CRF Input to the External Globus Pallidus
Advisor(s)
Dr. Qiaoling Cui; Northwestern University
Discipline
Biology
Start Date
21-4-2021 10:25 AM
End Date
21-4-2021 10:40 AM
Abstract
Stress results in fight or flight responses. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a peptide hormone involved in the stress response, thus, CRF neurons are highly activated by stress. However, it is unclear how CRF neurons are involved in stress-evoked movement. The external globus pallidus(GPe), a nucleus in the basal ganglia that critically controls movement, expresses high levels of the primary receptor for CRF, suggesting that it is an entry point for stress-relevant information to reach basal ganglia circuits, gating motor output (Hunt et al., 2018). The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) represents a major source of CRF in the brain. To study the PVN CRF input to the GPe, anatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches were employed. We found that axons from PVN CRF neurons are present in the GPe. Stimulation of these axons induced inward currents and changed the firing rate selectively in PV+ GPe neurons. Stimulation of PVN CRF axons in the GPe did not appear to regulate movement while striatal inputs, the predominant input to the GPe, play a significant role. Further studies are needed to examine if PVN CRF input is involved in regulating other functions mediated by the GPe.
CRF Input to the External Globus Pallidus
Stress results in fight or flight responses. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a peptide hormone involved in the stress response, thus, CRF neurons are highly activated by stress. However, it is unclear how CRF neurons are involved in stress-evoked movement. The external globus pallidus(GPe), a nucleus in the basal ganglia that critically controls movement, expresses high levels of the primary receptor for CRF, suggesting that it is an entry point for stress-relevant information to reach basal ganglia circuits, gating motor output (Hunt et al., 2018). The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) represents a major source of CRF in the brain. To study the PVN CRF input to the GPe, anatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral approaches were employed. We found that axons from PVN CRF neurons are present in the GPe. Stimulation of these axons induced inward currents and changed the firing rate selectively in PV+ GPe neurons. Stimulation of PVN CRF axons in the GPe did not appear to regulate movement while striatal inputs, the predominant input to the GPe, play a significant role. Further studies are needed to examine if PVN CRF input is involved in regulating other functions mediated by the GPe.