Structural plasticity of GABAergic and glutamatergic networks in the motor thalamus of parkinsonian monkeys

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ashley J Swain, Yerkes National Primate Research Center; Adriana Galvan, Emory University; Thomas Wichmann, Emory University; Yoland Smith, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-12-16
• Publisher: WILEY
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cne.24834
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
• Volume: 528
• Issue: 8
• Start Page: 1436
• End Page: 1456
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by NIH grants R01-NS083386, P50-NS098685 (Udall Center grant) and P51-OD011132 (Yerkes Center base grant).
• Keywords: ventral anterior nucleus; SQUIRREL-MONKEY; BASAL GANGLIA; FINE-STRUCTURE; GABA-IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS; Zoology; INTERNAL GLOBUS-PALLIDUS; SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEUS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; LATERAL GENICULATE-NUCLEUS; primate; Science & Technology; Neurosciences & Neurology; corticothalamic; >; Neurosciences; CEREBRAL-BLOOD-FLOW; parkinsonism; PROGRESSIVE SUPRANUCLEAR PALSY; pallidothalamic; SUPPLEMENTARY MOTOR; centromedian nucleus

Abstract

In the primate thalamus, the parvocellular ventral anterior nucleus (VApc) and the centromedian nucleus (CM) receive GABAergic projections from the internal globus pallidus (GPi) and glutamatergic inputs from motor cortices. In this study, we used electron microscopy to assess potential structural changes in GABAergic and glutamatergic microcircuits in the VApc and CM of MPTP-treated parkinsonian monkeys. The intensity of immunostaining for GABAergic markers in VApc and CM did not differ between control and parkinsonian monkeys. In the electron microscope, three major types of terminals were identified in both nuclei: (a) vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGluT1)-positive terminals forming asymmetric synapses (type As), which originate from the cerebral cortex, (b) GABAergic terminals forming single symmetric synapses (type S1), which likely arise from the reticular nucleus and GABAergic interneurons, and (c) GABAergic terminals forming multiple symmetric synapses (type S2), which originate from GPi. The density of As terminals outnumbered that of S1 and S2 terminals in VApc and CM of control and parkinsonian animals. No significant change was found in the abundance and synaptic connectivity of S1 and S2 terminals in VApc or CM of MPTP-treated monkeys, while the prevalence of “As” terminals in VApc of parkinsonian monkeys was 51.4% lower than in controls. The cross-sectional area of vGluT1-positive boutons in both VApc and CM of parkinsonian monkeys was significantly larger than in controls, but their pattern of innervation of thalamic cells was not altered. Our findings suggest that the corticothalamic system undergoes significant synaptic remodeling in the parkinsonian state.