Cholinergic interneurons (CINs) are essential elements of striatal circuits and functions. Although acetylcholine signaling via muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) has been well studied, more recent data indicate that postsynaptic nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) located on striatal GABAergic interneurons (GINs) are equally critical. One example is that CIN stimulation induces large disynaptic inhibition of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) mediated by nAChR activation of GINs. Although these circuits are ideally positioned to modulate striatal output, the neurons involved are not definitively identified because of an incomplete mapping of CINs-GINs interconnections. Here, we show that CINs modulate four GINs populations via an intricate mechanism involving co-activation of presynaptic and postsynaptic mAChRs and nAChRs. Using optogenetics, we demonstrate the participation of tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing GINs in the disynaptic inhibition of SPNs via heterotypic electrical coupling with neurogliaform interneurons. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of CINs in regulating GINs microcircuits via complex synaptic/heterosynaptic mechanisms.

Voltage imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for recording membrane potential changes in living cells, offering a direct measurement of rapid neuronal events with high temporal precision. Since the brain is a three-dimensional circuit, it is essential to record signals across a volume. However, achieving effective three-dimensional voltage imaging over large neuronal populations remains challenging due to the need for high imaging speed, high signal-to-noise ratio, and extensive volume coverage. In this study, we demonstrate in vivo three-dimensional voltage imaging in larval zebrafish using oblique plane microscopy and QFDBD-QUAS-driven expression of the genetically encoded voltage indicator Ace-mNeon2-Kv2.1, achieving volumetric imaging rates of up to 200 volumes per second (VPS). This approach enables dye-free voltage imaging, simplifying experimental workflows and improving the reproducibility of in vivo voltage imaging experiments for investigating neuronal circuit dynamics in the living zebrafish animal model.

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is essential in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Recent studies highlight the significance of interactions between ACh and various neuromodulators in regulating complex behaviors. The ability to simultaneously image ACh and other neuromodulators can provide valuable information regarding the mechanisms underlying these behaviors. Here we developed a series of red fluorescent G-protein-coupled receptor activation-based ACh sensors, with a wide detection range and expanded spectral profile. The high-affinity sensor rACh1h reliably detects ACh release in various brain regions, including the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus and cortex. Moreover, rACh1h can be coexpressed with green fluorescent sensors to record ACh release together with other neurochemicals in various behavioral contexts using fiber photometry, mesoscopic imaging and two-photon imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution.

Basal Ganglia Advances is a collection highlighting research on the structure, function, and disorders of the basal ganglia. It features studies spanning neuroscience, clinical insights, and computational models, serving as a hub for advances in movement, cognition, and behavior.

Recent advances in the field of Voltage Imaging, with a special focus on new constructs and novel implementations.

Work related to place tuning, spatial navigation, orientation and direction. Mainly includes articles on connectivity in the hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, and related areas.

The rapid advancement of flexible electronics has created an urgent demand for high-performance nonvolatile memory. However, conventional ferroelectric films face an intrinsic trade-off between performance and reliability in flexible applications. In this work, a high-entropy Pb0.9Ba0.1Ti0.25Hf0.25Zr0.25Sn0.25O3 (PBTHZS) ferroelectric thin film is successfully fabricated on a flexible mica substrate. Based on entropy engineering, we introduced multiple cation solid solutions to induce structural local disorder and lattice distortion at the atomic scale. This leads to a rearrangement of electron distribution in the system, and the coupling with lattice expansion enhances macroscopic polarization. As a result, the PBTHZS thin film exhibits outstanding ferroelectric properties (remnant polarization of Pr ∼62.2 μC/cm2 and maximum polarization of Pm ∼131.5 μC/cm2), stable fatigue endurance up to 108 switching cycles, minimal polarization variation across a broad temperature range of 25-120 °C, and a frequency range of 0.5-10 kHz. Furthermore, there is no apparent variation in polarization characteristics under different bending conditions. This study demonstrates that the high-entropy strategy effectively enhances the polarization performance in ferroelectric nonvolatile memory, offering a pathway for the development of next-generation flexible electronic devices.

A variety of self-regulation interventions have shown efficacy in treating Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), but their shared and unique neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to identify a common, trans-therapeutic neural signature of recovery and to delineate the specific connectivity fingerprints of five different self-regulation interventions for IGD.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy affecting female fertility. It has been hypothesized that PCOS has its origins during intrauterine life, where prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting environments during critical developmental windows induces developmental disruptions, leading to long-term reproductive dysfunction. While prenatal androgen exposure is a well-established factor, the role of estrogenic imbalance remains critical yet less analyzed. Estradiol valerate (EV) is widely used to induce PCOS-like phenotypes; however, its potential role in disrupting early development and altering postnatal reproductive function remains unknown. This study evaluated whether prenatal exposure to EV results in PCOS-like reproductive alterations that manifest at puberty or adulthood in rats. For this purpose, gravid rats were subcutaneously injected with EV or sesame oil (Vh) on gestational day 18. Offspring were euthanized at puberty or adult stage, in estrus. Compared to the Vh group, EV-exposed offspring exhibited early-onset reproductive disruptions during puberty, including precocious vaginal opening, estrous acyclicity, low testosterone levels and a decrease ovulatory response accompanied by precysts formation. In adult life, these alterations had progressed into a PCOS-like phenotype, characterized by body weight gain, increased testosterone levels, acyclicity, anovulation, and the presence of follicular cysts. These findings indicate that prenatal exposure to EV is sufficient to induce a progressive reproductive phenotype that resembles PCOS in adulthood.