie Ly
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Emily D. Prévost
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Lucy Ward
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Kayla Siletti
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Yoon Seok Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lief E. Fenno
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Current address: Department of Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin 78712
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Christopher P. Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - David H. Root
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
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Buck SA, Mabry SJ, Glausier JR, Banks-Tibbs T, Ward C, Kozel JG, Fu C, Fish KN, Lewis DA, Logan RW, Freyberg Z. Aging disrupts the coordination between mRNA and protein expression in mouse and human midbrain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.01.596950. [PMID: 38854057 PMCID: PMC11160743 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.01.596950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Age-related dopamine (DA) neuron loss is a primary feature of Parkinson's disease. However, it remains unclear whether similar biological processes occur during healthy aging, albeit to a lesser degree. We therefore determined whether midbrain DA neurons degenerate during aging in mice and humans. In mice, we identified no changes in midbrain neuron numbers throughout aging. Despite this, we found age-related decreases in midbrain mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), the rate limiting enzyme of DA synthesis. Among midbrain glutamatergic cells, we similarly identified age-related declines in vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) mRNA expression. In co-transmitting Th +/Vglut2 + neurons, Th and Vglut2 transcripts decreased with aging. Importantly, striatal Th and Vglut2 protein expression remained unchanged. In translating our findings to humans, we found no midbrain neurodegeneration during aging and identified age-related decreases in TH and VGLUT2 mRNA expression similar to mouse. Unlike mice, we discovered diminished density of striatal TH+ dopaminergic terminals in aged human subjects. However, TH and VGLUT2 protein expression were unchanged in the remaining striatal boutons. Finally, in contrast to Th and Vglut2 mRNA, expression of most ribosomal genes in Th + neurons was either maintained or even upregulated during aging. This suggests a homeostatic mechanism where age-related declines in transcriptional efficiency are overcome by ongoing ribosomal translation. Overall, we demonstrate species-conserved transcriptional effects of aging in midbrain dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurons that are not accompanied by marked cell death or lower striatal protein expression. This opens the door to novel therapeutic approaches to maintain neurotransmission and bolster neuronal resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas A. Buck
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Samuel J. Mabry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jill R. Glausier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tabitha Banks-Tibbs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Caroline Ward
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jenesis Gayden Kozel
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Chen Fu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth N. Fish
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David A. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ryan W. Logan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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11
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Valyear MD, Brown A, Deyab G, Villaruel FR, Lahlou S, Caporicci-Dinucci N, Chaudhri N. Augmenting glutamatergic, but not dopaminergic, activity in the nucleus accumbens shell disrupts responding to a discrete alcohol cue in an alcohol context. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1500-1518. [PMID: 38185906 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16231] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Discrete alcohol cues and contexts are relapse triggers for people with alcohol use disorder exerting particularly powerful control over behaviour when they co-occur. Here, we investigated the neural substrates subserving the capacity for alcohol-associated contexts to elevate responding to an alcohol-predictive conditioned stimulus (CS). Specifically, rats were trained in a distinct 'alcohol context' to respond by entering a fluid port during a discrete auditory CS that predicted the delivery of alcohol and were familiarized with a 'neutral context' wherein alcohol was never available. When conditioned CS responding was tested by presenting the CS without alcohol, we found that augmenting glutamatergic activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell by microinfusing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) reduced responding to an alcohol CS in an alcohol, but not neutral, context. Further, AMPA microinfusion robustly affected behaviour, attenuating the number, duration and latency of CS responses selectively in the alcohol context. Although dopaminergic inputs to the NAc shell were previously shown to be necessary for CS responding in an alcohol context, here, chemogenetic excitation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons and their inputs to the NAc shell did not affect CS responding. Critically, chemogenetic excitation of VTA dopamine neurons affected feeding behaviour and elevated c-fos immunoreactivity in the VTA and NAc shell, validating the chemogenetic approach. These findings enrich our understanding of the substrates underlying Pavlovian responding for alcohol and reveal that the capacity for contexts to modulate responding to discrete alcohol cues is delicately underpinned by the NAc shell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan D Valyear
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexa Brown
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ghislaine Deyab
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Franz R Villaruel
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Soraya Lahlou
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nina Caporicci-Dinucci
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nadia Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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12
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Patel JC, Sherpa AD, Melani R, Witkovsky P, Wiseman MR, O'Neill B, Aoki C, Tritsch NX, Rice ME. GABA co-released from striatal dopamine axons dampens phasic dopamine release through autoregulatory GABA A receptors. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113834. [PMID: 38431842 PMCID: PMC11089423 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113834] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Striatal dopamine axons co-release dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), using GABA provided by uptake via GABA transporter-1 (GAT1). Functions of GABA co-release are poorly understood. We asked whether co-released GABA autoinhibits dopamine release via axonal GABA type A receptors (GABAARs), complementing established inhibition by dopamine acting at axonal D2 autoreceptors. We show that dopamine axons express α3-GABAAR subunits in mouse striatum. Enhanced dopamine release evoked by single-pulse optical stimulation in striatal slices with GABAAR antagonism confirms that an endogenous GABA tone limits dopamine release. Strikingly, an additional inhibitory component is seen when multiple pulses are used to mimic phasic axonal activity, revealing the role of GABAAR-mediated autoinhibition of dopamine release. This autoregulation is lost in conditional GAT1-knockout mice lacking GABA co-release. Given the faster kinetics of ionotropic GABAARs than G-protein-coupled D2 autoreceptors, our data reveal a mechanism whereby co-released GABA acts as a first responder to dampen phasic-to-tonic dopamine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti C Patel
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Ang D Sherpa
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Riccardo Melani
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Paul Witkovsky
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Madeline R Wiseman
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Brian O'Neill
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Chiye Aoki
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Nicolas X Tritsch
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Margaret E Rice
- Department of Neurosurgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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13
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Monosov IE. Curiosity: primate neural circuits for novelty and information seeking. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:195-208. [PMID: 38263217 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00784-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
For many years, neuroscientists have investigated the behavioural, computational and neurobiological mechanisms that support value-based decisions, revealing how humans and animals make choices to obtain rewards. However, many decisions are influenced by factors other than the value of physical rewards or second-order reinforcers (such as money). For instance, animals (including humans) frequently explore novel objects that have no intrinsic value solely because they are novel and they exhibit the desire to gain information to reduce their uncertainties about the future, even if this information cannot lead to reward or assist them in accomplishing upcoming tasks. In this Review, I discuss how circuits in the primate brain responsible for detecting, predicting and assessing novelty and uncertainty regulate behaviour and give rise to these behavioural components of curiosity. I also briefly discuss how curiosity-related behaviours arise during postnatal development and point out some important reasons for the persistence of curiosity across generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
- Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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14
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Warlow SM, Singhal SM, Hollon NG, Faget L, Dowlat DS, Zell V, Hunker AC, Zweifel LS, Hnasko TS. Mesoaccumbal glutamate neurons drive reward via glutamate release but aversion via dopamine co-release. Neuron 2024; 112:488-499.e5. [PMID: 38086374 PMCID: PMC10922836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Ventral tegmental area (VTA) projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) drive reward-related motivation. Although dopamine neurons are predominant, a substantial glutamatergic projection is also present, and a subset of these co-release both dopamine and glutamate. Optogenetic stimulation of VTA glutamate neurons not only supports self-stimulation but can also induce avoidance behavior, even in the same assay. Here, we parsed the selective contribution of glutamate or dopamine co-release from VTA glutamate neurons to reinforcement and avoidance. We expressed channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in mouse VTA glutamate neurons in combination with CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt either the gene encoding vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) or tyrosine hydroxylase (Th). Selective disruption of VGLUT2 abolished optogenetic self-stimulation but left real-time place avoidance intact, whereas CRISPR-Cas9 deletion of Th preserved self-stimulation but abolished place avoidance. Our results demonstrate that glutamate release from VTA glutamate neurons is positively reinforcing but that dopamine release from VTA glutamate neurons can induce avoidance behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley M Warlow
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sarthak M Singhal
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nick G Hollon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Faget
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dina S Dowlat
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Vivien Zell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Avery C Hunker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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15
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Rossi MA. Neuroscience of reward: Paradoxical roles for corticotrophin-releasing factor. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R64-R67. [PMID: 38262362 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The brain has long been known to control stress and reward through complex and interconnected circuitry. A new study now reveals a group of hypothalamic neurons that paradoxically mediate both reward and aversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Rossi
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
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16
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Li M, Yang G. A mesocortical glutamatergic pathway modulates neuropathic pain independent of dopamine co-release. Nat Commun 2024; 15:643. [PMID: 38245542 PMCID: PMC10799877 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45035-2] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction in the mesocortical pathway, connecting the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the prefrontal cortex, has been implicated in chronic pain. While extensive research has focused on the role of dopamine, the contribution of glutamatergic signaling in pain modulation remains unknown. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we observe diminished VTA glutamatergic activity targeting the prelimbic cortex (PL) in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Optogenetic activation of VTA glutamatergic terminals in the PL alleviates neuropathic pain, whereas inhibiting these terminals in naïve mice induces pain-like responses. Importantly, this pain-modulating effect is independent of dopamine co-release, as demonstrated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene deletion. Furthermore, we show that VTA neurons primarily project to excitatory neurons in the PL, and their activation restores PL outputs to the anterior cingulate cortex, a key region involved in pain processing. These findings reveal a distinct mesocortical glutamatergic pathway that critically modulates neuropathic pain independent of dopamine signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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17
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Clarke-Williams CJ, Lopes-Dos-Santos V, Lefèvre L, Brizee D, Causse AA, Rothaermel R, Hartwich K, Perestenko PV, Toth R, McNamara CG, Sharott A, Dupret D. Coordinating brain-distributed network activities in memory resistant to extinction. Cell 2024; 187:409-427.e19. [PMID: 38242086 PMCID: PMC7615560 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.018] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Certain memories resist extinction to continue invigorating maladaptive actions. The robustness of these memories could depend on their widely distributed implementation across populations of neurons in multiple brain regions. However, how dispersed neuronal activities are collectively organized to underpin a persistent memory-guided behavior remains unknown. To investigate this, we simultaneously monitored the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the mouse brain from initial recall to post-extinction renewal of a memory involving cocaine experience. We uncover a higher-order pattern of short-lived beta-frequency (15-25 Hz) activities that are transiently coordinated across these networks during memory retrieval. The output of a divergent pathway from upstream VTA glutamatergic neurons, paced by a slower (4-Hz) oscillation, actuates this multi-network beta-band coactivation; its closed-loop phase-informed suppression prevents renewal of cocaine-biased behavior. Binding brain-distributed neural activities in this temporally structured manner may constitute an organizational principle of robust memory expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie J Clarke-Williams
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK.
| | - Vítor Lopes-Dos-Santos
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Laura Lefèvre
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Demi Brizee
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Adrien A Causse
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Roman Rothaermel
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Katja Hartwich
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Pavel V Perestenko
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Robert Toth
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Colin G McNamara
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - Andrew Sharott
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TH, UK.
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18
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Salinas-Hernández XI, Zafiri D, Sigurdsson T, Duvarci S. Functional architecture of dopamine neurons driving fear extinction learning. Neuron 2023; 111:3854-3870.e5. [PMID: 37741275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.025] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The ability to extinguish fear responses to stimuli that no longer predict danger is critical for adaptive behavior and increases the likelihood of survival. During fear extinction, dopamine (DA) neurons signal the absence of the expected aversive outcome, and this extinction prediction error (EPE) signal is crucial for initiating and driving extinction learning. However, the neural circuits underlying the EPE signal have remained elusive. Here, we investigate the input-output circuitry of EPE-encoding DA neurons in male mice. By employing projection-specific fiber photometry and optogenetics, we demonstrate that these neurons project to a restricted subregion of the nucleus accumbens. Comprehensive anatomical analyses, as well as projection-specific chemogenetic manipulations combined with recordings of DA biosensors, further uncover the dorsal raphe as one key input structure critical for generating the EPE signal. Together, our results reveal for the first time the functional architecture of EPE-encoding DA neurons crucial for driving fear extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena I Salinas-Hernández
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daphne Zafiri
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sevil Duvarci
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany.
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19
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Barcomb K, Ford CP. Alterations in neurotransmitter co-release in Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol 2023; 370:114562. [PMID: 37802381 PMCID: PMC10842357 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114562] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder characterized by degeneration of midbrain dopamine neurons, which results in numerous adaptations in basal ganglia circuits. Research over the past twenty-five years has identified that midbrain dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) co-release multiple other transmitters including glutamate and GABA, in addition to their canonical transmitter, dopamine. This review summarizes previous work characterizing neurotransmitter co-release from dopamine neurons, work examining potential changes in co-release dynamics that result in animal models of Parkinson's disease, and future opportunities for determining how dysfunction in co-release may contribute to circuit dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Barcomb
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Christopher P Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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20
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Prévost ED, Phillips A, Lauridsen K, Enserro G, Rubinstein B, Alas D, McGovern DJ, Ly A, Banks M, McNulty C, Kim YS, Fenno LE, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Root DH. Monosynaptic inputs to ventral tegmental area glutamate and GABA co-transmitting neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.06.535959. [PMID: 37066408 PMCID: PMC10104150 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.06.535959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
A unique population of ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons co-transmits glutamate and GABA as well as functionally signals rewarding and aversive outcomes. However, the circuit inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons are unknown, limiting our understanding of the functional capabilities of these neurons. To identify the inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons, we coupled monosynaptic rabies tracing with intersectional genetic targeting of VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons in mice. We found that VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons received diverse brain-wide inputs. The largest numbers of monosynaptic inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons were from superior colliculus, lateral hypothalamus, midbrain reticular nucleus, and periaqueductal gray, whereas the densest inputs relative to brain region volume were from dorsal raphe nucleus, lateral habenula, and ventral tegmental area. Based on these and prior data, we hypothesized that lateral hypothalamus and superior colliculus inputs were glutamatergic neurons. Optical activation of glutamatergic lateral hypothalamus neurons robustly activated VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons regardless of stimulation frequency and resulted in flee-like ambulatory behavior. In contrast, optical activation of glutamatergic superior colliculus neurons activated VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons for a brief period of time at high stimulation frequency and resulted in head rotation and arrested ambulatory behavior (freezing). For both pathways, behaviors induced by stimulation were uncorrelated with VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neuron activity. However, stimulation of glutamatergic lateral hypothalamus neurons, but not glutamatergic superior colliculus neurons, was associated with VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ footshock-induced activity. We interpret these results such that inputs to VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons may integrate diverse signals related to the detection and processing of motivationally-salient outcomes. Further, VTA VGluT2+VGaT+ neurons may signal threat-related outcomes, possibly via input from lateral hypothalamus glutamate neurons, but not threat-induced behavioral kinematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily D. Prévost
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Alysabeth Phillips
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Kristoffer Lauridsen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Gunnar Enserro
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Bodhi Rubinstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Daniel Alas
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Dillon J. McGovern
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Annie Ly
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Makaila Banks
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Connor McNulty
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
| | - Yoon Seok Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lief E. Fenno
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Current address: Department of Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin 78712
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David H. Root
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, 2860 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 80301
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21
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Zell V, Teuns G, Needham AS, Mukherjee S, Roscoe N, Le M, Fourgeaud L, Woodruff G, Bhattacharya A, Marella M, Bonaventure P, Drevets WC, Balana B. Characterization of Selective M 5 Acetylcholine Muscarinic Receptor Modulators on Dopamine Signaling in the Striatum. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2023; 387:226-234. [PMID: 37679045 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The type-5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR, M5) is almost exclusively expressed in dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta; therefore, they are ideally located to modulate DA signaling and underlying behaviors. However, the role of M5 in shaping DA release is still poorly characterized. In this study, we first quantitatively mapped the expression of M5 in different neurons of the mouse midbrain, then used voltammetry in mouse striatum to evaluate the effect of M5-selective modulators on DA release. The M5 negative allosteric modulator ML375 significantly decreased electrically evoked DA release and blocked the effect of Oxotremorine-M (Oxo-M; nonselective mAChR agonist) on DA release in the presence of an acetylcholine nicotinic receptor blocker. Conversely, the M5 positive allosteric modulator VU 0365114 significantly increased electrically evoked DA release and the Oxo-M effect on DA release. We then assessed M5's impact on mesolimbic circuit function in vivo. Although psychostimulant-induced locomotor activity models in knockout mice have previously been used to characterize the role of M5 in DA transmission, the results of these studies conflict, leading us to select a different in vivo model, namely a cocaine self-administration paradigm. In contrast to a previous study that also used this model, in the current study, administration of ML375 did not decrease cocaine self-administration in rats (using fixed and progressive ratio). These conflicting results illustrate the complexity of M5 modulation and the need to further characterize its involvement in the regulation of dopamine signaling, central to multiple neuropsychiatric diseases. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This work describes the type-5 muscarinic receptor (M5) pattern of expression within the midbrain as well as its physiological modulation by selective compounds at the axon terminal level in the striatum, where M5 directly shapes dopamine transmission. It offers the first direct readout of mesolimbic dopamine release modulation by M5, highlighting its role in regulating neurocircuits implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as substance use disorders, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Zell
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Greetje Teuns
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Alexandra Stormy Needham
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Sruti Mukherjee
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Nathaniel Roscoe
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Michelle Le
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Lawrence Fourgeaud
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Grace Woodruff
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Anindya Bhattacharya
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Mathieu Marella
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Pascal Bonaventure
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Wayne C Drevets
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
| | - Bartosz Balana
- Janssen Research and Development LLC, La Jolla, California (V.Z., A.S.N., S.M., N.R., M.L., L.F., G.W., A.B., M.M., P.B., W.C.D., B.B.) and Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium (G.T.)
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22
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Kim HJ, Hwang B, Reva M, Lee J, Lee BE, Lee Y, Cho EJ, Jeong M, Lee SE, Myung K, Baik JH, Park JH, Kim JI. GABAergic-like dopamine synapses in the brain. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113239. [PMID: 37819757 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine synapses play a crucial role in volitional movement and reward-related behaviors, while dysfunction of dopamine synapses causes various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Despite this significance, the true biological nature of dopamine synapses remains poorly understood. Here, we show that dopamine transmission is strongly correlated with GABA co-transmission across the brain and dopamine synapses are structured and function like GABAergic synapses with marked regional heterogeneity. In addition, GABAergic-like dopamine synapses are clustered on the dendrites, and GABA transmission at dopamine synapses has distinct physiological properties. Interestingly, the knockdown of neuroligin-2, a key postsynaptic protein at GABAergic synapses, unexpectedly does not weaken GABA co-transmission but instead facilitates it at dopamine synapses in the striatal neurons. More importantly, the attenuation of GABA co-transmission precedes deficits in dopaminergic transmission in animal models of Parkinson's disease. Our findings reveal the spatial and functional nature of GABAergic-like dopamine synapses in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Jin Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungjae Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Maria Reva
- Institut Pasteur, Unit of Synapse and Circuit Dynamics, CNRS UMR, 3571 Paris, France; Sorbonne University, ED3C, Paris, France
| | - Jieun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong Eun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngeun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Jeong Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseok Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Research Animal Resource Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungjae Myung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea; Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja-Hyun Baik
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hoon Park
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Ick Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
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23
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Jain S, Yee AG, Maas J, Gierok S, Xu H, Stansil J, Eriksen J, Nelson AB, Silm K, Ford CP, Edwards RH. Adaptor protein-3 produces synaptic vesicles that release phasic dopamine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309843120. [PMID: 37812725 PMCID: PMC10589613 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309843120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The burst firing of midbrain dopamine neurons releases a phasic dopamine signal that mediates reinforcement learning. At many synapses, however, high firing rates deplete synaptic vesicles (SVs), resulting in synaptic depression that limits release. What accounts for the increased release of dopamine by stimulation at high frequency? We find that adaptor protein-3 (AP-3) and its coat protein VPS41 promote axonal dopamine release by targeting vesicular monoamine transporter VMAT2 to the axon rather than dendrites. AP-3 and VPS41 also produce SVs that respond preferentially to high-frequency stimulation, independent of their role in axonal polarity. In addition, conditional inactivation of VPS41 in dopamine neurons impairs reinforcement learning, and this involves a defect in the frequency dependence of release rather than the amount of dopamine released. Thus, AP-3 and VPS41 promote the axonal polarity of dopamine release but enable learning by producing a distinct population of SVs tuned specifically to high firing frequency that confers the phasic release of dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Jain
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Andrew G. Yee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO80045
| | - James Maas
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Sarah Gierok
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Hongfei Xu
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Jasmine Stansil
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Jacob Eriksen
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Alexandra B. Nelson
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD20815
| | - Katlin Silm
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Christopher P. Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO80045
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD20815
| | - Robert H. Edwards
- Department of Physiology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Department of Neurology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA94143
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD20815
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24
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Moffa JC, Bland IN, Tooley JR, Kalyanaraman V, Heitmeier M, Creed MC, Copits BA. Cell specific single viral vector CRISPR/Cas9 editing and genetically encoded tool delivery in the central and peripheral nervous systems. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.10.561249. [PMID: 37873336 PMCID: PMC10592710 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.10.561249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Gene manipulation strategies using germline knockout, conditional knockout, and more recently CRISPR/Cas9 are crucial tools for advancing our understanding of the nervous system. However, traditional gene knockout approaches can be costly and time consuming, may lack cell-type specificity, and can induce germline recombination. Viral gene editing presents and an exciting alternative to more rapidly study genes of unknown function; however, current strategies to also manipulate or visualize edited cells are challenging due to the large size of Cas9 proteins and the limited packaging capacity of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). To overcome these constraints, we have developed an alternative gene editing strategy using a single AAV vector and mouse lines that express Cre-dependent Cas9 to achieve efficient cell-type specific editing across the nervous system. Expressing Cre-dependent Cas9 in specific cell types in transgenic mouse lines affords more space to package guide RNAs for gene editing together with Cre-dependent, genetically encoded tools to manipulate, map, or monitor neurons using a single virus. We validated this strategy with three commonly used tools in neuroscience: ChRonos, a channelrhodopsin, for manipulating synaptic transmission using optogenetics; GCaMP8f for recording Ca2+ transients using fiber photometry, and mCherry for anatomical tracing of axonal projections. We tested these tools in multiple brain regions and cell types, including GABAergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), glutamatergic neurons projecting from the ventral pallidum (VP) to the lateral habenula (LHb), dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and parvalbumin (PV)-positive proprioceptive neurons in the periphery. This flexible approach should be useful to identify novel genes that affect synaptic transmission, circuit activity, or morphology with a single viral injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie C. Moffa
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
- Washington University Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
| | - India N. Bland
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
| | - Jessica R. Tooley
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
- Washington University Division of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
| | - Vani Kalyanaraman
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
| | - Monique Heitmeier
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
| | - Meaghan C. Creed
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, and Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Bryan A. Copits
- Washington University Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO
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25
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Wallace ML, Sabatini BL. Synaptic and circuit functions of multitransmitter neurons in the mammalian brain. Neuron 2023; 111:2969-2983. [PMID: 37463580 PMCID: PMC10592565 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in the mammalian brain are not limited to releasing a single neurotransmitter but often release multiple neurotransmitters onto postsynaptic cells. Here, we review recent findings of multitransmitter neurons found throughout the mammalian central nervous system. We highlight recent technological innovations that have made the identification of new multitransmitter neurons and the study of their synaptic properties possible. We also focus on mechanisms and molecular constituents required for neurotransmitter corelease at the axon terminal and synaptic vesicle, as well as some possible functions of multitransmitter neurons in diverse brain circuits. We expect that these approaches will lead to new insights into the mechanism and function of multitransmitter neurons, their role in circuits, and their contribution to normal and pathological brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Wallace
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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Priest MF, Freda SN, Rieth IJ, Badong D, Dumrongprechachan V, Kozorovitskiy Y. Peptidergic and functional delineation of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112992. [PMID: 37594894 PMCID: PMC10512657 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Many neuronal populations that release fast-acting excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain also contain slower-acting neuropeptides. These facultative peptidergic cell types are common, but it remains uncertain whether neurons that solely release peptides exist. Our fluorescence in situ hybridization, genetically targeted electron microscopy, and electrophysiological characterization suggest that most neurons of the non-cholinergic, centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus in mice are obligately peptidergic. We further show, using anterograde projection mapping, monosynaptic retrograde tracing, angled-tip fiber photometry, and chemogenetic modulation and genetically targeted ablation in conjunction with canonical assays for anxiety, that this peptidergic population activates in response to loss of motor control and promotes anxiety responses. Together, these findings elucidate an integrative, ethologically relevant role for the Edinger-Westphal nucleus and functionally align the nucleus with the periaqueductal gray, where it resides. This work advances our understanding of peptidergic modulation of anxiety and provides a framework for future investigations of peptidergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Priest
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Sara N Freda
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Isabelle J Rieth
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Deanna Badong
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Vasin Dumrongprechachan
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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27
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Zheng N, Gui Z, Liu X, Wu Y, Wang H, Cai A, Wu J, Li X, Kaewborisuth C, Zhang Z, Wang Q, Manyande A, Xu F, Wang J. Investigations of brain-wide functional and structural networks of dopaminergic and CamKIIα-positive neurons in VTA with DREADD-fMRI and neurotropic virus tracing technologies. J Transl Med 2023; 21:543. [PMID: 37580725 PMCID: PMC10424380 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04362-6] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains heterogeneous cell populations. The dopaminergic neurons in VTA play a central role in reward and cognition, while CamKIIα-positive neurons, composed mainly of glutamatergic and some dopaminergic neurons, participate in the reward learning and locomotor activity behaviors. The differences in brain-wide functional and structural networks between these two neuronal subtypes were comparatively elucidated. METHODS In this study, we applied a method combining Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) and fMRI to assess the cell type-specific modulation of whole-brain neural networks. rAAV encoding the cre-dependent hM3D was injected into the right VTA of DAT-cre or CamKIIα-cre transgenic rats. The global brain activities elicited by DREADD stimulation were then detected using BOLD-fMRI. Furthermore, the cre-dependent antegrade transsynaptic viral tracer H129ΔTK-TT was applied to label the outputs of VTA neurons. RESULTS We found that DREADD stimulation of dopaminergic neurons induced significant BOLD signal changes in the VTA and several VTA-related regions including mPFC, Cg and Septum. More regions responded to selective activation of VTA CamKIIα-positive neurons, resulting in increased BOLD signals in VTA, Insula, mPFC, MC_R (Right), Cg, Septum, Hipp, TH_R, PtA_R, and ViC_R. Along with DREADD-BOLD analysis, further neuronal tracing identified multiple cortical (MC, mPFC) and subcortical (Hipp, TH) brain regions that are structurally and functionally connected by VTA dopaminergic and CamKIIα-positive neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our study dissects brain-wide structural and functional networks of two neuronal subtypes in VTA and advances our understanding of VTA functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhu Gui
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Peter Hung Pain Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huadong Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Aoling Cai
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinfeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xihai Li
- College of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Challika Kaewborisuth
- Virology and Cell Technology Research Team, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Zhijian Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Qitian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Anne Manyande
- School of Human and Social Sciences, University of West London, Middlesex, TW8 9GA, UK
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Key Laboratory of Quality Control Technology for Virus-Based Therapeutics, Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Viral Vector Technology in Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, 430071, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Diseases, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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28
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Jain S, Yee AG, Maas J, Gierok S, Xu H, Stansil J, Eriksen J, Nelson A, Silm K, Ford CP, Edwards RH. Adaptor Protein-3 Produces Synaptic Vesicles that Release Phasic Dopamine. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.07.552338. [PMID: 37609166 PMCID: PMC10441354 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.07.552338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
The burst firing of midbrain dopamine neurons releases a phasic dopamine signal that mediates reinforcement learning. At many synapses, however, high firing rates deplete synaptic vesicles (SVs), resulting in synaptic depression that limits release. What accounts for the increased release of dopamine by stimulation at high frequency? We find that adaptor protein-3 (AP-3) and its coat protein VPS41 promote axonal dopamine release by targeting vesicular monoamine transporter VMAT2 to the axon rather than dendrites. AP-3 and VPS41 also produce SVs that respond preferentially to high frequency stimulation, independent of their role in axonal polarity. In addition, conditional inactivation of VPS41 in dopamine neurons impairs reinforcement learning, and this involves a defect in the frequency dependence of release rather than the amount of dopamine released. Thus, AP-3 and VPS41 promote the axonal polarity of dopamine release but enable learning by producing a novel population of SVs tuned specifically to high firing frequency that confers the phasic release of dopamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Jain
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Andrew G. Yee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora USA
| | - James Maas
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Sarah Gierok
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Hongfei Xu
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Jasmine Stansil
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Jacob Eriksen
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Alexandra Nelson
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Katlin Silm
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
| | - Christopher P. Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora USA
| | - Robert H. Edwards
- Department of Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
- Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco USA
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29
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Ducrot C, de Carvalho G, Delignat-Lavaud B, Delmas CVL, Halder P, Giguère N, Pacelli C, Mukherjee S, Bourque MJ, Parent M, Chen LY, Trudeau LE. Conditional deletion of neurexins dysregulates neurotransmission from dopamine neurons. eLife 2023; 12:e87902. [PMID: 37409563 PMCID: PMC10409506 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87902] [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: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons are key regulators of basal ganglia functions. The axonal domain of these neurons is highly complex, with a large subset of non-synaptic release sites and a smaller subset of synaptic terminals from which in addition to DA, glutamate or GABA are also released. The molecular mechanisms regulating the connectivity of DA neurons and their neurochemical identity are unknown. An emerging literature suggests that neuroligins, trans-synaptic cell adhesion molecules, regulate both DA neuron connectivity and neurotransmission. However, the contribution of their major interaction partners, neurexins (Nrxns), is unexplored. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Nrxns regulate DA neuron neurotransmission. Mice with conditional deletion of all Nrxns in DA neurons (DAT::NrxnsKO) exhibited normal basic motor functions. However, they showed an impaired locomotor response to the psychostimulant amphetamine. In line with an alteration in DA neurotransmission, decreased levels of the membrane DA transporter (DAT) and increased levels of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) were detected in the striatum of DAT::NrxnsKO mice, along with reduced activity-dependent DA release. Strikingly, electrophysiological recordings revealed an increase of GABA co-release from DA neuron axons in the striatum of these mice. Together, these findings suggest that Nrxns act as regulators of the functional connectivity of DA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Ducrot
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
| | - Gregory de Carvalho
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, IrvineIrvineUnited States
| | - Benoît Delignat-Lavaud
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
| | - Constantin VL Delmas
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université LavalQuebecCanada
| | - Priyabrata Halder
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
| | - Nicolas Giguère
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
| | - Consiglia Pacelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of FoggiaFoggiaItaly
| | - Sriparna Mukherjee
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
| | - Marie-Josée Bourque
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
| | - Martin Parent
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université LavalQuebecCanada
| | - Lulu Y Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, IrvineIrvineUnited States
| | - Louis-Eric Trudeau
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Neural Signaling and Circuitry Research Group (SNC)MontréalCanada
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30
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Ma S, Zhong H, Liu X, Wang L. Spatial Distribution of Neurons Expressing Single, Double, and Triple Molecular Characteristics of Glutamatergic, Dopaminergic, or GABAergic Neurons in the Mouse Ventral Tegmental Area. J Mol Neurosci 2023; 73:345-362. [PMID: 37243808 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-023-02121-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a heterogeneous midbrain area that plays a significant role in diverse neural processes such as reward, aversion, and motivation. The VTA contains three main neuronal populations, namely, dopamine (DA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate neurons, but some neurons exhibit combinatorial molecular characteristics of dopaminergic, GABAergic, or glutamatergic neurons. However, little information is available regarding detailed distribution of neurons with single, double, and triple molecular characteristics of glutamatergic, dopaminergic, or GABAergic neurons in mice. We present a topographical distribution map of three main neuronal populations expressing a single molecular characteristic of dopaminergic, GABAergic, or glutamatergic neurons, and four neuronal populations co-expressing double or triple molecular characteristics in combinatorial manners, in the mouse VTA, following analysis of triple fluorescent in situ hybridization for the simultaneous detection of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, marker for dopaminergic neurons), vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2, marker for glutamatergic neurons), and glutamic acid decarboxylase 2 (GAD2, marker for GABAergic neurons) mRNA. We found that the vast majority of neurons expressed a single type of mRNA, and these neurons were intermingled with neurons co-expressing double or triple combinations of VGLUT2, TH, or GAD2 in the VTA. These seven neuronal populations were differentially distributed in the VTA sub-nuclei across the rostro-caudal and latero-medial axes. This histochemical study will lead to a deeper understanding of the complexity of neuronal molecular characteristics in different VTA sub-nuclei, and potentially facilitate clarification of diverse functions of the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohua Ma
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hao Zhong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xuemei Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Liping Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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31
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Alvarado JS, Hatfield J, Mooney R. Divergent projections from locus coeruleus to the corticobasal ganglia system and ventral tegmental area of the adult male zebra finch. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:921-934. [PMID: 36976533 PMCID: PMC10249436 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25474] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small noradrenergic brainstem nucleus that plays a central role in regulating arousal, attention, and performance. In the mammalian brain, individual LC neurons make divergent axonal projections to different brain regions, which are distinguished in part by which noradrenaline (NA) receptor subtypes they express. Here, we sought to determine whether similar organizational features characterize LC projections to corticobasal ganglia (CBG) circuitry in the zebra finch song system, with a focus on the basal ganglia nucleus Area X, the thalamic nucleus DLM, as well as the cortical nuclei HVC, LMAN, and RA. Single and dual retrograde tracer injections reveal that single LC-NA neurons make divergent projections to LMAN and Area X, as well as to the dopaminergic VTA/SNc complex that innervates this CBG circuit. Moreover, in situ hybridization revealed that differential expression of mRNA encoding α2A and α2C adrenoreceptors distinguishes LC-recipient CBG song nuclei. Therefore, LC-NA signaling in the zebra finch CBG circuit employs a similar strategy as in mammals, which could allow a relatively small number of LC neurons to exert widespread yet distinct effects across multiple brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonnathan Singh Alvarado
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan Hatfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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32
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Ben-Tov M, Duarte F, Mooney R. A neural hub for holistic courtship displays. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1640-1653.e5. [PMID: 36944337 PMCID: PMC10249437 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.072] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Courtship displays often involve the concerted production of several distinct courtship behaviors. The neural circuits that enable the concerted production of the component behaviors of a courtship display are not well understood. Here, we identify a midbrain cell group (A11) that enables male zebra finches to produce their learned songs in concert with various other behaviors, including female-directed orientation, pursuit, and calling. Anatomical mapping reveals that A11 is at the center of a complex network including the song premotor nucleus HVC as well as brainstem regions crucial to calling and locomotion. Notably, lesioning A11 terminals in HVC blocked female-directed singing but did not interfere with female-directed calling, orientation, or pursuit. In contrast, lesioning A11 cell bodies strongly reduced and often abolished all female-directed courtship behaviors. However, males with either type of lesion still produced songs when in social isolation. Lastly, imaging calcium-related activity in A11 terminals in HVC showed that during courtship, A11 signals HVC about female-directed calls and during female-directed singing, about the transition from simpler introductory notes to the acoustically more complex syllables that depend intimately on HVC for their production. These results show how a brain region important to reproduction in both birds and mammals enables holistic courtship displays in male zebra finches, which include learning songs, calls, and other non-vocal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mor Ben-Tov
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Fabiola Duarte
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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33
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Chuhma N, Oh SJ, Rayport S. The dopamine neuron synaptic map in the striatum. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112204. [PMID: 36867530 PMCID: PMC10657204 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine neurons project to the striatum to control movement, cognition, and motivation via slower volume transmission as well as faster dopamine, glutamate, and GABA synaptic actions capable of conveying the temporal information in dopamine neuron firing. To define the scope of these synaptic actions, recordings of dopamine-neuron-evoked synaptic currents were made in four major striatal neuron types, spanning the entire striatum. This revealed that inhibitory postsynaptic currents are widespread, while excitatory postsynaptic currents are localized to the medial nucleus accumbens and the anterolateral-dorsal striatum, and that all synaptic actions are weak in the posterior striatum. Synaptic actions in cholinergic interneurons are the strongest, variably mediating inhibition throughout the striatum and excitation in the medial accumbens, capable of controlling their activity. This mapping shows that dopamine neuron synaptic actions extend throughout the striatum, preferentially target cholinergic interneurons, and define distinct striatal subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Chuhma
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Soo Jung Oh
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Stephen Rayport
- Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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34
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Freissmuth M. Regulated Rapid Round Trips: Endocytotic Cycling of the Dopamine Transporter Shapes Motor Learning. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104618. [PMID: 36935007 PMCID: PMC10124912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The level of dopamine transporters (DATs) in the neuronal plasma membrane shapes learning and motor coordination in mice. Mechanisms underlying the regulated internalization of DAT and its return to the cell surface have been intensively studied in heterologous cells and in neuronal cell bodies. However, whether this cycling also happens in synaptic boutons, or axon terminals, thought to be the major functional site for DAT expression, was an open question that Kearney and colleagues recently addressed in the JBC. They showed that DAT cycling in the presynaptic specialization of dopaminergic neurons is subject to control by a cell-autonomous loop comprising dopamine autoreceptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors. These results should inform future studies in neural development and motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Freissmuth
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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35
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Hughes AC, Pollard BG, Xu B, Gammons JW, Chapman P, Bikoff JB, Schwarz LA. A Novel Single Vector Intersectional AAV Strategy for Interrogating Cellular Diversity and Brain Function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.07.527312. [PMID: 36798174 PMCID: PMC9934562 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.07.527312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
As the discovery of cellular diversity in the brain accelerates, so does the need for functional tools that target cells based on multiple features, such as gene expression and projection target. By selectively driving recombinase expression in a feature-specific manner, one can utilize intersectional strategies to conditionally promote payload expression only where multiple features overlap. We developed Conditional Viral Expression by Ribozyme Guided Degradation (ConVERGD), a single-construct intersectional targeting strategy that combines a self-cleaving ribozyme with traditional FLEx switches. ConVERGD offers benefits over existing platforms, such as expanded intersectionality, the ability to accommodate larger and more complex payloads, and a vector design that is easily modified to better facilitate rapid toolkit expansion. To demonstrate its utility for interrogating neural circuitry, we employed ConVERGD to target an unexplored subpopulation of norepinephrine (NE)-producing neurons within the rodent locus coeruleus (LC) identified via single-cell transcriptomic profiling to co-express the stress-related endogenous opioid gene prodynorphin (Pdyn). These studies showcase ConVERGD as a versatile tool for targeting diverse cell types and reveal Pdyn-expressing NE+ LC neurons as a small neuronal subpopulation capable of driving anxiogenic behavioral responses in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex C. Hughes
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Brittany G. Pollard
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Beisi Xu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Jesse W. Gammons
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
- Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305
| | - Phillip Chapman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Jay B. Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
| | - Lindsay A. Schwarz
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105
- Lead contact
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Kearney PJ, Bolden NC, Kahuno E, Conklin TL, Martin GE, Lubec G, Melikian HE. Presynaptic Gq-coupled receptors drive biphasic dopamine transporter trafficking that modulates dopamine clearance and motor function. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:102900. [PMID: 36640864 PMCID: PMC9943899 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.102900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular dopamine (DA) levels are constrained by the presynaptic DA transporter (DAT), a major psychostimulant target. Despite its necessity for DA neurotransmission, DAT regulation in situ is poorly understood, and it is unknown whether regulated DAT trafficking impacts dopaminergic signaling and/or behaviors. Leveraging chemogenetics and conditional gene silencing, we found that activating presynaptic Gq-coupled receptors, either hM3Dq or mGlu5, drove rapid biphasic DAT membrane trafficking in ex vivo striatal slices, with region-specific differences between ventral and dorsal striata. DAT insertion required D2 DA autoreceptors and intact retromer, whereas DAT retrieval required PKC activation and Rit2. Ex vivo voltammetric studies revealed that DAT trafficking impacts DA clearance. Furthermore, dopaminergic mGlu5 silencing elevated DAT surface expression and abolished motor learning, which was rescued by inhibiting DAT with a subthreshold CE-158 dose. We discovered that presynaptic DAT trafficking is complex, multimodal, and region specific, and for the first time, we identified cell autonomous mechanisms that govern presynaptic DAT tone. Importantly, the findings are consistent with a role for regulated DAT trafficking in DA clearance and motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Kearney
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas C. Bolden
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA,Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elizabeth Kahuno
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tucker L. Conklin
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gilles E. Martin
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Haley E. Melikian
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA,For correspondence: Haley E. Melikian
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Kershberg L, Banerjee A, Kaeser PS. Protein composition of axonal dopamine release sites in the striatum. eLife 2022; 11:e83018. [PMID: 36579890 PMCID: PMC9937654 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is an important modulator of cognition and movement. We recently found that evoked dopamine secretion is fast and relies on active zone-like release sites. Here, we used in vivo biotin identification (iBioID) proximity proteomics in mouse striatum to assess which proteins are present at these sites. Using three release site baits, we identified proteins that are enriched over the general dopamine axonal protein content, and they fell into several categories, including active zone, Ca2+ regulatory, and synaptic vesicle proteins. We also detected many proteins not previously associated with vesicular exocytosis. Knockout of the presynaptic organizer protein RIM strongly decreased the hit number obtained with iBioID, while Synaptotagmin-1 knockout did not. α-Synuclein, a protein linked to Parkinson's disease, was enriched at release sites, and its enrichment was lost in both tested mutants. We conclude that RIM organizes scaffolded dopamine release sites and provide a proteomic assessment of the composition of these sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kershberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Aditi Banerjee
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Pascal S Kaeser
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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38
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Choi JE, Choi DI, Lee J, Kim J, Kim MJ, Hong I, Jung H, Sung Y, Kim JI, Kim T, Yu NK, Lee SH, Choe HK, Koo JW, Kim JH, Kaang BK. Synaptic ensembles between raphe and D 1R-containing accumbens shell neurons underlie postisolation sociability in males. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo7527. [PMID: 36223467 PMCID: PMC9555785 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo7527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Social animals expend considerable energy to maintain social bonds throughout their life. Male and female mice show sexually dimorphic behaviors, yet the underlying neural mechanisms of sociability and their dysregulation during social disconnection remain unknown. Dopaminergic neurons in dorsal raphe nucleus (DRNTH) is known to contribute to a loneliness-like state and modulate sociability. We identified that activated subpopulations in DRNTH and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcsh) during 24 hours of social isolation underlie the increase in isolation-induced sociability in male but not in female mice. This effect was reversed by chemogenetically and optogenetically inhibiting the DRNTH-NAcsh circuit. Moreover, synaptic connectivity among the activated neuronal ensembles in this circuit was increased, primarily in D1 receptor-expressing neurons in NAcsh. The increase in synaptic density functionally correlated with elevated dopamine release into NAcsh. Overall, specific synaptic ensembles in DRNTH-NAcsh mediate sex differences in isolation-induced sociability, indicating that sex-dependent circuit dynamics underlie the expression of sexually dimorphic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ja Eun Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Dong Il Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jisu Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jooyoung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Min Jung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ilgang Hong
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hyunsu Jung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Yongmin Sung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ji-il Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - TaeHyun Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Nam-Kyung Yu
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Seung-Hee Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Han Kyoung Choe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 333 Technojoongang-daero, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, South Korea
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition & Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, South Korea
| | - Joung-Hun Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
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39
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Todd KL, Lipski J, Freestone PS. The Subthalamic Nucleus Exclusively Evokes Dopamine Release in the Tail of the Striatum. J Neurochem 2022; 162:417-429. [PMID: 35869680 PMCID: PMC9541146 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A distinct population of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars lateralis (SNL) has a unique projection to the most caudolateral (tail) region of the striatum. Here, using two electrochemical techniques to measure basal dopamine and electrically evoked dopamine release in anesthetized rats, we characterized this pathway, and compared it with the ‘classic’ nigrostriatal pathway from neighboring substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopamine neurons to the dorsolateral striatum. We found that the tail striatum constitutes a distinct dopamine domain compared with the dorsolateral striatum, with consistently lower basal and evoked dopamine, and diverse dopamine release kinetics. Importantly, electrical stimulation of the SNL and SNc evoked dopamine release in entirely separate striatal regions; the tail and dorsolateral striatum, respectively. Furthermore, we showed that stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) evoked dopamine release exclusively in the tail striatum, likely via the SNL, consistent with previous anatomical evidence of STN afferents to SNL dopamine neurons. Our work identifies the STN as an important modulator of dopamine release in a novel dopamine pathway to the tail striatum, largely independent of the classic nigrostriatal pathway, which necessitates a revision of the basal ganglia circuitry with the STN positioned as a central integrator of striatal information.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L. Todd
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Janusz Lipski
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Peter S. Freestone
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
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40
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Bulumulla C, Krasley AT, Cristofori-Armstrong B, Valinsky WC, Walpita D, Ackerman D, Clapham DE, Beyene AG. Visualizing synaptic dopamine efflux with a 2D composite nanofilm. eLife 2022; 11:78773. [PMID: 35786443 PMCID: PMC9363124 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical neurotransmission constitutes one of the fundamental modalities of communication between neurons. Monitoring release of these chemicals has traditionally been difficult to carry out at spatial and temporal scales relevant to neuron function. To understand chemical neurotransmission more fully, we need to improve the spatial and temporal resolutions of measurements for neurotransmitter release. To address this, we engineered a chemi-sensitive, two-dimensional composite nanofilm that facilitates visualization of the release and diffusion of the neurochemical dopamine with synaptic resolution, quantal sensitivity, and simultaneously from hundreds of release sites. Using this technology, we were able to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of dopamine release in dendritic processes, a poorly understood phenomenon. We found that dopamine release is broadcast from a subset of dendritic processes as hotspots that have a mean spatial spread of ≈ 3.2 µm (full width at half maximum [FWHM]) and are observed with a mean spatial frequency of one hotspot per ≈ 7.5 µm of dendritic length. Major dendrites of dopamine neurons and fine dendritic processes, as well as dendritic arbors and dendrites with no apparent varicose morphology participated in dopamine release. Remarkably, these release hotspots co-localized with Bassoon, suggesting that Bassoon may contribute to organizing active zones in dendrites, similar to its role in axon terminals. To form the vast and complex network necessary for an organism to sense and react to the world, neurons must connect at highly specialized junctions. Individual cells communicate at these ‘synapses’ by releasing chemical signals (or neurotransmitters) such as dopamine, a molecule involved in learning and motivation. Despite the central role that synapses play in the brain, it remains challenging to measure exactly where neurotransmitters are released and how far they travel from their release site. Currently, most tools available to scientists only allow bulk measurements of neurotransmitter release. To tackle this limitation, Bulumulla et al. developed a new way to measure neurotransmitter release from neurons, harnessing a technique which uses fluorescent nanosensors that glow brighter when exposed to dopamine. These sensors form a very thin film upon which neurons can grow; when the cells release dopamine, the sensors ‘light up’ as they encounter the molecule. Dubbed DopaFilm, the technology reveals exactly where the neurotransmitter comes from and how it spreads between cells in real time. In particular, the approach showed that dopamine emerges from 'hot spots' at specific sites in cells; it also helped Bulumulla et al. study how dopamine is released from subcellular compartments that have previously not been well characterized. Improving the sensors so that the film could detect other neurotransmitters besides dopamine would broaden the use of this approach. In the future, combining this technology with other types of imaging should enable studies of individual synapses with intricate detail.
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Cai J, Tong Q. Anatomy and Function of Ventral Tegmental Area Glutamate Neurons. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:867053. [PMID: 35669454 PMCID: PMC9164627 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.867053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is well known for regulating reward consumption, learning, memory, and addiction behaviors through mediating dopamine (DA) release in downstream regions. Other than DA neurons, the VTA is known to be heterogeneous and contains other types of neurons, including glutamate neurons. In contrast to the well-studied and established functions of DA neurons, the role of VTA glutamate neurons is understudied, presumably due to their relatively small quantity and a lack of effective means to study them. Yet, emerging studies have begun to reveal the importance of glutamate release from VTA neurons in regulating diverse behavioral repertoire through a complex intra-VTA and long-range neuronal network. In this review, we summarize the features of VTA glutamate neurons from three perspectives, namely, cellular properties, neural connections, and behavioral functions. Delineation of VTA glutamatergic pathways and their interactions with VTA DA neurons in regulating behaviors may reveal previously unappreciated functions of the VTA in other physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Cai
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, United States
- Neuroscience Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Qingchun Tong
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, United States
- Neuroscience Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, United States
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Becker-Krail DD, Walker WH, Nelson RJ. The Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Accumbens as Circadian Oscillators: Implications for Drug Abuse and Substance Use Disorders. Front Physiol 2022; 13:886704. [PMID: 35574492 PMCID: PMC9094703 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.886704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms convergently evolved to allow for optimal synchronization of individuals’ physiological and behavioral processes with the Earth’s 24-h periodic cycling of environmental light and temperature. Whereas the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is considered the primary pacemaker of the mammalian circadian system, many extra-SCN oscillatory brain regions have been identified to not only exhibit sustainable rhythms in circadian molecular clock function, but also rhythms in overall region activity/function and mediated behaviors. In this review, we present the most recent evidence for the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) to serve as extra-SCN oscillators and highlight studies that illustrate the functional significance of the VTA’s and NAc’s inherent circadian properties as they relate to reward-processing, drug abuse, and vulnerability to develop substance use disorders (SUDs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Darius D Becker-Krail
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - William H Walker
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Randy J Nelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
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Burke DA, Alvarez VA. Serotonin receptors contribute to dopamine depression of lateral inhibition in the nucleus accumbens. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110795. [PMID: 35545050 PMCID: PMC9171783 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine modulation of nucleus accumbens (NAc) circuitry is central to theories of reward seeking and reinforcement learning. Despite decades of effort, the acute dopamine actions on the NAc microcircuitry remain puzzling. Here, we dissect out the direct actions of dopamine on lateral inhibition between medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in mouse brain slices and find that they are pathway specific. Dopamine potently depresses GABAergic transmission from presynaptic dopamine D2 receptor-expressing MSNs (D2-MSNs), whereas it potentiates transmission from presynaptic dopamine D1 receptor-expressing MSNs (D1-MSNs) onto other D1-MSNs. To our surprise, presynaptic D2 receptors mediate only half of the depression induced by endogenous and exogenous dopamine. Presynaptic serotonin 5-HT1B receptors are responsible for a significant component of dopamine-induced synaptic depression. This study clarifies the mechanistic understanding of dopamine actions in the NAc by showing pathway-specific modulation of lateral inhibition and involvement of D2 and 5-HT1B receptors in dopamine depression of D2-MSN synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis A Burke
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Intramural Research Program, NIDA, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Steinkellner T, Conrad WS, Kovacs I, Rissman RA, Lee EB, Trojanowski JQ, Freyberg Z, Roy S, Luk KC, Lee VM, Hnasko TS. Dopamine neurons exhibit emergent glutamatergic identity in Parkinson's disease. Brain 2022; 145:879-886. [PMID: 35258081 PMCID: PMC9050538 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of midbrain dopamine neurons causes the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease. However, not all dopamine neurons are equally vulnerable and a better understanding of the cell-type specific properties relating to selective dopamine neuron degeneration is needed. Most midbrain dopamine neurons express the vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT2 during development and a subset continue to express low levels of VGLUT2 in adulthood, enabling the co-release of glutamate. Moreover, VGLUT2 expression in dopamine neurons can be neuroprotective since its genetic disruption was shown to sensitize dopamine neurons to neurotoxins. Here, we show that in response to toxic insult, and in two distinct models of alpha-synuclein stress, VGLUT2 dopamine neurons were resilient to degeneration. Dopamine neurons expressing VGLUT2 were enriched whether or not insult induced dopamine neuron loss, suggesting that while VGLUT2 dopamine neurons are more resilient, VGLUT2 expression can also be transcriptionally upregulated by injury. Finally, we observed that VGLUT2 expression was enhanced in surviving dopamine neurons from post-mortem Parkinson's disease individuals. These data indicate that emergence of a glutamatergic identity in dopamine neurons may be part of a neuroprotective response in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Steinkellner
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - William S Conrad
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Imre Kovacs
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Departments of Psychiatry and Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Subhojit Roy
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Virginia M Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
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Phillips RA, Tuscher JJ, Black SL, Andraka E, Fitzgerald ND, Ianov L, Day JJ. An atlas of transcriptionally defined cell populations in the rat ventral tegmental area. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110616. [PMID: 35385745 PMCID: PMC10888206 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a complex brain region that is essential for reward function and frequently implicated in neuropsychiatric disease. While decades of research on VTA function have focused on dopamine neurons, recent evidence has identified critical roles for GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons in reward processes. Additionally, although subsets of VTA neurons express genes involved in the synthesis and transport of multiple neurotransmitters, characterization of these combinatorial populations has largely relied on low-throughput methods. To comprehensively define the molecular architecture of the VTA, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing on 21,600 cells from the rat VTA. Analysis of neuronal subclusters identifies selective markers for dopamine and combinatorial neurons, reveals expression profiles for receptors targeted by drugs of abuse, and demonstrates population-specific enrichment of gene sets linked to brain disorders. These results highlight the heterogeneity of the VTA and provide a resource for further exploration of VTA gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Phillips
- Department of Neurobiology & Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jennifer J Tuscher
- Department of Neurobiology & Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Samantha L Black
- Department of Neurobiology & Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Emma Andraka
- Department of Neurobiology & Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - N Dalton Fitzgerald
- Department of Neurobiology & Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Lara Ianov
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Department of Neurobiology & Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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Upmanyu N, Jin J, Emde HVD, Ganzella M, Bösche L, Malviya VN, Zhuleku E, Politi AZ, Ninov M, Silbern I, Leutenegger M, Urlaub H, Riedel D, Preobraschenski J, Milosevic I, Hell SW, Jahn R, Sambandan S. Colocalization of different neurotransmitter transporters on synaptic vesicles is sparse except for VGLUT1 and ZnT3. Neuron 2022; 110:1483-1497.e7. [PMID: 35263617 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Vesicular transporters (VTs) define the type of neurotransmitter that synaptic vesicles (SVs) store and release. While certain mammalian neurons release multiple transmitters, it is not clear whether the release occurs from the same or distinct vesicle pools at the synapse. Using quantitative single-vesicle imaging, we show that a vast majority of SVs in the rodent brain contain only one type of VT, indicating specificity for a single neurotransmitter. Interestingly, SVs containing dual transporters are highly diverse (27 types) but small in proportion (2% of all SVs), excluding the largest pool that carries VGLUT1 and ZnT3 (34%). Using VGLUT1-ZnT3 SVs, we demonstrate that the transporter colocalization influences the SV content and synaptic quantal size. Thus, the presence of diverse transporters on the same vesicle is bona fide, and depending on the VT types, this may act to regulate neurotransmitter type, content, and release in space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Upmanyu
- Synaptic Metal Ion Dynamics and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Jialin Jin
- European Neurosciences Institute, A Joint Initiative of the University Medical Center Göttingen and the Max Planck Society, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Henrik von der Emde
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Marcelo Ganzella
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Leon Bösche
- Synaptic Metal Ion Dynamics and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Viveka Nand Malviya
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Evi Zhuleku
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Antonio Zaccaria Politi
- Live-Cell Imaging Facility, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Momchil Ninov
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Ivan Silbern
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Marcel Leutenegger
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Dietmar Riedel
- Department of Structural Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Julia Preobraschenski
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Ira Milosevic
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK; Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing, MIA-Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-370, Portugal
| | - Stefan W Hell
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Department of Optical Nanoscopy, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69028, Germany
| | - Reinhard Jahn
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Sivakumar Sambandan
- Synaptic Metal Ion Dynamics and Signaling, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany; Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen 37077, Germany.
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Rodriguez-Romaguera J, Namboodiri VMK, Basiri ML, Stamatakis AM, Stuber GD. Developments from Bulk Optogenetics to Single-Cell Strategies to Dissect the Neural Circuits that Underlie Aberrant Motivational States. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2022; 12:a039792. [PMID: 32513671 PMCID: PMC7799172 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Motivational states are regulated by complex networks across brain regions that are composed of genetically and functionally distinct neuronal populations. Disruption within these neural circuits leads to aberrant motivational states and are thought to be the root cause of psychiatric disorders related to reward processing and addiction. Critical technological advances in the field have revolutionized the study of neural systems by allowing the use of optical strategies to precisely control and visualize neural activity within genetically identified neural populations in the brain. This review will provide a brief introduction into the history of how technological advances in single-cell strategies have been applied to elucidate the neural circuits that underlie aberrant motivational states that often lead to dysfunction in reward processing and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| | - Vijay M K Namboodiri
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine & Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-6410, USA
| | - Marcus L Basiri
- Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| | - Alice M Stamatakis
- Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| | - Garret D Stuber
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine & Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-6410, USA
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Morgenstern NA, Isidro AF, Israely I, Costa RM. Pyramidal tract neurons drive amplification of excitatory inputs to striatum through cholinergic interneurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabh4315. [PMID: 35138902 PMCID: PMC8827762 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh4315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Corticostriatal connectivity is central for many cognitive and motor processes, such as reinforcement or action initiation and invigoration. The cortical input to the striatum arises from two main cortical populations: intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons. We report a previously unknown excitatory circuit, supported by a polysynaptic motif from PT neurons to cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) to glutamate-releasing axons, which runs in parallel to the canonical monosynaptic corticostriatal connection. This motif conveys a delayed second phase of excitation to striatal spiny projection neurons, through an acetylcholine-dependent glutamate release mechanism mediated by α4-containing nicotinic receptors, resulting in biphasic corticostriatal signals. These biphasic signals are a hallmark of PT, but not IT, corticostriatal inputs, due to a stronger relative input from PT neurons to ChIs. These results describe a previously unidentified circuit mechanism by which PT activity amplifies excitatory inputs to the striatum, with potential implications for behavior, plasticity, and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Filipa Isidro
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Inbal Israely
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, and Neuroscience, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Rui M. Costa
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Dvořáček J, Bednářová A, Krishnan N, Kodrík D. Dopaminergic muhsroom body neurons in Drosophila: flexibility of neuron identity in a model organism? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104570. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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50
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Abstract
Astroglia are key regulators of synaptic function, playing central roles in homeostatic ion buffering, energy dynamics, transmitter uptake, maintenance of neurotransmitter pools, and regulation of synaptic plasticity through release of neuroactive chemicals. Given the myriad of crucial homeostatic and signaling functions attributed to astrocytes and the variety of neurotransmitter receptors expressed by astroglia, they serve as prime cellular candidates for establishing maladaptive synaptic plasticity following drug exposure. Initial studies on astroglia and addiction have placed drug-mediated disruptions in the homeostatic regulation of glutamate as a central aspect of relapse vulnerability. However, the generation of sophisticated tools to study and manipulate astroglia have proven that the interaction between addictive substances, astroglia, and relapse-relevant synaptic plasticity extends far beyond the homeostatic regulation of glutamate. Here we present astroglial systems impacted by drug exposure and discuss how changes in astroglial biology contribute to addiction biology.
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