Gut enterochromaffin cells drive visceral pain and anxiety.

Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort is a hallmark of most gut disorders and represents an important component of chronic visceral pain1. For the growing population afflicted by irritable bowel syndrome, GI hypersensitivity and pain persist long after tissue injury has resolved2. Irritable bowel syndrome also exhibits a strong sex bias, afflicting women three times more than men1. Here, we focus on enterochromaffin (EC) cells, which are rare excitable, serotonergic neuroendocrine cells in the gut epithelium3-5. EC cells detect and transduce noxious stimuli to nearby mucosal nerve endings3,6 but involvement of this signalling pathway in visceral pain and attendant sex differences has not been assessed. By enhancing or suppressing EC cell function in vivo, we show that these cells are sufficient to elicit hypersensitivity to gut distension and necessary for the sensitizing actions of isovalerate, a bacterial short-chain fatty acid associated with GI inflammation7,8. Remarkably, prolonged EC cell activation produced persistent visceral hypersensitivity, even in the absence of an instigating inflammatory episode. Furthermore, perturbing EC cell activity promoted anxiety-like behaviours which normalized after blockade of serotonergic signalling. Sex differences were noted across a range of paradigms, indicating that the EC cell-mucosal afferent circuit is tonically engaged in females. Our findings validate a critical role for EC cell-mucosal afferent signalling in acute and persistent GI pain, in addition to highlighting genetic models for studying visceral hypersensitivity and the sex bias of gut pain.

Functional development and regeneration of hair cells in the zebrafish lateral line.

KEY POINTS: We investigated hair-cell regeneration in the zebrafish lateral line following the application of the ototoxic compound copper. In early-larval zebrafish (<10 days post-fertilisation), regenerated hair cells drive action potentials (APs) in the afferent neurons 24 h post-copper treatment (24 hpt). Full regeneration of the early-larval neuromasts, the organs containing the hair cells, requires ∼48 h due to the progressive addition of hair cells and synaptic refinement. In older larval zebrafish, regenerated hair cells are active and drive afferent APs by 48 hpt, which is comparable to larvae, but the functional recovery of their neuromasts requires >120 hpt. Afferent terminals within the regenerating neuromast appear to initially contact supporting cells, and their complete ablation prevents the timely reappearance of supporting cells and hair cells. We conclude that the regeneration of zebrafish neuromasts is slower after the initial developmental stages, and that the afferent input plays a key role in driving this process. ABSTRACT: Hair cells are mechanosensory receptors responsible for transducing auditory and vestibular information into electrical signals, which are then transmitted with remarkable precision to afferent neurons. Different from mammals, the hair cells of lower vertebrates, including those present in the neuromasts of the zebrafish lateral line, regenerate following environmental or chemical insults. Here we investigate the time course of regeneration of hair cells in vivo using electrophysiology, two-photon imaging and immunostaining applied to wild-type and genetically encoded fluorescent indicator zebrafish lines. Functional hair cells drive spontaneous action potentials in the posterior lateral line afferent fibres, the frequency of which progressively increases over the first 10 days post-fertilisation (dpf). Higher firing-rate fibres are only observed from ∼6 dpf. Following copper treatment, newly formed hair cells become functional and are able to drive APs in the afferent fibres within 48 h in both early-larval (≤8 dpf) and late-larval (12-17 dpf) zebrafish. However, the complete functional regeneration of the entire neuromast is delayed in late-larval compared to early-larval zebrafish. We propose that while individual regenerating hair cells can rapidly become active, the acquisition of fully functional neuromasts progresses faster at early-larval stages, a time when hair cells are still under development. At both ages, the afferent terminals in the regenerating neuromast appear to make initial contact with supporting cells. The ablation of the lateral line afferent neurons prevents the timely regeneration of supporting cells and hair cells. These findings indicate that the afferent system is likely to facilitate or promote the neuromast regeneration process.

Hair cell maturation is differentially regulated along the tonotopic axis of the mammalian cochlea.

KEY POINTS: Outer hair cells (OHCs) enhance the sensitivity and the frequency tuning of the mammalian cochlea. Similar to the primary sensory receptor, the inner hair cells (IHCs), the mature functional characteristics of OHCs are acquired before hearing onset. We found that OHCs, like IHCs, fire spontaneous Ca2+ -induced action potentials (APs) during immature stages of development, which are driven by CaV 1.3 Ca2+ channels. We also showed that the development of low- and high-frequency hair cells is differentially regulated during pre-hearing stages, with the former cells being more strongly dependent on experience-independent Ca2+ action potential activity. ABSTRACT: Sound amplification within the mammalian cochlea depends upon specialized hair cells, the outer hair cells (OHCs), which possess both sensory and motile capabilities. In various altricial rodents, OHCs become functionally competent from around postnatal day 7 (P7), before the primary sensory inner hair cells (IHCs), which become competent at about the onset of hearing (P12). The mechanisms responsible for the maturation of OHCs and their synaptic specialization remain poorly understood. We report that spontaneous Ca2+ activity in the immature cochlea, which is generated by CaV 1.3 Ca2+ channels, differentially regulates the maturation of hair cells along the cochlea. Under near-physiological recording conditions we found that, similar to IHCs, immature OHCs elicited spontaneous Ca2+ action potentials (APs), but only during the first few postnatal days. Genetic ablation of these APs in vivo, using CaV 1.3-/- mice, prevented the normal developmental acquisition of mature-like basolateral membrane currents in low-frequency (apical) hair cells, such as IK,n (carried by KCNQ4 channels), ISK2 and IACh (α9α10nAChRs) in OHCs and IK,n and IK,f (BK channels) in IHCs. Electromotility and prestin expression in OHCs were normal in CaV 1.3-/- mice. The maturation of high-frequency (basal) hair cells was also affected in CaV 1.3-/- mice, but to a much lesser extent than apical cells. However, a characteristic feature in CaV 1.3-/- mice was the reduced hair cell size irrespective of their cochlear location. We conclude that the development of low- and high-frequency hair cells is differentially regulated during development, with apical cells being more strongly dependent on experience-independent Ca2+ APs.

Coordinated calcium signalling in cochlear sensory and non-sensory cells refines afferent innervation of outer hair cells.

Outer hair cells (OHCs) are highly specialized sensory cells conferring the fine-tuning and high sensitivity of the mammalian cochlea to acoustic stimuli. Here, by genetically manipulating spontaneous Ca2+ signalling in mice in vivo, through a period of early postnatal development, we find that the refinement of OHC afferent innervation is regulated by complementary spontaneous Ca2+ signals originating in OHCs and non-sensory cells. OHCs fire spontaneous Ca2+ action potentials during a narrow period of neonatal development. Simultaneously, waves of Ca2+ activity in the non-sensory cells of the greater epithelial ridge cause, via ATP-induced activation of P2X3 receptors, the increase and synchronization of the Ca2+ activity in nearby OHCs. This synchronization is required for the refinement of their immature afferent innervation. In the absence of connexin channels, Ca2+ waves are impaired, leading to a reduction in the number of ribbon synapses and afferent fibres on OHCs. We propose that the correct maturation of the afferent connectivity of OHCs requires experience-independent Ca2+ signals from sensory and non-sensory cells.

Mechanotransduction is required for establishing and maintaining mature inner hair cells and regulating efferent innervation.

In the adult auditory organ, mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) channels are essential for transducing acoustic stimuli into electrical signals. In the absence of incoming sound, a fraction of the MET channels on top of the sensory hair cells are open, resulting in a sustained depolarizing current. By genetically manipulating the in vivo expression of molecular components of the MET apparatus, we show that during pre-hearing stages the MET current is essential for establishing the electrophysiological properties of mature inner hair cells (IHCs). If the MET current is abolished in adult IHCs, they revert into cells showing electrical and morphological features characteristic of pre-hearing IHCs, including the re-establishment of cholinergic efferent innervation. The MET current is thus critical for the maintenance of the functional properties of adult IHCs, implying a degree of plasticity in the mature auditory system in response to the absence of normal transduction of acoustic signals.

Geniculo-Cortical Projection Diversity Revealed within the Mouse Visual Thalamus.

The mouse dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) is an intermediary between retina and primary visual cortex (V1). Recent investigations are beginning to reveal regional complexity in mouse dLGN. Using local injections of retrograde tracers into V1 of adult and neonatal mice, we examined the developing organisation of geniculate projection columns: the population of dLGN-V1 projection neurons that converge in cortex. Serial sectioning of the dLGN enabled the distribution of labelled projection neurons to be reconstructed and collated within a common standardised space. This enabled us to determine: the organisation of cells within the dLGN-V1 projection columns; their internal organisation (topology); and their order relative to V1 (topography). Here, we report parameters of projection columns that are highly variable in young animals and refined in the adult, exhibiting profiles consistent with shell and core zones of the dLGN. Additionally, such profiles are disrupted in adult animals with reduced correlated spontaneous activity during development. Assessing the variability between groups with partial least squares regression suggests that 4-6 cryptic lamina may exist along the length of the projection column. Our findings further spotlight the diversity of the mouse dLGN--an increasingly important model system for understanding the pre-cortical organisation and processing of visual information. Furthermore, our approach of using standardised spaces and pooling information across many animals will enhance future functional studies of the dLGN.

Zebrafish brain mapping--standardized spaces, length scales, and the power of N and n.

Mapping anatomical and functional parameters of the zebrafish brain is moving apace. Research communities undertaking such studies are becoming ever larger and more diverse. The unique features, tools, and technologies associated with zebrafish are propelling them as the 21st century model organism for brain mapping. Uniquely positioned as a vertebrate model system, the zebrafish enables imaging of anatomy and function at different length scales from intraneuronal compartments to sparsely distributed whole brain patterns. With a variety of diverse and established statistical modeling and analytic methods available from the wider brain mapping communities, the richness of zebrafish neuroimaging data is being realized. The statistical power of population observations (N) within and across many samples (n) projected onto a standardized space will provide vast databases for data-driven biological approaches. This article reviews key brain mapping initiatives at different levels of scale that highlight the potential of zebrafish brain mapping. By way of introduction to the next wave of brain mappers, an accessible introduction to the key concepts and caveats associated with neuroimaging are outlined and discussed.

Axon guidance in the developing ocular motor system and Duane retraction syndrome depends on Semaphorin signaling via alpha2-chimaerin.

Eye movements depend on correct patterns of connectivity between cranial motor axons and the extraocular muscles. Despite the clinical importance of the ocular motor system, little is known of the molecular mechanisms underlying its development. We have recently shown that mutations in the Chimaerin-1 gene encoding the signaling protein α2-chimaerin (α2-chn) perturb axon guidance in the ocular motor system and lead to the human eye movement disorder, Duane retraction syndrome (DRS). The axon guidance cues that lie upstream of α2-chn are unknown; here we identify candidates to be the Semaphorins (Sema) 3A and 3C, acting via the PlexinA receptors. Sema3A/C are expressed in and around the developing extraocular muscles and cause growth cone collapse of oculomotor neurons in vitro. Furthermore, RNAi knockdown of α2-chn or PlexinAs in oculomotor neurons abrogates Sema3A/C-dependent growth cone collapse. In vivo knockdown of endogenous PlexinAs or α2-chn function results in stereotypical oculomotor axon guidance defects, which are reminiscent of DRS, whereas expression of α2-chn gain-of-function constructs can rescue PlexinA loss of function. These data suggest that α2-chn mediates Sema3-PlexinA repellent signaling. We further show that α2-chn is required for oculomotor neurons to respond to CXCL12 and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which are growth promoting and chemoattractant during oculomotor axon guidance. α2-chn is therefore a potential integrator of different types of guidance information to orchestrate ocular motor pathfinding. DRS phenotypes can result from incorrect regulation of this signaling pathway.