Striatal fast-spiking interneurons: from firing patterns to postsynaptic impact

Hyperactivity of indirect pathway-projecting spiny projection neurons promotes compulsive behavior

Compulsive behaviors are a hallmark symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Striatal hyperactivity has been linked to compulsive behavior generation in correlative studies in humans and causal studies in rodents. However, the contribution of the two distinct striatal output populations to the generation and treatment of compulsive behavior is unknown. These populations of direct and indirect pathway-projecting spiny projection neurons (SPNs) have classically been thought to promote or suppress actions, respectively, leading to a long-held hypothesis that increased output of direct relative to indirect pathway promotes compulsive behavior. Contrary to this hypothesis, here we find that indirect pathway hyperactivity is associated with compulsive grooming in the Sapap3-knockout mouse model of OCD-relevant behavior. Furthermore, we show that suppression of indirect pathway activity using optogenetics or treatment with the first-line OCD pharmacotherapy fluoxetine is associated with reduced grooming in Sapap3-knockouts. Together, these findings highlight the striatal indirect pathway as a potential treatment target for compulsive behavior.

GABAergic interneurons expressing the α2 nicotinic receptor subunit are functionally integrated in the striatal microcircuit

The interactions between the striatal cholinergic and GABAergic systems are crucial in shaping reward-related behavior and reinforcement learning; however, the synaptic pathways mediating them are largely unknown. Here, we use Chrna2-Cre mice to characterize striatal interneurons (INs) expressing the nicotinic α2 receptor subunit. Using triple patch-clamp recordings combined with optogenetic stimulations, we characterize the electrophysiological, morphological, and synaptic properties of striatal Chrna2-INs. Striatal Chrna2-INs have diverse electrophysiological properties, distinct from their counterparts in other brain regions, including the hippocampus and neocortex. Unlike in other regions, most striatal Chrna2-INs are fast-spiking INs expressing parvalbumin. Striatal Chrna2-INs are intricately integrated in the striatal microcircuit, forming inhibitory synaptic connections with striatal projection neurons and INs, including other Chrna2-INs. They receive excitatory inputs from primary motor cortex mediated by both AMPA and NMDA receptors. A subpopulation of Chrna2-INs responds to nicotinic input, suggesting reciprocal interactions between this GABAergic interneuron population and striatal cholinergic synapses.

Transient Response of Basal Ganglia Network in Healthy and Low-Dopamine State

The basal ganglia (BG) are crucial for a variety of motor and cognitive functions. Changes induced by persistent low-dopamine (e.g., in Parkinson’s disease; PD) result in aberrant changes in steady-state population activity (β band oscillations) and the transient response of the BG. Typically, a brief cortical stimulation results in a triphasic response in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr; an output of the BG). The properties of the triphasic responses are shaped by dopamine levels. While mechanisms underlying aberrant steady state activity are well studied, it is still unclear which BG interactions are crucial for the aberrant transient responses in the BG. Moreover, it is also unclear whether mechanisms underlying the aberrant changes in steady-state activity and transient response are the same. Here, we used numerical simulations of a network model of BG to identify the key factors that determine the shape of the transient responses. We show that an aberrant transient response of the SNr in the low-dopamine state involves changes in the direct pathway and the recurrent interactions within the globus pallidus externa (GPe) and between GPe and subthalamic nucleus (STN). However, the connections from D2-type spiny projection neurons (D2-SPN) to GPe are most crucial in shaping the transient response and by restoring them to their healthy level, we could restore the shape of transient response even in low-dopamine state. Finally, we show that the changes in BG that result in aberrant transient response are also sufficient to generate pathologic oscillatory activity in the steady state.

Compulsive alcohol consumption is regulated by dorsal striatum fast-spiking interneurons

Compulsive alcohol consumption is a core, treatment-resistant feature of alcohol use disorder. The dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum support goal-directed and habitual action strategies, respectively. How ethanol targets dorsolateral striatum to drive compulsive consumption is poorly understood. Parvalbumin-expressing striatal fast-spiking interneurons comprise ~1% of the total neuronal striatal population, are enriched dorsolaterally and are functionally modulated by ethanol. To test whether fast-spiking interneurons are necessary for the development of compulsive ethanol consumption, we selectively ablated these neurons in adult male and female C57BL/6 J mice undergoing a voluntary chronic intermittent ethanol consumption paradigm followed by a compulsive ethanol drinking assay. Fast-spiking interneuron ablation curtailed the development of organized ethanol lick sequence behavior, reduced ethanol consumption, and abrogated compulsive consumption of ethanol with the added bitterant quinine. In contrast, fast-spiking interneuron ablation did not affect any index of water or sucrose consumption. These data causally implicate the minority striatal fast-spiking interneuron population as a key component of compulsive ethanol consumption.

Frequency-dependent entrainment of striatal fast-spiking interneurons

Striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) fire in variable-length runs of action potentials at 20-200 spikes/s separated by pauses. In vivo, or with fluctuating applied current, both runs and pauses become briefer and more variable. During runs, spikes are entrained specifically to gamma-frequency components of the input fluctuations. We stimulated parvalbumin-expressing striatal FSIs in mouse brain slices with broadband noise currents added to direct current steps and measured spike entrainment across all frequencies. As the constant current level was increased, FSIs produced longer runs and showed sharper frequency tuning, with best entrainment at the stimulus frequency matching their intrarun firing rate. We separated the contributions of previous spikes from that of the fluctuating stimulus, revealing a strong contribution of previous action potentials to gamma-frequency entrainment. In contrast, after subtraction of the effect inherited from the previous spike, the remaining stimulus contribution to spike generation was less sharply tuned, showing a larger contribution of lower frequencies. The frequency specificity of entrainment within a run was reproduced with a phase resetting model based on experimentally measured phase resetting curves of the same FSIs. In the model, broadly tuned phase entrainment for the first spike in a run evolved into sharply tuned gamma entrainment over the next few spikes. The data and modeling results indicate that for FSIs firing in brief runs and pauses firing within runs is entrained by gamma-frequency components of the input, whereas the onset timing of runs may be sensitive to a wider range of stimulus frequency components.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Specific types of neurons entrain their spikes to particular oscillation frequencies in their synaptic input. This entrainment is commonly understood in terms of the subthreshold voltage response, but how this translates to spiking is not clear. We show that in striatal fast-spiking interneurons, entrainment to gamma-frequency input depends on rhythmic spike runs and is explained by the phase resetting curve, whereas run initiation can be triggered by a broad range of input frequencies.

Ionic mechanisms underlying tonic and burst firing behavior in subfornical organ neurons: a combined experimental and modeling study

Subfornical organ (SFO) neurons exhibit heterogeneity in current expression and spiking behavior, where the two major spiking phenotypes appear as tonic and burst firing. Insight into the mechanisms behind this heterogeneity is critical for understanding how the SFO, a sensory circumventricular organ, integrates and selectively influences physiological function. To integrate efficient methods for studying this heterogeneity, we built a single-compartment, Hodgkin-Huxley-type model of an SFO neuron that is parameterized by SFO-specific in vitro patch-clamp data. The model accounts for the membrane potential distribution and spike train variability of both tonic and burst firing SFO neurons. Analysis of model dynamics confirms that a persistent Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ currents are required for burst initiation and maintenance and suggests that a slow-activating K⁺ current may be responsible for burst termination in SFO neurons. Additionally, the model suggests that heterogeneity in current expression and subsequent influence on spike afterpotential underlie the behavioral differences between tonic and burst firing SFO neurons. Future use of this model in coordination with single neuron patch-clamp electrophysiology provides a platform for explaining and predicting the response of SFO neurons to various combinations of circulating signals, thus elucidating the mechanisms underlying physiological signal integration within the SFO. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our understanding of how the subfornical organ (SFO) selectively influences autonomic nervous system function remains incomplete but theoretically results from the electrical responses of SFO neurons to physiologically important signals. We have built a computational model of SFO neurons, derived from and supported by experimental data, which explains how SFO neurons produce different electrical patterns. The model provides an efficient system to theoretically and experimentally explore how changes in the essential features of SFO neurons affect their electrical activity.

Alteration of GABAergic neurotransmission in Huntington's disease

Hereditary Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by cell dysfunction and death in the brain, leading to progressive cognitive, psychiatric, and motor impairments. Despite molecular and cellular descriptions of the effects of the HD mutation, no effective pharmacological treatment is yet available. In addition to well-established alterations of glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems, it is becoming clear that the GABAergic systems are also impaired in HD. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, and GABAergic neurotransmission has been postulated to be modified in many neurological and psychiatric diseases. In addition, GABAergic neurotransmission is the target of many drugs that are in wide clinical use. Here, we summarize data demonstrating the occurrence of alterations of GABAergic markers in the brain of HD carriers as well as in rodent models of the disease. In particular, we pinpoint HD-related changes in the expression of GABA_A receptors (GABA_A Rs). On the basis that a novel GABA pharmacology of GABA_A Rs established with more selective drugs is emerging, we argue that clinical treatments acting specifically on GABAergic neurotransmission may be an appropriate strategy for improving symptoms linked to the HD mutation.

Npas1+ Pallidal Neurons Target Striatal Projection Neurons

Compelling evidence demonstrates that the external globus pallidus (GPe) plays a key role in processing sensorimotor information. An anatomical projection from the GPe to the dorsal striatum has been described for decades. However, the cellular target and functional impact of this projection remain unknown. Using cell-specific transgenic mice, modern monosynaptic tracing techniques, and optogenetics-based mapping, we discovered that GPe neurons provide inhibitory inputs to direct and indirect pathway striatal projection neurons (SPNs). Our results indicate that the GPe input to SPNs arises primarily from Npas1-expressing neurons and is strengthened in a chronic Parkinson's disease (PD) model. Alterations of the GPe-SPN input in a PD model argue for the critical position of this connection in regulating basal ganglia motor output and PD symptomatology. Finally, chemogenetic activation of Npas1-expressing GPe neurons suppresses motor output, arguing that strengthening of the GPe-SPN connection is maladaptive and may underlie the hypokinetic symptoms in PD.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

An anatomical projection from the pallidum to the striatum has been described for decades, but little is known about its connectivity pattern. The authors dissect the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons involved in this projection, and show its cell-specific remodeling and strengthening in parkinsonian mice. Chemogenetic activation of Npas1(+) pallidal neurons that give rise to the principal pallidostriatal projection increases the time that the mice spend motionless. This argues that maladaptive strengthening of this connection underlies the paucity of volitional movements, which is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease.

Differential Alteration in Expression of Striatal GABAAR Subunits in Mouse Models of Huntington's Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor symptoms that are preceded by cognitive deficits and is considered as a disorder that primarily affects forebrain striatal neurons. To gain a better understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with disease progression, we analyzed the expression of proteins involved in GABAergic neurotransmission in the striatum of the R6/1 transgenic mouse model. Western blot, quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical analyses were conducted on male R6/1 mice and age-matched wild type littermates. Analyses were performed on 2 and 6 month-old animals, respectively, before and after the onset of motor symptoms. Expression of GAD 67, GAD 65, NL2, or gephyrin proteins, involved in GABA synthesis or synapse formation did not display major changes. In contrast, expression of α1, α3 and α5 GABA_AR subunits was increased while the expression of δ was decreased, suggesting a change in tonic- and phasic inhibitory transmission. Western blot analysis of the striatum from 8 month-old Hdh Q111, a knock-in mouse model of HD with mild deficits, confirmed the α1 subunit increased expression. From immunohistochemical analyses, we also found that α1 subunit expression is increased in medium-sized spiny projection neurons (MSN) and decreased in parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons at 2 and 6 months in R6/1 mice. Moreover, α2 subunit labeling on the PV and MSN cell membranes was increased at 2 months and decreased at 6 months. Alteration of gene expression in the striatum and modification of GABA_A receptor subtypes in both interneurons and projection neurons suggested that HD mutation has a profound effect on synaptic plasticity at an early stage, before the onset of motor symptoms. These results also indicate that cognitive and other behavioral deficits may be associated with changes in GABAergic neurotransmission that consequently could be a relevant target for early therapeutic treatment.

Interplay between periodic stimulation and GABAergic inhibition in striatal network oscillations

Network oscillations are ubiquitous across many brain regions. In the basal ganglia, oscillations are also present at many levels and a wide range of characteristic frequencies have been reported to occur during both health and disease. The striatum, the main input nucleus of the basal ganglia, receives massive glutamatergic inputs from the cortex and is highly susceptible to external oscillations. However, there is limited knowledge about the exact nature of this routing process and therefore, it is of key importance to understand how time-dependent, external stimuli propagate through the striatal circuitry. Using a network model of the striatum and corticostriatal projections, we try to elucidate the importance of specific GABAergic neurons and their interactions in shaping striatal oscillatory activity. Here, we propose that fast-spiking interneurons can perform an important role in transferring cortical oscillations to the striatum especially to those medium spiny neurons that are not directly driven by the cortical oscillations. We show how the activity levels of different populations, the strengths of different inhibitory synapses, degree of outgoing projections of striatal cells, ongoing activity and synchronicity of inputs can influence network activity. These results suggest that the propagation of oscillatory inputs into the medium spiny neuron population is most efficient, if conveyed via the fast-spiking interneurons. Therefore, pharmaceuticals that target fast-spiking interneurons may provide a novel treatment for regaining the spectral characteristics of striatal activity that correspond to the healthy state.

Untangling Basal Ganglia Network Dynamics and Function: Role of Dopamine Depletion and Inhibition Investigated in a Spiking Network Model

The basal ganglia are a crucial brain system for behavioral selection, and their function is disturbed in Parkinson's disease (PD), where neurons exhibit inappropriate synchronization and oscillations. We present a spiking neural model of basal ganglia including plausible details on synaptic dynamics, connectivity patterns, neuron behavior, and dopamine effects. Recordings of neuronal activity in the subthalamic nucleus and Type A (TA; arkypallidal) and Type I (TI; prototypical) neurons in globus pallidus externa were used to validate the model. Simulation experiments predict that both local inhibition in striatum and the existence of an indirect pathway are important for basal ganglia to function properly over a large range of cortical drives. The dopamine depletion-induced increase of AMPA efficacy in corticostriatal synapses to medium spiny neurons (MSNs) with dopamine receptor D2 synapses (CTX-MSN D2) and the reduction of MSN lateral connectivity (MSN-MSN) were found to contribute significantly to the enhanced synchrony and oscillations seen in PD. Additionally, reversing the dopamine depletion-induced changes to CTX-MSN D1, CTX-MSN D2, TA-MSN, and MSN-MSN couplings could improve or restore basal ganglia action selection ability. In summary, we found multiple changes of parameters for synaptic efficacy and neural excitability that could improve action selection ability and at the same time reduce oscillations. Identification of such targets could potentially generate ideas for treatments of PD and increase our understanding of the relation between network dynamics and network function.

A Low-Correlation Resting State of the Striatum during Cortical Avalanches and Its Role in Movement Suppression

During quiet resting behavior, involuntary movements are suppressed. Such movement control is attributed to cortico-basal ganglia loops, yet population dynamics within these loops during resting and their relation to involuntary movements are not well characterized. Here, we show by recording cortical and striatal ongoing population activity in awake rats during quiet resting that intrastriatal inhibition maintains a low-correlation striatal resting state in the presence of cortical neuronal avalanches. Involuntary movements arise from disturbed striatal resting activity through two different population dynamics. Nonselectively reducing intrastriatal γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor-A inhibition synchronizes striatal dynamics, leading to involuntary movements at low rate. In contrast, reducing striatal interneuron (IN)-mediated inhibition maintains decorrelation and induces intermittent involuntary movements at high rate. This latter scenario was highly effective in modulating cortical dynamics at a subsecond timescale. To distinguish intrastriatal processing from loop dynamics, cortex-striatum-midbrain cultures, which lack feedback to cortex, were used. Cortical avalanches in vitro were accompanied by low-correlated resting activity in the striatum and nonselective reduction in striatal inhibition synchronized striatal neurons similar to in vivo. Importantly, reduction of inhibition from striatal INs maintained low correlations in the striatum while reorganizing functional connectivities among striatal neurons. Our results demonstrate the importance of two major striatal microcircuits in distinctly regulating striatal and cortical resting state dynamics. These findings suggest that specific functional connectivities of the striatum that are maintained by local inhibition are important in movement control.

Why don’t neuronal “avalanches” in resting-state cortex cause involuntary movements? This study shows that a low-correlation striatal resting state suppresses such movements and explores mechanisms that disrupt this inhibition.

Even in the absence of apparent motor output, the brain produces a rich repertoire of neuronal activity patterns known as “resting state” activity. In the outer layer of the cortex, resting state patterns emerge as neuronal avalanches, precisely scale-invariant spatiotemporal bursts that often engage large populations of neurons. Little is known about how the brain suppresses involuntary movements during such activity. Here, we show that the striatum, which is part of the cortex-basal ganglia loop, maintains a low-correlation state during resting activity. By using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches with pharmacological manipulations, we demonstrate that the precise configuration of this low-correlation state effectively contributes to involuntary movements. Nonselective blockade of intra-striatal inhibition abolished the low-correlation striatal resting state, barely affected cortical avalanches, and led to involuntary movements at low rate. In contrast, selectively reducing striatal interneuron inhibition strongly affected cortical avalanches and triggered involuntary movements at high rate while maintaining a relatively decorrelated striatal resting state. Our results demonstrate the importance of different inhibitory striatal circuits in the suppression of involuntary movements and suggest that the precise spatiotemporal configuration of striatal activity plays an active role in the regulation of cortical resting state activity and motor control.

Mutual Control of Cholinergic and Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons in the Striatum

The striatum is the largest nucleus of the basal ganglia and is crucially involved in action selection and reward processing. Cortical and thalamic inputs to the striatum are processed by local networks in which several classes of interneurons play an important, but still poorly understood role. Here we investigated the interactions between cholinergic and low-threshold spike (LTS) interneurons. LTS interneurons were hyperpolarized by co-application of muscarinic and nicotinic receptor antagonists (atropine and mecamylamine, respectively). Mecamylamine alone also caused hyperpolarizations, while atropine alone caused depolarizations and increased firing. LTS interneurons were also under control of tonic GABA, as application of the GABA_A receptor antagonist picrotoxin caused depolarizations and increased firing. Frequency of spontaneous GABAergic events in LTS interneurons was increased by co-application of atropine and mecamylamine or by atropine alone, but reduced by mecamylamine alone. In the presence of picrotoxin and tetrodotoxin (TTX), atropine and mecamylamine depolarized the LTS interneurons. We concluded that part of the excitatory effects of tonic acetylcholine (ACh) on LTS interneurons were due to cholinergic modulation of tonic GABA. We then studied the influence of LTS interneurons on cholinergic interneurons. Application of antagonists of somatostatin or neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptors or of an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (L-NAME) did not cause detectable effects in cholinergic interneurons. However, prolonged synchronized depolarizations of LTS interneurons (elicited with optogenetics tools) caused slow-onset depolarizations in cholinergic interneurons, which were often accompanied by strong action potential firing and were fully abolished by L-NAME. Thus, a mutual excitatory influence exists between LTS and cholinergic interneurons in the striatum, providing an opportunity for sustained activation of the two cell types. This activation may endow the striatal microcircuits with the ability to enter a high ACh/high nitric oxide regime when adequately triggered by external excitatory stimuli to these interneurons.

Optogenetic stimulation reveals distinct modulatory properties of thalamostriatal vs corticostriatal glutamatergic inputs to fast-spiking interneurons

Parvalbumin-containing fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) exert a powerful feed-forward GABAergic inhibition on striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs), playing a critical role in timing striatal output. However, how glutamatergic inputs modulate their firing activity is still unexplored. Here, by means of a combined optogenetic and electrophysiological approach, we provide evidence for a differential modulation of cortico- vs thalamo-striatal synaptic inputs to FSIs in transgenic mice carrying light-gated ion channels channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in glutamatergic fibers. Corticostriatal synapses show a postsynaptic facilitation, whereas thalamostriatal synapses present a postsynaptic depression. Moreover, thalamostriatal synapses exhibit more prominent AMPA-mediated currents than corticostriatal synapses, and an increased release probability. Furthermore, during current-evoked firing activity, simultaneous corticostriatal stimulation increases bursting activity. Conversely, thalamostriatal fiber activation shifts the canonical burst-pause activity to a more prolonged, regular firing pattern. However, this change in firing pattern was accompanied by a significant rise in the frequency of membrane potential oscillations. Notably, the responses to thalamic stimulation were fully abolished by blocking metabotropic glutamate 1 (mGlu1) receptor subtype, whereas both acetylcholine and dopamine receptor antagonists were ineffective. Our findings demonstrate that cortical and thalamic glutamatergic input differently modulate FSIs firing activity through specific intrinsic and synaptic properties, exerting a powerful influence on striatal outputs.

Are striatal tyrosine hydroxylase interneurons dopaminergic?

Striatal GABAergic interneurons that express the gene for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) have been identified previously by several methods. Although generally assumed to be dopaminergic, possibly serving as a compensatory source of dopamine (DA) in Parkinson's disease, this assumption has never been tested directly. In TH-Cre mice whose nigrostriatal pathway had been eliminated unilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine, we injected a Cre-dependent virus coding for channelrhodopsin-2 and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein unilaterally into the unlesioned midbrain or bilaterally into the striatum. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in striatal slices revealed that both optical and electrical stimulation readily elicited DA release in control striata but not from contralateral striata when nigrostriatal neurons were transduced. In contrast, neither optical nor electrical stimulation could elicit striatal DA release in either the control or lesioned striata when the virus was injected directly into the striatum transducing only striatal TH interneurons. This demonstrates that striatal TH interneurons do not release DA. Fluorescence immunocytochemistry in enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-TH mice revealed colocalization of DA, l-amino acid decarboxylase, the DA transporter, and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 with EGFP in midbrain dopaminergic neurons but not in any of the striatal EGFP-TH interneurons. Optogenetic activation of striatal EGFP-TH interneurons produced strong GABAergic inhibition in all spiny neurons tested. These results indicate that striatal TH interneurons are not dopaminergic but rather are a type of GABAergic interneuron that expresses TH but none of the other enzymes or transporters necessary to operate as dopaminergic neurons and exert widespread GABAergic inhibition onto direct and indirect spiny neurons.

Therapeutic mechanisms of high-frequency stimulation in Parkinson's disease and neural restoration via loop-based reinforcement

High-frequency deep brain stimulation (HFS) is clinically recognized to treat parkinsonian movement disorders, but its mechanisms remain elusive. Current hypotheses suggest that the therapeutic merit of HFS stems from increasing the regularity of the firing patterns in the basal ganglia (BG). Although this is consistent with experiments in humans and animal models of Parkinsonism, it is unclear how the pattern regularization would originate from HFS. To address this question, we built a computational model of the cortico-BG-thalamo-cortical loop in normal and parkinsonian conditions. We simulated the effects of subthalamic deep brain stimulation both proximally to the stimulation site and distally through orthodromic and antidromic mechanisms for several stimulation frequencies (20-180 Hz) and, correspondingly, we studied the evolution of the firing patterns in the loop. The model closely reproduced experimental evidence for each structure in the loop and showed that neither the proximal effects nor the distal effects individually account for the observed pattern changes, whereas the combined impact of these effects increases with the stimulation frequency and becomes significant for HFS. Perturbations evoked proximally and distally propagate along the loop, rendezvous in the striatum, and, for HFS, positively overlap (reinforcement), thus causing larger poststimulus activation and more regular patterns in striatum. Reinforcement is maximal for the clinically relevant 130-Hz stimulation and restores a more normal activity in the nuclei downstream. These results suggest that reinforcement may be pivotal to achieve pattern regularization and restore the neural activity in the nuclei downstream and may stem from frequency-selective resonant properties of the loop.

Lateral and feedforward inhibition suppress asynchronous activity in a large, biophysically-detailed computational model of the striatal network

Striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) receive lateral inhibitory projections from other MSNs and feedforward inhibitory projections from fast-spiking, parvalbumin-containing striatal interneurons (FSIs). The functional roles of these connections are unknown, and difficult to study in an experimental preparation. We therefore investigated the functionality of both lateral (MSN-MSN) and feedforward (FSI-MSN) inhibition using a large-scale computational model of the striatal network. The model consists of 2744 MSNs comprised of 189 compartments each and 121 FSIs comprised of 148 compartments each, with dendrites explicitly represented and almost all known ionic currents included and strictly constrained by biological data as appropriate. Our analysis of the model indicates that both lateral inhibition and feedforward inhibition function at the population level to limit non-ensemble MSN spiking while preserving ensemble MSN spiking. Specifically, lateral inhibition enables large ensembles of MSNs firing synchronously to strongly suppress non-ensemble MSNs over a short time-scale (10–30 ms). Feedforward inhibition enables FSIs to strongly inhibit weakly activated, non-ensemble MSNs while moderately inhibiting activated ensemble MSNs. Importantly, FSIs appear to more effectively inhibit MSNs when FSIs fire asynchronously. Both types of inhibition would increase the signal-to-noise ratio of responding MSN ensembles and contribute to the formation and dissolution of MSN ensembles in the striatal network.

Dynamics of action potential firing in electrically connected striatal fast-spiking interneurons

Fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) play a central role in organizing the output of striatal neural circuits, yet functional interactions between these cells are still largely unknown. Here we investigated the interplay of action potential (AP) firing between electrically connected pairs of identified FSIs in mouse striatal slices. In addition to a loose coordination of firing activity mediated by membrane potential coupling, gap junctions (GJ) induced a frequency-dependent inhibition of spike discharge in coupled cells. At relatively low firing rates (2–20 Hz), some APs were tightly synchronized whereas others were inhibited. However, burst firing at intermediate frequencies (25–60 Hz) mostly induced spike inhibition, while at frequencies >50–60 Hz FSI pairs tended to synchronize. Spike silencing occurred even in the absence of GABAergic synapses or persisted after a complete block of GABA_A receptors. Pharmacological suppression of presynaptic spike afterhyperpolarization (AHP) caused postsynaptic spikelets to become more prone to trigger spikes at near-threshold potentials, leading to a mostly synchronous firing activity. The complex pattern of functional coordination mediated by GJ endows FSIs with peculiar dynamic properties that may be critical in controlling striatal-dependent behavior.

Different correlation patterns of cholinergic and GABAergic interneurons with striatal projection neurons

The striatum is populated by a single projection neuron group, the medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and several groups of interneurons. Two of the electrophysiologically well-characterized striatal interneuron groups are the tonically active neurons (TANs), which are presumably cholinergic interneurons, and the fast spiking interneurons (FSIs), presumably parvalbumin (PV) expressing GABAergic interneurons. To better understand striatal processing it is thus crucial to define the functional relationship between MSNs and these interneurons in the awake and behaving animal. We used multiple electrodes and standard physiological methods to simultaneously record MSN spiking activity and the activity of TANs or FSIs from monkeys engaged in a classical conditioning paradigm. All three cell populations were highly responsive to the behavioral task. However, they displayed different average response profiles and a different degree of response synchronization (signal correlation). TANs displayed the most transient and synchronized response, MSNs the most diverse and sustained response and FSIs were in between on both parameters. We did not find evidence for direct monosynaptic connectivity between the MSNs and either the TANs or the FSIs. However, while the cross correlation histograms of TAN to MSN pairs were flat, those of FSI to MSN displayed positive asymmetrical broad peaks. The FSI-MSN correlogram profile implies that the spikes of MSNs follow those of FSIs and both are driven by a common, most likely cortical, input. Thus, the two populations of striatal interneurons are probably driven by different afferents and play complementary functional roles in the physiology of the striatal microcircuit.

Molecular Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s Disease: New Targets for New Therapies

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex chronic neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. A conceptual framework for all chronic diseases involves a series of channels or pathways (aging, genetic, environment, oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, protein aggregation, etc.) and their interactions. Those channels with specificities may explain the ‘developmental’ program that through transcriptional reprogramming results in stressed dopamine neurons that eventually become dysfunctional or die, giving rise to the clinical manifestations of PD. In Chapter 2 we review the molecular mechanisms of those channels that may be implicated in the pathogenesis of PD and the pathophysiology of the disease based on the anatomo‐physiological complexity of the basal ganglia. This illustrates that understanding the molecular mechanisms of a disease may not be enough, or we have to reach an adequate system level to understand the disease process. Finally, we suggest that common therapies used for the treatment of other chronic diseases may be useful for the treatment (or help to advance the understanding) of PD, as well as new targets for new therapies that may be useful in the prevention of, or to stop the progression of, PD and other synucleinopathies.

Signal enhancement in the output stage of the basal ganglia by synaptic short-term plasticity in the direct, indirect, and hyperdirect pathways

Many of the synapses in the basal ganglia display short-term plasticity. Still, computational models have not yet been used to investigate how this affects signaling. Here we use a model of the basal ganglia network, constrained by available data, to quantitatively investigate how synaptic short-term plasticity affects the substantia nigra reticulata (SNr), the basal ganglia output nucleus. We find that SNr becomes particularly responsive to the characteristic burst-like activity seen in both direct and indirect pathway striatal medium spiny neurons (MSN). As expected by the standard model, direct pathway MSNs are responsible for decreasing the activity in SNr. In particular, our simulations indicate that bursting in only a few percent of the direct pathway MSNs is sufficient for completely inhibiting SNr neuron activity. The standard model also suggests that SNr activity in the indirect pathway is controlled by MSNs disinhibiting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) via the globus pallidus externa (GPe). Our model rather indicates that SNr activity is controlled by the direct GPe-SNr projections. This is partly because GPe strongly inhibits SNr but also due to depressing STN-SNr synapses. Furthermore, depressing GPe-SNr synapses allow the system to become sensitive to irregularly firing GPe subpopulations, as seen in dopamine depleted conditions, even when the GPe mean firing rate does not change. Similar to the direct pathway, simulations indicate that only a few percent of bursting indirect pathway MSNs can significantly increase the activity in SNr. Finally, the model predicts depressing STN-SNr synapses, since such an assumption explains experiments showing that a brief transient activation of the hyperdirect pathway generates a tri-phasic response in SNr, while a sustained STN activation has minor effects. This can be explained if STN-SNr synapses are depressing such that their effects are counteracted by the (known) depressing GPe-SNr inputs.

Effect of phase response curve skewness on synchronization of electrically coupled neuronal oscillators

We investigate why electrically coupled neuronal oscillators synchronize or fail to synchronize using the theory of weakly coupled oscillators. Stability of synchrony and antisynchrony is predicted analytically and verified using numerical bifurcation diagrams. The shape of the phase response curve (PRC), the shape of the voltage time course, and the frequency of spiking are freely varied to map out regions of parameter spaces that hold stable solutions. We find that type 1 and type 2 PRCs can hold both synchronous and antisynchronous solutions, but the shape of the PRC and the voltage determine the extent of their stability. This is achieved by introducing a five-piecewise linear model to the PRC and a three-piecewise linear model to the voltage time course, and then analyzing the resultant eigenvalue equations that determine the stability of the phase-locked solutions. A single time parameter defines the skewness of the PRC, and another single time parameter defines the spike width and frequency. Our approach gives a comprehensive picture of the relation of the PRC shape, voltage time course, and stability of the resultant synchronous and antisynchronous solutions.

Target selectivity of feedforward inhibition by striatal fast-spiking interneurons

The striatal microcircuitry consists of a vast majority of projection neurons, the medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and a small yet diverse population of interneurons. To understand how activity is orchestrated within the striatum, it is essential to unravel the functional connectivity between the different neuronal types. Fast-spiking (FS) interneurons provide feedforward inhibition to both direct and indirect pathway MSNs and are important in sculpting their output to downstream basal ganglia nuclei. FS interneurons are also interconnected with each other via electrical and chemical synapses; however, whether and how they inhibit other striatal interneuron types remains unknown. In this study we combined multineuron whole-cell recordings with optogenetics to determine the target selectivity of feedforward inhibition by striatal FS interneurons. Using transgenic and viral approaches we directed expression of channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) to FS interneurons to study their connectivity within the mouse striatal microcircuit. Optogenetic stimulation of ChR2-expressing FS interneurons generated strong and reliable GABA(A)-dependent synaptic inputs in MSNs. In sharp contrast, simultaneously recorded neighboring cholinergic interneurons did not receive any synaptic inputs from photostimulated FS cells, and a minority of low-threshold spiking (LTS) interneurons responded weakly. We further tested the synaptic connectivity between FS and LTS interneurons using paired recordings, which showed only sparse connectivity. Our results show that striatal FS interneurons form a feedforward inhibitory circuit that is target selective, inhibiting projection neurons while avoiding cholinergic interneurons and sparsely contacting LTS interneurons, thus supporting independent modulation of MSN activity by the different types of striatal interneurons.

Evolutionarily conserved differences in pallial and thalamic short-term synaptic plasticity in striatum

The striatum of the basal ganglia is conserved throughout the vertebrate phylum. Tracing studies in lamprey have shown that its afferent inputs are organized in a manner similar to that of mammals. The main inputs arise from the thalamus (Th) and lateral pallium (LPal; the homologue of cortex) that represents the two principal excitatory glutamatergic inputs in mammals. The aim here was to characterize the pharmacology and synaptic dynamics of afferent fibres from the LPal and Th onto identified striatal neurons to understand the processing taking place in the lamprey striatum. We used whole-cell current-clamp recordings in acute slices of striatum with preserved fibres from the Th and LPal, as well as tract tracing and immunohistochemistry. We show that the Th and LPal produce monosynaptic excitatory glutamatergic input through NMDA and AMPA receptors. The synaptic input from the LPal displayed short-term facilitation, unlike the Th input that instead displayed strong short-term synaptic depression. There was also an activity-dependent recruitment of intrastriatal oligosynaptic inhibition from both inputs. These results indicate that the two principal inputs undergo different activity-dependent short-term synaptic plasticity in the lamprey striatum. The difference observed between Th and LPal (cortical) input is also observed in mammals, suggesting a conserved trait throughout vertebrate evolution.

Functional properties of striatal fast-spiking interneurons

Striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) have a major influence over behavioral output, and a deficit in these cells has been observed in dystonia and Tourette syndrome. FSIs receive cortical input, are coupled together by gap junctions, and make perisomatic GABAergic synapses onto many nearby projection neurons. Despite being critical components of striatal microcircuits, until recently little was known about FSI activity in behaving animals. Striatal FSIs are near-continuously active in awake rodents, but even neighboring FSIs show uncorrelated activity most of the time. A coordinated "pulse" of increased FSI firing occurs throughout striatum when rats initiate one chosen action while suppressing a highly trained alternative. This pulse coincides with a drop in globus pallidus population activity, suggesting that pallidostriatal disinhibition may have a important role in timing or coordinating action execution. In addition to changes in firing rate, FSIs show behavior-linked modulation of spike timing. The variability of inter-spike intervals decreases markedly following instruction cues, and FSIs also participate in fast striatal oscillations that are linked to rewarding events and dopaminergic drugs. These studies have revealed novel and unexpected properties of FSIs, that should help inform new models of striatal information processing in both normal and aberrant conditions.