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Singh R, Jiang R, Williams J, Dobariya P, Hanak F, Xie J, Rothwell PE, Vince R, More SS. Modulation of endogenous opioid signaling by inhibitors of puromycin sensitive aminopeptidase. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.02.587756. [PMID: 38617237 PMCID: PMC11014559 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587756] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system regulates pain through local release of neuropeptides and modulation of their action on opioid receptors. However, the effect of opioid peptides, the enkephalins, is short-lived due to their rapid hydrolysis by enkephalin-degrading enzymes. In turn, an innovative approach to the management of pain would be to increase the local concentration and prolong the stability of enkephalins by preventing their inactivation by neural enkephalinases such as puromycin sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA). Our previous structure-activity relationship studies offered the S-diphenylmethyl cysteinyl derivative of puromycin (20) as a nanomolar inhibitor of PSA. This chemical class, however, suffered from undesirable metabolism to nephrotoxic puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN). To prevent such toxicity, we designed and synthesized 5'-chloro substituted derivatives. The compounds retained the PSA inhibitory potency of the corresponding 5'-hydroxy analogs and had improved selectivity toward PSA. In vivo treatment with the lead compound 19 caused significantly reduced pain response in antinociception assays, alone and in combination with Met-enkephalin. The analgesic effect was reversed by the opioid antagonist naloxone, suggesting the involvement of opioid receptors. Further, PSA inhibition by compound 19 in brain slices caused local increase in endogenous enkephalin levels, corroborating our rationale. Pharmacokinetic assessment of compound 19 showed desirable plasma stability and identified the cysteinyl sulfur as the principal site of metabolic liability. We gained additional insight into inhibitor-PSA interactions by molecular modeling, which underscored the importance of bulky aromatic amino acid in puromycin scaffold. The results of this study strongly support our rationale for the development of PSA inhibitors for effective pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Singh
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
| | - Rongrong Jiang
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
| | - Jessica Williams
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
| | | | - Filip Hanak
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jiashu Xie
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
| | - Patrick E. Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Robert Vince
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
| | - Swati S. More
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
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2
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Brandner DD, Retzlaff CL, Kocharian A, Stieve BJ, Mashal MA, Mermelstein PG, Rothwell PE. Neuroligin-3 in dopaminergic circuits promotes behavioural and neurobiological adaptations to chronic morphine exposure. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13247. [PMID: 36577719 PMCID: PMC9803875 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13247] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic opioid exposure causes structural and functional changes in brain circuits, which may contribute to opioid use disorders. Synaptic cell-adhesion molecules are prime candidates for mediating this opioid-evoked plasticity. Neuroligin-3 (NL3) is an X-linked postsynaptic adhesion protein that shapes synaptic function at multiple sites in the mesolimbic dopamine system. We therefore studied how genetic knockout of NL3 alters responses to chronic morphine in male mice. Constitutive NL3 knockout caused a persistent reduction in psychomotor sensitization after chronic morphine exposure and change in the topography of locomotor stimulation produced by morphine. This latter change was recapitulated by conditional genetic deletion of NL3 from cells expressing the Drd1 dopamine receptor, whereas reduced psychomotor sensitization was recapitulated by conditional genetic deletion from dopamine neurons. Without NL3 expression, dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area exhibited diminished activation following chronic morphine exposure, by measuring in vivo calcium signals with fibre photometry. This altered pattern of dopamine neuron activity may be driven by aberrant forms of opioid-evoked synaptic plasticity in the absence of NL3: dopamine neurons lacking NL3 showed weaker synaptic inhibition at baseline, which was subsequently strengthened after chronic morphine. In total, our study highlights neurobiological adaptations in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area that correspond with increased behavioural sensitivity to opioids and further suggests that NL3 expression by dopamine neurons provides a molecular substrate for opioid-evoked adaptations in brain function and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter D. Brandner
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455
| | | | - Adrina Kocharian
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455
| | - Bethany J. Stieve
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455
| | - Mohammed A. Mashal
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455
| | | | - Patrick E. Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455,Corresponding Author: Patrick E. Rothwell, Ph.D., 4-142 Wallin Medical Biosciences Building, 2101 6 Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, Phone: 612-626-8744,
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Retzlaff CL, Rothwell PE. Characterization and mu opioid receptor sensitivity of neuropeptide Y interneurons in the mouse nucleus accumbens. Neuropharmacology 2022; 218:109212. [PMID: 35963449 PMCID: PMC10116437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109212] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons represent less than 5% of neurons within the nucleus accumbens, but are critical for proper microcircuit function within this brain region. In the dorsal striatum, neuropeptide Y is expressed by two interneuron subtypes (low-threshold spiking interneurons and neurogliaform interneurons) that exhibit mu opioid receptor sensitivity in other brain regions. However, few studies have assessed the molecular and physiological properties of neuropeptide Y interneurons within the nucleus accumbens. We used a transgenic reporter mouse to identify and characterize neuropeptide Y interneurons in acute nucleus accumbens brain slices. Nearly all cells exhibited electrophysiological properties of low-threshold spiking interneurons, with almost no neurogliaform interneurons observed among neuropeptide Y interneurons. We corroborated this pattern using fluorescent in situ hybridization, and also identified a high level of mu opioid receptor expression by low-threshold spiking interneurons, which led us to examine the functional consequences of mu opioid receptor activation in these cells using electrophysiology. Mu opioid receptor activation caused a reduction in the rate of spontaneous action potentials in low-threshold spiking interneurons, as well as a decrease in optogenetically-evoked GABA release onto medium spiny neurons. The latter effect was more robust in female versus male mice, and when the postsynaptic medium spiny neuron expressed the Drd1 dopamine receptor. This work is the first to examine the physiological properties of neuropeptide Y interneurons in the nucleus accumbens, and show they may be an important target for mu opioid receptor modulation by endogenous and exogenous opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Retzlaff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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Trieu BH, Remmers BC, Toddes C, Brandner DD, Lefevre EM, Kocharian A, Retzlaff CL, Dick RM, Mashal MA, Gauthier EA, Xie W, Zhang Y, More SS, Rothwell PE. Angiotensin-converting enzyme gates brain circuit-specific plasticity via an endogenous opioid. Science 2022; 375:1177-1182. [PMID: 35201898 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl5130] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) regulates blood pressure by cleaving angiotensin I to produce angiotensin II. In the brain, ACE is especially abundant in striatal tissue, but the function of ACE in striatal circuits remains poorly understood. We found that ACE degrades an unconventional enkephalin heptapeptide, Met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe, in the nucleus accumbens of mice. ACE inhibition enhanced µ-opioid receptor activation by Met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe, causing a cell type-specific long-term depression of glutamate release onto medium spiny projection neurons expressing the Drd1 dopamine receptor. Systemic ACE inhibition was not intrinsically rewarding, but it led to a decrease in conditioned place preference caused by fentanyl administration and an enhancement of reciprocal social interaction. Our results raise the enticing prospect that central ACE inhibition can boost endogenous opioid signaling for clinical benefit while mitigating the risk of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian H Trieu
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bailey C Remmers
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carlee Toddes
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Dieter D Brandner
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Emilia M Lefevre
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Adrina Kocharian
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Cassandra L Retzlaff
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Rachel M Dick
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mohammed A Mashal
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Elysia A Gauthier
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Wei Xie
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Swati S More
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Toddes C, Lefevre EM, Brandner DD, Zugschwert L, Rothwell PE. μ-Opioid Receptor (Oprm1) Copy Number Influences Nucleus Accumbens Microcircuitry and Reciprocal Social Behaviors. J Neurosci 2021; 41:7965-7977. [PMID: 34301826 PMCID: PMC8460143 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2440-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The μ-opioid receptor regulates reward derived from both drug use and natural experiences, including social interaction, through actions in the nucleus accumbens. Here, we studied nucleus accumbens microcircuitry and social behavior in male and female mice with heterozygous genetic knockout of the μ-opioid receptor (Oprm1+/-). This genetic condition models the partial reduction of μ-opioid receptor signaling reported in several neuropsychiatric disorders. We first analyzed inhibitory synapses in the nucleus accumbens, using methods that differentiate between medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing the D1 or D2 dopamine receptor. Inhibitory synaptic transmission was increased in D2-MSNs of male mutants, but not female mutants, while the expression of gephyrin mRNA and the density of inhibitory synaptic puncta at the cell body of D2-MSNs was increased in mutants of both sexes. Some of these changes were more robust in Oprm1+/- mutants than Oprm1-/- mutants, demonstrating that partial reductions of μ-opioid signaling can have large effects. At the behavioral level, social conditioned place preference and reciprocal social interaction were diminished in Oprm1+/- and Oprm1-/- mutants of both sexes. Interaction with Oprm1 mutants also altered the social behavior of wild-type test partners. We corroborated this latter result using a social preference task, in which wild-type mice preferred interactions with another typical mouse over Oprm1 mutants. Surprisingly, Oprm1-/- mice preferred interactions with other Oprm1-/- mutants, although these interactions did not produce a conditioned place preference. Our results support a role for partial dysregulation of μ-opioid signaling in social deficits associated with neuropsychiatric conditions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Activation of the μ-opioid receptor plays a key role in the expression of normal social behaviors. In this study, we examined brain function and social behavior of female and male mice, with either partial or complete genetic deletion of μ-opioid receptor expression. We observed abnormal social behavior following both genetic manipulations, as well as changes in the structure and function of synaptic input to a specific population of neurons in the nucleus accumbens, which is an important brain region for social behavior. Synaptic changes were most robust when μ-opioid receptor expression was only partially lost, indicating that small reductions in μ-opioid receptor signaling can have a large impact on brain function and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlee Toddes
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Emilia M Lefevre
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Dieter D Brandner
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Lauryn Zugschwert
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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Borland JM, Kim E, Swanson SP, Rothwell PE, Mermelstein PG, Meisel RL. Effect of Aggressive Experience in Female Syrian Hamsters on Glutamate Receptor Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:583395. [PMID: 33328919 PMCID: PMC7719767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.583395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our social relationships determine our health and well-being. In rodent models, there is now strong support for the rewarding properties of aggressive or assertive behaviors to be critical for the expression and development of adaptive social relationships, buffering from stress and protecting from the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression. However, due to the false belief that aggression is not a part of the normal repertoire of social behaviors displayed by females, almost nothing is known about the neural mechanisms mediating the rewarding properties of aggression in half the population. In the following study, using Syrian hamsters as a well-validated and translational model of female aggression, we investigated the effects of aggressive experience on the expression of markers of postsynaptic structure (PSD-95, Caskin I) and excitatory synaptic transmission (GluA1, GluA2, GluA4, NR2A, NR2B, mGluR1a, and mGluR5) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate putamen and prefrontal cortex. Aggressive experience resulted in an increase in PSD-95, GluA1 and the dimer form of mGluR5 specifically in the NAc 24 h following aggressive experience. There was also an increase in the dimer form of mGluR1a 1 week following aggressive experience. Aggressive experience also resulted in an increase in the strength of the association between these postsynaptic proteins and glutamate receptors, supporting a common mechanism of action. In addition, 1 week following aggressive experience there was a positive correlation between the monomer of mGluR5 and multiple AMPAR and NMDAR subunits. In conclusion, we provide evidence that aggressive experience in females results in an increase in the expression of postsynaptic density, AMPARs and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors, and an increase in the strength of the association between postsynaptic proteins and glutamate receptors. This suggests that aggressive experience may result in an increase in excitatory synaptic transmission in the NAc, potentially encoding the rewarding and behavioral effects of aggressive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan M. Borland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Corkrum M, Covelo A, Lines J, Bellocchio L, Pisansky M, Loke K, Quintana R, Rothwell PE, Lujan R, Marsicano G, Martin ED, Thomas MJ, Kofuji P, Araque A. Dopamine-Evoked Synaptic Regulation in the Nucleus Accumbens Requires Astrocyte Activity. Neuron 2020; 105:1036-1047.e5. [PMID: 31954621 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine is involved in physiological processes like learning and memory, motor control and reward, and pathological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and addiction. In contrast to the extensive studies on neurons, astrocyte involvement in dopaminergic signaling remains largely unknown. Using transgenic mice, optogenetics, and pharmacogenetics, we studied the role of astrocytes on the dopaminergic system. We show that in freely behaving mice, astrocytes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key reward center in the brain, respond with Ca2+ elevations to synaptically released dopamine, a phenomenon enhanced by amphetamine. In brain slices, synaptically released dopamine increases astrocyte Ca2+, stimulates ATP/adenosine release, and depresses excitatory synaptic transmission through activation of presynaptic A1 receptors. Amphetamine depresses neurotransmission through stimulation of astrocytes and the consequent A1 receptor activation. Furthermore, astrocytes modulate the acute behavioral psychomotor effects of amphetamine. Therefore, astrocytes mediate the dopamine- and amphetamine-induced synaptic regulation, revealing a novel cellular pathway in the brain reward system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Corkrum
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ana Covelo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; INSERM, U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux Cedex 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux 33000, France
| | - Justin Lines
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Luigi Bellocchio
- INSERM, U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux Cedex 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux 33000, France
| | - Marc Pisansky
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kelvin Loke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ruth Quintana
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Rafael Lujan
- Instituto de Investigación en Discapacidades Neurológicas (IDINE), Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete 02008, Spain
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- INSERM, U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux Cedex 33077, France; University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux 33000, France
| | | | - Mark J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paulo Kofuji
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Corkrum M, Rothwell PE, Thomas MJ, Kofuji P, Araque A. Opioid-Mediated Astrocyte-Neuron Signaling in the Nucleus Accumbens. Cells 2019; 8:cells8060586. [PMID: 31207909 PMCID: PMC6628279 DOI: 10.3390/cells8060586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Major hallmarks of astrocyte physiology are the elevation of intracellular calcium in response to neurotransmitters and the release of neuroactive substances (gliotransmitters) that modulate neuronal activity. While μ-opioid receptor expression has been identified in astrocytes of the nucleus accumbens, the functional consequences on astrocyte–neuron communication remains largely unknown. The present study has investigated the astrocyte responsiveness to μ-opioid signaling and the regulation of gliotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. Through the combination of calcium imaging and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices, we have found that μ-opioid receptor activation in astrocytes elevates astrocyte cytoplasmic calcium and stimulates the release of the gliotransmitter glutamate, which evokes slow inward currents through the activation of neuronal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. These results indicate the existence of molecular mechanisms underlying opioid-mediated astrocyte–neuron signaling in the nucleus accumbens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Corkrum
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Mark J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Paulo Kofuji
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Gokce O, Stanley GM, Treutlein B, Neff NF, Camp JG, Malenka RC, Rothwell PE, Fuccillo MV, Südhof TC, Quake SR. Cellular Taxonomy of the Mouse Striatum as Revealed by Single-Cell RNA-Seq. Cell Rep 2016; 16:1126-1137. [PMID: 27425622 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.06.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The striatum contributes to many cognitive processes and disorders, but its cell types are incompletely characterized. We show that microfluidic and FACS-based single-cell RNA sequencing of mouse striatum provides a well-resolved classification of striatal cell type diversity. Transcriptome analysis revealed ten differentiated, distinct cell types, including neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal, immune, and vascular cells, and enabled the discovery of numerous marker genes. Furthermore, we identified two discrete subtypes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that have specific markers and that overexpress genes linked to cognitive disorders and addiction. We also describe continuous cellular identities, which increase heterogeneity within discrete cell types. Finally, we identified cell type-specific transcription and splicing factors that shape cellular identities by regulating splicing and expression patterns. Our findings suggest that functional diversity within a complex tissue arises from a small number of discrete cell types, which can exist in a continuous spectrum of functional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozgun Gokce
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität LMU, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Geoffrey M Stanley
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norma F Neff
- Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - J Gray Camp
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marc V Fuccillo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Rothwell PE. Autism Spectrum Disorders and Drug Addiction: Common Pathways, Common Molecules, Distinct Disorders? Front Neurosci 2016; 10:20. [PMID: 26903789 PMCID: PMC4742554 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and drug addiction do not share substantial comorbidity or obvious similarities in etiology or symptomatology. It is thus surprising that a number of recent studies implicate overlapping neural circuits and molecular signaling pathways in both disorders. The purpose of this review is to highlight this emerging intersection and consider implications for understanding the pathophysiology of these seemingly distinct disorders. One area of overlap involves neural circuits and neuromodulatory systems in the striatum and basal ganglia, which play an established role in addiction and reward but are increasingly implicated in clinical and preclinical studies of ASDs. A second area of overlap relates to molecules like Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and methyl CpG-binding protein-2 (MECP2), which are best known for their contribution to the pathogenesis of syndromic ASDs, but have recently been shown to regulate behavioral and neurobiological responses to addictive drug exposure. These shared pathways and molecules point to common dimensions of behavioral dysfunction, including the repetition of behavioral patterns and aberrant reward processing. The synthesis of knowledge gained through parallel investigations of ASDs and addiction may inspire the design of new therapeutic interventions to correct common elements of striatal dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Fuccillo MV, Rothwell PE, Malenka RC. From Synapses to Behavior: What Rodent Models Can Tell Us About Neuropsychiatric Disease. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:4-6. [PMID: 26616432 PMCID: PMC4832414 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Fuccillo MV, Földy C, Gökce Ö, Rothwell PE, Sun GL, Malenka RC, Südhof TC. Single-Cell mRNA Profiling Reveals Cell-Type-Specific Expression of Neurexin Isoforms. Neuron 2015; 87:326-40. [PMID: 26182417 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Neurexins are considered central organizers of synapse architecture that are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Expression of neurexins in hundreds of alternatively spliced isoforms suggested that individual neurons might exhibit a cell-type-specific neurexin expression pattern (a neurexin code). To test this hypothesis, we quantified the single-cell levels of neurexin isoforms and other trans-synaptic cell-adhesion molecules by microfluidics-based RT-PCR. We show that the neurexin repertoire displays pronounced cell-type specificity that is remarkably consistent within each type of neuron. Furthermore, we uncovered region-specific regulation of neurexin transcription and splice-site usage. Finally, we demonstrate that the transcriptional profiles of neurexins can be altered in an experience-dependent fashion by exposure to a drug of abuse. Our data provide evidence of cell-type-specific expression patterns of multiple neurexins at the single-cell level and suggest that expression of synaptic cell-adhesion molecules overlaps with other key features of cellular identity and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc V Fuccillo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Csaba Földy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Özgün Gökce
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Gordon L Sun
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Rothwell PE, Fuccillo MV, Maxeiner S, Hayton SJ, Gokce O, Lim BK, Fowler SC, Malenka RC, Südhof TC. Autism-associated neuroligin-3 mutations commonly impair striatal circuits to boost repetitive behaviors. Cell 2014; 158:198-212. [PMID: 24995986 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [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: 11/09/2013] [Revised: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In humans, neuroligin-3 mutations are associated with autism, whereas in mice, the corresponding mutations produce robust synaptic and behavioral changes. However, different neuroligin-3 mutations cause largely distinct phenotypes in mice, and no causal relationship links a specific synaptic dysfunction to a behavioral change. Using rotarod motor learning as a proxy for acquired repetitive behaviors in mice, we found that different neuroligin-3 mutations uniformly enhanced formation of repetitive motor routines. Surprisingly, neuroligin-3 mutations caused this phenotype not via changes in the cerebellum or dorsal striatum but via a selective synaptic impairment in the nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum. Here, neuroligin-3 mutations increased rotarod learning by specifically impeding synaptic inhibition onto D1-dopamine receptor-expressing but not D2-dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons. Our data thus suggest that different autism-associated neuroligin-3 mutations cause a common increase in acquired repetitive behaviors by impairing a specific striatal synapse and thereby provide a plausible circuit substrate for autism pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marc V Fuccillo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott J Hayton
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ozgun Gokce
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Byung Kook Lim
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephen C Fowler
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Lim BK, Huang KW, Grueter BA, Rothwell PE, Malenka RC. Anhedonia requires MC4R-mediated synaptic adaptations in nucleus accumbens. Nature 2012; 487:183-9. [PMID: 22785313 PMCID: PMC3397405 DOI: 10.1038/nature11160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is a strong diathesis for depression in humans and is used to generate animal models of depression. It commonly leads to several major symptoms of depression including dysregulated feeding behavior, anhedonia, and behavioral despair. Although hypotheses defining the neural pathophysiology of depression have been proposed, the critical synaptic adaptations in key brain circuits that mediate stress-induced depressive symptoms remain poorly understood. Here we show that chronic stress decreases the strength of excitatory synapses on D1 dopamine receptor-expressing nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons due to activation of melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4Rs). Stress-elicited increases in behavioral measurements of anhedonia, but not increases in measurements of behavioral despair, are prevented by blocking these MC4R-mediated synaptic changes in vivo. These results establish that stress-elicited anhedonia requires a neuropeptide-triggered, cell type-specific synaptic adaptation in the nucleus accumbens and that distinct circuit adaptations mediate other major symptoms of stress-elicited depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung Kook Lim
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Rothwell PE, Kourrich S, Thomas MJ. Synaptic adaptations in the nucleus accumbens caused by experiences linked to relapse. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 69:1124-6. [PMID: 21329910 PMCID: PMC3302659 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2010] [Revised: 12/08/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excitatory synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) regulates the reinstatement of drug seeking, an animal model of relapse in human drug addicts. However, the functional adaptations at NAc synapses that mediate reinstatement are not clearly understood. METHODS We assessed the behavioral responses of mice to cocaine administration by measuring locomotor stimulation and the acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement of conditioned place preference. Synaptic function was then examined by preparing acute brain slices and performing whole cell voltage-clamp recordings from individual medium spiny neurons in the NAc shell. RESULTS We find that reduced excitatory synaptic strength in the NAc shell is a common functional adaptation induced by multiple experiences known to cause reinstatement, including stress and drug re-exposure. The same synaptic adaptation is observed shortly after reinstatement of conditioned place preference by a cocaine priming injection. CONCLUSIONS This common synaptic modification associated with stress, drug re-exposure, and reinstatement defines a potential synaptic gateway to relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark J. Thomas
- Corresponding Author Mark J. Thomas, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, Phone: 612-624-4963, Fax: 612-624-7910,
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Rothwell PE, Kourrich S, Thomas MJ. Environmental novelty causes stress-like adaptations at nucleus accumbens synapses: implications for studying addiction-related plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:1152-9. [PMID: 21315090 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Revised: 01/24/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to abused drugs and stressful experience, two factors that promote the development of addiction, also modify synaptic function in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Here, we show that exposure to a novel environment produces functional synaptic adaptations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) that mirror the effect of conventional forms of stress. We find an enhancement of excitatory synaptic strength in the NAc shell one day after exposure to a novel environment for 60 min--an effect not observed in NAc core. This effect disappeared following repeated exposure to the same environment, but then reappeared if mice are returned to the same environment 10-14 days later. There were no interactions between the effects of environmental novelty and a single exposure to cocaine (15 mg/kg), with no effect of the latter on synaptic strength in NAc shell. These results have important implications for designing studies of NAc synapses in the context of behavioral analysis, and expand our understanding of how different forms of stress modify NAc synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Rothwell
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Abstract
The relative intermittency or continuity of drug delivery is a major determinant of addictive liability, and also influences the impact of drug exposure on brain function and behavior. Events that occur during the offset of drug action (ie, acute withdrawal) may have an important role in the consequences of intermittent drug exposure. We assessed whether recurrent episodes of acute withdrawal contribute to the development of psychomotor sensitization in rodents during daily morphine exposure. The acoustic startle reflex--a measure of anxiety induced by opiate withdrawal-was used to resolve and quantify discrete withdrawal episodes, and pharmacological interventions were used to manipulate withdrawal severity. Startle potentiation was observed during spontaneous withdrawal from a single morphine exposure, and individual differences in initial withdrawal severity positively predicted the subsequent development of sensitization. Manipulations that reduce or exacerbate withdrawal severity also produced parallel changes in the degree of sensitization. These results demonstrate that the episodic experience of withdrawal during daily drug exposure has a novel role in promoting the development of psychomotor sensitization--a prominent model of drug-induced neurobehavioral plasticity. Episodic withdrawal may have a pervasive role in many effects of intermittent drug exposure and contribute to the development of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Rothwell
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jonathan C Gewirtz
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mark J Thomas
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA,University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Tel: 6 12 624 4963, Fax: +6 12 624 7910, E-mail:
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Abstract
Plasticity of glutamatergic synapses is a fundamental mechanism through which experience changes neural function to impact future behavior. In animal models of addiction, glutamatergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) exerts powerful control over drug-seeking behavior. However, little is known about whether, how or when experience with drugs may trigger synaptic plasticity in this key nucleus. Using whole-cell synaptic physiology in NAc brain slices, we demonstrate that a progression of bidirectional changes in glutamatergic synaptic strength occurs after repeated in vivo exposure to cocaine. During a protracted drug-free period, NAc neurons from cocaine-experienced mice develop a robust potentiation of AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission. However, a single re-exposure to cocaine during extended withdrawal becomes a potent stimulus for synaptic depression, abruptly reversing the initial potentiation. These enduring modifications in AMPAR-mediated responses and plasticity may provide a neural substrate for disrupted processing of drug-related stimuli in drug-experienced individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saïd Kourrich
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology and Institute of Human Genetics, and
| | - Patrick E. Rothwell
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology and Institute of Human Genetics, and
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Jason R. Klug
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology and Institute of Human Genetics, and
| | - Mark J. Thomas
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology and Institute of Human Genetics, and
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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