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Straight PJ, Gignac PM, Kuenzel WJ. A histological and diceCT-derived 3D reconstruction of the avian visual thalamofugal pathway. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8447. [PMID: 38600121 PMCID: PMC11006926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58788-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amniotes feature two principal visual processing systems: the tectofugal and thalamofugal pathways. In most mammals, the thalamofugal pathway predominates, routing retinal afferents through the dorsolateral geniculate complex to the visual cortex. In most birds, the thalamofugal pathway often plays the lesser role with retinal afferents projecting to the principal optic thalami, a complex of several nuclei that resides in the dorsal thalamus. This thalamic complex sends projections to a forebrain structure called the Wulst, the terminus of the thalamofugal visual system. The thalamofugal pathway in birds serves many functions such as pattern discrimination, spatial memory, and navigation/migration. A comprehensive analysis of avian species has unveiled diverse subdivisions within the thalamic and forebrain structures, contingent on species, age, and techniques utilized. In this study, we documented the thalamofugal system in three dimensions by integrating histological and contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging of the avian brain. Sections of two-week-old chick brains were cut in either coronal, sagittal, or horizontal planes and stained with Nissl and either Gallyas silver or Luxol Fast Blue. The thalamic principal optic complex and pallial Wulst were subdivided on the basis of cell and fiber density. Additionally, we utilized the technique of diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) on a 5-week-old chick brain, and right eyeball. By merging diceCT data, stained histological sections, and information from the existing literature, a comprehensive three-dimensional model of the avian thalamofugal pathway was constructed. The use of a 3D model provides a clearer understanding of the structural and spatial organization of the thalamofugal system. The ability to integrate histochemical sections with diceCT 3D modeling is critical to better understanding the anatomical and physiologic organization of complex pathways such as the thalamofugal visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker J Straight
- Poultry Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA.
| | - Paul M Gignac
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Department, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA
- MicroCT Imaging Consortium for Research and Outreach, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Wayne J Kuenzel
- Poultry Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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2
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Chitadze L, Meparishvili M, Lagani V, Khuchua Z, McCabe BJ, Solomonia R. Src-NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 complex and recognition memory of imprinting in domestic chicks. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297166. [PMID: 38285689 PMCID: PMC10824410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Src is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase participating in a range of neuronal processes, including synaptic plasticity. We have recently shown that the amounts of total Src and its two phosphorylated forms, at tyrosine-416 (activated) and tyrosine-527 (inhibited), undergoes time-dependent, region-specific learning-related changes in the domestic chick forebrain after visual imprinting. These changes occur in the intermediate medial mesopallium (IMM), a site of memory formation for visual imprinting, but not the posterior pole of the nidopallium (PPN), a control brain region not involved in imprinting. Src interacts with mitochondrial genome-coded NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (NADH2), a component of mitochondrial respiratory complex I. This interaction occurs at brain excitatory synapses bearing NMDA glutamate receptors. The involvement of Src-NADH2 complexes in learning and memory is not yet explored. We show for the first time that, independently of changes in total Src or total NADH2, NADH2 bound to Src immunoprecipitated from the P2 plasma membrane-mitochondrial fraction: (i) is increased in a learning-related manner in the left IMM 1 h after the end of training; (ii), is decreased in the right IMM in a learning-related way 24 h after training. These changes occurred in the IMM but not the PPN. They are attributable to learning occurring during training rather than a predisposition to learn. Learning-related changes in Src-bound NADH2 are thus time- and region-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lela Chitadze
- Institute of Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Maia Meparishvili
- Institute of Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Vincenzo Lagani
- Institute of Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zaza Khuchua
- Institute of Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Brian J. McCabe
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Revaz Solomonia
- Institute of Chemical Biology, School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Iv. Beritashvili Centre of Experimental Biomedicine, Tbilisi, Georgia
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3
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Antonson ND, Enos JK, Lawson SL, Uy FMK, Gill SA, Lynch KS, Hauber ME. Functional neurogenomic responses to acoustic threats, including a heterospecific referential alarm call and its referent, in the auditory forebrain of red-winged blackbirds. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2155. [PMID: 38272959 PMCID: PMC10810909 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51797-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In animal communication, functionally referential alarm calls elicit the same behavioral responses as their referents, despite their typically distinct bioacoustic traits. Yet the auditory forebrain in at least one songbird species, the black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus, responds similarly to threat calls and their referent predatory owl calls, as assessed by immediate early gene responses in the secondary auditory forebrain nuclei. Whether and where in the brain such perceptual and cognitive equivalence is processed remains to be understood in most other avian systems. Here, we studied the functional neurogenomic (non-) equivalence of acoustic threat stimuli perception by the red-winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus in response to the actual calls of the obligate brood parasitic brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater and the referential anti-parasitic alarm calls of the yellow warbler Setophaga petechia, upon which the blackbird is known to eavesdrop. Using RNA-sequencing from neural tissue in the auditory lobule (primary and secondary auditory nuclei combined), in contrast to previous findings, we found significant differences in the gene expression profiles of both an immediate early gene, ZENK (egr-1), and other song-system relevant gene-products in blackbirds responding to cowbird vs. warbler calls. In turn, direct cues of threats (including conspecific intruder calls and nest-predator calls) elicited higher ZENK and other differential gene expression patterns compared to harmless heterospecific calls. These patterns are consistent with a perceptual non-equivalence in the auditory forebrain of adult male red-winged blackbirds in response to referential calls and the calls of their referents.
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Affiliation(s)
- N D Antonson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - J K Enos
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - S L Lawson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - F M K Uy
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - S A Gill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - K S Lynch
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - M E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
- Advanced Science Research Center and Program in Psychology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
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Chen CH, Newman LN, Stark AP, Bond KE, Zhang D, Nardone S, Vanderburg CR, Nadaf NM, Yao Z, Mutume K, Flaquer I, Lowell BB, Macosko EZ, Regehr WG. A Purkinje cell to parabrachial nucleus pathway enables broad cerebellar influence over the forebrain. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1929-1941. [PMID: 37919612 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01462-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
In addition to its motor functions, the cerebellum is involved in emotional regulation, anxiety and affect. We found that suppressing the firing of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) rapidly excites forebrain areas that contribute to such functions (including the amygdala, basal forebrain and septum), but that the classic cerebellar outputs, the deep cerebellar nuclei, do not directly project there. We show that PCs directly inhibit parabrachial nuclei (PBN) neurons that project to numerous forebrain regions. Suppressing the PC-PBN pathway influences many regions in the forebrain and is aversive. Molecular profiling shows that PCs directly inhibit numerous types of PBN neurons that control diverse behaviors that are not involved in motor control. Therefore, the PC-PBN pathway allows the cerebellum to directly regulate activity in the forebrain, and may be an important substrate for cerebellar disorders arising from damage to the posterior vermis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Leannah N Newman
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amanda P Stark
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine E Bond
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefano Nardone
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles R Vanderburg
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Naeem M Nadaf
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhiyi Yao
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kefiloe Mutume
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Isabella Flaquer
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradford B Lowell
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Colquitt BM, Li K, Green F, Veline R, Brainard MS. Neural circuit-wide analysis of changes to gene expression during deafening-induced birdsong destabilization. eLife 2023; 12:e85970. [PMID: 37284822 PMCID: PMC10259477 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory feedback is required for the stable execution of learned motor skills, and its loss can severely disrupt motor performance. The neural mechanisms that mediate sensorimotor stability have been extensively studied at systems and physiological levels, yet relatively little is known about how disruptions to sensory input alter the molecular properties of associated motor systems. Songbird courtship song, a model for skilled behavior, is a learned and highly structured vocalization that is destabilized following deafening. Here, we sought to determine how the loss of auditory feedback modifies gene expression and its coordination across the birdsong sensorimotor circuit. To facilitate this system-wide analysis of transcriptional responses, we developed a gene expression profiling approach that enables the construction of hundreds of spatially-defined RNA-sequencing libraries. Using this method, we found that deafening preferentially alters gene expression across birdsong neural circuitry relative to surrounding areas, particularly in premotor and striatal regions. Genes with altered expression are associated with synaptic transmission, neuronal spines, and neuromodulation and show a bias toward expression in glutamatergic neurons and Pvalb/Sst-class GABAergic interneurons. We also found that connected song regions exhibit correlations in gene expression that were reduced in deafened birds relative to hearing birds, suggesting that song destabilization alters the inter-region coordination of transcriptional states. Finally, lesioning LMAN, a forebrain afferent of RA required for deafening-induced song plasticity, had the largest effect on groups of genes that were also most affected by deafening. Combined, this integrated transcriptomics analysis demonstrates that the loss of peripheral sensory input drives a distributed gene expression response throughout associated sensorimotor neural circuitry and identifies specific candidate molecular and cellular mechanisms that support the stability and plasticity of learned motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley M Colquitt
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Kelly Li
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Foad Green
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Robert Veline
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Michael S Brainard
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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6
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Medina CA, Vargas E, Munger SJ, Miller JE. Vocal changes in a zebra finch model of Parkinson's disease characterized by alpha-synuclein overexpression in the song-dedicated anterior forebrain pathway. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265604. [PMID: 35507553 PMCID: PMC9067653 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Deterioration in the quality of a person's voice and speech is an early marker of Parkinson's disease (PD). In humans, the neural circuit that supports vocal motor control consists of a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortico loop. The basal ganglia regions, striatum and globus pallidus, in this loop play a role in modulating the acoustic features of vocal behavior such as loudness, pitch, and articulatory rate. In PD, this area is implicated in pathogenesis. In animal models of PD, the accumulation of toxic aggregates containing the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein (αsyn) in the midbrain and striatum result in limb and vocal motor impairments. It has been challenging to study vocal impairments given the lack of well-defined cortico-basal ganglia circuitry for vocalization in rodent models. Furthermore, whether deterioration of voice quality early in PD is a direct result of αsyn-induced neuropathology is not yet known. Here, we take advantage of the well-characterized vocal circuits of the adult male zebra finch songbird to experimentally target a song-dedicated pathway, the anterior forebrain pathway, using an adeno-associated virus expressing the human wild-type αsyn gene, SNCA. We found that overexpression of αsyn in this pathway coincides with higher levels of insoluble, monomeric αsyn compared to control finches. Impairments in song production were also detected along with shorter and poorer quality syllables, which are the most basic unit of song. These vocal changes are similar to the vocal abnormalities observed in individuals with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A Medina
- Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United State of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Eddie Vargas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Stephanie J Munger
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Julie E Miller
- Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United State of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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7
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Bottjer SW, Le Moing C, Li E, Yuan R. Responses to Song Playback Differ in Sleeping versus Anesthetized Songbirds. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0015-22.2022. [PMID: 35545423 PMCID: PMC9131720 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0015-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal learning in songbirds is mediated by a highly localized system of interconnected forebrain regions, including recurrent loops that traverse the cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. This brain-behavior system provides a powerful model for elucidating mechanisms of vocal learning, with implications for learning speech in human infants, as well as for advancing our understanding of skill learning in general. A long history of experiments in this area has tested neural responses to playback of different song stimuli in anesthetized birds at different stages of vocal development. These studies have demonstrated selectivity for different song types that provide neural signatures of learning. In contrast to the ease of obtaining responses to song playback in anesthetized birds, song-evoked responses in awake birds are greatly reduced or absent, indicating that behavioral state is an important determinant of neural responsivity. Song-evoked responses can be elicited during sleep as well as anesthesia, and the selectivity of responses to song playback in adult birds is highly similar between anesthetized and sleeping states, encouraging the idea that anesthesia and sleep are similar. In contrast to that idea, we report evidence that cortical responses to song playback in juvenile zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) differ greatly between sleep and urethane anesthesia. This finding indicates that behavioral states differ in sleep versus anesthesia and raises questions about relationships between developmental changes in sleep activity, selectivity for different song types, and the neural substrate for vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Bottjer
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Chloé Le Moing
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Ellysia Li
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Rachel Yuan
- Section of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
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8
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Yang Y, Gritton H, Sarter M, Aton SJ, Booth V, Zochowski M. Theta-gamma coupling emerges from spatially heterogeneous cholinergic neuromodulation. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009235. [PMID: 34329297 PMCID: PMC8357148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Theta and gamma rhythms and their cross-frequency coupling play critical roles in perception, attention, learning, and memory. Available data suggest that forebrain acetylcholine (ACh) signaling promotes theta-gamma coupling, although the mechanism has not been identified. Recent evidence suggests that cholinergic signaling is both temporally and spatially constrained, in contrast to the traditional notion of slow, spatially homogeneous, and diffuse neuromodulation. Here, we find that spatially constrained cholinergic stimulation can generate theta-modulated gamma rhythms. Using biophysically-based excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) neural network models, we simulate the effects of ACh on neural excitability by varying the conductance of a muscarinic receptor-regulated K+ current. In E-I networks with local excitatory connectivity and global inhibitory connectivity, we demonstrate that theta-gamma-coupled firing patterns emerge in ACh modulated network regions. Stable gamma-modulated firing arises within regions with high ACh signaling, while theta or mixed theta-gamma activity occurs at the peripheries of these regions. High gamma activity also alternates between different high-ACh regions, at theta frequency. Our results are the first to indicate a causal role for spatially heterogenous ACh signaling in the emergence of localized theta-gamma rhythmicity. Our findings also provide novel insights into mechanisms by which ACh signaling supports the brain region-specific attentional processing of sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihao Yang
- Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Howard Gritton
- Department of Comparative Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Martin Sarter
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Sara J. Aton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Victoria Booth
- Departments of Mathematics and Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail: (VB); (MZ)
| | - Michal Zochowski
- Department of Physics and Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail: (VB); (MZ)
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Egger R, Tupikov Y, Elmaleh M, Katlowitz KA, Benezra SE, Picardo MA, Moll F, Kornfeld J, Jin DZ, Long MA. Local Axonal Conduction Shapes the Spatiotemporal Properties of Neural Sequences. Cell 2021; 183:537-548.e12. [PMID: 33064989 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sequential activation of neurons has been observed during various behavioral and cognitive processes, but the underlying circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate premotor sequences in HVC (proper name) of the adult zebra finch forebrain that are central to the performance of the temporally precise courtship song. We use high-density silicon probes to measure song-related population activity, and we compare these observations with predictions from a range of network models. Our results support a circuit architecture in which heterogeneous delays between sequentially active neurons shape the spatiotemporal patterns of HVC premotor neuron activity. We gauge the impact of several delay sources, and we find the primary contributor to be slow conduction through axonal collaterals within HVC, which typically adds between 1 and 7.5 ms for each link within the sequence. Thus, local axonal "delay lines" can play an important role in determining the dynamical repertoire of neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Egger
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Yevhen Tupikov
- Department of Physics and Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Margot Elmaleh
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Kalman A Katlowitz
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sam E Benezra
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Michel A Picardo
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Felix Moll
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Jörgen Kornfeld
- Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dezhe Z Jin
- Department of Physics and Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Michael A Long
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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10
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Fitzgerald E, Roberts J, Tennant DA, Boardman JP, Drake AJ. Metabolic adaptations to hypoxia in the neonatal mouse forebrain can occur independently of the transporters SLC7A5 and SLC3A2. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9092. [PMID: 33907288 PMCID: PMC8079390 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88757-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal encephalopathy due to hypoxia-ischemia is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental effects. The involvement of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in this is largely unexplored. Transport of BCAAs at the plasma membrane is facilitated by SLC7A5/SLC3A2, which increase with hypoxia. We hypothesized that hypoxia would alter BCAA transport and metabolism in the neonatal brain. We investigated this using an organotypic forebrain slice culture model with, the SLC7A5/SLC3A2 inhibitor, 2-Amino-2-norbornanecarboxylic acid (BCH) under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. We subsequently analysed the metabolome and candidate gene expression. Hypoxia was associated with increased expression of SLC7A5 and SLC3A2 and an increased tissue abundance of BCAAs. Incubation of slices with 13C-leucine confirmed that this was due to increased cellular uptake. BCH had little effect on metabolite abundance under normoxic or hypoxic conditions. This suggests hypoxia drives increased cellular uptake of BCAAs in the neonatal mouse forebrain, and membrane mediated transport through SLC7A5 and SLC3A2 is not essential for this process. This indicates mechanisms exist to generate the compounds required to maintain essential metabolism in the absence of external nutrient supply. Moreover, excess BCAAs have been associated with developmental delay, providing an unexplored mechanism of hypoxia mediated pathogenesis in the developing forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamon Fitzgerald
- University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK.
| | - Jennie Roberts
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Daniel A Tennant
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - James P Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Amanda J Drake
- University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
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11
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Schroeder KM, Remage-Healey L. Adult-like neural representation of species-specific songs in the auditory forebrain of zebra finch nestlings. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 81:123-138. [PMID: 33369121 PMCID: PMC7969438 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Encoding of conspecific signals during development can reinforce species barriers as well as set the stage for learning and production of species-typical vocalizations. In altricial songbirds, the development of the auditory system is not complete at hatching, so it is unknown the degree to which recently hatched young can process auditory signals like birdsong. We measured in vivo extracellular responses to song stimuli in a zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) secondary auditory forebrain region, the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). We recorded from three age groups between 13 days post-hatch and adult to identify possible shifts in stimulus encoding that occur before the opening of the sensitive period of song motor learning. We did not find differences in putative cell type composition, firing rate, response strength, and selectivity across ages. Across ages narrow-spiking units had higher firing rates, response strength, accuracy, and trial-by-trial reliability along with lower selectivity than broad-spiking units. In addition, we showed that stimulus-specific adaptation, a characteristic of adult NCM, was also present in nestlings and fledglings. These results indicate that most features of secondary auditory processing are already adult-like shortly after hatching. Furthermore, we showed that selectivity for species-specific stimuli is similar across all ages, with the greatest fidelity in temporal coding in response to conspecific song and domesticated Bengalese finch song, and reduced fidelity in response to owl finch song, a more ecologically relevant heterospecific, and white noise. Our study provides the first evidence that the electrophysiological properties of higher-order auditory neurons are already mature in nestling songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M. Schroeder
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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12
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Abstract
Memory and cognitive impairment as sequelae of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and age-related dementia are major health issues with increasing social and economic burden. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a potential treatment to slow or halt progression of the disease state. The selection of stimulation target is critical, and structures that have been targeted for memory and cognitive enhancement include the Papez circuit, structures projecting to the frontal lobe such as the ventral internal capsule, and the cholinergic forebrain. Recent human clinical and animal model results imply that DBS of the nucleus basalis of Meynert can induce a therapeutic modulation of neuronal activity. Benefits include enhanced activity across the cortical mantle, and potential for amelioration of neuropathological mechanisms associated with Alzheimer's disease. The choice of stimulation parameters is also critical. High-frequency, continuous stimulation is used for movement disorders as a way of inhibiting their output; however, no overexcitation has been hypothesized in Alzheimer's disease and lower stimulation frequency or intermittent patterns of stimulation (periods of stimulation interleaved with periods of no stimulation) are likely to be more effective for stimulation of the cholinergic forebrain. Efficacy and long-term tolerance in human patients remain open questions, though the cumulative experience gained by DBS for movement disorders provides assurance for the safety of the procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saravanan Subramaniam
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - David T. Blake
- Brain and Behavior Discovery Institute, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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13
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Michael V, Goffinet J, Pearson J, Wang F, Tschida K, Mooney R. Circuit and synaptic organization of forebrain-to-midbrain pathways that promote and suppress vocalization. eLife 2020; 9:e63493. [PMID: 33372655 PMCID: PMC7793624 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals vocalize only in certain behavioral contexts, but the circuits and synapses through which forebrain neurons trigger or suppress vocalization remain unknown. Here, we used transsynaptic tracing to identify two populations of inhibitory neurons that lie upstream of neurons in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that gate the production of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in mice (i.e. PAG-USV neurons). Activating PAG-projecting neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POAPAG neurons) elicited USV production in the absence of social cues. In contrast, activating PAG-projecting neurons in the central-medial boundary zone of the amygdala (AmgC/M-PAG neurons) transiently suppressed USV production without disrupting non-vocal social behavior. Optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping in brain slices revealed that POAPAG neurons directly inhibit PAG interneurons, which in turn inhibit PAG-USV neurons, whereas AmgC/M-PAG neurons directly inhibit PAG-USV neurons. These experiments identify two major forebrain inputs to the PAG that trigger and suppress vocalization, respectively, while also establishing the synaptic mechanisms through which these neurons exert opposing behavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Michael
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Jack Goffinet
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - John Pearson
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | | | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
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14
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Alabi OO, Davatolhagh MF, Robinson M, Fortunato MP, Vargas Cifuentes L, Kable JW, Fuccillo MV. Disruption of Nrxn1α within excitatory forebrain circuits drives value-based dysfunction. eLife 2020; 9:e54838. [PMID: 33274715 PMCID: PMC7759380 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed behaviors are essential for normal function and significantly impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite extensive associations between genetic mutations and these disorders, the molecular contributions to goal-directed dysfunction remain unclear. We examined mice with constitutive and brain region-specific mutations in Neurexin1α, a neuropsychiatric disease-associated synaptic molecule, in value-based choice paradigms. We found Neurexin1α knockouts exhibited reduced selection of beneficial outcomes and impaired avoidance of costlier options. Reinforcement modeling suggested that this was driven by deficits in updating and representation of value. Disruption of Neurexin1α within telencephalic excitatory projection neurons, but not thalamic neurons, recapitulated choice abnormalities of global Neurexin1α knockouts. Furthermore, this selective forebrain excitatory knockout of Neurexin1α perturbed value-modulated neural signals within striatum, a central node in feedback-based reinforcement learning. By relating deficits in value-based decision-making to region-specific Nrxn1α disruption and changes in value-modulated neural activity, we reveal potential neural substrates for the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disease-associated cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Opeyemi O Alabi
- Department of NeurosciencePhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - M Felicia Davatolhagh
- Department of NeurosciencePhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | | | | | - Luigim Vargas Cifuentes
- Department of NeurosciencePhiladelphiaUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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15
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Oldfield CS, Grossrubatscher I, Chávez M, Hoagland A, Huth AR, Carroll EC, Prendergast A, Qu T, Gallant JL, Wyart C, Isacoff EY. Experience, circuit dynamics, and forebrain recruitment in larval zebrafish prey capture. eLife 2020; 9:e56619. [PMID: 32985972 PMCID: PMC7561350 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Experience influences behavior, but little is known about how experience is encoded in the brain, and how changes in neural activity are implemented at a network level to improve performance. Here we investigate how differences in experience impact brain circuitry and behavior in larval zebrafish prey capture. We find that experience of live prey compared to inert food increases capture success by boosting capture initiation. In response to live prey, animals with and without prior experience of live prey show activity in visual areas (pretectum and optic tectum) and motor areas (cerebellum and hindbrain), with similar visual area retinotopic maps of prey position. However, prey-experienced animals more readily initiate capture in response to visual area activity and have greater visually-evoked activity in two forebrain areas: the telencephalon and habenula. Consequently, disruption of habenular neurons reduces capture performance in prey-experienced fish. Together, our results suggest that experience of prey strengthens prey-associated visual drive to the forebrain, and that this lowers the threshold for prey-associated visual activity to trigger activity in motor areas, thereby improving capture performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S Oldfield
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Graduate Program, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Irene Grossrubatscher
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Graduate Program, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | | | - Adam Hoagland
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Alex R Huth
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Graduate Program, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Elizabeth C Carroll
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Andrew Prendergast
- CNRS-UMRParisFrance
- INSERM UMRSParisFrance
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital de la Pitié-SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Tony Qu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Jack L Gallant
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Graduate Program, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Claire Wyart
- CNRS-UMRParisFrance
- INSERM UMRSParisFrance
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital de la Pitié-SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Ehud Y Isacoff
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Graduate Program, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Bioscience Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
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16
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Ma S, Ter Maat A, Gahr M. Neurotelemetry Reveals Putative Predictive Activity in HVC during Call-Based Vocal Communications in Zebra Finches. J Neurosci 2020; 40:6219-6227. [PMID: 32661023 PMCID: PMC7406282 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2664-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Premotor predictions facilitate vocal interactions. Here, we study such mechanisms in the forebrain nucleus HVC (proper name), a cortex-like sensorimotor area of songbirds, otherwise known for being essential for singing in zebra finches. To study the role of the HVC in calling interactions between male and female mates, we used wireless telemetric systems for simultaneous measurement of neuronal activity of male zebra finches and vocalizations of males and females that freely interact with each other. In a non-social context, male HVC neurons displayed stereotypic premotor activity in relation to active calling and showed auditory-evoked activity to hearing of played-back female calls. In a social context, HVC neurons displayed auditory-evoked activity to hearing of female calls only if that neuron showed activity preceding the upcoming female calls. We hypothesize that this activity preceding the auditory-evoked activity in the male HVC represents a neural correlate of behavioral anticipation, predictive activity that helps to coordinate vocal communication between social partners.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Most social-living vertebrates produce large numbers of calls per day, and the calls have prominent roles in social interactions. Here, we show neuronal mechanisms that are active during call-based vocal communication of zebra finches, a highly social songbird species. HVC, a forebrain nucleus known for its importance in control of learned vocalizations of songbirds, displays predictive activity that may enable the male to adjust his own calling pattern to produce very fast sequences of male female call exchanges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouwen Ma
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Andries Ter Maat
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Manfred Gahr
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany
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17
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Zhang J, Huang Z, Tumati S, Northoff G. Rest-task modulation of fMRI-derived global signal topography is mediated by transient coactivation patterns. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000733. [PMID: 32649707 PMCID: PMC7375654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) studies have revealed that the global signal (GS) exhibits a nonuniform spatial distribution across the gray matter. Whether this topography is informative remains largely unknown. We therefore tested rest-task modulation of GS topography by analyzing static GS correlation and dynamic coactivation patterns in a large sample of an fMRI dataset (n = 837) from the Human Connectome Project. The GS topography in the resting state and in seven different tasks was first measured by correlating the GS with the local time series (GSCORR). In the resting state, high GSCORR was observed mainly in the primary sensory and motor regions, whereas low GSCORR was seen in the association brain areas. This pattern changed during the seven tasks, with mainly decreased GSCORR in sensorimotor cortex. Importantly, this rest-task modulation of GSCORR could be traced to transient coactivation patterns at the peak period of GS (GS-peak). By comparing the topography of GSCORR and respiration effects, we observed that the topography of respiration mimicked the topography of GS in the resting state, whereas both differed during the task states; because of such partial dissociation, we assume that GSCORR could not be equated with a respiration effect. Finally, rest-task modulation of GS topography could not be exclusively explained by other sources of physiological noise. Together, we here demonstrate the informative nature of GS topography by showing its rest-task modulation, the underlying dynamic coactivation patterns, and its partial dissociation from respiration effects during task states. Recent resting-state fMRI studies have shown that the global signal exhibits a nonuniform spatial distribution across gray matter, but is this informative? This neuroimaging study reveals novel insights into the informative nature of global signal by rest-task modulation of the global signal topography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Zhang
- Mental Health Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zirui Huang
- Center for Consciousness Science, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Shankar Tumati
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mental Health Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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18
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Nieder A, Mooney R. The neurobiology of innate, volitional and learned vocalizations in mammals and birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190054. [PMID: 31735150 PMCID: PMC6895551 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocalization is an ancient vertebrate trait essential to many forms of communication, ranging from courtship calls to free verse. Vocalizations may be entirely innate and evoked by sexual cues or emotional state, as with many types of calls made in primates, rodents and birds; volitional, as with innate calls that, following extensive training, can be evoked by arbitrary sensory cues in non-human primates and corvid songbirds; or learned, acoustically flexible and complex, as with human speech and the courtship songs of oscine songbirds. This review compares and contrasts the neural mechanisms underlying innate, volitional and learned vocalizations, with an emphasis on functional studies in primates, rodents and songbirds. This comparison reveals both highly conserved and convergent mechanisms of vocal production in these different groups, despite their often vast phylogenetic separation. This similarity of central mechanisms for different forms of vocal production presents experimentalists with useful avenues for gaining detailed mechanistic insight into how vocalizations are employed for social and sexual signalling, and how they can be modified through experience to yield new vocal repertoires customized to the individual's social group. This article is part of the theme issue 'What can animal communication teach us about human language?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Richard Mooney
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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19
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Guo Z, Lin X, Samaniego T, Isreb A, Cao S, Malik S, Holmes TC, Xu X. Fos-CreER-based genetic mapping of forebrain regions activated by acupuncture. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:953-971. [PMID: 31600836 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Acupuncture increasingly is accepted as a potential therapy for many diseases in the Western world. However, the mechanism of acupuncture is not well understood mechanistically. We have established that manual acupuncture (MA) at the Neiguan (P6) acupoint inhibits excitatory cardiovascular reflex responses through modulation of the autonomic nervous system in the brainstem. It is unclear whether P6 MA activates neurons in the brain regions beyond the brainstem. Thus, we mapped P6 specific neural activation by MA in the forebrain using the Fos-CreER; Ai9 mice model, which allows for enhanced sensitivity and efficiency compared to conventional immunohistochemical staining. Compared to sham-MA control without manual stimulation, we find that MA at P6 markedly increases c-Fos positive neurons in a number of the forebrain regions (n = 5 in each group). These activated regions include accumbens nucleus, caudate putamen, claustrum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdaloid nucleus, ventral posterior division of the thalamic nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, arcuate hypothalamic nucleus, primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, ectorhinal cortex, and dorsolateral entorhinal cortex. As MA at P6 activates neurons in relatively broad brain networks beyond the brainstem, our data suggest that acupuncture at this acupoint has the potential to influence physiological functions associated with autonomic and non-autonomic nervous systems through its effects on multiple brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiling Guo
- Department of Medicine and Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Xiaoxiao Lin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Tracy Samaniego
- Department of Medicine and Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Alexander Isreb
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Stacey Cao
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Shaista Malik
- Department of Medicine and Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
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20
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Hui KK, Takashima N, Watanabe A, Chater TE, Matsukawa H, Nekooki-Machida Y, Nilsson P, Endo R, Goda Y, Saido TC, Yoshikawa T, Tanaka M. GABARAPs dysfunction by autophagy deficiency in adolescent brain impairs GABA A receptor trafficking and social behavior. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaau8237. [PMID: 30989111 PMCID: PMC6457945 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau8237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunctional mTOR signaling is associated with the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, it is unclear what molecular mechanisms and pathogenic mediators are involved and whether mTOR-regulated autophagy continues to be crucial beyond neurodevelopment. Here, we selectively deleted Atg7 in forebrain GABAergic interneurons in adolescent mice and unexpectedly found that these mice showed a set of behavioral deficits similar to Atg7 deletion in forebrain excitatory neurons. By unbiased quantitative proteomic analysis, we identified γ-aminobutyric acid receptor-associated protein-like 2 (GABARAPL2) to differentially form high-molecular weight species in autophagy-deficient brains. Further functional analyses revealed a novel pathogenic mechanism involving the p62-dependent sequestration of GABARAP family proteins, leading to the reduction of surface GABAA receptor levels. Our work demonstrates a novel physiological role for autophagy in regulating GABA signaling beyond postnatal neurodevelopment, providing a potential mechanism for the reduced inhibitory inputs observed in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders with mTOR hyperactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin K. Hui
- Laboratory for Protein Conformation Diseases, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Noriko Takashima
- Laboratory for Protein Conformation Diseases, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Akiko Watanabe
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Thomas E. Chater
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity and Connectivity, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Matsukawa
- Laboratory for Protein Conformation Diseases, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Laboratory for Behavioral Genetics, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoko Nekooki-Machida
- Laboratory for Protein Conformation Diseases, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Per Nilsson
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 141 57, Sweden
| | - Ryo Endo
- Laboratory for Protein Conformation Diseases, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yukiko Goda
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity and Connectivity, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takaomi C. Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takeo Yoshikawa
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Motomasa Tanaka
- Laboratory for Protein Conformation Diseases, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Corresponding author.
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21
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Yoon SJ, Elahi LS, Pașca AM, Marton RM, Gordon A, Revah O, Miura Y, Walczak EM, Holdgate GM, Fan HC, Huguenard JR, Geschwind DH, Pașca SP. Reliability of human cortical organoid generation. Nat Methods 2019; 16:75-78. [PMID: 30573846 PMCID: PMC6677388 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0255-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 261] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells in three-dimensional cultures can recapitulate key aspects of brain development, but protocols are prone to variable results. Here we differentiated multiple human pluripotent stem cell lines for over 100 d using our previously developed approach to generate brain-region-specific organoids called cortical spheroids and, using several assays, found that spheroid generation was highly reliable and consistent. We anticipate the use of this approach for large-scale differentiation experiments and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Jin Yoon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lubayna S Elahi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anca M Pașca
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca M Marton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Gordon
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Omer Revah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yuki Miura
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - John R Huguenard
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sergiu P Pașca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Human Brain Organogenesis Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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22
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Wood M, Adil O, Wallace T, Fourman S, Wilson SP, Herman JP, Myers B. Infralimbic prefrontal cortex structural and functional connectivity with the limbic forebrain: a combined viral genetic and optogenetic analysis. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:73-97. [PMID: 30269223 PMCID: PMC6369015 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1762-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex is critical for contextual appraisal, executive function, and goal-directed behavior. Additionally, the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the prefrontal cortex has been implicated in stress responding, mood, and fear memory. However, the specific circuit mechanisms that mediate these effects are largely unknown. To date, IL output to the limbic forebrain has been examined largely qualitatively or within a restricted number of sites. To quantify IL presynaptic input to structures throughout the forebrain, we utilized a lentiviral construct expressing synaptophysin-mCherry. Thus, allowing quantification of IL efferents that are specifically synaptic, as opposed to fibers of passage. Additionally, this approach permitted the determination of IL innervation on a sub-structural level within the multiple heterogeneous limbic nuclei. To examine the functional output of the IL, optogenetic activation of IL projections was followed by quantification of neuronal activation throughout the limbic forebrain via fos-related antigen (Fra). Quantification of synaptophysin-mCherry indicated that the IL provides robust synaptic input to a number of regions within the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, with limited input to the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens. Furthermore, there was high concordance between structural connectivity and functional activation. Interestingly, some regions receiving substantial synaptic input did not exhibit significant increases in Fra-immunoreactivity. Collectively, these studies represent a step toward a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of output circuits. This large-scale efferent quantification or 'projectome' also opens the door for data-driven analyses of the downstream synaptic mechanisms that mediate the integrative aspects of cortico-limbic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda Wood
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Othman Adil
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tyler Wallace
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sarah Fourman
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Steven P Wilson
- Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - James P Herman
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Brent Myers
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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23
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Chang AN, Liang Z, Dai HQ, Chapdelaine-Williams AM, Andrews N, Bronson RT, Schwer B, Alt FW. Neural blastocyst complementation enables mouse forebrain organogenesis. Nature 2018; 563:126-130. [PMID: 30305734 PMCID: PMC6588192 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0586-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Genetically modified mice are commonly generated by the microinjection of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells into wild-type host blastocysts1, producing chimeric progeny that require breeding for germline transmission and homozygosity of modified alleles. As an alternative approach and to facilitate studies of the immune system, we previously developed RAG2-deficient blastocyst complementation2. Because RAG2-deficient mice cannot undergo V(D)J recombination, they do not develop B or T lineage cells beyond the progenitor stage2: injecting RAG2-sufficient donor ES cells into RAG2-deficient blastocysts generates somatic chimaeras in which all mature lymphocytes derive from donor ES cells. This enables analysis, in mature lymphocytes, of the functions of genes that are required more generally for mouse development3. Blastocyst complementation has been extended to pancreas organogenesis4, and used to generate several other tissues or organs5-10, but an equivalent approach for brain organogenesis has not yet been achieved. Here we describe neural blastocyst complementation (NBC), which can be used to study the development and function of specific forebrain regions. NBC involves targeted ablation, mediated by diphtheria toxin subunit A, of host-derived dorsal telencephalic progenitors during development. This ablation creates a vacant forebrain niche in host embryos that results in agenesis of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Injection of donor ES cells into blastocysts with forebrain-specific targeting of diphtheria toxin subunit A enables donor-derived dorsal telencephalic progenitors to populate the vacant niche in the host embryos, giving rise to neocortices and hippocampi that are morphologically and neurologically normal with respect to learning and memory formation. Moreover, doublecortin-deficient ES cells-generated via a CRISPR-Cas9 approach-produced NBC chimaeras that faithfully recapitulated the phenotype of conventional, germline doublecortin-deficient mice. We conclude that NBC is a rapid and efficient approach to generate complex mouse models for studying forebrain functions; this approach could more broadly facilitate organogenesis based on blastocyst complementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia N Chang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhuoyi Liang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hai-Qiang Dai
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aimee M Chapdelaine-Williams
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nick Andrews
- Division of Neurology, Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Bjoern Schwer
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Frederick W Alt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Genetics and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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24
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Wang QQ, Wang SH, Yao LH, Meng W. [Central cholinergic system innervates song control system of songbirds and regulates song behavior]. Sheng Li Xue Bao 2018; 70:539-547. [PMID: 30377693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Songbird has become an ideal model for studying motor learning due to its unique learned song behavior. It has been proved that song behavior is directly regulated by song control system in the forebrain of songbirds. There are lines of evidence to show that cholinergic transmitters and their receptors are distributed in song control system, and vocal control nuclei in song control system are innervated by cholinergic nerves from the central cholinergic system in basal forebrain, which can affect activities of vocal control nuclei through cholinergic transmitters, and then affect song behavior. Studies in mammals have confirmed that the central cholinergic system is involved in the regulation of motor behavior and neural process of motor learning. Elucidation of regulation of songbirds' song behavior by central cholinergic system would shed light on the neural mechanism of song motor control and song learning and memory in songbirds, and provide theoretical insights for researches on other animals' sensorimotor processes and human language learning. This review summarized recent progresses, including the research work of our laboratory, in the studies on the selectivity of cholinergic transmitters to their receptors and their effects on neuronal activities in vocal control nuclei of songbirds and provided valuable clues for revealing the regulation mechanism of central cholinergic system on songbirds' song behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Qin Wang
- Institute of Organic Functional Molecules, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Song-Hua Wang
- Institute of Organic Functional Molecules, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Li-Hua Yao
- School of Life Science, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Wei Meng
- Institute of Organic Functional Molecules, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China.
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25
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Giordani C, Rivera-Gutierrez H, Zhe S, Micheletto R. Simulation of the song motor pathway in birds: A single neuron initiates a chain of events that produces birdsong with realistic spectra properties. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200998. [PMID: 30289918 PMCID: PMC6173377 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Birdsong is a complex learned behavior regulated by Neuromuscular coordination of different muscle sets necessary for producing relevant sounds. We developed a heterogeneous and stochastically connected neural network representing the pathway from the high vocal center (HVC) to the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) neurons that drive the muscles to generate sounds. We show that a single active neuron is sufficient to initiate a chain of spiking events that results to excite the entire network system. The network could synthesize realistic bird sounds spectra, with spontaneous generation of intermittent sound bursts typical of birdsong (song syllables). This study confirms experiments on animals and on humans, where results have shown that single neurons are responsible for the activation of complex behavior or are associated with high-level perception events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Giordani
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellin, Colombia
| | | | - Sun Zhe
- Computational Engineering Applications Unit, Head Office for Information Systems and Cybersecurity, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
- Riken Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan
- Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Ruggero Micheletto
- Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan
- * E-mail:
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26
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Travers S, Breza J, Harley J, Zhu J, Travers J. Neurons with diverse phenotypes project from the caudal to the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2319-2338. [PMID: 30325514 PMCID: PMC6193849 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus of the solitary tract is a potential site for taste-visceral interactions. Connections from the caudal, visceral area of the nucleus (cNST) to the rostral, gustatory zone (rNST) have been described, but the phenotype of cells giving rise to the projection(s) and their distribution among rNST subdivisions are unknown. To determine these characteristics of the intrasolitary pathway, we injected pan-neuronal and floxed AAV viruses into the cNST of mice expressing cre in glutamatergic, GABAergic, or catecholaminergic neurons. Particular attention was paid to the terminal field distribution in rNST subdivisions by simultaneously visualizing P2X2 localized to gustatory afferent terminals. All three phenotypically identified pathways terminated in rNST, with the density greatest for glutamatergic and sparsest for catecholaminergic projections, observations supported by retrograde tracing. Interestingly, cNST neurons had more prominent projections to rNST regions medial and ventral to P2X2 staining, i.e., the medial and ventral subdivisions. In addition, GABAergic neurons projected robustly to the lateral subdivision and adjacent parts of the reticular formation and spinal trigeminal nucleus. Although cNST neurons also projected to the P2X2-rich central subdivision, such projections were sparser. These findings suggest that cNST visceral signals exert stronger excitatory and inhibitory influences on local autonomic and reflex pathways associated with the medial and ventral subdivisions compared to weaker modulation of ascending pathways arising from the central subdivision and ultimately destined for the forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Travers
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Joseph Breza
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jacob Harley
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - JiuLin Zhu
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Joseph Travers
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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27
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de Kovel CGF, Lisgo SN, Francks C. Transcriptomic analysis of left-right differences in human embryonic forebrain and midbrain. Sci Data 2018; 5:180164. [PMID: 30179233 PMCID: PMC6122166 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Left-right asymmetry is subtle but pervasive in the human central nervous system. This asymmetry is initiated early during development, but its mechanisms are poorly known. Forebrains and midbrains were dissected from six human embryos at Carnegie stages 15 or 16, one of which was female. The structures were divided into left and right sides, and RNA was isolated. RNA was sequenced with 100 base-pair paired ends using Illumina Hiseq 4000. After quality control, five paired brain sides were available for midbrain and forebrain. A paired analysis between left- and right sides of a given brain structure across the embryos identified left-right differences. The dataset, consisting of Fastq files and a read count table, can be further used to study early development of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolien G. F. de Kovel
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Steven N. Lisgo
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6525HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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28
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Egan AE, Thompson AMK, Buesing D, Fourman SM, Packard AEB, Terefe T, Li D, Wang X, Song S, Solomon MB, Ulrich-Lai YM. Palatable Food Affects HPA Axis Responsivity and Forebrain Neurocircuitry in an Estrous Cycle-specific Manner in Female Rats. Neuroscience 2018; 384:224-240. [PMID: 29852242 PMCID: PMC6071329 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Eating palatable foods can provide stress relief, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are unclear. We previously characterized a limited sucrose intake (LSI) paradigm in which twice-daily access to a small amount of 30% sucrose (vs. water as a control) reduces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses to stress and alters neuronal activation in stress-regulatory brain regions in male rats. However, women may be more prone to 'comfort feeding' behaviors than men, and stress-related eating may vary across the menstrual cycle. This suggests that LSI effects may be sex- and estrous cycle-dependent. The present study therefore investigated the effects of LSI on HPA axis stress responsivity, as well as markers of neuronal activation/plasticity in stress- and reward-related neurocircuitry in female rats across the estrous cycle. We found that LSI reduced post-restraint stress plasma ACTH in female rats specifically during proestrus/estrus (P/E). LSI also increased basal (non-stress) FosB/deltaFosB- and pCREB-immunolabeling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and central amygdala specifically during P/E. Finally, Bayesian network modeling of the FosB/deltaFosB and pCREB expression data identified a neurocircuit that includes the BLA, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis as likely being modified by LSI during P/E. When considered in the context of our prior results, the present findings suggest that palatable food reduces stress responses in female rats similar to males, but in an estrous cycle-dependent manner. Further, the BLA may contribute to the LSI effects in both sexes, whereas the involvement of other brain regions appears to be sex-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E Egan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Abigail M K Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Dana Buesing
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Sarah M Fourman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Amy E B Packard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Tegesty Terefe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Dan Li
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Seongho Song
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Matia B Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA
| | - Yvonne M Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA.
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29
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Abreu MS, Messias JPM, Thörnqvist PO, Winberg S, Soares MC. Monoaminergic levels at the forebrain and diencephalon signal for the occurrence of mutualistic and conspecific engagement in client reef fish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7346. [PMID: 29743658 PMCID: PMC5943261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25513-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are commonly found among fish as in mammals and birds. While most animals interact socially with conspecifics some however are also frequently and repeatedly observed to interact with other species (i.e. mutualistic interactions). This is the case of the (so-called) fish clients that seek to be cleaned by other fish (the cleaners). Clients face an interesting challenge: they raise enough motivation to suspend their daily activities as to selectively visit and engage in interactions with cleaners. Here we aimed, for the first time, to investigate the region-specific brain monoaminergic level differences arising from individual client fish when facing a cleaner (interspecific context) compared to those introduced to another conspecific (socio-conspecific context). We show that monoaminergic activity differences occurring at two main brain regions, the diencephalon and the forebrain, are associated with fish clients' social and mutualistic activities. Our results are the first demonstration that monoaminergic mechanisms underlie client fish mutualistic engagement with cleanerfish. These pathways should function as a pre-requisite for cleaning to occur, providing to clients the cognitive and physiological tools to seek to be cleaned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S Abreu
- Graduation Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - João P M Messias
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Per-Ove Thörnqvist
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Box 593, Husargatan 3, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Svante Winberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Box 593, Husargatan 3, 75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
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30
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Choi B, Lee HW, Mo S, Kim JY, Kim HW, Rhyu IJ, Hong E, Lee YK, Choi JS, Kim CH, Kim H. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A overexpressed in mouse forebrain modulates synaptic transmission and mGluR-LTD of CA1 pyramidal neurons. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193859. [PMID: 29617377 PMCID: PMC5884490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A (IP3K-A) regulates the level of the inositol polyphosphates, inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and inositol tetrakisphosphate to modulate cellular signaling and intracellular calcium homeostasis in the central nervous system. IP3K-A binds to F-actin in an activity-dependent manner and accumulates in dendritic spines, where it is involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. IP3K-A knockout mice exhibit deficits in some forms of hippocampus-dependent learning and synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus synapses of the hippocampus. In the present study, to further elucidate the role of IP3K-A in the brain, we developed a transgenic (Tg) mouse line in which IP3K-A is conditionally overexpressed approximately 3-fold in the excitatory neurons of forebrain regions, including the hippocampus. The Tg mice showed an increase in both presynaptic release probability of evoked responses, along with bigger synaptic vesicle pools, and miniature excitatory postsynaptic current amplitude, although the spine density or the expression levels of the postsynaptic density-related proteins NR2B, synaptotagmin 1, and PSD-95 were not affected. Hippocampal-dependent learning and memory tasks, including novel object recognition and radial arm maze tasks, were partially impaired in Tg mice. Furthermore, (R,S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine-induced metabotropic glutamate receptor long-term depression was inhibited in Tg mice and this inhibition was dependent on protein kinase C but not on the IP3 receptor. Long-term potentiation and depression dependent on N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor were marginally affected in Tg mice. In summary, this study shows that overexpressed IP3K-A plays a role in some forms of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory tasks as well as in synaptic transmission and plasticity by regulating both presynaptic and postsynaptic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byungil Choi
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seojung Mo
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Yong Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun Wook Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Im Joo Rhyu
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eunhwa Hong
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yeon Kyung Lee
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - June-Seek Choi
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chong-Hyun Kim
- Center for Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology and Neuroscience Program, Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (C-HK); (HK)
| | - Hyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Brain Korea, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail: (C-HK); (HK)
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31
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Zhu C, Yao Y, Xiong Y, Cheng M, Chen J, Zhao R, Liao F, Shi R, Song S. Somatostatin Neurons in the Basal Forebrain Promote High-Calorie Food Intake. Cell Rep 2018; 20:112-123. [PMID: 28683305 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity has become a global issue, and the overconsumption of food is thought to be a major contributor. However, the regulatory neural circuits that regulate palatable food consumption remain unclear. Here, we report that somatostatin (SOM) neurons and GABAergic (VGAT) neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) play specific roles in regulating feeding. Optogenetic stimulation of BF SOM neurons increased fat and sucrose intake within minutes and promoted anxiety-like behaviors. Furthermore, optogenetic stimulation of projections from BF SOM neurons to the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) selectively resulted in fat intake. In addition, activation of BF VGAT neurons rapidly induced general food intake and gnawing behaviors. Whole-brain mapping of inputs and outputs showed that BF SOM neurons form bidirectional connections with several brain areas important in feeding and regulation of emotion. Collectively, these results suggest that BF SOM neurons play a selective role in hedonic feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhu
- School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Yun Yao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Yan Xiong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Mingxiu Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Fangzhou Liao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Runsheng Shi
- School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Sen Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 10084, China.
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32
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Krentzel AA, Macedo-Lima M, Ikeda MZ, Remage-Healey L. A Membrane G-Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor Is Necessary but Not Sufficient for Sex Differences in Zebra Finch Auditory Coding. Endocrinology 2018; 159:1360-1376. [PMID: 29351614 PMCID: PMC5839738 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-03102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Estradiol acts as a neuromodulator in brain regions important for cognition and sensory processing. Estradiol also shapes brain sex differences but rarely have these concepts been considered simultaneously. In male and female songbirds, estradiol rapidly increases within the auditory forebrain during song exposure and enhances local auditory processing. We tested whether G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), a membrane-bound estrogen receptor, is necessary and sufficient for neuroestrogen regulation of forebrain auditory processing in male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). At baseline, we observed that females had elevated single-neuron responses to songs vs males. In males, narrow-spiking (NS) neurons were more responsive to conspecific songs than broad-spiking (BS) neurons, yet cell types were similarly auditory responsive in females. Following acute inactivation of GPER1, auditory responsiveness and coding were suppressed in male NS yet unchanged in female NS and in BS of both sexes. By contrast, GPER1 activation did not mimic previously established estradiol actions in either sex. Lastly, the expression of GPER1 and its coexpression with an inhibitory neuron marker were similarly abundant in males and females, confirming anatomical similarity in the auditory forebrain. In this study, we found: (1) a role for GPER1 in regulating sensory processing and (2) a sex difference in auditory processing of complex vocalizations in a cell type-specific manner. These results reveal sex specificity of a rapid estrogen signaling mechanism in which neuromodulation accounts and/or compensates for brain sex differences, dependent on cell type, in brain regions that are anatomically similar in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda A. Krentzel
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
- Correspondence: Amanda A. Krentzel, PhD, David Clark Laboratories, North Carolina State University, 100 Eugene Brooks Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607. E-mail:
| | - Matheus Macedo-Lima
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, DF 70040-020 Brasília, Brazil
| | - Maaya Z. Ikeda
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
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Schubert I, Ahlbrand R, Winter A, Vollmer L, Lewkowich I, Sah R. Enhanced fear and altered neuronal activation in forebrain limbic regions of CX3CR1-deficient mice. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 68:34-43. [PMID: 28943292 PMCID: PMC8411798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence supports immune dysfunction in psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The association of immunomodulatory mechanisms with PTSD-relevant behavior and physiology is not well understood. Communication between neurons and microglia, resident immune cells of the central nervous system, is crucial for optimal regulation of behavior and physiology. In this regard, the fractalkine CX3CL1, secreted from neurons and its target, the microglial CX3CR1 receptor represent a primary neuron-microglia inter-regulatory system important for synaptic plasticity and function. The current study investigated the impact of CX3CR1 deficiency on behaviors relevant to PTSD, such as fear acquisition and memory, acoustic startle response and anxiety-like behavior. Morphological analysis of microglia and neuronal activation within PTSD-relevant forebrain nuclei regulating stress and fear behaviors was also conducted. CX3CR1-deficient (CX3CR1-/-) mice elicited increased fear acquisition as well as reinstatement of fear as compared to wild type (CX3CR1+/+) mice. Conditioned fear and extinction were not significantly different between genotypes. No significant differences were observed in unconditioned acoustic startle response between genotypes. CX3CR1-/- mice showed reduced anxiety-like behaviors as compared with CX3CR1+/+ mice. Morphological assessment of microglia showed region-selective effects of CX3CR1 deficiency, primarily within hypothalamic and cortical areas. Lastly, CX3CR1-/- mice elicited elevated neuronal activity in the PVN and the ventral tegmental-interpeduncular area following reinstatement of fear. Collectively, our data suggest that impaired CX3CR1 function may evoke region-selective alterations in forebrain circuits regulating stress, anxiety and fear, impacting behaviors relevant to disorders such as PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Schubert
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, United States; Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Rebecca Ahlbrand
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Andrew Winter
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, United States
| | - Lauren Vollmer
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Ian Lewkowich
- Dept. of Immunobiology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, United States
| | - Renu Sah
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, United States; VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, United States.
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Abstract
Different neuronal types within brain motor areas contribute to the generation of complex motor behaviors. A widely studied songbird forebrain nucleus (HVC) has been recognized as fundamental in shaping the precise timing characteristics of birdsong. This is based, among other evidence, on the stretching and the “breaking” of song structure when HVC is cooled. However, little is known about the temperature effects that take place in its neurons. To address this, we investigated the dynamics of HVC both experimentally and computationally. We developed a technique where simultaneous electrophysiological recordings were performed during temperature manipulation of HVC. We recorded spontaneous activity and found three effects: widening of the spike shape, decrease of the firing rate and change in the interspike interval distribution. All these effects could be explained with a detailed conductance based model of all the neurons present in HVC. Temperature dependence of the ionic channel time constants explained the first effect, while the second was based in the changes of the maximal conductance using single synaptic excitatory inputs. The last phenomenon, only emerged after introducing a more realistic synaptic input to the inhibitory interneurons. Two timescales were present in the interspike distributions. The behavior of one timescale was reproduced with different input balances received form the excitatory neurons, whereas the other, which disappears with cooling, could not be found assuming poissonian synaptic inputs. Furthermore, the computational model shows that the bursting of the excitatory neurons arises naturally at normal brain temperature and that they have an intrinsic delay at low temperatures. The same effect occurs at single synapses, which may explain song stretching. These findings shed light on the temperature dependence of neuronal dynamics and present a comprehensive framework to study neuronal connectivity. This study, which is based on intrinsic neuronal characteristics, may help to understand emergent behavioral changes. The study of the neuronal mechanisms that give rise to the complex behavior of singing in birds has been hotly debated lately. Many models have been tested and novel tools have been developed to try to understand the role of a key brain nucleus in the song pathway: HVC. It is believed that it is highly responsible for generating the precise timing of songs, and this has been tested by manipulating it with temperature. Results showed that cooling can stretch, but that it can also restructure or “break” the song syllables. However, single neuronal mechanisms are not yet described. To better understand this, we cooled HVC in canaries and measured spontaneous activity electrophysiologically. We found three effects: spike shape widening, spike rate reduction and changes in inter-spike-interval (ISI) distributions. To explain them, we built a computational model with a detailed description of ion channel conductances and temperature dependency. We could explain the first effect with a single neuron model. The second, could be explained adding single synapses. Finally, we showed similar ISI modifications of one of the timescales present by means of multiple stochastic inputs. In addition, we found that excitatory neurons show natural bursting behavior at normal brain temperatures and that synaptic delays are the main candidates to explain song stretching at low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías A. Goldin
- Dynamical Systems Laboratory, Physics Department and IFIBA Conicet, University of Buenos Aires, Pabellón 1, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Gabriel B. Mindlin
- Dynamical Systems Laboratory, Physics Department and IFIBA Conicet, University of Buenos Aires, Pabellón 1, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Soares MC, Cardoso SC, Mazzei R, André GI, Morais M, Gozdowska M, Kalamarz-Kubiak H, Kulczykowska E. Region specific changes in nonapeptide levels during client fish interactions with allopatric and sympatric cleaner fish. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180290. [PMID: 28683143 PMCID: PMC5500320 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Social relationships are crucially dependent on individual ability to learn and remember ecologically relevant cues. However, the way animals recognize cues before engaging in any social interaction and how their response is regulated by brain neuromodulators remains unclear. We examined the putative involvement of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT), acting at different brain regions, during fish decision-making in the context of cooperation, by trying to identify how fish distinguish and recognize the value of other social partners or species. We hypothesized that the behavioural responses of cleaner fish clients to different social contexts would be underlain by changes in brain AVT and IT levels. We have found that changes in AVT at the level of forebrain and optic tectum are linked with a response to allopatric cleaners (novel or unfamiliar stimuli) while those at cerebellum are associated with the willingness to be cleaned (in response to sympatric cleaners). On the other hand, higher brain IT levels that were solely found in the diencephalon, also in response to allopatric cleaners. Our results are the first to implicate these nonapeptides, AVT in particular, in the assessment of social cues which enable fish to engage in mutualistic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta C. Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - Sónia C. Cardoso
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Renata Mazzei
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
- Université de Neuchâtel, Institut de Biologie, Eco-Ethologie, Rue Emilie-Argand 11, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gonçalo I. André
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Marta Morais
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Magdalena Gozdowska
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology Department, Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | - Hanna Kalamarz-Kubiak
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology Department, Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | - Ewa Kulczykowska
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology Department, Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
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Remmers F, Lange MD, Hamann M, Ruehle S, Pape HC, Lutz B. Addressing sufficiency of the CB1 receptor for endocannabinoid-mediated functions through conditional genetic rescue in forebrain GABAergic neurons. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:3431-3452. [PMID: 28393261 PMCID: PMC5676814 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1411-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Genetic inactivation of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene in different cell types in the brain has previously revealed necessary functions for distinct synaptic plasticity processes and behaviors. Here, we sought to identify CB1 receptor expression sites that are minimally required to reconstruct normal phenotypes. In a CB1-null background, we re-expressed endogenous CB1 receptors in forebrain GABAergic neurons, thereby assessing the sufficiency of CB1 receptors. Depolarization-induced suppression of inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission was restored in hippocampal and amygdalar circuits. GABAergic CB1 receptors did not convey protection against chemically induced seizures, but prevented the spontaneous mortality observed in CB1 null mutants. Rescue of GABAergic CB1 receptors largely restored normal anxiety-like behavior but improved extinction of learned fear only marginally. This study illustrates that the approach of genetic reconstruction of complex behaviors is feasible. It also revealed distinct degrees of modulation for different emotional behaviors by the GABAergic population of CB1 receptors.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Amygdala/physiology
- Animals
- Anxiety
- Behavior, Animal
- Extinction, Psychological
- Fear
- GABAergic Neurons/physiology
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Hippocampus/physiology
- Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Prosencephalon/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/physiology
- Seizures/chemically induced
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Affiliation(s)
- Floortje Remmers
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Maren D Lange
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Martina Hamann
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sabine Ruehle
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hans-Christian Pape
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfaelische Wilhelms-University, 48149, Muenster, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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37
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Weitekamp CA, Hofmann HA. Neuromolecular correlates of cooperation and conflict during territory defense in a cichlid fish. Horm Behav 2017; 89:145-156. [PMID: 28108326 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cooperative behavior is widespread among animals, yet the neural mechanisms have not been studied in detail. We examined cooperative territory defense behavior and associated neural activity in candidate forebrain regions in the cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni. We find that a territorial male neighbor will engage in territory defense dependent on the perceived threat of the intruder. The resident male, on the other hand, engages in defense based on the size and behavior of his partner, the neighbor. In the neighbor, we find that an index of engagement correlates with neural activity in the putative homolog of the mammalian basolateral amygdala and in the preoptic area, as well as in preoptic dopaminergic neurons. In the resident, neighbor behavior is correlated with neural activity in the homolog of the mammalian hippocampus. Overall, we find distinct neural activity patterns between the neighbor and the resident, suggesting that an individual perceives and processes an intruder challenge differently during cooperative territory defense depending on its own behavioral role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Weitekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA
| | - Hans A Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78705, USA.
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38
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Zengin-Toktas Y, Woolley SC. Singing modulates parvalbumin interneurons throughout songbird forebrain vocal control circuitry. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172944. [PMID: 28235074 PMCID: PMC5325550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Across species, the performance of vocal signals can be modulated by the social environment. Zebra finches, for example, adjust their song performance when singing to females ('female-directed' or FD song) compared to when singing in isolation ('undirected' or UD song). These changes are salient, as females prefer the FD song over the UD song. Despite the importance of these performance changes, the neural mechanisms underlying this social modulation remain poorly understood. Previous work in finches has established that expression of the immediate early gene EGR1 is increased during singing and modulated by social context within the vocal control circuitry. Here, we examined whether particular neural subpopulations within those vocal control regions exhibit similar modulations of EGR1 expression. We compared EGR1 expression in neurons expressing parvalbumin (PV), a calcium buffer that modulates network plasticity and homeostasis, among males that performed FD song, males that produced UD song, or males that did not sing. We found that, overall, singing but not social context significantly affected EGR1 expression in PV neurons throughout the vocal control nuclei. We observed differences in EGR1 expression between two classes of PV interneurons in the basal ganglia nucleus Area X. Additionally, we found that singing altered the amount of PV expression in neurons in HVC and Area X and that distinct PV interneuron types in Area X exhibited different patterns of modulation by singing. These data indicate that throughout the vocal control circuitry the singing-related regulation of EGR1 expression in PV neurons may be less influenced by social context than in other neuron types and raise the possibility of cell-type specific differences in plasticity and calcium buffering.
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Caughey S, Harris AP, Seckl JR, Holmes MC, Yau JLW. Forebrain-Specific Transgene Rescue of 11β-HSD1 Associates with Impaired Spatial Memory and Reduced Hippocampal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor mRNA Levels in Aged 11β-HSD1 Deficient Mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2017; 29. [PMID: 27859809 PMCID: PMC5244685 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mice lacking the intracellular glucocorticoid-regenerating enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) are protected from age-related spatial memory deficits. 11β-HSD1 is expressed predominantly in the brain, liver and adipose tissue. Reduced glucocorticoid levels in the brain in the absence of 11β-HSD1 may underlie the improved memory in aged 11β-HSD1 deficient mice. However, the improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitisation and cardioprotective lipid profile associated with reduced peripheral glucocorticoid regeneration may potentially contribute to the cognitive phenotype of aged 11β-HSD1 deficient mice. In the present study, transgenic mice with forebrain-specific overexpression of 11β-HSD1 (Tg) were intercrossed with global 11β-HSD1 knockout mice (HSD1KO) to examine the influence of forebrain and peripheral 11β-HSD1 activity on spatial memory in aged mice. Transgene-mediated delivery of 11β-HSD1 to the hippocampus and cortex of aged HSD1KO mice reversed the improved spatial memory retention in the Y-maze but not spatial learning in the watermaze. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA levels in the hippocampus of aged HSD1KO mice were increased compared to aged wild-type mice. Rescue of forebrain 11β-HSD1 reduced BDNF mRNA in aged HSD1KO mice to levels comparable to aged wild-type mice. These findings indicate that 11β-HSD1 regenerated glucocorticoids in the forebrain and decreased levels of BDNF mRNA in the hippocampus play a role in spatial memory deficits in aged wild-type mice, although 11β-HSD1 activity in peripheral tissues may also contribute to spatial learning impairments in aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Caughey
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A P Harris
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J R Seckl
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M C Holmes
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J L W Yau
- UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Zhu S, Henninger K, McGrath BC, Cavener DR. PERK Regulates Working Memory and Protein Synthesis-Dependent Memory Flexibility. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162766. [PMID: 27627766 PMCID: PMC5023101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PERK (EIF2AK3) is an ER-resident eIF2α kinase required for memory flexibility and metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent long-term depression, processes known to be dependent on new protein synthesis. Here we investigated PERK’s role in working memory, a cognitive ability that is independent of new protein synthesis, but instead is dependent on cellular Ca2+ dynamics. We found that working memory is impaired in forebrain-specific Perk knockout and pharmacologically PERK-inhibited mice. Moreover, inhibition of PERK in wild-type mice mimics the fear extinction impairment observed in forebrain-specific Perk knockout mice. Our findings reveal a novel role of PERK in cognitive functions and suggest that PERK regulates both Ca2+ -dependent working memory and protein synthesis-dependent memory flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siying Zhu
- Department of Biology, Center of Cellular Dynamics, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Keely Henninger
- Department of Biology, Center of Cellular Dynamics, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Barbara C McGrath
- Department of Biology, Center of Cellular Dynamics, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Douglas R Cavener
- Department of Biology, Center of Cellular Dynamics, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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41
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Abstract
This mini-review article presents the remarkable progress that has been made in the past decade in our understanding of the neural circuitry underlying the regulation of sleep-wake states and circadian control of behaviors. Following a brief introduction to sleep architecture and physiology, the authors describe the neural circuitry and neurotransmitters that regulate sleep and cortical arousal (i.e., wakefulness). They next examine how sleep and wakefulness are regulated by mutual inhibition between sleep-and arousal-promoting circuitry and how this interaction functions analogously to an electronic “flip-flop” switch that ensures behavioral state stability. The authors then discuss the role of circadian and homeostatic processes in the consolidation of sleep, including the physiologic basis of homeostatic sleep drive (i.e., wake-dependent increase in sleep propensity) and the role of the SCN in the circadian regulation of sleep-wake cycles. Finally, they describe the hypothalamic circuitry for the integration of photic and nonphotic environmental time cues and how this integration allows organisms to sculpt patterns of rest-activity and sleep-wake cycles that are optimally adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Fuller
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Room 814, 77 Louis Pasteur Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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42
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Benichov JI, Benezra SE, Vallentin D, Globerson E, Long MA, Tchernichovski O. The Forebrain Song System Mediates Predictive Call Timing in Female and Male Zebra Finches. Curr Biol 2016; 26:309-18. [PMID: 26774786 PMCID: PMC4747672 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The dichotomy between vocal learners and non-learners is a fundamental distinction in the study of animal communication. Male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are vocal learners that acquire a song resembling their tutors', whereas females can only produce innate calls. The acoustic structure of short calls, produced by both males and females, is not learned. However, these calls can be precisely coordinated across individuals. To examine how birds learn to synchronize their calls, we developed a vocal robot that exchanges calls with a partner bird. Because birds answer the robot with stereotyped latencies, we could program it to disrupt each bird's responses by producing calls that are likely to coincide with the bird's. Within minutes, the birds learned to avoid this disruptive masking (jamming) by adjusting the timing of their responses. Notably, females exhibited greater adaptive timing plasticity than males. Further, when challenged with complex rhythms containing jamming elements, birds dynamically adjusted the timing of their calls in anticipation of jamming. Blocking the song system cortical output dramatically reduced the precision of birds' response timing and abolished their ability to avoid jamming. Surprisingly, we observed this effect in both males and females, indicating that the female song system is functional rather than vestigial. We suggest that descending forebrain projections, including the song-production pathway, function as a general-purpose sensorimotor communication system. In the case of calls, it enables plasticity in vocal timing to facilitate social interactions, whereas in the case of songs, plasticity extends to developmental changes in vocal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan I Benichov
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA; Doctoral Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Sam E Benezra
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Daniela Vallentin
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Eitan Globerson
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel; Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Michael A Long
- Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA
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43
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Voronov LN, Konstantinov VY. [Method of Calculating the Distance Between the Classes of the Structural Components of the Forebrain Birds]. Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova 2016; 66:113-124. [PMID: 27263281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The method of calculating the distance between the classes of the structural components of the brain of birds. Compared interclass distances of glia, neurons and neuroglial complexes in the forebrain hooded crow (Corvus cornix) (a bird with a highly rational activity) and common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) (birds with a medium level of rational activity).
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44
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Abstract
Behavioral Neuroscience published a pivotal paper by Moyer, Deyo, and Disterhoft (1990) 25 years ago that described the impaired acquisition of trace-eyeblink conditioning in rabbits with complete removal of the hippocampus. As part of the Behavioral Neuroscience celebration commemorating the 30th anniversary of the journal, we reflect upon the impact of that study on understanding the role of the hippocampus, forebrain, and forebrain-cerebellar interactions that mediate acquisition and retention of trace-conditioned responses, and of declarative memory more globally. We discuss the expansion of the conditioning paradigm to species other than the rabbit, the heterogeneity of responses among hippocampal neurons during trace conditioning, the responsivity of hippocampal neurons following consolidation of conditioning, the role of awareness in conditioning, how blink conditioning can be used as a translational tool by assaying potential therapeutics for cognitive enhancement, how trace and delay classical conditioning may be used to investigate neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, and how the 2 paradigms may be used to understand the relationship between declarative (explicit) and nondeclarative (implicit) memory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Weiss
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
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45
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Abstract
Converging evidence implicates the intermediate and medial mesopallium (IMM) of the domestic chick forebrain in memory for a visual imprinting stimulus. During and after imprinting training, neuronal responsiveness in the IMM to the familiar stimulus exhibits a distinct temporal profile, suggesting several memory phases. We discuss the temporal progression of learning-related biochemical changes in the IMM, relative to the start of this electrophysiological profile. c-fos gene expression increases <15 min after training onset, followed by a learning-related increase in Fos expression, in neurons immunopositive for GABA, taurine and parvalbumin (not calbindin). Approximately simultaneously or shortly after, there are increases in phosphorylation level of glutamate (AMPA) receptor subunits and in releasable neurotransmitter pools of GABA and taurine. Later, the mean area of spine synapse post-synaptic densities, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor number and phosphorylation level of further synaptic proteins are elevated. After ∼ 15 h, learning-related changes in amounts of several synaptic proteins are observed. The results indicate progression from transient/labile to trophic synaptic modification, culminating in stable recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revaz O Solomonia
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Ilia State University, 3/5 K Cholokashvili Av, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia; I. Beritashvili Centre of Experimental Biomedicine, Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | - Brian J McCabe
- University of Cambridge, Department of Zoology, Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, Madingley, Cambridge CB23 8AA, United Kingdom.
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Jacobs SA, Tsien JZ. Overexpression of the NR2A subunit in the forebrain impairs long-term social recognition and non-social olfactory memory. Genes Brain Behav 2015; 13:376-84. [PMID: 24834524 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animals must recognize and remember conspecifics and potential mates, and distinguish these animals from potential heterospecific competitors and predators. Despite its necessity, aged animals are known to exhibit impaired social recognition memory. As the brain ages, the ratio of NR2A:NR2B in the brain increases over time and has been postulated to underlie the cognitive decline observed during the aging process. Here, we test the hypothesis that an increased NR2A:NR2B subunit ratio underlies long-term social recognition memory. Using transgenic overexpression of NR2A in the forebrain regions, we investigated the ability of these mice to learn and remember male and female conspecifics, mice of another strain and animals of another rodent species, the rat. Furthermore, due to the importance of olfaction in social recognition, we tested the olfactory memory in the NR2A transgenic mice. Our series of behavioral experiments revealed significant impairments in the NR2A transgenic mice in long-term social memory of both male and female conspecifics. Additionally, the NR2A transgenic mice are unable to recognize mice of another strain or rats. The NR2A transgenic mice also exhibited long-term memory impairments in the olfactory recognition task. Taken together, our results provide evidence that an increased NR2A:NR2B ratio in the forebrain leads to reduced long-term memory function, including the ethologically important memories such as social recognition and olfactory memory.
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47
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Abstract
Social cues facilitate relationships within communities. Zebra finches form long-term stable mate pairs and produce offspring within a multi-family, multi-generational community that can include hundreds of birds. Males use song to communicate in this complex environment. Males sing as part of their courtship display but also abundantly throughout each day, suggesting a role for their vocal signature outside of a reproductive context. One advantage of a vocal social cue is that it can be exchanged when birds are out of visual contact, as regularly occurs in a zebra finch community. Previous works have demonstrated that females hearing song are affected by their social relationship to the bird singing it, and the immediate social context. Here, we probed the question of whether or not the song itself carried social information, as would be expected from the situations when males sing outside of view of the female. We quantified behavioral and neurogenomic responses to two songs we predicted would have distinct “attractive” qualities in adult females housed in either mixed sex or female-only social communities. Our results show that only mixed sex-housed females show distinctive behavioral and neurogenomic responses to attractive songs. These data are consistent with the idea that the acoustic properties of song carry social information, and that the current social situation modulates the neural and behavioral responses to these signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda C. Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - David R. Vanier
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. London
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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Boskovic Z, Alfonsi F, Rumballe BA, Fonseka S, Windels F, Coulson EJ. The role of p75NTR in cholinergic basal forebrain structure and function. J Neurosci 2014; 34:13033-8. [PMID: 25253850 PMCID: PMC6608337 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2364-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) in adult cholinergic basal forebrain (cBF) neurons is unclear due to conflicting results from previous studies and to limitations of existing p75(NTR)-knock-out mouse models. In the present study we used a novel conditional knock-out line (ChAT-cre p75(in/in)) to assess the role of p75(NTR) in the cBF by eliminating p75(NTR) in choline acetyl-transferase-expressing cells. We show that the absence of p75(NTR) results in a lasting increase in cBF cell number, cell size, and cholinergic innervation to the cortex. Analysis of adult ChAT-cre p75(in/in) mice revealed that mutant animals show a similar loss of cBF neurons with age to that observed in wild-type animals, indicating that p75(NTR) does not play a significant role in mediating this age-related decline in cBF neuronal number. However, the increased cholinergic axonal innervation of the cortex, but not the hippocampus, corresponded to alterations in idiothetic but not allothetic navigation. These findings support a role for p75(NTR)-mediated regulation of cholinergic-dependent cognitive function, and suggest that the variability in previous reports of cBF neuron number may stem from limited spatial and temporal control of p75(NTR) expression in existing knock-out models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoran Boskovic
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Fabienne Alfonsi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Bree A Rumballe
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sachini Fonseka
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Francois Windels
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Coulson
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, Australia
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49
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Brandewiede J, Stork O, Schachner M. NCAM deficiency in the mouse forebrain impairs innate and learned avoidance behaviours. Genes Brain Behav 2014; 13:468-77. [PMID: 24751161 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been implicated in the development and plasticity of neural circuits and the control of hippocampus- and amygdala-dependent learning and behaviour. Previous studies in constitutive NCAM null mutants identified emotional behaviour deficits related to disturbances of hippocampal and amygdala functions. Here, we studied these behaviours in mice conditionally deficient in NCAM in the postmigratory forebrain neurons. We report deficits in both innate and learned avoidance behaviours, as observed in elevated plus maze and passive avoidance tasks. In contrast, general locomotor activity, trait anxiety or neophobia were unaffected by the mutation. Altered avoidance behaviour of the conditional NCAM mutants was associated with a deficit in serotonergic signalling, as indicated by their reduced responsiveness to (±)-8-hydroxy-2-(dipropylamino)-tetralin-induced hypothermia. Another serotonin-dependent behaviour, namely intermale aggression that is massively increased in constitutively NCAM-deficient mice, was not affected in the forebrain-specific mutants. Our data suggest that genetically or environmentally induced changes of NCAM expression in the late postnatal and mature forebrain determine avoidance behaviour and serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Brandewiede
- Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie Hamburg, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg
| | - O Stork
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University
- Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - M Schachner
- Zentrum für Molekulare Neurobiologie Hamburg, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg
- Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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50
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Cordes MA, Stevenson SA, Riters LV. Status-appropriate singing behavior, testosterone and androgen receptor immunolabeling in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Horm Behav 2014; 65:329-39. [PMID: 24594286 PMCID: PMC4010097 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Vocalizations convey information about an individual's motivational, internal, and social status. As circumstances change, individuals respond by adjusting vocal behavior accordingly. In European starlings, a male that acquires a nest site socially dominates other males and dramatically increases courtship song. Although circulating testosterone is associated with social status and vocal production it is possible that steroid receptors fine-tune status-appropriate changes in behavior. Here we explored a possible role for androgen receptors. Male starlings that acquired nest sites produced high rates of courtship song. For a subset of males this occurred even in the absence of elevated circulating testosterone. Immunolabeling for androgen receptors (ARir) was highest in the medial preoptic nucleus (POM) in males with both a nest site and elevated testosterone. For HVC, ARir was higher in dominant males with high testosterone (males that sang longer songs) than dominant males with low testosterone (males that sang shorter songs). ARir in the dorsal medial portion of the nucleus intercollicularis (DM) was elevated in males with high testosterone irrespective of dominance status. Song bout length related positively to ARir in POM, HVC and DM, and testosterone concentrations related positively to ARir in POM and DM. Results suggest that the role of testosterone in vocal behavior differs across brain regions and support the hypothesis that testosterone in POM underlies motivation, testosterone in HVC relates to song quality, and testosterone in DM stimulates vocalizations. Our data also suggest that singing may influence AR independent of testosterone and that alternative androgen-independent pathways regulate status-appropriate singing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cordes
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
| | - S A Stevenson
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA
| | - L V Riters
- Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA
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