scholarly journals Neuro-Immune Cross-Talk in the Striatum: From Basal Ganglia Physiology to Circuit Dysfunction

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mancini ◽  
Veronica Ghiglieri ◽  
Lucilla Parnetti ◽  
Paolo Calabresi ◽  
Massimiliano Di Filippo
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Synaptic Activity ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Pathogenic Factor ◽  
Movement Execution ◽  
Cortical Areas ◽  
Emotional Processes ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Subcortical Nuclei ◽  
Neuronal Transmission

The basal ganglia network is represented by an interconnected group of subcortical nuclei traditionally thought to play a crucial role in motor learning and movement execution. During the last decades, knowledge about basal ganglia physiology significantly evolved and this network is now considered as a key regulator of important cognitive and emotional processes. Accordingly, the disruption of basal ganglia network dynamics represents a crucial pathogenic factor in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. The striatum is the input station of the circuit. Thanks to the synaptic properties of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and their ability to express synaptic plasticity, the striatum exerts a fundamental integrative and filtering role in the basal ganglia network, influencing the functional output of the whole circuit. Although it is currently established that the immune system is able to regulate neuronal transmission and plasticity in specific cortical areas, the role played by immune molecules and immune/glial cells in the modulation of intra-striatal connections and basal ganglia activity still needs to be clarified. In this manuscript, we review the available evidence of immune-based regulation of synaptic activity in the striatum, also discussing how an abnormal immune activation in this region could be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and degenerative central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

scholarly journals Striatal circuits support broadly opponent aspects of action suppression and production

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno F. Cruz ◽  
Sofia Soares ◽  
Joseph J. Paton
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Relative Activity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Dorsolateral Striatum ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Over Time

SummaryImbalance between action suppression and production characterizes several basal ganglia (BG) disorders. Relatedly, the direct and indirect pathways of the BG are hypothesized to promote and suppress actions, respectively. Yet striatal direct (dMSNs) and indirect (iMSNs) medium spiny neurons are coactive around movement, apparently contradicting direct-indirect functional opponency. In the dorsolateral striatum of mice, we observed coactivation around movements, but elevated and diminished activity of iMSNs and dMSNs, respectively, during action suppression. Furthermore, relative activity of the two hemispheres evolved in opposite directions in the two pathways as the need to suppress movements to either side of the body developed over time. Lastly, optogenetic inhibition experiments revealed the necessity of iMSNs but not dMSNs for the proactive suppression of specific actions, and dMSNs but not iMSNs for generalized action vigor. These data demonstrate distinct yet still broadly opponent roles for the direct and indirect pathways in behavioral control.

scholarly journals Direct and Indirect Pathway Neurons in Ventrolateral Striatum Differentially Regulate Licking Movement and Nigral Responses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaorong Chen ◽  
Zhi-Yu Zhang ◽  
Taorong Xie ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Yaping Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Rate Increase ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Tongue Protrusion ◽  
D1 And D2 Receptors ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Output Neurons

SUMMARYDrinking behavior in rodents is characterized by stereotyped, rhythmic licking movement, which is regulated by the basal ganglia. It is unclear how direct and indirect pathways control the lick bout and individual lick event. We find that inactivating D1 and D2 receptors-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the ventrolateral striatum (VLS) oppositely alters the number of licks in a bout. D1- and D2-MSNs exhibit similar patterns of lick sequence-related activity but different phases of oscillation time-locked to the lick cycle. On timescale of a lick cycle, transient inactivation of D1-MSNs during tongue protrusion reduces lick probability, whereas transient inactivation of D2-MSNs has no effect. On timescale of a lick bout, inactivation of D1-MSNs (D2-MSNs) causes rate increase (decrease) in a subset of basal ganglia output neurons that decrease firing during licking. Our results reveal the distinct roles of D1- and D2-MSNs in regulating licking at both coarse and fine timescales.

scholarly journals Origins of basal ganglia output signals in singing juvenile birds

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgane Pidoux ◽  
Tejapratap Bollu ◽  
Tori Riccelli ◽  
Jesse H. Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Firing Patterns ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Corticostriatal Inputs ◽  
Fast Spiking ◽  
Output Neurons ◽  
Cortical Inputs ◽  
Complex Circuits

Across species, complex circuits inside the basal ganglia (BG) converge on pallidal output neurons that exhibit movement-locked firing patterns. Yet the origins of these firing patterns remain poorly understood. In songbirds during vocal babbling, BG output neurons homologous to those found in the primate internal pallidal segment are uniformly activated in the tens of milliseconds prior to syllable onsets. To test the origins of this remarkably homogenous BG output signal, we recorded from diverse upstream BG cell types during babbling. Prior to syllable onsets, at the same time that internal pallidal segment-like neurons were activated, putative medium spiny neurons, fast spiking and tonically active interneurons also exhibited transient rate increases. In contrast, pallidal neurons homologous to those found in primate external pallidal segment exhibited transient rate decreases. To test origins of these signals, we performed recordings following lesion of corticostriatal inputs from premotor nucleus HVC. HVC lesions largely abolished these syllable-locked signals. Altogether, these findings indicate a striking homogeneity of syllable timing signals in the songbird BG during babbling and are consistent with a role for the indirect and hyperdirect pathways in transforming cortical inputs into BG outputs during an exploratory behavior.

scholarly journals Direct pathway neurons in mouse dorsolateral striatum in vivo receive stronger synaptic input than indirect pathway neurons

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 2294-2303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Filipović ◽  
Maya Ketzef ◽  
Ramon Reig ◽  
Ad Aertsen ◽  
Gilad Silberberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Potential Fluctuations ◽  
Direct Pathway ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Total Input ◽  
Membrane Potential Fluctuations

Striatal projection neurons, the medium spiny neurons (MSNs), play a crucial role in various motor and cognitive functions. MSNs express either D1- or D2-type dopamine receptors and initiate the direct-pathway (dMSNs) or indirect pathways (iMSNs) of the basal ganglia, respectively. dMSNs have been shown to receive more inhibition than iMSNs from intrastriatal sources. Based on these findings, computational modeling of the striatal network has predicted that under healthy conditions dMSNs should receive more total input than iMSNs. To test this prediction, we analyzed in vivo whole cell recordings from dMSNs and iMSNs in healthy and dopamine-depleted (6OHDA) anaesthetized mice. By comparing their membrane potential fluctuations, we found that dMSNs exhibited considerably larger membrane potential fluctuations over a wide frequency range. Furthermore, by comparing the spike-triggered average membrane potentials, we found that dMSNs depolarized toward the spike threshold significantly faster than iMSNs did. Together, these findings (in particular the STA analysis) corroborate the theoretical prediction that direct-pathway MSNs receive stronger total input than indirect-pathway neurons. Finally, we found that dopamine-depleted mice exhibited no difference between the membrane potential fluctuations of dMSNs and iMSNs. These data provide new insights into the question of how the lack of dopamine may lead to behavioral deficits associated with Parkinson’s disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia originate from the D1- and D2-type dopamine receptor expressing medium spiny neurons (dMSNs and iMSNs). Theoretical results have predicted that dMSNs should receive stronger synaptic input than iMSNs. Using in vivo intracellular membrane potential data, we provide evidence that dMSNs indeed receive stronger input than iMSNs, as has been predicted by the computational model.

scholarly journals Medium spiny neurons activity reveals the discrete segregation of mouse dorsal striatum

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Alegre-Cortés ◽  
M. Sáez ◽  
R. Montanari ◽  
R. Reig
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Extracellular Recordings ◽  
Electrophysiological Properties ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Sensory Activity ◽  
Fast Oscillations ◽  
Anatomical Evidence

AbstractBehavioural studies differentiate the rodent dorsal striatum (DS) into lateral and medial regions; however, anatomical evidence suggests that it is a unified structure. To understand striatal dynamics and basal ganglia functions, it is essential to clarify the circuitry that supports this behavioural-based segregation. Here, we show that the mouse DS is made of two non-overlapping functional circuits divided by a boundary. Combining in vivo optopatch-clamp and extracellular recordings of spontaneous and evoked sensory activity, we demonstrate different coupling of lateral and medial striatum to the cortex together with an independent integration of the spontaneous activity, due to particular corticostriatal connectivity and local attributes of each region. Additionally, we show differences in slow and fast oscillations and in the electrophysiological properties between striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons. In summary, these results demonstrate that the rodent DS is segregated in two neuronal circuits, in homology with the caudate and putamen nuclei of primates.

scholarly journals Singing-Related Neural Activity Distinguishes Four Classes of Putative Striatal Neurons in the Songbird Basal Ganglia

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 2002-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse H. Goldberg ◽  
Michale S. Fee
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
Striatal Neurons ◽  
Tonically Active Neurons ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Low Threshold ◽  
Fast Spiking ◽  
Area X ◽  
Spike Waveforms

The striatum—the primary input nucleus of the basal ganglia—plays a major role in motor control and learning. Four main classes of striatal neuron are thought to be essential for normal striatal function: medium spiny neurons, fast-spiking interneurons, cholinergic tonically active neurons, and low-threshold spiking interneurons. However, the nature of the interaction of these neurons during behavior is poorly understood. The songbird area X is a specialized striato-pallidal basal ganglia nucleus that contains two pallidal cell types as well as the same four cell types found in the mammalian striatum. We recorded 185 single units in Area X of singing juvenile birds and, based on singing-related firing patterns and spike waveforms, find six distinct cell classes—two classes of putative pallidal neuron that exhibited a high spontaneous firing rate (>60 Hz), and four cell classes that exhibited low spontaneous firing rates characteristic of striatal neurons. In this study, we examine in detail the four putative striatal cell classes. Type-1 neurons were the most frequently encountered and exhibited sparse temporally precise singing-related activity. Type-2 neurons were distinguished by their narrow spike waveforms and exhibited brief, high-frequency bursts during singing. Type-3 neurons were tonically active and did not burst, whereas type-4 neurons were inactive outside of singing and during singing generated long high-frequency bursts that could reach firing rates over 1 kHz. Based on comparison to the mammalian literature, we suggest that these four putative striatal cell classes correspond, respectively, to the medium spiny neurons, fast-spiking interneurons, tonically active neurons, and low-threshold spiking interneurons that are known to reside in area X.

scholarly journals Optogenetic activation of striatal D1/D2 medium spiny neurons differentially engages downstream connected areas beyond the basal ganglia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Grimm ◽  
Stefan Frässle ◽  
Céline Steger ◽  
Lukas von Ziegler ◽  
Oliver Sturman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Effective Connectivity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Computational Modelling ◽  
Medium Spiny Neurons ◽  
D2 Dopamine Receptors ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Spiny Neurons ◽  
Thalamocortical Network

AbstractThe basal ganglia (BG) are a group of subcortical nuclei responsible for motor control, motor learning and executive function. Central to BG function are striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing D1 and D2 dopamine receptors. D1 and D2 MSNs are typically considered functional antagonists that facilitate voluntary movements and inhibit competing motor patterns, respectively. While their opposite role is well documented for certain sensorimotor loops of the BG-thalamocortical network, it is unclear whether MSNs maintain a uniform functional role across the striatum and which influence they exert on brain areas outside the BG. Here, we addressed these questions by combining optogenetic activation of D1 and D2 MSNs in the mouse ventrolateral caudoputamen (vl CPu) with whole-brain functional MRI (fMRI) recordings. Neuronal excitation of either cell population in the vl CPu evoked distinct activity patterns in key regions of the BG-thalamocortical network including the pallidum, thalamus and motor cortex. Importantly, we report that striatal D1 and D2 MSN stimulation differentially engaged cerebellar and prefrontal regions. We characterised these long-range interactions by computational modelling of effective connectivity and confirmed that changes in D1 / D2 output drive functional relationships between regions within and beyond the BG. These results suggest a more complex functional organization of MSNs across the striatum than previously anticipated and provide evidence for the existence of an interconnected fronto - BG - cerebellar network modulated by striatal D1 and D2 MSNs.Graphical Abstract

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