Lee et al. Real-time visualization of mRNA synthesis during memoryformation in live mice.

Memories are thought to be encoded in populations of neurons called memory trace or engram cells. However, little is known about the dynamics of these cells because of the difficulty in real-time monitoring of them over long periods of time in vivo. To overcome this limitation, we present a genetically encoded RNA indicator (GERI) mouse for […]

Astrocytes can affect animal behavior by regulating tripartite synaptic transmission, yet their influence on affective behavior remains largely unclear. Here we showed that hippocampal astrocyte calcium activity reflects mouse affective state during virtual elevated plus maze test using two-photon calcium imaging in vivo. Furthermore, optogenetic hippocampal astrocyte activation elevating intracellular calcium induced anxiolytic behaviors in […]

Intracellular aggregation of hyperphosphorylated Tau (pTau) in the brain is associated with cognitive and motor impairments, and ultimately neurodegeneration. We investigate how human pTau affects cells and network activity in the hippocampal formation of the THY-Tau22 tauopathy model mice in vivo. We find that pTau preferentially accumulates in deep-layer pyramidal neurons, leading to neurodegeneration, and we establish […]

Hippocampal pyramidal cells represent an animal’s position in space together with specific contexts and events. However, it is largely unknown how distinct types of GABAergic interneurons contribute to such computations. We recorded from the intermediate CA1 hippocampus of head-fixed mice exhibiting odor-to-place memory associations during navigation in a virtual reality (VR). The presence of an […]

Virtual reality (VR) combined with head-fixation is increasingly being utilized in behavioral neuroscience studies as it allows complex behavioral assays to be performed in head-fixed mice. This enables precise behavioral recordings while incorporating various neurophysiological techniques that require head-fixation to minimize movement-related signal noise during neural recordings. However, despite the growing use of VR, there […]

Timed dopamine signals underlie reinforcement learning, favoring neural activity patterns that drive behaviors with positive outcomes. In the striatum, dopamine activates five dopamine receptors (D1R–D5R), which are differentially expressed in striatal neurons. However, the role of specific dopamine receptors in reinforcement is poorly understood. Using our cell-specific D1R photo-agonist, we find that D1R activation in […]