GAD67-mediated GABA synthesis and signaling regulate inhibitory synaptic innervation in the visual cortex

The development of GABAergic inhibitory circuits is shaped by neural activity, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we demonstrate a novel function of GABA in regulating GABAergic innervation in the adolescent brain, when GABA is mainly known as an inhibitory transmitter. Conditional knockdown of the rate-limiting synthetic enzyme GAD67 in basket interneurons in adolescent visual cortex resulted in cell autonomous deficits in axon branching, perisomatic synapse formation around pyramidal neurons, and complexity of the innervation fields; the same manipulation had little influence on the subsequent maintenance of perisomatic synapses. These effects of GABA deficiency were rescued by suppressing GABA reuptake and by GABA receptor agonists. Germline knockdown of GAD67 but not GAD65 showed similar deficits, suggesting a specific role of GAD67 in the maturation of perisomatic innervation. Since intracellular GABA levels are modulated by neuronal activity, our results implicate GAD67-mediated GABA synthesis in activity-dependent regulation of inhibitory innervation patterns.     

Synaptic activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors regulates dendritic outputs of thalamic interneurons

Information gating through the thalamus is dependent on the output of thalamic relay neurons. These relay neurons receive convergent innervation from a number of sources, including GABA-containing interneurons that provide feed-forward inhibition. These interneurons are unique in that they have two distinct outputs: axonal and dendritic. In addition to conventional axonal outputs, these interneurons have presynaptic dendrites that may provide localized inhibitory influences. Our study indicates that synaptic activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) increases inhibitory activity in relay neurons by increasing output of presynaptic dendrites of interneurons. Optic tract stimulation increases inhibitory activity in thalamic relay neurons in a frequency- and intensity-dependent manner and is attenuated by mGluR antagonists. Our data suggest that synaptic activation of mGluRs selectively alters dendritic output but not axonal output of thalamic interneurons. This mechanism could serve an important role in focal, feed-forward information processing in addition to dynamic information processing in thalamocortical circuits.     

Skin sensory innervation patterns in embryonic chick hindlimb following dorsal root ganglion reversals

During embryonic development skin sensory neurons in lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) establish their dermatomes and axonal projections in a precise, orderly fashion in the chick. To investigate mechanisms responsible for this specific outgrowth, the rostrocaudal order of DRGs T7-LS3 was reversed by rotating the corresponding segments of neural crest, either alone or together with the underlying neural tube in St.15-16 embryos. The resulting skin sensory innervation patterns, mapped physiologically or anatomically at St.29-40, differed between the two experimental groups. Following neural tube rotations DRGs tended to establish innervation patterns that were consonant with their original position in the embryo. Axons from these rotated DRGs generally projected into the appropriate pathways and innervated the appropriate region of skin. Neural crest rotations left the ventral neural tube (including the motor neuron precursors) largely intact. In this case rotated DRGs tended to establish innervation patterns in accordance with their new position in the embryo, almost as if no rotation had been made. These results cannot be explained solely by the inherent specificity of sensory neurons. Instead, the results are largely consistent with the suggestion (Honig et al., 1986; Landmesser and Honig, 1986) that motor axons can direct the outgrowth of sensory axons and thereby influence the establishment of sensory innervation patterns. Other mechanisms that may also affect the development of sensory innervation patterns are discussed.     

Modeling the spinal pudendo-vesical reflex for bladder control by pudendal afferent stimulation

Electrical stimulation of the pudendal nerve (PN) is a promising approach to restore continence and micturition following bladder dysfunction resulting from neurological disease or injury. Although the pudendo-vesical reflex and its physiological properties are well established, there is limited understanding of the specific neural mechanisms that mediate this reflex. We sought to develop a computational model of the spinal neural network that governs the reflex bladder response to PN stimulation. We implemented and validated a neural network architecture based on previous neuroanatomical and electrophysiological studies. Using synaptically-connected integrate and fire model neurons, we created a network model with realistic spiking behavior. The model produced expected sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN) neuron firing rates from prescribed neural inputs and predicted bladder activation and inhibition with different frequencies of pudendal afferent stimulation. In addition, the model matched experimental results from previous studies of temporal patterns of pudendal afferent stimulation and selective pharmacological blockade of inhibitory neurons. The frequency- and pattern-dependent effects of pudendal afferent stimulation were determined by changes in firing rate of spinal interneurons, suggesting that neural network interactions at the lumbosacral level can mediate the bladder response to different frequencies or temporal patterns of pudendal afferent stimulation. Further, the anatomical structure of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons in the network model was necessary and sufficient to reproduce the critical features of the pudendo-vesical reflex, and this model may prove useful to guide development of novel, more effective electrical stimulation techniques for bladder control.     

Physiological and morphological characterization of olfactory descending interneurons of the male silkworm moth, Bombyx mori

In order to understand the neural mechanisms of pheromone-oriented walking in male silkworm moths, Bombyxmori, we have characterized olfactory responses and three-dimensional structure of two clusters (Group-I, Group-II) of descending interneurons in the brain by intracellular recording and staining with lucifer yellow. Neurons were imaged with laser-scanning confocal microscopy. Group-I and Group-II descending interneurons were classified into three morphological types, respectively. In response to the sex pheromone, bombykol, Type-A Group-I descending interneurons showed characteristic flipflopping activity. The Group-I descending interneurons had dendritic arborizations in the lateral accessory lobe and varicose profiles in the posterior-lateral part of the suboesophageal ganglion where the dendritic arborizations of a neck motor neuron (i.e., cv1 NMN) reside. Other types of Group-I descending interneurons exhibited long-lasting suppression of firing. The pheromonal responses of Group-II descending interneurons fell into two classes: brief excitation and brief inhibition. Type-A Group-II descending interneurons showing brief excitation had blebby processes in the posterior-lateral part of the suboesophageal ganglion. Type-B and Type-C Group-II descending interneurons did not have varicose profiles there. Therefore, the neck motor neuron regulating head turning, which accompanies the pheromone-oriented walking, may be controlled by these two types, flipflop and phasic excitation, of descending activity patterns. Accepted: 2 November 1998     

Monoamines and neuropeptides in antennal lobe interneurons of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria: an immunocytochemical study

As a first step towards unravelling some of the complexity of the signalling and modulatory mechanisms in the antennal lobe (AL) of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria, I analysed the immunocytochemical identity of AL interneurons. Antibodies against serotonin, histamine, locustatachykinin, leucokinin and FMRFamide were used to reveal the morphology of interneurons ramifying in the AL. In addition, double-labelling experiments were performed in order to demonstrate colocalisation of GABA and locustatachykinin and to investigate the ramification patterns of immunolabelled interneurons and physiologically characterised olfactory projection neurons (PNs) injected with Lucifer yellow. Immunoreactivity to these antibodies revealed six different types of interneurons with different patterns of ramification within the glomerular neuropil: (1, 2) Centrifugal interneurons displaying serotonin immunoreactivity, which arborised extensively within the AL and extended varicose fibres into the microglomerular core where close associations with dendrites of AL PNs could be distinguished. (3) Histamine-immunoreactive centrifugal interneurons with arborisations in the protocerebrum and the dorsal non-glomerular regions of the AL and the lobus glomerulatus (LG). (4) Locustatachykinin-immunoreactive local interneurons, colocalising GABA, arborising throughout the AL and extending varicose fibres throughout the glomerular neuropil where close associations with dendrites of AL PNs could be distinguished. (5) Leucokinin-immunoreactive descending neurons connecting the protocerebrum, the AL, the LG and all ganglia of the ventral nerve cord. These neurons displayed sparse innervation of the AL and extended varicose fibres into the interglomerular space. (6) FMRF-amide-immunoreactive centrifugal interneurons, connecting the lateral protocerebrum with the AL and the LG, which arborised sparsely within these neuropils and displayed similar innervation of the microglomeruli as (1) and (2).     

Neuronal replacement in microcircuits of the adult olfactory system

The local-circuit inhibitory interneurons containing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are continuously replaced in the adult olfactory bulb. Here, we describe how the production of new GABAergic interneurons is adapted to experience-induced plasticity. In particular, we discuss how such an adaptation is sensitive to the level of sensory inputs and how, in turn, neurogenesis may adjust the neural network functioning to optimize processing of sensory information. Finally, this review brings together recently described properties of interneurons as well as emerging principles of their functions that indicate a much more complex role for these cells than just that of gatekeepers providing inhibition.     

Neuropeptide S-mediated facilitation of synaptic transmission enforces subthreshold theta oscillations within the lateral amygdala

The neuropeptide S (NPS) receptor system modulates neuronal circuit activity in the amygdala in conjunction with fear, anxiety and the expression and extinction of previously acquired fear memories. Using in vitro brain slice preparations of transgenic GAD67-GFP (Δneo) mice, we investigated the effects of NPS on neural activity in the lateral amygdala as a key region for the formation and extinction of fear memories. We are able to demonstrate that NPS augments excitatory glutamatergic synaptic input onto both projection neurons and interneurons of the lateral amygdala, resulting in enhanced spike activity of both types of cells. These effects were at least in part mediated by presynaptic mechanisms. In turn, inhibition of projection neurons by local interneurons was augmented by NPS, and subthreshold oscillations were strengthened, leading to their shift into the theta frequency range. These data suggest that the multifaceted effects of NPS on amygdaloid circuitry may shape behavior-related network activity patterns in the amygdala and reflect the peptide's potent activity in various forms of affective behavior and emotional memory.     

A specialized subclass of interneurons mediates dopaminergic facilitation of amygdala function

The amygdala is under inhibitory control from the cortex through the activation of local GABAergic interneurons. This inhibition is greatly diminished during heightened emotional states due to dopamine release. However, dopamine excites most amygdala interneurons, suggesting that this dopaminergic gate may be mediated by an unknown subpopulation of interneurons. We hypothesized that this gate is mediated by paracapsular intercalated cells, a subset of interneurons that are innervated by both cortical and mesolimbic dopaminergic afferents. Using transgenic mice that express GFP in GABAergic interneurons, we show that paracapsular cells form a network surrounding the basolateral complex of the amygdala. We found that they provide feedforward inhibition into the basolateral and the central amygdala. Dopamine hyperpolarized paracapsular cells through D1 receptors and substantially suppressed their excitability, resulting in a disinhibition of the basolateral and central nuclei. Suppression of the paracapsular system by dopamine provides a compelling neural mechanism for the increased affective behavior observed during stress or other hyperdopaminergic states.     

Anatomical and functional differentiation of glutamatergic synaptic innervation in the neocortex.

Pyramidal neurons are the principal neurons of the neocortex and their excitatory impact on other pyramidal neurons and interneurons is central to neocortical dynamics. A fundamental principal that has emerged which governs pyramidal neuron excitation of other neurons in the local circuitry of neocortical columns is differential anatomical and physiological properties of the synaptic innervation via the same axon depending on the type of neuron targeted. In this study we derive anatomical principles for divergent innervation of pyramidal neurons of the same type within the local microcircuit. We also review data providing circumstantial and direct evidence for differential synaptic transmission via the same axon from neocortical pyramidal neurons and derive some principles for differential synaptic innervation of pyramidal neurons of the same type, of pyramidal neurons and interneurons and of different types of interneurons. We conclude that differential anatomical and physiological differentiation is a fundamental property of glutamatergic axons of pyramidal neurons in the neocortex.     

Neuronal mechanisms underlying behavioral switching in a pteropod mollusc

Summary In the pteropod mollusc Clione limacina, wing retraction takes precedence over spontaneous and continuous swimming, a phenomenon here defined as behavioral switching. The wing retraction system is organized as a simple reflex in which wing mechanoreceptors activate a pair of retraction interneurons which in turn excite at least two pairs of retraction motoneurons.Activation of individual mechanoreceptors does not inhibit swimming or trigger wing retraction. A pair of retraction interneurons can fully suppress swimming when induced to fire at physiological frequencies, and may be both sufficient and necessary for swim inhibition.Retraction interneurons monosynaptically inhibit both swim interneurons and swim motoneurons. Retraction motoneurons inhibit swim motoneurons through a polysynaptic pathway.A model summarizing the neural circuitry underlying behavioral switching in Clione is presented. A comparison of this model with the behavioral choice model in Pleurobranchaea reveals that the overall neural mechanisms for behavioral choice and behavioral switching are similar as both involve dual function interneurons that not only activate their own motor pathway, but also inhibit the competing motor system. While inhibition is biased toward the afferent side of the competing circuit in behavioral choice, it is biased to the efferent side in behavioral switching.     

Classification and function of GABAergic interneurons of the mammalian cerebral cortex

GABAergic interneurons make up about 20% of neurons in the cortex and are a heterogeneous group of cells. In recent years it has become clear that different populations of interneurons not only provide the balance of excitation and inhibition in neural networks but are also critically important for generation of rhythmic activity, successful processing of sensory information, implementation of synaptic plasticity and a number of other functions. We examine current approaches to classification of interneurons and review the properties and the functional role of basket cells, chandelier cells, neurogliaform interneurons, Martinotti cells, and some other classes of interneurons based on morphological, immunohistochemical, electrophysiological and optogenetic studies. Besides, we consider the opportunities of the selective impact on target population of interneurons and review the data on the role of different types of interneurons in the pathogenesis of epilepsy and schizophrenia.     

Whole-Brain Mapping of Inputs to Projection Neurons and Cholinergic Interneurons in the Dorsal Striatum

The dorsal striatum integrates inputs from multiple brain areas to coordinate voluntary movements, associative plasticity, and reinforcement learning. Its projection neurons consist of the GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that express dopamine receptor type 1 (D1) or dopamine receptor type 2 (D2). Cholinergic interneurons account for a small portion of striatal neuron populations, but they play important roles in striatal functions by synapsing onto the MSNs and other local interneurons. By combining the modified rabies virus with specific Cre- mouse lines, a recent study mapped the monosynaptic input patterns to MSNs. Because only a small number of extrastriatal neurons were labeled in the prior study, it is important to reexamine the input patterns of MSNs with higher labeling efficiency. Additionally, the whole-brain innervation pattern of cholinergic interneurons remains unknown. Using the rabies virus-based transsynaptic tracing method in this study, we comprehensively charted the brain areas that provide direct inputs to D1-MSNs, D2-MSNs, and cholinergic interneurons in the dorsal striatum. We found that both types of projection neurons and the cholinergic interneurons receive extensive inputs from discrete brain areas in the cortex, thalamus, amygdala, and other subcortical areas, several of which were not reported in the previous study. The MSNs and cholinergic interneurons share largely common inputs from areas outside the striatum. However, innervations within the dorsal striatum represent a significantly larger proportion of total inputs for cholinergic interneurons than for the MSNs. The comprehensive maps of direct inputs to striatal MSNs and cholinergic interneurons shall assist future functional dissection of the striatal circuits.     

GABA and neuroligin signaling: linking synaptic activity and adhesion in inhibitory synapse development

GABA-mediated synaptic inhibition is crucial in neural circuit operations. In mammalian brains, the development of inhibitory synapses and innervation patterns is often a prolonged postnatal process, regulated by neural activity. Emerging evidence indicates that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acts beyond inhibitory transmission and regulates inhibitory synapse development. Indeed, GABA(A) receptors not only function as chloride channels that regulate membrane voltage and conductance but also play structural roles in synapse maturation and stabilization. The link from GABA(A) receptors to postsynaptic and presynaptic adhesion is probably mediated, partly by neuroligin-reurexin interactions, which are potent in promoting GABAergic synapse formation. Therefore, similar to glutamate signaling at excitatory synapse, GABA signaling may coordinate maturation of presynaptic and postsynaptic sites at inhibitory synapses. Defining the many steps from GABA signaling to receptor trafficking/stability and neuroligin function will provide further mechanistic insights into activity-dependent development and possibly plasticity of inhibitory synapses.     

Interneuron networks in the hippocampus

The hippocampus has contributed enormously to our understanding of the operation of elemental brain circuits, not least through the classification of forebrain interneurons. Understanding the operation of interneuron networks however requires not only a wiring diagram that describes the innervation and postsynaptic targets of different GABAergic cells, but also an appreciation of the temporal dimension. Interneurons differ extensively in their intrinsic firing rates, their recruitment in different brain rhythms, and in their synaptic kinetics. Furthermore, in common with principal neurons, both the synapses innervating interneurons and the synapses made by these cells are highly modifiable, reflecting both their recent or remote use (short-term and long-term plasticity) and the action of extracellular messengers. This review examines recent progress in understanding how different hippocampal interneuron networks contribute to feedback and feed-forward inhibition at different timescales.     

Wind-activated thoracic interneurons of the cockroach: II. Patterns of connection from ventral giant interneurons

A number of thoracic interneurons (TIs) have been found to receive inputs from ventral giant interneurons (vGIs). Each of these cells responds to wind with short latency depolarizations. The previous paper described response properties of several TIs to wind stimuli, including those excited by vGIs. The data showed a correlation between the shape of the TI's wind fields and its morphology. The presence of ventral branches located near the midline of the ganglion predicts a strong response to wind on that side. These ventral median (VM) branches are in the proper location to permit overlap with processes from vGIs. Here we describe the patterns of connections between individual vGIs and 13 of the thoracic interneurons located in the meso- and metathoracic ganglia. A correlation was found between the presence of VM branches and excitation by vGIs. TIs were only excited by vGIs on the side(s) on which VM branches exist. However, presence of a VM branch does not imply that all vGIs on that side make connections with the TI. Summation was found between various vGIs that excited each individual thoracic interneuron. In unilateral thoracic interneurons, no sign of inhibition was found from vGIs on the sides opposite that which contained excitatory vGI axons. Neither was there any evidence of inhibition from dorsal giant interneurons. In addition preliminary evidence indicated that left-right homologues do not inhibit one another. Thus, the data suggest that directional wind fields are primarily the result of selective connection from specific vGIs.     

Defective pulmonary innervation and autonomic imbalance in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with significant mortality due to lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. The role of embryonic pulmonary innervation in normal lung development and lung maldevelopment in CDH has not been defined. We hypothesize that developmental defects of intrapulmonary innervation, in particular autonomic innervation, occur in CDH. This abnormal embryonic pulmonary innervation may contribute to lung developmental defects and postnatal physiological derangement in CDH. To define patterns of pulmonary innervation in CDH, human CDH and control lung autopsy specimens were stained with the pan-neural marker S-100. To further characterize patterns of overall and autonomic pulmonary innervation during lung development in CDH, the murine nitrofen model of CDH was utilized. Immunostaining for protein gene product 9.5 (a pan-neuronal marker), tyrosine hydroxylase (a sympathetic marker), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (a parasympathetic marker), or VIP (a parasympathetic marker) was performed on lung whole mounts and analyzed via confocal microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction. Peribronchial and perivascular neuronal staining pattern is less complex in human CDH than control lung. In mice, protein gene product 9.5 staining reveals less complex neuronal branching and decreased neural tissue in nitrofen-treated lungs from embryonic day 12.5 to 16.5 compared with controls. Furthermore, nitrofen-treated embryonic lungs exhibited altered autonomic innervation, with a relative increase in sympathetic nerve staining and a decrease in parasympathetic nerve staining compared with controls. These results suggest a primary defect in pulmonary neural developmental in CDH, resulting in less complex neural innervation and autonomic imbalance. Defective embryonic pulmonary innervation may contribute to lung developmental defects and postnatal physiological derangement in CDH.     

Optimizing interneuron circuits for compartment-specific feedback inhibition

Cortical circuits process information by rich recurrent interactions between excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons. One of the prime functions of interneurons is to stabilize the circuit by feedback inhibition, but the level of specificity on which inhibitory feedback operates is not fully resolved. We hypothesized that inhibitory circuits could enable separate feedback control loops for different synaptic input streams, by means of specific feedback inhibition to different neuronal compartments. To investigate this hypothesis, we adopted an optimization approach. Leveraging recent advances in training spiking network models, we optimized the connectivity and short-term plasticity of interneuron circuits for compartment-specific feedback inhibition onto pyramidal neurons. Over the course of the optimization, the interneurons diversified into two classes that resembled parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST) expressing interneurons. Using simulations and mathematical analyses, we show that the resulting circuit can be understood as a neural decoder that inverts the nonlinear biophysical computations performed within the pyramidal cells. Our model provides a proof of concept for studying structure-function relations in cortical circuits by a combination of gradient-based optimization and biologically plausible phenomenological models.     

Identification of a signaling network in lateral nucleus of amygdala important for inhibiting memory specifically related to learned fear

We identified the Grp gene, encoding gastrin-releasing peptide, as being highly expressed both in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala, the nucleus where associations for Pavlovian learned fear are formed, and in the regions that convey fearful auditory information to the lateral nucleus. Moreover, we found that GRP receptor (GRPR) is expressed in GABAergic interneurons of the lateral nucleus. GRP excites these interneurons and increases their inhibition of principal neurons. GRPR-deficient mice showed decreased inhibition of principal neurons by the interneurons, enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP), and greater and more persistent long-term fear memory. By contrast, these mice performed normally in hippocampus-dependent Morris maze. These experiments provide genetic evidence that GRP and its neural circuitry operate as a negative feedback regulating fear and establish a causal relationship between Grpr gene expression, LTP, and amygdala-dependent memory for fear.