Abstract
Neural circuit function is determined not only by anatomical connections but also by the strength and nature of the connections, that is functional or physiological connectivity. To elucidate functional connectivity, selective stimulation of presynaptic terminals of an identified neuronal population is crucial. However, in the central nervous system, intermingled input fibers make selective electrical stimulation impossible. With optogenetics, this becomes possible, and enables the comprehensive study of functional synaptic connections between an identified population of neurons and defined postsynaptic targets to determine the functional connectome. By stimulating convergent synaptic inputs impinging on individual postsynaptic neurons, low frequency and small amplitude synaptic connections can be detected. Further, the optogenetic approach enables the measurement of cotransmission and its relative strength. Recently, optogenetic methods have been more widely used to study synaptic connectivity and revealed novel synaptic connections and revised connectivity of known projections. In this chapter, I focus on functional synaptic connectivity in the striatum, the main input structure of the basal ganglia, involved in the motivated behavior, cognition, and motor control, and its disruption in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Abbreviations
- ACh:
-
Acetylcholine
- BLA:
-
Basolateral amygdala
- ChAT:
-
Choline acetyltransferase
- ChI:
-
Cholinergic interneuron
- ChR2:
-
Channelrhodopsin 2
- CR:
-
Calretinin-expressing interneurons
- Ctx:
-
Cortex
- DA:
-
Dopamine
- dSPN:
-
Direct-pathway spiny projection neuron
- dStr:
-
Dorsal striatum
- FAI:
-
Fast-adapting interneurons
- FSI:
-
Fast-spiking interneuron
- GP:
-
Globus pallidus
- Hipp:
-
Hippocampus
- iSPN:
-
Indirect-pathway spiny projection neuron
- LTSI:
-
Low-threshold spike interneuron
- M1:
-
Primary motor area of the cortex
- M2:
-
Secondary motor area of the cortex
- NAc:
-
Nucleus accumbens
- NGF:
-
Neurogliaform interneuron
- PFC:
-
Prefrontal cortex
- PPN:
-
Pedunculopontine nucleus
- PV:
-
Parvalbumin
- SABI:
-
Spontaneously active bursting interneurons
- SN:
-
Substantia nigra
- SNc:
-
Substantia nigra pars compacta
- SNr:
-
Substantia nigra pars reticulata
- SOM:
-
Somatostatin
- Str:
-
Striatum
- TH:
-
Tyrosine hydroxylase
- Thal:
-
Thalamus
- THIN:
-
Tyrosine hydroxylase-positive interneuron
- VGLUT:
-
Vesicular glutamate transporter
- vHipp:
-
Ventral hippocampus
- VP:
-
Ventral pallidum
- VTA:
-
Ventral tegmental area
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks Mihran Bakalian and Stephen Rayport for helpful comments and discussion. Writing of this chapter was supported by NIH grant MH117128 and DA038966.
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Chuhma, N. (2021). Functional Connectome Analysis of the Striatum with Optogenetics. In: Yawo, H., Kandori, H., Koizumi, A., Kageyama, R. (eds) Optogenetics. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1293. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_27
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