Functional adaptation of cortical interneurons to attenuated activity is subtype-specific

Metabotropic signaling within somatostatin interneurons controls transient thalamocortical inputs during development

During brain development, neural circuits undergo major activity-dependent restructuring. Circuit wiring mainly occurs through synaptic strengthening following the Hebbian "fire together, wire together" precept. However, select connections, essential for circuit development, are transient. They are effectively connected early in development, but strongly diminish during maturation. The mechanisms by which transient connectivity recedes are unknown. To investigate this process, we characterize transient thalamocortical inputs, which depress onto somatostatin inhibitory interneurons during development, by employing optogenetics, chemogenetics, transcriptomics and CRISPR-based strategies in mice. We demonstrate that in contrast to typical activity-dependent mechanisms, transient thalamocortical connectivity onto somatostatin interneurons is non-canonical and involves metabotropic signaling. Specifically, metabotropic-mediated transcription, of guidance molecules in particular, supports the elimination of this connectivity. Remarkably, we found that this process impacts the development of normal exploratory behaviors of adult mice.

Metabotropic signaling within somatostatin interneurons controls transient thalamocortical inputs during development

During brain development, neural circuits undergo major activity-dependent restructuring. Circuit wiring mainly occurs through synaptic strengthening following the Hebbian "fire together, wire together" precept. However, select connections, essential for circuit development, are transient. They are effectively connected early in development, but strongly diminish during maturation. The mechanisms by which transient connectivity recedes are unknown. To investigate this process, we characterize transient thalamocortical inputs, which depress onto somatostatin inhibitory interneurons during development, by employing optogenetics, chemogenetics, transcriptomics and CRISPR-based strategies. We demonstrate that in contrast to typical activity-dependent mechanisms, transient thalamocortical connectivity onto somatostatin interneurons is non-canonical and involves metabotropic signaling. Specifically, metabotropic-mediated transcription, of guidance molecules in particular, supports the elimination of this connectivity. Remarkably, we found that this developmental process impacts the development of normal exploratory behaviors of adult mice.

Nova proteins direct synaptic integration of somatostatin interneurons through activity-dependent alternative splicing

Somatostatin interneurons are the earliest born population of cortical inhibitory cells. They are crucial to support normal brain development and function; however, the mechanisms underlying their integration into nascent cortical circuitry are not well understood. In this study, we begin by demonstrating that the maturation of somatostatin interneurons in mouse somatosensory cortex is activity dependent. We then investigated the relationship between activity, alternative splicing, and synapse formation within this population. Specifically, we discovered that the Nova family of RNA-binding proteins are activity-dependent and are essential for the maturation of somatostatin interneurons, as well as their afferent and efferent connectivity. Within this population, Nova2 preferentially mediates the alternative splicing of genes required for axonal formation and synaptic function independently from its effect on gene expression. Hence, our work demonstrates that the Nova family of proteins through alternative splicing are centrally involved in coupling developmental neuronal activity to cortical circuit formation.

Activity-Dependent Plasticity of Axo-axonic Synapses at the Axon Initial Segment

The activity-dependent rules that govern the wiring of GABAergic interneurons are not well understood. Chandelier cells (ChCs) are a type of GABAergic interneuron that control pyramidal cell output through axo-axonic synapses that target the axon initial segment. In vivo imaging of ChCs during development uncovered a narrow window (P12-P18) over which axons arborized and formed connections. We found that increases in the activity of either pyramidal cells or individual ChCs during this temporal window result in a reversible decrease in axo-axonic connections. Voltage imaging of GABAergic transmission at the axon initial segment (AIS) showed that axo-axonic synapses were depolarizing during this period. Identical manipulations of network activity in older mice (P40-P46), when ChC synapses are inhibitory, resulted instead in an increase in axo-axonic synapses. We propose that the direction of ChC synaptic plasticity follows homeostatic rules that depend on the polarity of axo-axonic synapses.

AMPA receptor deletion in developing MGE-derived hippocampal interneurons causes a redistribution of excitatory synapses and attenuates postnatal network oscillatory activity

Inhibitory interneurons derived from the medial ganglionic eminence represent the largest cohort of GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus. In the CA1 hippocampus excitatory synapses onto these cells comprise GluA2-lacking, calcium-permeable AMPARs. Although synaptic transmission is not established until early in their postnatal life, AMPARs are expressed early in development, however their role is enigmatic. Using the Nkx2.1-cre mouse line we genetically deleted GluA1, GluA2, GluA3 selectively from MGE derived interneurons early in development. We observed that the number of MGE-derived interneurons was preserved in mature hippocampus despite early elimination of AMPARs, which resulted in >90% decrease in spontaneous excitatory synaptic activity. Of particular interest, excitatory synaptic sites were shifted from dendritic to somatic locations while maintaining a normal NMDAR content. The developmental switch of NMDARs from GluN2B-containing early in development to GluN2A-containing on maturation was similarly unperturbed despite the loss of AMPARs. Early network giant depolarizing potential oscillatory activity was compromised in early postnatal days as was both feedforward and feedback inhibition onto pyramidal neurons underscoring the importance of glutamatergic drive onto MGE-derived interneurons for hippocampal circuit function.

Modeling driver cells in developing neuronal networks

Spontaneous emergence of synchronized population activity is a characteristic feature of developing brain circuits. Recent experiments in the developing neo-cortex showed the existence of driver cells able to impact the synchronization dynamics when single-handedly stimulated. We have developed a spiking network model capable to reproduce the experimental results, thus identifying two classes of driver cells: functional hubs and low functionally connected (LC) neurons. The functional hubs arranged in a clique orchestrated the synchronization build-up, while the LC drivers were lately or not at all recruited in the synchronization process. Notwithstanding, they were able to alter the network state when stimulated by modifying the temporal activation of the functional clique or even its composition. LC drivers can lead either to higher population synchrony or even to the arrest of population dynamics, upon stimulation. Noticeably, some LC driver can display both effects depending on the received stimulus. We show that in the model the presence of inhibitory neurons together with the assumption that younger cells are more excitable and less connected is crucial for the emergence of LC drivers. These results provide a further understanding of the structural-functional mechanisms underlying synchronized firings in developing circuits possibly related to the coordinated activity of cell assemblies in the adult brain.

All for One But Not One for All: Excitatory Synaptic Scaling and Intrinsic Excitability Are Coregulated by CaMKIV, Whereas Inhibitory Synaptic Scaling Is Under Independent Control

Neocortical circuits use a family of homeostatic plasticity mechanisms to stabilize firing, including excitatory and inhibitory synaptic scaling and homeostatic intrinsic plasticity (Turrigiano and Nelson, 2004). All three mechanisms can be induced in tandem in cultured rat neocortical pyramidal neurons by chronic manipulations of firing, but it is unknown whether they are coinduced by the same activity-sensors and signaling pathways, or whether they are under independent control. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type IV (CaMKIV) is a key sensory/effector in excitatory synaptic scaling that senses perturbations in firing through changes in calcium influx, and translates this into compensatory changes in excitatory quantal amplitude (Ibata et al., 2008; Goold and Nicoll, 2010). Whether CaMKIV also controls inhibitory synaptic scaling and intrinsic homeostatic plasticity was unknown. To test this we manipulated CaMKIV signaling in individual neurons using dominant-negative (dn) or constitutively-active (ca) forms of nuclear-localized CaMKIV and measured the induction of all three forms of homeostatic plasticity. We found that excitatory synaptic scaling and intrinsic plasticity were bidirectionally coinduced by these manipulations. In contrast, these cell-autonomous manipulations had no impact on inhibitory quantal amplitude. Finally, we found that spontaneous firing rates were shifted up or down by dnCaMKIV or caCaMKIV, respectively, suggesting that uncoupling CaMKIV activation from activity generates an error signal in the negative feedback mechanism that controls firing rates. Together, our data show that excitatory synaptic scaling and intrinsic excitability are tightly coordinated through bidirectional changes in the same signaling pathway, whereas inhibitory synaptic scaling is sensed and regulated through an independent control mechanism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Maintaining stable function in highly interconnected neural circuits is essential for preventing circuit disorders, and is accomplished through a set of negative feedback mechanisms that sense and compensate for perturbations in activity. These "homeostatic" mechanisms can target synaptic excitation, synaptic inhibition, and intrinsic excitability, but whether they are independently controlled is not known. We find that synaptic excitation and intrinsic excitability are coregulated in individual neurons through CaMKIV signaling, which is tightly controlled by neuronal activity. In contrast, synaptic inhibition is unaffected by changes in firing or CaMKIV signaling in individual neurons. These results show that circuit stability is controlled both through cell-autonomous mechanisms that regulate some aspects of excitability, as well as circuit-level mechanisms that adjust inhibition.

Neuronal activity controls the development of interneurons in the somatosensory cortex

BACKGROUND

Neuronal activity in cortical areas regulates neurodevelopment by interacting with defined genetic programs to shape the mature central nervous system. Electrical activity is conveyed to sensory cortical areas via intracortical and thalamocortical neurons, and includes oscillatory patterns that have been measured across cortical regions.

OBJECTIVE

In this work, we review the most recent findings about how electrical activity shapes the developmental assembly of functional circuitry in the somatosensory cortex, with an emphasis on interneuron maturation and integration. We include studies on the effect of various neurotransmitters and on the influence of thalamocortical afferent activity on circuit development. We additionally reviewed studies describing network activity patterns.

METHODS

We conducted an extensive literature search using both the PubMed and Google Scholar search engines. The following keywords were used in various iterations: "interneuron", "somatosensory", "development", "activity", "network patterns", "thalamocortical", "NMDA receptor", "plasticity". We additionally selected papers known to us from past reading, and those recommended to us by reviewers and members of our lab.

RESULTS

We reviewed a total of 132 articles that focused on the role of activity in interneuronal migration, maturation, and circuit development, as well as the source of electrical inputs and patterns of cortical activity in the somatosensory cortex. 79 of these papers included in this timely review were written between 2007 and 2016.

CONCLUSIONS

Neuronal activity shapes the developmental assembly of functional circuitry in the somatosensory cortical interneurons. This activity impacts nearly every aspect of development and acquisition of mature neuronal characteristics, and may contribute to changing phenotypes, altered transmitter expression, and plasticity in the adult. Progressively changing oscillatory network patterns contribute to this activity in the early postnatal period, although a direct requirement for specific patterns and origins of activity remains to be demonstrated.

Prox1 Regulates the Subtype-Specific Development of Caudal Ganglionic Eminence-Derived GABAergic Cortical Interneurons

Neurogliaform (RELN+) and bipolar (VIP+) GABAergic interneurons of the mammalian cerebral cortex provide critical inhibition locally within the superficial layers. While these subtypes are known to originate from the embryonic caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), the specific genetic programs that direct their positioning, maturation, and integration into the cortical network have not been elucidated. Here, we report that in mice expression of the transcription factor Prox1 is selectively maintained in postmitotic CGE-derived cortical interneuron precursors and that loss of Prox1 impairs the integration of these cells into superficial layers. Moreover, Prox1 differentially regulates the postnatal maturation of each specific subtype originating from the CGE (RELN, Calb2/VIP, and VIP). Interestingly, Prox1 promotes the maturation of CGE-derived interneuron subtypes through intrinsic differentiation programs that operate in tandem with extrinsically driven neuronal activity-dependent pathways. Thus Prox1 represents the first identified transcription factor specifically required for the embryonic and postnatal acquisition of CGE-derived cortical interneuron properties.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Despite the recognition that 30% of GABAergic cortical interneurons originate from the caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), to date, a specific transcriptional program that selectively regulates the development of these populations has not yet been identified. Moreover, while CGE-derived interneurons display unique patterns of tangential and radial migration and preferentially populate the superficial layers of the cortex, identification of a molecular program that controls these events is lacking.Here, we demonstrate that the homeodomain transcription factor Prox1 is expressed in postmitotic CGE-derived cortical interneuron precursors and is maintained into adulthood. We found that Prox1 function is differentially required during both embryonic and postnatal stages of development to direct the migration, differentiation, circuit integration, and maintenance programs within distinct subtypes of CGE-derived interneurons.

Sensory inputs control the integration of neurogliaform interneurons into cortical circuits

Neuronal microcircuits in the superficial layers of the mammalian cortex provide the substrate for associative cortical computation. Inhibitory interneurons constitute an essential component of the circuitry and are fundamental to the integration of local and long-range information. Here we report that, during early development, superficially positioned Reelin-expressing neurogliaform interneurons in the mouse somatosensory cortex receive afferent innervation from both cortical and thalamic excitatory sources. Attenuation of ascending sensory, but not intracortical, excitation leads to axo-dendritic morphological defects in these interneurons. Moreover, abrogation of the NMDA receptors through which the thalamic inputs signal results in a similar phenotype, as well as in the selective loss of thalamic and a concomitant increase in intracortical connectivity. These results suggest that thalamic inputs are critical in determining the balance between local and long-range connectivity and are fundamental to the proper integration of Reelin-expressing interneurons into nascent cortical circuits.

Clique of functional hubs orchestrates population bursts in developmentally regulated neural networks

It has recently been discovered that single neuron stimulation can impact network dynamics in immature and adult neuronal circuits. Here we report a novel mechanism which can explain in neuronal circuits, at an early stage of development, the peculiar role played by a few specific neurons in promoting/arresting the population activity. For this purpose, we consider a standard neuronal network model, with short-term synaptic plasticity, whose population activity is characterized by bursting behavior. The addition of developmentally inspired constraints and correlations in the distribution of the neuronal connectivities and excitabilities leads to the emergence of functional hub neurons, whose stimulation/deletion is critical for the network activity. Functional hubs form a clique, where a precise sequential activation of the neurons is essential to ignite collective events without any need for a specific topological architecture. Unsupervised time-lagged firings of supra-threshold cells, in connection with coordinated entrainments of near-threshold neurons, are the key ingredients to orchestrate population activity.

To which extent a single neuron can influence brain circuits/networks dynamics? Why only a few neurons display such a strong power? These open questions are inspired by recent experimental observations in developing and adult neuronal circuits, as well as by classical debates within the framework of the single neuron doctrine. In this work we identify and present a mechanism which can explain in neuronal circuits, at some early stage of their development, how and why only a few specific neurons can exhibit such power. For this purpose, we consider a standard neuronal network model whose population activity is characterized by bursting behavior. The introduction of a distribution of correlated neuronal excitabilities and degrees, inspired by the simultaneous presence of younger and older neurons in the network, leads to the emergence of functional hub neurons. These critical cells, whenever perturbed, are capable of suppressing network synchronization. Notably, we show that their strong influence on the population dynamics is not related to their structural properties, but to their operational and structural integration into a clique. These results highlight how network-wide effects can be induced by single neurons without any need for a specific topological architecture.

Activity blockade and GABAA receptor blockade produce synaptic scaling through chloride accumulation in embryonic spinal motoneurons and interneurons

Synaptic scaling represents a process whereby the distribution of a cell's synaptic strengths are altered by a multiplicative scaling factor. Scaling is thought to be a compensatory response that homeostatically controls spiking activity levels in the cell or network. Previously, we observed GABAergic synaptic scaling in embryonic spinal motoneurons following in vivo blockade of either spiking activity or GABA_A receptors (GABA_ARs). We had determined that activity blockade triggered upward GABAergic scaling through chloride accumulation, thus increasing the driving force for these currents. To determine whether chloride accumulation also underlies GABAergic scaling following GABA_AR blockade we have developed a new technique. We expressed a genetically encoded chloride-indicator, Clomeleon, in the embryonic chick spinal cord, which provides a non-invasive fast measure of intracellular chloride. Using this technique we now show that chloride accumulation underlies GABAergic scaling following blockade of either spiking activity or the GABA_AR. The finding that GABA_AR blockade and activity blockade trigger scaling via a common mechanism supports our hypothesis that activity blockade reduces GABA_AR activation, which triggers synaptic scaling. In addition, Clomeleon imaging demonstrated the time course and widespread nature of GABAergic scaling through chloride accumulation, as it was also observed in spinal interneurons. This suggests that homeostatic scaling via chloride accumulation is a common feature in many neuronal classes within the embryonic spinal cord and opens the possibility that this process may occur throughout the nervous system at early stages of development.

Serotonin neuron diversity in the dorsal raphe

The dorsal raphe nucleus contains one of the largest groups of serotonergic neurons in the mammalian brain and is the main site of origin of the serotonergic projection to the cerebral cortex. Early electrophysiological studies suggested that serotonergic neurons in this cell group formed a homogeneous cell class. More recent studies however have reported heterogeneity among the core anatomical and electrophysiological properties of these neurons, thus raising the possibility that serotonergic neurons of this cell group may form two or more distinct cell classes. In this Viewpoint, we review these findings and suggest ways to look at cellular heterogeneity among serotonergic neurons.