Synaptic organisation and behaviour-dependent activity of mGluR8a-innervated GABAergic trilaminar cells projecting from the hippocampus to the subiculum.

In the hippocampal CA1 area, the GABAergic trilaminar cells have their axon distributed locally in three layers and also innervate the subiculum. Trilaminar cells have a high level of somato-dendritic muscarinic M2 acetylcholine receptor, lack somatostatin expression and their presynaptic inputs are enriched in mGluR8a. But the origin of their inputs and their behaviour-dependent activity remain to be characterised. Here we demonstrate that (1) GABAergic neurons with the molecular features of trilaminar cells are present in CA1 and CA3 in both rats and mice. (2) Trilaminar cells receive mGluR8a-enriched GABAergic inputs, e.g. from the medial septum, which are probably susceptible to hetero-synaptic modulation of neurotransmitter release by group III mGluRs. (3) An electron microscopic analysis identifies trilaminar cell output synapses with specialised postsynaptic densities and a strong bias towards interneurons as targets, including parvalbumin-expressing cells in the CA1 area. (4) Recordings in freely moving rats revealed the network state-dependent segregation of trilaminar cell activity, with reduced firing during movement, but substantial increase in activity with prolonged burst firing (> 200 Hz) during slow wave sleep. We predict that the behaviour-dependent temporal dynamics of trilaminar cell firing are regulated by their specialised inhibitory inputs. Trilaminar cells might support glutamatergic principal cells by disinhibition and mediate the binding of neuronal assemblies between the hippocampus and the subiculum via the transient inhibition of local interneurons.

Molecular analysis of ivy cells of the hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum using spectral identification of immunofluorophores.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase-expressing (nNOS+) GABAergic interneurons are common in hippocampal stratum (str.) radiatum. However, these cells are less well characterized than nNOS+ ivy cells in str. pyramidale or neurogliaform cells (NGC) in str. lacunosum-moleculare. Here we have studied the laminar distribution of the axons and dendrites, and the immunoreactivity of these neurons recorded in rat hippocampal slices. We have used spectral analysis of antibody- or streptavidin-conjugated fluorophores to improve recognition of genuine signals in reactions for molecules such as nNOS and neuropeptide-Y (NPY). We found that most nNOS+ cells with soma in the CA1 area str. radiatum exhibit characteristic properties of ivy cells, and were positive for NPY and negative for reelin. However, laminar distributions of their neurites differ from original characterization of ivy cells with the soma in or close to str. pyramidale. Both their dendrites and axon are mainly in str. radiatum and to a lesser extent in str. oriens, and in addition often extend to str. lacunosum-moleculare. We conclude that ivy cells in str. radiatum may predominantly be feedforward inhibitory interneurons in the CA1 area, and their axonal output delivering GABA, NPY, and NO can influence both the entorhinal cortex innervated and the CA3 innervated zones pre- and post-synaptically. Spectral analysis of fluorophores provides an objective algorithm to analyze signals in immunoreactions for neurochemical markers.

Calcium-permeable AMPA receptors provide a common mechanism for LTP in glutamatergic synapses of distinct hippocampal interneuron types.

Glutamatergic synapses on some hippocampal GABAergic interneurons exhibit activity-induced long-term potentiation (LTP). Interneuron types within the CA1 area expressing mutually exclusive molecular markers differ in LTP responses. Potentiation that depends on calcium-permeable (CP) AMPA receptors has been characterized in oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) interneurons, which express parvalbumin and somatostatin (SM). However, it is unknown how widely CP-AMPAR-dependent plasticity is expressed among different GABAergic interneuron types. Here we examine synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampal O-LM cells and two other interneuron types expressing either nitric oxide synthase (NOS) or cholecystokinin (CCK), which are known to be physiologically and developmentally distinct. We report similar CP-AMPAR-dependent LTP in NOS-immunopositive ivy cells and SM-expressing O-LM cells to afferent fiber theta burst stimulation. The potentiation in both cell types is induced at postsynaptic membrane potentials below firing threshold, and induction is blocked by intense spiking simultaneously with afferent stimulation. The strong inward rectification and calcium permeability of AMPARs is explained by a low level of GluA2 subunit mRNA expression. LTP is not elicited in CCK-expressing Schaffer collateral-associated cells, which lack CP-AMPARs and express high levels of the GluA2 subunit. The results show that CP-AMPAR-mediated synaptic potentiation is common in hippocampal interneuron types and occurs in interneurons of both feedforward and feedback inhibitory pathways.

Cell type-specific long-term plasticity at glutamatergic synapses onto hippocampal interneurons expressing either parvalbumin or CB1 cannabinoid receptor.

Different GABAergic interneuron types have specific roles in hippocampal function, and anatomical as well as physiological features vary greatly between interneuron classes. Long-term plasticity of interneurons has mostly been studied in unidentified GABAergic cells and is known to be very heterogeneous. Here we tested whether cell type-specific plasticity properties in distinct GABAergic interneuron types might underlie this heterogeneity. We show that long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), two common forms of synaptic plasticity, are expressed in a highly cell type-specific manner at glutamatergic synapses onto hippocampal GABAergic neurons. Both LTP and LTD are generated in interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV+), whereas interneurons with similar axon distributions but expressing cannabinoid receptor-1 show no lasting plasticity in response to the same protocol. In addition, LTP or LTD occurs in PV+ interneurons with different efferent target domains. Perisomatic-targeting PV+ basket and axo-axonic interneurons express LTP, whereas glutamatergic synapses onto PV+ bistratified cells display LTD. Both LTP and LTD are pathway specific, independent of NMDA receptors, and occur at synapses with calcium-permeable (CP) AMPA receptors. Plasticity in interneurons with CP-AMPA receptors strongly modulates disynaptic GABAergic transmission onto CA1 pyramidal cells. We propose that long-term plasticity adjusts the synaptic strength between pyramidal cells and interneurons in a cell type-specific manner and, in the defined CA1 interneurons, shifts the spatial pattern of inhibitory weight from pyramidal cell dendrites to the perisomatic region.

Functional significance of co-localization of GABA and Glu in nerve terminals: a hypothesis.

Salient features of the co-transmission by GABA and Glu in neural signaling are summarized. Experimental data have been accumulating which demonstrate; i) GABA-immunoreactivity in and GABA-release from constitutively Gluergic hippocampal mossy fibre terminals, ii) plasticity of the GABAergic phenotype of constitutively Gluergic granule cells of the Dentate Gyrus, iii) expression of GABA(A) receptor gamma(3) subunit in the mossy fibre termination zone in the CA3 subfield, iv) co-labeling of terminals for GABA and Glu in the retina, brain stem and spinal cord, and v) functional compatibility of vesicular Glu (VGLUT3) and GABA (VIAAT) transporters. It is not clear, however, whether or not Glu and GABA are released from the same terminals, and packaged in the same vesicles. Using multiple transmitters neurons may serve to reduce the metabolic cost and errors of signaling.

GABAergic basket cells expressing cholecystokinin contain vesicular glutamate transporter type 3 (VGLUT3) in their synaptic terminals in hippocampus and isocortex of the rat.

Vesicular glutamate transporter type 3 (VGLUT3) containing neuronal elements were characterized using antibodies to VGLUT3 and molecular cell markers. All VGLUT3-positive somata were immunoreactive for CCK, and very rarely, also for calbindin; none was positive for parvalbumin, calretinin, VIP or somatostatin. In the CA1 area, 26.8 +/- 0.7% of CCK-positive interneuron somata were VGLUT3-positive, a nonoverlapping 22.8 +/- 1.9% were calbindin-positive, 10.7 +/- 2.5% VIP-positive and the rest were only CCK-positive. The patterns of coexpression were similar in the CA3 area, the dentate gyrus and the isocortex. Immunoreactivity for VGLUT3 was undetectable in pyramidal and dentate granule cells. Boutons colabelled for VGLUT3, CCK and GAD were most abundant in the cellular layers of the hippocampus and in layers II-III of the isocortex. Large VGLUT3-labelled boutons at the border of strata radiatum and lacunosum-moleculare in the CA1 area were negative for GAD, but were labelled for vesicular monoamine transporter type 2, plasmalemmal serotonin transporter or serotonin. No colocalization was found in terminals between VGLUT3 and parvalbumin, vesicular acetylcholine transporter and group III (mGluR7a,b; mGluR8a,b) metabotropic glutamate receptors. In stratum radiatum and the isocortex, VGLUT3-positive but GAD-negative boutons heavily innervated the soma and proximal dendrites of some VGLUT3- or calbindin-positive interneurons. The results suggest that boutons coexpressing VGLUT3, CCK and GAD originate from CCK-positive basket cells, which are VIP-immunonegative. Other VGLUT3-positive boutons immunopositive for serotonergic markers but negative for GAD probably originate from the median raphe nucleus and innervate select interneurons. The presumed amino acid substrate of VGLUT3 may act on presynaptic kainate or group II metabotropic glutamate receptors.

Differences in ratios of GABA, glycine and glutamate immunoreactivities in nerve terminals on rat hindlimb motoneurons: a possible source of post-synaptic variability.

Previous pharmacological and physiological data on GABA and glycine receptor-dependent components of miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents show that the electrophysiological characteristics of synaptic transmission from inhibitory synapses on spinal motoneurons are highly variable. Although post-synaptic factors are thought to be the major underlying cause of this variability, quantitative immunohistochemical data suggest that the transmitter content of afferents also vary from terminal to terminal. To examine whether ratios of amino acid staining densities vary similar to those of components of post-synaptic currents mediated by the corresponding receptors, we quantified immunogold labeling for GABA, glycine and the major excitatory transmitter, glutamate, in nerve terminals contacting the dendrites of motoneurons retrogradely labeled from the rat hindlimb muscle, biceps femoris. Nearly all terminals (94%) were immunoreactive for at least one amino acid and 64% of these contained two or three amino acids. All possible combinations of GABA, glycine and glutamate labeling were found. Over 70% of the terminals contained glycine, of which 60% also labeled for GABA. Of these GABA/glycine boutons, 40% also had glutamate. Half of all terminals contained GABA, but terminals immunoreactive for GABA alone were extremely rare. Immunoreactivity for glutamate occurred in 48% of all terminals and nearly 60% of these also contained glycine. Labeling densities for GABA, glycine and glutamate varied over a wide range from terminal to terminal. We hypothesize that this diversity in amino acid content may be a major underlying cause of variability in GABA- and glycine receptor-mediated components of miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents in motoneurons.