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Fongsaran C, Jirakanwisal K, Peng BH, Fracassi A, Taglialatela G, Dineley KT, Paessler S, Cisneros IE. Arbovirus infection increases the risk for the development of neurodegenerative disease pathology in the murine model. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 38:100780. [PMID: 38706571 PMCID: PMC11067009 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is classified as a progressive disorder resulting from protein misfolding, also known as proteinopathies. Proteinopathies include synucleinopathies triggered by misfolded amyloid α-synuclein, tauopathies triggered by misfolded tau, and amyloidopathies triggered by misfolded amyloid of which Alzheimer's disease (β-amyloid) is most prevalent. Most neurodegenerative diseases (>90%) are not due to dominantly inherited genetic causes. Instead, it is thought that the risk for disease is a complicated interaction between inherited and environmental risk factors that, with age, drive pathology that ultimately results in neurodegeneration and disease onset. Since it is increasingly appreciated that encephalitic viral infections can have profoundly detrimental neurological consequences long after the acute infection has resolved, we tested the hypothesis that viral encephalitis exacerbates the pathological profile of protein-misfolding diseases. Using a robust, reproducible, and well-characterized mouse model for β-amyloidosis, Tg2576, we studied the contribution of alphavirus-induced encephalitis (TC-83 strain of VEEV to model alphavirus encephalitis viruses) on the progression of neurodegenerative pathology. We longitudinally evaluated neurological, neurobehavioral, and cognitive levels, followed by a post-mortem analysis of brain pathology focusing on neuroinflammation. We found more severe cognitive deficits and brain pathology in Tg2576 mice inoculated with TC-83 than in their mock controls. These data set the groundwork to investigate sporadic Alzheimer's disease and treatment interventions for this infectious disease risk factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanida Fongsaran
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Neuroinfectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Krit Jirakanwisal
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Neuroinfectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Bi-Hung Peng
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Anna Fracassi
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Giulio Taglialatela
- Neuroinfectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Kelly T. Dineley
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Slobodan Paessler
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Irma E. Cisneros
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Neuroinfectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Hormigo S, Zhou J, Chabbert D, Sajid S, Busel N, Castro-Alamancos M. Zona incerta distributes a broad movement signal that modulates behavior. eLife 2023; 12:RP89366. [PMID: 38048270 PMCID: PMC10695563 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89366] [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] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zona incerta is a subthalamic nucleus made up mostly of GABAergic neurons. It has wide-ranging inputs and outputs and is believed to have many integrative functions that link sensory stimuli with motor responses to guide behavior. However, its role is not well established perhaps because few studies have measured the activity of zona incerta neurons in behaving animals under different conditions. To record the activity of zona incerta neurons during exploratory and cue-driven goal-directed behaviors, we used electrophysiology in head-fixed mice moving on a spherical treadmill and fiber photometry in freely moving mice. We found two groups of neurons based on their sensitivity to movement, with a minority of neurons responding to whisker stimuli. Furthermore, zona incerta GABAergic neurons robustly code the occurrence of exploratory and goal-directed movements, but not their direction. To understand the function of these activations, we performed genetically targeted lesions and optogenetic manipulations of zona incerta GABAergic neurons during exploratory and goal-directed behaviors. The results showed that the zona incerta has a role in modulating the movement associated with these behaviors, but this has little impact on overall performance. Zona incerta neurons distribute a broad corollary signal of movement occurrence to their diverse projection sites, which regulates behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Hormigo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Ji Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Dorian Chabbert
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Sarmad Sajid
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Natan Busel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Manuel Castro-Alamancos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of MedicineFarmingtonUnited States
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Zhou J, Hormigo S, Busel N, Castro-Alamancos MA. The Orienting Reflex Reveals Behavioral States Set by Demanding Contexts: Role of the Superior Colliculus. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1778-1796. [PMID: 36750370 PMCID: PMC10010463 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1643-22.2023] [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: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory stimuli can trigger an orienting reflex (response) by which animals move the head to position their sensors (e.g., eyes, pinna, whiskers). Orienting responses may be important to evaluate stimuli that call for action (e.g., approach, escape, ignore), but little is known about the dynamics of orienting responses in the context of goal-directed actions. Using mice of either sex, we found that, during a signaled avoidance action, the orienting response evoked by the conditioned stimulus (CS) consisted of a fast head movement containing rotational and translational components that varied substantially as a function of the behavioral and underlying brain states of the animal set by different task contingencies. Larger CS-evoked orienting responses were associated with high-intensity auditory stimuli, failures to produce the appropriate signaled action, and behavioral states resulting from uncertain or demanding situations and the animal's ability to cope with them. As a prototypical orienting neural circuit, we confirmed that the superior colliculus controls and codes the direction of spontaneous exploratory orienting movements. In addition, superior colliculus activity correlated with CS-evoked orienting responses, and either its optogenetic inhibition or excitation potentiated CS-evoked orienting responses, which are likely generated downstream in the medulla. CS-evoked orienting responses may be a useful probe to assess behavioral and related brain states, and state-dependent modulation of orienting responses may involve the superior colliculus.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans and other animals produce an orienting reflex (also known as orienting response) by which they rapidly orient their head and sensors to evaluate novel or salient stimuli. Spontaneous orienting movements also occur during exploration of the environment in the absence of explicit, salient stimuli. We monitored stimulus-evoked orienting responses in mice performing signaled avoidance behaviors and found that these responses reflect the behavioral state of the animal set by contextual demands and the animal's ability to cope with them. Various experiments involving the superior colliculus revealed a well-established role in spontaneous orienting but only an influencing effect over orienting responses. Stimulus-evoked orienting responses may be a useful probe of behavioral and related brain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut 06001
| | - Sebastian Hormigo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut 06001
| | - Natan Busel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut 06001
| | - Manuel A Castro-Alamancos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut 06001
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