Ensembles code for associative learning in the primate lateral prefrontal cortex

1. Download : Download high-res image (173KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Alterations in time-place learning induced by lesions to the rat medial prefrontal cortex

This experiment examined the effect of medial prefrontal lesions on time-place learning in the rat. During the first phase, prior to lesioning, rats received training on an interval time-place task. Food was available on each of four levers for 3 consecutive min of a 12-min session. The levers provided food in the same sequence on all trials. Rats restricted the majority of their presses on each lever to the time in each session when it provided food and were able to anticipate when a lever was going to provide food. During the second phase some rats received lesions that were restricted to the medial prefrontal cortex. Following these very restricted lesions, rats continued pressing a lever after it stopped providing food (i.e. perseverated, as if their internal clock was running slow). The third phase involved changing the order in which the levers provided food. Lesions had no discernable effect on the rats' ability to learn the correct sequence of food availability. However, this change made the rats' timing perseveration even more noticeable. Our results suggest the medial prefrontal cortex is not necessary for acquisition of time-place sequencing information. However, lesions do appear to produce perseveration on components of the sequence.     

Dendritic reorganization in pyramidal neurons in medial prefrontal cortex after chronic corticosterone administration

Chronic stress produces deficits in cognition accompanied by alterations in neural chemistry and morphology. For example, both stress and chronic administration of corticosterone produce dendritic atrophy in hippocampal neurons (Woolley C, Gould E, McEwen BS. 1990. Exposure to excess glucocorticoids alters dendritic morphology of adult hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Brain Res 531:225–231; Watanabe Y, Gould E, McEwen BS, 1992b. Stress induces atrophy of apical dendrites of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons. Brain Res 588:341–345). Prefrontal cortex is also a target for glucocorticoids involved in the stress response (Meaney MJ, Aitken DH. 1985. [³H]Dexamethasone binding in rat frontal cortex. Brain Res 328:176–180); it shows neurochemical changes in response to stress (e.g., Luine VN, Spencer RL, McEwen BS. 1993. Effect of chronic corticosterone ingestion on spatial memory performance and hippocampal serotonergic function. Brain Res 616:55–70; Crayton JW, Joshi I, Gulati A, Arora RC, Wolf WA. 1996. Effect of corticosterone on serotonin and catecholamine receptors and uptake sites in rat frontal cortex. Brain Res 728:260–262; Takao K, Nagatani T, Kitamura Y, Yamawaki S. 1997. Effects of corticosterone on 5‐HT_1A and 5‐HT₂ receptor binding and on the receptor‐mediated behavioral responses of rats. Eur J Pharmacol 333:123–128; Sandi C, Loscertales M. 1999. Opposite effects on NCAM expression in the rat frontal cortex induced by acute vs. chronic corticosterone treatments. Brain Res 828:127–134), and mediates many of the behaviors that are altered by chronic corticosterone administration (e.g., Lyons DM, Lopez JM, Yang C, Schatzberg AF. 2000. Stress‐level cortisol treatment impairs inhibitory control of behavior in monkeys. J Neurosci 20:7816–7821). To determine if glucocorticoid‐induced morphological changes also occur in medial prefrontal cortex, the effects of chronic corticosterone administration on dendritic morphology in this corticolimbic structure were assessed. Adult male rats received s.c. injections of either corticosterone (10 mg in 250 μL sesame oil; n = 8) or vehicle (250 μL; n = 8) daily for 3 weeks. A third group of rats served as intact controls (n = 4). Brains were stained using a Golgi‐Cox procedure and pyramidal neurons in layer II‐III of medial prefrontal cortex were drawn; dendritic morphology was quantified in three dimensions. Sholl analyses demonstrated a significant redistribution of apical dendrites in corticosterone‐treated animals: the amount of dendritic material proximal to the soma was increased relative to intact rats, while distal dendritic material was decreased relative to intact animals. Thus, chronic glucocorticoid administration dramatically reorganized apical arbors in medial prefrontal cortex. This reorganization likely reflects functional changes and may contribute to stress‐induced changes in cognition. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 49: 245–253, 2001     

Dendritic reorganization in pyramidal neurons in medial prefrontal cortex after chronic corticosterone administration.

Chronic stress produces deficits in cognition accompanied by alterations in neural chemistry and morphology. For example, both stress and chronic administration of corticosterone produce dendritic atrophy in hippocampal neurons (Woolley C, Gould E, McEwen BS. 1990. Exposure to excess glucocorticoids alters dendritic morphology of adult hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Brain Res 531:225-231; Watanabe Y, Gould E, McEwen BS, 1992b. Stress induces atrophy of apical dendrites of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons. Brain Res 588:341-345). Prefrontal cortex is also a target for glucocorticoids involved in the stress response (Meaney MJ, Aitken DH. 1985. [(3)H]Dexamethasone binding in rat frontal cortex. Brain Res 328:176-180); it shows neurochemical changes in response to stress (e.g., Luine VN, Spencer RL, McEwen BS. 1993. Effect of chronic corticosterone ingestion on spatial memory performance and hippocampal serotonergic function. Brain Res 616:55-70; Crayton JW, Joshi I, Gulati A, Arora RC, Wolf WA. 1996. Effect of corticosterone on serotonin and catecholamine receptors and uptake sites in rat frontal cortex. Brain Res 728:260-262; Takao K, Nagatani T, Kitamura Y, Yamawaki S. 1997. Effects of corticosterone on 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2) receptor binding and on the receptor-mediated behavioral responses of rats. Eur J Pharmacol 333:123-128; Sandi C, Loscertales M. 1999. Opposite effects on NCAM expression in the rat frontal cortex induced by acute vs. chronic corticosterone treatments. Brain Res 828:127-134), and mediates many of the behaviors that are altered by chronic corticosterone administration (e.g., Lyons DM, Lopez JM, Yang C, Schatzberg AF. 2000. Stress-level cortisol treatment impairs inhibitory control of behavior in monkeys. J Neurosci 20:7816-7821). To determine if glucocorticoid-induced morphological changes also occur in medial prefrontal cortex, the effects of chronic corticosterone administration on dendritic morphology in this corticolimbic structure were assessed. Adult male rats received s.c. injections of either corticosterone (10 mg in 250 microL sesame oil; n = 8) or vehicle (250 microL; n = 8) daily for 3 weeks. A third group of rats served as intact controls (n = 4). Brains were stained using a Golgi-Cox procedure and pyramidal neurons in layer II-III of medial prefrontal cortex were drawn; dendritic morphology was quantified in three dimensions. Sholl analyses demonstrated a significant redistribution of apical dendrites in corticosterone-treated animals: the amount of dendritic material proximal to the soma was increased relative to intact rats, while distal dendritic material was decreased relative to intact animals. Thus, chronic glucocorticoid administration dramatically reorganized apical arbors in medial prefrontal cortex. This reorganization likely reflects functional changes and may contribute to stress-induced changes in cognition.     

Activity-dependent changes of the hippocampal CA3–CA1 synapse during the acquisition of associative learning in conscious mice

Contemporary neuroscientists are paying increasing attention to subcellular, molecular and electrophysiological mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes. Recent efforts have addressed the development of transgenic mice affected at different stages of the learning process, or emulating pathological conditions involving cognition and motor-learning capabilities. However, a parallel effort is needed to develop stimulating and recording techniques suitable for use in behaving mice, in order to grasp activity-dependent neural changes taking place during the very moment of the process. These in vivo models should integrate the fragmentary information collected by different molecular and in vitro approaches. In this regard, long-term potentiation (LTP) has been proposed as the neural mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity. Moreover, N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors are accepted as the molecular substrate of LTP. It now seems necessary to study the relationship of both LTP and NMDA receptors with the plastic changes taking place, in selected neural structures, during actual learning. Here, we review data on the involvement of the hippocampal CA3–CA1 synapse in the acquisition of classically conditioned eyelid conditioned responses (CRs) in behaving mice. Available data show that LTP, evoked by high-frequency stimulation of Schaffer collaterals, disturbs both the acquisition of CRs and the physiological changes that occur at the CA3–CA1 synapse during learning. Moreover, the administration of NMDA-receptor antagonists is able not only to prevent LTP induction in vivo , but also to hinder the formation of both CRs and functional changes in strength of the CA3–CA1 synapse. Thus, there is experimental evidence relating activity-dependent synaptic changes taking place during actual learning with LTP mechanisms and with the role of NMDA receptors in both processes.     

Noncanonical projections to the hippocampal CA3 regulate spatial learning and memory by modulating the feedforward hippocampal trisynaptic pathway

The hippocampal formation (HF) is well documented as having a feedforward, unidirectional circuit organization termed the trisynaptic pathway. This circuit organization exists along the septotemporal axis of the HF, but the circuit connectivity across septal to temporal regions is less well described. The emergence of viral genetic mapping techniques enhances our ability to determine the detailed complexity of HF circuitry. In earlier work, we mapped a subiculum (SUB) back projection to CA1 prompted by the discovery of theta wave back propagation from the SUB to CA1 and CA3. We reason that this circuitry may represent multiple extended noncanonical pathways involving the subicular complex and hippocampal subregions CA1 and CA3. In the present study, multiple retrograde viral tracing approaches produced robust mapping results, which supports this prediction. We find significant noncanonical synaptic inputs to dorsal hippocampal CA3 from ventral CA1 (vCA1), perirhinal cortex (Prh), and the subicular complex. Thus, CA1 inputs to CA3 run opposite the trisynaptic pathway and in a temporal to septal direction. Our retrograde viral tracing results are confirmed by anterograde-directed viral mapping of projections from input mapped regions to hippocampal dorsal CA3 (dCA3). We find that genetic inactivation of the projection of vCA1 to dCA3 impairs object-related spatial learning and memory but does not modulate anxiety-related behaviors. Our data provide a circuit foundation to explore novel functional roles contributed by these noncanonical hippocampal circuit connections to hippocampal circuit dynamics and learning and memory behaviors.

This study reveals extensive non-canonical synaptic inputs to dorsal hippocampal CA3 from ventral CA1, perirhinal cortex and subicular complex, and shows that genetic inactivation of projection from ventral CA1 to dorsal CA3 impairs object-related spatial learning and memory.     

Social odor discrimination and its enhancement by associative learning in the hippocampal CA2 region

1. Download : Download high-res image (175KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

Activity dynamics and behavioral correlates of CA3 and CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons

The CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons are the major principal cell types of the hippocampus proper. The strongly recurrent collateral system of CA3 cells and the largely parallel-organized CA1 neurons suggest that these regions perform distinct computations. However, a comprehensive comparison between CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells in terms of firing properties, network dynamics, and behavioral correlations is sparse in the intact animal. We performed large-scale recordings in the dorsal hippocampus of rats to quantify the similarities and differences between CA1 (n > 3,600) and CA3 (n > 2,200) pyramidal cells during sleep and exploration in multiple environments. CA1 and CA3 neurons differed significantly in firing rates, spike burst propensity, spike entrainment by the theta rhythm, and other aspects of spiking dynamics in a brain state-dependent manner. A smaller proportion of CA3 than CA1 cells displayed prominent place fields, but place fields of CA3 neurons were more compact, more stable, and carried more spatial information per spike than those of CA1 pyramidal cells. Several other features of the two cell types were specific to the testing environment. CA3 neurons showed less pronounced phase precession and a weaker position versus spike-phase relationship than CA1 cells. Our findings suggest that these distinct activity dynamics of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cells support their distinct computational roles.     

Cells of origin of the hippocampal afferent projection from the nucleus reuniens thalami

Summary Neurons of the nucleus reuniens thalami stained with Golgi methods are compared to cells in this nucleus labelled in retrograde fashion after hippocampal injections of horseradish peroxidase. The cellular morphology ranges from fusiform to multiangular with most cells showing radiating processes characteristic of neurons in the reticular core. Dendrites are long and relatively smooth, with a few sparsely distributed spinous processes. These cells are comparable to the cholinergic cells of the median septal/diagonal band area which also project into the hippocampal formation.We would like to thank Mr. Al Cibivicious for his excellent technical assistance. This research was supported in part by general research funds awarded to R.H.B. by East Tennessee State University     

Age‐dependent expression of Nav1.9 channels in medial prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons in rats

Developmental changes that occur in the prefrontal cortex during adolescence alter behavior. These behavioral alterations likely stem from changes in prefrontal cortex neuronal activity, which may depend on the properties and expression of ion channels. Nav1.9 sodium channels conduct a Na⁺ current that is TTX resistant with a low threshold and noninactivating over time. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of Nav1.9 channels in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) layer II and V pyramidal neurons in young (20‐day old), late adolescent (60‐day old), and adult (6‐ to 7‐month old) rats. First, we demonstrated that layer II and V mPFC pyramidal neurons in slices obtained from young rats exhibited a TTX‐resistant, low‐threshold, noninactivating, and voltage‐dependent Na⁺ current. The mRNA expression of the SCN11a gene (which encodes the Nav1.9 channel) in mPFC tissue was significantly higher in young rats than in late adolescent and adult rats. Nav1.9 protein was immunofluorescently labeled in mPFC cells in slices and analyzed via confocal microscopy. Nav1.9 immunolabeling was present in layer II and V mPFC pyramidal neurons and was more prominent in the neurons of young rats than in the neurons of late adolescent and adult rats. We conclude that Nav1.9 channels are expressed in layer II and V mPFC pyramidal neurons and that Nav1.9 protein expression in the mPFC pyramidal neurons of late adolescent and adult rats is lower than that in the neurons of young rats. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 1371–1384, 2017     

Early stress and chronic methylphenidate cross-sensitize dopaminergic responses in the adolescent medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

Methylphenidate (MP) is widely used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. However, basic research has been mainly focused on MP treatment in adult, behaviorally normal rodents. Here we analyzed MP-evoked changes of dopamine (DA) release in the limbic system of juvenile rodents with hyperactive and attention deficit-like symptoms. Using dual probe in vivo microdialysis, DA levels were quantified in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of juvenile and adolescent degus ( Octodon degus ). Acute stress- and acute MP-evoked dopaminergic responses in normal juvenile and adolescent animals were compared with (i) animals showing symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficits induced by early life stress, i.e. repeated parental separation during the first 3 weeks of life, and (ii) animals chronically treated with MP during pre-adolescence. Our main results revealed that (i) early life stress and (ii) chronic MP treatment during pre-adolescence cross-sensitize limbic dopaminergic functions in adolescent animals. Furthermore, we demonstrated a unique pattern of acute MP-evoked DA release in the juvenile compared with the adolescent medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Our findings that the functional maturation of dopaminergic limbic function is significantly altered by early life experience, i.e. repeated parental separation and chronic MP treatment, allow novel insights into the etiology of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and into the long-term consequences of MP treatment on brain development.     

Loss of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in mice lacking STAM1

STAM1, a member of the STAM (signal transducing adapter molecule) family, has a unique structure containing a Src homology 3 domain and ITAM (immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif). STAM1 was previously shown to be associated with the Jak2 and Jak3 tyrosine kinases and to be involved in the regulation of intracellular signal transduction mediated by interleukin-2 (IL-2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in vitro. Here we generated mice lacking STAM1 by using homologous recombination with embryonic stem cells. STAM1(-/-) mice were morphologically indistinguishable from their littermates at birth. However, growth retardation in the third week after birth was observed for the STAM1(-/-) mice. Unexpectedly, despite the absence of STAM1, hematopoietic cells, including T- and B-lymphocyte and other hematopoietic cell populations, developed normally and responded well to several cytokines, including IL-2 and GM-CSF. However, histological analyses revealed the disappearance of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in STAM1(-/-) mice. Furthermore, we observed that primary hippocampal neurons derived from STAM1(-/-) mice are vulnerable to cell death induced by excitotoxic amino acids or an NO donor. These data suggest that STAM1 is dispensable for cytokine-mediated signaling in lymphocytes but may be involved in the survival of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons.     

Activity-dependent regulation of h channel distribution in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons

The hyperpolarization-activated cation current, I(h), plays an important role in regulating intrinsic neuronal excitability in the brain. In hippocampal pyramidal neurons, I(h) is mediated by h channels comprised primarily of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel subunits, HCN1 and HCN2. Pyramidal neuron h channels within hippocampal area CA1 are remarkably enriched in distal apical dendrites, and this unique distribution pattern is critical for regulating dendritic excitability. We utilized biochemical and immunohistochemical approaches in organotypic slice cultures to explore factors that control h channel localization in dendrites. We found that distal dendritic enrichment of HCN1 is first detectable at postnatal day 13, reaching maximal enrichment by the 3rd postnatal week. Interestingly we found that an intact entorhinal cortex, which projects to distal dendrites of CA1 but not area CA3, is critical for the establishment and maintenance of distal dendritic enrichment of HCN1. Moreover blockade of excitatory neurotransmission using tetrodotoxin, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, or 2-aminophosphonovalerate redistributed HCN1 evenly throughout the dendrite without significant changes in protein expression levels. Inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity, but not p38 MAPK, also redistributed HCN1 in CA1 pyramidal neurons. We conclude that activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors by excitatory temporoammonic pathway projections from the entorhinal cortex establishes and maintains the distribution pattern of HCN1 in CA1 pyramidal neuron dendrites by activating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-mediated downstream signals.     

Integrative properties of radial oblique dendrites in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons

Although radial oblique dendrites are a major synaptic input site in CA1 pyramidal neurons, little is known about their integrative properties. We have used multisite two-photon glutamate uncaging to deliver different spatiotemporal input patterns to single branches while simultaneously recording the uncaging-evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials and local Ca2+ signals. Asynchronous input patterns sum linearly in spite of the spatial clustering and produce Ca2+ signals that are mediated by NMDA receptors (NMDARs). Appropriately timed and sized input patterns ( approximately 20 inputs within approximately 6 ms) produce a supralinear summation due to the initiation of a dendritic spike. The Ca2+ signals associated with synchronous input were larger and mediated by influx through both NMDARs and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs). The oblique spike is a fast Na+ spike whose duration is shaped by the coincident activation of NMDAR, VGCCs, and transient K+ currents. Our results suggest that individual branches can function as single integrative compartments.     

羟基马桑毒素所致的大鼠海马锥体细胞痫样放电活动

本研究采用离体海马脑片电生理研究技术,细胞外记录海马锥体细胞群体锋电位(population spike,PS),观察羟基马桑毒素(tutin)对大鼠海马脑片CA1区锥体细胞电活动的影响,探讨tutin是否具有致痛作用及其致痫机制。结果如下:(1)用40、30和20μg/ml浓度的tutin灌流海马脑片,可显著增高由顺向刺激Schaffer侧支所诱发的PS的幅度,灌流tutin 30min时,PS第一个波的幅度分别为对照的(388.7±20.1)%、(317.2±19.1)%和(180.9±11.6)%(各组n=5,P<0.05)。(2)伴随PS波幅的增高,可出现成串痫样放电波,波数4～11个不等。(3)灌流tutin后的部分脑片(n=9/34),在未刺激Schaffer侧支时也出现自发的成串、高幅痫样放电。(4)灌流CNQX阻断非NMDA受体后,再灌流tutin,PS幅度和放电波数均无显著性变化,即CNQX可完全抑制tutin所致的痫样放电;灌流AP-5阻断NMDA受体后,tutin仍可使PS幅度增高但放电波数无显著性增加,即AP-5可部分抑制tutin所致的痫样放电。上述结果表明,tutin可使海马脑片锥体细胞兴奋活动增强,具有致痫作用;兴奋性谷氨酸受体尤其是非NMDA受体可能介导tutin的致痫作用。     

Lateralized learning and memory effects of angiotensin II microinjected into the rat CA1 hippocampal area

The effects of angiotensin II (ANG II) microinjected unilaterally (left or right) and bilaterally (left and right) at a dose of 0.5 microg (0.5 nmol) into the CA1 hippocampal area of male Sprague Dowley rats on learning and memory (shuttle box) were studied. Bilateral microinjections of ANG II improved learning, i.e. increased the number of avoidances during the two training days as compared to the respective controls microinjected with saline. ANG II facilitated learning and memory, especially when microinjected into the left CA1 hippocampal area as compared to the respective controls microinjected with saline. Left-side microinjection of ANG II increased the number of avoidances on the first and second training day as compared to the right-side microinjection of ANG II. These findings suggest asymmetric effects of ANG II on cognitive processes in hippocampus.     

Inhibitory processes of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons following kindling-induced epilepsy in the rat

To determine the alterations in cellular function which may contribute to the chronic predisposition of neuronal tissue to epileptiform activity, the membrane properties and inhibitory processes of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells were investigated using in vitro slices prepared from commissural-kindled rats. No changes were observed in resting membrane potential, input resistance, spike amplitude, and membrane time constant of "kindled" CA1 pyramidal neurons when compared with controls. There were also no differences between control and kindled preparations in the amplitude of recurrent inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSP) and in the duration of inhibition produced by either alvear (Alv) or stratum radiatum (SR) stimulation. Irrespective of group, repetitive stimulation of the Alv reduced the amplitude of the recurrent IPSP but failed to induce seizurelike activity. On the other hand, repetitive stimulation of SR frequently produced a neuronal burst discharge even though the duration and to some extent the amplitude of orthodromic inhibition was increased. On the basis of these data, it may be suggested that chronic changes in CA1 pyramidal cell membrane properties and transient reductions of inhibitory processes do not underlie the enhanced sensitivity of these neurons to seizure activity associated with kindling.