Development of the whisker-to-barrel cortex system

Preconfigured architecture of the developing mouse brain

In the adult brain, structural and functional parameters, such as synaptic sizes and neuronal firing rates, follow right-skewed and heavy-tailed distributions. While this organization is thought to have significant implications, its development is still largely unknown. Here, we address this knowledge gap by investigating a large-scale dataset recorded from the prefrontal cortex and the olfactory bulb of mice aged 4-60 postnatal days. We show that firing rates and spike train interactions have a largely stable distribution shape throughout the first 60 postnatal days and that the prefrontal cortex displays a functional small-world architecture. Moreover, early brain activity exhibits an oligarchical organization, where high-firing neurons have hub-like properties. In a neural network model, we show that analogously right-skewed and heavy-tailed synaptic parameters are instrumental to consistently recapitulate the experimental data. Thus, functional and structural parameters in the developing brain are already extremely distributed, suggesting that this organization is preconfigured and not experience dependent.

A nasal chemosensation-dependent critical window for somatosensory development

Nasal chemosensation is considered the evolutionarily oldest mammalian sense and, together with somatosensation, is crucial for neonatal well-being before auditory and visual pathways start engaging the brain. Using anatomical and functional approaches in mice, we reveal that odor-driven activity propagates to a large part of the cortex during the first postnatal week and enhances whisker-evoked activation of primary whisker somatosensory cortex (wS1). This effect disappears in adult animals, in line with the loss of excitatory connectivity from olfactory cortex to wS1. By performing neonatal odor deprivation, followed by electrophysiological and behavioral work in adult animals, we identify a key transient regulation of nasal chemosensory information necessary for the development of wS1 sensory-driven dynamics and somatosensation. Our work uncovers a cross-modal critical window for nasal chemosensation-dependent somatosensory functional maturation.

Protosequences in human cortical organoids model intrinsic states in the developing cortex

Neuronal firing sequences are thought to be the basic building blocks of neural coding and information broadcasting within the brain. However, when sequences emerge during neurodevelopment remains unknown. We demonstrate that structured firing sequences are present in spontaneous activity of human brain organoids and ex vivo neonatal brain slices from the murine somatosensory cortex. We observed a balance between temporally rigid and flexible firing patterns that are emergent phenomena in human brain organoids and early postnatal murine somatosensory cortex, but not in primary dissociated cortical cultures. Our findings suggest that temporal sequences do not arise in an experience-dependent manner, but are rather constrained by an innate preconfigured architecture established during neurogenesis. These findings highlight the potential for brain organoids to further explore how exogenous inputs can be used to refine neuronal circuits and enable new studies into the genetic mechanisms that govern assembly of functional circuitry during early human brain development.

Models of Purkinje cell dendritic tree selection during early cerebellar development

We investigate the relationship between primary dendrite selection of Purkinje cells and migration of their presynaptic partner granule cells during early cerebellar development. During postnatal development, each Purkinje cell grows more than three dendritic trees, from which a primary tree is selected for development, whereas the others completely retract. Experimental studies suggest that this selection process is coordinated by physical and synaptic interactions with granule cells, which undergo a massive migration at the same time. However, technical limitations hinder continuous experimental observation of multiple cell populations. To explore possible mechanisms underlying this selection process, we constructed a computational model using a new computational framework, NeuroDevSim. The study presents the first computational model that simultaneously simulates Purkinje cell growth and the dynamics of granule cell migrations during the first two postnatal weeks, allowing exploration of the role of physical and synaptic interactions upon dendritic selection. The model suggests that interaction with parallel fibers is important to establish the distinct planar morphology of Purkinje cell dendrites. Specific rules to select which dendritic trees to keep or retract result in larger winner trees with more synaptic contacts than using random selection. A rule based on afferent synaptic activity was less effective than rules based on dendritic size or numbers of synapses.

Neonatal bilateral whisker trimming in male mice age-dependently alters brain neurotransmitter levels and causes adolescent onsets of social behavior abnormalities

Tactile perception via whiskers is important in rodent behavior. Whisker trimming during the neonatal period affects mouse behaviors related to both whisker-based tactile cognition and social performance. However, the molecular basis of these phenomena is not completely understood. To solve this issue, we investigated developmental changes in transmitters and metabolites in various brain regions of male mice subjected to bilateral whisker trimming during the neonatal period (10 days after birth [BWT10 mice]). We discovered significantly lower levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glycol (MHPG), the major noradrenaline metabolite, in various brain regions of male BWT10 mice at both early/late adolescent stages (at P4W and P8W). However, reduced levels of dopamine (DA) and their metabolites were more significantly identified at P8W in the nuclear origins of monoamine (midbrain and medulla oblongata) and the limbic system (frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus) than at P4W. Furthermore, the onset of social behavior deficits (P6W) was observed later to the impairment of whisker-based tactile cognitive behaviors (P4W). Taken together, these findings suggest that whisker-mediated tactile cognition may contribute toprogressive abnormalities in social behaviors in BWT10 mice accompanied by impaired development of dopaminergic systems.

Pax6 limits the competence of developing cerebral cortical cells to respond to inductive intercellular signals

The development of stable specialized cell types in multicellular organisms relies on mechanisms controlling inductive intercellular signals and the competence of cells to respond to such signals. In developing cerebral cortex, progenitors generate only glutamatergic excitatory neurons despite being exposed to signals with the potential to initiate the production of other neuronal types, suggesting that their competence is limited. Here, we tested the hypothesis that this limitation is due to their expression of transcription factor Pax6. We used bulk and single-cell RNAseq to show that conditional cortex-specific Pax6 deletion from the onset of cortical neurogenesis allowed some progenitors to generate abnormal lineages resembling those normally found outside the cortex. Analysis of selected gene expression showed that the changes occurred in specific spatiotemporal patterns. We then compared the responses of control and Pax6-deleted cortical cells to in vivo and in vitro manipulations of extracellular signals. We found that Pax6 loss increased cortical progenitors’ competence to generate inappropriate lineages in response to extracellular factors normally present in developing cortex, including the morphogens Shh and Bmp4. Regional variation in the levels of these factors could explain spatiotemporal patterns of fate change following Pax6 deletion in vivo. We propose that Pax6’s main role in developing cortical cells is to minimize the risk of their development being derailed by the potential side effects of morphogens engaged contemporaneously in other essential functions.

The development of stable specialized cell types in multicellular organisms relies on mechanisms controlling inductive intercellular signals and the competence of cells to respond. This study shows that cortical development is stabilized by the protective actions of the transcription factor Pax6, which adjusts the ability of cortical cells to respond to potentially destabilizing signals present in their local environment.

Identification of a Developmental Switch in Information Transfer between Whisker S1 and S2 Cortex in Mice

The whiskers of rodents are a key sensory organ that provides critical tactile information for animal navigation and object exploration throughout life. Previous work has explored the developmental sensory-driven activation of the primary sensory cortex processing whisker information (wS1), also called barrel cortex. This body of work has shown that the barrel cortex is already activated by sensory stimuli during the first postnatal week. However, it is currently unknown when over the course of development these stimuli begin being processed by higher-order cortical areas, such as secondary whisker somatosensory area (wS2). Here we investigate the developmental engagement of wS2 by whisker stimuli and the emergence of corticocortical communication from wS1 to wS2. Using in vivo wide-field imaging and multielectrode recordings in control and conditional KO mice of either sex with thalamocortical innervation defects, we find that wS1 and wS2 are able to process bottom-up information coming from the thalamus from birth. We also identify that it is only at the end of the first postnatal week that wS1 begins to provide functional excitation into wS2, switching to more inhibitory actions after the second postnatal week. Therefore, we have uncovered a developmental window when information transfer between wS1 and wS2 reaches mature function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT At the end of the first postnatal week, the primary whisker somatosensory area starts providing excitatory input to the secondary whisker somatosensory area 2. This excitatory drive weakens during the second postnatal week and switches to inhibition in the adult.

Epigenetic and Transcriptional Regulation of Spontaneous and Sensory Activity Dependent Programs During Neuronal Circuit Development

Spontaneous activity generated before the onset of sensory transduction has a key role in wiring developing sensory circuits. From axonal targeting, to synapse formation and elimination, to the balanced integration of neurons into developing circuits, this type of activity is implicated in a variety of cellular processes. However, little is known about its molecular mechanisms of action, especially at the level of genome regulation. Conversely, sensory experience-dependent activity implements well-characterized transcriptional and epigenetic chromatin programs that underlie heterogeneous but specific genomic responses that shape both postnatal circuit development and neuroplasticity in the adult. In this review, we focus on our knowledge of the developmental processes regulated by spontaneous activity and the underlying transcriptional mechanisms. We also review novel findings on how chromatin regulates the specificity and developmental induction of the experience-dependent program, and speculate their relevance for our understanding of how spontaneous activity may act at the genomic level to instruct circuit assembly and prepare developing neurons for sensory-dependent connectivity refinement and processing.

Whisker trimming during infanthood modifies the development of spike-wave discharges and behavioral sequences in IntelliCage impulsivity paradigm in adult WAG/Rij rats

Whisker system in rats undergoes rapid development during the first postnatal weeks. Neonatal whisker trimming increases excitability in the somatosensory cortex and affects exploratory behavior at adult ages. WAG/Rij rats are genetically predisposed to develop absence seizures in adulthood, and whisker trimming during three postnatal weeks aggravates epileptic activity in these rats. It is assumed that behavioral performance in adult WAG/Rij rats is influenced (1) by absence epilepsy and (2) by whisker trimming during the short period around the onset of active whisker movements, PN9-16. We examined the effect of whisker trimming in WAG/Rij rats during PN9-16 on spike-wave discharges (SWD, EEG hallmark of absence epilepsy). We found that 77% of WAG/Rij rats showed pronounced SWD (epileptic phenotype), and the rest did not (non-epileptic phenotype). At the age of 5 m, epileptic trimmed rats showed more SWD than epileptic control rats. Age-related increase of SWD was found only in the control group, suggesting that whisker trimming during PN9-16 led to an earlier maturation of SWD. Goal-directed behavior was examined in all rats at the age of 4-4.5 m using IntelliCage impulsivity paradigm. In order to optimize the analysis of behavioral data, we combined several Python packages into a single processing pipeline. Early life whisker trimming altered behavioral sequences and strategy of exploration in adulthood, suggesting reduced whisker sensitivity in the trimmed rats. Epileptic WAG/Rij rats at 4-4.5 months showed only a slight learning impairment during later stages of IntelliCage impulsivity paradigm, which may be associated with the early stage of development of SWD.

Early alterations of the neuronal network processing whisker-related sensory signal during absence epileptogenesis

OBJECTIVE

Epileptogenesis is the particular process during which the epileptic network builds up progressively before the onset of the first seizures. Whether physiological functions are impacted by this development of epilepsy remains unclear. To explore this question, we used Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats From Strasbourg (GAERS), in which spike-and-wave discharges are initiated in the whisker primary somatosensory cortex (wS1) and first occur during cortical maturation. We studied the development of both the epileptic and the physiological wS1 circuits during cortical maturation to understand the interactions between them and the consequences for the animals' behavior.

METHODS

In sedated and immobilized rat pups, we recorded in vivo epileptic and whisker sensory evoked activities across the wS1 and thalamus using multicontact electrodes. We compared sensory evoked potentials based on current source density analysis. We then analyzed the multiunit activities evoked by whisker stimulation in GAERS and control rats. Finally, we evaluated behavioral performance dependent on the functionality of the wS1 cortex using the gap-crossing task.

RESULTS

We showed that the epileptic circuit changed during the epileptogenesis period in GAERS, by involving different cortical layers of wS1. Neuronal activities evoked by whisker stimulation were reduced in the wS1 cortex at P15 and P30 in GAERS but increased in the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus at P15 and in the posterior medial nucleus at P30, when compared to control rats. Finally, we observed lower performance in GAERS versus controls, at both P15 and P30, in a whisker-mediated behavioral task.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our data show that the functionality of wS1 cortex and thalamus is altered early during absence epileptogenesis in GAERS and then evolves before spike-and-wave discharges are fully expressed. They suggest that the development of the pathological circuit disturbs the physiological one and may be responsible for both the emergence of seizures and associated comorbidities.

Spontaneous activity in developing thalamic and cortical sensory networks

Developing sensory circuits exhibit different patterns of spontaneous activity, patterns that are related to the construction and refinement of functional networks. During the development of different sensory modalities, spontaneous activity originates in the immature peripheral sensory structures and in the higher-order central structures, such as the thalamus and cortex. Certainly, the perinatal thalamus exhibits spontaneous calcium waves, a pattern of activity that is fundamental for the formation of sensory maps and for circuit plasticity. Here, we review our current understanding of the maturation of early (including embryonic) patterns of spontaneous activity and their influence on the assembly of thalamic and cortical sensory networks. Overall, the data currently available suggest similarities between the developmental trajectory of brain activity in experimental models and humans, which in the future may help to improve the early diagnosis of developmental disorders.

Loss of Calretinin in L5a impairs the formation of the barrel cortex leading to abnormal whisker-mediated behaviors

The rodent whisker-barrel cortex system has been established as an ideal model for studying sensory information integration. The barrel cortex consists of barrel and septa columns that receive information input from the lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways, respectively. Layer 5a is involved in both barrel and septa circuits and play a key role in information integration. However, the role of layer 5a in the development of the barrel cortex remains unclear. Previously, we found that calretinin is dynamically expressed in layer 5a. In this study, we analyzed calretinin KO mice and found that the dendritic complexity and length of layer 5a pyramidal neurons were significantly decreased after calretinin ablation. The membrane excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission of layer 5a neurons were increased. Consequently, the organization of the barrels was impaired. Moreover, layer 4 spiny stellate cells were not able to properly gather, leading to abnormal formation of barrel walls as the ratio of barrel/septum size obviously decreased. Calretinin KO mice exhibited deficits in exploratory and whisker-associated tactile behaviors as well as social novelty preference. Our study expands our knowledge of layer 5a pyramidal neurons in the formation of barrel walls and deepens the understanding of the development of the whisker-barrel cortex system.

The Logic of Developing Neocortical Circuits in Health and Disease

The sensory and cognitive abilities of the mammalian neocortex are underpinned by intricate columnar and laminar circuits formed from an array of diverse neuronal populations. One approach to determining how interactions between these circuit components give rise to complex behavior is to investigate the rules by which cortical circuits are formed and acquire functionality during development. This review summarizes recent research on the development of the neocortex, from genetic determination in neural stem cells through to the dynamic role that specific neuronal populations play in the earliest circuits of neocortex, and how they contribute to emergent function and cognition. While many of these endeavors take advantage of model systems, consideration will also be given to advances in our understanding of activity in nascent human circuits. Such cross-species perspective is imperative when investigating the mechanisms underlying the dysfunction of early neocortical circuits in neurodevelopmental disorders, so that one can identify targets amenable to therapeutic intervention.

How the Barrel Cortex Became a Working Model for Developmental Plasticity: A Historical Perspective

For half a century now, the barrel cortex of common laboratory rodents has been an exceptionally useful model for studying the formation of topographically organized maps, neural patterning, and plasticity, both in development and in maturity. We present a historical perspective on how barrels were discovered, and how thereafter, they became a workhorse for developmental neuroscientists and for studies on brain plasticity and activity-dependent modeling of brain circuits. What is particularly remarkable about this sensory system is a cellular patterning that is induced by signals derived from the sensory receptors surrounding the snout whiskers and transmitted centrally to the brainstem (barrelettes), the thalamus (barreloids), and the neocortex (barrels). Injury to the sensory receptors shortly after birth leads to predictable pattern alterations at all levels of the system. Mouse genetics have increased our understanding of how barrels are constructed and revealed the interplay of the molecular programs that direct axon growth and cell specification, with activity-dependent mechanisms. There is an ever-rising interest in this sensory system as a neurobiological model to study development of somatotopy, patterning, and plasticity at both the morphologic and physiological levels. This article is part of a group of articles commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Society for Neuroscience.

A 'Marginal' tale: the development of the neocortical layer 1

The development of neocortical layer 1 is a very dynamic process and the scene of multiple transient events, with Cajal-Retzius cell death being one of the most characteristic ones. Layer 1 is also the route of migration for a substantial number of GABAergic interneurons during embryogenesis and where some of which will ultimately remain in the adult. The two cell types, together with a diverse set of incoming axons and dendrites, create an early circuit that will dramatically change in structure and function in the adult cortex to give prominence to inhibition. Through the engagement of a diverse set of GABAergic inhibitory cells by bottom-up and top-down inputs, adult layer 1 becomes a powerful computational platform for the neocortex.

Cortical RORβ is required for layer 4 transcriptional identity and barrel integrity

Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor beta (RORβ) is a transcription factor (TF) and marker of layer 4 (L4) neurons, which are distinctive both in transcriptional identity and the ability to form aggregates such as barrels in rodent somatosensory cortex. However, the relationship between transcriptional identity and L4 cytoarchitecture is largely unknown. We find RORβ is required in the cortex for L4 aggregation into barrels and thalamocortical afferent (TCA) segregation. Interestingly, barrel organization also degrades with age in wildtype mice. Loss of RORβ delays excitatory input and disrupts gene expression and chromatin accessibility, with down-regulation of L4 and up-regulation of L5 genes, suggesting a disruption in cellular specification. Expression and binding site accessibility change for many other TFs, including closure of neurodevelopmental TF binding sites and increased expression and binding capacity of activity-regulated TFs. Lastly, a putative target of RORβ, Thsd7a, is down-regulated without RORβ, and Thsd7a knock-out alone disrupts TCA organization in adult barrels.

NMDARs Translate Sequential Temporal Information into Spatial Maps

Spatial representations of the sensory world are important for brain function. Timing is an essential component of sensory information. Many brain circuits transform the temporal sequence of input activity into spatial maps; however, the mechanisms underlying this transformation are unclear. Different N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) response magnitudes result in synaptic potentiation or depression. We asked whether NMDAR response magnitude also affects the transformation of temporal information into directional spatial maps. We quantified retinotectal axon branch dynamics in Xenopus optic tectum in response to temporal sequences of visual stimulation. Reducing NMDAR responses by 50% inverts the spatial distribution of branch dynamics along the rostrocaudal axis in response to temporal patterns of input, suggesting that the magnitude of NMDAR signaling encodes the temporal sequence of inputs and translates the temporal code into a directional spatial map using structural plasticity-based branch dynamics. We discuss how this NMDAR-dependent decoding mechanism retrieves spatial information from sequential afferent activity.

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NMDAR response magnitude encodes the temporal sequence of inputs

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NMDAR mechanism decodes spatial information from sequential input activity

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NMDAR attenuation inverts the temporal to spatial transformation

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NMDAR activity alters the spatial distribution of dynamic and stable branches

Multiple Morphological Factors Underlie Experience-Dependent Cross-Modal Plasticity in the Developing Sensory Cortices

Sensory experience regulates the structural and functional wiring of sensory cortices. In previous work, we showed that whisker deprivation (WD) from birth not only reduced excitatory synaptic transmission of layer (L) 2/3 pyramidal neurons of the correspondent barrel cortex in mice, but also cross-modally reduced synaptic transmission of L2/3 pyramidal neurons in other sensory cortices. Here, we used in utero electroporation, in combination with optical clearing, to examine the main morphological components regulating neural circuit wiring, namely presynaptic bouton density, spine density, as well as dendrite and axon arbor lengths. We found that WD from P0 to P14 reduced presynaptic bouton density in both L4 and L2/3 inputs to L2/3 pyramidal neurons, as well as spine density across the dendritic tree of L2/3 pyramidal neurons, in the barrel field of the primary somatosensory cortex. The cross-modal effects in the primary auditory cortex were manifested mostly as reduced dendrite and axon arbor size, as well as reduced bouton density of L2/3 inputs. Increasing sensory experience by rearing mice in an enriched environment rescued the effects of WD. Together, these results demonstrate that multiple morphological factors contribute to experience-dependent structural plasticity during early wiring of the sensory cortices.

Diversity and Function of Somatostatin-Expressing Interneurons in the Cerebral Cortex

Inhibitory interneurons make up around 10-20% of the total neuron population in the cerebral cortex. A hallmark of inhibitory interneurons is their remarkable diversity in terms of morphology, synaptic connectivity, electrophysiological and neurochemical properties. It is generally understood that there are three distinct and non-overlapping interneuron classes in the mouse neocortex, namely, parvalbumin-expressing, 5-HT3A receptor-expressing and somatostatin-expressing interneuron classes. Each class is, in turn, composed of a multitude of subclasses, resulting in a growing number of interneuron classes and subclasses. In this review, I will focus on the diversity of somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SOM+ INs) in the cerebral cortex and elucidate their function in cortical circuits. I will then discuss pathological consequences of a malfunctioning of SOM+ INs in neurological disorders such as major depressive disorder, and present future avenues in SOM research and brain pathologies.

Deficits in Behavioral Functions of Intact Barrel Cortex Following Lesions of Homotopic Contralateral Cortex

Focal unilateral injuries to the somatosensory whisker barrel cortex have been shown cause long-lasting deficits in the activity and experience-dependent plasticity of neurons in the intact contralateral barrel cortex. However, the long-term effect of these deficits on behavioral functions of the intact contralesional cortex is not clear. In this study, we used the “Gap-crossing task” a barrel cortex-dependent, whisker-sensitive, tactile behavior to test the hypothesis that unilateral lesions of the somatosensory cortex would affect behavioral functions of the intact somatosensory cortex and degrade the execution of a bilaterally learnt behavior. Adult rats were trained to perform the Gap-crossing task using whiskers on both sides of the face. The barrel cortex was then lesioned unilaterally by subpial aspiration. As observed in other studies, when rats used whiskers that directly projected to the lesioned hemisphere the performance of Gap-crossing was drastically compromised, perhaps due to direct effect of lesion. Significant and persistent deficits were present when the lesioned rats performed Gap-crossing task using whiskers that projected to the intact cortex. The deficits were specific to performance of the task at the highest levels of sensitivity. Comparable deficits were seen when normal, bilaterally trained, rats performed the Gap-crossing task with only the whiskers on one side of the face or when they used only two rows of whiskers (D row and E row) intact on both side of the face. These findings indicate that the prolonged impairment in execution of the learnt task by rats with unilateral lesions of somatosensory cortex could be because sensory inputs from one set of whiskers to the intact cortex is insufficient to provide adequate sensory information at higher thresholds of detection. Our data suggest that optimal performance of somatosensory behavior requires dynamic activity-driven interhemispheric interactions from the entire somatosensory inputs between homotopic areas of the cerebral cortex. These results imply that focal unilateral cortical injuries, including those in humans, are likely to have widespread bilateral effects on information processing including in intact areas of the cortex.