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Sun F, Shen H, Yang Q, Yuan Z, Chen Y, Guo W, Wang Y, Yang L, Bai Z, Liu Q, Jiang M, Lam JWY, Sun J, Ye R, Kwok RTK, Tang BZ. Dual Behavior Regulation: Tether-Free Deep-Brain Stimulation by Photothermal and Upconversion Hybrid Nanoparticles. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2210018. [PMID: 36864009 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics has been plagued by invasive brain implants and thermal effects during photo-modulation. Here, two upconversion hybrid nanoparticles modified with photothermal agents, named PT-UCNP-B/G, which can modulate neuronal activities via photostimulation and thermo-stimulation under near-infrared laser irradiation at 980 nm and 808 nm, respectively, are demonstrated. PT-UCNP-B/G emits visible light (410-500 nm or 500-570 nm) through the upconversion process at 980 nm, while they exhibit efficient photothermal effect at 808 nm with no visible emission and tissue damage. Intriguingly, PT-UCNP-B significantly activates extracellular sodium currents in neuro2a cells expressing light-gated channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) ion channels under 980-nm irradiation, and inhibits potassium currents in human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing the voltage-gated potassium channels (KCNQ1) under 808-nm irradiation in vitro. Furthermore, deep-brain bidirectional modulation of feeding behavior is achieved under tether-free 980 or 808-nm illumination (0.8 W cm-2 ) in mice stereotactically injected with PT-UCNP-B in the ChR2-expressing lateral hypothalamus region. Thus, PT-UCNP-B/G creates new possibility of utilizing both light and heat to modulate neural activities and provides a viable strategy to overcome the limits of optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiyi Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Hanchen Shen
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qinghu Yang
- College of Life Science & Research Center for Natural Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, P. R. China
| | - Zhaoyue Yuan
- College of Life Science & Research Center for Natural Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, P. R. China
| | - Yuyang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Weihua Guo
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Life Science & Research Center for Natural Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, P. R. China
| | - Liang Yang
- College of Life Science & Research Center for Natural Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, P. R. China
| | - Zhantao Bai
- College of Life Science & Research Center for Natural Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Liu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ming Jiang
- College of Life Science & Research Center for Natural Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, P. R. China
| | - Jacky W Y Lam
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jianwei Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ruquan Ye
- Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ryan T K Kwok
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ben Zhong Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
- School of Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, P. R. China
- Center of Aggregation-Induced Emission, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China
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Markowitz JE, Gillis WF, Jay M, Wood J, Harris RW, Cieszkowski R, Scott R, Brann D, Koveal D, Kula T, Weinreb C, Osman MAM, Pinto SR, Uchida N, Linderman SW, Sabatini BL, Datta SR. Spontaneous behaviour is structured by reinforcement without explicit reward. Nature 2023; 614:108-117. [PMID: 36653449 PMCID: PMC9892006 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05611-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 65.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous animal behaviour is built from action modules that are concatenated by the brain into sequences1,2. However, the neural mechanisms that guide the composition of naturalistic, self-motivated behaviour remain unknown. Here we show that dopamine systematically fluctuates in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) as mice spontaneously express sub-second behavioural modules, despite the absence of task structure, sensory cues or exogenous reward. Photometric recordings and calibrated closed-loop optogenetic manipulations during open field behaviour demonstrate that DLS dopamine fluctuations increase sequence variation over seconds, reinforce the use of associated behavioural modules over minutes, and modulate the vigour with which modules are expressed, without directly influencing movement initiation or moment-to-moment kinematics. Although the reinforcing effects of optogenetic DLS dopamine manipulations vary across behavioural modules and individual mice, these differences are well predicted by observed variation in the relationships between endogenous dopamine and module use. Consistent with the possibility that DLS dopamine fluctuations act as a teaching signal, mice build sequences during exploration as if to maximize dopamine. Together, these findings suggest a model in which the same circuits and computations that govern action choices in structured tasks have a key role in sculpting the content of unconstrained, high-dimensional, spontaneous behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey E Markowitz
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Maya Jay
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Wood
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryley W Harris
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Scott
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Brann
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dorothy Koveal
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tomasz Kula
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caleb Weinreb
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sandra Romero Pinto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Naoshige Uchida
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Scott W Linderman
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
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Wang J, Beecher K, Chehrehasa F, Moody H. The limitations of investigating appetite through circuit manipulations: are we biting off more than we can chew? Rev Neurosci 2022; 34:295-311. [PMID: 36054842 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2022-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Disordered eating can underpin a number of debilitating and prevalent chronic diseases, such as obesity. Broader advances in psychopharmacology and biology have motivated some neuroscientists to address diet-induced obesity through reductionist, pre-clinical eating investigations on the rodent brain. Specifically, chemogenetic and optogenetic methods developed in the 21st century allow neuroscientists to perform in vivo, region-specific/projection-specific/promoter-specific circuit manipulations and immediately assess the impact of these manipulations on rodent feeding. These studies are able to rigorously conclude whether a specific neuronal population regulates feeding behaviour in the hope of eventually developing a mechanistic neuroanatomical map of appetite regulation. However, an artificially stimulated/inhibited rodent neuronal population that changes feeding behaviour does not necessarily represent a pharmacological target for treating eating disorders in humans. Chemogenetic/optogenetic findings must therefore be triangulated with the array of theories that contribute to our understanding of appetite. The objective of this review is to provide a wide-ranging discussion of the limitations of chemogenetic/optogenetic circuit manipulation experiments in rodents that are used to investigate appetite. Stepping into and outside of medical science epistemologies, this paper draws on philosophy of science, nutrition, addiction biology and neurophilosophy to prompt more integrative, transdisciplinary interpretations of chemogenetic/optogenetic appetite data. Through discussing the various technical and epistemological limitations of these data, we provide both an overview of chemogenetics and optogenetics accessible to non-neuroscientist obesity researchers, as well as a resource for neuroscientists to expand the number of lenses through which they interpret their circuit manipulation findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Wang
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000, QLD, Australia
| | - Kate Beecher
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Building 71/918 Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Campus, Herston 4029, QLD, Australia
| | - Fatemeh Chehrehasa
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000, QLD, Australia
| | - Hayley Moody
- Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4000, QLD, Australia
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Emiliani V, Entcheva E, Hedrich R, Hegemann P, Konrad KR, Lüscher C, Mahn M, Pan ZH, Sims RR, Vierock J, Yizhar O. Optogenetics for light control of biological systems. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:55. [PMID: 37933248 PMCID: PMC10627578 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00136-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetic techniques have been developed to allow control over the activity of selected cells within a highly heterogeneous tissue, using a combination of genetic engineering and light. Optogenetics employs natural and engineered photoreceptors, mostly of microbial origin, to be genetically introduced into the cells of interest. As a result, cells that are naturally light-insensitive can be made photosensitive and addressable by illumination and precisely controllable in time and space. The selectivity of expression and subcellular targeting in the host is enabled by applying control elements such as promoters, enhancers and specific targeting sequences to the employed photoreceptor-encoding DNA. This powerful approach allows precise characterization and manipulation of cellular functions and has motivated the development of advanced optical methods for patterned photostimulation. Optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience during the past 15 years and is primed to have a similar impact in other fields, including cardiology, cell biology and plant sciences. In this Primer, we describe the principles of optogenetics, review the most commonly used optogenetic tools, illumination approaches and scientific applications and discuss the possibilities and limitations associated with optogenetic manipulations across a wide variety of optical techniques, cells, circuits and organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Emiliani
- Wavefront Engineering Microscopy Group, Photonics Department, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Emilia Entcheva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rainer Hedrich
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai R. Konrad
- Julius-von-Sachs Institute for Biosciences, Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Lüscher
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Clinic of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Mahn
- Department of Neurobiology, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhuo-Hua Pan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ruth R. Sims
- Wavefront Engineering Microscopy Group, Photonics Department, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Johannes Vierock
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité – Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ofer Yizhar
- Departments of Brain Sciences and Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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5
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Vickstrom CR, Snarrenberg ST, Friedman V, Liu QS. Application of optogenetics and in vivo imaging approaches for elucidating the neurobiology of addiction. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:640-651. [PMID: 34145393 PMCID: PMC9190069 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The neurobiology of addiction has been an intense topic of investigation for more than 50 years. Over this time, technological innovation in methods for studying brain function rapidly progressed, leading to increasingly sophisticated experimental approaches. To understand how specific brain regions, cell types, and circuits are affected by drugs of abuse and drive behaviors characteristic of addiction, it is necessary both to observe and manipulate neural activity in addiction-related behavioral paradigms. In pursuit of this goal, there have been several key technological advancements in in vivo imaging and neural circuit modulation in recent years, which have shed light on the cellular and circuit mechanisms of addiction. Here we discuss some of these key technologies, including circuit modulation with optogenetics, in vivo imaging with miniaturized single-photon microscopy (miniscope) and fiber photometry, and how the application of these technologies has garnered novel insights into the neurobiology of addiction.
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Modular Data Acquisition System for Recording Activity and Electrical Stimulation of Brain Tissue Using Dedicated Electronics. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21134423. [PMID: 34203305 PMCID: PMC8271791 DOI: 10.3390/s21134423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we present a modular Data Acquisition (DAQ) system for simultaneous electrical stimulation and recording of brain activity. The DAQ system is designed to work with custom-designed Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) called Neurostim-3 and a variety of commercially available Multi-Electrode Arrays (MEAs). The system can control simultaneously up to 512 independent bidirectional i.e., input-output channels. We present in-depth insight into both hardware and software architectures and discuss relationships between cooperating parts of that system. The particular focus of this study was the exploration of efficient software design so that it could perform all its tasks in real-time using a standard Personal Computer (PC) without the need for data precomputation even for the most demanding experiment scenarios. Not only do we show bare performance metrics, but we also used this software to characterise signal processing capabilities of Neurostim-3 (e.g., gain linearity, transmission band) so that to obtain information on how well it can handle neural signals in real-world applications. The results indicate that each Neurostim-3 channel exhibits signal gain linearity in a wide range of input signal amplitudes. Moreover, their high-pass cut-off frequency gets close to 0.6Hz making it suitable for recording both Local Field Potential (LFP) and spiking brain activity signals. Additionally, the current stimulation circuitry was checked in terms of the ability to reproduce complex patterns. Finally, we present data acquired using our system from the experiments on a living rat’s brain, which proved we obtained physiological data from non-stimulated and stimulated tissue. The presented results lead us to conclude that our hardware and software can work efficiently and effectively in tandem giving valuable insights into how information is being processed by the brain.
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Effects of Optogenetic Stimulation of Primary Somatosensory Cortex and Its Projections to Striatum on Vibrotactile Perception in Freely Moving Rats. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0453-20.2021. [PMID: 33593733 PMCID: PMC7986534 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0453-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tactile sensation is one of our primary means to collect information about the nearby environment and thus crucial for daily activities and survival. Therefore, it is of high importance to restore sensory feedback after sensory loss. Optogenetic manipulation allows local or pathway-specific write-in of information. However, it remains elusive whether optogenetic stimulation can be interpreted as tactile sensation to guide operant behavior and how it is integrated with tactile stimuli. To address these questions, we employed a vibrotactile detection task combined with optogenetic neuromodulation in freely moving rats. By bidirectionally manipulating the activity of neurons in primary somatosensory cortex (S1), we demonstrated that optical activation as well as inhibition of S1 reduced the detection rate for vibrotactile stimuli. Interestingly, activation of corticostriatal terminals improved the detection of tactile stimuli, while inhibition of corticostriatal terminals did not affect the performance. To manipulate the corticostriatal pathway more specifically, we employed a dual viral system. Activation of corticostriatal cell bodies disturbed the tactile perception while activation of corticostriatal terminals slightly facilitated the detection of vibrotactile stimuli. In the absence of tactile stimuli, both corticostriatal cell bodies as well as terminals caused a reaction. Taken together, our data confirmed the possibility to restore sensation using optogenetics and demonstrated that S1 and its descending projections to striatum play differential roles in the neural processing underlying vibrotactile detection.
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Paez Segala MG, Looger LL. Optogenetics. Mol Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816386-3.00092-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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9
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Chuhma N. Functional Connectome Analysis of the Striatum with Optogenetics. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1293:417-428. [PMID: 33398830 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuit function is determined not only by anatomical connections but also by the strength and nature of the connections, that is functional or physiological connectivity. To elucidate functional connectivity, selective stimulation of presynaptic terminals of an identified neuronal population is crucial. However, in the central nervous system, intermingled input fibers make selective electrical stimulation impossible. With optogenetics, this becomes possible, and enables the comprehensive study of functional synaptic connections between an identified population of neurons and defined postsynaptic targets to determine the functional connectome. By stimulating convergent synaptic inputs impinging on individual postsynaptic neurons, low frequency and small amplitude synaptic connections can be detected. Further, the optogenetic approach enables the measurement of cotransmission and its relative strength. Recently, optogenetic methods have been more widely used to study synaptic connectivity and revealed novel synaptic connections and revised connectivity of known projections. In this chapter, I focus on functional synaptic connectivity in the striatum, the main input structure of the basal ganglia, involved in the motivated behavior, cognition, and motor control, and its disruption in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Chuhma
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Hogan MK, Hamilton GF, Horner PJ. Neural Stimulation and Molecular Mechanisms of Plasticity and Regeneration: A Review. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:271. [PMID: 33173465 PMCID: PMC7591397 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural stimulation modulates the depolarization of neurons, thereby triggering activity-associated mechanisms of neuronal plasticity. Activity-associated mechanisms in turn play a major role in post-mitotic structure and function of adult neurons. Our understanding of the interactions between neuronal behavior, patterns of neural activity, and the surrounding environment is evolving at a rapid pace. Brain derived neurotrophic factor is a critical mediator of activity-associated plasticity, while multiple immediate early genes mediate plasticity of neurons following bouts of neural activity. New research has uncovered genetic mechanisms that govern the expression of DNA following changes in neural activity patterns, including RNAPII pause-release and activity-associated double stranded breaks. Discovery of novel mechanisms governing activity-associated plasticity of neurons hints at a layered and complex molecular control of neuronal response to depolarization. Importantly, patterns of depolarization in neurons are shown to be important mediators of genetic expression patterns and molecular responses. More research is needed to fully uncover the molecular response of different types of neurons-to-activity patterns; however, known responses might be leveraged to facilitate recovery after neural damage. Physical rehabilitation through passive or active exercise modulates neurotrophic factor expression in the brain and spinal cord and can initiate cortical plasticity commensurate with functional recovery. Rehabilitation likely relies on activity-associated mechanisms; however, it may be limited in its application. Electrical and magnetic stimulation direct specific activity patterns not accessible through passive or active exercise and work synergistically to improve standing, walking, and forelimb use after injury. Here, we review emerging concepts in the molecular mechanisms of activity-derived plasticity in order to highlight opportunities that could add value to therapeutic protocols for promoting recovery of function after trauma, disease, or age-related functional decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K Hogan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gillian F Hamilton
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Philip J Horner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
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Bariselli S, Fobbs WC, Creed MC, Kravitz AV. A competitive model for striatal action selection. Brain Res 2018; 1713:70-79. [PMID: 30300636 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The direct and indirect pathway striatal medium spiny neurons (dMSNs and iMSNs) have long been linked to action selection, but the precise roles of these neurons in this process remain unclear. Here, we review different models of striatal pathway function, focusing on the classic "go/no-go" model which posits that dMSNs facilitate movement while iMSNs inhibit movement, and the "complementary" model, which argues that dMSNs facilitate the selection of specific actions while iMSNs inhibit potentially conflicting actions. We discuss the merits and shortcomings of these models and propose a "competitive" model to explain the contribution of these two pathways to behavior. The "competitive" model argues that rather than inhibiting conflicting actions, iMSNs are tuned to the same actions that dMSNs facilitate, and the two populations "compete" to determine the animal's behavioral response. This model provides a theoretical explanation for how these pathways work together to select actions. In addition, it provides a link between action selection and behavioral reinforcement, via modulating synaptic strength at inputs onto dMSNs and iMSNs. Finally, this model makes predictions about how imbalances in the activity of these pathways may underlie behavioral traits associated with psychiatric disorders. Understanding the roles of these striatal pathways in action selection may help to clarify the neuronal mechanisms of decision-making under normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bariselli
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - W C Fobbs
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - M C Creed
- Washington University in St Louis, Department of Anesthesiology, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - A V Kravitz
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, United States; National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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12
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Mohamed GA, Cheng RK, Ho J, Krishnan S, Mohammad F, Claridge-Chang A, Jesuthasan S. Optical inhibition of larval zebrafish behaviour with anion channelrhodopsins. BMC Biol 2017; 15:103. [PMID: 29100505 PMCID: PMC5670698 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Optical silencing of activity provides a way to test the necessity of neurons in behaviour. Two light-gated anion channels, GtACR1 and GtACR2, have recently been shown to potently inhibit activity in cultured mammalian neurons and in Drosophila. Here, we test the usefulness of these channels in larval zebrafish, using spontaneous coiling behaviour as the assay. Results When the GtACRs were expressed in spinal neurons of embryonic zebrafish and actuated with blue or green light, spontaneous movement was inhibited. In GtACR1-expressing fish, only 3 μW/mm2 of light was sufficient to have an effect; GtACR2, which is poorly trafficked, required slightly stronger illumination. No inhibition was seen in non-expressing siblings. After light offset, the movement of GtACR-expressing fish increased, which suggested that termination of light-induced neural inhibition may lead to activation. Consistent with this, two-photon imaging of spinal neurons showed that blue light inhibited spontaneous activity in spinal neurons of GtACR1-expressing fish, and that the level of intracellular calcium increased following light offset. Conclusions These results show that GtACR1 and GtACR2 can be used to optically inhibit neurons in larval zebrafish with high efficiency. The activity elicited at light offset needs to be taken into consideration in experimental design, although this property can provide insight into the effects of transiently stimulating a circuit. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0430-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gadisti Aisha Mohamed
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ruey-Kuang Cheng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joses Ho
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seetha Krishnan
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Adam Claridge-Chang
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Suresh Jesuthasan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore. .,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, Singapore. .,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
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13
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Abstract
GPR88 is an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor highly expressed in striatal dopamine D1 (receptor) R- and D2R-expressing medium spiny neurons. This receptor is involved in activity and motor responses, and we previously showed that this receptor also regulates anxiety-like behaviors. To determine whether GPR88 in D2R-expressing neurons contributes to this emotional phenotype, we generated conditional Gpr88 knock-out mice using adenosine A2AR (A2AR)-Cre-driven recombination, and compared anxiety-related responses in both total and A2AR-Gpr88 KO mice. A2AR-Gpr88 KO mice showed a selective reduction of Gpr88 mRNA in D2R-expressing, but not D1R-expressing, neurons. These mutant mice showed increased locomotor activity and decreased anxiety-like behaviors in light/dark and elevated plus maze tests. These phenotypes were superimposable on those observed in total Gpr88 KO mice, demonstrating that the previously reported anxiogenic activity of GPR88 operates at the level of A2AR-expressing neurons. Further, A2AR-Gpr88 KO mice showed no change in novelty preference and novelty-suppressed feeding, while these responses were increased and decreased, respectively, in the total Gpr88 KO mice. Also, A2AR-Gpr88 KO mice showed intact fear conditioning, while the fear responses were decreased in total Gpr88 KO. We therefore also show for the first time that GPR88 activity regulates approach behaviors and conditional fear; however, these behaviors do not seem mediated by receptors in A2AR neurons. We conclude that Gpr88 expressed in A2AR neurons enhances ethological anxiety-like behaviors without affecting conflict anxiety and fear responses.
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14
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Panksepp J. Affective preclinical modeling of psychiatric disorders: taking imbalanced primal emotional feelings of animals seriously in our search for novel antidepressants. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016. [PMID: 26869838 PMCID: PMC4734875 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2015.17.4/jpanksepp] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical animal models of psychiatric disorders are of critical importance for advances in development of new psychiatric medicine. Regrettably, behavior-only models have yielded no novel targeted treatments during the past half-century of vigorous deployment. This may reflect the general neglect of experiential aspects of animal emotions, since affective mental states of animals supposedly cannot be empirically monitored. This supposition is wrong—to the extent that the rewarding and punishing aspects of emotion circuit arousals reflect positive and negative affective states. During the past decade, the use of such affective neuroscience-based animal modeling has yielded three novel antidepressants (i) via the alleviation of psychic pain with low doses of buprenorphine; (ii) via the amplification of enthusiasm by direct stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle); and (iii) via the facilitation of the capacity for social joy with play facilitators such as rapastinel (GLYX13). All have progressed to successful human testing. For optimal progress, it may be useful for preclinical investigators to focus on the evolved affective foundations of psychiatrically relevant brain emotional disorders for optimal animal modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaak Panksepp
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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15
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Panksepp J. Affective preclinical modeling of psychiatric disorders: taking imbalanced primal emotional feelings of animals seriously in our search for novel antidepressants. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 17:363-79. [PMID: 26869838 PMCID: PMC4734875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical animal models of psychiatric disorders are of critical importance for advances in development of new psychiatric medicine. Regrettably, behavior-only models have yielded no novel targeted treatments during the past half-century of vigorous deployment. This may reflect the general neglect of experiential aspects of animal emotions, since affective mental states of animals supposedly cannot be empirically monitored. This supposition is wrong-to the extent that the rewarding and punishing aspects of emotion circuit arousals reflect positive and negative affective states. During the past decade, the use of such affective neuroscience-based animal modeling has yielded three novel antidepressants (i) via the alleviation of psychic pain with low doses of buprenorphine; (ii) via the amplification of enthusiasm by direct stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle); and (iii) via the facilitation of the capacity for social joy with play facilitators such as rapastinel (GLYX13). All have progressed to successful human testing. For optimal progress, it may be useful for preclinical investigators to focus on the evolved affective foundations of psychiatrically relevant brain emotional disorders for optimal animal modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaak Panksepp
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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16
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Abstract
This review, one of a series of articles, tries to make sense of optogenetics, a recently developed technology that can be used to control the activity of genetically-defined neurons with light. Cells are first genetically engineered to express a light-sensitive opsin, which is typically an ion channel, pump, or G protein-coupled receptor. When engineered cells are then illuminated with light of the correct frequency, opsin-bound retinal undergoes a conformational change that leads to channel opening or pump activation, cell depolarization or hyperpolarization, and neural activation or silencing. Since the advent of optogenetics, many different opsin variants have been discovered or engineered, and it is now possible to stimulate or inhibit neuronal activity or intracellular signaling pathways on fast or slow timescales with a variety of different wavelengths of light. Optogenetics has been successfully employed to enhance our understanding of the neural circuit dysfunction underlying mood disorders, addiction, and Parkinson's disease, and has enabled us to achieve a better understanding of the neural circuits mediating normal behavior. It has revolutionized the field of neuroscience, and has enabled a new generation of experiments that probe the causal roles of specific neural circuit components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Guru
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Mr Guru and Post, Ms Ho, and Dr Warden)
| | - Ryan J Post
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Mr Guru and Post, Ms Ho, and Dr Warden)
| | - Yi-Yun Ho
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Mr Guru and Post, Ms Ho, and Dr Warden)
| | - Melissa R Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Mr Guru and Post, Ms Ho, and Dr Warden).
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17
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Castro DC, Cole SL, Berridge KC. Lateral hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, and ventral pallidum roles in eating and hunger: interactions between homeostatic and reward circuitry. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 9:90. [PMID: 26124708 PMCID: PMC4466441 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the neural bases of eating behavior, hunger, and reward has consistently implicated the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and its interactions with mesocorticolimbic circuitry, such as mesolimbic dopamine projections to nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral pallidum (VP), in controlling motivation to eat. The NAc and VP play special roles in mediating the hedonic impact (“liking”) and motivational incentive salience (“wanting”) of food rewards, and their interactions with LH help permit regulatory hunger/satiety modulation of food motivation and reward. Here, we review some progress that has been made regarding this circuitry and its functions: the identification of localized anatomical hedonic hotspots within NAc and VP for enhancing hedonic impact; interactions of NAc/VP hedonic hotspots with specific LH signals such as orexin; an anterior-posterior gradient of sites in NAc shell for producing intense appetitive eating vs. intense fearful reactions; and anatomically distributed appetitive functions of dopamine and mu opioid signals in NAc shell and related structures. Such findings help improve our understanding of NAc, VP, and LH interactions in mediating affective and motivation functions, including “liking” and “wanting” for food rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Castro
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shannon L Cole
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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18
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Kravitz AV, Tomasi D, LeBlanc KH, Baler R, Volkow ND, Bonci A, Ferré S. Cortico-striatal circuits: Novel therapeutic targets for substance use disorders. Brain Res 2015; 1628:186-98. [PMID: 25863130 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
It is widely believed that substance use disorder (SUD) results from both pre-alterations (vulnerability) and/or post-alterations (drug effects) on cortico-striatal circuits. These circuits are essential for cognitive control, motivation, reward dependent learning, and emotional processing. As such, dysfunctions in cortico-striatal circuits are thought to relate to the core features of SUD, which include compulsive drug use, loss of the ability to control drug intake, and the emergence of negative emotional states (Koob and Volkow, 2010. Neuropsychopharmacology 35(1), 217-238). While the brain circuits underlying SUD have been studied in human patients largely through imaging studies, experiments in animals have allowed researchers to examine the specific cell-types within these circuits to reveal their role in behavior relevant to SUD. Here, we will review imaging studies on cortico-striatal systems that are altered in SUD, and describe animal experiments that relate SUD to specific neural projections and cell types within this circuitry. We will end with a discussion of novel clinical approaches such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and pharmacological targeting of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) heteromers that may provide promising avenues for modulating these circuits to combat SUD in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexxai V Kravitz
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Institute of Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly H LeBlanc
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ruben Baler
- National Institute of Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute of Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Antonello Bonci
- National Institute of Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Sergi Ferré
- National Institute of Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
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19
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Ilango A, Lobo MK. Shining light on motivation, emotion, and memory processes. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:1. [PMID: 25653603 PMCID: PMC4299452 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anton Ilango
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mary K Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Häusser
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and in the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
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