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.

High-resolution extracellular electrophysiology is the gold standard for recording spikes from distributed neural populations and is especially powerful when combined with optogenetics for manipulation of specific cell types with high temporal resolution. We integrated these approaches into prototype Neuropixels Opto probes, which combine electronic and photonic circuits. These devices pack 960 electrical recording sites and two sets of 14 light emitters onto a 70-μm-wide, 1-cm-long shank, allowing spatially addressable optogenetic stimulation with blue and red light. In mouse cortex, Neuropixels Opto probes delivered high-quality recordings together with spatially addressable optogenetics, differentially activating or silencing neurons at distinct cortical depths. In the mouse striatum and other deep structures, Neuropixels Opto probes delivered efficient optotagging, facilitating the identification of two cell types in parallel. Neuropixels Opto probes represent a promising tool for recording, identifying and manipulating neuronal populations.

Patients with solid tumors receiving systemic anticancer therapy face an increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ), a complication that can delay or disrupt ongoing oncologic treatments. Although the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is recommended for immunocompromised adults, real-world data on its implementation and tolerability during active cancer treatment settings remain limited. We conducted a retrospective, single-center observational study at the Oncology Department of the "G. Martino" University Hospital, Messina, Italy. Between July 2022 and January 2025, the standard two-dose RZV schedule was systematically offered to adult patients with solid tumors who were receiving or scheduled to start systemic therapies. Endpoints included the operational feasibility of vaccination during oncologic care, safety, and HZ occurrence during follow-up. Overall, 42 patients received at least one RZV dose, and 37 (88.1%) completed the two-dose schedule. Patients were receiving different systemic anticancer treatments, mainly chemotherapy (59.5%), followed by chemo-immunotherapy and immunotherapy. RZV showed a favorable safety profile. Injection-site pain was the most frequently reported local adverse event, while systemic reactions, including fever and headache, were mild and transient. No severe vaccine-related adverse events or delays in oncologic treatment were observed. After a median follow-up of 11.5 months, no clinically documented HZ episodes occurred, although this finding should be interpreted descriptively given the limited sample size. Our experience suggests that integrating RZV into routine outpatient oncology workflows is feasible and well tolerated in patients undergoing active systemic treatments.

A multidentate coordination and polar site synergy strategy based on dimethyl 2,5-furandicarboxylate (FDME) was developed for perovskite/TOPCon tandem solar cells. FDME suppresses non-radiative recombination and halide migration by coordinating with Pb, optimizing perovskite crystallinity. The modified tandem devices achieved a champion efficiency of 31.86%.