Abstract
The dorsal striatum (DS) is a key structure of the basal ganglia circuitry, which regulates various types of learning processes and flexible switching of behavior. Intralaminar thalamic nuclei (ILNs) provide the main source of thalamostriatal inputs to the DS and constitute multiple nuclear groups, each of which innervates specific subdivisions of the striatum. Although the anatomical and electrophysiological properties of thalamostriatal neurons have been previously characterized, the behavioral and physiological functions of these neurons remain unclarified. Two representative thalamostriatal cell groups in the parafascicular nucleus (PF) and the central lateral nucleus (CL) are located in the caudal and rostral regions of the ILNs in rodents. Recently, the behavioral roles of these thalamostriatal cell groups have been investigated by the use of genetic and pharmacological manipulation techniques. In the current review, we summarize behavioral studies on thalamostriatal neurons, showing the key roles of these neurons in different learning processes, such as the acquisition, performance, and flexibility of behavior.
Highlights
The basal ganglia circuit plays important roles in controlling movement, motor learning, instrumental learning, and flexible switching of behavior (Graybiel, 2008; Belin et al, 2009; Floresco et al, 2009; Balleine and O’Doherty, 2010; Hikosaka et al, 2018)
Behavioral Roles of Thalamostriatal Neurons nuclear groups in rodents are the parafascicular nucleus (PF) and the central lateral nucleus (CL), which are localized in the caudal and rostral regions of the intralaminar thalamic nucleus (ILN), respectively
highly efficient retrograde gene transfer (HiRet) vector encoding human interleukin-2 receptor α-subunit (IL-2Rα), fused to an enhanced green fluorescent protein (IL-2Rα-GFP) was injected into the dorsal striatum (DS), and a recombinant immunotoxin (ITX) was treated into the PF. This treatment efficiently removed the PF-derived thalamostriatal neurons, and the cell number was significantly reduced as compared to the control group, which received the injection of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) into the PF, together with a great decrease of the nerve terminals innervating the striatum in the ITX-treated group
Summary
The basal ganglia circuit plays important roles in controlling movement, motor learning, instrumental learning, and flexible switching of behavior (Graybiel, 2008; Belin et al, 2009; Floresco et al, 2009; Balleine and O’Doherty, 2010; Hikosaka et al, 2018). We have developed a novel technology for pathway-specific manipulation with a lentiviral vector showing highly efficient retrograde gene transfer (HiRet) to investigate the behavioral and physiological functions of neurons of interest (see for reviews, Kobayashi et al, 2018; Kato and Kobayashi, 2020). We applied this technology to study the roles of the thalamostriatal system derived from the PF and CL in basal ganglia circuit functions (Kato et al, 2011a, 2018). We summarize behavioral studies on thalamostriatal neurons, showing the key roles of these neurons in different learning processes, such as the acquisition, performance, and flexible switching of behavior
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