Astrocytic iNOS-Dependent Enhancement of Synaptic Release in Mouse Neocortex

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 1322-1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yossi Buskila ◽  
Yael Amitai
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Selective Inhibition ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
Synaptic Release ◽  
Cellular Source ◽  
Inos Inhibition

Nitric oxide (NO) has been recognized as an atypical neuronal messenger affecting synaptic transmission, but its cellular source has remained unresolved as the neuronal NO synthase isoform (nNOS) in brain areas such as the neocortex is expressed only by a small subset of inhibitory neurons. The involvement of the glial NOS isoform (iNOS) in modulating neuronal activity has been largely ignored because it has been accepted that this enzyme is regulated by gene induction following detrimental stimuli. Using acute brain slices from mouse neocortex and electrophysiology, we found that selective inhibition of iNOS reduced both spontaneous and evoked synaptic release. Moreover, iNOS inhibition partially prevented and reversed the potentiation of excitatory synapses in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. NOS enzymatic assay confirmed a small but reliable Ca2+-independent activity fraction, consistent with the existence of functioning iNOS in the tissue. Together these data point to astrocytes as a source for the nitrosative regulation of synaptic release in the neocortex.

scholarly journals Membrane and synaptic properties of pyramidal neurons in the anterior olfactory nucleus

2011 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 1444-1453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. McGinley ◽  
Gary L. Westbrook
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Piriform Cortex ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Inward Rectification ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Membrane Excitability ◽  
Anterior Olfactory Nucleus ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Synaptic Excitation

The anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) is positioned to coordinate activity between the piriform cortex and olfactory bulbs, yet the physiology of AON principal neurons has been little explored. Here, we examined the membrane properties and excitatory synapses of AON principal neurons in brain slices of PND22–28 mice and compared their properties to principal cells in other olfactory cortical areas. AON principal neurons had firing rates, spike rate adaptation, spike widths, and I-V relationships that were generally similar to pyramidal neurons in piriform cortex, and typical of cerebral cortex, consistent with a role for AON in cortical processing. Principal neurons in AON had more hyperpolarized action potential thresholds, smaller afterhyperpolarizations, and tended to fire doublets of action potentials on depolarization compared with ventral anterior piriform cortex and the adjacent epileptogenic region preendopiriform nucleus (pEN). Thus, AON pyramidal neurons have enhanced membrane excitability compared with surrounding subregions. Interestingly, principal neurons in pEN were the least excitable, as measured by a larger input conductance, lower firing rates, and more inward rectification. Afferent and recurrent excitatory synapses onto AON pyramidal neurons had small amplitudes, paired pulse facilitation at afferent synapses, and GABAB modulation at recurrent synapses, a pattern similar to piriform cortex. The enhanced membrane excitability and recurrent synaptic excitation within the AON, together with its widespread outputs, suggest that the AON can boost and distribute activity in feedforward and feedback circuits throughout the olfactory system.

scholarly journals Distinct in vivo dynamics of excitatory synapses onto cortical pyramidal neurons and inhibitory interneurons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua B. Melander ◽  
Aran Nayebi ◽  
Bart C. Jongbloets ◽  
Dale A. Fortin ◽  
Maozhen Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Synaptic Weight ◽  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Inhibitory Interneurons ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Cortical Function ◽  
Cell Type Specific

SUMMARYCortical function relies on the balanced activation of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. However, little is known about the organization and dynamics of shaft excitatory synapses onto cortical inhibitory interneurons, which cannot be easily identified morphologically. Here, we fluorescently visualize the excitatory postsynaptic marker PSD-95 at endogenous levels as a proxy for excitatory synapses onto layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons and parvalbumin-positive (PV+) inhibitory interneurons in the mouse barrel cortex. Longitudinal in vivo imaging reveals that, while synaptic weights in both neuronal types are log-normally distributed, synapses onto PV+ neurons are less heterogeneous and more stable. Markov-model analyses suggest that the synaptic weight distribution is set intrinsically by ongoing cell type-specific dynamics, and substantial changes are due to accumulated gradual changes. Synaptic weight dynamics are multiplicative, i.e., changes scale with weights, though PV+ synapses also exhibit an additive component. These results reveal that cell type-specific processes govern cortical synaptic strengths and dynamics.

scholarly journals Circuit and synaptic organization of forebrain-to-midbrain pathways that promote and suppress vocalization

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Michael ◽  
Jack Goffinet ◽  
John Pearson ◽  
Fan Wang ◽  
Katherine Tschida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preoptic Area ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Boundary Zone ◽  
Synaptic Organization ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Synaptic Mechanisms

Animals vocalize only in certain behavioral contexts, but the circuits and synapses through which forebrain neurons trigger or suppress vocalization remain unknown. Here, we used transsynaptic tracing to identify two populations of inhibitory neurons that lie upstream of neurons in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that gate the production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in mice (i.e. PAG-USV neurons). Activating PAG-projecting neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POAPAG neurons) elicited USV production in the absence of social cues. In contrast, activating PAG-projecting neurons in the central-medial boundary zone of the amygdala (AmgC/M-PAG neurons) transiently suppressed USV production without disrupting non-vocal social behavior. Optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices revealed that POAPAG neurons directly inhibit PAG interneurons, which in turn inhibit PAG-USV neurons, whereas AmgC/M-PAG neurons directly inhibit PAG-USV neurons. These experiments identify two major forebrain inputs to the PAG that trigger and suppress vocalization, respectively, while also establishing the synaptic mechanisms through which these neurons exert opposing behavioral effects.

scholarly journals Lateral entorhinal cortex inputs modulate hippocampal dendritic excitability by recruiting a local disinhibitory microcircuit

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olesia M Bilash ◽  
Spyridon Chavlis ◽  
Panayiota Poirazi ◽  
Jayeeta Basu
Keyword(s):  
Entorhinal Cortex ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Inhibitory Neuron ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Memory Processing ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Dendritic Spikes ◽  
Hippocampal Area ◽  
Insight Into

The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) provides information about multi-sensory environmental cues to the hippocampus through direct inputs to the distal dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons. A growing body of work suggests that LEC neurons perform important functions for episodic memory processing, coding for contextually-salient elements of an environment or the experience within it. However, we know little about the functional circuit interactions between LEC and the hippocampus. In this study, we combine functional circuit mapping and computational modeling to examine how long-range glutamatergic LEC projections modulate compartment-specific excitation-inhibition dynamics in hippocampal area CA1. We demonstrate that glutamatergic LEC inputs can drive local dendritic spikes in CA1 pyramidal neurons, aided by the recruitment of a disinhibitory vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing inhibitory neuron microcircuit. Our circuit mapping further reveals that, in parallel, LEC also recruits cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing inhibitory neurons, which our model predicts act as a strong suppressor of dendritic spikes. These results provide new insight into a cortically-driven GABAergic microcircuit mechanism that gates non-linear dendritic computations, which may support compartment-specific coding of multi-sensory contextual features within the hippocampus.

scholarly journals Optical measurement of physiological sodium currents in the axon initial segment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiza Filipis ◽  
Marco Canepari
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Resolution ◽  
Initial Segment ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Optical Measurement ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Axon Initial Segment ◽  
Neuron Models ◽  
Pixel Resolution ◽  
Fluorescence Measurements ◽  
Kinetics Of

ABSTRACTIn most neurons of the mammalian central nervous system, the action potential (AP) is triggered in the axon initial segment (AIS) by a fast Na+ current mediated by voltage-gated Na+ channels. The intracellular Na+ increase associated with the AP has been measured using fluorescent Na+ indicators, but with insufficient resolution to resolve the Na+ current in the AIS. In this article, we report the critical improvement in temporal resolution of the Na+ imaging technique allowing the direct experimental measurement of Na+ currents in the AIS. We determined the AIS Na+ current, from fluorescence measurements at temporal resolution of 100 µs and pixel resolution of half a micron, in pyramidal neurons of the layer-5 of the somatosensory cortex from brain slices of the mouse. We identified a subthreshold current before the AP, a fast inactivating current peaking during the rise of the AP and a persistent current during the AP repolarisation. We correlated the kinetics of the current at different distances from the soma with the kinetics of the somatic AP. We quantitatively compared the experimentally measured Na+ current with the current obtained by computer simulation of published NEURON models and we show how the present approach can lead to the correct estimate of the native behaviour of Na+ channels. Thus, it is expected that the present method will be adopted to investigate the function of different channel types under physiological or pathological conditions.

scholarly journals Ciliary neuropeptidergic signaling dynamically regulates excitatory synapses in postnatal neocortical pyramidal neurons

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Tereshko ◽  
Ya Gao ◽  
Brian A. Cary ◽  
Gina G. Turrigiano ◽  
Piali Sengupta
Keyword(s):  
Primary Cilia ◽  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Somatostatin Receptor ◽  
Cognitive Disorders ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Ciliary Signaling ◽  
Neocortical Pyramidal Neurons

ABSTRACTPrimary cilia are compartmentalized sensory organelles present on the majority of neurons in the mammalian brain throughout adulthood. Recent evidence suggests that cilia regulate multiple aspects of neuronal development, including the maintenance of neuronal connectivity. However, whether ciliary signals can dynamically modulate postnatal circuit excitability is unknown. Here we show that acute cell-autonomous knockdown of ciliary signaling rapidly strengthens glutamatergic inputs onto cultured neocortical pyramidal neurons, and increases spontaneous firing. This increased excitability occurs without changes to passive neuronal properties or intrinsic excitability. Further, the neuropeptide receptor somatostatin receptor 3 (SSTR3) is localized nearly exclusively to pyramidal neuron cilia both in vivo and in culture, and pharmacological manipulation of SSTR3 signaling bidirectionally modulates excitatory synaptic inputs onto these neurons. Our results indicate that ciliary neuropeptidergic signaling dynamically modulates excitatory synapses, and suggest that defects in this regulation may underlie a subset of behavioral and cognitive disorders associated with ciliopathies.

scholarly journals Features Of Hippocampal Astrocytic Domains And Their Spatial Relation To Excitatory And Inhibitory Neurons

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Refaeli ◽  
Adi Doron ◽  
Aviya Benmelech-Chovav ◽  
Maya Groysman ◽  
Tirzah Kreisel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Spatial Relation ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Somatostatin Neurons ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Elaborate Structure

SUMMARYThe mounting evidence for the involvement of astrocytes in neuronal circuits function and behavior stands in stark contrast to the lack of detailed anatomical description of these cells and the neurons in their domains. To fill this void, we imaged >30,000 astrocytes in cleared hippocampi, and employed converging genetic, histological and computational tools to determine the elaborate structure, distribution and neuronal content of astrocytic domains. First, we characterized the spatial distribution of >19,000 astrocytes across CA1 lamina, and analyzed the detailed morphology of thousands of reconstructed domains. We then determined the excitatory content of CA1 astrocytes, averaging above 13 pyramidal neurons per domain and increasing towards CA1 midline. Finally, we discovered that somatostatin neurons are found in close proximity to astrocytes, compared to parvalbumin and VIP inhibitory neurons. This resource expands our understanding of fundamental hippocampal design principles, and provides the first quantitative foundation for neuron-astrocyte interactions in this region.

scholarly journals Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Localization on Distinct Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons Within the ACC and LPFC of the Rhesus Monkey

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Tsolias ◽  
Maria Medalla
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Muscarinic Receptors ◽  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Receptor Localization ◽  
Cortical Inputs ◽  
Almost All

Acetylcholine (ACh) can act on pre- and post-synaptic muscarinic receptors (mAChR) in the cortex to influence a myriad of cognitive processes. Two functionally-distinct regions of the prefrontal cortex—the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)—are differentially innervated by ascending cholinergic pathways yet, the nature and organization of prefrontal-cholinergic circuitry in primates are not well understood. Using multi-channel immunohistochemical labeling and high-resolution microscopy, we found regional and laminar differences in the subcellular localization and the densities of excitatory and inhibitory subpopulations expressing m1 and m2 muscarinic receptors, the two predominant cortical mAChR subtypes, in the supragranular layers of LPFC and ACC in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). The subset of m1+/m2+ expressing SMI-32+ pyramidal neurons labeled in layer 3 (L3) was denser in LPFC than in ACC, while m1+/m2+ SMI-32+ neurons co-expressing the calcium-binding protein, calbindin (CB) was greater in ACC. Further, we found between-area differences in laminar m1+ dendritic expression, and m2+ presynaptic localization on cortico-cortical (VGLUT1+) and sub-cortical inputs (VGLUT2+), suggesting differential cholinergic modulation of top-down vs. bottom-up inputs in the two areas. While almost all inhibitory interneurons—identified by their expression of parvalbumin (PV+), CB+, and calretinin (CR+)—expressed m1+, the localization of m2+ differed by subtype and area. The ACC exhibited a greater proportion of m2+ inhibitory neurons compared to the LPFC and had a greater density of presynaptic m2+ localized on inhibitory (VGAT+) inputs targeting proximal somatodendritic compartments and axon initial segments of L3 pyramidal neurons. These data suggest a greater capacity for m2+-mediated cholinergic suppression of inhibition in the ACC compared to the LPFC. The anatomical localization of muscarinic receptors on ACC and LPFC micro-circuits shown here contributes to our understanding of diverse cholinergic neuromodulation of functionally-distinct prefrontal areas involved in goal-directed behavior, and how these interactions maybe disrupted in neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions.

scholarly journals Constitutive activity of dopamine receptor type 1 (D1R) increases CaV2.2 currents in PFC neurons

2020 ◽  
Vol 152 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Inés McCarthy ◽  
Cambria Chou-Freed ◽  
Silvia Susana Rodríguez ◽  
Agustín Yaneff ◽  
Carlos Davio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dopamine Receptor ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Intraperitoneal Administration ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Receptor Type ◽  
Constitutive Activity ◽  
Medial Pfc

Alterations in dopamine receptor type 1 (D1R) density are associated with cognitive deficits of aging and schizophrenia. In the prefrontal cortex (PFC), D1R plays a critical role in the regulation of working memory, which is impaired in these cognitive deficit states, but the cellular events triggered by changes in D1R expression remain unknown. A previous report demonstrated that interaction between voltage-gated calcium channel type 2.2 (CaV2.2) and D1R stimulates CaV2.2 postsynaptic surface location in medial PFC pyramidal neurons. Here, we show that in addition to the occurrence of the physical receptor-channel interaction, constitutive D1R activity mediates up-regulation of functional CaV2.2 surface density. We performed patch-clamp experiments on transfected HEK293T cells and wild-type C57BL/6 mouse brain slices, as well as imaging experiments and cAMP measurements. We found that D1R coexpression led to ∼60% increase in CaV2.2 currents in HEK293T cells. This effect was occluded by preincubation with a D1/D5R inverse agonist, chlorpromazine, and by replacing D1R with a D1R mutant lacking constitutive activity. Moreover, D1R-induced increase in CaV2.2 currents required basally active Gs protein, as well as D1R-CaV2.2 interaction. In mice, intraperitoneal administration of chlorpromazine reduced native CaV currents’ sensitivity to ω-conotoxin-GVIA and their size by ∼49% in layer V/VI pyramidal neurons from medial PFC, indicating a selective effect on CaV2.2. Additionally, we found that reducing D1/D5R constitutive activity correlates with a decrease in the agonist-induced D1/D5R inhibitory effect on native CaV currents. Our results could be interpreted as a stimulatory effect of D1R constitutive activity on the number of CaV2.2 channels available for dopamine-mediated modulation. Our results contribute to the understanding of the physiological role of D1R constitutive activity and may explain the noncanonical postsynaptic distribution of functional CaV2.2 in PFC neurons.

scholarly journals Influence of Autapses on Synchronization in Neural Networks With Chemical Synapses

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo R. Protachevicz ◽  
Kelly C. Iarosz ◽  
Iberê L. Caldas ◽  
Chris G. Antonopoulos ◽  
Antonio M. Batista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Random Network ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Neural Dynamics ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Closed Loops ◽  
Integrate And Fire ◽  
Network Topologies ◽  
Chemical Synapses ◽  
Synchronous Behavior

A great deal of research has been devoted on the investigation of neural dynamics in various network topologies. However, only a few studies have focused on the influence of autapses, synapses from a neuron onto itself via closed loops, on neural synchronization. Here, we build a random network with adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neurons coupled with chemical synapses, equipped with autapses, to study the effect of the latter on synchronous behavior. We consider time delay in the conductance of the pre-synaptic neuron for excitatory and inhibitory connections. Interestingly, in neural networks consisting of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, we uncover that synchronous behavior depends on their synapse type. Our results provide evidence on the synchronous and desynchronous activities that emerge in random neural networks with chemical, inhibitory and excitatory synapses where neurons are equipped with autapses.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document