1
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Zhao D, Si B. Formation of cognitive maps in large-scale environments by sensorimotor integration. Cogn Neurodyn 2025; 19:19. [PMID: 39801918 PMCID: PMC11717777 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-024-10200-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 10/08/2024] [Accepted: 10/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2025] Open
Abstract
Hippocampus in the mammalian brain supports navigation by building a cognitive map of the environment. However, only a few studies have investigated cognitive maps in large-scale arenas. To reveal the computational mechanisms underlying the formation of cognitive maps in large-scale environments, we propose a neural network model of the entorhinal-hippocampal neural circuit that integrates both spatial and non-spatial information. Spatial information is relayed from the grid units in medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) by integrating multimodal sensory-motor signals. Non-spatial, such as object, information is imparted from the visual units in lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) by encoding visual scenes through a deep neural network. The synaptic weights from the grid units and the visual units to the place units in the hippocampus are learned by a competitive learning rule. We simulated the model in a large box maze. The place units in the model form irregularly-spaced multiple fields across the environment. When the strength of visual inputs is dominant, the responses of place units become conjunctive and egocentric. These results point to the key role of the hippocampus in balancing spatial and non-spatial information relayed via LEC and MEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongye Zhao
- Information Science Academy, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Beijing, 100086 China
| | - Bailu Si
- School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206 China
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2
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Ren X, Wang Y, Li X, Wang X, Liu Z, Yang J, Wang L, Zheng C. Attenuated heterogeneity of hippocampal neuron subsets in response to novelty induced by amyloid-β. Cogn Neurodyn 2025; 19:56. [PMID: 40161457 PMCID: PMC11947398 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-025-10237-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2024] [Revised: 01/24/2025] [Accepted: 02/28/2025] [Indexed: 04/02/2025] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients exhibited episodic memory impairments including location-object recognition in a spatial environment, which was also presented in animal models with amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation. A potential cellular mechanism was the unstable representation of spatial information and lack of discrimination ability of novel stimulus in the hippocampal place cells. However, how the firing characteristics of different hippocampal subsets responding to diverse spatial information were interrupted by Aβ accumulation remains unclear. In this study, we observed impaired novel object-location recognition in Aβ-treated Long-Evans rats, with larger receptive fields of place cells in hippocampal CA1, compared with those in the saline-treated group. We identified two subsets of place cells coding object information (ObjCell) and global environment (EnvCell) during the task, with firing heterogeneity in response to introduced novel information. ObjCells displayed a dynamic representation responding to the introduction of novel information, while EnvCells exhibited a stable representation to support the recognition of the familiar environment. However, the dynamic firing patterns of these two subsets of cells were disrupted to present attenuated heterogeneity under Aβ accumulation. The impaired spatial representation novelty information could be due to the disturbed gamma modulation of neural activities. Taken together, these findings provide new evidence for novelty recognition impairments of AD rats with spatial representation dysfunctions of hippocampal subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxin Ren
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yimeng Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Li
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xueling Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhaodi Liu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiajia Yang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin, China
| | - Chenguang Zheng
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neuroengineering, Tianjin, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, Tianjin, China
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3
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Duan YL, Hu SY, Ge XF, Long JL, Deng C, Sun YM, Li CJ, Zhang R, Cai X, Lu L. Object-translocation induces event coding in the rat hippocampus. Commun Biol 2025; 8:797. [PMID: 40413308 PMCID: PMC12103614 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08241-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2025] [Accepted: 05/15/2025] [Indexed: 05/27/2025] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory is the ability to recall personally experienced events that are situated within specific spatial contexts. Within a navigation environment, salient objects can function as landmarks, and interactions with them can be encoded as distinct episodic events. However, the nuanced integration of "where" and "what" aspects of objects during episodic memory formation remains poorly understood. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of neuronal responses along the rat CA1 proximodistal axis to manipulations of environmental cues and object features. Our results demonstrate that the proximal and distal portions of CA1 preferentially represent landmarks and events, respectively. Following object displacement, we identify an event-like population coding within CA1, distinct from the anticipated pattern of landmark representation. These findings elucidate the specific roles that objects may play in spatial navigation and memory encoding, providing novel insights into the selective processing of object-related information within the entorhinal-hippocampal network under varying conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Li Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shu-Yi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jia-Li Long
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chu Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yu-Ming Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Cheng-Ji Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xing Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Li Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, and Key Laboratory of Animal Models & Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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4
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Zheng 征亦诚 Y, Zhou 周信羽 X, Moseley SC, Ragsdale SM, Alday LJ, Wu 吴畏 W, Wilber AA. A Hippocampal-Parietal Network for Reference Frame Coordination. J Neurosci 2025; 45:e1782242025. [PMID: 39909564 PMCID: PMC12019118 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1782-24.2025] [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: 09/18/2024] [Revised: 01/27/2025] [Accepted: 01/31/2025] [Indexed: 02/07/2025] Open
Abstract
Navigating space and forming memories based on spatial experience are crucial for survival, including storing memories in an allocentric (map-like) framework and conversion into egocentric (body-centered) action. The hippocampus and parietal cortex (PC) comprise a network for coordinating these reference frames, though the mechanism remains unclear. We used a task requiring remembering previous spatial locations to make correct future action and observed that hippocampus can encode the allocentric place, while PC encodes upcoming actions and relays this to hippocampus. Transformation from location to action unfolds gradually, with "Came From" signals diminishing and future action representations strengthening. PC sometimes encodes previous spatial locations in a route-based reference frame and conveys this to hippocampus. The signal for the future location appears first in PC, and then in hippocampus, in the form of an egocentric direction of future goal locations, suggesting egocentric encoding recently observed in hippocampus may originate in PC (or another "upstream" structure). Bidirectional signaling is apparent between PC and hippocampus and suggests a coordinated mechanism for integrating allocentric, route-centered, and egocentric spatial reference frames at the network level during navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Zheng 征亦诚
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Xinyu Zhou 周信羽
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Shawn C Moseley
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Sydney M Ragsdale
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Leslie J Alday
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Wei Wu 吴畏
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Aaron A Wilber
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
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5
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O'Hare JK, Wang J, Shala MD, Polleux F, Losonczy A. Distal tuft dendrites predict properties of new hippocampal place fields. Neuron 2025:S0896-6273(25)00249-1. [PMID: 40250428 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2025.03.029] [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: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 11/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2025] [Indexed: 04/20/2025]
Abstract
Hippocampal pyramidal neurons support episodic memory by integrating complementary information streams into new "place fields." Distal tuft dendrites have been proposed to drive place field formation via dendritic plateau potentials. However, the relationship between distal dendritic and somatic activity is unknown in vivo. Here, we gained simultaneous optical access to distal tuft dendrites and their soma in head-fixed mice navigating virtual reality environments. While distal tuft dendrites rarely express local peri-formation plateau potentials, the timing and extent of their recruitment predict properties of resultant somatic place fields. Following somatic place field formation, distal tuft dendrites readily express plateau potentials as well as local place fields that are back shifted relative to that of their soma. Distal tuft dendrites may therefore undergo local plasticity during somatic place field formation. Through direct in vivo observation, we provide an updated dendritic basis for hippocampal feature selectivity during navigational learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K O'Hare
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Jamie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Margjele D Shala
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Hasselmo ME, LaChance PA, Robinson JC, Malmberg SL, Patel M, Gross E, Everett DE, Sankaranarayanan S, Fang J. How does the response of egocentric boundary cells depend upon the coordinate system of environmental features? BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.02.03.636060. [PMID: 39974880 PMCID: PMC11838506 DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.03.636060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2025]
Abstract
Neurons in the retrosplenial (RSC) (Alexander et al., 2020a; LaChance and Hasselmo, 2024) and postrhinal cortex (POR) respond to environmental boundaries and configurations in egocentric coordinates relative to an animals current position. Neurons in these structures and adjacent structures also respond to spatial dimensions of self- motion such as running velocity (Carstensen et al., 2021; Robinson et al., 2024). Data and modeling suggest that these responses could be essential for guiding behaviors such as barrier avoidance and goal finding (Erdem and Hasselmo, 2012; 2014). However, these findings still leave the unanswered question: What are the features and what are the coordinate systems of these features that drive these egocentric neural responses? Here we present models of the potential circuit mechanisms generating egocentric responses in RSC. These can be generated based on coding of internal representations of barriers in head-centered coordinates of distance and angle that are transformed based on current running velocity for trajectory planning and obstacle avoidance. This hypothesis is compared with an alternate potentially complementary hypothesis that neurons in the same regions might respond to retinotopic position of features at the top, bottom or edges of walls as a precursor to head-centered coordinates. Alternate hypotheses include the forward scanning of trajectories (ray tracing) to test for collision with barriers, or the comparison of optic flow on different sides of the animal. These hypotheses generate complementary modeling predictions about how changes in environmental parameters could alter the neural responses of egocentric boundary cells that are presented here.
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7
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Chen X, Cheng N, Wang C, Knierim JJ. Impaired spatial coding of the hippocampus in a dentate gyrus hypoplasia mouse model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2025; 122:e2416214122. [PMID: 39883841 PMCID: PMC11804539 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2416214122] [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: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2025] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is thought to orthogonalize inputs from the entorhinal cortex (pattern separation) and relay this information to the CA3 region. In turn, attractor dynamics in CA3 perform a pattern completion or error correction operation before sending its output to CA1. In a mouse model of congenital hypoplasia of the DG, a deficiency in the Wntless (Wls) gene, specifically in cells expressing Gfap-Cre, which targets neuronal progenitors, led to an almost total absence of dentate granule cells and modestly impaired performance in spatial tasks. Here, we investigated the physiological consequences of granule cell loss in these mice by conducting in vivo calcium imaging from CA1 principal cells during behavior. The spatial selectivity of these cells was preserved without the DG. On a linear track, place fields in mutant mice were more likely to be near track terminals and to encode the distance from the start point in each running direction. In an open box, CA1 cells in mutant mice exhibited reductions in the percentage of place cells, in spatial information, and in place field stability. The reduction in place field stability across repeated exposures to the same environment resulted in a reduction in the differential representations of two different contexts in mutant mice compared to wild-type mice. These results suggest that DG helps to stabilize CA1 spatial representations, especially in 2-D environments, and that the lack of stability across similar environments may play a key role in the deficits of animals with DG dysfunction in discriminating different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Chen
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Ning Cheng
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - James J. Knierim
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
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Long X, Bush D, Deng B, Burgess N, Zhang SJ. Allocentric and egocentric spatial representations coexist in rodent medial entorhinal cortex. Nat Commun 2025; 16:356. [PMID: 39753542 PMCID: PMC11699159 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54699-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 11/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/06/2025] Open
Abstract
Successful navigation relies on reciprocal transformations between spatial representations in world-centered (allocentric) and self-centered (egocentric) frames of reference. The neural basis of allocentric spatial representations has been extensively investigated with grid, border, and head-direction cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) forming key components of a 'cognitive map'. Recently, egocentric spatial representations have also been identified in several brain regions, but evidence for the coexistence of neurons encoding spatial variables in each reference frame within MEC is so far lacking. Here, we report that allocentric and egocentric spatial representations are both present in rodent MEC, with neurons in deeper layers representing the egocentric bearing and distance towards the geometric center and / or boundaries of an environment. These results demonstrate a unity of spatial coding that can guide efficient navigation and suggest that MEC may be one locus of interactions between egocentric and allocentric spatial representations in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Long
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Daniel Bush
- UCL Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK
| | - Bin Deng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Neil Burgess
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Sheng-Jia Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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Arai S, Sypniewski KA, Pavlides C. Differential roles of medial/lateral entorhinal cortex in spatial/object memory and contribution to hippocampal functional neuronal organization. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2025; 217:108015. [PMID: 39689754 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.108015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2024] [Revised: 12/06/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2024] [Indexed: 12/19/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory is subserved by interactions between entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus. Within EC, a functional dissociation has been proposed for medial (MEC) and lateral (LEC) subregions, whereby, MEC processes spatial information while LEC processes information about objects and their location in space. Most of these studies, however, used classical methods which lack both spatial and temporal specificity, thus, the precise role of MEC/LEC in memory could use further clarification. First, we show a possible functional dissociation of MEC/LEC for place/object fear memory, by optogenetic suppression of these areas during memory acquisition. The main output of EC is to the hippocampus. MEC projects mainly towards proximal/superficial CA1 and deep CA3 while LEC towards distal/deep CA1 and superficial CA3. Dentate gyrus (DG), terminations of MEC/LEC are dissociated septotemporally. A functional dissociation has also been proposed for subregions of the hippocampus. Previous studies reported that proximal/distal CA1 process spatial/nonspatial information, respectively. For the second part of the study, we used the immediate-early gene Zif-268 to map neuronal activity in CA1. We first show enhanced Zif-268 expression and cluster-type organization in the proximal CA1 by place exposure and enhanced Zif-268 expression/cluster organization in distal CA1 following object exposure. Second, direct optogenetic stimulation of MEC/LEC, produced a similar enhancement/cluster-type organization in the same areas. Enhanced Zif-268 expression was also observed in CA3 and DG. These results substantiate previous findings and are proof positive that the hippocampus is organized in clusters to encode information generally ascribed to this structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Arai
- Department of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Krzysztof A Sypniewski
- Department of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Constantine Pavlides
- Department of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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10
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Zhou YQ, Puliyadi V, Chen X, Lee JL, Zhang LY, Knierim JJ. Vector coding and place coding in hippocampus share a common directional signal. Nat Commun 2024; 15:10630. [PMID: 39638805 PMCID: PMC11621709 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54935-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 12/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Vector coding is a major mechanism by which neural systems represent an animal's location in both global and local, item-based reference frames. Landmark vector cells (LVCs) in the hippocampus complement classic place cells by encoding vector relationships between the organism and specific landmarks. How these place- and vector-coding properties interact is not known. We recorded place cells and LVCs using calcium imaging of the CA1 region of freely moving rats during cue-card rotation studies. Place fields rotated around the center of the platform to follow the cue rotation, whereas the fields of simultaneously recorded LVCs rotated by the same amount around the nearby landmarks. Some neurons demonstrated conjunctive coding of both classic place field properties and LVC properties. These results demonstrate that CA1 neurons employ a common directional input, presumably provided by the head direction cell system, to encode animals' locations in both world-centered and landmark-centered reference frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Qing Zhou
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Vyash Puliyadi
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Joonhee Leo Lee
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lan-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James J Knierim
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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11
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Wang C, Lee H, Rao G, Knierim JJ. Multiplexing of temporal and spatial information in the lateral entorhinal cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:10533. [PMID: 39627238 PMCID: PMC11615229 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54932-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 12/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory involves the processing of spatial and temporal aspects of personal experiences. The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) plays an essential role in subserving memory. However, the mechanisms by which LEC integrates spatial and temporal information remain elusive. Here, we recorded LEC neurons while male rats performed one-dimensional tasks. Many LEC cells displayed spatial firing fields and demonstrated selectivity for traveling directions. Furthermore, some LEC neurons changed the firing rates of their spatial rate maps during a session (rate remapping). Importantly, this temporal modulation was consistent across sessions, even when the spatial environment was altered. Notably, the strength of temporal modulation was greater in LEC compared to other brain regions, such as the medial entorhinal cortex, CA1, and CA3. Thus, we demonstrate spatial rate mapping in LEC neurons, which may serve as a coding mechanism for temporal context, and allow for flexible multiplexing of spatial and temporal information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Heekyung Lee
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Geeta Rao
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James J Knierim
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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12
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Chen S, Cheng N, Chen X, Wang C. Integration and competition between space and time in the hippocampus. Neuron 2024; 112:3651-3664.e8. [PMID: 39241779 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory is organized in both spatial and temporal contexts. The hippocampus is crucial for episodic memory and has been demonstrated to encode spatial and temporal information. However, how the representations of space and time interact in the hippocampal memory system is still unclear. Here, we recorded the activity of hippocampal CA1 neurons in mice in a variety of one-dimensional navigation tasks while systematically varying the speed of the animals. For all tasks, we found neurons simultaneously represented space and elapsed time. There was a negative correlation between the preferred space and lap duration, e.g., the preferred spatial position shifted more toward the origin when the lap duration became longer. A similar relationship between the preferred time and traveled distance was also observed. The results strongly suggest a competitive and integrated representation of space-time by single hippocampal neurons, which may provide the neural basis for spatiotemporal contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Chen
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ning Cheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Cheng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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13
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Basu J, Nagel K. Neural circuits for goal-directed navigation across species. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:904-917. [PMID: 39393938 PMCID: PMC11563880 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.09.005] [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: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/13/2024]
Abstract
Across species, navigation is crucial for finding both resources and shelter. In vertebrates, the hippocampus supports memory-guided goal-directed navigation, whereas in arthropods the central complex supports similar functions. A growing literature is revealing similarities and differences in the organization and function of these brain regions. We review current knowledge about how each structure supports goal-directed navigation by building internal representations of the position or orientation of an animal in space, and of the location or direction of potential goals. We describe input pathways to each structure - medial and lateral entorhinal cortex in vertebrates, and columnar and tangential neurons in insects - that primarily encode spatial and non-spatial information, respectively. Finally, we highlight similarities and differences in spatial encoding across clades and suggest experimental approaches to compare coding principles and behavioral capabilities across species. Such a comparative approach can provide new insights into the neural basis of spatial navigation and neural computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayeeta Basu
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Katherine Nagel
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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14
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Tozzi F, Guglielmo S, Paraciani C, van den Oever MC, Mainardi M, Cattaneo A, Origlia N. Involvement of a lateral entorhinal cortex engram in episodic-like memory recall. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114795. [PMID: 39325619 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory relies on the entorhinal cortex (EC), a crucial hub connecting the hippocampus and sensory processing regions. This study investigates the role of the lateral EC (LEC) in episodic-like memory in mice. Here, we employ the object-place-context-recognition task (OPCRT), a behavioral test used to study episodic-like memory in rodents. Electrophysiology in brain slices reveals that OPCRT specifically induces a shift in the threshold for the induction of synaptic plasticity in LEC superficial layer II. Additionally, a dual viral system is used to express chemogenetic receptors coupled to the c-Fos promoter in neurons recruited during the learning. We demonstrate that the inhibition of LEC neurons impairs the performance of the mice in the memory task, while their stimulation significantly facilitates memory recall. Our findings provide evidence for an episodic-like memory engram in the LEC and emphasize its role in memory processing within the broader network of episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Tozzi
- BIO@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Guglielmo
- BIO@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Camilla Paraciani
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Michel C van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marco Mainardi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- BIO@SNS Laboratory, Scuola Normale Superiore, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy; European Brain Research Institute Rita Levi-Montalcini, Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64/65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Origlia
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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15
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Lian Y, LaChance PA, Malmberg S, Hasselmo ME, Burkitt AN. Distinct cortical spatial representations learned along disparate visual pathways. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.10.617687. [PMID: 39416183 PMCID: PMC11482955 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.10.617687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Recent experimental studies have discovered diverse spatial properties, such as head direction tuning and egocentric tuning, of neurons in the postrhinal cortex (POR) and revealed how the POR spatial representation is distinct from the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). However, how these spatial properties of POR neurons emerge is unknown, and the cause of distinct cortical spatial representations is also unclear. Here, we build a learning model of POR based on the pathway from the superior colliculus (SC) that has been shown to have motion processing within the visual input. Our designed SC-POR model demonstrates that diverse spatial properties of POR neurons can emerge from a learning process based on visual input that incorporates motion processing. Moreover, combining SC-POR model with our previously proposed V1-RSC model, we show that distinct cortical spatial representations in POR and RSC can be learnt along disparate visual pathways (originating in SC and V1), suggesting that the varying features encoded in different visual pathways contribute to the distinct spatial properties in downstream cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Patrick A. LaChance
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Samantha Malmberg
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Michael E. Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anthony N. Burkitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Graeme Clark Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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16
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Lin ZJ, Gu X, Gong WK, Wang M, Wu YJ, Wang Q, Wu XR, Zhao XY, Zhu MX, Wang LY, Liu Q, Yuan TF, Li WG, Xu TL. Stimulation of an entorhinal-hippocampal extinction circuit facilitates fear extinction in a post-traumatic stress disorder model. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e181095. [PMID: 39316444 PMCID: PMC11563685 DOI: 10.1172/jci181095] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective psychotherapy of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains challenging owing to the fragile nature of fear extinction, for which the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) region is considered as a central hub. However, neither the core pathway nor the cellular mechanisms involved in implementing extinction are known. Here, we unveil a direct pathway, where layer 2a fan cells in the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) target parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs) in the vCA1 region to propel low-gamma-band synchronization of the LEC-vCA1 activity during extinction learning. Bidirectional manipulations of either hippocampal PV-INs or LEC fan cells sufficed for fear extinction. Gamma entrainment of vCA1 by deep brain stimulation (DBS) or noninvasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) of LEC persistently enhanced the PV-IN activity in vCA1, thereby promoting fear extinction. These results demonstrate that the LEC-vCA1 pathway forms a top-down motif to empower low-gamma-band oscillations that facilitate fear extinction. Finally, application of low-gamma DBS and tACS to a mouse model with persistent PTSD showed potent efficacy, suggesting that the dedicated LEC-vCA1 pathway can be stimulated for therapy to remove traumatic memory trace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Jie Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD)
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
| | - Xue Gu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, and
| | - Wan-Kun Gong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mo Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan-Jiao Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD)
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD)
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
| | - Xin-Rong Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD)
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
| | - Xin-Yu Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD)
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
| | - Michael X. Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lu-Yang Wang
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Quanying Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Guang Li
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education–Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children’s Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD)
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China
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17
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Carpenter J, Blackstad JS, Tingley D, Normand VA, Moser EI, Moser MB, Dunn BA. Investigating Egocentric Tuning in Hippocampal CA1 Neurons. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0040242024. [PMID: 39137997 PMCID: PMC11411587 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0040-24.2024] [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: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Navigation requires integrating sensory information with a stable schema to create a dynamic map of an animal's position using egocentric and allocentric coordinate systems. In the hippocampus, place cells encode allocentric space, but their firing rates may also exhibit directional tuning within egocentric or allocentric reference frames. We compared experimental and simulated data to assess the prevalence of tuning to egocentric bearing (EB) among hippocampal cells in rats foraging in an open field. Using established procedures, we confirmed egocentric modulation of place cell activity in recorded data; however, simulated data revealed a high false-positive rate (FPR). When we accounted for false positives by comparing with shuffled data that retain correlations between the animal's direction and position, only a very low number of hippocampal neurons appeared modulated by EB. Our study highlights biases affecting FPRs and provides insights into the challenges of identifying egocentric modulation in hippocampal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Carpenter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Jan Sigurd Blackstad
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - David Tingley
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Valentin A Normand
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Edvard I Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - May-Britt Moser
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Benjamin A Dunn
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
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18
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LaChance PA, Hasselmo ME. Distinct codes for environment structure and symmetry in postrhinal and retrosplenial cortices. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8025. [PMID: 39271679 PMCID: PMC11399390 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52315-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Complex sensory information arrives in the brain from an animal's first-person ('egocentric') perspective. However, animals can efficiently navigate as if referencing map-like ('allocentric') representations. The postrhinal (POR) and retrosplenial (RSC) cortices are thought to mediate between sensory input and internal maps, combining egocentric representations of physical cues with allocentric head direction (HD) information. Here we show that neurons in the POR and RSC of female Long-Evans rats are tuned to distinct but complementary aspects of local space. Egocentric bearing (EB) cells recorded in square and L-shaped environments reveal that RSC cells encode local geometric features, while POR cells encode a more global account of boundary geometry. Additionally, POR HD cells can incorporate egocentric information to fire in two opposite directions with two oppositely placed identical visual landmarks, while only a subset of RSC HD cells possess this property. Entorhinal grid and HD cells exhibit consistently allocentric spatial firing properties. These results reveal significant regional differences in the neural encoding of spatial reference frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A LaChance
- Center for Systems Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael E Hasselmo
- Center for Systems Neuroscience and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Park K, Yeo Y, Shin K, Kwag J. Egocentric neural representation of geometric vertex in the retrosplenial cortex. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7156. [PMID: 39169030 PMCID: PMC11339352 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51391-w] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Egocentric neural representations of environmental features, such as edges and vertices, are important for constructing a geometrically detailed egocentric cognitive map for goal-directed navigation and episodic memory. While egocentric neural representations of edges like egocentric boundary/border cells exist, those that selectively represent vertices egocentrically are yet unknown. Here we report that granular retrosplenial cortex (RSC) neurons in male mice generate spatial receptive fields exclusively near the vertices of environmental geometries during free exploration, termed vertex cells. Their spatial receptive fields occurred at a specific orientation and distance relative to the heading direction of mice, indicating egocentric vector coding of vertex. Removing physical boundaries defining the environmental geometry abolished the egocentric vector coding of vertex, and goal-directed navigation strengthened the egocentric vector coding at the goal-located vertex. Our findings suggest that egocentric vector coding of vertex by granular RSC neurons helps construct an egocentric cognitive map that guides goal-directed navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyerl Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonsoo Yeo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kisung Shin
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeehyun Kwag
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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20
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Ouchi A, Fujisawa S. Predictive grid coding in the medial entorhinal cortex. Science 2024; 385:776-784. [PMID: 39146428 DOI: 10.1126/science.ado4166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The entorhinal cortex represents allocentric spatial geometry and egocentric speed and heading information required for spatial navigation. However, it remains unclear whether it contributes to the prediction of an animal's future location. We discovered grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) that have grid fields representing future locations during goal-directed behavior. These predictive grid cells represented prospective spatial information by shifting their grid fields against the direction of travel. Predictive grid cells discharged at the trough phases of the hippocampal CA1 theta oscillation and, together with other types of grid cells, organized sequences of the trajectory from the current to future positions across each theta cycle. Our results suggest that the MEC provides a predictive map that supports forward planning in spatial navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Ouchi
- Laboratory for Systems Neurophysiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Fujisawa
- Laboratory for Systems Neurophysiology, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
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21
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Gandit B, Posani L, Zhang CL, Saha S, Ortiz C, Allegra M, Schmidt-Hieber C. Transformation of spatial representations along hippocampal circuits. iScience 2024; 27:110361. [PMID: 39071886 PMCID: PMC11277690 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is thought to provide the brain with a cognitive map of the external world by processing various types of spatial information. To understand how essential spatial variables such as direction, position, and distance are transformed along its circuits to construct this global map, we perform single-photon widefield microendoscope calcium imaging in the dentate gyrus and CA3 of mice freely navigating along a narrow corridor. We find that spatial activity maps in the dentate gyrus, but not in CA3, are correlated after aligning them to the running directions, suggesting that they represent the distance traveled along the track in egocentric coordinates. Together with population activity decoding, our data suggest that while spatial representations in the dentate gyrus and CA3 are anchored in both egocentric and allocentric coordinates, egocentric distance coding is more prevalent in the dentate gyrus than in CA3, providing insights into the assembly of the cognitive map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bérénice Gandit
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Lorenzo Posani
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chun-Lei Zhang
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Soham Saha
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Cantin Ortiz
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Manuela Allegra
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Christoph Schmidt-Hieber
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Neural Circuits for Spatial Navigation and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, F-75015 Paris, France
- Institute for Physiology I, Jena University Hospital, 07743 Jena, Germany
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22
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McKissick O, Klimpert N, Ritt JT, Fleischmann A. Odors in space. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1414452. [PMID: 38978957 PMCID: PMC11228174 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1414452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
As an evolutionarily ancient sense, olfaction is key to learning where to find food, shelter, mates, and important landmarks in an animal's environment. Brain circuitry linking odor and navigation appears to be a well conserved multi-region system among mammals; the anterior olfactory nucleus, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex, and hippocampus each represent different aspects of olfactory and spatial information. We review recent advances in our understanding of the neural circuits underlying odor-place associations, highlighting key choices of behavioral task design and neural circuit manipulations for investigating learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia McKissick
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Nell Klimpert
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jason T Ritt
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Alexander Fleischmann
- Department of Neuroscience and Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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23
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O’Hare JK, Wang J, Shala MD, Polleux F, Losonczy A. Variable recruitment of distal tuft dendrites shapes new hippocampal place fields. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582144. [PMID: 38464058 PMCID: PMC10925200 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582144] [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
Hippocampal pyramidal neurons support episodic memory by integrating complementary information streams into new 'place fields'. Distal tuft dendrites are widely thought to initiate place field formation by locally generating prolonged, globally-spreading Ca 2+ spikes known as plateau potentials. However, the hitherto experimental inaccessibility of distal tuft dendrites in the hippocampus has rendered their in vivo function entirely unknown. Here we gained direct optical access to this elusive dendritic compartment. We report that distal tuft dendrites do not serve as the point of origin for place field-forming plateau potentials. Instead, the timing and extent of peri-formation distal tuft recruitment is variable and closely predicts multiple properties of resultant place fields. Therefore, distal tuft dendrites play a more powerful role in hippocampal feature selectivity than simply initiating place field formation. Moreover, place field formation is not accompanied by global Ca 2+ influx as previously thought. In addition to shaping new somatic place fields, distal tuft dendrites possess their own local place fields. Tuft place fields are back-shifted relative to that of their soma and appear to maintain somatic place fields via post-formation plateau potentials. Through direct in vivo observation, we provide a revised dendritic basis for hippocampal feature selectivity during navigational learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K. O’Hare
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
| | - Jamie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC, United States
| | - Margjele D. Shala
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University; New York, NY, United States
- Lead contact
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24
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Franco-Pérez J. Mechanisms Underlying Memory Impairment Induced by Fructose. Neuroscience 2024; 548:27-38. [PMID: 38679409 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Fructose consumption has increased over the years, especially in adolescents living in urban areas. Growing evidence indicates that daily fructose consumption leads to some pathological conditions, including memory impairment. This review summarizes relevant data describing cognitive deficits after fructose intake and analyzes the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Preclinical experiments show sex-related deficits in spatial memory; that is, while males exhibit significant imbalances in spatial processing, females seem unaffected by dietary supplementation with fructose. Recognition memory has also been evaluated; however, only female rodents show a significant decline in the novel object recognition test performance. According to mechanistic evidence, fructose intake induces neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the short term. Subsequently, these mechanisms can trigger other long-term effects, such as inhibition of neurogenesis, downregulation of trophic factors and receptors, weakening of synaptic plasticity, and long-term potentiation decay. Integrating all these neurobiological mechanisms will help us understand the cellular and molecular processes that trigger the memory impairment induced by fructose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Franco-Pérez
- Laboratorio Patología Vascular Cerebral, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Insurgentes Sur 3877, Col. La Fama, C.P. 14269, CDMX, México, Mexico.
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25
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Neupane S, Fiete I, Jazayeri M. Mental navigation in the primate entorhinal cortex. Nature 2024; 630:704-711. [PMID: 38867051 PMCID: PMC11224022 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07557-z] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
A cognitive map is a suitably structured representation that enables novel computations using previous experience; for example, planning a new route in a familiar space1. Work in mammals has found direct evidence for such representations in the presence of exogenous sensory inputs in both spatial2,3 and non-spatial domains4-10. Here we tested a foundational postulate of the original cognitive map theory1,11: that cognitive maps support endogenous computations without external input. We recorded from the entorhinal cortex of monkeys in a mental navigation task that required the monkeys to use a joystick to produce one-dimensional vectors between pairs of visual landmarks without seeing the intermediate landmarks. The ability of the monkeys to perform the task and generalize to new pairs indicated that they relied on a structured representation of the landmarks. Task-modulated neurons exhibited periodicity and ramping that matched the temporal structure of the landmarks and showed signatures of continuous attractor networks12,13. A continuous attractor network model of path integration14 augmented with a Hebbian-like learning mechanism provided an explanation of how the system could endogenously recall landmarks. The model also made an unexpected prediction that endogenous landmarks transiently slow path integration, reset the dynamics and thereby reduce variability. This prediction was borne out in a reanalysis of firing rate variability and behaviour. Our findings link the structured patterns of activity in the entorhinal cortex to the endogenous recruitment of a cognitive map during mental navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujaya Neupane
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ila Fiete
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mehrdad Jazayeri
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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26
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Choudhary K, Berberich S, Hahn TTG, McFarland JM, Mehta MR. Spontaneous persistent activity and inactivity in vivo reveals differential cortico-entorhinal functional connectivity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3542. [PMID: 38719802 PMCID: PMC11079062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47617-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the functional connectivity between brain regions and its emergent dynamics is a central challenge. Here we present a theory-experiment hybrid approach involving iteration between a minimal computational model and in vivo electrophysiological measurements. Our model not only predicted spontaneous persistent activity (SPA) during Up-Down-State oscillations, but also inactivity (SPI), which has never been reported. These were confirmed in vivo in the membrane potential of neurons, especially from layer 3 of the medial and lateral entorhinal cortices. The data was then used to constrain two free parameters, yielding a unique, experimentally determined model for each neuron. Analytic and computational analysis of the model generated a dozen quantitative predictions about network dynamics, which were all confirmed in vivo to high accuracy. Our technique predicted functional connectivity; e. g. the recurrent excitation is stronger in the medial than lateral entorhinal cortex. This too was confirmed with connectomics data. This technique uncovers how differential cortico-entorhinal dialogue generates SPA and SPI, which could form an energetically efficient working-memory substrate and influence the consolidation of memories during sleep. More broadly, our procedure can reveal the functional connectivity of large networks and a theory of their emergent dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Choudhary
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- HRL Laboratories, Malibu, CA, USA
| | - Sven Berberich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Mayank R Mehta
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- W. M. Keck Center for Neurophysics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Zhang X, Cao Q, Gao K, Chen C, Cheng S, Li A, Zhou Y, Liu R, Hao J, Kropff E, Miao C. Multiplexed representation of others in the hippocampal CA1 subfield of female mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3702. [PMID: 38697969 PMCID: PMC11065873 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47453-8] [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: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal place cells represent the position of a rodent within an environment. In addition, recent experiments show that the CA1 subfield of a passive observer also represents the position of a conspecific performing a spatial task. However, whether this representation is allocentric, egocentric or mixed is less clear. In this study we investigated the representation of others during free behavior and in a task where female mice learned to follow a conspecific for a reward. We found that most cells represent the position of others relative to self-position (social-vector cells) rather than to the environment, with a prevalence of purely egocentric coding modulated by context and mouse identity. Learning of a pursuit task improved the tuning of social-vector cells, but their number remained invariant. Collectively, our results suggest that the hippocampus flexibly codes the position of others in multiple coordinate systems, albeit favoring the self as a reference point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhang
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Qichen Cao
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Kai Gao
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Cong Chen
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Sihui Cheng
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ang Li
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yuqian Zhou
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ruojin Liu
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jun Hao
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Emilio Kropff
- Leloir Institute/IIBBA-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Chenglin Miao
- State key laboratory of Membrane biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking university, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR), Beijing, China.
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28
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Chen X, Wei Z, Wolbers T. Repetition Suppression Reveals Cue-Specific Spatial Representations for Landmarks and Self-Motion Cues in the Human Retrosplenial Cortex. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0294-23.2024. [PMID: 38519127 PMCID: PMC11007318 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0294-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The efficient use of various spatial cues within a setting is crucial for successful navigation. Two fundamental forms of spatial navigation, landmark-based and self-motion-based, engage distinct cognitive mechanisms. The question of whether these modes invoke shared or separate spatial representations in the brain remains unresolved. While nonhuman animal studies have yielded inconsistent results, human investigation is limited. In our previous work (Chen et al., 2019), we introduced a novel spatial navigation paradigm utilizing ultra-high field fMRI to explore neural coding of positional information. We found that different entorhinal subregions in the right hemisphere encode positional information for landmarks and self-motion cues. The present study tested the generalizability of our previous finding with a modified navigation paradigm. Although we did not replicate our previous finding in the entorhinal cortex, we identified adaptation-based allocentric positional codes for both cue types in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), which were not confounded by the path to the spatial location. Crucially, the multi-voxel patterns of these spatial codes differed between the cue types, suggesting cue-specific positional coding. The parahippocampal cortex exhibited positional coding for self-motion cues, which was not dissociable from path length. Finally, the brain regions involved in successful navigation differed from our previous study, indicating overall distinct neural mechanisms recruited in our two studies. Taken together, the current findings demonstrate cue-specific allocentric positional coding in the human RSC in the same navigation task for the first time and that spatial representations in the brain are contingent on specific experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P.R. China
| | - Ziwei Wei
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, P.R. China
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg 39106, Germany
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29
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Kaufhold D, Maristany de Las Casas E, Ocaña-Fernández MDÁ, Cazala A, Yuan M, Kulik A, Cholvin T, Steup S, Sauer JF, Eyre MD, Elgueta C, Strüber M, Bartos M. Spine plasticity of dentate gyrus parvalbumin-positive interneurons is regulated by experience. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113806. [PMID: 38377001 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Experience-driven alterations in neuronal activity are followed by structural-functional modifications allowing cells to adapt to these activity changes. Structural plasticity has been observed for cortical principal cells. However, how GABAergic interneurons respond to experience-dependent network activity changes is not well understood. We show that parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PVIs) of the dentate gyrus (DG) possess dendritic spines, which undergo behaviorally induced structural dynamics. Glutamatergic inputs at PVI spines evoke signals with high spatial compartmentalization defined by neck length. Mice experiencing novel contexts form more PVI spines with elongated necks and exhibit enhanced network and PVI activity and cFOS expression. Enhanced green fluorescent protein reconstitution across synaptic partner-mediated synapse labeling shows that experience-driven PVI spine growth boosts targeting of PVI spines over shafts by glutamatergic synapses. Our findings propose a role for PVI spine dynamics in regulating PVI excitation by their inputs, which may allow PVIs to dynamically adjust their functional integration in the DG microcircuitry in relation to network computational demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorthe Kaufhold
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Aurore Cazala
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mei Yuan
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Akos Kulik
- Institute of Physiology II, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS Centre for Biological Signaling Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thibault Cholvin
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Steup
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mark D Eyre
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Claudio Elgueta
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Strüber
- Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Goethe University, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute of Physiology I, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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30
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Hardcastle VG. Entangled brains and the experience of pains. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1359687. [PMID: 38558784 PMCID: PMC10978612 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1359687] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) revised its definition of pain to "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience." Three recent recommendations for understanding pain if there are no clear brain correlates include eliminativism, multiple realizability, and affordance-based approaches. I adumbrate a different path forward. Underlying each of the proposed approaches and the new IASP definition is the suspicion that there are no specific correlates for pain. I suggest that this basic assumption is misguided. As we learn more about brain function, it is becoming clear that many areas process many different types of information at the same time. In this study, I analogize how animal brains navigate in three-dimensional space with how the brain creates pain. Underlying both cases is a large-scale combinatorial system that feeds back on itself through a diversity of convergent and divergent bi-directional connections. Brains are not like combustion engines, with energy driving outputs via the structure of the machine, but are instead more like whirlpools, which are essentially dynamic patterns in some substrates. We should understand pain experiences as context-dependent, spatiotemporal trajectories that reflect heterogeneous, multiplex, and dynamically adaptive brain cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Gray Hardcastle
- Institute of Health Innovation, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY, United States
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31
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LaChance PA, Taube JS. The Anterior Thalamus Preferentially Drives Allocentric But Not Egocentric Orientation Tuning in Postrhinal Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0861232024. [PMID: 38286624 PMCID: PMC10919204 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0861-23.2024] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Navigating a complex world requires integration of multiple spatial reference frames, including information about one's orientation in both allocentric and egocentric coordinates. Combining these two information sources can provide additional information about one's spatial location. Previous studies have demonstrated that both egocentric and allocentric spatial signals are reflected by the firing of neurons in the rat postrhinal cortex (POR), an area that may serve as a hub for integrating allocentric head direction (HD) cell information with egocentric information from center-bearing and center-distance cells. However, we have also demonstrated that POR HD cells are uniquely influenced by the visual properties and locations of visual landmarks, bringing into question whether the POR HD signal is truly allocentric as opposed to simply being a response to visual stimuli. To investigate this issue, we recorded HD cells from the POR of female rats while bilaterally inactivating the anterior thalamus (ATN), a region critical for expression of the "classic" HD signal in cortical areas. We found that ATN inactivation led to a significant decrease in both firing rate and tuning strength for POR HD cells, as well as a disruption in the encoding of allocentric location by conjunctive HD/egocentric cells. In contrast, POR egocentric cells without HD tuning were largely unaffected in a consistent manner by ATN inactivation. These results indicate that the POR HD signal originates at least partially from projections from the ATN and supports the view that the POR acts as a hub for the integration of egocentric and allocentric spatial representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A LaChance
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Jeffrey S Taube
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
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32
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Jeffery KJ. The mosaic structure of the mammalian cognitive map. Learn Behav 2024; 52:19-34. [PMID: 38231426 PMCID: PMC10923978 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00618-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The cognitive map, proposed by Tolman in the 1940s, is a hypothetical internal representation of space constructed by the brain to enable an animal to undertake flexible spatial behaviors such as navigation. The subsequent discovery of place cells in the hippocampus of rats suggested that such a map-like representation does exist, and also provided a tool with which to explore its properties. Single-neuron studies in rodents conducted in small singular spaces have suggested that the map is founded on a metric framework, preserving distances and directions in an abstract representational format. An open question is whether this metric structure pertains over extended, often complexly structured real-world space. The data reviewed here suggest that this is not the case. The emerging picture is that instead of being a single, unified construct, the map is a mosaic of fragments that are heterogeneous, variably metric, multiply scaled, and sometimes laid on top of each other. Important organizing factors within and between fragments include boundaries, context, compass direction, and gravity. The map functions not to provide a comprehensive and precise rendering of the environment but rather to support adaptive behavior, tailored to the species and situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate J Jeffery
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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33
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Issa JB, Radvansky BA, Xuan F, Dombeck DA. Lateral entorhinal cortex subpopulations represent experiential epochs surrounding reward. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:536-546. [PMID: 38272968 PMCID: PMC11097142 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01557-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
During goal-directed navigation, 'what' information, describing the experiences occurring in periods surrounding a reward, can be combined with spatial 'where' information to guide behavior and form episodic memories. This integrative process likely occurs in the hippocampus, which receives spatial information from the medial entorhinal cortex; however, the source of the 'what' information is largely unknown. Here, we show that mouse lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) represents key experiential epochs during reward-based navigation tasks. We discover separate populations of neurons that signal goal approach and goal departure and a third population signaling reward consumption. When reward location is moved, these populations immediately shift their respective representations of each experiential epoch relative to reward, while optogenetic inhibition of LEC disrupts learning the new reward location. Therefore, the LEC contains a stable code of experiential epochs surrounding and including reward consumption, providing reward-centric information to contextualize the spatial information carried by the medial entorhinal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B Issa
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Brad A Radvansky
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Feng Xuan
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Daniel A Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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34
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Sun Y, Nitz DA, Xu X, Giocomo LM. Subicular neurons encode concave and convex geometries. Nature 2024; 627:821-829. [PMID: 38448584 PMCID: PMC10972755 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07139-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Animals in the natural world constantly encounter geometrically complex landscapes. Successful navigation requires that they understand geometric features of these landscapes, including boundaries, landmarks, corners and curved areas, all of which collectively define the geometry of the environment1-12. Crucial to the reconstruction of the geometric layout of natural environments are concave and convex features, such as corners and protrusions. However, the neural substrates that could underlie the perception of concavity and convexity in the environment remain elusive. Here we show that the dorsal subiculum contains neurons that encode corners across environmental geometries in an allocentric reference frame. Using longitudinal calcium imaging in freely behaving mice, we find that corner cells tune their activity to reflect the geometric properties of corners, including corner angles, wall height and the degree of wall intersection. A separate population of subicular neurons encode convex corners of both larger environments and discrete objects. Both corner cells are non-overlapping with the population of subicular neurons that encode environmental boundaries. Furthermore, corner cells that encode concave or convex corners generalize their activity such that they respond, respectively, to concave or convex curvatures within an environment. Together, our findings suggest that the subiculum contains the geometric information needed to reconstruct the shape and layout of naturalistic spatial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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35
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Cheng N, Dong Q, Zhang Z, Wang L, Chen X, Wang C. Egocentric processing of items in spines, dendrites, and somas in the retrosplenial cortex. Neuron 2024; 112:646-660.e8. [PMID: 38101396 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Egocentric representations of external items are essential for spatial navigation and memory. Here, we explored the neural mechanisms underlying egocentric processing in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a pivotal area for memory and navigation. Using one-photon and two-photon calcium imaging, we identified egocentric tuning for environment boundaries in dendrites, spines, and somas of RSC neurons (egocentric boundary cells) in the open-field task. Dendrites with egocentric tuning tended to have similarly tuned spines. We further identified egocentric neurons representing landmarks in a virtual navigation task or remembered cue location in a goal-oriented task, respectively. These neurons formed an independent population with egocentric boundary cells, suggesting that dedicated neurons with microscopic clustering of functional inputs shaped egocentric boundary processing in RSC and that RSC adopted a labeled line code with distinct classes of egocentric neurons responsible for representing different items in specific behavioral contexts, which could lead to efficient and flexible computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Cheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qiqi Dong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Li Wang
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Cheng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology, Shanghai, China.
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36
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Sosa M, Plitt MH, Giocomo LM. Hippocampal sequences span experience relative to rewards. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.27.573490. [PMID: 38234842 PMCID: PMC10793396 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Hippocampal place cells fire in sequences that span spatial environments and non-spatial modalities, suggesting that hippocampal activity can anchor to the most behaviorally salient aspects of experience. As reward is a highly salient event, we hypothesized that sequences of hippocampal activity can anchor to rewards. To test this, we performed two-photon imaging of hippocampal CA1 neurons as mice navigated virtual environments with changing hidden reward locations. When the reward moved, the firing fields of a subpopulation of cells moved to the same relative position with respect to reward, constructing a sequence of reward-relative cells that spanned the entire task structure. The density of these reward-relative sequences increased with task experience as additional neurons were recruited to the reward-relative population. Conversely, a largely separate subpopulation maintained a spatially-based place code. These findings thus reveal separate hippocampal ensembles can flexibly encode multiple behaviorally salient reference frames, reflecting the structure of the experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielena Sosa
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mark H. Plitt
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
- Present address: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley; Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M. Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA
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Chen Y, Branch A, Shuai C, Gallagher M, Knierim JJ. Object-place-context learning impairment correlates with spatial learning impairment in aged Long-Evans rats. Hippocampus 2024; 34:88-99. [PMID: 38073523 PMCID: PMC10843702 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23591] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The hippocampal formation is vulnerable to the process of normal aging. In humans, the extent of this age-related deterioration varies among individuals. Long-Evans rats replicate these individual differences as they age, and therefore they serve as a valuable model system to study aging in the absence of neurodegenerative diseases. In the Morris water maze, aged memory-unimpaired (AU) rats navigate to remembered goal locations as effectively as young rats and demonstrate minimal alterations in physiological markers of synaptic plasticity, whereas aged memory-impaired (AI) rats show impairments in both spatial navigation skills and cellular and molecular markers of plasticity. The present study investigates whether another cognitive domain is affected similarly to navigation in aged Long-Evans rats. We tested the ability of young, AU, and AI animals to recognize novel object-place-context (OPC) configurations and found that performance on the novel OPC recognition paradigm was significantly correlated with performance on the Morris water maze. In the first OPC test, young and AU rats, but not AI rats, successfully recognized and preferentially explored objects in novel OPC configurations. In a second test with new OPC configurations, all age groups showed similar OPC associative recognition memory. The results demonstrated similarities in the behavioral expression of associative, episodic-like memory between young and AU rats and revealed age-related, individual differences in functional decline in both navigation and episodic-like memory abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Chen
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Audrey Branch
- Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Cecelia Shuai
- Undergraduate Studies, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michela Gallagher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - James J Knierim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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38
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Wang C, Lee H, Rao G, Knierim JJ. Multiplexing of temporal and spatial information in the lateral entorhinal cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578307. [PMID: 38352543 PMCID: PMC10862918 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory involves the processing of spatial and temporal aspects of personal experiences. The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) plays an essential role in subserving memory. However, the specific mechanism by which LEC integrates spatial and temporal information remains elusive. Here, we recorded LEC neurons while rats performed foraging and shuttling behaviors on one-dimensional, linear or circular tracks. Unlike open-field foraging tasks, many LEC cells displayed spatial firing fields in these tasks and demonstrated selectivity for traveling directions. Furthermore, some LEC neurons displayed changes in the firing rates of their spatial rate maps during a session, a phenomenon referred to as rate remapping. Importantly, this temporal modulation was consistent across sessions, even when the spatial environment was altered. Notably, the strength of temporal modulation was found to be greater in LEC compared to other brain regions, such as the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), CA1, and CA3. Thus, the spatial rate mapping observed in LEC neurons may serve as a coding mechanism for temporal context, allowing for flexible multiplexing of spatial and temporal information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Heekyung Lee
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Geeta Rao
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - James J. Knierim
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Lead contact
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Mussells Pires P, Zhang L, Parache V, Abbott LF, Maimon G. Converting an allocentric goal into an egocentric steering signal. Nature 2024; 626:808-818. [PMID: 38326612 PMCID: PMC10881393 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-07006-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Neuronal signals that are relevant for spatial navigation have been described in many species1-10. However, a circuit-level understanding of how such signals interact to guide navigational behaviour is lacking. Here we characterize a neuronal circuit in the Drosophila central complex that compares internally generated estimates of the heading and goal angles of the fly-both of which are encoded in world-centred (allocentric) coordinates-to generate a body-centred (egocentric) steering signal. Past work has suggested that the activity of EPG neurons represents the fly's moment-to-moment angular orientation, or heading angle, during navigation2,11. An animal's moment-to-moment heading angle, however, is not always aligned with its goal angle-that is, the allocentric direction in which it wishes to progress forward. We describe FC2 cells12, a second set of neurons in the Drosophila brain with activity that correlates with the fly's goal angle. Focal optogenetic activation of FC2 neurons induces flies to orient along experimenter-defined directions as they walk forward. EPG and FC2 neurons connect monosynaptically to a third neuronal class, PFL3 cells12,13. We found that individual PFL3 cells show conjunctive, spike-rate tuning to both the heading angle and the goal angle during goal-directed navigation. Informed by the anatomy and physiology of these three cell classes, we develop a model that explains how this circuit compares allocentric heading and goal angles to build an egocentric steering signal in the PFL3 output terminals. Quantitative analyses and optogenetic manipulations of PFL3 activity support the model. Finally, using a new navigational memory task, we show that flies expressing disruptors of synaptic transmission in subsets of PFL3 cells have a reduced ability to orient along arbitrary goal directions, with an effect size in quantitative accordance with the prediction of our model. The biological circuit described here reveals how two population-level allocentric signals are compared in the brain to produce an egocentric output signal that is appropriate for motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mussells Pires
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lingwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Parache
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - L F Abbott
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gaby Maimon
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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40
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Aoun A, Shetler O, Raghuraman R, Rodriguez GA, Hussaini SA. Beyond correlation: optimal transport metrics for characterizing representational stability and remapping in neurons encoding spatial memory. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1273283. [PMID: 38303974 PMCID: PMC10831886 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1273283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Spatial representations in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus (HPC) are fundamental to cognitive functions like navigation and memory. These representations, embodied in spatial field maps, dynamically remap in response to environmental changes. However, current methods, such as Pearson's correlation coefficient, struggle to capture the complexity of these remapping events, especially when fields do not overlap, or transformations are non-linear. This limitation hinders our understanding and quantification of remapping, a key aspect of spatial memory function. Methods We propose a family of metrics based on the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) as a versatile framework for characterizing remapping. Results The EMD provides a granular, noise-resistant, and rate-robust description of remapping. This approach enables the identification of specific cell types and the characterization of remapping in various scenarios, including disease models. Furthermore, the EMD's properties can be manipulated to identify spatially tuned cell types and to explore remapping as it relates to alternate information forms such as spatiotemporal coding. Discussion We present a feasible, lightweight approach that complements traditional methods. Our findings underscore the potential of the EMD as a powerful tool for enhancing our understanding of remapping in the brain and its implications for spatial navigation, memory studies and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Aoun
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Oliver Shetler
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Radha Raghuraman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gustavo A. Rodriguez
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - S. Abid Hussaini
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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41
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Bowler JC, Losonczy A. Direct cortical inputs to hippocampal area CA1 transmit complementary signals for goal-directed navigation. Neuron 2023; 111:4071-4085.e6. [PMID: 37816349 PMCID: PMC11490304 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
The subregions of the entorhinal cortex (EC) are conventionally thought to compute dichotomous representations for spatial processing, with the medial EC (MEC) providing a global spatial map and the lateral EC (LEC) encoding specific sensory details of experience. Yet, little is known about the specific types of information EC transmits downstream to the hippocampus. Here, we exploit in vivo sub-cellular imaging to record from EC axons in CA1 while mice perform navigational tasks in virtual reality (VR). We uncover distinct yet overlapping representations of task, location, and context in both MEC and LEC axons. MEC transmitted highly location- and context-specific codes; LEC inputs were biased by ongoing navigational goals. However, during tasks with reliable reward locations, the animals' position could be accurately decoded from either subregion. Our results revise the prevailing dogma about EC information processing, revealing novel ways spatial and non-spatial information is routed and combined upstream of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Bowler
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Attila Losonczy
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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42
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Viganò S, Bayramova R, Doeller CF, Bottini R. Mental search of concepts is supported by egocentric vector representations and restructured grid maps. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8132. [PMID: 38065931 PMCID: PMC10709434 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43831-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The human hippocampal-entorhinal system is known to represent both spatial locations and abstract concepts in memory in the form of allocentric cognitive maps. Using fMRI, we show that the human parietal cortex evokes complementary egocentric representations in conceptual spaces during goal-directed mental search, akin to those observable during physical navigation to determine where a goal is located relative to oneself (e.g., to our left or to our right). Concurrently, the strength of the grid-like signal, a neural signature of allocentric cognitive maps in entorhinal, prefrontal, and parietal cortices, is modulated as a function of goal proximity in conceptual space. These brain mechanisms might support flexible and parallel readout of where target conceptual information is stored in memory, capitalizing on complementary reference frames.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Viganò
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - Rena Bayramova
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian F Doeller
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, The Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's Disease, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roberto Bottini
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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43
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Aoun A, Shetler O, Raghuraman R, Rodriguez GA, Hussaini SA. Beyond Correlation: Optimal Transport Metrics For Characterizing Representational Stability and Remapping in Neurons Encoding Spatial Memory. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.11.548592. [PMID: 37503011 PMCID: PMC10369988 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.11.548592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Spatial representations in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus (HPC) are fundamental to cognitive functions like navigation and memory. These representations, embodied in spatial field maps, dynamically remap in response to environmental changes. However, current methods, such as Pearson's correlation coefficient, struggle to capture the complexity of these remapping events, especially when fields do not overlap, or transformations are non-linear. This limitation hinders our understanding and quantification of remapping, a key aspect of spatial memory function. To address this, we propose a family of metrics based on the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) as a versatile framework for characterizing remapping. Applied to both normalized and unnormalized distributions, the EMD provides a granular, noise-resistant, and rate-robust description of remapping. This approach enables the identification of specific cell types and the characterization of remapping in various scenarios, including disease models. Furthermore, the EMD's properties can be manipulated to identify spatially tuned cell types and to explore remapping as it relates to alternate information forms such as spatiotemporal coding. By employing approximations of the EMD, we present a feasible, lightweight approach that complements traditional methods. Our findings underscore the potential of the EMD as a powerful tool for enhancing our understanding of remapping in the brain and its implications for spatial navigation, memory studies and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Aoun
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Co-first author
| | - Oliver Shetler
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Co-first author
| | - Radha Raghuraman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Gustavo A. Rodriguez
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - S. Abid Hussaini
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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44
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Tse D, Privitera L, Norton AC, Gobbo F, Spooner P, Takeuchi T, Martin SJ, Morris RGM. Cell-type-specific optogenetic stimulation of the locus coeruleus induces slow-onset potentiation and enhances everyday memory in rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307275120. [PMID: 37931094 PMCID: PMC10655220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307275120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory formation is typically divided into phases associated with encoding, storage, consolidation, and retrieval. The neural determinants of these phases are thought to differ. This study first investigated the impact of the experience of novelty in rats incurred at a different time, before or after, the precise moment of memory encoding. Memory retention was enhanced. Optogenetic activation of the locus coeruleus mimicked this enhancement induced by novelty, both when given before and after the moment of encoding. Optogenetic activation of the locus coeruleus also induced a slow-onset potentiation of field potentials in area CA1 of the hippocampus evoked by CA3 stimulation. Despite the locus coeruleus being considered a primarily noradrenergic area, both effects of such stimulation were blocked by the dopamine D1/D5 receptor antagonist SCH 23390. These findings substantiate and enrich the evidence implicating the locus coeruleus in cellular aspects of memory consolidation in hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Tse
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, OmskirkL39 4QP, United Kingdom
| | - Lucia Privitera
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
- School of Systems Medicine, University of Dundee, DundeeDD1 4HN, United Kingdom
- Barts and the London School of Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences Education, Queen Mary University of London Malta Campus, VictoriaVCT 2570, Malta
| | - Anna C. Norton
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Gobbo
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Spooner
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
| | - Tomonori Takeuchi
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Nordic-European Molecular Biology Laboratory Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory, Danish National Research Foundation, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
| | - Stephen J. Martin
- School of Systems Medicine, University of Dundee, DundeeDD1 4HN, United Kingdom
| | - Richard G. M. Morris
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, EdinburghEH8 9JZ, United Kingdom
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45
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Robert V, O'Neil K, Rashid SK, Johnson CD, De La Torre RG, Zemelman BV, Clopath C, Basu J. Entorhinal cortex glutamatergic and GABAergic projections bidirectionally control discrimination and generalization of hippocampal representations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.08.566107. [PMID: 37986793 PMCID: PMC10659280 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Discrimination and generalization are crucial brain-wide functions for memory and object recognition that utilize pattern separation and completion computations. Circuit mechanisms supporting these operations remain enigmatic. We show lateral entorhinal cortex glutamatergic (LEC GLU ) and GABAergic (LEC GABA ) projections are essential for object recognition memory. Silencing LEC GLU during in vivo two-photon imaging increased the population of active CA3 pyramidal cells but decreased activity rates, suggesting a sparse coding function through local inhibition. Silencing LEC GLU also decreased place cell remapping between different environments validating this circuit drives pattern separation and context discrimination. Optogenetic circuit mapping confirmed that LEC GLU drives dominant feedforward inhibition to prevent CA3 somatic and dendritic spikes. However, conjunctively active LEC GABA suppresses this local inhibition to disinhibit CA3 pyramidal neuron soma and selectively boost integrative output of LEC and CA3 recurrent network. LEC GABA thus promotes pattern completion and context generalization. Indeed, without this disinhibitory input, CA3 place maps show decreased similarity between contexts. Our findings provide circuit mechanisms whereby long-range glutamatergic and GABAergic cortico-hippocampal inputs bidirectionally modulate pattern separation and completion, providing neuronal representations with a dynamic range for context discrimination and generalization.
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46
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Lai C, Tanaka S, Harris TD, Lee AK. Volitional activation of remote place representations with a hippocampal brain-machine interface. Science 2023; 382:566-573. [PMID: 37917713 PMCID: PMC10683874 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh5206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus is critical for recollecting and imagining experiences. This is believed to involve voluntarily drawing from hippocampal memory representations of people, events, and places, including maplike representations of familiar environments. However, whether representations in such "cognitive maps" can be volitionally accessed is unknown. We developed a brain-machine interface to test whether rats can do so by controlling their hippocampal activity in a flexible, goal-directed, and model-based manner. We found that rats can efficiently navigate or direct objects to arbitrary goal locations within a virtual reality arena solely by activating and sustaining appropriate hippocampal representations of remote places. This provides insight into the mechanisms underlying episodic memory recall, mental simulation and planning, and imagination and opens up possibilities for high-level neural prosthetics that use hippocampal representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongxi Lai
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
| | - Shinsuke Tanaka
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
| | - Timothy D. Harris
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
| | - Albert K. Lee
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, Virginia, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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47
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Liu P, Gao C, Wu J, Wu T, Zhang Y, Liu C, Sun C, Li A. Negative valence encoding in the lateral entorhinal cortex during aversive olfactory learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113204. [PMID: 37804511 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfactory learning is widely regarded as a substrate for animal survival. The exact brain areas involved in olfactory learning and how they function at various stages during learning remain elusive. Here, we investigate the role of the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) and the posterior piriform cortex (PPC), two important olfactory areas, in aversive olfactory learning. We find that the LEC is involved in the acquisition of negative odor value during olfactory fear conditioning, whereas the PPC is involved in the memory-retrieval phase. Furthermore, inhibition of LEC CaMKIIα+ neurons affects fear encoding, fear memory recall, and PPC responses to a conditioned odor. These findings provide direct evidence for the involvement of LEC CaMKIIα+ neurons in negative valence encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penglai Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Cheng Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Tingting Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Changyu Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Changcheng Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China.
| | - Anan Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China.
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48
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Chen YN, Kostka JK, Bitzenhofer SH, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Olfactory bulb activity shapes the development of entorhinal-hippocampal coupling and associated cognitive abilities. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4353-4366.e5. [PMID: 37729915 PMCID: PMC10617757 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The interplay between olfaction and higher cognitive processing has been documented in the adult brain; however, its development is poorly understood. In mice, shortly after birth, endogenous and stimulus-evoked activity in the olfactory bulb (OB) boosts the oscillatory entrainment of downstream lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) and hippocampus (HP). However, it is unclear whether early OB activity has a long-lasting impact on entorhinal-hippocampal function and cognitive processing. Here, we chemogenetically silenced the synaptic outputs of mitral/tufted cells, the main projection neurons in the OB, during postnatal days 8-10. The transient manipulation leads to a long-lasting reduction of oscillatory coupling and weaker responsiveness to stimuli within developing entorhinal-hippocampal circuits accompanied by dendritic sparsification of LEC pyramidal neurons. Moreover, the transient silencing reduces the performance in behavioral tests involving entorhinal-hippocampal circuits later in life. Thus, neonatal OB activity is critical for the functional LEC-HP development and maturation of cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Nan Chen
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center of Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johanna K Kostka
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center of Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian H Bitzenhofer
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center of Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center of Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.
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49
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Issa JB, Radvansky BA, Xuan F, Dombeck DA. Lateral entorhinal cortex subpopulations represent experiential epochs surrounding reward. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.09.561557. [PMID: 37873482 PMCID: PMC10592707 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.09.561557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
During goal-directed navigation, "what" information, which describes the experiences occurring in periods surrounding a reward, can be combined with spatial "where" information to guide behavior and form episodic memories1,2. This integrative process is thought to occur in the hippocampus3, which receives spatial information from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC)4; however, the source of the "what" information and how it is represented is largely unknown. Here, by establishing a novel imaging method, we show that the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) of mice represents key experiential epochs during a reward-based navigation task. We discover a population of neurons that signals goal approach and a separate population of neurons that signals goal departure. A third population of neurons signals reward consumption. When reward location is moved, these populations immediately shift their respective representations of each experiential epoch relative to reward, while optogenetic inhibition of LEC disrupts learning of the new reward location. Together, these results indicate the LEC provides a stable code of experiential epochs surrounding and including reward consumption, providing reward-centric information to contextualize the spatial information carried by the MEC. Such parallel representations are well-suited for generating episodic memories of rewarding experiences and guiding flexible and efficient goal-directed navigation5-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B. Issa
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60608, USA
| | - Brad A. Radvansky
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60608, USA
| | - Feng Xuan
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60608, USA
| | - Daniel A. Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60608, USA
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50
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Huang X, Schlesiger MI, Barriuso-Ortega I, Leibold C, MacLaren DAA, Bieber N, Monyer H. Distinct spatial maps and multiple object codes in the lateral entorhinal cortex. Neuron 2023; 111:3068-3083.e7. [PMID: 37478849 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) is a major cortical input area to the hippocampus, and it is crucial for associative object-place-context memories. An unresolved question is whether these associations are performed exclusively in the hippocampus or also upstream of it. Anatomical evidence suggests that the LEC processes both object and spatial information. We describe here a gradient of spatial selectivity along the antero-posterior axis of the LEC. We demonstrate that the LEC generates distinct spatial maps for different contexts that are independent of object coding and vice versa, thus providing evidence for pure spatial and pure object codes upstream of the hippocampus. While space and object coding occur by and large separately in the LEC, we identified neurons that encode for space and objects conjunctively. Together, these findings point to a scenario in which the LEC sustains both distinct space and object coding and associative space-object coding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Huang
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magdalene Isabell Schlesiger
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Isabel Barriuso-Ortega
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Institute Biology III & Bernstein Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Duncan Archibald Allan MacLaren
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nina Bieber
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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