NYMC Faculty Publications
DOI
10.1523/ENEURO.0270-18.2018
Journal Title
eNeuro
First Page
10.1523/ENEURO.0270
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2018
Department
Physiology
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) neurons in the pontomesencephalic tegmentum (PMT) are thought to play an important role in promoting cortical activation with waking (W) and paradoxical sleep [PS; or rapid eye movement (REM)], but have yet to be proven to do so by selective stimulation and simultaneous recording of identified ACh neurons. Here, we employed optogenetics combined with juxtacellular recording and labeling of neurons in transgenic (TG) mice expressing ChR2 in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-synthesizing neurons. We established in vitro then in vivo in anesthetized (A) and unanesthetized (UA), head-fixed mice that photostimulation elicited a spike with short latency in neurons which could be identified by immunohistochemical staining as ACh neurons within the laterodorsal (LDT)/sublaterodorsal (SubLDT) and pedunculopontine tegmental (PPT) nuclei. Continuous light pulse stimulation during sleep evoked tonic spiking by ACh neurons that elicited a shift from irregular slow wave activity to rhythmic theta and enhanced gamma activity on the cortex without behavioral arousal. With theta frequency rhythmic light pulse stimulation, ACh neurons discharged in bursts that occurred in synchrony with evoked cortical theta. During natural sleep-wake states, they were virtually silent during slow wave sleep (SWS), discharged in bursts during PS and discharged tonically during W. Yet, their bursting during PS was not rhythmic or synchronized with cortical theta but associated with phasic whisker movements. We conclude that ACh PMT neurons promote theta and gamma cortical activity during W and PS by their tonic or phasic discharge through release of ACh onto local neurons within the PMT and/or more distant targets in the hypothalamus and thalamus.
Recommended Citation
Cisse, Y., Toossi, H., Ishibashi, M., Mainville, L., Leonard, C., Adamantidis, A., & Jones, B. (2018). Discharge and Role of Acetylcholine Pontomesencephalic Neurons in Cortical Activity and Sleep-Wake States Examined by Optogenetics and Juxtacellular Recording in Mice. eNeuro, 5 (4), 10.1523/ENEURO.0270. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0270-18.2018
Publisher's Statement
Originally published in eNeuro, 5(4). The original material can be found here.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
