1. Ngfr + cholinergic projection from SI/nBM to mPFC selectively regulates temporal order recognition memory.
- Author
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Mei F, Zhao C, Li S, Xue Z, Zhao Y, Xu Y, Ye R, You H, Yu P, Han X, Carr GV, Weinberger DR, Yang F, and Lu B
- Subjects
- Animals, Mice, Male, Mice, Knockout, Recognition, Psychology physiology, Basal Nucleus of Meynert metabolism, Basal Nucleus of Meynert physiology, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Pyramidal Cells metabolism, Pyramidal Cells physiology, Hippocampus metabolism, Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor, Prefrontal Cortex metabolism, Prefrontal Cortex physiology, Cholinergic Neurons metabolism, Cholinergic Neurons physiology, Acetylcholine metabolism
- Abstract
Acetylcholine regulates various cognitive functions through broad cholinergic innervation. However, specific cholinergic subpopulations, circuits and molecular mechanisms underlying recognition memory remain largely unknown. Here we show that Ngfr
+ cholinergic neurons in the substantia innominate (SI)/nucleus basalis of Meynert (nBM)-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) circuit selectively underlies recency judgements. Loss of nerve growth factor receptor (Ngfr-/- mice) reduced the excitability of cholinergic neurons in the SI/nBM-mPFC circuit but not in the medial septum (MS)-hippocampus pathway, and impaired temporal order memory but not novel object and object location recognition. Expression of Ngfr in Ngfr-/- SI/nBM restored defected temporal order memory. Fiber photometry revealed that acetylcholine release in mPFC not only predicted object encounters but also mediated recency judgments of objects, and such acetylcholine release was absent in Ngfr-/- mPFC. Chemogenetic and optogenetic inhibition of SI/nBM projection to mPFC in ChAT-Cre mice diminished mPFC acetylcholine release and deteriorated temporal order recognition. Impaired cholinergic activity led to a depolarizing shift of GABAergic inputs to mPFC pyramidal neurons, due to disturbed KCC2-mediated chloride gradients. Finally, potentiation of acetylcholine signaling upregulated KCC2 levels, restored GABAergic driving force and rescued temporal order recognition deficits in Ngfr-/- mice. Thus, NGFR-dependent SI/nBM-mPFC cholinergic circuit underlies temporal order recognition memory., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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