The thalamic reticular nucleus: structure, function and concept

Pinault, Didier

doi:10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.04.008

Cited by 573 publications

(517 citation statements)

References 271 publications

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“…We chose the NRT as a model system because expression of Nxph1 is normally high in the NRT (19). In addition, this region is composed of GABAergic neurons that sustain important brain functions, including sleep-wake regulation, cognition, and neuronal attention (25)(26)(27). Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from Nxph1 KO neurons in the NRT (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of synaptic function through the α-neurexin–specific ligand neurexophilin-1

Born

Breuer

Wang

et al. 2014

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

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Neurotransmission at different synapses is highly variable, and cell-adhesion molecules like α-neurexins (α-Nrxn) and their extracellular binding partners determine synapse function. Although α-Nrxn affect transmission at excitatory and inhibitory synapses, the contribution of neurexophilin-1 (Nxph1), an α-Nrxn ligand with restricted expression in subpopulations of inhibitory neurons, is unclear. To reveal its role, we investigated mice that either lack or overexpress Nxph1. We found that genetic deletion of Nxph1 impaired GABA B receptor (GABA B R)-dependent short-term depression of inhibitory synapses in the nucleus reticularis thalami, a region where Nxph1 is normally expressed at high levels. To test the conclusion that Nxph1 supports presynaptic GABA B R, we expressed Nxph1 ectopically at excitatory terminals in the neocortex, which normally do not contain this molecule but can be modulated by GABA B R. We generated Nxph1-GFP transgenic mice under control of the Thy1.2 promoter and observed a reduced short-term facilitation at these excitatory synapses, representing an inverse phenotype to the knockout. Consistently, the diminished facilitation could be reversed by pharmacologically blocking GABA B R with CGP-55845. Moreover, a complete rescue was achieved by additional blocking of postsynaptic GABA A R with intracellular picrotoxin or gabazine, suggesting that Nxph1 is able to recruit or stabilize both presynaptic GABA B R and postsynaptic GABA A R. In support, immunoelectron microscopy validated the localization of ectopic Nxph1 at the synaptic cleft of excitatory synapses in transgenic mice and revealed an enrichment of GABA A R and GABA B R subunits compared with wild-type animals. Thus, our data propose that Nxph1 plays an instructive role in synaptic short-term plasticity and the configuration with GABA receptors. synaptic transmission | thalamus | autism | neuroligin | ultrastructure

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of synaptic function through the α-neurexin–specific ligand neurexophilin-1

Born

Breuer

Wang

et al. 2014

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

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“…First, by feedback inhibition, they can control the cell's excitability. Second, by lateral inhibition, they can control the cell's receptive field properties (for reviews, see Pinault 2004;Sherman and Guillery 1996).…”

Section: Impact Of Trn Activity On the Receptive Fields Of Mg Cellsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tonotopic Control of Auditory Thalamus Frequency Tuning by Reticular Thalamic Neurons

Cotillon-Williams¹,

Huetz²,

Hennevin³

et al. 2008

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Cotillon-Williams N, Huetz C, Hennevin E, Edeline J-M. Tonotopic control of auditory thalamus frequency tuning by reticular thalamic neurons. J Neurophysiol 99: 1137-1151, 2008. First published December 26, 2007 doi:10.1152/jn.01159.2007. GABAergic cells of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) can potentially exert strong control over transmission of information through thalamus to the cerebral cortex. Anatomical studies have shown that the reticulothalamic connections are spatially organized in the visual, somatosensory, and auditory systems. However, the issue of how inhibitory input from TRN controls the functional properties of thalamic relay cells and whether this control follows topographic rules remains largely unknown. Here we assessed the consequences of increasing or decreasing the activity of small ensembles of TRN neurons on the receptive field properties of medial geniculate (MG) neurons. For each MG cell, the frequency tuning curve and the rate-level function were tested before, during, and after microiontophoretic applications of GABA, or of glutamate, in the auditory sector of the TRN. For 66 MG cells tested during potent pharmacological control of TRN activity, group data did not reveal any significant effects. However, for a population of 20/66 cells (all but 1 recorded in the ventral, tonotopic, division), the breadth of tuning, the frequency selectivity and the acoustic threshold were significantly modified in the directions expected from removing, or reinforcing, a dominant inhibitory input onto MG cells. Such effects occurred only when the distance between the characteristic frequency of the recorded ventral MG cell and that of the TRN cells at the ejection site was Ͻ0.25 octaves; they never occurred for larger distances. This relationship indicates that the functional interactions between TRN cells and ventral MG cells rely on precise topographic connections. I N T R O D U C T I O NThe thalamus is often considered as a "gate" for the transfer of information to neocortex. Understanding the key factors controlling this gate has been the subject of intense research, but several points remain unresolved. The reticular nucleus of the thalamus (TRN) has a key anatomical position and chemical composition to modulate thalamocortical activity. It receives inputs from both thalamus and cortex and sends outputs back to the thalamus (Jones 1975). Exclusively composed of GABAergic neurons (Arcelli et al. 1997; Benson et al. 1991;Houser et al. 1980), it is a major source of inhibition for all thalamic nuclei . In some species and for some sensory modalities, it is the quasi-exclusive source of inhibition in the thalamus, whereas in others it shares this role with local inhibitory interneurons (reviewed in Jones 1985; Sherman and Guillery 2001). The lateral geniculate nucleus possesses around 20% of inhibitory interneurons in all species (Barbaresi et al. 1986; Benson et al. 1992). The somatosensory thalamus and the auditory thalamus possess 20 -25% of inhibitory interneurons in primate and cat (Benson e...

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“…TRN can be divided into five modality-specific sectors. Each sector is defined by the specific relays in thalamus to which they project, the origin of the cortical and thalamic collaterals they receive, and their physiology (Carman et al, 1964;Jones, 1975;Ohara and Lieberman, 1985) (for review, see Guillery et al, 1998;Crabtree, 1999;Pinault, 2004). Visual TRN in the primate receives input from the visual thalamic relay [the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)] via LGN axon collaterals projecting to primary visual cortex (V1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attentional Modulation of Thalamic Reticular Neurons

McAlonan

Cavanaugh²,

Wurtz³

2006

J. Neurosci.

207

156

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The major pathway for visual information reaching cerebral cortex is through the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus. Acting on this vital relay is another thalamic nucleus, the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). This nucleus receives topographically organized collaterals from both thalamus and cortex and sends similarly organized projections back to thalamus. The inputs to the TRN are excitatory, but the output back to the thalamic relay is inhibitory, providing an ideal organization for modulating visual activity during early processing. This functional architecture led Crick in 1984 to hypothesize that TRN serves to direct a searchlight of attention to different regions of the topographic map; however, despite the substantial influence of this hypothesis, the activity of TRN neurons has never been determined during an attention task. We have determined the nature of the response of visual TRN neurons in awake monkeys, and the modulation of that response as the monkeys shifted attention between visual and auditory stimuli. Visual TRN neurons had a strong (194 spikes/s) and fast (25 ms latency) transient increase of activity to spots of light falling in their receptive fields, as well as high background firing rate (45 spikes/s). When attention shifted to the spots of light, the amplitude of the transient visual response typically increased, whereas other neuronal response characteristics remained unchanged. Thus, as predicted previously, TRN activity is modified by shifts of visual attention, and these attentional changes could influence visual processing in LGN via the inhibitory connections back to the thalamus.

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The thalamic reticular nucleus: structure, function and concept

Cited by 573 publications

References 271 publications

Modulation of synaptic function through the α-neurexin–specific ligand neurexophilin-1

Modulation of synaptic function through the α-neurexin–specific ligand neurexophilin-1

Tonotopic Control of Auditory Thalamus Frequency Tuning by Reticular Thalamic Neurons

Attentional Modulation of Thalamic Reticular Neurons

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