Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Summary

Here, we present protocols for the preparation of acute brain slices containing the lateral geniculate nucleus and the electrophysiological investigation of retinogeniculate and corticogeniculate synapses function. This protocol provides an efficient way to study synapses with the high-release and low-release probability in the same acute brain slices.

Abstract

The lateral geniculate nucleus is the first relay station for the visual information. Relay neurons of this thalamic nucleus integrate input from retinal ganglion cells and project it to the visual cortex. In addition, relay neurons receive top-down excitation from the cortex. The two main excitatory inputs to the relay neurons differ in several aspects. Each relay neuron receives input from only a few retinogeniculate synapses, which are large terminals with many release sites. This is reflected by the comparably strong excitation, the relay neurons receive, from retinal ganglion cells. Corticogeniculate synapses, in contrast, are simpler with few release sites and weaker synaptic strength. The two synapses also differ in their synaptic short-term plasticity. Retinogeniculate synapses have a high release probability and consequently display a short-term depression. In contrast, corticogeniculate synapses have a low release probability. Corticogeniculate fibers traverse the reticular thalamic nuclei before entering the lateral geniculate nucleus. The different locations of the reticular thalamic nucleus (rostrally from the lateral geniculate nucleus) and optic tract (ventro-laterally from the lateral geniculate nucleus) allow stimulating corticogeniculate or retinogeniculate synapses separately with extracellular stimulation electrodes. This makes the lateral geniculate nucleus an ideal brain area where two excitatory synapses with very different properties impinging onto the same cell type, can be studied simultaneously. Here, we describe a method to investigate the recording from relay neurons and to perform detailed analysis of the retinogeniculate and corticogeniculate synapse function in acute brain slices. The article contains a step-by-step protocol for the generation of acute brain slices of the lateral geniculate nucleus and steps for recording activity from relay neurons by stimulating the optic tract and corticogeniculate fibers separately.

Introduction

Relay neurons of the lateral geniculate nucleus integrate and relay visual information to the visual cortex. These neurons receive excitatory input from ganglion cells via retinogeniculate synapses, which provide the main excitatory drive for relay neurons. In addition, relay neurons receive excitatory inputs from cortical neurons via corticogeniculate synapses. Moreover, relay neurons receive inhibitory inputs from local interneurons and GABAergic neurons of the nucleus reticularis thalami¹. The nucleus reticularis thalami is present like a shield between thalamus and cortex such that fibers projecting from cortex to thalamus and in the opposi....

Protocol

All the experiments were approved by the Governmental Supervisory Panel on Animal Experiments of Rhineland-Palatinate.

1. Solutions

1. Dissection solution
   1. To reduce excitotoxicity, prepare a choline-based solution to be used during the dissection as presented here (in mM): 87 NaCl, 2.5 KCl, 37.5 choline chloride, 25 NaHCO₃, 1.25 NaH₂PO₄, 0.5 CaCl₂, 7 MgCl_2, and₂₅ glucose. Prepare the dissection solution less.......

Discussion

We describe an improved protocol based on a previously published method³, which allows for the investigation of the high probability of release retinogeniculate synapses and low probability of release corticogeniculate synapses from the same slice. This is of great importance since these two inputs interact with each other to modulate the visual signal transmission: retinogeniculate inputs are the main excitatory drive of relay neurons, whereas corticothalamic inputs function as a modulator, which.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Amplifier	HEKA Elektronik	EPC 10 USB Double patch clamp amplifier
Biocytin	Sigma-Aldrich	B4261-250MG
CaCl2	EMSURE	1.02382.1000
choline chloride	Sigma-Aldrich	C1879-1KG
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope	Leica Microsystems	TCS SP5
CsCl	EMSURE	1.02038.0100
Cs-gluconate	Self-prepared		Since there was no commercial Cs-gluconate, we prepared it by ourselves
D-600	Sigma-Aldrich	M5644-50MG	methoxyverapamil hydrochloride
D-APV	Biotrend	BN0085-100	NMDA-receptor antagonist
Digital camera for microscope	Olympus	XM10
EGTA	SERVA	11290.02
Forene	Abbvie	2594.00.00	isoflurane
Glucose	Sigma-Aldrich	49159-1KG
HEPES	ROTH	9105.2
High Current Stimulus Isolator	World Precision Instruments	A385
KCl	EMSURE	1.04936.1000
MgCl2	EMSURE	1.05833.0250
Micromanipulators	Luigs & Neumann	SM7
Miroscope	Olympus	BX51
mounting medium	ThermoFisher Scientific	P36930	Prolong Gold Invitrogen
NaCl	ROTH	3957.1
NaH2PO4	EMSURE	1.06346.1000
NaHCO3	EMSURE	1.06329.1000
Pipette	Hilgenberg	1807502
Puller	Sutter	P-1000
razor blade	Personna	60-0138
Semiautomatic Vibratome	Leica  Biosystems	VT1200S
SR 95531 hydrobromide	Biotrend	AOB5680-10	GABAA-receptor antagonist