Transcriptome, connectome and neuromodulation of the primate brain.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis has facilitated cell type identification in the brain and mapping of cell type-specific connectomes, helping to elucidate neural circuits underlying brain functions and to treat brain disorders by neuromodulation. Yet, we lack a consensual definition of neuronal types/subtypes and clear distinction between cause and effect within interconnected networks.

A selective filter for cytoplasmic transport at the axon initial segment.

Distinct molecules are segregated into somatodendritic and axonal compartments of polarized neurons, but mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of such segregation remain largely unclear. In cultured hippocampal neurons, we observed an ankyrin G- and F-actin-dependent structure that emerged in the cytoplasm of the axon initial segment (AIS) within 2 days after axon/dendrite differentiation, imposing a selective filter for diffusion of macromolecules and transport of vesicular carriers into the axon. Axonal entry was allowed for KIF5-driven carriers of synaptic vesicle protein VAMP2, but not for KIF17-driven carriers of dendrite-targeting NMDA receptor subunit NR2B. Comparisons of transport rates between chimeric forms of KIF17 and KIF5B, with the motor and cargo-binding domains switched, and between KIF5 loaded with VAMP2 versus GluR2 suggest that axonal entry of vesicular carriers depends on the transport efficacy of KIF-cargo complexes. This selective AIS filtering may contribute to preferential trafficking and segregation of cellular components in polarized neurons.

Global enhancement of cortical excitability following coactivation of large neuronal populations.

Correlated activation of cortical neurons often occurs in the brain and repetitive correlated neuronal firing could cause long-term modifications of synaptic efficacy and intrinsic excitability. We found that repetitive optogenetic activation of neuronal populations in the mouse cortex caused enhancement of optogenetically evoked firing of local coactivated neurons as well as distant cortical neurons in both ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres. This global enhancement of evoked responses required coactivation of a sufficiently large population of neurons either within one cortical area or distributed in several areas. Enhancement of neuronal firing was saturable after repeated episodes of coactivation, diminished by inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptors, and accompanied by elevated excitatory postsynaptic potentials, all consistent with activity-induced synaptic potentiation. Chemogenetic inhibition of neuronal activity of the thalamus decreased the enhancement effect, suggesting thalamic involvement. Thus, correlated excitation of large neuronal populations leads to global enhancement of neuronal excitability.

Opportunities and limitations of genetically modified nonhuman primate models for neuroscience research.

The recently developed new genome-editing technologies, such as the CRISPR/Cas system, have opened the door for generating genetically modified nonhuman primate (NHP) models for basic neuroscience and brain disorders research. The complex circuit formation and experience-dependent refinement of the human brain are very difficult to model in vitro, and thus require use of in vivo whole-animal models. For many neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, abnormal circuit formation and refinement might be at the center of their pathophysiology. Importantly, many of the critical circuits and regional cell populations implicated in higher human cognitive function and in many psychiatric disorders are not present in lower mammalian brains, while these analogous areas are replicated in NHP brains. Indeed, neuropsychiatric disorders represent a tremendous health and economic burden globally. The emerging field of genetically modified NHP models has the potential to transform our study of higher brain function and dramatically facilitate the development of effective treatment for human brain disorders. In this paper, we discuss the importance of developing such models, the infrastructure and training needed to maximize the impact of such models, and ethical standards required for using these models.

Electrodiffusion phenomena in neuroscience: a neglected companion.

The emerging technological revolution in genetically encoded molecular sensors and super-resolution imaging provides neuroscientists with a pass to the real-time nano-world. On this small scale, however, classical principles of electrophysiology do not always apply. This is in large part because the nanoscopic heterogeneities in ionic concentrations and the local electric fields associated with individual ions and their movement can no longer be ignored. Here, we review basic principles of molecular electrodiffusion in the cellular environment of organized brain tissue. We argue that accurate interpretation of physiological observations on the nanoscale requires a better understanding of the underlying electrodiffusion phenomena.

Emergence of stable striatal D1R and D2R neuronal ensembles with distinct firing sequence during motor learning.

The dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is essential for motor and procedure learning, but the role of DLS spiny projection neurons (SPNs) of direct and indirect pathways, as marked, respectively, by D1 and D2 receptor (D1R and D2R) expression, remains to be clarified. Long-term two-photon calcium imaging of the same neuronal population during mouse learning of a cued lever-pushing task revealed a gradual emergence of distinct D1R and D2R neuronal ensembles that reproducibly fired in a sequential manner, with more D1R and D2R neurons fired during the lever-pushing period and intertrial intervals (ITIs), respectively. This sequential firing pattern was specifically associated with the learned motor behavior, because it changed markedly when the trained mice performed other cued motor tasks. Selective chemogenetic silencing of D1R and D2R neurons impaired the initiation of learned motor action and suppression of erroneous lever pushing during ITIs, respectively. Thus, motor learning involves reorganization of DLS neuronal activity, forming stable D1R and D2R neuronal ensembles that fired sequentially to regulate different aspects of the learned behavior.

Local homogeneity of tonotopic organization in the primary auditory cortex of marmosets.

Marmoset has emerged as a useful nonhuman primate species for studying brain structure and function. Previous studies on the mouse primary auditory cortex (A1) showed that neurons with preferential frequency-tuning responses are mixed within local cortical regions, despite a large-scale tonotopic organization. Here we found that frequency-tuning properties of marmoset A1 neurons are highly uniform within local cortical regions. We first defined the tonotopic map of A1 using intrinsic optical imaging and then used in vivo two-photon calcium imaging of large neuronal populations to examine the tonotopic preference at the single-cell level. We found that tuning preferences of layer 2/3 neurons were highly homogeneous over hundreds of micrometers in both horizontal and vertical directions. Thus, marmoset A1 neurons are distributed in a tonotopic manner at both macro- and microscopic levels. Such organization is likely to be important for the organization of auditory circuits in the primate brain.

Functional organization of intrinsic and feedback presynaptic inputs in the primary visual cortex.

In the primary visual cortex (V1) of many mammalian species, neurons are spatially organized according to their preferred orientation into a highly ordered map. However, whether and how the various presynaptic inputs to V1 neurons are organized relative to the neuronal orientation map remain unclear. To address this issue, we constructed genetically encoded calcium indicators targeting axon boutons in two colors and used them to map the organization of axon boutons of V1 intrinsic and V2-V1 feedback projections in tree shrews. Both connections are spatially organized into maps according to the preferred orientations of axon boutons. Dual-color calcium imaging showed that V1 intrinsic inputs are precisely aligned to the orientation map of V1 cell bodies, while the V2-V1 feedback projections are aligned to the V1 map with less accuracy. Nonselective integration of intrinsic presynaptic inputs around the dendritic tree is sufficient to reproduce cell body orientation preference. These results indicate that a precisely aligned map of intrinsic inputs could reinforce the neuronal map in V1, a principle that may be prevalent for brain areas with function maps.

Early events in axon/dendrite polarization.

Differentiation of axons and dendrites is a critical step in neuronal development. Here we review the evidence that axon/dendrite formation during neuronal polarization depends on the intrinsic cytoplasmic asymmetry inherited by the postmitotic neuron, the exposure of the neuron to extracellular chemical factors, and the action of anisotropic mechanical forces imposed by the environment. To better delineate the functions of early signals among a myriad of cellular components that were shown to influence axon/dendrite formation, we discuss their functions by distinguishing their roles as determinants, mediators, or modulators and consider selective degradation of these components as a potential mechanism for axon/dendrite polarization. Finally, we examine whether these early events of axon/dendrite formation involve local autocatalytic activation and long-range inhibition, as postulated by Alan Turing for the morphogenesis of patterned biological structure.

Spontaneous expression of mirror self-recognition in monkeys after learning precise visual-proprioceptive association for mirror images.

Mirror self-recognition (MSR) is generally considered to be an intrinsic cognitive ability found only in humans and a few species of great apes. Rhesus monkeys do not spontaneously show MSR, but they have the ability to use a mirror as an instrument to find hidden objects. The mechanism underlying the transition from simple mirror use to MSR remains unclear. Here we show that rhesus monkeys could show MSR after learning precise visual-proprioceptive association for mirror images. We trained head-fixed monkeys on a chair in front of a mirror to touch with spatiotemporal precision a laser pointer light spot on an adjacent board that could only be seen in the mirror. After several weeks of training, when the same laser pointer light was projected to the monkey's face, a location not used in training, all three trained monkeys successfully touched the face area marked by the light spot in front of a mirror. All trained monkeys passed the standard face mark test for MSR both on the monkey chair and in their home cage. Importantly, distinct from untrained control monkeys, the trained monkeys showed typical mirror-induced self-directed behaviors in their home cage, such as using the mirror to explore normally unseen body parts. Thus, bodily self-consciousness may be a cognitive ability present in many more species than previously thought, and acquisition of precise visual-proprioceptive association for the images in the mirror is critical for revealing the MSR ability of the animal.

Phasic dopamine release in the medial prefrontal cortex enhances stimulus discrimination.

Phasic dopamine (DA) release is believed to guide associative learning. Most studies have focused on projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the striatum, and the action of DA in other VTA target regions remains unclear. Using optogenetic activation of VTA projections, we examined DA function in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that mice perceived optogenetically induced DA release in mPFC as neither rewarding nor aversive, and did not change their previously learned behavior in response to DA transients. However, repetitive temporal pairing of an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) with mPFC DA release resulted in faster learning of a subsequent task involving discrimination of the same CS against unpaired stimuli. Similar results were obtained using both appetitive and aversive unconditioned stimuli, supporting the notion that DA transients in mPFC do not represent valence. Using extracellular recordings, we found that CS-DA pairings increased firing of mPFC neurons in response to CSs, and administration of D1 or D2 DA-receptor antagonists in mPFC during learning impaired stimulus discrimination. We conclude that DA transients tune mPFC neurons for the recognition of behaviorally relevant events during learning.

Spatial structure of neuronal receptive field in awake monkey secondary visual cortex (V2).

Visual processing depends critically on the receptive field (RF) properties of visual neurons. However, comprehensive characterization of RFs beyond the primary visual cortex (V1) remains a challenge. Here we report fine RF structures in secondary visual cortex (V2) of awake macaque monkeys, identified through a projection pursuit regression analysis of neuronal responses to natural images. We found that V2 RFs could be broadly classified as V1-like (typical Gabor-shaped subunits), ultralong (subunits with high aspect ratios), or complex-shaped (subunits with multiple oriented components). Furthermore, single-unit recordings from functional domains identified by intrinsic optical imaging showed that neurons with ultralong RFs were primarily localized within pale stripes, whereas neurons with complex-shaped RFs were more concentrated in thin stripes. Thus, by combining single-unit recording with optical imaging and a computational approach, we identified RF subunits underlying spatial feature selectivity of V2 neurons and demonstrated the functional organization of these RF properties.

EMX1 regulates NRP1-mediated wiring of the mouse anterior cingulate cortex.

Transcription factors act during cortical development as master regulatory genes that specify cortical arealization and cellular identities. Although numerous transcription factors have been identified as being crucial for cortical development, little is known about their downstream targets and how they mediate the emergence of specific neuronal connections via selective axon guidance. The EMX transcription factors are essential for early patterning of the cerebral cortex, but whether EMX1 mediates interhemispheric connectivity by controlling corpus callosum formation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that in mice on the C57Bl/6 background EMX1 plays an essential role in the midline crossing of an axonal subpopulation of the corpus callosum derived from the anterior cingulate cortex. In the absence of EMX1, cingulate axons display reduced expression of the axon guidance receptor NRP1 and form aberrant axonal bundles within the rostral corpus callosum. EMX1 also functions as a transcriptional activator of Nrp1 expression in vitro, and overexpression of this protein in Emx1 knockout mice rescues the midline-crossing phenotype. These findings reveal a novel role for the EMX1 transcription factor in establishing cortical connectivity by regulating the interhemispheric wiring of a subpopulation of neurons within the mouse anterior cingulate cortex.

Neurotrophin regulation of neural circuit development and function.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)--a member of a small family of secreted proteins that includes nerve growth factor, neurotrophin 3 and neurotrophin 4--has emerged as a key regulator of neural circuit development and function. The expression, secretion and actions of BDNF are directly controlled by neural activity, and secreted BDNF is capable of mediating many activity-dependent processes in the mammalian brain, including neuronal differentiation and growth, synapse formation and plasticity, and higher cognitive functions. This Review summarizes some of the recent progress in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurotrophin regulation of neural circuits. The focus of the article is on BDNF, as this is the most widely expressed and studied neurotrophin in the mammalian brain.

Activity-dependent BDNF release via endocytic pathways is regulated by synaptotagmin-6 and complexin.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to modulate synapse development and plasticity, but the source of synaptic BDNF and molecular mechanisms regulating BDNF release remain unclear. Using exogenous BDNF tagged with quantum dots (BDNF-QDs), we found that endocytosed BDNF-QDs were preferentially localized to postsynaptic sites in the dendrite of cultured hippocampal neurons. Repetitive neuronal spiking induced the release of BDNF-QDs at these sites, and this process required activation of glutamate receptors. Down-regulating complexin 1/2 (Cpx1/2) expression eliminated activity-induced BDNF-QD secretion, although the overall activity-independent secretion was elevated. Among eight synaptotagmin (Syt) isoforms examined, down-regulation of only Syt6 impaired activity-induced BDNF-QD secretion. In contrast, activity-induced release of endogenously synthesized BDNF did not depend on Syt6. Thus, neuronal activity could trigger the release of endosomal BDNF from postsynaptic dendrites in a Cpx- and Syt6-dependent manner, and endosomes containing BDNF may serve as a source of BDNF for activity-dependent synaptic modulation.

SIRT1 suppresses self-renewal of adult hippocampal neural stem cells.

The balance between self-renewal and differentiation of adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) is essential for the maintenance of the aNSC reservoir and the continuous supply of new neurons, but how this balance is fine-tuned in the adult brain is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the role of SIRT1, an important metabolic sensor and epigenetic repressor, in regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. We found that there was an increase in SIRT1 expression during aNSC differentiation. In Sirt1 knockout (KO) mice, as well as in brain-specific and inducible stem cell-specific conditional KO mice, the proliferation and self-renewal rates of aNSCs in vivo were elevated. Proliferation and self-renewal rates of aNSCs and adult neural progenitor cells (aNPCs) were also elevated in neurospheres derived from Sirt1 KO mice and were suppressed by the SIRT1 agonist resveratrol in neurospheres from wild-type mice. In cultured neurospheres, 2-deoxy-D-glucose-induced metabolic stress suppressed aNSC/aNPC proliferation, and this effect was mediated in part by elevating SIRT1 activity. Microarray and biochemical analysis of neurospheres suggested an inhibitory effect of SIRT1 on Notch signaling in aNSCs/aNPCs. Inhibition of Notch signaling by a γ-secretase inhibitor also largely abolished the increased aNSC/aNPC proliferation caused by Sirt1 deletion. Together, these findings indicate that SIRT1 is an important regulator of aNSC/aNPC self-renewal and a potential mediator of the effect of metabolic changes.

Representation of interval timing by temporally scalable firing patterns in rat prefrontal cortex.

Perception of time interval on the order of seconds is an essential component of cognition, but the underlying neural mechanism remains largely unknown. In rats trained to estimate time intervals, we found that many neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) exhibited sustained spiking activity with diverse temporal profiles of firing-rate modulation during the time-estimation period. Interestingly, in tasks involving different intervals, each neuron exhibited firing-rate modulation with the same profile that was temporally scaled by a factor linearly proportional to the instructed intervals. The behavioral variability across trials within each task also correlated with the intertrial variability of the temporal scaling factor. Local cooling of the medial PFC, which affects neural circuit dynamics, significantly delayed behavioral responses. Thus, PFC neuronal activity contributes to time perception, and temporally scalable firing-rate modulation may reflect a general mechanism for neural representation of interval timing.

Protein kinase LKB1 regulates polarized dendrite formation of adult hippocampal newborn neurons.

Adult-born granule cells in the dentate gyrus of the rodent hippocampus are important for memory formation and mood regulation, but the cellular mechanism underlying their polarized development, a process critical for their incorporation into functional circuits, remains unknown. We found that deletion of the serine-threonine protein kinase LKB1 or overexpression of dominant-negative LKB1 reduced the polarized initiation of the primary dendrite from the soma and disrupted its oriented growth toward the molecular layer. This abnormality correlated with the dispersion of Golgi apparatus that normally accumulated at the base and within the initial segment of the primary dendrite, and was mimicked by disrupting Golgi organization via altering the expression of Golgi structural proteins GM130 or GRASP65. Thus, besides its known function in axon formation in embryonic pyramidal neurons, LKB1 plays an additional role in regulating polarized dendrite morphogenesis in adult-born granule cells in the hippocampus.

What is memory? The present state of the engram.

The mechanism of memory remains one of the great unsolved problems of biology. Grappling with the question more than a hundred years ago, the German zoologist Richard Semon formulated the concept of the engram, lasting connections in the brain that result from simultaneous "excitations", whose precise physical nature and consequences were out of reach of the biology of his day. Neuroscientists now have the knowledge and tools to tackle this question, however, and this Forum brings together leading contemporary views on the mechanisms of memory and what the engram means today.