PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Yadollah Ranjbar-Slamloo
AU  - Noorya Yasmin Ahmed
AU  - Alice Shaam Al Abed
AU  - Lingxiao Gao
AU  - Yovina Sontani
AU  - Alexandre R’Com-H Cheo Gauthier
AU  - Ehsan Arabzadeh
AU  - Nathalie Dehorter
TI  - Loss of the Er81 Transcription Factor in Cholinergic Cells Alters Striatal Activity and Habit Formation
AID  - 10.1101/2020.01.14.905497
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2020.01.14.905497
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/01/15/2020.01.14.905497.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/01/15/2020.01.14.905497.full
AB  - The finely-tuned activity of cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in the striatum is key for motor control, learning, and habit formation. Yet, the molecular mechanisms that determine their unique functional properties remain poorly explored. Using a combination of genetic and biochemical assays, in vitro and in vivo physiological characterisation, we report that selective ablation of the Er81 transcription factor leads to prominent changes in CIN molecular, morphological and electrophysiological features. In particular, the lack of Er81 amplifies intrinsic delayed-rectifier and hyperpolarization-activated currents, which subsequently alters the tonic and phasic activity of CINs. We further demonstrate that these alterations enhance their pause and time-locked responses to sensorimotor inputs in awake mice. Finally, this study reveals an Er81-dependent developmental mechanism in CINs essential for habit formation in adult mice.Highlights - The Er81 transcription factor is expressed in striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs)- Conditional deletion of Er81 alters key molecular, morphological and electrophysiological properties of CINs in adult mice- Deletion of Er81 reduces the intrinsic excitability of CINs by upregulating delayed rectifier and hyperpolarization-activated currents- Deletion of Er81 alters in vivo striatal activity and habit formation