Electrical Synapses between Dopaminergic Neurons of the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta

Vandecasteele, Marie; Głowiński, J.; Venance, Laurent

doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4167-04.2005

Cited by 66 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Even the structure of the axons of these neurons supports the notion that activity is homogenous across this population of giant cells. Axons of adjacent neurons are electrically coupled to one another in this system (12,13). Modeling studies suggest that this coupling makes it more difficult for individual neurons to fire alone, enforcing highly synchronous and thus, tightly correlated firing across the population (14).…”

Section: Features Of Midbrain Dopamine Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding dopamine and reinforcement learning: The dopamine reward prediction error hypothesis

Glimcher

2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

801

662

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A number of recent advances have been achieved in the study of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Understanding these advances and how they relate to one another requires a deep understanding of the computational models that serve as an explanatory framework and guide ongoing experimental inquiry. This intertwining of theory and experiment now suggests very clearly that the phasic activity of the midbrain dopamine neurons provides a global mechanism for synaptic modification. These synaptic modifications, in turn, provide the mechanistic underpinning for a specific class of reinforcement learning mechanisms that now seem to underlie much of human and animal behavior. This review describes both the critical empirical findings that are at the root of this conclusion and the fantastic theoretical advances from which this conclusion is drawn.

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Section: Features Of Midbrain Dopamine Neuronsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding dopamine and reinforcement learning: The dopamine reward prediction error hypothesis

Glimcher

2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

801

662

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The whole striatum might not need to receive a single dopamine signal, because the basal ganglia circuit is functionally segregated into several parallel circuits such as motor, oculomotor, prefrontal, and limbic circuits (for review, see Alexander et al, 1990). However, it is known that electrical synapses are formed between SNc dopaminergic neurons (Grace and Bunney 1983;Vandecasteele et al, 2005), suggesting a mechanism for synchronization or coactivation of dopaminergic neurons. If a single dopamine signal covers the whole striatum, the present results indicate that at least 37 dopaminergic neurons (19.81/0.54 Ϸ37) have to synchronize and convey the same dopamine signal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Single Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons Form Widely Spread and Highly Dense Axonal Arborizations in the Neostriatum

Matsuda

Furuta²,

Nakamura³

et al. 2009

J. Neurosci.

689

625

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The axonal arbors of single nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons were visualized with a viral vector expressing membrane-targeted green fluorescent protein in rat brain. All eight reconstructed tyrosine hydroxylase-positive dopaminergic neurons possessed widely spread and highly dense axonal arborizations in the neostriatum. All of them emitted very little axon collateral arborization outside of the striatum except for tiny arborization in the external pallidum. The striatal axonal bush of each reconstructed dopaminergic neuron covered 0.45-5.7% (mean Ϯ SD ϭ 2.7 Ϯ 1.5%) of the total volume of the neostriatum. Furthermore, all the dopaminergic neurons innervated both striosome and matrix compartments of the neostriatum, although each neuron's arborization tended to favor one of these compartments. Our findings demonstrate that individual dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra can broadcast a dopamine signal and exert strong influence over a large number of striatal neurons. This divergent signaling should be a key to the function of the nigrostriatal system in dopamine-based learning and suggests that neurodegeneration of individual nigral neurons can affect multiple neurons in the striatum. Thus, these results would also contribute to understanding the clinicopathology of Parkinson's disease and related syndromes.

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“…Recently, functional electrical synapses between nigral DA cells were demonstrated in the postnatal period using dual whole-cell patch cell recordings, which correlated with tracer coupling analysis (Vandecasteele et al, 2005). However, Fig.…”

Section: The Nigro-striatal Dopamine Systemmentioning

confidence: 93%

From the Golgi–Cajal mapping to the transmitter-based characterization of the neuronal networks leading to two modes of brain communication: Wiring and volume transmission

Fuxé¹,

Dahlström²,

Höistad³

et al. 2007

Brain Research Reviews

209

219

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After Golgi-Cajal mapped neural circuits, the discovery and mapping of the central monoamine neurons opened up for a new understanding of interneuronal communication by indicating that another form of communication exists. For instance, it was found that dopamine may be released as a prolactin inhibitory factor from the median eminence, indicating an alternative mode of dopamine communication in the brain. Subsequently, the analysis of the locus coeruleus noradrenaline neurons demonstrated a novel type of lower brainstem neuron that monosynaptically and globally innervated the entire CNS.Furthermore, the ascending raphe serotonin neuron systems were found to globally innervate the forebrain with few synapses, and where deficits in serotonergic function appeared to play a major role in depression. We propose that serotonin reuptake This will lead to the unified execution of information handling and trophism for optimal brain function and survival.

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Electrical Synapses between Dopaminergic Neurons of the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta

Cited by 66 publications

References 60 publications

Understanding dopamine and reinforcement learning: The dopamine reward prediction error hypothesis

Understanding dopamine and reinforcement learning: The dopamine reward prediction error hypothesis

Single Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons Form Widely Spread and Highly Dense Axonal Arborizations in the Neostriatum

From the Golgi–Cajal mapping to the transmitter-based characterization of the neuronal networks leading to two modes of brain communication: Wiring and volume transmission

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