Whole-Brain Mapping of Direct Inputs to and Axonal Projections from GABAergic Neurons in the Parafacial Zone.
10.1007/s12264-018-0216-8
- Author:
Yun-Ting SU
1
;
Meng-Yang GU
1
;
Xi CHU
2
;
Xiang FENG
1
;
Yan-Qin YU
3
Author Information
1. Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
2. Department of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
3. Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health, Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China. yanqinyu@zju.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
GABAergic neurons;
Parafacial zone;
Parvocellular reticular formation;
Trans-synaptic tracing
- MeSH:
Animals;
Axons;
physiology;
Brain;
anatomy & histology;
Brain Mapping;
Brain Stem;
cytology;
GABAergic Neurons;
physiology;
Green Fluorescent Proteins;
genetics;
metabolism;
Mice;
Mice, Inbred C57BL;
Mice, Transgenic;
Neural Pathways;
physiology;
Peptide Elongation Factor 1;
genetics;
metabolism;
Rabies virus;
genetics;
metabolism;
Transduction, Genetic;
Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transport Proteins;
genetics;
metabolism
- From:
Neuroscience Bulletin
2018;34(3):485-496
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The GABAergic neurons in the parafacial zone (PZ) play an important role in sleep-wake regulation and have been identified as part of a sleep-promoting center in the brainstem, but the long-range connections mediating this function remain poorly characterized. Here, we performed whole-brain mapping of both the inputs and outputs of the GABAergic neurons in the PZ of the mouse brain. We used the modified rabies virus EnvA-ΔG-DsRed combined with a Cre/loxP gene-expression strategy to map the direct monosynaptic inputs to the GABAergic neurons in the PZ, and found that they receive inputs mainly from the hypothalamic area, zona incerta, and parasubthalamic nucleus in the hypothalamus; the substantia nigra, pars reticulata and deep mesencephalic nucleus in the midbrain; and the intermediate reticular nucleus and medial vestibular nucleus (parvocellular part) in the pons and medulla. We also mapped the axonal projections of the PZ GABAergic neurons with adeno-associated virus, and defined the reciprocal connections of the PZ GABAergic neurons with their input and output nuclei. The newly-found inputs and outputs of the PZ were also listed compared with the literature. This cell-type-specific neuronal whole-brain mapping of the PZ GABAergic neurons may reveal the circuits underlying various functions such as sleep-wake regulation.