RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cell assemblies in the cortico-hippocampal-reuniens network during slow oscillations
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 474973
DO 10.1101/474973
A1 David Angulo-Garcia
A1 Maëva Ferraris
A1 Antoine Ghestem
A1 Lauriane Nallet-Khosrofian
A1 Christophe Bernard
A1 Pascale P Quilichini
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/03/11/474973.abstract
AB The nucleus reuniens (NR) is an important anatomical and functional relay between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HPC). Whether the NR controls neuronal assemblies, a hallmark of information exchange between the HPC and mPFC for memory transfer/consolidation, is not known. Using simultaneous LFP and unit recordings in NR, HPC and mPFC in rats during slow oscillations under anesthesia, we identified a reliable sequential activation of NR neurons at the beginning of UP states, which preceded mPFC ones. NR sequences were spatially organized, from dorsal to ventral NR. Chemical inactivation of the NR disrupted mPFC sequences at the onset of UP states as well as HPC sequences present during sharp-wave ripples. We conclude that the NR contributes to the coordination and stabilization of mPFC and HPC neuronal sequences during slow oscillations, possibly via the early activation of its own sequences.Significance Statement Neuronal assemblies are believed to be instrumental to code/encode/store information. They can be recorded in different brain regions, suggesting that widely distributed networks of networks are involved in such information processing. The prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the thalamic nucleus reuniens constitute a typical example of a complex network involved in memory consolidation. In this study, we show that spatially organized cells assemblies are recruited in the nucleus reuniens at the UP state onset during slow oscillations. Nucleus reuniens activity appears to be necessary to the stability of prefrontal cortex and hippocampal cell assembly formation during slow oscillations. This result further highlights the role of the Nucleus Reuniens as a functional hub for exchanging and processing memories.