RESUMEN
Male sexual behavior is innate and rewarding. Despite its centrality to reproduction, a molecularly specified neural circuit governing innate male sexual behavior and reward remains to be characterized. We have discovered a developmentally wired neural circuit necessary and sufficient for male mating. This circuit connects chemosensory input to BNSTprTac1 neurons, which innervate POATacr1 neurons that project to centers regulating motor output and reward. Epistasis studies demonstrate that BNSTprTac1 neurons are upstream of POATacr1 neurons, and BNSTprTac1-released substance P following mate recognition potentiates activation of POATacr1 neurons through Tacr1 to initiate mating. Experimental activation of POATacr1 neurons triggers mating, even in sexually satiated males, and it is rewarding, eliciting dopamine release and self-stimulation of these cells. Together, we have uncovered a neural circuit that governs the key aspects of innate male sexual behavior: motor displays, drive, and reward.
Asunto(s)
Vías Nerviosas , Conducta Sexual Animal , Animales , Masculino , Neuronas/fisiología , Recompensa , Conducta Sexual Animal/fisiología , RatonesRESUMEN
Behaviors are inextricably linked to internal state. We have identified a neural mechanism that links female sexual behavior with the estrus, the ovulatory phase of the estrous cycle. We find that progesterone-receptor (PR)-expressing neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) are active and required during this behavior. Activating these neurons, however, does not elicit sexual behavior in non-estrus females. We show that projections of PR+ VMH neurons to the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nucleus change across the 5-day mouse estrous cycle, with â¼3-fold more termini and functional connections during estrus. This cyclic increase in connectivity is found in adult females, but not males, and regulated by estrogen signaling in PR+ VMH neurons. We further show that these connections are essential for sexual behavior in receptive females. Thus, estrogen-regulated structural plasticity of behaviorally salient connections in the adult female brain links sexual behavior to the estrus phase of the estrous cycle.
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Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Conducta Sexual Animal/fisiología , Animales , Estrógenos/metabolismo , Ciclo Estral/efectos de los fármacos , Femenino , Hormonas Esteroides Gonadales/farmacología , Hipotálamo Anterior/fisiología , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Red Nerviosa/efectos de los fármacos , Plasticidad Neuronal/efectos de los fármacos , Neuronas/efectos de los fármacos , Neuronas/metabolismo , Ovario/metabolismo , Terminales Presinápticos/efectos de los fármacos , Terminales Presinápticos/metabolismo , Receptores de Progesterona/metabolismo , Conducta Sexual Animal/efectos de los fármacos , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
Synaptic vesicle and active zone proteins are required for synaptogenesis. The molecular mechanisms for coordinated synthesis of these proteins are not understood. Using forward genetic screens, we identified the conserved THO nuclear export complex (THOC) as an important regulator of presynapse development in C. elegans dopaminergic neurons. In THOC mutants, synaptic messenger RNAs are retained in the nucleus, resulting in dramatic decrease of synaptic protein expression, near complete loss of synapses, and compromised dopamine function. CRE binding protein (CREB) interacts with THOC to mark synaptic transcripts for efficient nuclear export. Deletion of Thoc5, a THOC subunit, in mouse dopaminergic neurons causes severe defects in synapse maintenance and subsequent neuronal death in the substantia nigra compacta. These cellular defects lead to abrogated dopamine release, ataxia, and animal death. Together, our results argue that nuclear export mechanisms can select specific mRNAs and be a rate-limiting step for neuronal differentiation and survival.
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Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Neuronas Dopaminérgicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Sinapsis/metabolismo , Transporte Activo de Núcleo Celular , Esclerosis Amiotrófica Lateral/metabolismo , Esclerosis Amiotrófica Lateral/patología , Animales , Caenorhabditis elegans , Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Señalización del Calcio , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Proteína de Unión a Elemento de Respuesta al AMP Cíclico/genética , Proteína de Unión a Elemento de Respuesta al AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Mutagénesis , Mutación Missense , Proteínas Nucleares/deficiencia , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Subunidades de Proteína/deficiencia , Subunidades de Proteína/genética , Subunidades de Proteína/metabolismoRESUMEN
Developmental myelination is a protracted process in the mammalian brain1. One theory for why oligodendrocytes mature so slowly posits that myelination may stabilize neuronal circuits and temper neuronal plasticity as animals age2-4. We tested this theory in the visual cortex, which has a well-defined critical period for experience-dependent neuronal plasticity5. During adolescence, visual experience modulated the rate of oligodendrocyte maturation in visual cortex. To determine whether oligodendrocyte maturation in turn regulates neuronal plasticity, we genetically blocked oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination in adolescent mice. In adult mice lacking adolescent oligodendrogenesis, a brief period of monocular deprivation led to a significant decrease in visual cortex responses to the deprived eye, reminiscent of the plasticity normally restricted to adolescence. This enhanced functional plasticity was accompanied by a greater turnover of dendritic spines and coordinated reductions in spine size following deprivation. Furthermore, inhibitory synaptic transmission, which gates experience-dependent plasticity at the circuit level, was diminished in the absence of adolescent oligodendrogenesis. These results establish a critical role for oligodendrocytes in shaping the maturation and stabilization of cortical circuits and support the concept of developmental myelination acting as a functional brake on neuronal plasticity.
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The canonical model of striatal function predicts that animal locomotion is associated with the opposing regulation of protein kinase A (PKA) in direct and indirect pathway striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) by dopamine1-7. However, the precise dynamics of PKA in dorsolateral SPNs during locomotion remain to be determined. It is also unclear whether other neuromodulators are involved. Here we show that PKA activity in both types of SPNs is essential for normal locomotion. Using two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging8-10 of a PKA sensor10 through gradient index lenses, we measured PKA activity within individual SPNs of the mouse dorsolateral striatum during locomotion. Consistent with the canonical view, dopamine activated PKA activity in direct pathway SPNs during locomotion through the dopamine D1 receptor. However, indirect pathway SPNs exhibited a greater increase in PKA activity, which was largely abolished through the blockade of adenosine A2A receptors. In agreement with these results, fibre photometry measurements of an adenosine sensor11 revealed an acute increase in extracellular adenosine during locomotion. Functionally, antagonism of dopamine or adenosine receptors resulted in distinct changes in SPN PKA activity, neuronal activity and locomotion. Together, our results suggest that acute adenosine accumulation interplays with dopamine release to orchestrate PKA activity in SPNs and proper striatal function during animal locomotion.
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Adenosina , Cuerpo Estriado , Proteínas Quinasas Dependientes de AMP Cíclico , Dopamina , Locomoción , Neuronas , Animales , Ratones , Adenosina/metabolismo , Cuerpo Estriado/citología , Cuerpo Estriado/enzimología , Cuerpo Estriado/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinasas Dependientes de AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Dopamina/metabolismo , Locomoción/fisiología , Neuronas/enzimología , Neuronas/metabolismo , Receptores de Dopamina D1/metabolismo , Receptor de Adenosina A2A/metabolismoRESUMEN
Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) enable optical recording of electrical signals in the brain, providing subthreshold sensitivity and temporal resolution not possible with calcium indicators. However, one- and two-photon voltage imaging over prolonged periods with the same GEVI has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we report engineering of ASAP family GEVIs to enhance photostability by inversion of the fluorescence-voltage relationship. Two of the resulting GEVIs, ASAP4b and ASAP4e, respond to 100-mV depolarizations with ≥180% fluorescence increases, compared with the 50% fluorescence decrease of the parental ASAP3. With standard microscopy equipment, ASAP4e enables single-trial detection of spikes in mice over the course of minutes. Unlike GEVIs previously used for one-photon voltage recordings, ASAP4b and ASAP4e also perform well under two-photon illumination. By imaging voltage and calcium simultaneously, we show that ASAP4b and ASAP4e can identify place cells and detect voltage spikes with better temporal resolution than commonly used calcium indicators. Thus, ASAP4b and ASAP4e extend the capabilities of voltage imaging to standard one- and two-photon microscopes while improving the duration of voltage recordings.
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Encéfalo , Calcio , Animales , Ratones , Iluminación , Microscopía , FotonesRESUMEN
Modulation of corticostriatal plasticity alters the information flow throughout basal ganglia circuits and represents a fundamental mechanism for motor learning, action selection, and reward. Synaptic plasticity in the striatal direct- and indirect-pathway spiny projection neurons (dSPNs and iSPNs) is regulated by two distinct networks of GPCR signaling cascades. While it is well-known that dopamine D2 and adenosine A2a receptors bi-directionally regulate iSPN plasticity, it remains unclear how D1 signaling modulation of synaptic plasticity is counteracted by dSPN-specific Gi signaling. Here, we show that striatal dynorphin selectively suppresses long-term potentiation (LTP) through Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR) signaling in dSPNs. Both KOR antagonism and conditional deletion of dynorphin in dSPNs enhance LTP counterbalancing with different levels of D1 receptor activation. Behaviorally, mice lacking dynorphin in D1 neurons show comparable motor behavior and reward-based learning, but enhanced flexibility during reversal learning. These findings support a model in which D1R and KOR signaling bi-directionally modulate synaptic plasticity and behavior in the direct pathway.
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Cuerpo Estriado , Dinorfinas , Ratones , Animales , Dinorfinas/metabolismo , Cuerpo Estriado/metabolismo , Ganglios Basales , Potenciación a Largo Plazo , Plasticidad Neuronal/fisiología , Receptores Opioides kappa/genética , Receptores de Dopamina D1/metabolismoRESUMEN
Loss of dopamine in Parkinson's disease is hypothesized to impede movement by inducing hypo- and hyperactivity in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) of the direct (dSPNs) and indirect (iSPNs) pathways in the basal ganglia, respectively. The opposite imbalance might underlie hyperkinetic abnormalities, such as dyskinesia caused by treatment of Parkinson's disease with the dopamine precursor L-DOPA. Here we monitored thousands of SPNs in behaving mice, before and after dopamine depletion and during L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. Normally, intermingled clusters of dSPNs and iSPNs coactivated before movement. Dopamine depletion unbalanced SPN activity rates and disrupted the movement-encoding iSPN clusters. Matching their clinical efficacy, L-DOPA or agonism of the D2 dopamine receptor reversed these abnormalities more effectively than agonism of the D1 dopamine receptor. The opposite pathophysiology arose in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, during which iSPNs showed hypoactivity and dSPNs showed unclustered hyperactivity. Therefore, both the spatiotemporal profiles and rates of SPN activity appear crucial to striatal function, and next-generation treatments for basal ganglia disorders should target both facets of striatal activity.
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Dopamina/metabolismo , Discinesias/patología , Discinesias/fisiopatología , Neuronas/metabolismo , Trastornos Parkinsonianos/patología , Trastornos Parkinsonianos/fisiopatología , Animales , Señalización del Calcio , Dopamina/deficiencia , Discinesias/etiología , Discinesias/metabolismo , Femenino , Levodopa/metabolismo , Levodopa/farmacología , Masculino , Ratones , Modelos Biológicos , Movimiento/efectos de los fármacos , Neostriado/metabolismo , Neostriado/patología , Neostriado/fisiopatología , Trastornos Parkinsonianos/metabolismo , Receptores de Dopamina D1/agonistas , Receptores de Dopamina D1/metabolismo , Receptores de Dopamina D2/agonistas , Receptores de Dopamina D2/metabolismoRESUMEN
Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the pathogenic mechanism underlying LRRK2 mutations remains unresolved. In this study, we investigate the consequence of inactivation of LRRK2 and its functional homolog LRRK1 in male and female mice up to 25 months of age using behavioral, neurochemical, neuropathological, and ultrastructural analyses. We report that LRRK1 and LRRK2 double knock-out (LRRK DKO) mice exhibit impaired motor coordination at 12 months of age before the onset of dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra (SNpc). Moreover, LRRK DKO mice develop age-dependent, progressive loss of dopaminergic terminals in the striatum. Evoked dopamine (DA) release measured by fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in the dorsal striatum is also reduced in the absence of LRRK. Furthermore, LRRK DKO mice at 20-25 months of age show substantial loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc. The surviving SNpc neurons in LRRK DKO mice at 25 months of age accumulate large numbers of autophagic and autolysosomal vacuoles and are accompanied with microgliosis. Surprisingly, the cerebral cortex is unaffected, as shown by normal cortical volume and neuron number as well as unchanged number of apoptotic cells and microglia in LRRK DKO mice at 25 months. These findings show that loss of LRRK function causes impairments in motor coordination, degeneration of dopaminergic terminals, reduction of evoked DA release, and selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc, indicating that LRRK DKO mice are unique models for better understanding dopaminergic neurodegeneration in PD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our current study employs a genetic approach to uncover the normal function of the LRRK family in the brain during mouse life span. Our multidisciplinary analysis demonstrates a critical normal physiological role of LRRK in maintaining the integrity and function of dopaminergic terminals and neurons in the aging brain, and show that LRRK DKO mice recapitulate several key features of PD and provide unique mouse models for elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neurodegeneration in PD.
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Trastornos Motores , Enfermedad de Parkinson , Animales , Dopamina , Neuronas Dopaminérgicas/fisiología , Femenino , Leucina , Proteína 2 Quinasa Serina-Treonina Rica en Repeticiones de Leucina/genética , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Trastornos Motores/patología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/genética , Enfermedad de Parkinson/patologíaRESUMEN
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) targeting specific cell types are powerful tools for studying distinct cell types in the central nervous system (CNS). Cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), e.g., enhancers, are highly cell-type-specific and can be integrated into AAVs to render cell type specificity. Chromatin accessibility has been commonly used to nominate CRMs, which have then been incorporated into AAVs and tested for cell type specificity in the CNS. However, chromatin accessibility data alone cannot accurately annotate active CRMs, as many chromatin-accessible CRMs are not active and fail to drive gene expression in vivo. Using available large-scale datasets on chromatin accessibility, such as those published by the ENCODE project, here we explored strategies to increase efficiency in identifying active CRMs for AAV-based cell-type-specific labeling and manipulation. We found that prescreening of chromatin-accessible putative CRMs based on the density of cell-type-specific transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) can significantly increase efficiency in identifying active CRMs. In addition, generation of synthetic CRMs by stitching chromatin-accessible regions flanking cell-type-specific genes can render cell type specificity in many cases. Using these straightforward strategies, we generated AAVs that can target the extensively studied interneuron and glial cell types in the retina and brain. Both strategies utilize available genomic datasets and can be employed to generate AAVs targeting specific cell types in CNS without conducting comprehensive screening and sequencing experiments, making a step forward in cell-type-specific research.
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Encéfalo , Dependovirus , Retina , Coloración y Etiquetado , Factores de Transcripción , Animales , Sitios de Unión , Encéfalo/citología , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Cromatina/genética , Cromatina/metabolismo , Dependovirus/genética , Dependovirus/metabolismo , Ratones , Retina/citología , Retina/metabolismo , Coloración y Etiquetado/métodos , Factores de Transcripción/metabolismoRESUMEN
Two-photon light-sheet fluorescence microscopy enables high-resolution imaging of neural activity in brain tissue at a high frame rate. Traditionally, light-sheet microscopy builds up a 3D stack by multiple depth scans with uniform spatial intervals, which substantially limits the volumetric imaging speed. Here, we introduce the depth random-access light-sheet microscopy, allowing rapid switching scanning depth for light-sheet imaging. With a low-cost electrically tunable lens and minimum modification of an existing two-photon light-sheet imaging instrument, we demonstrated fast random depth hopping light-sheet imaging at 100 frames per second in the live brain slice. Through depth random-access, calcium activities for an astrocyte were recorded on four user-selected detection planes at a refreshing rate of 25 Hz.
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Calcio , Lentes , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Microscopía Fluorescente/métodos , FotonesRESUMEN
Striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) receive convergent excitatory synaptic inputs from the cortex and thalamus. Activation of spatially clustered and temporally synchronized excitatory inputs at the distal dendrites could trigger plateau potentials in SPNs. Such supralinear synaptic integration is crucial for dendritic computation. However, how plateau potentials interact with subsequent excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs remains unknown. By combining computational simulation, two-photon imaging, optogenetics, and dual-color uncaging of glutamate and GABA, we demonstrate that plateau potentials can broaden the spatiotemporal window for integrating excitatory inputs and promote spiking. The temporal window of spiking can be delicately controlled by GABAergic inhibition in a cell-type-specific manner. This subtle inhibitory control of plateau potential depends on the location and kinetics of the GABAergic inputs and is achieved by the balance between relief and reestablishment of NMDA receptor Mg2+ block. These findings represent a mechanism for controlling spatiotemporal synaptic integration in SPNs.
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Dendritas/fisiología , Potenciales Postsinápticos Excitadores/fisiología , Neuronas/fisiología , Animales , Corteza Cerebral/metabolismo , Corteza Cerebral/fisiología , Dendritas/metabolismo , Femenino , Ácido Glutámico/metabolismo , Masculino , Ratones , Vías Nerviosas/metabolismo , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Neuronas/metabolismo , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/metabolismo , Sinapsis/metabolismo , Sinapsis/fisiología , Transmisión Sináptica/fisiología , Tálamo/metabolismo , Tálamo/fisiología , Ácido gamma-Aminobutírico/metabolismoRESUMEN
The substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area contain the two largest populations of dopamine-releasing neurons in the mammalian brain. These neurons extend elaborate projections in the striatum, a large subcortical structure implicated in motor planning and reward-based learning. Phasic activation of dopaminergic neurons in response to salient or reward-predicting stimuli is thought to modulate striatal output through the release of dopamine to promote and reinforce motor action. Here we show that activation of dopamine neurons in striatal slices rapidly inhibits action potential firing in both direct- and indirect-pathway striatal projection neurons through vesicular release of the inhibitory transmitter GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid). GABA is released directly from dopaminergic axons but in a manner that is independent of the vesicular GABA transporter VGAT. Instead, GABA release requires activity of the vesicular monoamine transporter VMAT2, which is the vesicular transporter for dopamine. Furthermore, VMAT2 expression in GABAergic neurons lacking VGAT is sufficient to sustain GABA release. Thus, these findings expand the repertoire of synaptic mechanisms used by dopamine neurons to influence basal ganglia circuits, show a new substrate whose transport is dependent on VMAT2 and demonstrate that GABA can function as a bona fide co-transmitter in monoaminergic neurons.
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Cuerpo Estriado/metabolismo , Neuronas Dopaminérgicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Transportadoras de GABA en la Membrana Plasmática/metabolismo , Ácido gamma-Aminobutírico/metabolismo , Animales , Cuerpo Estriado/citología , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Técnicas de Sustitución del Gen , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos , Proteínas de Transporte Vesicular de Monoaminas/metabolismoRESUMEN
In Parkinson's disease (PD), dopamine depletion causes major changes in the brain, resulting in the typical cardinal motor features of the disease. PD neuropathology has been restricted to postmortem examinations, which are limited to only a single time of PD progression. Models of PD in which dopamine tone in the brain is chemically or physically disrupted are valuable tools in understanding the mechanisms of the disease. The basal ganglia have been well studied in the context of PD, and circuit changes in response to dopamine loss have been linked to the motor dysfunctions in PD. However, the etiology of the cognitive dysfunctions that are comorbid in PD patients has remained unclear until now. In this article, we review recent studies exploring how dopamine depletion affects the motor cortex at the synaptic level. In particular, we highlight our recent findings on abnormal spine dynamics in the motor cortex of PD mouse models through in vivo time-lapse imaging and motor skill behavior assays. In combination with previous studies, a role of the motor cortex in skill learning and the impairment of this ability with the loss of dopamine are becoming more apparent. Taken together, we conclude with a discussion on the potential role for the motor cortex in PD, with the possibility of targeting the motor cortex for future PD therapeutics. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Aprendizaje/fisiología , Corteza Motora/patología , Plasticidad Neuronal/fisiología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/patología , Animales , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Dopaminérgicos/farmacología , Dopaminérgicos/uso terapéutico , Humanos , Corteza Motora/efectos de los fármacos , Trastornos de la Destreza Motora/etiología , Plasticidad Neuronal/efectos de los fármacos , Enfermedad de Parkinson/complicaciones , Enfermedad de Parkinson/tratamiento farmacológicoRESUMEN
One key function of the brain is to control our body's movements, allowing us to interact with the world around us. Yet, many motor behaviors are not innate but require learning through repeated practice. Among the brain's motor regions, the cortico-basal ganglia circuit is particularly crucial for acquiring and executing motor skills, and neuronal activity in these regions is directly linked to movement parameters. Cell-type-specific adaptations of activity patterns and synaptic connectivity support the learning of new motor skills. Functionally, neuronal activity sequences become structured and associated with learned movements. On the synaptic level, specific connections become potentiated during learning through mechanisms such as long-term synaptic plasticity and dendritic spine dynamics, which are thought to mediate functional circuit plasticity. These synaptic and circuit adaptations within the cortico-basal ganglia circuitry are thus critical for motor skill acquisition, and disruptions in this plasticity can contribute to movement disorders.
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Ganglios Basales , Aprendizaje , Destreza Motora , Plasticidad Neuronal , Ganglios Basales/fisiología , Plasticidad Neuronal/fisiología , Aprendizaje/fisiología , Humanos , Animales , Destreza Motora/fisiología , Corteza Cerebral/fisiología , Vías Nerviosas/fisiología , Corteza Motora/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Motor skill learning induces long-lasting synaptic plasticity at not only the inputs, such as dendritic spines1-4, but also at the outputs to the striatum of motor cortical neurons5,6. However, very little is known about the activity and structural plasticity of corticostriatal axons during learning in the adult brain. Here, we used longitudinal in vivo two-photon imaging to monitor the activity and structure of thousands of corticostriatal axonal boutons in the dorsolateral striatum in awake mice. We found that learning a new motor skill induces dynamic regulation of axonal boutons. The activities of motor corticostriatal axonal boutons exhibited selectivity for rewarded movements (RM) and un-rewarded movements (UM). Strikingly, boutons on the same axonal branches showed diverse responses during behavior. Motor learning significantly increased the fraction of RM boutons and reduced the heterogeneity of bouton activities. Moreover, motor learning-induced profound structural dynamism in boutons. By combining structural and functional imaging, we identified that newly formed axonal boutons are more likely to exhibit selectivity for RM and are stabilized during motor learning, while UM boutons are selectively eliminated. Our results highlight a novel form of plasticity at corticostriatal axons induced by motor learning, indicating that motor corticostriatal axonal boutons undergo dynamic reorganization that facilitates the acquisition and execution of motor skills.
RESUMEN
Multichannel arrays capable of real-time sensing of neuromodulators in the brain are crucial for gaining insights into new aspects of neural communication. However, measuring neurochemicals, such as dopamine, at low concentrations over large areas has proven challenging. In this research, we demonstrate a novel approach that leverages the scalability and processing power offered by microelectrode array devices integrated with a functionalized, high-density microwire bundle, enabling electrochemical sensing at an unprecedented scale and spatial resolution. The sensors demonstrate outstanding selective molecular recognition by incorporating a selective polymeric membrane. By combining cutting-edge commercial multiplexing, digitization, and data acquisition hardware with a bio-compatible and highly sensitive neurochemical interface array, we establish a powerful platform for neurochemical analysis. This multichannel array has been successfully utilized in vitro and ex vivo systems. Notably, our results show a sensing area of 2.25 mm2 with an impressive detection limit of 820 pM for dopamine. This new approach paves the way for investigating complex neurochemical processes and holds promise for advancing our understanding of brain function and neurological disorders.
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Técnicas Biosensibles , Dopamina , Técnicas Electroquímicas , Límite de Detección , Microelectrodos , Técnicas Biosensibles/métodos , Técnicas Biosensibles/instrumentación , Dopamina/análisis , Animales , Técnicas Electroquímicas/métodos , Diseño de Equipo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Humanos , Neurotransmisores/análisisRESUMEN
The striatum is required for normal action selection, movement, and sensorimotor learning. Although action-specific striatal ensembles have been well documented, it is not well understood how these ensembles are formed and how their dynamics may evolve throughout motor learning. Here we used longitudinal 2-photon Ca2+ imaging of dorsal striatal neurons in head-fixed mice as they learned to self-generate locomotion. We observed a significant activation of both direct- and indirect-pathway spiny projection neurons (dSPNs and iSPNs, respectively) during early locomotion bouts and sessions that gradually decreased over time. For dSPNs, onset- and offset-ensembles were gradually refined from active motion-nonspecific cells. iSPN ensembles emerged from neurons initially active during opponent actions before becoming onset- or offset-specific. Our results show that as striatal ensembles are progressively refined, the number of active nonspecific striatal neurons decrease and the overall efficiency of the striatum information encoding for learned actions increases.