Communication in Neural Circuits: Tools, Opportunities, and Challenges

Abstract

Communication, the effective delivery of information, is fundamental to life across all scales and species. Nervous systems (by necessity) may be most specifically adapted among biological tissues for high rate and complexity of information transmitted, and thus, the properties of neural tissue and principles of its organization into circuits may illuminate capabilities and limitations of biological communication. Here, we consider recent developments in tools for studying neural circuits with particular attention to defining neuronal cell types by input and output information streams—i.e., by how they communicate. Complementing approaches that define cell types by virtue of genetic promoter/enhancer properties, this communication-based approach to defining cell types operationally by input/output (I/O) relationships links structure and function, resolves difficulties associated with single-genetic-feature definitions, leverages technology for observing and testing significance of precisely these I/O relationships in intact brains, and maps onto processes through which behavior may be adapted during development, experience, and evolution.

Transcriptional Architecture of Synaptic Communication Delineates GABAergic Neuron Identity

“…A communication-based approach to defining neuron types operationally by input/output relationships has been proposed (Lerner et al, 2016). Here, through single cell transcriptome analysis of phenotype-characterized GABAergic neurons, we have discovered that transcriptional architecture of input/output (I/O) synaptic communication may underlie neuronal identity.…”

Neural control of parental behaviors

“…Second, using these and other approaches in the ever-expanding toolbox available for circuit-cracking in the mouse brain [70], the next step will be to define the circuits into which identified ‘hub neurons’ are embedded, followed by a detailed functional characterization of these circuits to reveal the logic underlying parental behavior. It will be particularly interesting to address whether discrete aspects of multicomponent behaviors are controlled by specific circuit elements.…”

Genetically targeted 3D visualisation of Drosophila neurons under Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microscopy using miniSOG

“…The ability to highlight specified structures helps decipher how macromolecular complexes, cellular components, cells and tissues are organized, giving insight into their function. In neuroscience, given the diversity of molecular, cellular and physiological substrates, fluorescent probes have been used extensively in cell biological, neuroanatomical and neurophysiological studies555657. Yet adopting them for the purpose of light-based neural circuit reconstruction has limitations as it is unclear how segmentation can be implemented on densely labelled neurites across large dimensions and at high resolution.…”