1
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Lackey EP, Moreira L, Norton A, Hemelt ME, Osorno T, Nguyen TM, Macosko EZ, Lee WCA, Hull CA, Regehr WG. Specialized connectivity of molecular layer interneuron subtypes leads to disinhibition and synchronous inhibition of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Neuron 2024; 112:2333-2348.e6. [PMID: 38692278 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) account for approximately 80% of the inhibitory interneurons in the cerebellar cortex and are vital to cerebellar processing. MLIs are thought to primarily inhibit Purkinje cells (PCs) and suppress the plasticity of synapses onto PCs. MLIs also inhibit, and are electrically coupled to, other MLIs, but the functional significance of these connections is not known. Here, we find that two recently recognized MLI subtypes, MLI1 and MLI2, have a highly specialized connectivity that allows them to serve distinct functional roles. MLI1s primarily inhibit PCs, are electrically coupled to each other, fire synchronously with other MLI1s on the millisecond timescale in vivo, and synchronously pause PC firing. MLI2s are not electrically coupled, primarily inhibit MLI1s and disinhibit PCs, and are well suited to gating cerebellar-dependent behavior and learning. The synchronous firing of electrically coupled MLI1s and disinhibition provided by MLI2s require a major re-evaluation of cerebellar processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis Moreira
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aliya Norton
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marie E Hemelt
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tomas Osorno
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tri M Nguyen
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wei-Chung Allen Lee
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Court A Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Gouhier A, Villette V, Mathieu B, Ayon A, Bradley J, Dieudonné S. Identification and Organization of a Postural Anti-Gravity Module in the Cerebellar Vermis. Neuroscience 2024:S0306-4522(24)00263-X. [PMID: 38897374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.06.006] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The cerebellum is known to control the proper balance of isometric muscular contractions that maintain body posture. Current optogenetic manipulations of the cerebellar cortex output, however, have focused on ballistic body movements, examining movement initiation or perturbations. Here, by optogenetic stimulations of cerebellar Purkinje cells, which are the output of the cerebellar cortex, we evaluate body posture maintenance. By sequential analysis of body movement, we dissect the effect of optogenetic stimulation into a directly induced movement that is then followed by a compensatory reflex to regain body posture. We identify a module in the medial part of the anterior vermis which, through multiple muscle tone regulation, is involved in postural anti-gravity maintenance of the body. Moreover, we report an antero-posterior and medio-lateral functional segregation over the vermal lobules IV/V/VI. Taken together our results open new avenues for better understanding of the modular functional organization of the cerebellar cortex and its role in postural anti-gravity maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Gouhier
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Vincent Villette
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Benjamin Mathieu
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Annick Ayon
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Jonathan Bradley
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Stéphane Dieudonné
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France.
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3
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Brown ST, Medina-Pizarro M, Holla M, Vaaga CE, Raman IM. Simple spike patterns and synaptic mechanisms encoding sensory and motor signals in Purkinje cells and the cerebellar nuclei. Neuron 2024; 112:1848-1861.e4. [PMID: 38492575 PMCID: PMC11156563 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Whisker stimulation in awake mice evokes transient suppression of simple spike probability in crus I/II Purkinje cells. Here, we investigated how simple spike suppression arises synaptically, what it encodes, and how it affects cerebellar output. In vitro, monosynaptic parallel fiber (PF)-excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) facilitated strongly, whereas disynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) remained stable, maximizing relative inhibitory strength at the onset of PF activity. Short-term plasticity thus favors the inhibition of Purkinje spikes before PFs facilitate. In vivo, whisker stimulation evoked a 2-6 ms synchronous spike suppression, just 6-8 ms (∼4 synaptic delays) after sensory onset, whereas active whisker movements elicited broadly timed spike rate increases that did not modulate sensory-evoked suppression. Firing in the cerebellar nuclei (CbN) inversely correlated with disinhibition from sensory-evoked simple spike suppressions but was decoupled from slow, non-synchronous movement-associated elevations of Purkinje firing rates. Synchrony thus allows the CbN to high-pass filter Purkinje inputs, facilitating sensory-evoked cerebellar outputs that can drive movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer T Brown
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Mauricio Medina-Pizarro
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Meghana Holla
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Indira M Raman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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4
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Pickford J, Iosif CI, Bashir ZI, Apps R. Inhibiting cholinergic signalling in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus impairs motor behaviour. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2208-2224. [PMID: 37455360 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The role of neuromodulators in the cerebellum is not well understood. In particular, the behavioural significance of the cholinergic system in the cerebellum is unknown. To investigate the importance of cerebellar cholinergic signalling in behaviour, we infused acetylcholine receptor antagonists, scopolamine and mecamylamine, bilaterally into the rat cerebellum (centred on interpositus nucleus) and observed the motor effects through a battery of behavioural tests. These tests included unrewarded behaviour during open field exploration and a horizontal ladder walking task and reward-based beam walking and pellet reaching tasks. Infusion of a mix of the antagonists did not impair motor learning in the horizontal ladder walking or the reaching task but reduced spontaneous movement during open field exploration, impaired coordination during beam walking and ladder walking, led to fewer reaches in the pellet reaching task, slowed goal-directed reaching behaviour and reduced reward pellet consumption in a free access to food task. Infusion of the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine on its own resulted in deficits in motor performance and a reduction in the number of reward pellets consumed in the free access to food task. By contrast, infusion of the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine on its own had no significant effect on any task, except beam walking traversal time, which was reduced. Together, these data suggest that acetylcholine in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus is important for the execution and coordination of voluntary movements mainly via muscarinic receptor signalling, especially in relation to reward-related behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Pickford
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Cristiana I Iosif
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zafar I Bashir
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard Apps
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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5
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Zang Y, De Schutter E. Recent data on the cerebellum require new models and theories. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102765. [PMID: 37591124 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum has been a popular topic for theoretical studies because its structure was thought to be simple. Since David Marr and James Albus related its function to motor skill learning and proposed the Marr-Albus cerebellar learning model, this theory has guided and inspired cerebellar research. In this review, we summarize the theoretical progress that has been made within this framework of error-based supervised learning. We discuss the experimental progress that demonstrates more complicated molecular and cellular mechanisms in the cerebellum as well as new cell types and recurrent connections. We also cover its involvement in diverse non-motor functions and evidence of other forms of learning. Finally, we highlight the need to explain these new experimental findings into an integrated cerebellar model that can unify its diverse computational functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunliang Zang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical Faculty, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Volen Center and Biology Department, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
| | - Erik De Schutter
- Computational Neuroscience Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan. https://twitter.com/DeschutterOIST
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6
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Najac M, McLean DL, Raman IM. Synaptic variance and action potential firing of cerebellar output neurons during motor learning in larval zebrafish. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3299-3311.e3. [PMID: 37421952 PMCID: PMC10527510 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum regulates both reflexive and acquired movements. Here, by recording voltage-clamped synaptic currents and spiking in cerebellar output (eurydendroid) neurons in immobilized larval zebrafish, we investigated synaptic integration during reflexive movements and throughout associative motor learning. Spiking coincides with the onset of reflexive fictive swimming but precedes learned swimming, suggesting that eurydendroid signals may facilitate the initiation of acquired movements. Although firing rates increase during swimming, mean synaptic inhibition greatly exceeds mean excitation, indicating that learned responses cannot result solely from changes in synaptic weight or upstream excitability that favor excitation. Estimates of spike threshold crossings based on measurements of intrinsic properties and the time course of synaptic currents demonstrate that noisy excitation can transiently outweigh noisy inhibition enough to increase firing rates at swimming onset. Thus, the millisecond-scale variance of synaptic currents can regulate cerebellar output, and the emergence of learned cerebellar behaviors may involve a time-based code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Najac
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - David L McLean
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Indira M Raman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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7
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Nashef A, Spindle MS, Calame DJ, Person AL. A dual Purkinje cell rate and synchrony code sculpts reach kinematics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.12.548720. [PMID: 37503038 PMCID: PMC10370034 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.12.548720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) encode movement kinematics in their population firing rates. Firing rate suppression is hypothesized to disinhibit neurons in the cerebellar nuclei, promoting adaptive movement adjustments. Debates persist, however, about whether a second disinhibitory mechanism, PC simple spike synchrony, is a relevant population code. We addressed this question by relating PC rate and synchrony patterns recorded with high density probes, to mouse reach kinematics. We discovered behavioral correlates of PC synchrony that align with a known causal relationship between activity in cerebellar output. Reach deceleration was positively correlated with both Purkinje firing rate decreases and synchrony, consistent with both mechanisms disinhibiting target neurons, which are known to adjust reach velocity. Direct tests of the contribution of each coding scheme to nuclear firing using dynamic clamp, combining physiological rate and synchrony patterns ex vivo, confirmed that physiological levels of PC simple spike synchrony are highly facilitatory for nuclear firing. These findings suggest that PC firing rate and synchrony collaborate to exert fine control of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulraheem Nashef
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, 80045, CO, USA
| | - Michael S Spindle
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, 80045, CO, USA
| | - Dylan J Calame
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, 80045, CO, USA
| | - Abigail L Person
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Aurora, 80045, CO, USA
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8
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Joshi A, Denovellis EL, Mankili A, Meneksedag Y, Davidson TJ, Gillespie AK, Guidera JA, Roumis D, Frank LM. Dynamic synchronization between hippocampal representations and stepping. Nature 2023; 617:125-131. [PMID: 37046088 PMCID: PMC10156593 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05928-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus is a mammalian brain structure that expresses spatial representations1 and is crucial for navigation2,3. Navigation, in turn, intricately depends on locomotion; however, current accounts suggest a dissociation between hippocampal spatial representations and the details of locomotor processes. Specifically, the hippocampus is thought to represent mainly higher-order cognitive and locomotor variables such as position, speed and direction of movement4-7, whereas the limb movements that propel the animal can be computed and represented primarily in subcortical circuits, including the spinal cord, brainstem and cerebellum8-11. Whether hippocampal representations are actually decoupled from the detailed structure of locomotor processes remains unknown. To address this question, here we simultaneously monitored hippocampal spatial representations and ongoing limb movements underlying locomotion at fast timescales. We found that the forelimb stepping cycle in freely behaving rats is rhythmic and peaks at around 8 Hz during movement, matching the approximately 8 Hz modulation of hippocampal activity and spatial representations during locomotion12. We also discovered precisely timed coordination between the time at which the forelimbs touch the ground ('plant' times of the stepping cycle) and the hippocampal representation of space. Notably, plant times coincide with hippocampal representations that are closest to the actual position of the nose of the rat, whereas between these plant times, the hippocampal representation progresses towards possible future locations. This synchronization was specifically detectable when rats approached spatial decisions. Together, our results reveal a profound and dynamic coordination on a timescale of tens of milliseconds between central cognitive representations and peripheral motor processes. This coordination engages and disengages rapidly in association with cognitive demands and is well suited to support rapid information exchange between cognitive and sensory-motor circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilasha Joshi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Eric L Denovellis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Abhijith Mankili
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yagiz Meneksedag
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Thomas J Davidson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anna K Gillespie
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Guidera
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Demetris Roumis
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Loren M Frank
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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9
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The deep cerebellar nuclei to striatum disynaptic connection contributes to skilled forelimb movement. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112000. [PMID: 36656714 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112000] [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: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar-thalamo-striatal synaptic communication has been implicated in a wide range of behaviors, including goal-directed actions, and is altered in cerebellar dystonia. However, its detailed connectivity through the thalamus and its contribution to the execution of forelimb movements is unclear. Here, we use trans-synaptic and retrograde tracing, ex vivo slice recordings, and optogenetic inhibitions during the execution of unidirectional or sequential joystick displacements to demonstrate that the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) influence the dorsal striatum with a very high probability. We show that this mainly occurs through the centrolateral (CL), parafascicular (PF), and ventrolateral (VL) nuclei of the thalamus, observing that the DCN→VL and DCN→CL pathways contribute to the execution of unidirectional forelimb displacements while the DCN→PF and DCN→thalamo→striatal pathways contribute to the appropriate execution of forelimb reaching and sequential displacements. These findings highlight specific contributions of the different cerebellar-thalamo-striatal paths to the control of skilled forelimb movement.
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10
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Magnus G, Xing J, Zhang Y, Han VZ. Diversity of cellular physiology and morphology of Purkinje cells in the adult zebrafish cerebellum. J Comp Neurol 2022; 531:461-485. [PMID: 36453181 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to explore the functional circuitry of the adult zebrafish cerebellum, focusing on its Purkinje cells and using whole-cell patch recordings and single cell labeling in slice preparations. Following physiological characterizations, the recorded single cells were labeled for morphological identification. It was found that the zebrafish Purkinje cells are surprisingly diverse. Based on their physiology and morphology, they can be classified into at least three subtypes: Type I, a narrow spike cell, which fires only narrow Na+ spikes (<3 ms in duration), and has a single primary dendrite with an arbor restricted to the distal molecular layer; Type II, a broad spike cell, which fires broad Ca2+ spikes (5-7 ms in duration) and has a primary dendrite with limited branching in the inner molecular layer and then further radiates throughout the molecular layer; and Type III, a very broad spike cell, which fires very broad Ca2+ spikes (≥10 ms in duration) and has a dense proximal dendritic arbor that is either restricted to the inner molecular layer (Type IIIa), or radiates throughout the entire molecular layer (Type IIIb). The graded paired-pulse facilitation of these Purkinje cells' responses to parallel fiber activations and the all-or-none, paired-pulse depression of climbing fiber activation are largely similar to those reported for mammals. The labeled axon terminals of these Purkinje cells end locally, as reported for larval zebrafish. The present study provides evidence that the corresponding functional circuitry and information processing differ from what has been well-established in the mammalian cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Magnus
- Department of Biology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
- Center for Integrative Brain Research Seattle Children's Research Institute Seattle Washington USA
| | - Junling Xing
- Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience Xijing Hospital Xi'an China
| | - Yueping Zhang
- Center for Integrative Brain Research Seattle Children's Research Institute Seattle Washington USA
- Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience Xijing Hospital Xi'an China
| | - Victor Z. Han
- Department of Biology University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
- Center for Integrative Brain Research Seattle Children's Research Institute Seattle Washington USA
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11
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Cerminara NL, Garwicz M, Darch H, Houghton C, Marple-Horvat DE, Apps R. Neuronal activity patterns in microcircuits of the cerebellar cortical C3 zone during reaching. J Physiol 2022; 600:5077-5099. [PMID: 36254104 PMCID: PMC10099968 DOI: 10.1113/jp282928] [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: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is the largest sensorimotor structure in the brain. A fundamental organizational feature of its cortex is its division into a series of rostrocaudally elongated zones. These are defined by their inputs from specific parts of the inferior olive and Purkinje cell output to specific cerebellar and vestibular nuclei. However, little is known about how patterns of neuronal activity in zones, and their microcircuit subdivisions, microzones, are related to behaviour in awake animals. In the present study, we investigated the organization of microzones within the C3 zone and their activity during a skilled forelimb reaching task in cats. Neurons in different microzones of the C3 zone, functionally determined by receptive field characteristics, differed in their patterns of activity during movement. Groups of Purkinje cells belonging to different receptive field classes, and therefore belonging to different microzones, were found to collectively encode different aspects of the reach controlled by the C3 zone. Our results support the hypothesis that the cerebellar C3 zone is organized and operates within a microzonal frame of reference, with a specific relationship between the sensory input to each microzone and its motor output. KEY POINTS: A defining feature of cerebellar organization is its division into a series of zones and smaller subunits termed microzones. Much of how zones and microzones are organized has been determined in anaesthetized preparations, and little is known about their function in awake animals. We recorded from neurons in the forelimb part of the C3 zone 'in action' by recording from single cerebellar cortical neurons located in different microzones defined by their peripheral receptive field properties during a forelimb reach-retrieval task in cats. Neurons from individual microzones had characteristic patterns of activity during movement, indicating that function is organized in relation to microcomplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia L Cerminara
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Martin Garwicz
- Neuronano Research Centre and Birgit Rausing Centre for Medical Humanities, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Henry Darch
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Conor Houghton
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Richard Apps
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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12
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van der Heijden ME, Brown AM, Sillitoe RV. Influence of data sampling methods on the representation of neural spiking activity in vivo. iScience 2022; 25:105429. [PMID: 36388953 PMCID: PMC9641233 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo single-unit recordings distinguish the basal spiking properties of neurons in different experimental settings and disease states. Here, we examined over 300 spike trains recorded from Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclei neurons to test whether data sampling approaches influence the extraction of rich descriptors of firing properties. Our analyses included neurons recorded in awake and anesthetized control mice, and disease models of ataxia, dystonia, and tremor. We find that recording duration circumscribes overall representations of firing rate and pattern. Notably, shorter recording durations skew estimates for global firing rate variability toward lower values. We also find that only some populations of neurons in the same mouse are more similar to each other than to neurons recorded in different mice. These data reveal that recording duration and approach are primary considerations when interpreting task-independent single neuron firing properties. If not accounted for, group differences may be concealed or exaggerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike E. van der Heijden
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amanda M. Brown
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
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13
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Kassa M, Bradley J, Jalil A, Llano I. KCa1.1 channels contribute to optogenetically driven post-stimulation silencing in cerebellar molecular layer interneurons. J Gen Physiol 2022; 155:213661. [PMID: 36326690 PMCID: PMC9640226 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202113004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Using cell-attached recordings from molecular layer interneurons (MLI) of the cerebellar cortex of adult mice expressing channel rhodopsin 2, we show that wide-field optical activation induces an increase in firing rate during illumination and a firing pause when the illumination ends (post-stimulation silencing; PSS). Significant spike rate changes with respect to basal firing rate were observed for optical activations lasting 200 ms and 1 s as well as for 1 s long trains of 10 ms pulses at 50 Hz. For all conditions, the net effect of optical activation on the integrated spike rate is significantly reduced because of PSS. Three lines of evidence indicate that this PSS is due to intrinsic factors. Firstly, PSS is induced when the optical stimulation is restricted to a single MLI using a 405-nm laser delivering a diffraction-limited spot at the focal plane. Secondly, PSS is not affected by block of GABA-A or GABA-B receptors, ruling out synaptic interactions amongst MLIs. Thirdly, PSS is mimicked in whole-cell recording experiments by step depolarizations under current clamp. Activation of Ca-dependent K channels during the spike trains appears as a likely candidate to underlie PSS. Using immunocytochemistry, we find that one such channel type, KCa1.1, is present in the somato-dendritic and axonal compartments of MLIs. In cell-attached recordings, charybdotoxin and iberiotoxin significantly reduce the optically induced PSS, while TRAM-34 does not affect it, suggesting that KCa1.1 channels, but not KCa3.1 channels, contribute to PSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merouann Kassa
- Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Jonathan Bradley
- Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Superieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Superieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSERM, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Abdelali Jalil
- Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Isabel Llano
- Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences, Paris, France
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14
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Abstract
The cerebellar cortex is an important system for relating neural circuits and learning. Its promise reflects the longstanding idea that it contains simple, repeated circuit modules with only a few cell types and a single plasticity mechanism that mediates learning according to classical Marr-Albus models. However, emerging data have revealed surprising diversity in neuron types, synaptic connections, and plasticity mechanisms, both locally and regionally within the cerebellar cortex. In light of these findings, it is not surprising that attempts to generate a holistic model of cerebellar learning across different behaviors have not been successful. While the cerebellum remains an ideal system for linking neuronal function with behavior, it is necessary to update the cerebellar circuit framework to achieve its great promise. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of cerebellar-cortical cell types, synaptic connections, signaling mechanisms, and forms of plasticity that enrich cerebellar processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Court Hull
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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15
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Coutant B, Frontera JL, Perrin E, Combes A, Tarpin T, Menardy F, Mailhes-Hamon C, Perez S, Degos B, Venance L, Léna C, Popa D. Cerebellar stimulation prevents Levodopa-induced dyskinesia in mice and normalizes activity in a motor network. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3211. [PMID: 35680891 PMCID: PMC9184492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30844-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic Levodopa therapy, the gold-standard treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD), leads to the emergence of involuntary movements, called levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). Cerebellar stimulation has been shown to decrease LID severity in PD patients. Here, in order to determine how cerebellar stimulation induces LID alleviation, we performed daily short trains of optogenetic stimulations of Purkinje cells (PC) in freely moving LID mice. We demonstrated that these stimulations are sufficient to suppress LID or even prevent their development. This symptomatic relief is accompanied by the normalization of aberrant neuronal discharge in the cerebellar nuclei, the motor cortex and the parafascicular thalamus. Inhibition of the cerebello-parafascicular pathway counteracted the beneficial effects of cerebellar stimulation. Moreover, cerebellar stimulation reversed plasticity in D1 striatal neurons and normalized the overexpression of FosB, a transcription factor causally linked to LID. These findings demonstrate LID alleviation and prevention by daily PC stimulations, which restore the function of a wide motor network, and may be valuable for LID treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bérénice Coutant
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jimena Laura Frontera
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Perrin
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Adèle Combes
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Thibault Tarpin
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Menardy
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Caroline Mailhes-Hamon
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Perez
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Degos
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Venance
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Clément Léna
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Daniela Popa
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de biologie de l'Ecole normale supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 75005, Paris, France.
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16
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Zobeiri OA, Cullen KE. Distinct representations of body and head motion are dynamically encoded by Purkinje cell populations in the macaque cerebellum. eLife 2022; 11:75018. [PMID: 35467528 PMCID: PMC9075952 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately control our posture and perceive our spatial orientation during self-motion requires knowledge of the motion of both the head and body. However, while the vestibular sensors and nuclei directly encode head motion, no sensors directly encode body motion. Instead, the integration of vestibular and neck proprioceptive inputs is necessary to transform vestibular information into the body-centric reference frame required for postural control. The anterior vermis of the cerebellum is thought to play a key role in this transformation, yet how its Purkinje cells transform multiple streams of sensory information into an estimate of body motion remains unknown. Here, we recorded the activity of individual anterior vermis Purkinje cells in alert monkeys during passively applied whole-body, body-under-head, and head-on-body rotations. Most Purkinje cells dynamically encoded an intermediate representation of self-motion between head and body motion. Notably, Purkinje cells responded to both vestibular and neck proprioceptive stimulation with considerable heterogeneity in their response dynamics. Furthermore, their vestibular responses were tuned to head-on-body position. In contrast, targeted neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei are known to unambiguously encode either head or body motion across conditions. Using a simple population model, we established that combining responses of~40-50 Purkinje cells could explain the responses of these deep cerebellar nuclei neurons across all self-motion conditions. We propose that the observed heterogeneity in Purkinje cell response dynamics underlies the cerebellum’s capacity to compute the dynamic representation of body motion required to ensure accurate postural control and perceptual stability in our daily lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid A Zobeiri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kathleen E Cullen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
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17
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Impact of Purkinje Cell Simple Spike Synchrony on Signal Transmission from Flocculus. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 21:879-904. [PMID: 34665396 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01332-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellar flocculus carry rate-coded information that ultimately drives eye movement. Floccular PCs lying nearby each other exhibit partial synchrony of their simple spikes (SS). Elsewhere in the cerebellum, PC SS synchrony has been demonstrated to influence activity of the PCs' synaptic targets, and some suggest it constitutes another vector for information transfer. We investigated in the cerebellar flocculus the extent to which the rate code and PC synchrony interact. One motivation for the study was to explain the cerebellar deficits in ataxic mice like tottering; we speculated that PC synchrony has a positive effect on rate code transmission that is lost in the mutants. Working in transgenic mice whose PCs express channelrhodopsin, we exploited a property of optogenetics to control PC synchrony: pulsed photostimulation engenders stimulus-locked spiking, whereas continuous photostimulation engenders spiking whose timing is unconstrained. We photoactivated flocculus PCs using pulsed stimuli with sinusoidally varying timing vs. continuous stimuli with sinusoidally varying intensity. Recordings of PC pairs confirmed that pulsed stimuli engendered greater PC synchrony. We quantified the efficiency of transmission of the evoked PC firing rate modulation from the amplitudes of firing rate modulation and eye movement. Rate code transmission was slightly poorer in the conditions that generated greater PC synchrony, arguing against our motivating speculation regarding the origin of ataxia in tottering. Floccular optogenetic stimulation prominently augmented a 250-300 Hz local field potential oscillation, and we demonstrate relationships between the oscillation power and the evoked PC synchrony.
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18
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Beekhof GC, Gornati SV, Canto CB, Libster AM, Schonewille M, De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE. Activity of Cerebellar Nuclei Neurons Correlates with ZebrinII Identity of Their Purkinje Cell Afferents. Cells 2021; 10:2686. [PMID: 34685666 PMCID: PMC8534335 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellar cortex can be divided into at least two main subpopulations: one subpopulation that prominently expresses ZebrinII (Z+), and shows a relatively low simple spike firing rate, and another that hardly expresses ZebrinII (Z-) and shows higher baseline firing rates. Likewise, the complex spike responses of PCs, which are evoked by climbing fiber inputs and thus reflect the activity of the inferior olive (IO), show the same dichotomy. However, it is not known whether the target neurons of PCs in the cerebellar nuclei (CN) maintain this bimodal distribution. Electrophysiological recordings in awake adult mice show that the rate of action potential firing of CN neurons that receive input from Z+ PCs was consistently lower than that of CN neurons innervated by Z- PCs. Similar in vivo recordings in juvenile and adolescent mice indicated that the firing frequency of CN neurons correlates to the ZebrinII identity of the PC afferents in adult, but not postnatal stages. Finally, the spontaneous action potential firing pattern of adult CN neurons recorded in vitro revealed no significant differences in intrinsic pacemaking activity between ZebrinII identities. Our findings indicate that all three main components of the olivocerebellar loop, i.e., PCs, IO neurons and CN neurons, operate at a higher rate in the Z- modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit C. Beekhof
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (G.C.B.); (S.V.G.)
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Simona V. Gornati
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (G.C.B.); (S.V.G.)
| | - Cathrin B. Canto
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Avraham M. Libster
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel;
| | - Martijn Schonewille
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (G.C.B.); (S.V.G.)
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (G.C.B.); (S.V.G.)
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Freek E. Hoebeek
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 AA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (G.C.B.); (S.V.G.)
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 EA Utrecht, The Netherlands
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19
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Purkinje cells located in the adult zebrafish valvula cerebelli exhibit variable functional responses. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18408. [PMID: 34526620 PMCID: PMC8443705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98035-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purkinje cells are critically involved in processing the cerebellar functions by shaping and coordinating commands that they receive. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that in the adult zebrafish valvular part of the cerebellum, the Purkinje cells exhibited variable firing and functional responses and allowed the categorization into three firing classes. Compared with the Purkinje cells in the corpus cerebelli, the valvular Purkinje cells receive weak and occasional input from the inferior olive and are not active during locomotion. Together, our findings expand further the regional functional differences of the Purkinje cell population and expose their non-locomotor functionality.
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20
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Baumel Y, Cohen D. State-dependent entrainment of cerebellar nuclear neurons to the local field potential during voluntary movements. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:112-122. [PMID: 34107223 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00551.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between the local field potential (LFP) and single neurons is essential if we are to understand network dynamics and the entrainment of neuronal activity. Here, we investigated the interaction between the LFP and single neurons recorded in the rat cerebellar nuclei (CN), which are part of the sensorimotor network, in freely moving rats. During movement, the LFP displayed persistent oscillations in the theta band frequency, whereas CN neurons displayed intermittent oscillations in the same frequency band contingent on the instantaneous LFP power; the neurons oscillated primarily when the concurrent LFP power was either high or low. Quantification of the relative instantaneous frequency and phase locking showed that CN neurons exhibited phase locked rhythmic activity at a frequency similar to that of the LFP or at a shifted frequency during high and low LFP power, respectively. We suggest that this nonlinear interaction between cerebellar neurons and the LFP power, which occurs solely during movement, contributes to the shaping of cerebellar output patterns.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied the interaction between single neurons and the LFP in the cerebellar nuclei of freely moving rats. We show that during movement, the neurons oscillated in the theta frequency band contingent on the concurrent LFP oscillation power in the same band; the neurons oscillated primarily when the LFP power was either high or low. We are the first to demonstrate a nonlinear, state-dependent entrainment of single neurons to the LFP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Baumel
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Dana Cohen
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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21
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Schäfer CB, Gao Z, De Zeeuw CI, Hoebeek FE. Temporal dynamics of the cerebello-cortical convergence in ventro-lateral motor thalamus. J Physiol 2021; 599:2055-2073. [PMID: 33492688 PMCID: PMC8048920 DOI: 10.1113/jp280455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Ventrolateral thalamus (VL) integrates information from cerebellar nuclei and motor cortical layer VI. Inputs from the cerebellar nuclei evoke large-amplitude responses that depress upon repetitive stimulation while layer VI inputs from motor cortex induce small-amplitude facilitating responses. We report that the spiking of VL neurons can be determined by the thalamic membrane potential, the frequency of cerebellar inputs and the duration of pauses after cerebellar high frequency stimulation. Inputs from motor cortical layer VI shift the VL membrane potential and modulate the VL spike output in response to cerebellar stimulation. These results help us to decipher how the cerebellar output is integrated in VL and modulated by motor cortical input. ABSTRACT Orchestrating complex movements requires well-timed interaction of cerebellar, thalamic and cerebral structures, but the mechanisms underlying the integration of cerebro-cerebellar information in motor thalamus remain largely unknown. Here we investigated how excitatory inputs from cerebellar nuclei (CN) and primary motor cortex layer VI (M1-L6) neurons may regulate the activity of neurons in the mouse ventrolateral (VL) thalamus. Using dual-optical stimulation of the CN and M1-L6 axons and in vitro whole-cell recordings of the responses in VL neurons, we studied the individual responses as well as the effects of combined CN and M1-L6 stimulation. Whereas CN inputs evoked large-amplitude responses that were depressed upon repetitive stimulation, M1-L6 inputs elicited small-amplitude responses that were facilitated upon repetitive stimulation. Moreover, pauses in CN stimuli could directly affect VL spiking probability, an effect that was modulated by VL membrane potential. When CN and M1-L6 pathways were co-activated, motor cortical afferents increased the thalamic spike output in response to cerebellar stimulation, indicating that CN and M1 synergistically, yet differentially, control the membrane potential and spiking pattern of VL neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhenyu Gao
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCRotterdam3015 AAThe Netherlands
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCRotterdam3015 AAThe Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for NeuroscienceRoyal Dutch Academy of Arts & ScienceAmsterdam1105 BAThe Netherlands
| | - Freek E. Hoebeek
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MCRotterdam3015 AAThe Netherlands
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and Brain CenterUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht3584 EAThe Netherlands
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22
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Arlt C, Häusser M. Microcircuit Rules Governing Impact of Single Interneurons on Purkinje Cell Output In Vivo. Cell Rep 2021; 30:3020-3035.e3. [PMID: 32130904 PMCID: PMC7059114 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional impact of single interneurons on neuronal output in vivo and how interneurons are recruited by physiological activity patterns remain poorly understood. In the cerebellar cortex, molecular layer interneurons and their targets, Purkinje cells, receive excitatory inputs from granule cells and climbing fibers. Using dual patch-clamp recordings from interneurons and Purkinje cells in vivo, we probe the spatiotemporal interactions between these circuit elements. We show that single interneuron spikes can potently inhibit Purkinje cell output, depending on interneuron location. Climbing fiber input activates many interneurons via glutamate spillover but results in inhibition of those interneurons that inhibit the same Purkinje cell receiving the climbing fiber input, forming a disinhibitory motif. These interneuron circuits are engaged during sensory processing, creating diverse pathway-specific response functions. These findings demonstrate how the powerful effect of single interneurons on Purkinje cell output can be sculpted by various interneuron circuit motifs to diversify cerebellar computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Arlt
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Michael Häusser
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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23
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Disruption of neonatal Purkinje cell function underlies injury-related learning deficits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2017876118. [PMID: 33688045 PMCID: PMC7980280 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017876118] [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] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Injury to the cerebellum during late fetal and early postnatal life is associated with long-term motor and cognitive deficits. It is thought that injury at this stage of development results in delayed maturation of neural circuitry, causing altered behavior at later stages. This study identifies the neural basis of locomotor learning deficits in the cerebellum using a clinically relevant model of neonatal brain injury. By combining fiber-optic-enabled Purkinje cell activity measurement during locomotor behavior, we provide evidence for long-term changes in neuronal responses during learning. By artificially reducing Purkinje cell function during the neonatal stage, we observed similarly altered physiological responses as those seen in injury. Our findings indicate that injury-related inhibition of developing Purkinje cells causes long-term locomotor dysfunction. It is hypothesized that perinatal cerebellar injury leads to long-term functional deficits due to circuit dysmaturation. Using a novel integration of GCaMP6f fiber photometry with automated measurement of cerebellar behavior using the ErasmusLadder, we causally link cerebellar injury to altered Purkinje cell responses during maladaptive behavior. Chemogenetic inhibition of neonatal Purkinje cells is sufficient to phenocopy the effects of perinatal cerebellar injury. Our results uncover a direct link between perinatal cerebellar injury and activity-dependent maturation of cerebellar cortex.
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24
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Abstract
During evolution, duplication of subnuclei generates broader cerebellar projections
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Hatten
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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25
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Ibrahim MF, Beevis JC, Empson RM. Essential Tremor - A Cerebellar Driven Disorder? Neuroscience 2020; 462:262-273. [PMID: 33212218 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal tremors are the most common of all movement disorders. In this review we focus on the role of the cerebellum in Essential Tremor, a highly debilitating but poorly treated movement disorder. We propose a variety of mechanisms driving abnormal burst firing of deep cerebellar nuclei neurons as a key initiator of tremorgenesis in Essential Tremor. Targetting these mechanisms may generate more effective treatments for Essential Tremor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Fasil Ibrahim
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Jessica C Beevis
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Ruth M Empson
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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26
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De Zeeuw CI. Bidirectional learning in upbound and downbound microzones of the cerebellum. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 22:92-110. [PMID: 33203932 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-00392-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the past several decades, theories about cerebellar learning have evolved. A relatively simple view that highlighted the contribution of one major form of heterosynaptic plasticity to cerebellar motor learning has given way to a plethora of perspectives that suggest that many different forms of synaptic and non-synaptic plasticity, acting at various sites, can control multiple types of learning behaviour. However, there still seem to be contradictions between the various hypotheses with regard to the mechanisms underlying cerebellar learning. The challenge is therefore to reconcile these different views and unite them into a single overall concept. Here I review our current understanding of the changes in the activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells in different 'microzones' during various forms of learning. I describe an emerging model that indicates that the activity of each microzone is bound to either increase or decrease during the initial stages of learning, depending on the directional and temporal demands of its downstream circuitry and the behaviour involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands. .,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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27
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Yamamoto M, Kim M, Imai H, Itakura Y, Ohtsuki G. Microglia-Triggered Plasticity of Intrinsic Excitability Modulates Psychomotor Behaviors in Acute Cerebellar Inflammation. Cell Rep 2020; 28:2923-2938.e8. [PMID: 31509752 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar dysfunction relates to various psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum and depressive disorders. However, the physiological aspect is less advanced. Here, we investigate the immune-triggered hyperexcitability in the cerebellum on a wider scope. Activated microglia via exposure to bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide or heat-killed Gram-negative bacteria induce a potentiation of the intrinsic excitability in Purkinje neurons, which is suppressed by microglia-activity inhibitor and microglia depletion. An inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), released from microglia via toll-like receptor 4, triggers this plasticity. Our two-photon FRET ATP imaging shows an increase in ATP concentration following endotoxin exposure. Both TNF-α and ATP secretion facilitate synaptic transmission. Region-specific inflammation in the cerebellum in vivo shows depression- and autistic-like behaviors. Furthermore, both TNF-α inhibition and microglia depletion revert such behavioral abnormality. Resting-state functional MRI reveals overconnectivity between the inflamed cerebellum and the prefrontal neocortical regions. Thus, immune activity in the cerebellum induces neuronal hyperexcitability and disruption of psychomotor behaviors in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masamichi Yamamoto
- Department of Nephrology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital, Shogoin-Kawaramachi-cho, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Minsoo Kim
- The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hirohiko Imai
- Department of Systems Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Informatics, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yamato Itakura
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Gen Ohtsuki
- The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ward, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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Machado AS, Marques HG, Duarte DF, Darmohray DM, Carey MR. Shared and specific signatures of locomotor ataxia in mutant mice. eLife 2020; 9:55356. [PMID: 32718435 PMCID: PMC7386913 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Several spontaneous mouse mutants with deficits in motor coordination and associated cerebellar neuropathology have been described. Intriguingly, both visible gait alterations and neuroanatomical abnormalities throughout the brain differ across mutants. We previously used the LocoMouse system to quantify specific deficits in locomotor coordination in mildly ataxic Purkinje cell degeneration mice (pcd; Machado et al., 2015). Here, we analyze the locomotor behavior of severely ataxic reeler mutants and compare and contrast it with that of pcd. Despite clearly visible gait differences, direct comparison of locomotor kinematics and linear discriminant analysis reveal a surprisingly similar pattern of impairments in multijoint, interlimb, and whole-body coordination in the two mutants. These findings capture both shared and specific signatures of gait ataxia and provide a quantitative foundation for mapping specific locomotor impairments onto distinct neuropathologies in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S Machado
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Hugo G Marques
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Diogo F Duarte
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dana M Darmohray
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Megan R Carey
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
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Functionally distinct Purkinje cell types show temporal precision in encoding locomotion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17330-17337. [PMID: 32632015 PMCID: PMC7382291 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005633117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Purkinje cells, the principal neurons of cerebellar computations, are believed to comprise a uniform neuronal population of cells, each with similar functional properties. Here, we show an undiscovered heterogeneity of adult zebrafish Purkinje cells, revealing the existence of anatomically and functionally distinct cell types. Dual patch-clamp recordings showed that the cerebellar circuit contains all Purkinje cell types that cross-communicate extensively using chemical and electrical synapses. Further activation of spinal central pattern generators (CPGs) revealed unique phase-locked activity from each Purkinje cell type during the locomotor cycle. Thus, we show intricately organized Purkinje cell networks in the adult zebrafish cerebellum that encode the locomotion rhythm differentially, and we suggest that these organizational properties may also apply to other cerebellar functions.
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A Slow Short-Term Depression at Purkinje to Deep Cerebellar Nuclear Neuron Synapses Supports Gain-Control and Linear Encoding over Second-Long Time Windows. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5937-5953. [PMID: 32554551 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2078-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Modifications in the sensitivity of neural elements allow the brain to adapt its functions to varying demands. Frequency-dependent short-term synaptic depression (STD) provides a dynamic gain-control mechanism enabling adaptation to different background conditions alongside enhanced sensitivity to input-driven changes in activity. In contrast, synapses displaying frequency-invariant transmission can faithfully transfer ongoing presynaptic rates enabling linear processing, deemed critical for many functions. However, rigid frequency-invariant transmission may lead to runaway dynamics and low sensitivity to changes in rate. Here, I investigated the Purkinje cell to deep cerebellar nuclei neuron synapses (PC_DCNs), which display frequency invariance, and yet, PCs maintain background activity at disparate rates, even at rest. Using protracted PC_DCN activation (120 s) to mimic background activity in cerebellar slices from mature mice of both sexes, I identified a previously unrecognized, frequency-dependent, slow STD (S-STD), adapting IPSC amplitudes in tens of seconds to minutes. However, after changes in activation rates, over a behavior-relevant second-long time window, S-STD enabled scaled linear encoding of PC rates in synaptic charge transfer and DCN spiking activity. Combined electrophysiology, optogenetics, and statistical analysis suggested that S-STD mechanism is input-specific, involving decreased ready-to-release quanta, and distinct from faster short-term plasticity (f-STP). Accordingly, an S-STD component with a scaling effect (i.e., activity-dependent release sites inactivation), extending a model explaining PC_DCN release on shorter timescales using balanced f-STP, reproduced the experimental results. Thus, these results elucidates a novel slow gain-control mechanism able to support linear transfer of behavior-driven/learned PC rates concurrently with background activity adaptation, and furthermore, provides an alternative pathway to refine PC output.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain can adapt to varying demands by dynamically changing the gain of its synapses; however, some tasks require ongoing linear transfer of presynaptic rates, seemingly incompatible with nonlinear gain adaptation. Here, I report a novel slow gain-control mechanism enabling scaled linear encoding of presynaptic rates over behavior-relevant time windows, and adaptation to background activity at the Purkinje to deep cerebellar nuclear neurons synapses (PC_DCNs). A previously unrecognized PC_DCNs slow and frequency-dependent short-term synaptic depression (S-STD) mediates this process. Experimental evidence and simulations suggested that scaled linear encoding emerges from the combination of S-STD slow dynamics and frequency-invariant transmission at faster timescales. These results demonstrate a mechanism reconciling rate code with background activity adaptation and suitable for flexibly tuning PCs output via background activity modulation.
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Ohtsuki G, Shishikura M, Ozaki A. Synergistic excitability plasticity in cerebellar functioning. FEBS J 2020; 287:4557-4593. [PMID: 32367676 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum, a universal processor for sensory acquisition and internal models, and its association with synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity have been envisioned as the biological correlates of learning, perception, and even thought. Indeed, the cerebellum is no longer considered merely as the locus of motor coordination and its learning. Here, we introduce the mechanisms underlying the induction of multiple types of plasticity in cerebellar circuit and give an overview focusing on the plasticity of nonsynaptic intrinsic excitability. The discovery of long-term potentiation of synaptic responsiveness in hippocampal neurons led investigations into changes of their intrinsic excitability. This activity-dependent potentiation of neuronal excitability is distinct from that of synaptic efficacy. Systematic examination of excitability plasticity has indicated that the modulation of various types of Ca2+ - and voltage-dependent K+ channels underlies the phenomenon, which is also triggered by immune activity. Intrinsic plasticity is expressed specifically on dendrites and modifies the integrative processing and filtering effect. In Purkinje cells, modulation of the discordance of synaptic current on soma and dendrite suggested a novel type of cellular learning mechanism. This property enables a plausible synergy between synaptic efficacy and intrinsic excitability, by amplifying electrical conductivity and influencing the polarity of bidirectional synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, the induction of intrinsic plasticity in the cerebellum correlates with motor performance and cognitive processes, through functional connections from the cerebellar nuclei to neocortex and associated regions: for example, thalamus and midbrain. Taken together, recent advances in neuroscience have begun to shed light on the complex functioning of nonsynaptic excitability and the synergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Ohtsuki
- The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Japan.,Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Mari Shishikura
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Japan
| | - Akitoshi Ozaki
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Japan
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Menardy F, Varani AP, Combes A, Léna C, Popa D. Functional Alteration of Cerebello-Cerebral Coupling in an Experimental Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1752-1766. [PMID: 30715237 PMCID: PMC6418382 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease, the degeneration of the midbrain dopaminergic neurons is consistently associated with modified metabolic activity in the cerebellum. Here we examined the functional reorganization taking place in the cerebello-cerebral circuit in a murine model of Parkinson's disease with 6-OHDA lesion of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Cerebellar optogenetic stimulations evoked similar movements in control and lesioned mice, suggesting a normal coupling of cerebellum to the motor effectors after the lesion. In freely moving animals, the firing rate in the primary motor cortex was decreased after the lesion, while cerebellar nuclei neurons showed an increased firing rate. This increase may result from reduced inhibitory Purkinje cells inputs, since a population of slow and irregular Purkinje cells was observed in the cerebellar hemispheres of lesioned animals. Moreover, cerebellar stimulations generated smaller electrocortical responses in the motor cortex of lesioned animals suggesting a weaker cerebello-cerebral coupling. Overall these results indicate the presence of functional changes in the cerebello-cerebral circuit, but their ability to correct cortical dysfunction may be limited due to functional uncoupling between the cerebellum and cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Menardy
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Andrés Pablo Varani
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Adèle Combes
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Clément Léna
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Daniela Popa
- Neurophysiology of Brain Circuits Team, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
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Lyu S, Xing H, DeAndrade MP, Perez PD, Yokoi F, Febo M, Walters AS, Li Y. The Role of BTBD9 in the Cerebellum, Sleep-like Behaviors and the Restless Legs Syndrome. Neuroscience 2020; 440:85-96. [PMID: 32446853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have found cerebellum as a top hit for sleep regulation. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep-related sensorimotor disorder characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the extremities, generally at night, which are often relieved by movements. Clinical studies have found that RLS patients have structural and functional abnormalities in the cerebellum. However, whether and how cerebellar pathology contributes to sleep regulation and RLS is not known. GWAS identified polymorphisms in BTBD9 conferring a higher risk of sleep disruption and RLS. Knockout of the BTBD9 homolog in mice (Btbd9) and fly results in motor restlessness and sleep disruption. We performed manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging on the Btbd9 knockout mice and found decreased neural activities in the cerebellum, especially in lobules VIII, X, and the deep cerebellar nuclei. Electrophysiological recording of Purkinje cells (PCs) from Btbd9 knockout mice revealed an increased number of non-tonic PCs. Tonic PCs showed increased spontaneous activity and intrinsic excitability. To further investigate the cerebellar contribution to RLS and sleep-like behaviors, we generated PC-specific Btbd9 knockout mice (Btbd9 pKO) and performed behavioral studies. Btbd9 pKO mice showed significant motor restlessness during the rest phase but not in the active phase. Btbd9 pKO mice also had an increased probability of waking at rest. Unlike the Btbd9 knockout mice, there was no increased thermal sensation in the Btbd9 pKO. Our results indicate that the Btbd9 knockout influences the PC activity; dysfunction in the cerebellum may contribute to the motor restlessness found in the Btbd9 knockout mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangru Lyu
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hong Xing
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mark P DeAndrade
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Pablo D Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Fumiaki Yokoi
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Arthur S Walters
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuqing Li
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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The Optogenetic Revolution in Cerebellar Investigations. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072494. [PMID: 32260234 PMCID: PMC7212757 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is most renowned for its role in sensorimotor control and coordination, but a growing number of anatomical and physiological studies are demonstrating its deep involvement in cognitive and emotional functions. Recently, the development and refinement of optogenetic techniques boosted research in the cerebellar field and, impressively, revolutionized the methodological approach and endowed the investigations with entirely new capabilities. This translated into a significant improvement in the data acquired for sensorimotor tests, allowing one to correlate single-cell activity with motor behavior to the extent of determining the role of single neuronal types and single connection pathways in controlling precise aspects of movement kinematics. These levels of specificity in correlating neuronal activity to behavior could not be achieved in the past, when electrical and pharmacological stimulations were the only available experimental tools. The application of optogenetics to the investigation of the cerebellar role in higher-order and cognitive functions, which involves a high degree of connectivity with multiple brain areas, has been even more significant. It is possible that, in this field, optogenetics has changed the game, and the number of investigations using optogenetics to study the cerebellar role in non-sensorimotor functions in awake animals is growing. The main issues addressed by these studies are the cerebellar role in epilepsy (through connections to the hippocampus and the temporal lobe), schizophrenia and cognition, working memory for decision making, and social behavior. It is also worth noting that optogenetics opened a new perspective for cerebellar neurostimulation in patients (e.g., for epilepsy treatment and stroke rehabilitation), promising unprecedented specificity in the targeted pathways that could be either activated or inhibited.
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Vaaga CE, Brown ST, Raman IM. Cerebellar modulation of synaptic input to freezing-related neurons in the periaqueductal gray. eLife 2020; 9:e54302. [PMID: 32207681 PMCID: PMC7124251 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate defensive behaviors, such as freezing, are adaptive for avoiding predation. Freezing-related midbrain regions project to the cerebellum, which is known to regulate rapid sensorimotor integration, raising the question of cerebellar contributions to freezing. Here, we find that neurons of the mouse medial (fastigial) cerebellar nuclei (mCbN), which fire spontaneously with wide dynamic ranges, send glutamatergic projections to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG), which contains diverse cell types. In freely moving mice, optogenetically stimulating glutamatergic vlPAG neurons that express Chx10 reliably induces freezing. In vlPAG slices, mCbN terminals excite ~20% of neurons positive for Chx10 or GAD2 and ~70% of dopaminergic TH-positive neurons. Stimulating either mCbN afferents or TH neurons augments IPSCs and suppresses EPSCs in Chx10 neurons by activating postsynaptic D2 receptors. The results suggest that mCbN activity regulates dopaminergic modulation of the vlPAG, favoring inhibition of Chx10 neurons. Suppression of cerebellar output may therefore facilitate freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Vaaga
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Spencer T Brown
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Indira M Raman
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
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36
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Brown AM, White JJ, van der Heijden ME, Zhou J, Lin T, Sillitoe RV. Purkinje cell misfiring generates high-amplitude action tremors that are corrected by cerebellar deep brain stimulation. eLife 2020; 9:e51928. [PMID: 32180549 PMCID: PMC7077982 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tremor is currently ranked as the most common movement disorder. The brain regions and neural signals that initiate the debilitating shakiness of different body parts remain unclear. Here, we found that genetically silencing cerebellar Purkinje cell output blocked tremor in mice that were given the tremorgenic drug harmaline. We show in awake behaving mice that the onset of tremor is coincident with rhythmic Purkinje cell firing, which alters the activity of their target cerebellar nuclei cells. We mimic the tremorgenic action of the drug with optogenetics and present evidence that highly patterned Purkinje cell activity drives a powerful tremor in otherwise normal mice. Modulating the altered activity with deep brain stimulation directed to the Purkinje cell output in the cerebellar nuclei reduced tremor in freely moving mice. Together, the data implicate Purkinje cell connectivity as a neural substrate for tremor and a gateway for signals that mediate the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Brown
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Joshua J White
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Meike E van der Heijden
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Joy Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
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Integration of Swimming-Related Synaptic Excitation and Inhibition by olig2 + Eurydendroid Neurons in Larval Zebrafish Cerebellum. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3063-3074. [PMID: 32139583 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2322-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum influences motor control through Purkinje target neurons, which transmit cerebellar output. Such output is required, for instance, for larval zebrafish to learn conditioned fictive swimming. The output cells, called eurydendroid neurons (ENs) in teleost fish, are inhibited by Purkinje cells and excited by parallel fibers. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological properties of glutamatergic ENs labeled by the transcription factor olig2. Action potential firing and synaptic responses were recorded in current clamp and voltage clamp from olig2+ neurons in immobilized larval zebrafish (before sexual differentiation) and were correlated with motor behavior by simultaneous recording of fictive swimming. In the absence of swimming, olig2+ ENs had basal firing rates near 8 spikes/s, and EPSCs and IPSCs were evident. Comparing Purkinje firing rates and eurydendroid IPSC rates indicated that 1-3 Purkinje cells converge onto each EN. Optogenetically suppressing Purkinje simple spikes, while preserving complex spikes, suggested that eurydendroid IPSC size depended on presynaptic spike duration rather than amplitude. During swimming, EPSC and IPSC rates increased. Total excitatory and inhibitory currents during sensory-evoked swimming were both more than double those during spontaneous swimming. During both spontaneous and sensory-evoked swimming, the total inhibitory current was more than threefold larger than the excitatory current. Firing rates of ENs nevertheless increased, suggesting that the relative timing of IPSCs and EPSCs may permit excitation to drive additional eurydendroid spikes. The data indicate that olig2+ cells are ENs whose activity is modulated with locomotion, suiting them to participate in sensorimotor integration associated with cerebellum-dependent learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The cerebellum contributes to movements through signals generated by cerebellar output neurons, called eurydendroid neurons (ENs) in fish (cerebellar nuclei in mammals). ENs receive sensory and motor signals from excitatory parallel fibers and inhibitory Purkinje cells. Here, we report electrophysiological recordings from ENs of larval zebrafish that directly illustrate how synaptic inhibition and excitation are integrated by cerebellar output neurons in association with motor behavior. The results demonstrate that inhibitory and excitatory drive both increase during fictive swimming, but inhibition greatly exceeds excitation. Firing rates nevertheless increase, providing evidence that synaptic integration promotes cerebellar output during locomotion. The data offer a basis for comparing aspects of cerebellar coding that are conserved and that diverge across vertebrates.
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Straub I, Witter L, Eshra A, Hoidis M, Byczkowicz N, Maas S, Delvendahl I, Dorgans K, Savier E, Bechmann I, Krueger M, Isope P, Hallermann S. Gradients in the mammalian cerebellar cortex enable Fourier-like transformation and improve storing capacity. eLife 2020; 9:e51771. [PMID: 32022688 PMCID: PMC7002074 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar granule cells (GCs) make up the majority of all neurons in the vertebrate brain, but heterogeneities among GCs and potential functional consequences are poorly understood. Here, we identified unexpected gradients in the biophysical properties of GCs in mice. GCs closer to the white matter (inner-zone GCs) had higher firing thresholds and could sustain firing with larger current inputs than GCs closer to the Purkinje cell layer (outer-zone GCs). Dynamic Clamp experiments showed that inner- and outer-zone GCs preferentially respond to high- and low-frequency mossy fiber inputs, respectively, enabling dispersion of the mossy fiber input into its frequency components as performed by a Fourier transformation. Furthermore, inner-zone GCs have faster axonal conduction velocity and elicit faster synaptic potentials in Purkinje cells. Neuronal network modeling revealed that these gradients improve spike-timing precision of Purkinje cells and decrease the number of GCs required to learn spike-sequences. Thus, our study uncovers biophysical gradients in the cerebellar cortex enabling a Fourier-like transformation of mossy fiber inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Straub
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Laurens Witter
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR)VU UniversityAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Abdelmoneim Eshra
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Miriam Hoidis
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Niklas Byczkowicz
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Sebastian Maas
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Igor Delvendahl
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Kevin Dorgans
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et IntégrativesCNRS, Université de StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Elise Savier
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et IntégrativesCNRS, Université de StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Ingo Bechmann
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Martin Krueger
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Philippe Isope
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et IntégrativesCNRS, Université de StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Stefan Hallermann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Medical FacultyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
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Differential Coding Strategies in Glutamatergic and GABAergic Neurons in the Medial Cerebellar Nucleus. J Neurosci 2019; 40:159-170. [PMID: 31694963 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0806-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum drives motor coordination and sequencing of actions at the millisecond timescale through adaptive control of cerebellar nuclear output. Cerebellar nuclei integrate high-frequency information from both the cerebellar cortex and the two main excitatory inputs of the cerebellum: the mossy fibers and the climbing fiber collaterals. However, how nuclear cells process rate and timing of inputs carried by these inputs is still debated. Here, we investigate the influence of the cerebellar cortical output, the Purkinje cells, on identified cerebellar nuclei neurons in vivo in male mice. Using transgenic mice expressing Channelrhodopsin2 specifically in Purkinje cells and tetrode recordings in the medial nucleus, we identified two main groups of neurons based on the waveform of their action potentials. These two groups of neurons coincide with glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons identified by optotagging after Chrimson expression in VGLUT2-cre and GAD-cre mice, respectively. The glutamatergic-like neurons fire at high rate and respond to both rate and timing of Purkinje cell population inputs, whereas GABAergic-like neurons only respond to the mean population firing rate of Purkinje cells at high frequencies. Moreover, synchronous activation of Purkinje cells can entrain the glutamatergic-like, but not the GABAergic-like, cells over a wide range of frequencies. Our results suggest that the downstream effect of synchronous and rhythmic Purkinje cell discharges depends on the type of cerebellar nuclei neurons targeted.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motor coordination and skilled movements are driven by the permanent discharge of neurons from the cerebellar nuclei that communicate cerebellar computation to other brain areas. Here, we set out to study how specific subtypes of cerebellar nuclear neurons of the medial nucleus are controlled by Purkinje cells, the sole output of the cerebellar cortex. We could isolate different subtypes of nuclear cell that differentially encode Purkinje cell inhibition. Purkinje cell stimulation entrains glutamatergic projection cells at their firing frequency, whereas GABAergic neurons are only inhibited. These differential coding strategies may favor temporal precision of cerebellar excitatory outputs associated with specific features of movement control while setting the global level of cerebellar activity through inhibition via rate coding mechanisms.
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Geminiani A, Casellato C, D'Angelo E, Pedrocchi A. Complex Electroresponsive Dynamics in Olivocerebellar Neurons Represented With Extended-Generalized Leaky Integrate and Fire Models. Front Comput Neurosci 2019; 13:35. [PMID: 31244635 PMCID: PMC6563830 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2019.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurons of the olivocerebellar circuit exhibit complex electroresponsive dynamics, which are thought to play a fundamental role for network entraining, plasticity induction, signal processing, and noise filtering. In order to reproduce these properties in single-point neuron models, we have optimized the Extended-Generalized Leaky Integrate and Fire (E-GLIF) neuron through a multi-objective gradient-based algorithm targeting the desired input–output relationships. In this way, E-GLIF was tuned toward the unique input–output properties of Golgi cells, granule cells, Purkinje cells, molecular layer interneurons, deep cerebellar nuclei cells, and inferior olivary cells. E-GLIF proved able to simulate the complex cell-specific electroresponsive dynamics of the main olivocerebellar neurons including pacemaking, adaptation, bursting, post-inhibitory rebound excitation, subthreshold oscillations, resonance, and phase reset. The integration of these E-GLIF point-neuron models into olivocerebellar Spiking Neural Networks will allow to evaluate the impact of complex electroresponsive dynamics at the higher scales, up to motor behavior, in closed-loop simulations of sensorimotor tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Geminiani
- NEARLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Casellato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D'Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pedrocchi
- NEARLab, Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Becker MI, Person AL. Cerebellar Control of Reach Kinematics for Endpoint Precision. Neuron 2019; 103:335-348.e5. [PMID: 31174960 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum is well appreciated to impart speed, smoothness, and precision to skilled movements such as reaching. How these functions are executed by the final output stage of the cerebellum, the cerebellar nuclei, remains unknown. Here, we identify a causal relationship between cerebellar output and mouse reach kinematics and show how that relationship is leveraged endogenously to enhance reach precision. Activity in the anterior interposed nucleus (IntA) was remarkably well aligned to reach endpoint, scaling with the magnitude of limb deceleration. Closed-loop optogenetic modulation of IntA activity, triggered on reach, supported a causal role for this activity in controlling reach velocity in real time. Relating endogenous neural variability to kinematic variability, we found that IntA endpoint activity is adaptively engaged relative to variations in initial reach velocity, supporting endpoint precision. Taken together, these results provide a framework for understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of the intermediate cerebellum during precise skilled movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew I Becker
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Abigail L Person
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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Payne HL, French RL, Guo CC, Nguyen-Vu TB, Manninen T, Raymond JL. Cerebellar Purkinje cells control eye movements with a rapid rate code that is invariant to spike irregularity. eLife 2019; 8:37102. [PMID: 31050648 PMCID: PMC6499540 DOI: 10.7554/elife.37102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The rate and temporal pattern of neural spiking each have the potential to influence computation. In the cerebellum, it has been hypothesized that the irregularity of interspike intervals in Purkinje cells affects their ability to transmit information to downstream neurons. Accordingly, during oculomotor behavior in mice and rhesus monkeys, mean irregularity of Purkinje cell spiking varied with mean eye velocity. However, moment-to-moment variations revealed a tight correlation between eye velocity and spike rate, with no additional information conveyed by spike irregularity. Moreover, when spike rate and irregularity were independently controlled using optogenetic stimulation, the eye movements elicited were well-described by a linear population rate code with 3-5 ms temporal precision. Biophysical and random-walk models identified biologically realistic parameter ranges that determine whether spike irregularity influences responses downstream. The results demonstrate cerebellar control of movements through a remarkably rapid rate code, with no evidence for an additional contribution of spike irregularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Payne
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Ranran L French
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, United States
| | - Christine C Guo
- Mental Health Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Tiina Manninen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jennifer L Raymond
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
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43
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Spatial and Temporal Locomotor Learning in Mouse Cerebellum. Neuron 2019; 102:217-231.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Contributions of the Cerebellum for Predictive and Instructional Control of Movement. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 8:146-151. [PMID: 30944888 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum with its layered structure and stereotyped and conserved connectivity has long puzzled neurobiologists. While it is well established that the cerebellum functions in regulating balance, motor coordination and motor learning, how it achieves these end results has not been very clear. Recent technical advances have made it possible to tease apart the contributions of cerebellar cell types to movement in behaving animals. We review these studies focusing on the three major cerebellar cell types, namely: granule cells, Purkinje neurons and the cells of the deep cerebellar nuclei. Further, we also review our current understanding of cortico-cerebellar and basal ganglia-cerebellar interactions that play vital roles in motor planning and motor learning.
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Tang T, Blenkinsop TA, Lang EJ. Complex spike synchrony dependent modulation of rat deep cerebellar nuclear activity. eLife 2019; 8:e40101. [PMID: 30624204 PMCID: PMC6326725 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The rules governing cerebellar output are not fully understood, but must involve Purkinje cell (PC) activity, as PCs are the major input to deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) cells (which form the majority of cerebellar output). Here, the influence of PC complex spikes (CSs) was investigated by simultaneously recording DCN activity with CSs from PC arrays in anesthetized rats. Crosscorrelograms were used to identify PCs that were presynaptic to recorded DCN cells (presynaptic PCs). Such PCs were located within rostrocaudal cortical strips and displayed synchronous CS activity. CS-associated modulation of DCN activity included a short-latency post-CS inhibition and long-latency excitations before and after the CS. The amplitudes of the post-CS responses correlated with the level of synchronization among presynaptic PCs. A temporal precision of ≤10 ms was generally required for CSs to be maximally effective. The results suggest that CS synchrony is a key control parameter of cerebellar output. Editorial note This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Tang
- Department of Neuroscience and PhysiologyNew York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Timothy A Blenkinsop
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative BiologyMount Sinai School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Eric J Lang
- Department of Neuroscience and PhysiologyNew York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
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Brown ST, Raman IM. Sensorimotor Integration and Amplification of Reflexive Whisking by Well-Timed Spiking in the Cerebellar Corticonuclear Circuit. Neuron 2018; 99:564-575.e2. [PMID: 30017394 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
To test how cerebellar crus I/II Purkinje cells and their targets in the lateral cerebellar nuclei (CbN) integrate sensory and motor-related inputs and contribute to reflexive movements, we recorded extracellularly in awake, head-fixed mice during non-contact whisking. Ipsilateral or contralateral air puffs elicited changes in population Purkinje simple spike rates that matched whisking kinematics (∼1 Hz/1° protraction). Responses remained relatively unaffected when ipsilateral sensory feedback was removed by lidocaine but were reduced by optogenetically inhibiting the reticular nuclei. Optogenetically silencing cerebellar output suppressed movements. During puff-evoked whisks, both Purkinje and CbN cells generated well-timed spikes in sequential 2- to 4-ms windows at response onset, such that they alternately elevated their firing rates just before protraction. With spontaneous whisks, which were smaller than puff-evoked whisks, well-timed spikes were absent and CbN cells were inhibited. Thus, sensory input can facilitate millisecond-scale, well-timed spiking in Purkinje and CbN cells and amplify reflexive whisker movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer T Brown
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Indira M Raman
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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