Optogenetic Investigation of Neuronal Excitability and Sensory
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OPTOGENETIC INVESTIGATION OF NEURONAL EXCITABILITY AND SENSORY- MOTOR FUNCTION FOLLOWING A TRANSIENT GLOBAL ISCHEMIA IN MICE by Yicheng Xie Msc, The University of Missouri-Columbia, 2011 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Neuroscience) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) December 2015 © Yicheng Xie, 2015 Abstract Global ischemia occurs during cardiac arrest and has been implicated as a complication that can occur during cardiac surgery. It induces delayed neuronal death in human and animal models, particularly in the hippocampus, while it also can affect the cortex. Other than morphology and measures of cell death, relatively few studies have examined neuronal networks and motor- sensory function following reversible global ischemia in vivo. Optogenetics allows the combination of genetics and optics to control or monitor cells in living tissues. Here, I adapted optogenetics to examine neuronal excitability and motor function in the mouse cortex following a transient global ischemia. Following optogenetic stimulation, I recorded electrical signals from direct stimulation to targeted neuronal populations before and after a 5 min transient global ischemia. I found that both excitatory and inhibitory neuronal network in the somatosensory cortex exhibited prolonged suppression of synaptic transmission despite reperfusion, while the excitability and morphology of neurons recovered rapidly and more completely. Next, I adapted optogenetic motor mapping to investigate the changes of motor processing, and compared to the changes of sensory processing following the transient global ischemia. I found that both sensory and motor processing showed prolonged impairments despite of the recovery of neuronal excitability following reperfusion, presumably due to the unrestored synaptic transmission. Interestingly, motor processing recovered faster and more completely than sensory processing. My results suggest a uniform suppression of synaptic transmission, both in excitatory and inhibitory network, despite the rapid recovery of neuronal excitability and morphology, following a global ischemia and reperfusion. This prolonged suppression of synaptic transmission might impede the recovery of sensory and motor processing with differential ii severity. Besides, I extended tools for mesoscopic imaging using novel optogenetic sensors, including genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators - GCaMPs, and extracellular glutamate sensor - iGluSnFR. I found that iGluSnFR has fastest kinetics for reporting both sensory and spontaneous activity in the cortex, which can resolve temporal features of sensory processing that were not readily observed with GECIs. I suggest that iGluSnFR tools have potential utility in normal physiology, and neurologic pathologies in which abnormalities in glutamatergic signaling are implicated, such as stroke. iii Preface This dissertation is mainly based on works previously published: The pioneer work was led by Shangbin Chen and was published in Journal of Neuroscience (a version of Chapter 2). Chen, S., Mohajerani, M. H., Xie, Y., & Murphy, T. H. (2012). Optogenetic analysis of neuronal excitability during global ischemia reveals selective deficits in sensory processing following reperfusion in mouse cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(39), 13510-13519. Chapter 3 is based on a publication in the Journal of Neuroscience. Xie, Y*., Chen, S*., Wu, Y., & Murphy, T. H. (2014). Prolonged deficits in parvalbumin neuron stimulation-evoked network activity despite recovery of dendritic structure and excitability in the somatosensory cortex following global ischemia in mice. The Journal of Neuroscience, 34(45), 14890-14900. (*Equal contributors). Chapter 4 is based on a publication in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. Xie, Y., Chen, S., Anenberg, E., & Murphy, T. H. (2013). Resistance of optogenetically evoked motor function to global ischemia and reperfusion in mouse in vivo. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 33(8), 1148-1152. A version of Chapter 5 has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Neuroscience. Yicheng Xie, Allen W Chan, Alexander McGirr, Songchao Xue, Dongsheng Xiao, Hongkui iv Zeng, and Timothy H. Murphy. Resolution of high-frequency mesoscale intracortical maps using the genetically-encoded glutamate sensor – iGluSnFR. I conducted the majority of experimental procedures and data analysis, and wrote the draft of manuscripts for the optogenetic characterization of PV-neuronal excitability (Chapter 3) and motor mapping (Chapter 4) during a transient global ischemia, as well as mesoscopic cortical imaging with iGluSnFR (Chapter 5). I conducted experimental procedures and data analysis for the optogenetic characterization of cortical pyramidal neuronal excitability during a transient ischemia, and worked with former post-doctor Shangbin Chen to finish the submission and revision (Chapter 2). Jeff LeDue helped with microscopy set-up for imaging experiments. Pumin Wang helped with animal surgery. Cindy Jiang helped with the management of mouse colony. Dr. Jamie Boyd developed software used for operating previously designed hardware (Ayling et al., 2009). Dr. Timothy H. Murphy supervised the project, edited the published manuscripts, and provided materials and financial supports. Approval for animal experiments was issued by the Animal Care Committee of the University of British Columbia (Protocols A09-0665 and A10-0140). v Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Preface ........................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................xv List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. xvi List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................. xix Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. xxiii Dedication ................................................................................................................................. xxiv Chapter 1: General Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Stroke .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Etiology of Stroke and Its Complications ............................................................... 1 1.1.2 The Importance of Stroke Study ............................................................................. 2 1.1.3 General Pathophysiology of Ischemic Stroke ......................................................... 3 1.1.4 Transient Global Ischemia ...................................................................................... 6 1.2 Brain Excitability and Its Alterations after Transient Ischemia ................................ 10 vi 1.2.1 Assessing Brain Excitability ................................................................................. 10 1.2.2 Brain Excitability after Transient Global Ischemia .............................................. 11 1.3 Optogenetic Tools for Investigating Brain Excitability after Cerebral Ischemia ..... 14 1.3.1 Optogenetic Activators and Inhibitors .................................................................. 14 1.3.2 Optogenetic Sensors for Imaging Brain Activity .................................................. 16 1.3.3 Techniques for Genetic Targeting ........................................................................ 20 1.3.4 Light-Based Optogenetic Mapping and Its Application in Probing Spatial and Temporal Changes in Neuronal Excitability and Motor Output ....................................... 24 1.3.5 Optogenetic Mapping following Stroke ................................................................ 25 1.3.6 Using Optogenetics to Study Brain Plasticity and Diseases ................................. 27 1.4 Hypothesis and Objectives ........................................................................................ 28 Chapter 2: Optogenetic Analysis of Neuronal Excitability during Global Ischemia Reveals Selective Deficits in Sensory Processing following Reperfusion in Mouse Cortex ................ 30 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 30 2.2 Materials and Methods .............................................................................................. 31 2.2.1 Transgenic Mice .................................................................................................... 31 2.2.2 Surgical Procedures .............................................................................................. 32 vii 2.2.3 Global Ischemia Model ......................................................................................... 32 2.2.4 ChR2 Stimulation.................................................................................................