RESEARCH ARTICLE Coordination of rapid cholinergic and dopaminergic signaling in striatum during spontaneous movement Mark Howe†*, Imane Ridouh, Anna Letizia Allegra Mascaro‡, Alyssa Larios, Maite Azcorra, Daniel A Dombeck* Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States Abstract Interplay between dopaminergic and cholinergic neuromodulation in the striatum is crucial for movement control, with prominent models proposing pro-kinetic and anti-kinetic effects of dopamine and acetylcholine release, respectively. However, the natural, movement-related signals of striatum cholinergic neurons and their relationship to simultaneous variations in dopamine signaling are unknown. Here, functional optical recordings in mice were used to establish rapid cholinergic signals in dorsal striatum during spontaneous movements. Bursts across the cholinergic population occurred at transitions between movement states and were marked by *For correspondence: widespread network synchronization which diminished during sustained locomotion. Simultaneous
[email protected] (MH); cholinergic and dopaminergic recordings revealed distinct but coordinated sub-second signals,
[email protected] suggesting a new model where cholinergic population synchrony signals rapid changes in (DAD) movement states while dopamine signals the drive to enact or sustain those states. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.44903.001 Present address: †Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, United States; ‡European Laboratory for Non- Introduction linear Spectroscopy, Florence, Striatum cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) have long been recognized as critical for normal functioning Italy and Neuroscience Institute, of the basal ganglia in the control of movement and in learning and responding to motivational and National Research Council, Pisa, salient stimuli (Apicella et al., 1996; Apicella et al., 1997; Apicella et al., 1991; Collins et al., Italy 2016; Kimura et al., 1984; Kondabolu et al., 2016; Schulz et al., 2011; Kaneko et al., 2000).