小柯机器人

美国哈佛医学院Wade G. Regehr 团队近期取得重要工作进展。他们研究发现烛状细胞是普遍存在的具有特殊环路特性的小脑皮层中间神经元细胞。相关论文2022年5月16日在线发表于《自然—神经科学》杂志。

在这里，研究人员通过在小鼠中使用电生理学、单核RNA测序、原位杂交和连续电子显微镜等方法来阐明它们的特性。他们发现烛状细胞(CCs)是最丰富的PC层中间神经元。它们是GABA能的并且具有分子特异性的，存在于所有小脑小叶中。它们的高电阻使CC对突触输入高度敏感。CCs被MFs和颗粒细胞激发，并被PCs强烈抑制。反过来，CCs主要抑制分子层中间神经元，从而导致PC去抑制。因此，输入、输出和本地信号会聚到CCs上，使它们在控制小脑输出方面发挥独特的作用。

据介绍，为了了解小脑皮层如何将苔藓纤维(MF)输入转换为浦肯野细胞(PC)输出，弄清楚参与这个环路中的元件是至关重要的。烛状细胞(CCs)是小脑皮层的一种神秘的中间神经元，其形态已被识别，但其电生理特性、突触连接和功能仍不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Candelabrum cells are ubiquitous cerebellar cortex interneurons with specialized circuit properties

Author: Osorno, Tomas, Rudolph, Stephanie, Nguyen, Tri, Kozareva, Velina, Nadaf, Naeem M., Norton, Aliya, Macosko, Evan Z., Lee, Wei-Chung Allen, Regehr, Wade G.

Issue&Volume: 2022-05-16

Abstract: To understand how the cerebellar cortex transforms mossy fiber (MF) inputs into Purkinje cell (PC) outputs, it is vital to delineate the elements of this circuit. Candelabrum cells (CCs) are enigmatic interneurons of the cerebellar cortex that have been identified based on their morphology, but their electrophysiological properties, synaptic connections and function remain unknown. Here, we clarify these properties using electrophysiology, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, in situ hybridization and serial electron microscopy in mice. We find that CCs are the most abundant PC layer interneuron. They are GABAergic, molecularly distinct and present in all cerebellar lobules. Their high resistance renders CC firing highly sensitive to synaptic inputs. CCs are excited by MFs and granule cells and are strongly inhibited by PCs. CCs in turn primarily inhibit molecular layer interneurons, which leads to PC disinhibition. Thus, inputs, outputs and local signals converge onto CCs to allow them to assume a unique role in controlling cerebellar output. 

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01057-x

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-022-01057-x

Nature Neuroscience：《自然—神经科学》，创刊于1998年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：28.771
官方网址：https://www.nature.com/neuro/
投稿链接：https://mts-nn.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex