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Spikol ED, Cheng J, Macurak M, Subedi A, Halpern ME. Genetically defined nucleus incertus neurons differ in connectivity and function. eLife 2024; 12:RP89516. [PMID: 38819436 PMCID: PMC11142643 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The nucleus incertus (NI), a conserved hindbrain structure implicated in the stress response, arousal, and memory, is a major site for production of the neuropeptide relaxin-3. On the basis of goosecoid homeobox 2 (gsc2) expression, we identified a neuronal cluster that lies adjacent to relaxin 3a (rln3a) neurons in the zebrafish analogue of the NI. To delineate the characteristics of the gsc2 and rln3a NI neurons, we used CRISPR/Cas9 targeted integration to drive gene expression specifically in each neuronal group, and found that they differ in their efferent and afferent connectivity, spontaneous activity, and functional properties. gsc2 and rln3a NI neurons have widely divergent projection patterns and innervate distinct subregions of the midbrain interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Whereas gsc2 neurons are activated more robustly by electric shock, rln3a neurons exhibit spontaneous fluctuations in calcium signaling and regulate locomotor activity. Our findings define heterogeneous neurons in the NI and provide new tools to probe its diverse functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma D Spikol
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Ji Cheng
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Michelle Macurak
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Abhignya Subedi
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
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2
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Yalcinbas EA, Ajanaku B, Nelson ED, Garcia-Flores R, Montgomery KD, Stolz JM, Wu J, Divecha HR, Chandra A, Bharadwaj RA, Bach S, Rajpurohit A, Tao R, Shin JH, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Weinberger DR, Huuki-Myers LA, Collado-Torres L, Maynard KR. Transcriptomic analysis of the human habenula in schizophrenia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582081. [PMID: 38463979 PMCID: PMC10925152 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Importance Habenula (Hb) pathophysiology is involved in many neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Deep brain stimulation and pharmacological targeting of the Hb are emerging as promising therapeutic treatments. However, little is known about the cell type-specific transcriptomic organization of the human Hb or how it is altered in schizophrenia. Objective To define the molecular neuroanatomy of the human habenula and identify transcriptomic changes in individuals with schizophrenia compared to neurotypical controls. Design Setting and Participants This study utilized Hb-enriched postmortem human brain tissue. Single nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) and single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) experiments were conducted to identify molecularly defined Hb cell types and map their spatial location (n=3-7 donors). Bulk RNA-sequencing and cell type deconvolution were used to investigate transcriptomic changes in Hb-enriched tissue from 35 individuals with schizophrenia and 33 neurotypical controls. Gene expression changes associated with schizophrenia in the Hb were compared to those previously identified in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus, and caudate. Main Outcomes and Measures Semi-supervised snRNA-seq cell type clustering. Transcript visualization and quantification of smFISH probes. Bulk RNA-seq cell type deconvolution using reference snRNA-seq data. Schizophrenia-associated gene differential expression analysis adjusting for Hb and thalamus fractions, RNA degradation-associated quality surrogate variables, and other covariates. Cross-brain region schizophrenia-associated gene expression comparison. Results snRNA-seq identified 17 cell type clusters across 16,437 nuclei, including 3 medial and 7 lateral Hb populations. Cell types were conserved with those identified in a rodent model. smFISH for cell type marker genes validated snRNA-seq Hb cell types and depicted the spatial organization of subpopulations. Bulk RNA-seq analyses yielded 45 schizophrenia-associated differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05), with 32 (71%) unique to Hb-enriched tissue. Conclusions These results identify topographically organized cell types with distinct molecular signatures in the human Hb. They further demonstrate unique transcriptomic changes in the epithalamus associated with schizophrenia, thereby providing molecular insights into the role of Hb in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ege A Yalcinbas
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Bukola Ajanaku
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Erik D Nelson
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Renee Garcia-Flores
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kelsey D Montgomery
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joshua M Stolz
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joshua Wu
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Heena R Divecha
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Atharv Chandra
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Rahul A Bharadwaj
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Svitlana Bach
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Anandita Rajpurohit
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ran Tao
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joo-Heon Shin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Louise A Huuki-Myers
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Leonardo Collado-Torres
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kristen R Maynard
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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3
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Lunsford ET, Bobkov YV, Ray BC, Liao JC, Strother JA. Anion efflux mediates transduction in the hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2315515120. [PMID: 38117855 PMCID: PMC10756195 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315515120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hair cells are the principal sensory receptors of the vertebrate auditory system, where they transduce sounds through mechanically gated ion channels that permit cations to flow from the surrounding endolymph into the cells. The lateral line of zebrafish has served as a key model system for understanding hair cell physiology and development, often with the belief that these hair cells employ a similar transduction mechanism. In this study, we demonstrate that these hair cells are exposed to an unregulated external environment with cation concentrations that are too low to support transduction. Our results indicate that hair cell excitation is instead mediated by a substantially different mechanism involving the outward flow of anions. Further investigation of hair cell transduction in a diversity of sensory systems and species will likely yield deep insights into the physiology of these unique cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias T. Lunsford
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
- Institut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris75013, France
| | - Yuriy V. Bobkov
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
| | - Brandon C. Ray
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
| | - James C. Liao
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
| | - James A. Strother
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
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4
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Fu CW, Huang CH, Tong SK, Chu CY, Chou MY. Nicotine reduces social dominance and neutralizes experience-dependent effects during social conflicts in zebrafish (Danio rerio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 894:164876. [PMID: 37343866 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine, a psychoactive pollutant, binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and disrupts the cholinergic modulation and reward systems of the brain, leading to attention deficit, memory loss, and addiction. However, whether nicotine affects social behaviors remains unknown. We assessed the effects of nicotine on the fighting behavior of zebrafish. Adult zebrafish treated with 5 μM nicotine were used in dyadic fighting tests with size-matched control siblings. The results indicate that nicotine treatment not only significantly reduced the likelihood of winning but also impaired the winner-loser effects (winner and loser fish did not show higher winning and losing tendencies in the second fight, respectively, after treatment.) Nicotine led to a considerable increase in c-fos-positive signals in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) of the brain, indicating that nicotine induces neural activity in the habenula (Hb)-IPN circuit. We used transgenic fish in which the Hb-IPN circuit was silenced to verify whether nicotine impaired the winner-loser effect through the Hb-IPN pathway. Nicotine-treated fish in which the medial part of the dorsal Hb was silenced did not have a higher winning rate, and nicotine-treated fish in which the lateral part of the dorsal Hb was silenced did not have a higher loss rate. This finding suggests that nicotine impairs the winner-loser effect by modulating the Hb-IPN circuit. Therefore, in these zebrafish, nicotine exposure impaired social dominance and neutralized experience-dependent effects in social conflicts, and it may thereby disturb the social hierarchy and population stability of such fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Wei Fu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | | | - Sok-Keng Tong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ying Chu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yi Chou
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
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5
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Hong E. Social conflict: Illuminating the great resignation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R440-R442. [PMID: 37279664 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Social conflict between conspecifics results in the establishment of a hierarchy composed of a winner and loser. A recent study elucidates the molecular mechanism that may underlie the behavioral switch between winner and loser states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elim Hong
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France.
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6
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Kinoshita M, Okamoto H. Acetylcholine potentiates glutamate transmission from the habenula to the interpeduncular nucleus in losers of social conflict. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00445-1. [PMID: 37105168 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Switching behaviors from aggression to submission in losers at the end of conspecific social fighting is essential to avoid serious injury or death. We have previously shown that the experience of defeat induces a loser-specific potentiation in the habenula (Hb)-interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) and show here that this is induced by acetylcholine. Calcium imaging and electrophysiological recording using acute brain slices from winners and losers of fighting behavior in zebrafish revealed that the ventral IPN (vIPN) dominates over the dorsal IPN in the neural response to Hb stimulation in losers. We also show that GluA1 α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunits on the postsynaptic membrane increased in the vIPN of losers. Furthermore, these loser-specific neural properties disappeared in the presence of an α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist and, conversely, were induced in brain slices of winners treated with α7 nAChR agonists. These data suggest that acetylcholine released from Hb terminals in the vIPN induces activation of α7 nAChR followed by an increase in postsynaptic membrane GluA1. This results in an increase in active synapses on postsynaptic neurons, resulting in the potentiation of neurotransmissions to the vIPN. This acetylcholine-induced neuromodulation could be the neural foundation for behavioral switching in losers. Our results could increase our understanding of the mechanisms of various mood disorders such as social anxiety disorder and social withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masae Kinoshita
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit Dynamics of Decision Making, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Okamoto
- Laboratory for Neural Circuit Dynamics of Decision Making, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; RIKEN CBS-Kao Collaboration Center, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
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7
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Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Role of Habenula in Social and Reproductive Behaviors in Fish: Comparison With Mammals. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:818782. [PMID: 35221943 PMCID: PMC8867168 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.818782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors such as mating, parenting, fighting, and avoiding are essential functions as a communication tool in social animals, and are critical for the survival of individuals and species. Social behaviors are controlled by a complex circuitry that comprises several key social brain regions, which is called the social behavior network (SBN). The SBN further integrates social information with external and internal factors to select appropriate behavioral responses to social circumstances, called social decision-making. The social decision-making network (SDMN) and SBN are structurally, neurochemically and functionally conserved in vertebrates. The social decision-making process is also closely influenced by emotional assessment. The habenula has recently been recognized as a crucial center for emotion-associated adaptation behaviors. Here we review the potential role of the habenula in social function with a special emphasis on fish studies. Further, based on evolutional, molecular, morphological, and behavioral perspectives, we discuss the crucial role of the habenula in the vertebrate SDMN.
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8
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Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Functions of habenula in reproduction and socio-reproductive behaviours. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 64:100964. [PMID: 34793817 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Habenula is an evolutionarily conserved structure in the brain of vertebrates. Recent reports have drawn attention to the habenula as a processing centre for emotional decision-making and its role in psychiatric disorders. Emotional decision-making process is also known to be closely associated with reproductive conditions. The habenula receives innervations from reproductive centres within the brain and signals from key reproductive neuroendocrine regulators such as gonadal sex steroids, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and kisspeptin. In this review, based on morphological, biochemical, physiological, and pharmacological evidence we discuss an emerging role of the habenula in reproduction. Further, we discuss the modulatory role of reproductive endocrine factors in the habenula and their association with socio-reproductive behaviours such as mating, anxiety and aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
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9
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Choi JH, Duboue ER, Macurak M, Chanchu JM, Halpern ME. Specialized neurons in the right habenula mediate response to aversive olfactory cues. eLife 2021; 10:e72345. [PMID: 34878403 PMCID: PMC8691842 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemispheric specializations are well studied at the functional level but less is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. We identified a small cluster of cholinergic neurons in the dorsal habenula (dHb) of zebrafish, defined by their expression of the lecithin retinol acyltransferase domain containing 2 a (lratd2a) gene and their efferent connections with a subregion of the ventral interpeduncular nucleus (vIPN). The lratd2a-expressing neurons in the right dHb are innervated by a subset of mitral cells from both the left and right olfactory bulb and are activated upon exposure to the odorant cadaverine that is repellent to adult zebrafish. Using an intersectional strategy to drive expression of the botulinum neurotoxin specifically in these neurons, we find that adults no longer show aversion to cadaverine. Mutants with left-isomerized dHb that lack these neurons are also less repelled by cadaverine and their behavioral response to alarm substance, a potent aversive cue, is diminished. However, mutants in which both dHb have right identity appear more reactive to alarm substance. The results implicate an asymmetric dHb-vIPN neural circuit in the processing of repulsive olfactory cues and in modulating the resultant behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Hwa Choi
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of EmbryologyBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Erik R Duboue
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic UniversityJupiterUnited States
- Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic UniversityJupiterUnited States
| | - Michelle Macurak
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of EmbryologyBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Jean-Michel Chanchu
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of EmbryologyBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of EmbryologyBaltimoreUnited States
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10
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Zaupa M, Naini SMA, Younes MA, Bullier E, Duboué ER, Le Corronc H, Soula H, Wolf S, Candelier R, Legendre P, Halpern ME, Mangin JM, Hong E. Trans-inhibition of axon terminals underlies competition in the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4762-4772.e5. [PMID: 34529937 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Survival of animals is dependent on the correct selection of an appropriate behavioral response to competing external stimuli. Theoretical models have been proposed and underlying mechanisms are emerging to explain how one circuit is selected among competing neural circuits. The evolutionarily conserved forebrain to midbrain habenulo-interpeduncular nucleus (Hb-IPN) pathway consists of cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons, which mediate different aversive behaviors. Simultaneous calcium imaging of neuronal cell bodies and of the population dynamics of their axon terminals reveals that signals in the cell bodies are not reflective of terminal activity. We find that axon terminals of cholinergic and non-cholinergic habenular neurons exhibit stereotypic patterns of spontaneous activity that are negatively correlated and localize to discrete subregions of the target IPN. Patch-clamp recordings show that calcium bursts in cholinergic terminals at the ventral IPN trigger excitatory currents in IPN neurons, which precede inhibition of non-cholinergic terminals at the adjacent dorsal IPN. Inhibition is mediated through presynaptic GABAB receptors activated in non-cholinergic habenular neurons upon GABA release from the target IPN. Together, the results reveal a hardwired mode of competition at the terminals of two excitatory neuronal populations, providing a physiological framework to explore the relationship between different aversive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Zaupa
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Seyedeh Maryam Alavi Naini
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maroun Abi Younes
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Erika Bullier
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Erik R Duboué
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Wilkes Honors College and Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Hervé Le Corronc
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Hédi Soula
- INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Nutriomics, La Pitié Salpétrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Sebastien Wolf
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Candelier
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pascal Legendre
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Jean-Marie Mangin
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Elim Hong
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France.
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11
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Bartoszek EM, Ostenrath AM, Jetti SK, Serneels B, Mutlu AK, Chau KTP, Yaksi E. Ongoing habenular activity is driven by forebrain networks and modulated by olfactory stimuli. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3861-3874.e3. [PMID: 34416179 PMCID: PMC8445323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing neural activity, which represents internal brain states, is constantly modulated by the sensory information that is generated by the environment. In this study, we show that the habenular circuits act as a major brain hub integrating the structured ongoing activity of the limbic forebrain circuitry and the olfactory information. We demonstrate that ancestral homologs of amygdala and hippocampus in zebrafish forebrain are the major drivers of ongoing habenular activity. We also reveal that odor stimuli can modulate the activity of specific habenular neurons that are driven by this forebrain circuitry. Our results highlight a major role for the olfactory system in regulating the ongoing activity of the habenula and the forebrain, thereby altering brain's internal states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Magdalena Bartoszek
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anna Maria Ostenrath
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Suresh Kumar Jetti
- Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Serneels
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Aytac Kadir Mutlu
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Khac Thanh Phong Chau
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emre Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway; Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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12
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Regulation of habenular G-protein gamma 8 on learning and memory via modulation of the central acetylcholine system. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3737-3750. [PMID: 32989244 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00893-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) gamma 8 (Gng8) is a subunit of G proteins and expressed in the medial habenula (MHb) and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Recent studies have demonstrated that Gng8 is involved in brain development; however, the roles of Gng8 on cognitive function have not yet been addressed. In the present study, we investigated the expression of Gng8 in the brain and found that Gng8 was predominantly expressed in the MHb-IPN circuit of the mouse brain. We generated Gng8 knockout (KO) mice by CRISPR/Cas9 system in order to assess the role of Gng8 on cognitive function. Gng8 KO mice exhibited deficiency in learning and memory in passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests. In addition, Gng8 KO mice significantly reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus compared to that of wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, we observed that levels of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the MHb and IPN of Gng8 KO mice were significantly decreased, compared to WT mice. The administration of nAChR α4β2 agonist A85380 rescued memory impairment in the Gng8 KO mice, suggesting that Gng8 regulates cognitive function via modulation of cholinergic activity. Taken together, Gng8 is a potential therapeutic target for memory-related diseases and/or neurodevelopmental diseases.
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13
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Ogawa S, Pfaff DW, Parhar IS. Fish as a model in social neuroscience: conservation and diversity in the social brain network. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:999-1020. [PMID: 33559323 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms for fish social behaviours involve a social brain network (SBN) which is evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. However, considerable diversity is observed in the actual behaviour patterns amongst nearly 30000 fish species. The huge variation found in socio-sexual behaviours and strategies is likely generated by a morphologically and genetically well-conserved small forebrain system. Hence, teleost fish provide a useful model to study the fundamental mechanisms underlying social brain functions. Herein we review the foundations underlying fish social behaviours including sensory, hormonal, molecular and neuroanatomical features. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons clearly play important roles, but the participation of vasotocin and isotocin is also highlighted. Genetic investigations of developing fish brain have revealed the molecular complexity of neural development of the SBN. In addition to straightforward social behaviours such as sex and aggression, new experiments have revealed higher order and unique phenomena such as social eavesdropping and social buffering in fish. Finally, observations interpreted as 'collective cognition' in fish can likely be explained by careful observation of sensory determinants and analyses using the dynamics of quantitative scaling. Understanding of the functions of the SBN in fish provide clues for understanding the origin and evolution of higher social functions in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Donald W Pfaff
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, U.S.A
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
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14
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Quan FB, Desban L, Mirat O, Kermarquer M, Roussel J, Koëth F, Marnas H, Djenoune L, Lejeune FX, Tostivint H, Wyart C. Somatostatin 1.1 contributes to the innate exploration of zebrafish larva. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15235. [PMID: 32943676 PMCID: PMC7499426 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72039-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological experiments indicate that neuropeptides can effectively tune neuronal activity and modulate locomotor output patterns. However, their functions in shaping innate locomotion often remain elusive. For example, somatostatin has been previously shown to induce locomotion when injected in the brain ventricles but to inhibit fictive locomotion when bath-applied in the spinal cord in vitro. Here, we investigated the role of somatostatin in innate locomotion through a genetic approach by knocking out somatostatin 1.1 (sst1.1) in zebrafish. We automated and carefully analyzed the kinematics of locomotion over a hundred of thousand bouts from hundreds of mutant and control sibling larvae. We found that the deletion of sst1.1 did not impact acousto-vestibular escape responses but led to abnormal exploration. sst1.1 mutant larvae swam over larger distance, at higher speed and performed larger tail bends, indicating that Somatostatin 1.1 inhibits spontaneous locomotion. Altogether our study demonstrates that Somatostatin 1.1 innately contributes to slowing down spontaneous locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng B Quan
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS UMR 7221, Paris, France
| | - Laura Desban
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Olivier Mirat
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Maxime Kermarquer
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Julian Roussel
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Fanny Koëth
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Marnas
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Lydia Djenoune
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - François-Xavier Lejeune
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Tostivint
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS UMR 7221, Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Campus Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bld de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
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15
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Fore S, Acuña-Hinrichsen F, Mutlu KA, Bartoszek EM, Serneels B, Faturos NG, Chau KTP, Cosacak MI, Verdugo CD, Palumbo F, Ringers C, Jurisch-Yaksi N, Kizil C, Yaksi E. Functional properties of habenular neurons are determined by developmental stage and sequential neurogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/36/eaaz3173. [PMID: 32917624 PMCID: PMC7473745 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz3173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The developing brain undergoes drastic alterations. Here, we investigated developmental changes in the habenula, a brain region that mediates behavioral flexibility during learning, social interactions, and aversive experiences. We showed that developing habenular circuits exhibit multiple alterations that lead to an increase in the structural and functional diversity of cell types, inputs, and functional modules. As the habenula develops, it sequentially transforms into a multisensory brain region that can process visual, olfactory, mechanosensory, and aversive stimuli. Moreover, we observed that the habenular neurons display spatiotemporally structured spontaneous activity that shows prominent alterations and refinement with age. These alterations in habenular activity are accompanied by sequential neurogenesis and the integration of distinct neural clusters across development. Last, we revealed that habenular neurons with distinct functional properties are born sequentially at distinct developmental time windows. Our results highlight a strong link between the functional properties of habenular neurons and their precise birthdate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Fore
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Francisca Acuña-Hinrichsen
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kadir Aytac Mutlu
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ewelina Magdalena Bartoszek
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bram Serneels
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nicholas Guy Faturos
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Khac Thanh Phong Chau
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mehmet Ilyas Cosacak
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Helmholtz Association, Tatzberg 41, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Carmen Diaz Verdugo
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Fabrizio Palumbo
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christa Ringers
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St Olav University Hospital, Edvard Griegs Gate 8, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Caghan Kizil
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Helmholtz Association, Tatzberg 41, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Emre Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres gata 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway.
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16
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Abstract
What is the link between behavioral states and neural dynamics in the brain? New research using zebrafish has revealed a unique activity pattern in the brain, sequentially recruiting multiple habenular neurons, during the transition from active to passive coping behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Fore
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) - Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Olav Kyrres gate 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emre Yaksi
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) - Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Olav Kyrres gate 9, 7030 Trondheim, Norway.
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17
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Miletto Petrazzini ME, Sovrano VA, Vallortigara G, Messina A. Brain and Behavioral Asymmetry: A Lesson From Fish. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:11. [PMID: 32273841 PMCID: PMC7113390 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that the left and right hemispheres of human brains display both anatomical and functional asymmetries. For more than a century, brain and behavioral lateralization have been considered a uniquely human feature linked to language and handedness. However, over the past decades this idea has been challenged by an increasing number of studies describing structural asymmetries and lateralized behaviors in non-human species extending from primates to fish. Evidence suggesting that a similar pattern of brain lateralization occurs in all vertebrates, humans included, has allowed the emergence of different model systems to investigate the development of brain asymmetries and their impact on behavior. Among animal models, fish have contributed much to the research on lateralization as several fish species exhibit lateralized behaviors. For instance, behavioral studies have shown that the advantages of having an asymmetric brain, such as the ability of simultaneously processing different information and perform parallel tasks compensate the potential costs associated with poor integration of information between the two hemispheres thus helping to better understand the possible evolutionary significance of lateralization. However, these studies inferred how the two sides of the brains are differentially specialized by measuring the differences in the behavioral responses but did not allow to directly investigate the relation between anatomical and functional asymmetries. With respect to this issue, in recent years zebrafish has become a powerful model to address lateralization at different level of complexity, from genes to neural circuitry and behavior. The possibility of combining genetic manipulation of brain asymmetries with cutting-edge in vivo imaging technique and behavioral tests makes the zebrafish a valuable model to investigate the phylogeny and ontogeny of brain lateralization and its relevance for normal brain function and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Anna Sovrano
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Messina
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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18
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Metzger M, Souza R, Lima LB, Bueno D, Gonçalves L, Sego C, Donato J, Shammah-Lagnado SJ. Habenular connections with the dopaminergic and serotonergic system and their role in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 53:65-88. [PMID: 31833616 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a phylogenetically old epithalamic structure differentiated into two nuclear complexes, the medial (MHb) and lateral habenula (LHb). After decades of search for a great unifying function, interest in the Hb resurged when it was demonstrated that LHb plays a major role in the encoding of aversive stimuli ranging from noxious stimuli to the loss of predicted rewards. Consistent with a role as an anti-reward center, aberrant LHb activity has now been identified as a key factor in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder. Moreover, both MHb and LHb emerged as new players in the reward circuitry by primarily mediating the aversive properties of distinct drugs of abuse. Anatomically, the Hb serves as a bridge that links basal forebrain structures with monoaminergic nuclei in the mid- and hindbrain. So far, research on Hb has focused on the role of the LHb in regulating midbrain dopamine release. However, LHb/MHb are also interconnected with the dorsal (DR) and median (MnR) raphe nucleus. Hence, it is conceivable that some of the habenular functions are at least partly mediated by the complex network that links MHb/LHb with pontomesencephalic monoaminergic nuclei. Here, we summarize research about the topography and transmitter phenotype of the reciprocal connections between the LHb and ventral tegmental area-nigra complex, as well as those between the LHb and DR/MnR. Indirect MHb outputs via interpeduncular nucleus to state-setting neuromodulatory networks will also be commented. Finally, we discuss the role of specific LHb-VTA and LHb/MHb-raphe circuits in anxiety and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Metzger
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rudieri Souza
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro B Lima
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora Bueno
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciano Gonçalves
- Department of Human Anatomy, Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil
| | - Chemutai Sego
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose Donato
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sara J Shammah-Lagnado
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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19
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Loomis C, Peuß R, Jaggard JB, Wang Y, McKinney SA, Raftopoulos SC, Raftopoulos A, Whu D, Green M, McGaugh SE, Rohner N, Keene AC, Duboue ER. An Adult Brain Atlas Reveals Broad Neuroanatomical Changes in Independently Evolved Populations of Mexican Cavefish. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:88. [PMID: 31636546 PMCID: PMC6788135 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A shift in environmental conditions impacts the evolution of complex developmental and behavioral traits. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, is a powerful model for examining the evolution of development, physiology, and behavior because multiple cavefish populations can be compared to an extant, ancestral-like surface population of the same species. Many behaviors have diverged in cave populations of A. mexicanus, and previous studies have shown that cavefish have a loss of sleep, reduced stress, an absence of social behaviors, and hyperphagia. Despite these findings, surprisingly little is known about the changes in neuroanatomy that underlie these behavioral phenotypes. Here, we use serial sectioning to generate brain atlases of surface fish and three independent cavefish populations. Volumetric reconstruction of serial-sectioned brains confirms convergent evolution on reduced optic tectum volume in all cavefish populations tested. In addition, we quantified volumes of specific neuroanatomical loci within several brain regions that have previously been implicated in behavioral regulation, including the hypothalamus, thalamus, and habenula. These analyses reveal an enlargement of the hypothalamus in all cavefish populations relative to surface fish, as well as subnuclei-specific differences within the thalamus and prethalamus. Taken together, these analyses support the notion that changes in environmental conditions are accompanied by neuroanatomical changes in brain structures associated with behavior. This atlas provides a resource for comparative neuroanatomy of additional brain regions and the opportunity to associate brain anatomy with evolved changes in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody Loomis
- Department of Biology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Robert Peuß
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, United States
| | - James B. Jaggard
- Department of Biology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Yongfu Wang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, United States
| | - Sean A. McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, United States
| | - Stephan C. Raftopoulos
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Austin Raftopoulos
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Daniel Whu
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Matthew Green
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Suzanne E. McGaugh
- Department of Ecology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Nicolas Rohner
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, United States
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, KU Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States
| | - Alex C. Keene
- Department of Biology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
| | - Erik R. Duboue
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
- Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, United States
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20
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Lekk I, Duboc V, Faro A, Nicolaou S, Blader P, Wilson SW. Sox1a mediates the ability of the parapineal to impart habenular left-right asymmetry. eLife 2019; 8:47376. [PMID: 31373552 PMCID: PMC6677535 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Left-right asymmetries in the zebrafish habenular nuclei are dependent upon the formation of the parapineal, a unilateral group of neurons that arise from the medially positioned pineal complex. In this study, we show that both the left and right habenula are competent to adopt left-type molecular character and efferent connectivity upon the presence of only a few parapineal cells. This ability to impart left-sided character is lost in parapineal cells lacking Sox1a function, despite the normal specification of the parapineal itself. Precisely timed laser ablation experiments demonstrate that the parapineal influences neurogenesis in the left habenula at early developmental stages as well as neurotransmitter phenotype and efferent connectivity during subsequent stages of habenular differentiation. These results reveal a tight coordination between the formation of the unilateral parapineal nucleus and emergence of asymmetric habenulae, ensuring that appropriate lateralised character is propagated within left and right-sided circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Lekk
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Véronique Duboc
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (FR 3743), Centre de Biologie du Développement (UMR5547), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, CHU, Inserm, CNRS, IRCAN, Nice, France
| | - Ana Faro
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanos Nicolaou
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Blader
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (FR 3743), Centre de Biologie du Développement (UMR5547), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Stephen W Wilson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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21
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Bueno D, Lima LB, Souza R, Gonçalves L, Leite F, Souza S, Furigo IC, Donato J, Metzger M. Connections of the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus with the habenular‐interpeduncular‐raphe system. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:3046-3072. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Debora Bueno
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Leandro B. Lima
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Rudieri Souza
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Luciano Gonçalves
- Department of Human AnatomyFederal University of the Triângulo Mineiro Uberaba Brazil
| | - Fernanda Leite
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Stefani Souza
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Isadora C. Furigo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Jose Donato
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Martin Metzger
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
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22
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do Carmo Silva RX, Lima-Maximino MG, Maximino C. The aversive brain system of teleosts: Implications for neuroscience and biological psychiatry. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:123-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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23
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Pandey S, Shekhar K, Regev A, Schier AF. Comprehensive Identification and Spatial Mapping of Habenular Neuronal Types Using Single-Cell RNA-Seq. Curr Biol 2018; 28:1052-1065.e7. [PMID: 29576475 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The identification of cell types and marker genes is critical for dissecting neural development and function, but the size and complexity of the brain has hindered the comprehensive discovery of cell types. We combined single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) with anatomical brain registration to create a comprehensive map of the zebrafish habenula, a conserved forebrain hub involved in pain processing and learning. Single-cell transcriptomes of ∼13,000 habenular cells with 4× cellular coverage identified 18 neuronal types and dozens of marker genes. Registration of marker genes onto a reference atlas created a resource for anatomical and functional studies and enabled the mapping of active neurons onto neuronal types following aversive stimuli. Strikingly, despite brain growth and functional maturation, cell types were retained between the larval and adult habenula. This study provides a gene expression atlas to dissect habenular development and function and offers a general framework for the comprehensive characterization of other brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shristi Pandey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA
| | - Alexander F Schier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Abstract
Emotion-related responses, such as fear and anxiety, are important behavioral phenomena in most animal species, as well as in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms of fear and anxiety in animals and in humans are still largely unknown, and anxiety disorders continue to represent a large unmet medical need in the human clinic. Animal models may speed up discovery of these mechanisms and may also lead to betterment of human health. Herein, we report the identification of a chemokine-like gene family, samdori (sam), and present functional characterization of sam2. We observed increased anxiety-related responses in both zebrafish and mouse knockout models. Taken together, these results support a crucial and evolutionarily conserved role of sam2 in regulating anxiety-like behavior. Emotional responses, such as fear and anxiety, are fundamentally important behavioral phenomena with strong fitness components in most animal species. Anxiety-related disorders continue to represent a major unmet medical need in our society, mostly because we still do not fully understand the mechanisms of these diseases. Animal models may speed up discovery of these mechanisms. The zebrafish is a highly promising model organism in this field. Here, we report the identification of a chemokine-like gene family, samdori (sam), and present functional characterization of one of its members, sam2. We show exclusive mRNA expression of sam2 in the CNS, predominantly in the dorsal habenula, telencephalon, and hypothalamus. We found knockout (KO) zebrafish to exhibit altered anxiety-related responses in the tank, scototaxis and shoaling assays, and increased crh mRNA expression in their hypothalamus compared with wild-type fish. To investigate generalizability of our findings to mammals, we developed a Sam2 KO mouse and compared it to wild-type littermates. Consistent with zebrafish findings, homozygous KO mice exhibited signs of elevated anxiety. We also found bath application of purified SAM2 protein to increase inhibitory postsynaptic transmission onto CRH neurons of the paraventricular nucleus. Finally, we identified a human homolog of SAM2, and were able to refine a candidate gene region encompassing SAM2, among 21 annotated genes, which is associated with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder in the 12q14.1 deletion syndrome. Taken together, these results suggest a crucial and evolutionarily conserved role of sam2 in regulating mechanisms associated with anxiety.
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Roberson S, Halpern ME. Development and connectivity of the habenular nuclei. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 78:107-115. [PMID: 29107475 PMCID: PMC5920772 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has reinforced that the habenular region of the vertebrate dorsal forebrain is an essential integrating center, and a region strongly implicated in neurological disorders and addiction. Despite the important and diverse neuromodulatory roles the habenular nuclei play, their development has been understudied. The emphasis of this review is on the dorsal habenular nuclei of zebrafish, homologous to the medial nuclei of mammals, as recent work has revealed new information about the signaling pathways that regulate their formation. Additionally, the zebrafish dorsal habenulae have become a valuable model for probing how left-right differences are established in a vertebrate brain. Sonic hedgehog, fibroblast growth factors and Wingless-INT proteins are all involved in the generation of progenitor cells and ultimately, along with Notch signaling, influence habenular neurogenesis and left-right asymmetry. Intriguingly, a genetic network has emerged that leads to the differentiation of dorsal habenular neurons and, through localized chemokine signaling, directs the posterior outgrowth of their newly emerging axons towards their postsynaptic target, the midbrain interpeduncular nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Roberson
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Embryology, 3520 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Embryology, 3520 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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26
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Lee HJ, Schneider RF, Manousaki T, Kang JH, Lein E, Franchini P, Meyer A. Lateralized Feeding Behavior is Associated with Asymmetrical Neuroanatomy and Lateralized Gene Expressions in the Brain in Scale-Eating Cichlid Fish. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:3122-3136. [PMID: 29069363 PMCID: PMC5737854 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateralized behavior ("handedness") is unusual, but consistently found across diverse animal lineages, including humans. It is thought to reflect brain anatomical and/or functional asymmetries, but its neuro-molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Lake Tanganyika scale-eating cichlid fish, Perissodus microlepis show pronounced asymmetry in their jaw morphology as well as handedness in feeding behavior-biting scales preferentially only from one or the other side of their victims. This makes them an ideal model in which to investigate potential laterality in neuroanatomy and transcription in the brain in relation to behavioral handedness. After determining behavioral handedness in P. microlepis (preferred attack side), we estimated the volume of the hemispheres of brain regions and captured their gene expression profiles. Our analyses revealed that the degree of behavioral handedness is mirrored at the level of neuroanatomical asymmetry, particularly in the tectum opticum. Transcriptome analyses showed that different brain regions (tectum opticum, telencephalon, hypothalamus, and cerebellum) display distinct expression patterns, potentially reflecting their developmental interrelationships. For numerous genes in each brain region, their extent of expression differences between hemispheres was found to be correlated with the degree of behavioral lateralization. Interestingly, the tectum opticum and telencephalon showed divergent biases on the direction of up- or down-regulation of the laterality candidate genes (e.g., grm2) in the hemispheres, highlighting the connection of handedness with gene expression profiles and the different roles of these brain regions. Hence, handedness in predation behavior may be caused by asymmetric size of brain hemispheres and also by lateralized gene expressions in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk Je Lee
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Present address: Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biological Science, Sangji University, Wonju, Korea
| | - Ralf F Schneider
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tereza Manousaki
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Present address: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology, and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ji Hyoun Kang
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Present address: Korean Entomological Institute, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Etienne Lein
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Present address: Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Paolo Franchini
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, Lehrstuhl für Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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27
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The molecular mechanisms controlling morphogenesis and wiring of the habenula. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 162:29-37. [PMID: 28843424 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The habenula is an evolutionarily conserved brain region comprising bilaterally paired nuclei that plays a key role in processing reward information and mediating aversive responses to negative stimuli. An important aspect underlying habenula function is relaying information between forebrain and mid- and hindbrain areas. This is mediated by its complex organization into multiple subdomains and corresponding complexity in circuit organization. Additionally, in many species habenular nuclei display left-right differences at the anatomical and functional level. In order to ensure proper functional organization of habenular circuitry, sophisticated molecular programs control the morphogenesis and wiring of the habenula during development. Knowledge of how these mechanisms shape the habenula is crucial for obtaining a complete understanding of this brain region and can provide invaluable tools to study habenula evolution and function. In this review we will discuss how these molecular mechanisms pattern the early embryonic nervous system and control the formation of the habenula, how they shape its asymmetric organization, and how these mechanisms ensure proper wiring of the habenular circuit. Finally, we will address unexplored aspects of habenula development and how these may direct future research.
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Barreiro-Iglesias A, Fernández-López B, Sobrido-Cameán D, Anadón R. Organization of alpha-transducin immunoreactive system in the brain and retina of larval and young adult Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), and their relationship with other neural systems. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:3683-3704. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antón Barreiro-Iglesias
- Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Biology; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Blanca Fernández-López
- Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Biology; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Daniel Sobrido-Cameán
- Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Biology; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Ramón Anadón
- Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Biology; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
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29
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Fore S, Palumbo F, Pelgrims R, Yaksi E. Information processing in the vertebrate habenula. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 78:130-139. [PMID: 28797836 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The habenula is a brain region that has gained increasing popularity over the recent years due to its role in processing value-related and experience-dependent information with a strong link to depression, addiction, sleep and social interactions. This small diencephalic nucleus is proposed to act as a multimodal hub or a switchboard, where inputs from different brain regions converge. These diverse inputs to the habenula carry information about the sensory world and the animal's internal state, such as reward expectation or mood. However, it is not clear how these diverse habenular inputs interact with each other and how such interactions contribute to the function of habenular circuits in regulating behavioral responses in various tasks and contexts. In this review, we aim to discuss how information processing in habenular circuits, can contribute to specific behavioral programs that are attributed to the habenula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Fore
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, Norwegian Brain Centre, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Fabrizio Palumbo
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, Norwegian Brain Centre, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Robbrecht Pelgrims
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, Norwegian Brain Centre, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Emre Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, Norwegian Brain Centre, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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30
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Duboué ER, Hong E, Eldred KC, Halpern ME. Left Habenular Activity Attenuates Fear Responses in Larval Zebrafish. Curr Biol 2017; 27:2154-2162.e3. [PMID: 28712566 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Fear responses are defensive states that ensure survival of an organism in the presence of a threat. Perception of an aversive cue causes changes in behavior and physiology, such as freezing and elevated cortisol, followed by a return to the baseline state when the threat is evaded [1]. Neural systems that elicit fear behaviors include the amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex. However, aside from a few examples, little is known about brain regions that promote recovery from an aversive event [2]. Previous studies had implicated the dorsal habenular nuclei in regulating fear responses and boldness in zebrafish [3-7]. We now show, through perturbation of its inherent left-right (L-R) asymmetry at larval stages, that the dorsal habenulo-interpeduncular (dHb-IPN) pathway expedites the return of locomotor activity following an unexpected negative stimulus, electric shock. Severing habenular efferents to the IPN, or only those from the left dHb, prolongs the freezing behavior that follows shock. Individuals with a symmetric, right-isomerized dHb also exhibit increased freezing. In contrast, larvae that have a symmetric, left-isomerized dHb, or in which just the left dHb-IPN projection is optogenetically activated, rapidly resume swimming post shock. In vivo calcium imaging reveals a neuronal subset, predominantly in the left dHb, whose activation is correlated with resumption of swimming. The results demonstrate functional specialization of the left dHb-IPN pathway in attenuating the response to fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik R Duboué
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 3520 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Elim Hong
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 3520 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Kiara C Eldred
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 3520 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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31
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Solek CM, Feng S, Perin S, Weinschutz Mendes H, Ekker M. Lineage tracing of dlx1a/2a and dlx5a/6a expressing cells in the developing zebrafish brain. Dev Biol 2017; 427:131-147. [PMID: 28479339 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Lineage tracing of specific populations of progenitor cells provides crucial information about developmental programs. Four members of the Dlx homeobox gene family, Dlx1,2, 5 and 6, are involved in the specification of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons in the vertebrate forebrain. Orthologous genes in mammals and teleost show similarities in expression patterns and transcriptional regulation mechanisms. We have used lineage tracing to permanently label dlx-expressing cells in the zebrafish and have characterized the progeny of these cells in the larva and in the juvenile and adult brain. We have found that dlx1a/2a and dlx5a/6a expressing progenitors give rise, for the most part, to small populations of cells which constitute only a small proportion of GABAergic cells in the adult brain tissue. Moreover, some of the cells do not acquire a neuronal phenotype suggesting that, regardless of the time a cell expresses dlx genes in the brain, it can potentially give rise to cells other than neurons. In some instances, labeling larval dlx5a/6a-expressing cells, but not dlx1a/2a-expressing cells, results in massively expanding, widespread clonal expansion throughout the adult brain. Our data provide a detailed lineage analysis of the dlx1a/2a and dlx5a/6a expressing progenitors in the zebrafish brain and lays the foundation for further characterization of the role of these transcription factors beyond the specification of GABAergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Solek
- CAREG, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Shengrui Feng
- CAREG, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2M9
| | - Sofia Perin
- CAREG, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Hellen Weinschutz Mendes
- CAREG, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Marc Ekker
- CAREG, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5.
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32
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Roberson S, Halpern ME. Convergence of signaling pathways underlying habenular formation and axonal outgrowth in zebrafish. Development 2017; 144:2652-2662. [PMID: 28619821 DOI: 10.1242/dev.147751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The habenular nuclei are a conserved integrating center in the vertebrate epithalamus, where they modulate diverse behaviors. Despite their importance, our understanding of habenular development is incomplete. Time-lapse imaging and fate mapping demonstrate that the dorsal habenulae (dHb) of zebrafish are derived from dbx1b-expressing (dbx1b+ ) progenitors, which transition into cxcr4b-expressing neuronal precursors. The precursors give rise to differentiated neurons, the axons of which innervate the midbrain interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Formation of the dbx1b+ progenitor population relies on the activity of the Shh, Wnt and Fgf signaling pathways. Wnt and Fgf function additively to generate dHb progenitors. Surprisingly, Wnt signaling also negatively regulates fgf8a, confining expression to a discrete dorsal diencephalic domain. Moreover, the Wnt and Fgf pathways have opposing roles in transcriptional regulation of components of the Cxcr4-chemokine signaling pathway. The chemokine pathway, in turn, directs the posterior outgrowth of dHb efferents toward the IPN and, when disrupted, results in ectopic, anteriorly directed axonal projections. The results define a signaling network underlying the generation of dHb neurons and connectivity with their midbrain target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Roberson
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.,Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA .,Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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33
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Duboué ER, Halpern ME. Genetic and Transgenic Approaches to Study Zebrafish Brain Asymmetry and Lateralized Behavior. LATERALIZED BRAIN FUNCTIONS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6725-4_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
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34
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Horzmann KA, Freeman JL. Zebrafish Get Connected: Investigating Neurotransmission Targets and Alterations in Chemical Toxicity. TOXICS 2016; 4:19. [PMID: 28730152 PMCID: PMC5515482 DOI: 10.3390/toxics4030019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmission is the basis of neuronal communication and is critical for normal brain development, behavior, learning, and memory. Exposure to drugs and chemicals can alter neurotransmission, often through unknown pathways and mechanisms. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) model system is increasingly being used to study the brain and chemical neurotoxicity. In this review, the major neurotransmitter systems, including glutamate, GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine, and glutamate are surveyed and pathways of synthesis, transport, metabolism, and action are examined. Differences between human and zebrafish neurochemical pathways are highlighted. We also review techniques for evaluating neurological function, including the measurement of neurotransmitter levels, assessment of gene expression through transcriptomic analysis, and the recording of neurobehavior. Finally examples of chemical toxicity studies evaluating alterations in neurotransmitter systems in the zebrafish model are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer L. Freeman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;
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35
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Turner KJ, Hawkins TA, Yáñez J, Anadón R, Wilson SW, Folgueira M. Afferent Connectivity of the Zebrafish Habenulae. Front Neural Circuits 2016; 10:30. [PMID: 27199671 PMCID: PMC4844923 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2016.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenulae are bilateral nuclei located in the dorsal diencephalon that are conserved across vertebrates. Here we describe the main afferents to the habenulae in larval and adult zebrafish. We observe afferents from the subpallium, nucleus rostrolateralis, posterior tuberculum, posterior hypothalamic lobe, median raphe; we also see asymmetric afferents from olfactory bulb to the right habenula, and from the parapineal to the left habenula. In addition, we find afferents from a ventrolateral telencephalic nucleus that neurochemical and hodological data identify as the ventral entopeduncular nucleus (vENT), confirming and extending observations of Amo et al. (2014). Fate map and marker studies suggest that vENT originates from the diencephalic prethalamic eminence and extends into the lateral telencephalon from 48 to 120 hour post-fertilization (hpf). No afferents to the habenula were observed from the dorsal entopeduncular nucleus (dENT). Consequently, we confirm that the vENT (and not the dENT) should be considered as the entopeduncular nucleus "proper" in zebrafish. Furthermore, comparison with data in other vertebrates suggests that the vENT is a conserved basal ganglia nucleus, being homologous to the entopeduncular nucleus of mammals (internal segment of the globus pallidus of primates) by both embryonic origin and projections, as previously suggested by Amo et al. (2014).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine J. Turner
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
| | - Thomas A. Hawkins
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
| | - Julián Yáñez
- Neurover Group, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA) and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña (UDC)A Coruña, Spain
| | - Ramón Anadón
- Department of Cell Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Stephen W. Wilson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
| | - Mónica Folgueira
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)London, UK
- Neurover Group, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA) and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña (UDC)A Coruña, Spain
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Desban
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Claire Wyart
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France.
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37
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López JM, Lozano D, Morona R, González A. Organization of the nitrergic neuronal system in the primitive bony fishes Polypterus senegalus and Erpetoichthys calabaricus (Actinopterygii: Cladistia). J Comp Neurol 2015; 524:1770-804. [PMID: 26517971 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Cladistians are a group of basal actinopterygian fishes that constitute a good model for studying primitive brain features, most likely present in the ancestral bony fishes. The analysis of the nitrergic neurons (with the enzyme nitric oxide synthase; NOS) has helped in understanding important aspects of brain organization in all vertebrates studied. We investigated the nitrergic system of two cladistian species by means of specific antibodies against NOS and NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry, which, with the exception of the primary olfactory and terminal nerve fibers, labeled only for NADPH-d, yielded identical results. Double immunohistochemistry was conducted for simultaneous detection of NOS with tyrosine hydroxylase, choline acetyltransferase, calbindin, calretinin, and serotonin, to establish accurately the localization of the nitrergic neurons and fibers and to assess possible interactions between these neuroactive substances. The pattern of distribution in both species showed only subtle differences in the density of labeled cells. Distinct groups of NOS-immunoreactive cells were observed in pallial and subpallial areas, paraventricular region, tuberal and retromammillary hypothalamic areas, posterior tubercle, prethalamic and thalamic areas, optic tectum, torus semicircularis, mesencephalic tegmentum, interpeduncular nucleus, superior and middle reticular nuclei, magnocellular vestibular nucleus, solitary tract nucleus, nucleus medianus magnocellularis, the spinal cord and amacrine cells in the retina. Large neurons in cranial nerve sensory ganglia were also labeled. The comparison of these results with those from other vertebrates, using a neuromeric analysis, reveals a conserved pattern of organization of the nitrergic system from this primitive fish group to amniotes, including mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M López
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Lozano
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Morona
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Agustín González
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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38
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Kuan YS, Roberson S, Akitake CM, Fortuno L, Gamse J, Moens C, Halpern ME. Distinct requirements for Wntless in habenular development. Dev Biol 2015; 406:117-128. [PMID: 26116173 PMCID: PMC4639407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Secreted Wnt proteins play pivotal roles in development, including regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, progenitor maintenance and tissue patterning. The transmembrane protein Wntless (Wls) is necessary for secretion of most Wnts and essential for effective Wnt signaling. During a mutagenesis screen to identify genes important for development of the habenular nuclei in the dorsal forebrain, we isolated a mutation in the sole wls gene of zebrafish and confirmed its identity with a second, independent allele. Early embryonic development appears normal in homozygous wls mutants, but they later lack the ventral habenular nuclei, form smaller dorsal habenulae and otic vesicles, have truncated jaw and fin cartilages and lack swim bladders. Activation of a reporter for β-catenin-dependent transcription is decreased in wls mutants, indicative of impaired signaling by the canonical Wnt pathway, and expression of Wnt-responsive genes is reduced in the dorsal diencephalon. Wnt signaling was previously implicated in patterning of the zebrafish brain and in the generation of left-right (L-R) differences between the bilaterally paired dorsal habenular nuclei. Outside of the epithalamic region, development of the brain is largely normal in wls mutants and, despite their reduced size, the dorsal habenulae retain L-R asymmetry. We find that homozygous wls mutants show a reduction in two cell populations that contribute to the presumptive dorsal habenulae. The results support distinct temporal requirements for Wls in habenular development and reveal a new role for Wnt signaling in the regulation of dorsal habenular progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Shu Kuan
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, USA
| | - Sara Roberson
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Courtney M. Akitake
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Lea Fortuno
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, USA
| | - Joshua Gamse
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, USA
| | - Cecilia Moens
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA
| | - Marnie E. Halpern
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, USA
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39
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Abstract
Although the left and right hemispheres of our brains develop with a high degree of symmetry at both the anatomical and functional levels, it has become clear that subtle structural differences exist between the two sides and that each is dominant in processing specific cognitive tasks. As the result of evolutionary conservation or convergence, lateralization of the brain is found in both vertebrates and invertebrates, suggesting that it provides significant fitness for animal life. This widespread feature of hemispheric specialization has allowed the emergence of model systems to study its development and, in some cases, to link anatomical asymmetries to brain function and behavior. Here, we present some of what is known about brain asymmetry in humans and model organisms as well as what is known about the impact of environmental and genetic factors on brain asymmetry development. We specifically highlight the progress made in understanding the development of epithalamic asymmetries in zebrafish and how this model provides an exciting opportunity to address brain asymmetry at different levels of complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Duboc
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Pascale Dufourcq
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Patrick Blader
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Myriam Roussigné
- Université de Toulouse, UPS, Center de Biologie du Développement (CBD), F-31062 Toulouse, France; .,CNRS, CBD UMR 5547, F-31062 Toulouse, France
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40
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Nathan FM, Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Neuronal connectivity between habenular glutamate-kisspeptin1 co-expressing neurons and the raphe 5-HT system. J Neurochem 2015; 135:814-29. [PMID: 26250886 PMCID: PMC5049628 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The habenula, located on the dorsal thalamic surface, is an emotional and reward processing center. As in the mammalian brain, the zebrafish habenula is divided into dorsal (dHb) and ventral (vHb) subdivisions that project to the interpeduncular nucleus and median raphe (MR) respectively. Previously, we have shown that kisspeptin 1 (Kiss1) expressing in the vHb, regulates the serotonin (5‐HT) system in the MR. However, the connectivity between the Kiss1 neurons and the 5‐HT system remains unknown. To resolve this issue, we generated a specific antibody against zebrafish Kiss1 receptor (Kiss‐R1); using this primary antibody we found intense immunohistochemical labeling in the ventro‐anterior corner of the MR (vaMR) but not in 5‐HT neurons, suggesting the potential involvement of interneurons in 5‐HT modulation by Kiss1. Double‐fluorescence labeling showed that the majority of habenular Kiss1 neurons are glutamatergic. In the MR region, Kiss1 fibers were mainly seen in close association with glutamatergic neurons and only scarcely within GABAergic and 5‐HT neurons. Our findings indicate that the habenular Kiss1 neurons potentially modulate the 5‐HT system primarily through glutamatergic neurotransmission via as yet uncharacterized interneurons.
The neuropeptide kisspeptin (Kiss1) play a key role in vertebrate reproduction. We have previously shown modulatory role of habenular Kiss1 in the raphe serotonin (5‐HT) systems. This study proposed that the habenular Kiss1 neurons modulate the 5‐HT system primarily through glutamatergic neurotransmission, which provides an important insight for understanding of the modulation of 5‐HT system by the habenula‐raphe pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima M Nathan
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
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Feierstein CE, Portugues R, Orger MB. Seeing the whole picture: A comprehensive imaging approach to functional mapping of circuits in behaving zebrafish. Neuroscience 2014; 296:26-38. [PMID: 25433239 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the zebrafish has emerged as an appealing model system to tackle questions relating to the neural circuit basis of behavior. This can be attributed not just to the growing use of genetically tractable model organisms, but also in large part to the rapid advances in optical techniques for neuroscience, which are ideally suited for application to the small, transparent brain of the larval fish. Many characteristic features of vertebrate brains, from gross anatomy down to particular circuit motifs and cell-types, as well as conserved behaviors, can be found in zebrafish even just a few days post fertilization, and, at this early stage, the physical size of the brain makes it possible to analyze neural activity in a comprehensive fashion. In a recent study, we used a systematic and unbiased imaging method to record the pattern of activity dynamics throughout the whole brain of larval zebrafish during a simple visual behavior, the optokinetic response (OKR). This approach revealed the broadly distributed network of neurons that were active during the behavior and provided insights into the fine-scale functional architecture in the brain, inter-individual variability, and the spatial distribution of behaviorally relevant signals. Combined with mapping anatomical and functional connectivity, targeted electrophysiological recordings, and genetic labeling of specific populations, this comprehensive approach in zebrafish provides an unparalleled opportunity to study complete circuits in a behaving vertebrate animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Feierstein
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida Brasília, Doca de Pedrouços, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal
| | - R Portugues
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Germany
| | - M B Orger
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Avenida Brasília, Doca de Pedrouços, Lisbon 1400-038, Portugal.
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Dean BJ, Erdogan B, Gamse JT, Wu SY. Dbx1b defines the dorsal habenular progenitor domain in the zebrafish epithalamus. Neural Dev 2014; 9:20. [PMID: 25212830 PMCID: PMC4164515 DOI: 10.1186/1749-8104-9-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The conserved habenular nuclei function as a relay system connecting the forebrain with the brain stem. They play crucial roles in various cognitive behaviors by modulating cholinergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic activities. Despite the renewed interest in this conserved forebrain region because of its importance in regulating aversion and reward behaviors, the formation of the habenular nuclei during embryogenesis is poorly understood due to their small size and deep location in the brain, as well as the lack of known markers for habenular progenitors. In zebrafish, the bilateral habenular nuclei are subdivided into dorsal and ventral compartments, are particularly large and found on the dorsal surface of the brain, which facilitates the study of their development. RESULTS Here we examine the expression of a homeodomain transcription factor, dbx1b, and its potential to serve as an early molecular marker of dorsal habenular progenitors. Detailed spatiotemporal expression profiles demonstrate that the expression domain of dbx1b correlates with the presumptive habenular region, and dbx1b-expressing cells are proliferative along the ventricle. A lineage-tracing experiment using the Cre-lox system confirms that all or almost all dorsal habenular neurons are derived from dbx1b-expressing cells. In addition, mutant analysis and pharmacological treatments demonstrate that both initiation and maintenance of dbx1b expression requires precise regulation by fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. CONCLUSIONS We provide clear evidence in support of dbx1b marking the progenitor populations that give rise to the dorsal habenulae. In addition, the expression of dbx1b in the dorsal diencephalon is tightly controlled by FGF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shu-Yu Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Box 351634 Station B, Nashville, TN 37235-1634, USA.
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