1
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van der Goes MSH, Voigts J, Newman JP, Toloza EHS, Brown NJ, Murugan P, Harnett MT. Coordinated head direction representations in mouse anterodorsal thalamic nucleus and retrosplenial cortex. eLife 2024; 13:e82952. [PMID: 38470232 PMCID: PMC10932540 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The sense of direction is critical for survival in changing environments and relies on flexibly integrating self-motion signals with external sensory cues. While the anatomical substrates involved in head direction (HD) coding are well known, the mechanisms by which visual information updates HD representations remain poorly understood. Retrosplenial cortex (RSC) plays a key role in forming coherent representations of space in mammals and it encodes a variety of navigational variables, including HD. Here, we use simultaneous two-area tetrode recording to show that RSC HD representation is nearly synchronous with that of the anterodorsal nucleus of thalamus (ADn), the obligatory thalamic relay of HD to cortex, during rotation of a prominent visual cue. Moreover, coordination of HD representations in the two regions is maintained during darkness. We further show that anatomical and functional connectivity are consistent with a strong feedforward drive of HD information from ADn to RSC, with anatomically restricted corticothalamic feedback. Together, our results indicate a concerted global HD reference update across cortex and thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Sophie H van der Goes
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Open-Ephys IncAtlantaUnited States
- HHMI Janelia Research CampusAshburnUnited States
| | - Jonathan P Newman
- Open-Ephys IncAtlantaUnited States
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Enrique HS Toloza
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Norma J Brown
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Pranav Murugan
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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2
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Newman JP, Zhang J, Cuevas-López A, Miller NJ, Honda T, van der Goes MSH, Leighton AH, Carvalho F, Lopes G, Lakunina A, Siegle JH, Harnett MT, Wilson MA, Voigts J. A unified open-source platform for multimodal neural recording and perturbation during naturalistic behavior. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.30.554672. [PMID: 37693443 PMCID: PMC10491150 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.30.554672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral neuroscience faces two conflicting demands: long-duration recordings from large neural populations and unimpeded animal behavior. To meet this challenge, we developed ONIX, an open-source data acquisition system with high data throughput (2GB/sec) and low closed-loop latencies (<1ms) that uses a novel 0.3 mm thin tether to minimize behavioral impact. Head position and rotation are tracked in 3D and used to drive active commutation without torque measurements. ONIX can acquire from combinations of passive electrodes, Neuropixels probes, head-mounted microscopes, cameras, 3D-trackers, and other data sources. We used ONIX to perform uninterrupted, long (~7 hours) neural recordings in mice as they traversed complex 3-dimensional terrain. ONIX allowed exploration with similar mobility as non-implanted animals, in contrast to conventional tethered systems which restricted movement. By combining long recordings with full mobility, our technology will enable new progress on questions that require high-quality neural recordings during ethologically grounded behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Newman
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Open Ephys Inc. Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aarón Cuevas-López
- Open Ephys Inc. Atlanta, GA, USA
- Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Open Ephys Production Site, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nicholas J Miller
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Takato Honda
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marie-Sophie H van der Goes
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Anna Lakunina
- Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Joshua H Siegle
- Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A Wilson
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Open Ephys Inc. Atlanta, GA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
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3
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Vardalaki D, Pham TLD, Frosch MP, Cosgrove GR, Richardson M, Cash SS, Harnett MT. Patch2MAP combines patch-clamp electrophysiology with super-resolution structural and protein imaging in identified single neurons without genetic modification. bioRxiv 2023:2023.03.20.533452. [PMID: 36993722 PMCID: PMC10055279 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.20.533452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in super-resolution microscopy have revolutionized the study of cell biology. However, dense tissues require exogenous protein expression for single cell morphological contrast. In the nervous system, many cell types and species of interest - particularly human - are not amenable to genetic modification and/or exhibit intricate anatomical specializations which make cellular delineation challenging. Here, we present a method for full morphological labeling of individual neurons from any species or cell type for subsequent cell-resolved protein analysis without genetic modification. Our method, which combines patch-clamp electrophysiology with epitope-preserving magnified analysis of proteome (eMAP), further allows for correlation of physiological properties with subcellular protein expression. We applied Patch2MAP to individual spiny synapses in human cortical pyramidal neurons and demonstrated that electrophysiological AMPA-to-NMDA receptor ratios correspond tightly to respective protein expression levels. Patch2MAP thus permits combined subcellular functional, anatomical, and proteomic analyses of any cell, opening new avenues for direct molecular investigation of the human brain in health and disease.
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4
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Ding W, Fischer L, Chen Q, Li Z, Yang L, You Z, Hu K, Wu X, Zhou X, Chao W, Hu P, Dagnew TM, Dubreuil DM, Wang S, Xia S, Bao C, Zhu S, Chen L, Wang C, Wainger B, Jin P, Mao J, Feng G, Harnett MT, Shen S. Highly synchronized cortical circuit dynamics mediate spontaneous pain in mice. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:166408. [PMID: 36602876 PMCID: PMC9974100 DOI: 10.1172/jci166408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical neural dynamics mediate information processing for the cerebral cortex, which is implicated in fundamental biological processes such as vision and olfaction, in addition to neurological and psychiatric diseases. Spontaneous pain is a key feature of human neuropathic pain. Whether spontaneous pain pushes the cortical network into an aberrant state and, if so, whether it can be brought back to a "normal" operating range to ameliorate pain are unknown. Using a clinically relevant mouse model of neuropathic pain with spontaneous pain-like behavior, we report that orofacial spontaneous pain activated a specific area within the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), displaying synchronized neural dynamics revealed by intravital two-photon calcium imaging. This synchronization was underpinned by local GABAergic interneuron hypoactivity. Pain-induced cortical synchronization could be attenuated by manipulating local S1 networks or clinically effective pain therapies. Specifically, both chemogenetic inhibition of pain-related c-Fos-expressing neurons and selective activation of GABAergic interneurons significantly attenuated S1 synchronization. Clinically effective pain therapies including carbamazepine and nerve root decompression could also dampen S1 synchronization. More important, restoring a "normal" range of neural dynamics through attenuation of pain-induced S1 synchronization alleviated pain-like behavior. These results suggest that spontaneous pain pushed the S1 regional network into a synchronized state, whereas reversal of this synchronization alleviated pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Ding
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lukas Fischer
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qian Chen
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ziyi Li
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Liuyue Yang
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zerong You
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kun Hu
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xinbo Wu
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xue Zhou
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wei Chao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tewodros Mulugeta Dagnew
- MGH/HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel M. Dubreuil
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shiyu Wang
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Suyun Xia
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caroline Bao
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shengmei Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliate Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lucy Chen
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Changning Wang
- MGH/HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian Wainger
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jianren Mao
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark T. Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shiqian Shen
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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5
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Vardalaki D, Chung K, Harnett MT. Filopodia are a structural substrate for silent synapses in adult neocortex. Nature 2022; 612:323-327. [PMID: 36450984 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05483-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Newly generated excitatory synapses in the mammalian cortex lack sufficient AMPA-type glutamate receptors to mediate neurotransmission, resulting in functionally silent synapses that require activity-dependent plasticity to mature. Silent synapses are abundant in early development, during which they mediate circuit formation and refinement, but they are thought to be scarce in adulthood1. However, adults retain a capacity for neural plasticity and flexible learning that suggests that the formation of new connections is still prevalent. Here we used super-resolution protein imaging to visualize synaptic proteins at 2,234 synapses from layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the primary visual cortex of adult mice. Unexpectedly, about 25% of these synapses lack AMPA receptors. These putative silent synapses were located at the tips of thin dendritic protrusions, known as filopodia, which were more abundant by an order of magnitude than previously believed (comprising about 30% of all dendritic protrusions). Physiological experiments revealed that filopodia do indeed lack AMPA-receptor-mediated transmission, but they exhibit NMDA-receptor-mediated synaptic transmission. We further showed that functionally silent synapses on filopodia can be unsilenced through Hebbian plasticity, recruiting new active connections into a neuron's input matrix. These results challenge the model that functional connectivity is largely fixed in the adult cortex and demonstrate a new mechanism for flexible control of synaptic wiring that expands the learning capabilities of the mature brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Vardalaki
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kwanghun Chung
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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6
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Lafourcade M, van der Goes MSH, Vardalaki D, Brown NJ, Voigts J, Yun DH, Kim ME, Ku T, Harnett MT. Differential dendritic integration of long-range inputs in association cortex via subcellular changes in synaptic AMPA-to-NMDA receptor ratio. Neuron 2022; 110:1532-1546.e4. [PMID: 35180389 PMCID: PMC9081173 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic NMDA receptors can produce powerful dendritic supralinearities that expand the computational repertoire of single neurons and their respective circuits. This form of supralinearity may represent a general principle for synaptic integration in thin dendrites. However, individual cortical neurons receive many diverse classes of input that may require distinct postsynaptic decoding schemes. Here, we show that sensory, motor, and thalamic inputs preferentially target basal, apical oblique, and distal tuft dendrites, respectively, in layer 5b pyramidal neurons of the mouse retrosplenial cortex, a visuospatial association area. These dendritic compartments exhibited differential expression of NMDA receptor-mediated supralinearity due to systematic changes in the AMPA-to-NMDA receptor ratio. Our results reveal a new schema for integration in cortical pyramidal neurons, in which dendrite-specific changes in synaptic receptors support input-localized decoding. This coexistence of multiple modes of dendritic integration in single neurons has important implications for synaptic plasticity and cortical computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Lafourcade
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Marie-Sophie H van der Goes
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dimitra Vardalaki
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Norma J Brown
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Dae Hee Yun
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Minyoung E Kim
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Taeyun Ku
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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7
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Beaulieu-Laroche L, Brown NJ, Hansen M, Toloza EHS, Sharma J, Williams ZM, Frosch MP, Cosgrove GR, Cash SS, Harnett MT. Allometric rules for mammalian cortical layer 5 neuron biophysics. Nature 2021; 600:274-278. [PMID: 34759318 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04072-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The biophysical properties of neurons are the foundation for computation in the brain. Neuronal size is a key determinant of single neuron input-output features and varies substantially across species1-3. However, it is unknown whether different species adapt neuronal properties to conserve how single neurons process information4-7. Here we characterize layer 5 cortical pyramidal neurons across 10 mammalian species to identify the allometric relationships that govern how neuronal biophysics change with cell size. In 9 of the 10 species, we observe conserved rules that control the conductance of voltage-gated potassium and HCN channels. Species with larger neurons, and therefore a decreased surface-to-volume ratio, exhibit higher membrane ionic conductances. This relationship produces a conserved conductance per unit brain volume. These size-dependent rules result in large but predictable changes in somatic and dendritic integrative properties. Human neurons do not follow these allometric relationships, exhibiting much lower voltage-gated potassium and HCN conductances. Together, our results in layer 5 neurons identify conserved evolutionary principles for neuronal biophysics in mammals as well as notable features of the human cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Beaulieu-Laroche
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Norma J Brown
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marissa Hansen
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Enrique H S Toloza
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jitendra Sharma
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ziv M Williams
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sydney S Cash
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Francioni V, Harnett MT. Rethinking Single Neuron Electrical Compartmentalization: Dendritic Contributions to Network Computation In Vivo. Neuroscience 2021; 489:185-199. [PMID: 34116137 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Decades of experimental and theoretical work support a now well-established theory that active dendritic processing contributes to the computational power of individual neurons. This theory is based on the high degree of electrical compartmentalization observed in the dendrites of single neurons in ex vivo preparations. Compartmentalization allows dendrites to conduct semi-independent operations on their inputs before final integration and output at the axon, producing a "network-in-a-neuron." However, recent in vivo functional imaging experiments in mouse cortex have reported surprisingly little evidence for strong dendritic compartmentalization. In this review, we contextualize these new findings and discuss their impact on the future of the field. Specifically, we consider how highly coordinated, and thus less compartmentalized, activity in soma and dendrites can contribute to cortical computations including nonlinear mixed selectivity, prediction/expectation, multiplexing, and credit assignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Francioni
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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9
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Abstract
Objective. Twisted wire probes (TWPs, e.g. stereotrodes and tetrodes) provide a cheap and reliable method for obtaining high quality, multiple single-unit neural recordings in freely moving animals. Despite their ubiquity, TWPs are constructed using a tedious procedure consisting of manually folding, turning, and fusing microwire. This imposes a significant labor burden on research personnel who use TWPs in their experiments. Approach. To address this issue, we created Twister3, an open-source microwire twisting machine. This machine features a quick-draw wire feeder that eliminates manual wire folding, an auto-aligning motor attachment mechanism which results in consistently straight probes, and a high speed motor for rapid probe turning. Main results. Twister3 greatly increases the speed and repeatability of constructing twisted microwire probes compared to existing options. Users with less than one hour of experience using the device were able to make ~70 tetrodes per hour, on average. It is cheap, well documented, and all associated designs and source code are open-source. Significance. Twister3 significantly reduces the labor burden of creating high-quality TWPs so electrophysiologists can spend more of their time performing recordings rather than making probes. Therefore, this device is of interest to any lab performing TWP neural recordings, for example, using microdrives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Newman
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Open Ephys Inc, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed
| | - Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Open Ephys Inc, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Maxim Borius
- SpikeGadgets LLC, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Matthew A Wilson
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Open Ephys Inc, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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10
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Voigts J, Newman JP, Wilson MA, Harnett MT. An easy-to-assemble, robust, and lightweight drive implant for chronic tetrode recordings in freely moving animals. J Neural Eng 2020; 17:026044. [PMID: 32074511 PMCID: PMC8878001 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab77f9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Tetrode arrays are a standard method for neuronal recordings in behaving animals, especially for chronic recordings of many neurons in freely-moving animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Jonathan P Newman
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Matthew A Wilson
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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11
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Fischer LF, Mojica Soto-Albors R, Buck F, Harnett MT. Representation of visual landmarks in retrosplenial cortex. eLife 2020; 9:51458. [PMID: 32154781 PMCID: PMC7064342 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The process by which visual information is incorporated into the brain’s spatial framework to represent landmarks is poorly understood. Studies in humans and rodents suggest that retrosplenial cortex (RSC) plays a key role in these computations. We developed an RSC-dependent behavioral task in which head-fixed mice learned the spatial relationship between visual landmark cues and hidden reward locations. Two-photon imaging revealed that these cues served as dominant reference points for most task-active neurons and anchored the spatial code in RSC. This encoding was more robust after task acquisition. Decoupling the virtual environment from mouse behavior degraded spatial representations and provided evidence that supralinear integration of visual and motor inputs contributes to landmark encoding. V1 axons recorded in RSC were less modulated by task engagement but showed surprisingly similar spatial tuning. Our data indicate that landmark representations in RSC are the result of local integration of visual, motor, and spatial information. When moving through a city, people often use notable or familiar landmarks to help them navigate. Landmarks provide us with information about where we are and where we need to go next. But despite the ease with which we – and most other animals – use landmarks to find our way around, it remains unclear exactly how the brain makes this possible. One area that seems to have a key role is the retrosplenial cortex, which is located deep within the back of the brain in humans. This area becomes more active when animals use visual landmarks to navigate. It is also one of the first brain regions to be affected in Alzheimer's disease, which may help to explain why patients with this condition can become lost and disoriented, even in places they have been many times before. To find out how the retrosplenial cortex supports navigation, Fischer et al. measured its activity in mice exploring a virtual reality world. The mice ran through simulated corridors in which visual landmarks indicated where hidden rewards could be found. The activity of most neurons in the retrosplenial cortex was most strongly influenced by the mouse’s position relative to the landmark; for example, some neurons were always active 10 centimeters after the landmark. In other experiments, when the landmarks were present but no longer indicated the location of a reward, the same neurons were much less active. Fischer et al. also measured the activity of the neurons when the mice were running with nothing shown on the virtual reality, and when they saw a landmark but did not run. Notably, the activity seen when the mice were using the landmarks to find rewards was greater than the sum of that recorded when the mice were just running or just seeing the landmark without a reward, making the “landmark response” an example of so-called supralinear processing. Fischer et al. showed that visual centers of the brain send information about landmarks to retrosplenial cortex. But only the latter adjusts its activity depending on whether the mouse is using that landmark to navigate. These findings provide the first evidence for a “landmark code” at the level of neurons and lay the foundations for studying impaired navigation in patients with Alzheimer's disease. By showing that retrosplenial cortex neurons combine different types of input in a supralinear fashion, the results also point to general principles for how neurons in the brain perform complex calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas F Fischer
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Raul Mojica Soto-Albors
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Friederike Buck
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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12
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Voigts J, Harnett MT. Somatic and Dendritic Encoding of Spatial Variables in Retrosplenial Cortex Differs during 2D Navigation. Neuron 2020; 105:237-245.e4. [PMID: 31759808 PMCID: PMC6981016 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Active amplification of organized synaptic inputs in dendrites can endow individual neurons with the ability to perform complex computations. However, whether dendrites in behaving animals perform independent local computations is not known. Such activity may be particularly important for complex behavior, where neurons integrate multiple streams of information. Head-restrained imaging has yielded important insights into cellular and circuit function, but this approach limits behavior and the underlying computations. We describe a method for full-featured 2-photon imaging in awake mice during free locomotion with volitional head rotation. We examine head direction and position encoding in simultaneously imaged apical tuft dendrites and their respective cell bodies in retrosplenial cortex, an area that encodes multi-modal navigational information. Activity in dendrites was not determined solely by somatic activity but reflected distinct navigational variables, fulfilling the requirements for dendritic computation. Our approach provides a foundation for studying sub-cellular processes during complex behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Voigts
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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13
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Kim T, Chaloner FA, Cooke SF, Harnett MT, Bear MF. Opposing Somatic and Dendritic Expression of Stimulus-Selective Response Plasticity in Mouse Primary Visual Cortex. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 13:555. [PMID: 32009901 PMCID: PMC6971207 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Daily exposure of awake mice to a phase-reversing visual grating stimulus leads to enhancement of the visual-evoked potential (VEP) in layer 4 of the primary visual cortex (V1). This stimulus-selective response potentiation (SRP) resembles and shares mechanistic requirements with canonical long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP). However, it remains to be determined how this augmentation of a population response translates into altered neuronal activity of individual V1 neurons. To address this question, we performed longitudinal calcium imaging of layer 4 excitatory neurons in V1 and tracked changes associated with the induction and expression of SRP. We found no evidence for a net change in the fraction of visually responsive neurons as the stimulus became familiar. However, endoscopic calcium imaging of layer 4 principal neurons revealed that somatic calcium transients in response to phase-reversals of the familiar visual stimulus are reduced and undergo strong within-session adaptation. Conversely, neuropil calcium responses and VEPs are enhanced during familiar stimulus viewing, and the VEPs show reduced within-session adaptation. Consistent with the exquisite selectivity of SRP, the plasticity of cellular responses to phase-reversing gratings did not translate into altered orientation selectivity to drifting gratings. Our findings suggest a model in which augmentation of fast, short-latency synaptic (dendritic) responses, manifested as enhanced layer 4 VEPs, recruits inhibition to suppress cellular activity. Reduced cellular activity to the familiar stimulus may account for the behavioral correlate of SRP, orientation-selective long-term habituation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taekeun Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Francesca A. Chaloner
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CNDD), King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam F. Cooke
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CNDD), King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark T. Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Mark F. Bear
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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14
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Beaulieu-Laroche L, Toloza EHS, van der Goes MS, Lafourcade M, Barnagian D, Williams ZM, Eskandar EN, Frosch MP, Cash SS, Harnett MT. Enhanced Dendritic Compartmentalization in Human Cortical Neurons. Cell 2019; 175:643-651.e14. [PMID: 30340039 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The biophysical features of neurons shape information processing in the brain. Cortical neurons are larger in humans than in other species, but it is unclear how their size affects synaptic integration. Here, we perform direct electrical recordings from human dendrites and report enhanced electrical compartmentalization in layer 5 pyramidal neurons. Compared to rat dendrites, distal human dendrites provide limited excitation to the soma, even in the presence of dendritic spikes. Human somas also exhibit less bursting due to reduced recruitment of dendritic electrogenesis. Finally, we find that decreased ion channel densities result in higher input resistance and underlie the lower coupling of human dendrites. We conclude that the increased length of human neurons alters their input-output properties, which will impact cortical computation. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Beaulieu-Laroche
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Enrique H S Toloza
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marie-Sophie van der Goes
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mathieu Lafourcade
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Derrick Barnagian
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziv M Williams
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emad N Eskandar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sydney S Cash
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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15
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Beaulieu-Laroche L, Toloza EHS, Brown NJ, Harnett MT. Widespread and Highly Correlated Somato-dendritic Activity in Cortical Layer 5 Neurons. Neuron 2019; 103:235-241.e4. [PMID: 31178115 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic integration can expand the information-processing capabilities of neurons. However, the recruitment of active dendritic processing in vivo and its relationship to somatic activity remain poorly understood. Here, we use two-photon GCaMP6f imaging to simultaneously monitor dendritic and somatic compartments in the awake primary visual cortex. Activity in layer 5 pyramidal neuron somata and distal apical trunk dendrites shows surprisingly high functional correlation. This strong coupling persists across neural activity levels and is unchanged by visual stimuli and locomotion. Ex vivo combined somato-dendritic patch-clamp and GCaMP6f recordings indicate that dendritic signals specifically reflect local electrogenesis triggered by dendritic inputs or high-frequency bursts of somatic action potentials. In contrast to the view that dendrites are only sparsely recruited under highly specific conditions in vivo, our results provide evidence that active dendritic integration is a widespread and intrinsic feature of cortical computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Beaulieu-Laroche
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Enrique H S Toloza
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Norma J Brown
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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16
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Ranganathan GN, Apostolides PF, Harnett MT, Xu NL, Druckmann S, Magee JC. Active dendritic integration and mixed neocortical network representations during an adaptive sensing behavior. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:1583-1590. [PMID: 30349100 PMCID: PMC6203624 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0254-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Animals strategically scan the environment to form an accurate perception of their surroundings. Here we investigated the neuronal representations that mediate this behavior. Ca2+ imaging and selective optogenetic manipulation during an active sensing task reveals that layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the vibrissae cortex produce a diverse and distributed representation that is required for mice to adapt their whisking motor strategy to changing sensory cues. The optogenetic perturbation degraded single-neuron selectivity and network population encoding through a selective inhibition of active dendritic integration. Together the data indicate that active dendritic integration in pyramidal neurons produces a nonlinearly mixed network representation of joint sensorimotor parameters that is used to transform sensory information into motor commands during adaptive behavior. The prevalence of the layer 5 cortical circuit motif suggests that this is a general circuit computation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierre F Apostolides
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA.,Kresge Hearing Research Institute Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ning-Long Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaul Druckmann
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Magee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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17
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Beaulieu-Laroche L, Harnett MT. Dendritic Spines Prevent Synaptic Voltage Clamp. Neuron 2017; 97:75-82.e3. [PMID: 29249288 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Synapses are the fundamental units of information processing in the mammalian brain. Much of our understanding of their functional properties comes from voltage-clamp analysis, the predominant approach for investigating synaptic physiology. Here, we reveal that voltage clamp is completely ineffective for most excitatory synapses due to spine electrical compartmentalization. Under local dendritic voltage clamp, single-spine activation produced large spine head depolarizations that severely distorted measurements and recruited voltage-dependent channels. To overcome these voltage-clamp errors, we developed an approach to provide new, accurate measurements of synaptic conductance. Single-synapse AMPA conductance was much larger than previously appreciated, producing saturation effects on synaptic currents. We conclude that electrical compartmentalization profoundly shapes both synaptic function and how that function can be assessed with electrophysiological methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou Beaulieu-Laroche
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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18
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Shin Yim Y, Park A, Berrios J, Lafourcade M, Pascual LM, Soares N, Yeon Kim J, Kim S, Kim H, Waisman A, Littman DR, Wickersham IR, Harnett MT, Huh JR, Choi GB. Reversing behavioural abnormalities in mice exposed to maternal inflammation. Nature 2017; 549:482-487. [PMID: 28902835 PMCID: PMC5796433 DOI: 10.1038/nature23909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Viral infection during pregnancy is correlated with increased frequency of neurodevelopmental disorders, and this is studied in mice prenatally subjected to maternal immune activation (MIA). We previously showed that maternal T helper 17 cells promote the development of cortical and behavioural abnormalities in MIA-affected offspring. Here we show that cortical abnormalities are preferentially localized to a region encompassing the dysgranular zone of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1DZ). Moreover, activation of pyramidal neurons in this cortical region was sufficient to induce MIA-associated behavioural phenotypes in wild-type animals, whereas reduction in neural activity rescued the behavioural abnormalities in MIA-affected offspring. Sociability and repetitive behavioural phenotypes could be selectively modulated according to the efferent targets of S1DZ. Our work identifies a cortical region primarily, if not exclusively, centred on the S1DZ as the major node of a neural network that mediates behavioural abnormalities observed in offspring exposed to maternal inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeong Shin Yim
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Ashley Park
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Janet Berrios
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Mathieu Lafourcade
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Leila M Pascual
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Natalie Soares
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Joo Yeon Kim
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Sangdoo Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology and Program in Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Hyunju Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology and Program in Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Ari Waisman
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dan R Littman
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Jun R Huh
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology and Program in Innate Immunity, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Gloria B Choi
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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19
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Harnett MT, Xu NL, Magee JC, Williams SR. Potassium channels control the interaction between active dendritic integration compartments in layer 5 cortical pyramidal neurons. Neuron 2013; 79:516-29. [PMID: 23931999 PMCID: PMC3847879 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Active dendritic synaptic integration enhances the computational power of neurons. Such nonlinear processing generates an object-localization signal in the apical dendritic tuft of layer 5B cortical pyramidal neurons during sensory-motor behavior. Here, we employ electrophysiological and optical approaches in brain slices and behaving animals to investigate how excitatory synaptic input to this distal dendritic compartment influences neuronal output. We find that active dendritic integration throughout the apical dendritic tuft is highly compartmentalized by voltage-gated potassium (KV) channels. A high density of both transient and sustained KV channels was observed in all apical dendritic compartments. These channels potently regulated the interaction between apical dendritic tuft, trunk, and axosomatic integration zones to control neuronal output in vitro as well as the engagement of dendritic nonlinear processing in vivo during sensory-motor behavior. Thus, KV channels dynamically tune the interaction between active dendritic integration compartments in layer 5B pyramidal neurons to shape behaviorally relevant neuronal computations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T. Harnett
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Ning-Long Xu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Magee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Stephen R. Williams, The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia, , Dr. Jeffrey C. Magee, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA,
| | - Stephen R. Williams
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Stephen R. Williams, The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia, , Dr. Jeffrey C. Magee, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA,
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20
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Harnett MT, Chen W, Smith SM. Calcium-sensing receptor: a high-affinity presynaptic target for aminoglycoside-induced weakness. Neuropharmacology 2009; 57:502-5. [PMID: 19646457 PMCID: PMC2836903 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2009.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2009] [Revised: 07/17/2009] [Accepted: 07/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Administration of aminoglycoside antibiotics can precipitate sudden, profound bouts of weakness that have been attributed to block of presynaptic voltage-activated calcium channels (VACCs) and failure of neuromuscular transmission. This serious adverse drug reaction is more likely in neuromuscular diseases such as myasthenia gravis. The relatively low affinity of VACC for aminoglycosides prompted us to explore alternative mechanisms. We hypothesized that the presynaptic Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CaSR) may contribute to aminoglycoside-induced weakness due to its role in modulating synaptic transmission and its sensitivity to aminoglycosides in heterologous expression systems. We have previously shown that presynaptic CaSR controls a non-selective cation channel (NSCC) that regulates nerve terminal excitability and transmitter release. Using direct, electrophysiological recording, we report that neuronal VACCs are inhibited by neomycin (IC(50) 830 +/- 110 microM) at a much lower affinity than CaSR-modulated NSCC currents recorded from acutely isolated presynaptic terminals (synaptosomes; IC(50) 20 +/- 1 microM). Thus, at clinically relevant concentrations, aminoglycoside-induced weakness is likely precipitated by enhanced CaSR activation and subsequent decrease in terminal excitability rather than through direct inhibition of VACCs themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T Harnett
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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21
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Harnett MT, Bernier BE, Ahn KC, Morikawa H. Burst-timing-dependent plasticity of NMDA receptor-mediated transmission in midbrain dopamine neurons. Neuron 2009; 62:826-38. [PMID: 19555651 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2008] [Revised: 12/16/2008] [Accepted: 05/07/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Bursts of spikes triggered by sensory stimuli in midbrain dopamine neurons evoke phasic release of dopamine in target brain areas, driving reward-based reinforcement learning and goal-directed behavior. NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) play a critical role in the generation of these bursts. Here we report LTP of NMDAR-mediated excitatory transmission onto dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. Induction of LTP requires burst-evoked Ca2+ signals amplified by preceding metabotropic neurotransmitter inputs in addition to the activation of NMDARs themselves. PKA activity gates LTP induction by regulating the magnitude of Ca2+ signal amplification. This form of plasticity is associative, input specific, reversible, and depends on the relative timing of synaptic input and postsynaptic bursting in a manner analogous to the timing rule for cue-reward learning paradigms in behaving animals. NMDAR plasticity might thus represent a potential neural substrate for conditioned dopamine neuron burst responses to environmental stimuli acquired during reward-based learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T Harnett
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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22
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Abstract
The endogenous polyamines spermine, spermidine and putrescine are present at high concentrations inside neurons and can be released into the extracellular space where they have been shown to modulate ion channels. Here, we have examined polyamine modulation of voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels (VACCs) and voltage-activated Na(+) channels (VANCs) in rat superior cervical ganglion neurons using whole-cell voltage-clamp at physiological divalent concentrations. Polyamines inhibited VACCs in a concentration-dependent manner with IC(50)s for spermine, spermidine, and putrescine of 4.7 +/- 0.7, 11.2 +/- 1.4 and 90 +/- 36 mM, respectively. Polyamines caused inhibition by shifting the VACC half-activation voltage (V(0.5)) to depolarized potentials and by reducing total VACC permeability. The shift was described by Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory with a surface charge density of 0.120 +/- 0.005 e(-) nm(-2) and a surface potential of -19 mV. Attenuation of spermidine and spermine inhibition of VACC at decreased pH was explained by H(+) titration of surface charge. Polyamine-mediated effects also decreased at elevated pH due to the inhibitors having lower valence and being less effective at screening surface charge. Polyamines affected VANC currents indirectly by reducing TTX inhibition of VANCs at high pH. This may reflect surface charge induced decreases in the local TTX concentration or polyamine-TTX interactions. In conclusion, polyamines inhibit neuronal VACCs via complex interactions with extracellular H(+) and Ca. Many of the observed effects can be explained by a model incorporating polyamine binding, H(+) binding and surface charge screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Oregon Health and Science University; Portland, Oregon USA
| | - Mark T. Harnett
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Oregon Health and Science University; Portland, Oregon USA
| | - Stephen M. Smith
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Oregon Health and Science University; Portland, Oregon USA
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Oregon Health and Science University; Portland, Oregon USA
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Cui G, Bernier BE, Harnett MT, Morikawa H. Differential regulation of action potential- and metabotropic glutamate receptor-induced Ca2+ signals by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in dopaminergic neurons. J Neurosci 2007; 27:4776-85. [PMID: 17460090 PMCID: PMC1941773 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0139-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+ signals associated with action potentials (APs) and metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation exert distinct influences on neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity. However, it is not clear how these two types of Ca2+ signals are differentially regulated by neurotransmitter inputs in a single neuron. We investigated this issue in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral midbrain using brain slices. Intracellular Ca2+ was assessed by measuring Ca2+-sensitive K+ currents or imaging the fluorescence of Ca2+ indicator dyes. Tonic activation of metabotropic neurotransmitter receptors (mGluRs, alpha1 adrenergic receptors, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors), attained by superfusion of agonists or weak, sustained (approximately 1 s) synaptic stimulation, augmented AP-induced Ca2+ transients. In contrast, Ca2+ signals elicited by strong, transient (50-200 ms) activation of mGluRs with aspartate iontophoresis were suppressed by superfusion of agonists. These opposing effects on Ca2+ signals were both mediated by an increase in intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) levels, because they were blocked by heparin, an IP3 receptor antagonist, and reproduced by photolytic application of IP3. Evoking APs repetitively at low frequency (2 Hz) caused inactivation of IP3 receptors and abolished IP3 facilitation of single AP-induced Ca2+ signals, whereas facilitation of Ca2+ signals triggered by bursts of APs (five at 20 Hz) was attenuated by less than half. We further obtained evidence suggesting that the psychostimulant amphetamine may augment burst-induced Ca2+ signals via both depression of basal firing and production of IP3. We propose that intracellular IP3 tone provides a mechanism to selectively amplify burst-induced Ca2+ signals in dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohong Cui
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Brian E. Bernier
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Mark T. Harnett
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
| | - Hitoshi Morikawa
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712
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Ponomarev I, Maiya R, Harnett MT, Schafer GL, Ryabinin AE, Blednov YA, Morikawa H, Boehm SL, Homanics GE, Berman AE, Berman A, Lodowski KH, Bergeson SE, Harris RA. Transcriptional signatures of cellular plasticity in mice lacking the alpha1 subunit of GABAA receptors. J Neurosci 2006; 26:5673-83. [PMID: 16723524 PMCID: PMC1894896 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0860-06.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
GABAA receptors mediate the majority of inhibitory neurotransmission in the CNS. Genetic deletion of the alpha1 subunit of GABAA receptors results in a loss of alpha1-mediated fast inhibitory currents and a marked reduction in density of GABAA receptors. A grossly normal phenotype of alpha1-deficient mice suggests the presence of neuronal adaptation to these drastic changes at the GABA synapse. We used cDNA microarrays to identify transcriptional fingerprints of cellular plasticity in response to altered GABAergic inhibition in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of alpha1 mutants. In silico analysis of 982 mutation-regulated transcripts highlighted genes and functional groups involved in regulation of neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, suggesting an adaptive response of the brain to an altered inhibitory tone. Public gene expression databases permitted identification of subsets of transcripts enriched in excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as some glial cells, providing evidence for cellular plasticity in individual cell types. Additional analysis linked some transcriptional changes to cellular phenotypes observed in the knock-out mice and suggested several genes, such as the early growth response 1 (Egr1), small GTP binding protein Rac1 (Rac1), neurogranin (Nrgn), sodium channel beta4 subunit (Scn4b), and potassium voltage-gated Kv4.2 channel (Kcnd2) as cell type-specific markers of neuronal plasticity. Furthermore, transcriptional activation of genes enriched in Bergman glia suggests an active role of these astrocytes in synaptic plasticity. Overall, our results suggest that the loss of alpha1-mediated fast inhibition produces diverse transcriptional responses that act to regulate neuronal excitability of individual neurons and stabilize neuronal networks, which may account for the lack of severe abnormalities in alpha1 null mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Ponomarev
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
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Abstract
Ethanol stimulates the firing activity of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, leading to enhanced dopaminergic transmission in the mesolimbic system. This effect is thought to underlie the behavioral reinforcement of alcohol intake. Ethanol has been shown to directly enhance the intrinsic pacemaker activity of DA neurons, yet the cellular mechanism mediating this excitation remains poorly understood. The hyperpolarization-activated cation current, Ih, is known to contribute to the pacemaker firing of DA neurons. To determine the role of Ih in ethanol excitation of DA neurons, we performed patch-clamp recordings in acutely prepared mouse midbrain slices. Superfusion of ethanol increased the spontaneous firing frequency of DA neurons in a reversible fashion. Treatment with ZD7288, a blocker of Ih, irreversibly depressed basal firing frequency and significantly attenuated the stimulatory effect of ethanol on firing. Furthermore, ethanol reversibly augmented Ih amplitude and accelerated its activation kinetics. This effect of ethanol was accompanied by a shift in the voltage dependence of Ih activation to more depolarized potentials and an increase in the maximum Ih conductance. Cyclic AMP mediated the depolarizing shift in Ih activation but not the increase in the maximum conductance. Finally, repeated ethanol treatment in vivo induced downregulation of Ih density in DA neurons and an accompanying reduction in the magnitude of ethanol stimulation of firing. These results suggest an important role of Ih in the reinforcing actions of ethanol and in the neuroadaptations underlying escalation of alcohol consumption associated with alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Okamoto
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Boland LM, Jiang M, Lee SY, Fahrenkrug SC, Harnett MT, O'Grady SM. Functional properties of a brain-specific NH2-terminally spliced modulator of Kv4 channels. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2003; 285:C161-70. [PMID: 12646414 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00416.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Kv4/K channel-interacting protein (KChIP) potassium channels are a major class of rapidly inactivating K channels in brain and heart. Considering the importance of alternative splicing to the quantitative features of KChIP gating modulation, a previously uncharacterized splice form of KChIP1 was functionally characterized. The KChIP1b splice variant differs from the previously characterized KChIP1a splice form by the inclusion of a novel amino-terminal region that is encoded by an alternative exon that is conserved in mouse, rat, and human genes. The expression of KChIP1b mRNA was high in brain but undetectable in heart or liver by RT-PCR. In cerebellar tissue, KChIP1b and KChIP1a transcripts were expressed at nearly equal levels. Coexpression of KChIP1b or KChIP1a with Kv4.2 channels in oocytes slowed K current decay and destabilized open-inactivated channel gating. Like other KChIP subunits, KChIP1b increased Kv4.2 current amplitude and KChIP1b also shifted Kv4.2 conductance-voltage curves by -10 mV. The development of Kv4.2 channel inactivation accessed from closed gating states was faster with KChIP1b coexpression. Deletion of the novel amino-terminal region in KChIP1b selectively altered the subunit's modulation of Kv4.2 closed inactivation gating. The role of the KChIP1b NH2-terminal region was further confirmed by direct comparison of the properties of the NH2-terminal deletion mutant and the KChIP1a subunit, which is encoded by a transcript that lacks the novel exon. The features of KChIP1b modulation of Kv4 channels are likely to be conserved in mammals and demonstrate a role for the KChIP1 NH2-terminal region in the regulation of closed inactivation gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Boland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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