RESUMO
Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is postulated to exert "top-down control" on information processing throughout the brain to promote specific behaviors. However, pathways mediating top-down control remain poorly understood. In particular, knowledge about direct prefrontal connections that might facilitate top-down control of hippocampal information processing remains sparse. Here we describe monosynaptic long-range GABAergic projections from PFC to hippocampus. These preferentially inhibit vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons, which are known to disinhibit hippocampal microcircuits. Indeed, stimulating prefrontal-hippocampal GABAergic projections increases hippocampal feedforward inhibition and reduces hippocampal activity in vivo. The net effect of these actions is to specifically enhance the signal-to-noise ratio for hippocampal encoding of object locations and augment object-induced increases in spatial information. Correspondingly, activating or inhibiting these projections promotes or suppresses object exploration, respectively. Together, these results elucidate a top-down prefrontal pathway in which long-range GABAergic projections target disinhibitory microcircuits, thereby enhancing signals and network dynamics underlying exploratory behavior.
Assuntos
Hipocampo , Córtex Pré-Frontal , Comportamento Exploratório , Hipocampo/fisiologia , Interneurônios/metabolismo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Peptídeo Intestinal VasoativoRESUMO
Human brain networks that encode variation in mood on naturalistic timescales remain largely unexplored. Here we combine multi-site, semi-chronic, intracranial electroencephalography recordings from the human limbic system with machine learning methods to discover a brain subnetwork that correlates with variation in individual subjects' self-reported mood over days. First we defined the subnetworks that influence intrinsic brain dynamics by identifying regions that showed coordinated changes in spectral coherence. The most common subnetwork, found in 13 of 21 subjects, was characterized by ß-frequency coherence (13-30 Hz) between the amygdala and hippocampus. Increased variability of this subnetwork correlated with worsening mood across these 13 subjects. Moreover, these subjects had significantly higher trait anxiety than the 8 of 21 for whom this amygdala-hippocampus subnetwork was absent. These results demonstrate an approach for extracting network-behavior relationships from complex datasets, and they reveal a conserved subnetwork associated with a psychological trait that significantly influences intrinsic brain dynamics and encodes fluctuations in mood.
Assuntos
Afeto , Tonsila do Cerebelo/fisiopatologia , Ansiedade/fisiopatologia , Hipocampo/fisiopatologia , Rede Nervosa/fisiopatologia , Adulto , Eletroencefalografia , Feminino , Humanos , Aprendizado de Máquina , Masculino , Processamento de Sinais Assistido por ComputadorRESUMO
Changes in patterns of activity within the medial prefrontal cortex enable rodents, non-human primates and humans to update their behaviour to adapt to changes in the environment-for example, during cognitive tasks1-5. Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex are important for learning new strategies during a rule-shift task6-8, but the circuit interactions that switch prefrontal network dynamics from maintaining to updating task-related patterns of activity remain unknown. Here we describe a mechanism that links parvalbumin-expressing neurons, a new callosal inhibitory connection, and changes in task representations. Whereas nonspecifically inhibiting all callosal projections does not prevent mice from learning rule shifts or disrupt the evolution of activity patterns, selectively inhibiting only callosal projections of parvalbumin-expressing neurons impairs rule-shift learning, desynchronizes the gamma-frequency activity that is necessary for learning8 and suppresses the reorganization of prefrontal activity patterns that normally accompanies rule-shift learning. This dissociation reveals how callosal parvalbumin-expressing projections switch the operating mode of prefrontal circuits from maintenance to updating by transmitting gamma synchrony and gating the ability of other callosal inputs to maintain previously established neural representations. Thus, callosal projections originating from parvalbumin-expressing neurons represent a key circuit locus for understanding and correcting the deficits in behavioural flexibility and gamma synchrony that have been implicated in schizophrenia and related conditions9,10.
Assuntos
Aprendizagem , Inibição Neural , Vias Neurais , Neurônios , Parvalbuminas , Córtex Pré-Frontal , Animais , Camundongos , Aprendizagem/fisiologia , Neurônios/metabolismo , Parvalbuminas/metabolismo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/citologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Esquizofrenia/fisiopatologia , Corpo Caloso/citologia , Corpo Caloso/fisiologia , Inibição Neural/fisiologiaRESUMO
New technologies make it possible to measure activity from many neurons simultaneously. One approach is to analyze simultaneously recorded neurons individually, then group together neurons which increase their activity during similar behaviors into an "ensemble." However, this notion of an ensemble ignores the ability of neurons to act collectively and encode and transmit information in ways that are not reflected by their individual activity levels. We used microendoscopic GCaMP imaging to measure prefrontal activity while mice were either alone or engaged in social interaction. We developed an approach that combines a neural network classifier and surrogate (shuffled) datasets to characterize how neurons synergistically transmit information about social behavior. Notably, unlike optimal linear classifiers, a neural network classifier with a single linear hidden layer can discriminate network states which differ solely in patterns of coactivity, and not in the activity levels of individual neurons. Using this approach, we found that surrogate datasets which preserve behaviorally specific patterns of coactivity (correlations) outperform those which preserve behaviorally driven changes in activity levels but not correlated activity. Thus, social behavior elicits increases in correlated activity that are not explained simply by the activity levels of the underlying neurons, and prefrontal neurons act collectively to transmit information about socialization via these correlations. Notably, this ability of correlated activity to enhance the information transmitted by neuronal ensembles is diminished in mice lacking the autism-associated gene Shank3. These results show that synergy is an important concept for the coding of social behavior which can be disrupted in disease states, reveal a specific mechanism underlying this synergy (social behavior increases correlated activity within specific ensembles), and outline methods for studying how neurons within an ensemble can work together to encode information.
Assuntos
Neurônios/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Comportamento Social , Potenciais de Ação/fisiologia , Animais , Proteínas de Ligação ao Cálcio/química , Proteínas de Ligação ao Cálcio/farmacologia , Endoscópios , Proteínas de Fluorescência Verde/química , Proteínas de Fluorescência Verde/farmacologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Proteínas dos Microfilamentos/metabolismo , Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/diagnóstico por imagem , Córtex Pré-Frontal/metabolismoRESUMO
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of neurologic disability; the most common deficits affect prefrontal cortex-dependent functions such as attention, working memory, social behavior, and mental flexibility. Despite this prevalence, little is known about the pathophysiology that develops in frontal cortical microcircuits after TBI. We investigated whether alterations in subtype-specific inhibitory circuits are associated with cognitive inflexibility in a mouse model of frontal lobe contusion in both male and female mice that recapitulates aberrant mental flexibility as measured by deficits in rule reversal learning. Using patch-clamp recordings and optogenetic stimulation, we identified selective vulnerability in the non-fast-spiking and somatostatin-expressing (SOM+) subtypes of inhibitory neurons in layer V of the orbitofrontal cortex 2 months after injury. These subtypes exhibited reduced intrinsic excitability and a decrease in their synaptic output onto pyramidal neurons, respectively. By contrast, the fast-spiking and parvalbumin-expressing interneurons did not show changes in intrinsic excitability or synaptic output, respectively. Impairments in non-fast-spiking/SOM+ inhibitory circuit function were also associated with network hyperexcitability. These findings provide evidence for selective disruptions within specific inhibitory microcircuits that may guide the development of novel therapeutics for TBI.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT TBI frequently leads to chronic deficits in cognitive and behavioral functions that involve the prefrontal cortex, yet the maladaptive changes that occur in these cortical microcircuits are unknown. Our data indicate that alterations in subtype-specific inhibitory circuits, specifically vulnerability in the non-fast-spiking/somatostatin-expressing interneurons, occurs in the orbitofrontal cortex in the context of chronic deficits in reversal learning. These neurons exhibit reduced excitability and synaptic output, whereas the other prominent inhibitory population in layer V, the fast-spiking/parvalbumin-expressing interneurons as well as pyramidal neurons are not affected. Our work offers mechanistic insight into the subtype-specific function of neurons that may contribute to mental inflexibility after TBI.
Assuntos
Contusões , Parvalbuminas , Animais , Feminino , Lobo Frontal/metabolismo , Interneurônios/fisiologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Parvalbuminas/metabolismo , Células Piramidais/fisiologia , Somatostatina/metabolismoRESUMO
Manipulations that enhance GABAergic inhibition have been associated with improved behavioral phenotypes in autism models, suggesting that autism may be treated by correcting underlying deficits of inhibition. Interneuron transplantation is a method for increasing recipient synaptic inhibition, and it has been considered a prospective therapy for conditions marked by deficient inhibition, including neuropsychiatric disorders. It is unknown, however, whether interneuron transplantation may be therapeutically effective only for conditions marked by reduced inhibition, and it is also unclear whether transplantation improves behavioral phenotypes solely by normalizing underlying circuit defects. To address these questions, we studied the effects of interneuron transplantation in male and female mice lacking the autism-associated gene, Pten, in GABAergic interneurons. Pten mutant mice exhibit social behavior deficits, elevated synaptic inhibition in prefrontal cortex, abnormal baseline and social interaction-evoked electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, and an altered composition of cortical interneuron subtypes. Transplantation of wild-type embryonic interneurons from the medial ganglionic eminence into the prefrontal cortex of neonatal Pten mutants rescued social behavior despite exacerbating excessive levels of synaptic inhibition. Furthermore, transplantation did not normalize recipient EEG signals measured during baseline states. Interneuron transplantation can thus correct behavioral deficits even when those deficits are associated with elevated synaptic inhibition. Moreover, transplantation does not exert therapeutic effects solely by restoring wild-type circuit states. Our findings indicate that interneuron transplantation could offer a novel cell-based approach to autism treatment while challenging assumptions that effective therapies must reverse underlying circuit defects.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Imbalances between neural excitation and inhibition are hypothesized to contribute to the pathophysiology of autism. Interneuron transplantation is a method for altering recipient inhibition, and it has been considered a prospective therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism. Here we examined the behavioral and physiological effects of interneuron transplantation in a mouse genetic model of autism. They demonstrate that transplantation rescues recipient social interaction deficits without correcting a common measure of recipient inhibition, or circuit-level physiological measures. These findings demonstrate that interneuron transplantation can exert therapeutic behavioral effects without necessarily restoring wild-type circuit states, while highlighting the potential of interneuron transplantation as an autism therapy.
Assuntos
Transtorno Autístico/cirurgia , Transplante de Tecido Encefálico , Transplante de Tecido Fetal , Neurônios GABAérgicos/fisiologia , Interneurônios/transplante , Inibição Neural/fisiologia , PTEN Fosfo-Hidrolase/deficiência , Comportamento Social , Animais , Transtorno Autístico/fisiopatologia , Transtorno Autístico/psicologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Eletroencefalografia , Comportamento Exploratório , Feminino , Masculino , Aprendizagem em Labirinto , Eminência Mediana/citologia , Eminência Mediana/embriologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , PTEN Fosfo-Hidrolase/fisiologia , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Fenótipo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiopatologia , Distribuição Aleatória , Sinapses/fisiologiaRESUMO
In 2003 Rubenstein and Merzenich hypothesized that some forms of Autism (ASD) might be caused by a reduction in signal-to-noise in key neural circuits, which could be the result of changes in excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) balance. Here, we have clarified the concept of E-I balance, and updated the original hypothesis in light of the field's increasingly sophisticated understanding of neuronal circuits. We discuss how specific developmental mechanisms, which reduce inhibition, affect cortical and hippocampal functions. After describing how mutations of some ASD genes disrupt inhibition in mice, we close by suggesting that E-I balance represents an organizing framework for understanding findings related to pathophysiology and for identifying appropriate treatments.
Assuntos
Transtorno do Espectro Autista/genética , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/fisiopatologia , Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , Animais , Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Hipocampo/fisiopatologia , Humanos , Inibição Psicológica , Transtornos Mentais/fisiopatologia , Camundongos , Neurônios/fisiologiaRESUMO
Behavioral tasks involving auditory cues activate inhibitory neurons within auditory cortex, leading to a reduction in the amplitude of auditory evoked response potentials (ERPs). One hypothesis is that this process, termed "task engagement," may enable context-dependent behaviors. Here we set out to determine (1) whether the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a role in task engagement and (2) how task engagement relates to the context-dependent processing of auditory cues in male and female mice performing a decision-making task that can be guided by either auditory or visual cues. We found that, in addition to auditory ERP suppression, task engagement is associated with increased mPFC activity and an increase in theta band (4-7 Hz) synchronization between the mPFC and auditory cortex. Optogenetically inhibiting the mPFC eliminates the task engagement-induced auditory ERP suppression, while also preventing mice from switching between auditory and visual cue-based rules. However, mPFC inhibition, which eliminates task engagement-induced auditory ERP suppression, did not prevent mice from making decisions based on auditory cues. Furthermore, a more specific manipulation, selective disruption of mPFC outputs to the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus, is sufficient to prevent switching between auditory and visual rules but does not affect auditory ERPs. Based on these findings, we conclude that (1) the mPFC contributes to both task engagement and behavioral flexibility; (2) mPFC-MD projections are important for behavioral flexibility but not task engagement; and (3) task engagement, evidenced by the suppression of cortical responses to sensory input, is not required for sensory cue-guided decision making.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When rodents perform choice-selection tasks based on sensory cues, neural responses to these cues are modulated compared with task-free conditions. Here we demonstrate that this phenomenon depends on the prefrontal cortex and thus represents a form of "top-down" regulation. However, we also show that this phenomenon is not critical for task performance, as rodents can make decisions based on specific sensory cues even when the task-dependent modulation of responses to those cues is abolished. Furthermore, disrupting one specific set of prefrontal outputs impairs rule switching but not the task-dependent modulation of sensory responses. These results show that the prefrontal cortex comprises multiple circuits that mediate dissociable functions related to behavioral flexibility and sensory processing.
Assuntos
Comportamento Animal/fisiologia , Núcleo Mediodorsal do Tálamo/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Desempenho Psicomotor/fisiologia , Estimulação Acústica , Animais , Córtex Auditivo/fisiologia , Sinais (Psicologia) , Tomada de Decisões/fisiologia , Eletroencefalografia , Potenciais Evocados/fisiologia , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , Estimulação Luminosa , Ritmo Teta/fisiologiaRESUMO
With ever-increasing advancements in technology, neuroscientists are able to collect data in greater volumes and with finer resolution. The bottleneck in understanding how the brain works is consequently shifting away from the amount and type of data we can collect and toward what we actually do with the data. There has been a growing interest in leveraging this vast volume of data across levels of analysis, measurement techniques, and experimental paradigms to gain more insight into brain function. Such efforts are visible at an international scale, with the emergence of big data neuroscience initiatives, such as the BRAIN initiative (Bargmann et al., 2014), the Human Brain Project, the Human Connectome Project, and the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria initiative. With these large-scale projects, much thought has been given to data-sharing across groups (Poldrack and Gorgolewski, 2014; Sejnowski et al., 2014); however, even with such data-sharing initiatives, funding mechanisms, and infrastructure, there still exists the challenge of how to cohesively integrate all the data. At multiple stages and levels of neuroscience investigation, machine learning holds great promise as an addition to the arsenal of analysis tools for discovering how the brain works.
Assuntos
Aprendizado de Máquina/tendências , Neurociências/tendências , Animais , Big Data , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Conectoma , Humanos , Disseminação de Informação , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
Human mutations in CNTNAP2 are associated with an array of neuropsychiatric and neurological syndromes, including speech and language disorders, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined Cntnap2's expression and function in GABAergic cortical interneurons (CINs), where its RNA is present at highest levels in chandelier neurons, PV+ neurons and VIP+ neurons. In vivo functions were studied using both constitutive Cntnap2 null mice and a transplantation assay, the latter to assess cell autonomous phenotypes of medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-derived CINs. We found that Cntnap2 constitutive null mutants had normal numbers of MGE-derived CINs, but had reduced PV+ CINs. Transplantation assays showed that Cntnap2 cell autonomously regulated the physiology of parvalbumin (PV)+, fast-spiking CINs; no phenotypes were observed in somatostatin+, regular spiking, CINs. We also tested the effects of 4 human CNTNAP2 ASD missense mutations in vivo, and found that they impaired PV+ CIN development. Together, these data reveal that reduced CNTNAP2 function impairs PV+ CINs, a cell type with important roles in regulating cortical circuits.
Assuntos
Neurônios GABAérgicos/fisiologia , Interneurônios/fisiologia , Proteínas de Membrana/fisiologia , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/fisiologia , Alelos , Animais , Transtorno do Espectro Autista , Moléculas de Adesão Celular Neuronais/metabolismo , Proteínas da Matriz Extracelular/metabolismo , Feminino , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Masculino , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/genética , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Parvalbuminas/metabolismo , Proteína Reelina , Serina Endopeptidases/metabolismo , Córtex Somatossensorial/fisiologia , Telencéfalo/crescimento & desenvolvimentoRESUMO
Dopaminergic modulation of prefrontal cortex (PFC) is thought to play key roles in many cognitive functions and to be disrupted in pathological conditions, such as schizophrenia. We have previously described a phenomenon whereby dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) activation elicits afterdepolarizations (ADPs) in subcortically projecting (SC) pyramidal neurons within L5 of the PFC. These D2R-induced ADPs only occur following synaptic input, which activates NMDARs, even when the delay between the synaptic input and ADPs is relatively long (e.g., several hundred milliseconds). Here, we use a combination of electrophysiological, optogenetic, pharmacological, transgenic, and chemogenetic approaches to elucidate cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in male and female mice. We find that knocking out D2Rs eliminates the ADP in a cell-autonomous fashion, confirming that this ADP depends on D2Rs. Hyperpolarizing current injection, but not AMPA receptor blockade, prevents synaptic stimulation from facilitating D2R-induced ADPs, suggesting that this phenomenon depends on the recruitment of voltage-dependent currents (e.g., NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ influx) by synaptic input. Finally, the D2R-induced ADP is blocked by inhibitors of cAMP/PKA signaling, insensitive to pertussis toxin or ß-arrestin knock-out, and mimicked by Gs-DREADD stimulation, suggesting that D2R activation elicits the ADP by stimulating cAMP/PKA signaling. These results show that this unusual physiological phenomenon, in which D2Rs enhance cellular excitability in a manner that depends on synaptic input, is mediated at the cellular level through the recruitment of signaling pathways associated with Gs, rather than the Gi/o-associated mechanisms that have classically been ascribed to D2Rs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are thought to play important roles in behaviors, including working memory and cognitive flexibility. Variation in D2Rs has also been implicated in schizophrenia, Tourette syndrome, and bipolar disorder. Recently, we described a new mechanism through which D2R activation can enhance the excitability of pyramidal neurons in the PFC. Here, we explore the underlying cellular mechanisms. Surprisingly, although D2Rs are classically assumed to signal through Gi/o-coupled G-proteins and/or scaffolding proteins, such as ß-arrestin, we find that the effects of D2Rs on prefrontal pyramidal neurons are actually mediated by pathways associated with Gs-mediated signaling. Furthermore, we show how, via this D2R-dependent phenomenon, synaptic input can enhance the excitability of prefrontal neurons over timescales on the order of seconds. These results elucidate cellular mechanisms underlying a novel signaling pathway downstream of D2Rs that may contribute to prefrontal function under normal and pathological conditions.
Assuntos
Subunidades alfa Gi-Go de Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/citologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Células Piramidais/fisiologia , Receptores de Dopamina D2/fisiologia , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Animais , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , N-Metilaspartato/farmacologia , Técnicas de Cultura de Órgãos , Córtex Pré-Frontal/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Piramidais/efeitos dos fármacos , Quimpirol/farmacologia , Receptores de Dopamina D2/agonistas , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
The D3 dopamine receptor, a member of the Gi-coupled D2 family of dopamine receptors, is expressed throughout limbic circuits affected in neuropsychiatric disorders, including prefrontal cortex (PFC). These receptors are important for prefrontal executive function because pharmacological and genetic manipulations that affect prefrontal D3 receptors alter anxiety, social interaction, and reversal learning. However, the mechanisms by which D3 receptors regulate prefrontal circuits and whether D3 receptors regulate specific prefrontal subnetworks remains unknown. Here, we combine dopamine receptor reporter lines, anatomical tracing techniques, and electrophysiology to show that D3 receptor expression defines a novel subclass of layer 5 glutamatergic pyramidal cell in mouse PFC (either sex). D3-receptor-expressing pyramidal neurons are electrophysiologically and anatomically separable from neighboring neurons expressing D1 or D2 receptors based on their dendritic morphology and subthreshold and suprathreshold intrinsic excitability. D3-receptor-expressing neurons send axonal projections to intratelencephalic (IT) targets, including contralateral cortex, nucleus accumbens, and basolateral amygdala. Within these neurons, D3 receptor activation was found to regulate low-voltage-activated CaV3.2 calcium channels localized to the axon initial segment, which suppressed action potential (AP) excitability, particularly when APs occurred at high frequency. Therefore, these data indicate that D3 receptors regulate the excitability of a unique, IT prefrontal cell population, thereby defining novel circuitry and cellular actions for D3 receptors in PFC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The D3 dopamine receptor, a member of the Gi-coupled D2 family of dopamine receptors, are expressed throughout limbic circuits, including prefrontal cortex (PFC). They are of broad interest as a site for therapeutic intervention in serious mental illness, yet we know very little about their distribution or function within PFC. Here, we show that D3 receptors define a unique population of glutamatergic principal cells in mouse PFC that largely lack expression of D1 or D2 receptors. Within these cells, we find that D3 receptors regulate the ability to generate high-frequency action potential bursts through mechanisms not supported by other dopamine receptors. These results define unique circuitry and cellular actions for D3 receptors in regulating PFC networks.
Assuntos
Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Células Piramidais/fisiologia , Receptores de Dopamina D3/metabolismo , Sinapses/fisiologia , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Animais , Feminino , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/fisiologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Córtex Pré-Frontal/citologia , Células Piramidais/classificação , Células Piramidais/citologiaRESUMO
Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) encode reward prediction errors and can drive reinforcement learning through their projections to striatum, but much less is known about their projections to prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, we studied these projections and observed phasic VTA-PFC fiber photometry signals after the delivery of rewards. Next, we studied how optogenetic stimulation of these projections affects behavior using conditioned place preference and a task in which mice learn associations between cues and food rewards and then use those associations to make choices. Neither phasic nor tonic stimulation of dopaminergic VTA-PFC projections elicited place preference. Furthermore, substituting phasic VTA-PFC stimulation for food rewards was not sufficient to reinforce new cue-reward associations nor maintain previously learned ones. However, the same patterns of stimulation that failed to reinforce place preference or cue-reward associations were able to modify behavior in other ways. First, continuous tonic stimulation maintained previously learned cue-reward associations even after they ceased being valid. Second, delivering phasic stimulation either continuously or after choices not previously associated with reward induced mice to make choices that deviated from previously learned associations. In summary, despite the fact that dopaminergic VTA-PFC projections exhibit phasic increases in activity that are time locked to the delivery of rewards, phasic activation of these projections does not necessarily reinforce specific actions. Rather, dopaminergic VTA-PFC activity can control whether mice maintain or deviate from previously learned cue-reward associations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dopaminergic inputs from ventral tegmental area (VTA) to striatum encode reward prediction errors and reinforce specific actions; however, it is currently unknown whether dopaminergic inputs to prefrontal cortex (PFC) play similar or distinct roles. Here, we used bulk Ca2+ imaging to show that unexpected rewards or reward-predicting cues elicit phasic increases in the activity of dopaminergic VTA-PFC fibers. However, in multiple behavioral paradigms, we failed to observe reinforcing effects after stimulation of these fibers. In these same experiments, we did find that tonic or phasic patterns of stimulation caused mice to maintain or deviate from previously learned cue-reward associations, respectively. Therefore, although they may exhibit similar patterns of activity, dopaminergic inputs to striatum and PFC can elicit divergent behavioral effects.
Assuntos
Aprendizagem por Associação/fisiologia , Comportamento de Escolha/fisiologia , Neurônios Dopaminérgicos/fisiologia , Estimulação Elétrica , Aprendizagem/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Área Tegmentar Ventral/fisiologia , Animais , Comportamento Animal/fisiologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , RecompensaRESUMO
Prenatally, the cytokine CXCL12 regulates cortical interneuron migration, whereas its postnatal functions are poorly understood. Here, we report that CXCL12 is expressed postnatally in layer V pyramidal neurons and localizes on their cell bodies in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while its receptors CXCR4/CXCR7 localize to the axon terminals of parvalbumin (PV) interneurons. Conditionally eliminating CXCL12 in neonatal layer V pyramidal neurons led to decreased axon targeting and reduced inhibitory perisomatic synapses from PV+ basket interneurons onto layer V pyramidal neurons. Consequently, the mPFC of Cxcl12 conditional mutants displayed attenuated inhibitory postsynaptic currents onto layer V pyramidal neurons. Thus, postnatal CXCL12 signaling promotes a specific interneuron circuit that inhibits mPFC activity.
Assuntos
Quimiocina CXCL12/metabolismo , Interneurônios/metabolismo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/metabolismo , Sinapses/fisiologia , Animais , Axônios/metabolismo , Quimiocina CXCL12/genética , Potenciais Pós-Sinápticos Inibidores/fisiologia , Camundongos Transgênicos , Parvalbuminas/metabolismo , Células Piramidais/fisiologia , Receptores CXCR4/metabolismo , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismoRESUMO
γ oscillations, which can be identified by rhythmic electrical signals â¼30-100 Hz, consist of interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons that result in rhythmic inhibition capable of entraining firing within local cortical circuits. Many possible mechanisms have been described through which γ oscillations could act on cortical circuits to modulate their responses to input, alter their patterns of activity, and/or enhance the efficacy of their outputs onto downstream targets. Recently, several studies have observed changes in behavior after optogenetically manipulating neocortical γ oscillations. Now, future studies should determine whether these manipulations elicit physiological correlates associated with specific mechanisms through which γ oscillations are hypothesized to modulate cortical circuit function. There are numerous such mechanisms, so identifying which ones are actually engaged by optogenetic manipulations known to affect behavior would help flesh out exactly how γ oscillations contribute to cortical circuit function under normal and/or pathological conditions.
Assuntos
Córtex Cerebral/fisiologia , Ritmo Gama/fisiologia , Vias Neurais/fisiologia , Animais , Comportamento , Humanos , Neocórtex/fisiologia , Optogenética , PeriodicidadeRESUMO
Severe behavioural deficits in psychiatric diseases such as autism and schizophrenia have been hypothesized to arise from elevations in the cellular balance of excitation and inhibition (E/I balance) within neural microcircuitry. This hypothesis could unify diverse streams of pathophysiological and genetic evidence, but has not been susceptible to direct testing. Here we design and use several novel optogenetic tools to causally investigate the cellular E/I balance hypothesis in freely moving mammals, and explore the associated circuit physiology. Elevation, but not reduction, of cellular E/I balance within the mouse medial prefrontal cortex was found to elicit a profound impairment in cellular information processing, associated with specific behavioural impairments and increased high-frequency power in the 30-80 Hz range, which have both been observed in clinical conditions in humans. Consistent with the E/I balance hypothesis, compensatory elevation of inhibitory cell excitability partially rescued social deficits caused by E/I balance elevation. These results provide support for the elevated cellular E/I balance hypothesis of severe neuropsychiatric disease-related symptoms.
Assuntos
Modelos Neurológicos , Inibição Neural/fisiologia , Neurônios/metabolismo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiopatologia , Comportamento Social , Animais , Transtorno Autístico/fisiopatologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Células HEK293 , Hipocampo/citologia , Humanos , Aprendizagem , Transtornos Mentais/fisiopatologia , Camundongos , Atividade Motora , Opsinas/metabolismo , Esquizofrenia/fisiopatologiaRESUMO
Sequential patterns of prefrontal activity are believed to mediate important behaviors, e.g., working memory, but it remains unclear exactly how they are generated. In accordance with previous studies of cortical circuits, we found that prefrontal microcircuits in young adult mice spontaneously generate many more stereotyped sequences of activity than expected by chance. However, the key question of whether these sequences depend on a specific functional organization within the cortical microcircuit, or emerge simply as a by-product of random interactions between neurons, remains unanswered. We observed that correlations between prefrontal neurons do follow a specific functional organization-they have a small-world topology. However, until now it has not been possible to directly link small-world topologies to specific circuit functions, e.g., sequence generation. Therefore, we developed a novel analysis to address this issue. Specifically, we constructed surrogate data sets that have identical levels of network activity at every point in time but nevertheless represent various network topologies. We call this method shuffling activity to rearrange correlations (SHARC). We found that only surrogate data sets based on the actual small-world functional organization of prefrontal microcircuits were able to reproduce the levels of sequences observed in actual data. As expected, small-world data sets contained many more sequences than surrogate data sets with randomly arranged correlations. Surprisingly, small-world data sets also outperformed data sets in which correlations were maximally clustered. Thus the small-world functional organization of cortical microcircuits, which effectively balances the random and maximally clustered regimes, is optimal for producing stereotyped sequential patterns of activity.
Assuntos
Modelos Neurológicos , Neurônios/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Potenciais de Ação , Animais , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Rede Nervosa/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/citologia , Potenciais SinápticosRESUMO
Optogenetic approaches have been rapidly adopted by neuroscientists in order to control the activity of neurons with high temporal, spatial and genetic specificity. By expressing light-sensitive microbial opsins within a genetically-specified population of neurons, flashes of light can be used to activate these opsins and thereby modulate the targeted cells in a spatially and temporally defined manner. Thus, optogenetics can be used to activate very specific sets of neurons or projections at particular times, either within freely behaving animals, or in reduced preparations such as brain slices. These techniques are ideally suited for dissecting complex interactions within neuronal circuits, and for testing ideas about how changes in these circuits might contribute to abnormal behaviors in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we review several studies that have used optogenetics to dissect circuits implicated in schizophrenia, and elucidate the ways in which specific components of these circuits may contribute to normal or abnormal behavior. Specifically, optogenetics can be used to label and excite neurons that express particular genes, in order to study how they interact with other neurons and/or modulate behavior. Optogenetics can also be used to study changes in these interactions or behavioral effects following genetic manipulations. In this way, optogenetics may serve to 'fill in the gaps' between genes, circuits and behavior, in a manner that should help to translate the rapidly growing list of genes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders into specific pathophysiological mechanisms.
Assuntos
Vias Neurais/fisiopatologia , Optogenética/métodos , Esquizofrenia/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Dopaminérgicos/uso terapêutico , Humanos , Interneurônios/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Opsinas/metabolismo , Esquizofrenia/terapiaRESUMO
GABAergic projections from the neocortex to subcortical structures have been poorly characterized. Using Dlxi12b-Cre mice, we found anatomical evidence for GABAergic neurons that project from the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to multiple subcortical targets. We used a combination of patch-clamp electrophysiology, optogenetics, and pharmacology to confirm that Dlxi12b-labeled projections from the mPFC to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) release GABA and do not corelease glutamate. Furthermore, optogenetic stimulation of these GABAergic projections from mPFC to NAcc induces avoidance behavior in a real-time place preference task, suggesting that these long-range projecting GABAergic neurons can transmit aversive signals. Finally, we found evidence for heterogeneous histochemical and/or electrophysiological properties of long-range projecting GABAergic neurons in the mPFC. Some of these neurons were labeled in parvalbumin-Cre and vasoactive intestinal peptide-Cre mice. We also used a novel intersectional targeting strategy to label GABAergic neurons in the mPFC that project to NAcc and found that these neurons have fast-spiking properties and express parvalbumin. These results define possible functions and properties for a class of long-range projecting GABAergic neurons in the neocortex.
Assuntos
Aprendizagem da Esquiva/fisiologia , Neurônios GABAérgicos/citologia , Vias Neurais/citologia , Núcleo Accumbens/citologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/citologia , Animais , Comportamento Animal/fisiologia , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos , Vias Neurais/fisiologia , Núcleo Accumbens/fisiologia , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologiaRESUMO
Synchronized oscillations and inhibitory interneurons have important and interconnected roles within cortical microcircuits. In particular, interneurons defined by the fast-spiking phenotype and expression of the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin have been suggested to be involved in gamma (30-80 Hz) oscillations, which are hypothesized to enhance information processing. However, because parvalbumin interneurons cannot be selectively controlled, definitive tests of their functional significance in gamma oscillations, and quantitative assessment of the impact of parvalbumin interneurons and gamma oscillations on cortical circuits, have been lacking despite potentially enormous significance (for example, abnormalities in parvalbumin interneurons may underlie altered gamma-frequency synchronization and cognition in schizophrenia and autism). Here we use a panel of optogenetic technologies in mice to selectively modulate multiple distinct circuit elements in neocortex, alone or in combination. We find that inhibiting parvalbumin interneurons suppresses gamma oscillations in vivo, whereas driving these interneurons (even by means of non-rhythmic principal cell activity) is sufficient to generate emergent gamma-frequency rhythmicity. Moreover, gamma-frequency modulation of excitatory input in turn was found to enhance signal transmission in neocortex by reducing circuit noise and amplifying circuit signals, including inputs to parvalbumin interneurons. As demonstrated here, optogenetics opens the door to a new kind of informational analysis of brain function, permitting quantitative delineation of the functional significance of individual elements in the emergent operation and function of intact neural circuitry.