Studies of neural circuit modulation
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Neural circuit modulations are closely related, if not causally connected, with animal behavioral changes, such as acquired behaviors during learning, periodic sexual behaviors or environment-induced behavioral adaptations. Circuit modulations can be implemented through various ways. For example, at the neuronal level, cellular excitability and excitation-inhibition input balance may be adjusted; at the synaptic transmission level, synaptic strength or numbers may be regulated; and at the population level, particular region may exhibit differential activity intensity or network pattern during the behavioral change. My graduate research involved the neural circuit modulation in the context of three different behavioral adaptations. In the first study, I focused on the modulation of striatal circuits by a neuropeptide called dynorphin. Conditional knocking out dynorphin from the striatum led to an enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the striatal direct-pathway neurons, and rendered the mice to perform better during the reward-guided instrumental learning. This indicates dynorphin may suppress striatal LTP expression and downregulate instrumental learning. The second study focused on the modulation of sensory cortex by long-term environmental stress. We showed that stress led to loss of dendritic spines of layer 5 pyramidal neurons, and a deteriorated performance during whisker-dependent texture discrimination task. This might be caused by the reduced excitability of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons (PV+ INs), which altered the excitation-inhibition input balance onto layer 5 pyramidal neurons. The third study focused on the modulation of a ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) circuit during female sexual cycle. We reported that projections from progesterone receptor expressing neurons in the VMH (PR+ VMH) to the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nucleus change across the 5-day mouse estrous cycle, with ~3-fold more termini and functional connections during estrus. This cyclic increase is regulated by estrogen signaling, and essential for female sexual behaviors. This study showed the neural circuit mechanism that links female sexual behavior to the hormonal cycle.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2021; ©2021 |
| Publication date | 2021; 2021 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Yang, Renzhi |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Ding, Jun (Jun B.) |
| Thesis advisor | Ding, Jun (Jun B.) |
| Thesis advisor | Chen, Xiaoke |
| Thesis advisor | Luo, Liqun, 1966- |
| Thesis advisor | Shah, Nirao |
| Degree committee member | Chen, Xiaoke |
| Degree committee member | Luo, Liqun, 1966- |
| Degree committee member | Shah, Nirao |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Biology |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Renzhi Yang. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Biology. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2021. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/vy396mp5547 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2021 by Renzhi Yang
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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