Selected listing of projects from the lab:
Development of Multisensory Integration in the Optic Tectum
Sam Cohen, Jackie Ho, Torrey Truszkowski, Oscar Carrillo, Dan Felch, Julia Bleier, Karine Liu, Katherine Deeg, Janelys Torres
The optic tectum not only receives visual input, but like its mammalian homologue, the superior colliculus, it receives input from a variety of sensory modalities. This sensory convergence is important for integrating multiple sensory cues and generating orienting behavior. Moreover, it is known that proper development of multisensory responses requires neural activity. In Xenopus we have developed an an experimental preparation in which we can independently activate different pathways representing different sensory modalities while performing whole-cell recordings or Ca++ imaging in an isolated brain. This allows us to study the neural mechanisms underlying multisensory integration at a cellular level during development, as well as test the role of sensory activity in this process. In the long-term, we aim to integrate these single cell-level studies into a behavioral paradigm, which will allow us to directly link cellular events to behavioral output. This is one of the few preparations where the detailed cellular and network-level mechanisms underlying multisensory integration can be studied. Furthermore this preparation will also be useful towards understanding the various types of cross-modal plasticity that occur during development and their underlying mechanisms.
Truszkowski TL, Carrillo OA, Bleier J, Ramirez-Vizcarrondo CM, Felch DL, McQuillan M, Truszkowski CP, Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. A cellular mechanism for inverse effectiveness in multisensory integration, Elife; 6: e25392 (2017)
Felch DL, Khakhalin AS, Aizenman CD. Multisensory integration in the developing tectum is constrained by the balance of excitation and inhibition. eLife; 4: e15600 (2016)
Deeg, K.E. and C.D. Aizenman, Sensory modality-specific homeostatic plasticity in the developing optic tectum. Nat Neurosci, 2011. 14(5): p. 548-50.
Deeg, K.E., I.B. Sears, and C.D. Aizenman, Development of multisensory convergence in the Xenopus optic tectum. J Neurophysiol, 2009. 102(6): p. 3392-404.
Novel models of neurodevelopmental disorders
Sayali Gore, Carlos Toro, Alyssa Rust, Blanca Perez, Alex Horowitz, Alexis Tolliver, Alfonso Garcia, Karine Liu, Eric James, Carolina Ramirez, Jenn Park, Jenny Gu, Mashfiq Hasan, Mark Bell, Hannah Johnson, James Belarde
One of our key goals is to develop experimentally tractable model systems of neurodevelopmental disorders. Our preparation is ideally poised for this, as we can understand how specific genetic or environmental perturbations affect the development of a neural circuit as viewed from multiple levels of analysis, from synapses to circuits to behavior. Our prior work identified a previously unknown role for polyamines in regulating seizure susceptibility as well as the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in regulating neural circuit formation. Current projects are looking at a VPA-induced model of autism as well as the role of FMRP in neural circuit formation.
Gore S, James EJ, Huang L-C, Park JJ, Beghella A, Cline HT, Aizenman CD. The role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) in neurodevelopmental deficits and experience-dependent structural plasticity in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. eLife, doi.org/10.7554/eLife.62147 (2021).
Liu K, Garcia A, Park JJ, Toliver AT, Ramos L, Aizenman CD. Early developmental exposure to Fluoxetine and Citalopram results in different neurodevelopmental outcomes. Neuroscience, 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.05.023 (2021)
Truszkowski TL, James EJ, Hasan M, Wishard TJ, Liu Z, Pratt KG, Cline HT, Aizenman CD. Fragile X mental retardation protein knockdown in the developing Xenopus tadpole optic tectum results in enhanced feedforward inhibition and behavioral deficits. Neural Development, 11(1):14 (2016).
James EJ, Gu J, Ramirez-Vizcarrondo CM, Hasan M, Truszkowski TL, Tan Y, Oupravanh PM, Khakhalin AS2, Aizenman CD (2015) Valproate-induced neurodevelopmental deficits in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. J. Neurosci. 35(7):3218-29.
Bell, Belarde, Johnson and Aizenman (2011), “A neuroprotective role for polyamines in a Xenopus tadpole model of epilepsy.” Nat Neurosci. 2011 Apr;14(4):505-12.
Lee RH, Mills EA, Schwartz N, Bell MR, Deeg KE, Ruthazer ES, Marsh-Armstrong N, Aizenman CD. (2010) “Neurodevelopmental effects of chronic exposure to elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a developing visual system.” Neural Dev. Jan 12; 5:2
Aizenman, Muñoz-Elías, Cline (2002), “Visually driven modulation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission is mediated by the regulation of intracellular polyamines.” Neuron, 34(4):623-34.
Regulation of Neural Excitability and Homeostatic Plasticity
Adrian Thompson, Kevin Keary, Chris Ciarleglio, Angelia Wang, Arseny Khakhalin and Kara Pratt
One of the major challenges faced by the developing visual system is how to stably process visual information, yet at the same time remain flexible enough to accommodate growth and plasticity induced by visual experience. We find that in the Xenopus retinotectal circuit, during a period in development when the retinotectal map undergoes activity-dependent refinement and visual inputs strengthen, tectal neurons adapt their intrinsic excitability such that a stable relationship between the total level of synaptic input and tectal neuron spike output is conserved. This homeostatic balance between synaptic and intrinsic properties is maintained, in part, via regulation of voltage-gated Na+ currents, resulting in a stable neuronal input/output function. This project focuses on the underlying mechanisms involved in these changes in excitability, and explores links between this change and other forms of cellular learning such as synaptic long-term potentiation or depression. The combination of these changes allows cells to stay within an optimum operating range in response to changing environmental conditions, in what has been termed ‘neural homeostasis’.
Thompson AC, Aizenman CD (2023) Characterization of Na+ currents regulating intrinsic excitability of optic tectal neurons. Life Sci Alliance, doi: 10.26508/lsa.202302232
Ciarleglio CM, Khakhalin AS, Wang AF, Constantino AC, Yip SP, Aizenman CD (2015) Multivariate analysis of electrophysiological diversity of Xenopus visual neurons during development and plasticity. eLife 2015;4:e11351.
Pratt, KG and Aizenman, CD (2007) Homeostatic regulation of intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission in a developing visual circuit. J Neurosci. 27 (31):8268-77.
Aizenman, Akerman, Jensen and Cline (2003), “Visually driven regulation of intrinsic neuronal excitability improves stimulus detection in vivo. Neuron, 39(5):831-42.
Cellular Basis of Visually Guided Behavior in the Developing Visual System
Andrea Berghella, Arseny Khakhalin, Jenny Gu, David Koren, Wei Dong, Ryan Lee, Shelley Yang
Activity-dependent refinement of the retinotectal projection has been described both anatomically and electrophysiologically. However it remains unclear what the direct consequences of these changes are for visual system function. To what degree do the electrophysiological changes observed during development correlate with changes in visual function? To address this important question, we have developed an integrative approach where we combine whole-cell in vivo and in vitro electrophysiological recordings with behavioral tests designed to elucidate various aspects of visual processing. In this way we can, for example, compare the properties of individual retinotectal synapses and tectal cell receptive field size, with a behavioral test which measures visual acuity. This approach will permit us to understand the relationship between function at individual neurons and the behavior of an intact organism.
To see a movie of visual avoidance follow this link.
Aspects of this project were carried out through a collaboration with Yoon-Kyu Song and Heng Xu from Arto Nurmikko’s group at the Division of Engineering.
Khakhalin AS, Koren D, Gu J, Xu H, Aizenman CD. “Excitation and inhibition in recurrent networks mediate collision avoidance in Xenopus tadpoles.” European Journal of Neuroscience 2014, 40(6):2948-62 PubMed
Xu, Davitt, Dong, Song, Patterson III, Aizenman and Nurmikko (2008) “Combining Multicore Imaging Fiber With Matrix Addressable Blue/Green LED Arrays for Spatiotemporal Photonic Excitation at Cellular Level” IEEE JSTQE 14(1): 167-70.
Dong, Lee, Xu, Yang, Pratt, Cao, Song, Nurmikko and Aizenman. (2009) “Visual Avoidance in Xenopus Tadpoles is Correlated With the Maturation of Visual Responses in the Optic Tectum.” J. Neurophysiology; 101(2):803-15.
Development and Plasticity of Recurrent Neural Circuits in the Optic Tectum
Heng Xu, Carlos Aizenman, Kara Pratt
In the retinotectal pathway of Xenopus tadpoles, a tectal neuron’s receptive field (RF) size is determined by both the degree of convergence from different retinal ganglion cells (RGC) as well as by the pattern of excitatory inputs received from neighboring tectal cells. During development, the number of RGCs innervating a tectal neuron decreases via activity-dependent plasticity, reducing RF size. However, it not known how local excitatory feed-forward and recurrent connections in the tectum change during development. Here we look at development and plasticity of recurrent excitatory inputs in the optic tectum at two critical developmental stages (st. 45 and 49), between which RF are known to refine and retinal inputs to strengthen.
Liu Z, Ciarleglio CM, Hamodi A, Aizenman CD, Pratt KG (2016) A population of gap junction coupled neurons drives recurrent network activity in a developing visual circuit. J. Neurophysiology in press.
Xu, Khakhalin, Nurmikko and Aizenman (2011) “Visual experience-dependent maturation of correlated neuronal activity patterns in a developing visual system.” J Neurosci. 31(22):8025-36.
Pratt, Dong and Aizenman (2008) “Development and spike timing-dependent plasticity of recurrent excitation in the Xenopus optic tectum.” Nature Neuroscience, April 2008.