The superior colliculus (SC) is the midbrain center for integrating visual and multimodal sensory information. Neurons in the SC exhibit direction and orientation selectivity. Recent studies reported that neurons with similar preferences formed clusters in the mouse SC ([Ahmadlou and Heimel, 2015][1]; [Feinberg and Meister, 2015][2]; [de Malmazet et al., 2018][3]; [Li et al., 2020][4]). However, it remains controversial as to how these clusters are organized within the SC ([Inayat et al., 2015][5]; [Chen et al., 2021][6]). Here, we found that different brain states (i.e., awake or anesthetized with isoflurane) changed the selectivity of individual SC neurons and organizations of the neuronal population in both male and female mice. Using two-photon Ca2+ imaging, we examined both individual neuronal responses and the spatial patterns of their population responses. Under isoflurane anesthesia, orientation selectivity increased and a larger number of orientation-selective cells were observed when compared wit...

Precise information flow from the hippocampus (HP) to prefrontal cortex (PFC) emerges during early development and accounts for cognitive processing throughout life. On flip side, this flow is selectively impaired in mental illness. In mouse models of psychiatric risk mediated by gene-environment interaction (GE), the prefrontal-hippocampal coupling is disrupted already shortly after birth. While this impairment relates to local miswiring in PFC and HP, it might be also because of abnormal connectivity between the two brain areas. Here, we test this hypothesis by combining in vivo electrophysiology and optogenetics with in-depth tracing of projections and monitor the morphology and function of hippocampal afferents in the PFC of control and GE mice of either sex throughout development. We show that projections from the hippocampal CA1 area preferentially target layer 5/6 pyramidal neurons and interneurons, and to a lesser extent layer 2/3 neurons of prelimbic cortex (PL), a subdivision of PFC. In neonatal ...

Proprioception, the sense of limb and body position, generates a map of the body that is essential for proper motor control, yet we know little about precisely how neurons in proprioceptive pathways are wired. Defining the anatomy of secondary neurons in the spinal cord that integrate and relay proprioceptive and potentially cutaneous information from the periphery to the cerebellum is fundamental to understanding how proprioceptive circuits function. Here, we define the unique anatomic trajectories of long-range direct and indirect spinocerebellar pathways as well as local intersegmental spinal circuits using genetic tools in both male and female mice. We find that Clarke's column neurons, a major contributor to the direct spinocerebellar pathway, has mossy fiber terminals that diversify extensively in the cerebellar cortex with axons terminating bilaterally, but with no significant axon collaterals within the spinal cord, medulla, or cerebellar nuclei. By contrast, we find that two of the indirect pathwa...

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell in the brain and perform a wide range of tasks that support neuronal function and circuit activities. There is emerging evidence that astrocytes exhibit molecular and cellular heterogeneity; however, whether distinct subpopulations perform these diverse roles remains poorly defined. Here we show that the Lunatic Fringe-GFP (Lfng-GFP) bacteria artificial chromosome mouse line from both sexes specifically labels astrocyte populations within lamina III and IV of the dorsal spinal cord. Transcriptional profiling of Lfng-GFP+ astrocytes revealed unique molecular profiles, featuring an enriched expression of Notch- and Wnt- pathway components. Leveraging CRE-DOG viral tools, we ablated Lfng-GFP+ astrocytes, which decreased neuronal activity in lamina III and IV and impaired mechanosensation associated with light touch. Together, our findings identify Lfng-GFP+ astrocytes as a unique subpopulation that occupies a distinct anatomic location in the spinal cord and directl...

When we look at our body parts, we are immediately aware that they belong to us and we rarely doubt about the integrity, continuity, and sense of ownership of our body. Despite this certainty, immersive virtual reality (IVR) may lead to a strong feeling of embodiment over an artificial body part seen from a first-person perspective (1PP). Although such feeling of ownership (FO) has been described in different situations, it is not yet understood how this phenomenon is generated at neural level. To track the real-time brain dynamics associated with FO, we delivered transcranial magnetic stimuli over the hand region in the primary motor cortex (M1) and simultaneously recorded electroencephalography (EEG) in 19 healthy volunteers (11 male/8 female) watching IVR renderings of anatomically plausible (full-limb) versus implausible (hand disconnected from the forearm) virtual limbs. Our data show that embodying a virtual hand is temporally associated with a rapid drop of cortical activity of the onlookers' hand r...

In the article, “Differences between Dorsal Root and Trigeminal Ganglion Nociceptors in Mice Revealed by Translational Profiling,” by Salim Megat, Pradipta R. Ray, Diana Tavares-Ferreira, Jamie K. Moy, Ishwarya Sankaranarayanan, Andi Wanghzou, Tzu Fang Lou, Paulino Barragan-Iglesias, Zachary T.

One of the important responsibilities of the Editorial Board is to evaluate the scope of papers published in JNeurosci regularly. As neuroscience researchers, we want to ensure the journal reflects the evolution we see in the field and to ensure the journal remains relevant and interesting to our

Brain function depends on segregation and integration of information processing in brain networks often separated by long-range anatomical connections. Neuronal oscillations orchestrate such distributed processing through transient amplitude and phase coupling, yet surprisingly little is known about local network properties facilitating these functional connections. Here, we test whether criticality—a dynamical state characterized by scale-free oscillations—optimizes the capacity of neuronal networks to couple through amplitude or phase, and transfer information. We coupled in silico networks which exhibit oscillations in the alpha band (8–16 Hz), and varied excitatory and inhibitory connectivity. We found that phase coupling of oscillations emerges at criticality, and that amplitude coupling, as well as information transfer, are maximal when networks are critical. Importantly, regulating criticality through modulation of synaptic gain showed that critical dynamics—as opposed to a static ratio of excitator...

Mutations in some cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) cause abnormal synapse formation and maturation, and serve as one of the potential mechanisms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Recently, DSCAM (Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule) was found to be a high-risk gene for autism. However, it is still unclear how DSCAM contributes to ASD. Here, we show that DSCAM expression was downregulated following synapse maturation, and that DSCAM deficiency caused accelerated dendritic spine maturation during early postnatal development. Mechanistically, the extracellular domain of DSCAM interacts with neuroligin1 (NLGN1) to block the NLGN1-neurexin1β (NRXN1β) interaction. DSCAM extracellular domain was able to rescue spine overmaturation in DSCAM knockdown neurons. Precocious spines in DSCAM-deficient mice showed increased glutamatergic transmission in the developing cortex and induced autism-like behaviors, such as social novelty deficits and repetitive behaviors. Thus, DSCAM might be a repressor that prevents premat...

Peng Chen, Ziyang Liu, Qian Zhang, Dong Lin, Lu Song, et al. (see pages [532–551][1]) Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) have many roles in nervous system development. They guide neuron migration and axon growth, mediate target recognition, and initiate synapse assembly. After the developmental