Faculty Bibliography

While adult-born neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) and the dentate gyrus (DG) subregion of the hippocampus have fundamentally different properties, they may have more in common than meets the eye. Here, we propose that new granule cells in the OB and DG may function as modulators of principal neurons to influence pattern separation and that adult neurogenesis constitutes an adaptive mechanism to optimally encode contextual or olfactory information. See the related Perspective from Aimone, Deng, and Gage, 'Resolving New Memories: A Critical Look at the Dentate Gyrus, Adult Neurogenesis, and Pattern Separation,' in this issue of Neuron

The local spatiotemporal pattern of light on the retina is often consistent with a single translational velocity which may also be interpreted as a superposition of spatial patterns translating with different velocities. Human perception reflects such interpretations, as can be demonstrated using stimuli constructed from a superposition of two drifting gratings. Depending on a variety of parameters, these stimuli may be perceived as a coherently moving plaid pattern or as two transparent gratings moving in different directions. Here, we propose a quantitative model that explains how and why such interpretations are selected. An observer's percept corresponds to the most probable interpretation of noisy measurements of local image motion, based on separate prior beliefs about the speed and singularity of visual motion. This model accounts for human perceptual interpretations across a broad range of angles and speeds. With optimized parameters, its components are consistent with previous results in motion perception

Dopamine and dopamine-receptor function are often implicated in behavioral inhibition, and deficiencies within behavioral inhibition processes linked to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and drug addiction. In the stop-signal task, which measures the speed of the process of inhibition [stop-signal reaction time (SSRT)], psychostimulant-related improvement of SSRT in ADHD is linked with dopamine function. However, the precise nature of dopaminergic control over SSRT remains unclear. This study examined region- and receptor-specific modulation of SSRT in the rat using direct infusions of the dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1) antagonist SCH 23390 or dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) antagonist sulpiride into the dorsomedial striatum (DMStr) or nucleus accumbens core (NAcbC). DRD1 and DRD2 antagonists had contrasting effects on SSRT that were specific to the DMStr. SCH 23390 decreased SSRT with little effect on the go response. Conversely, sulpiride increased SSRT but also increased go-trial reaction time and reduced trial completion at the highest doses. These results suggest that DRD1 and DRD2 function within the DMStr, but not the NAcbC, may act to balance behavioral inhibition in a manner that is independent of behavioral activation.

An autosomal dominant mutation in the BRI2/ITM2B gene causes familial Danish dementia (FDD). Analysis of FDD(KI) mice, a mouse model of FDD genetically congruous to the human disease since they carry one mutant and one wild-type Bri2/Itm2b allele, has shown that the Danish mutation causes loss of Bri2 protein, synaptic plasticity and memory impairments. BRI2 is a physiological interactor of Abeta-precursor protein (APP), a gene associated with Alzheimer disease, which inhibits processing of APP. Here, we show that APP/Bri2 complexes are reduced in synaptic membranes of FDD(KI) mice. Consequently, APP metabolites derived from processing of APP by beta-, alpha- and gamma-secretases are increased in Danish dementia mice. APP haplodeficiency prevents memory and synaptic dysfunctions, consistent with a role for APP metabolites in the pathogenesis of memory and synaptic deficits. This genetic suppression provides compelling evidence that APP and BRI2 functionally interact, and that the neurological effects of the Danish form of BRI2 only occur when sufficient levels of APP are supplied by two alleles. This evidence establishes a pathogenic sameness between familial Danish and Alzheimer's dementias.

Individuals with Down syndrome have well known cognitive and sensorimotor impairments, however, the underlying neural processes are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying spatial localization and functional connectivity during voluntary movements of the right index finger. Adults with Down syndrome and healthy control adults participated in this study. Cortical responses were recorded with a 151-channel magnetoencephalographic system. In the Down syndrome group, we observed two distinct patterns of brain activation, an ipsilateral pattern and a contralateral pattern in the low-frequency band. The two distinct patterns of neural activation and the altered underlying network dynamics have not been reported previously, and may reflect differences in sensorimotor organization.

Sleep deprivation (SD) can have a negative impact on cognitive function, but the mechanism(s) by which SD modulates memory remains unclear. We have previously shown that astrocyte-derived adenosine is a candidate molecule involved in the cognitive deficits following a brief period of SD (Halassa et al., 2009). In this study, we examined whether genetic disruption of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attached protein (SNARE)-dependent exocytosis in astrocytes (dnSNARE mice) or pharmacological blockade of A1 receptor signaling using an adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine (CPT), could prevent the negative effects of 6 h of SD on hippocampal late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP) and hippocampus-dependent spatial object recognition memory. We found that SD impaired L-LTP in wild-type mice but not in dnSNARE mice. Similarly, this deficit in L-LTP resulting from SD was prevented by a chronic infusion of CPT. Consistent with these results, we found that hippocampus-dependent memory deficits produced by SD were rescued in dnSNARE mice and CPT-treated mice. These data provide the first evidence that astrocytic ATP and adenosine A1R activity contribute to the effects of SD on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and hippocampus-dependent memory, and suggest a new therapeutic target to reverse the hippocampus-related cognitive deficits induced by sleep loss.

Sustained increase in intraocular pressure represents a major risk factor for eye disease, yet the cellular mechanisms of pressure transduction in the posterior eye are essentially unknown. Here we show that the mouse retina expresses mRNA and protein for the polymodal transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) cation channel known to mediate osmotransduction and mechanotransduction. TRPV4 antibodies labeled perikarya, axons, and dendrites of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and intensely immunostained the optic nerve head. Muller glial cells, but not retinal astrocytes or microglia, also expressed TRPV4 immunoreactivity. The selective TRPV4 agonists 4alpha-PDD and GSK1016790A elevated [Ca(2+)](i) in dissociated RGCs in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin had no effect on [Ca(2+)](RGC). Exposure to hypotonic stimulation evoked robust increases in [Ca(2+)](RGC). RGC responses to TRPV4-selective agonists and hypotonic stimulation were absent in Ca(2+)-free saline and were antagonized by the nonselective TRP channel antagonists Ruthenium Red and gadolinium, but were unaffected by the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine. TRPV4-selective agonists increased the spiking frequency recorded from intact retinas recorded with multielectrode arrays. Sustained exposure to TRPV4 agonists evoked dose-dependent apoptosis of RGCs. Our results demonstrate functional TRPV4 expression in RGCs and suggest that its activation mediates response to membrane stretch leading to elevated [Ca(2+)](i) and augmented excitability. Excessive Ca(2+) influx through TRPV4 predisposes RGCs to activation of Ca(2+)-dependent proapoptotic signaling pathways, indicating that TRPV4 is a component of the response mechanism to pathological elevations of intraocular pressure

Numerous studies have documented the mechanisms that regulate intracellular pH (pH(i)) in hippocampal neurons in response to an acid load. Here, we studied the response of pH(i) to depolarization in cultured hippocampal neurons. Elevation of external K(+) (6-30 mm) elicited an acid transient followed by a large net alkaline shift. Similar responses were observed in acutely dissociated hippocampal neurons. In Ca(2+)-free media, the acid response was curtailed and the alkaline shift enhanced. DIDS blocked the alkaline response and revealed a prolonged underlying acidification that was highly dependent on Ca(2+) entry. Similar alkaline responses could be elicited by AMPA, indicating that this rise in pH(i) was a depolarization-induced alkalinization (DIA). The DIA was found to consist of Cl(-)-dependent and Cl(-)-independent components, each accounting for approximately one-half of the peak amplitude. The Cl(-)-independent component was postulated to arise from operation of the electrogenic Na(+)-HCO(3)(-) cotransporter NBCe1. Quantitative PCR and single-cell multiplex reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated message for NBCe1 in our hippocampal neurons. In neurons cultured from Slc4a4 knock-out (KO) mice, the DIA was reduced by approximately one-half compared with wild type, suggesting that NBCe1 was responsible for the Cl(-)-independent DIA. In Slc4a4 KO neurons, the remaining DIA was virtually abolished in Cl(-)-free media. These data demonstrate that DIA of hippocampal neurons occurs via NBCe1, and a parallel DIDS-sensitive, Cl(-)-dependent mechanism. Our results indicate that, by activating net acid extrusion in response to depolarization, hippocampal neurons can preempt a large, prolonged, Ca(2+)-dependent acidosis