Effects of optogenetic stimulation of vasopressinergic retinal afferents on suprachiasmatic neurones

AbstractFear generalization and deficits in extinction learning are debilitating dimensions of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Most understanding of the neurobiology underlying these dimensions comes from studies of cortical and limbic brain regions. While thalamic and subthalamic regions have been implicated in modulating fear, the potential for incerto-thalamic pathways to suppress fear generalization and rescue deficits in extinction recall remains unexplored. We first used patch-clamp electrophysiology to examine functional connections between the subthalamic zona incerta and thalamic reuniens (RE). Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic ZI → RE cell terminals in vitro induced inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) in the RE. We then combined high-intensity discriminative auditory fear conditioning with cell-type-specific and projection-specific optogenetics in mice to assess functional roles of GABAergic ZI → RE cell projections in modulating fear generalization and extinction recall. In addition, we used a similar approach to test the possibility of fear generalization and extinction recall being modulated by a smaller subset of GABAergic ZI → RE cells, the A13 dopaminergic cell population. Optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic ZI → RE cell terminals attenuated fear generalization and enhanced extinction recall. In contrast, optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic ZI → RE cell terminals had no effect on fear generalization but enhanced extinction recall in a dopamine receptor D1-dependent manner. Our findings shed new light on the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of ZI-located cells that contribute to adaptive fear by increasing the precision and extinction of learned associations. In so doing, these data reveal novel neuroanatomical substrates that could be therapeutically targeted for treatment of PTSD.

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Involvement of MCH-oxytocin neural relay within the hypothalamus in murine nursing behavior

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82773-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yoko Kato ◽

Harumi Katsumata ◽

Ayumu Inutsuka ◽

Akihiro Yamanaka ◽

Tatsushi Onaka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mammalian Species ◽

Virgin Female ◽

Essential Elements ◽

Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽

Male Mice ◽

Hypothalamic Area ◽

Functional Roles ◽

Genetic Ablation ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

Stimulation Of

AbstractMultiple sequential actions, performed during parental behaviors, are essential elements of reproduction in mammalian species. We showed that neurons expressing melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) are more active in rodents of both sexes when exhibiting parental nursing behavior. Genetic ablation of the LHA-MCH neurons impaired maternal nursing. The post-birth survival rate was lower in pups born to female mice with congenitally ablated MCH neurons under control of tet-off system, exhibiting reduced crouching behavior. Virgin female and male mice with ablated MCH neurons were less interested in pups and maternal care. Chemogenetic and optogenetic stimulation of LHA-MCH neurons induced parental nursing in virgin female and male mice. LHA-MCH GABAergic neurons project fibres to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) neurons. Optogenetic stimulation of PVN induces nursing crouching behavior along with increasing plasma oxytocin levels. The hypothalamic MCH neural relays play important functional roles in parental nursing behavior in female and male mice.

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Direct optogenetic stimulation of smooth muscle cells to control gastric contractility

10.1055/s-0041-1733752 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

R Patejdl ◽

M Vogt ◽

B Schulz ◽

A Wagdi ◽

J Lebert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Muscle Cells ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

Stimulation Of

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Striatal dopamine mediates hallucination-like perception in mice

Science ◽

10.1126/science.abf4740 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 372 (6537) ◽

pp. eabf4740

Author(s):

K. Schmack ◽

M. Bosc ◽

T. Ott ◽

J. F. Sturgill ◽

A. Kepecs

Keyword(s):

Psychotic Disorders ◽

Neural Circuit ◽

Dopamine Neurons ◽

Striatal Dopamine ◽

Model Organisms ◽

High Confidence ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

The Brain ◽

Central Symptom ◽

Stimulation Of

Hallucinations, a central symptom of psychotic disorders, are attributed to excessive dopamine in the brain. However, the neural circuit mechanisms by which dopamine produces hallucinations remain elusive, largely because hallucinations have been challenging to study in model organisms. We developed a task to quantify hallucination-like perception in mice. Hallucination-like percepts, defined as high-confidence false detections, increased after hallucination-related manipulations in mice and correlated with self-reported hallucinations in humans. Hallucination-like percepts were preceded by elevated striatal dopamine levels, could be induced by optogenetic stimulation of mesostriatal dopamine neurons, and could be reversed by the antipsychotic drug haloperidol. These findings reveal a causal role for dopamine-dependent striatal circuits in hallucination-like perception and open new avenues to develop circuit-based treatments for psychotic disorders.

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Antidepressant Effect of Optogenetic Stimulation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Journal of Neuroscience ◽

10.1523/jneurosci.1731-10.2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 30 (48) ◽

pp. 16082-16090 ◽

Cited By ~ 351

Author(s):

H. E. Covington ◽

M. K. Lobo ◽

I. Maze ◽

V. Vialou ◽

J. M. Hyman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Antidepressant Effect ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

Stimulation Of

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Ultrafast optogenetic stimulation of the auditory pathway by targeting‐optimized Chronos

The EMBO Journal ◽

10.15252/embj.201899649 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 37 (24) ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Daniel Keppeler ◽

Ricardo Martins Merino ◽

David Lopez de la Morena ◽

Burak Bali ◽

Antoine Tarquin Huet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Auditory Pathway ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

Stimulation Of

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Disruptions in effort-based decision-making following acute optogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine cells

Learning & Memory ◽

10.1101/lm.053082.120 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 104-108

Author(s):

Benjamin R. Fry ◽

Nathan T. Pence ◽

Andrew McLocklin ◽

Alexander W. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ventral Tegmental Area ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

Ventral Tegmental ◽

Stimulation Of

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Cholinergic upregulation by optogenetic stimulation of nucleus basalis after photothrombotic stroke in forelimb somatosensory cortex improves endpoint and motor but not sensory control of skilled reaching in mice

10.1101/2020.06.09.143354 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Behroo Mirza Agha ◽

Roya Akbary ◽

Arashk Ghasroddashti ◽

Mojtaba Nazari-Ahangarkolaee ◽

Ian Q. Whishaw ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Somatosensory Cortex ◽

Sensorimotor Integration ◽

Motor Behavior ◽

Field Potential ◽

Cholinergic Neurons ◽

Nucleus Basalis ◽

Optogenetic Stimulation ◽

Photothrombotic Stroke ◽

Skilled Reaching ◽

Stimulation Of

AbstractA network of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain innerve the forebrain and are proposed to contribute to a variety of functions including attention, and cortical plasticity. This study examined the contribution of the nucleus basalis cholinergic projection to the sensorimotor cortex on recovery on a skilled reach-to-eat task following photothrombotic stroke in the forelimb region of the somatosensory cortex. Mice were trained to perform a single-pellet skilled reaching task and their pre and poststroke performance, from Day 4 to Day 28 poststroke, was assessed frame-by-frame by video analysis with end point, movement and sensorimotor integration measures. Somatosensory forelimb lesions produced impairments in endpoint and movement component measures of reaching and increased the incidence of fictive eating, a sensory impairment in mistaking a missed reach for a successful reach. Upregulated acetylcholine (ACh) release, as measured by local field potential recording, elicited via optogenetic stimulation of the nucleus basalis improved recovery of reaching and improved movement scores but did not affect a sensorimotor integration impairment poststroke. The results show that the mouse cortical forelimb somatosensory region contributes to forelimb motor behavior and suggest that ACh upregulation could serve as an adjunct to behavioral therapy for the acute treatment of stroke.

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