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S1 Employs Feature-Dependent Differential Selectivity of Single Cells and Distributed Patterns of Populations to Encode Mechanosensations.

ABSTRACT: The primary somatosensory (S1) cortex plays an important role in the perception and discrimination of touch and pain mechanosensations. Conventionally, neurons in the somatosensory system including S1 cortex have been classified into low/high threshold (HT; non-nociceptive/nociceptive) or wide dynamic range (WDR; convergent) neurons by their electrophysiological responses to innocuous brush-stroke and noxious forceps-pinch stimuli. Besides this "noxiousness" (innocuous/noxious) feature, each stimulus also includes other stimulus features: "texture" (brush hairs/forceps-steel arm), "dynamics" (dynamic stroke/static press) and "intensity" (weak/strong). However, it remains unknown how S1 neurons inclusively process such diverse features of brushing and pinch at the single-cell and population levels. Using in vivo two-photon Ca²⁺ imaging in the layer 2/3 neurons of the mouse S1 cortex, we identified clearly separated response patterns of the S1 neural population with distinct tuning properties of individual cells to texture, dynamics and noxiousness features of cutaneous mechanical stimuli. Among cells other than broadly tuned neurons, the majority of the cells showed a highly selective response to the difference in texture, but low selectivity to the difference in dynamics or noxiousness. Between the two low selectivity features, the difference in dynamics was slightly more specific, yet both could be decoded using the response patterns of neural populations. In addition, more neurons are recruited and stronger Ca²⁺ responses are evoked as the intensity of forceps-pinch is gradually increased. Our results suggest that S1 neurons encode various features of mechanosensations with feature-dependent differential selectivity of single cells and distributed response patterns of populations. Moreover, we raise a caution about describing neurons by a single stimulus feature ignoring other aspects of the sensory stimuli.

SUBMITTER: Kim YR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6460949 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Given the fact that threatened species are often composed of isolated small populations, spatial continuity or demography of the populations may be major factors that have shaped the species' genetic diversity. Thus, neutral loci have been the most commonly-used markers in conservation genetics. However, the populations under the influence of different environmental factors may have evolved in response to different selective pressures, which cannot be fully reflected in neutral genetic variation. Rhodeus pseudosericeus, a bitterling species (Acheilognathidae; Cypriniformes) endemic to the Korean Peninsula, are only found in some limited areas of three rivers, Daecheon, Han and Muhan, that flow into the west coast. Here, we genotyped 24 microsatellite loci and two loci (DAB1 and DAB3) of MHC class II peptide-binding β1 domain for 222 individuals collected from seven populations. Our microsatellite analysis revealed distinctive differentiation between the populations of Daecheon and Muhan Rivers and the Han River populations, and populations were structured into two subgroups within the Han River. Apparent positive selection signatures were found in the peptide-binding residues (PBRs) of the MHC loci. The allelic distribution of MHC showed a degree of differentiation between the populations of Daecheon and Muhan Rivers and the Han River populations, partially similar to the results obtained for microsatellites, however showed rather complex patterns among populations in the Han River. Considering the apparent differences in the distribution of supertypes obtained based on the physicochemical differences induced by the polymorphisms of these PBRs, the differentiation in DAB1 between the two regional groups may result in the differences in immune function. No differentiation between these two regions was observed in the supertyping of DAB3, probably indicating that only DAB1 was associated with the response to locally specialized antigenic peptides.

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S1 Employs Feature-Dependent Differential Selectivity of Single Cells and Distributed Patterns of Populations to Encode Mechanosensations.

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