Biology subjects

Avignone, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Avignone, E..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Hindbrain explants enable multimodal and longitudinal analysis of the developing olivo-cerebellar circuit at single-cell resolution

Experimental models that preserve native mammalian CNS circuitry while enabling longitudinal analysis of circuit assembly at single-cell resolution remain scarce, limiting mechanistic studies and therapeutic discovery. Here, we establish embryonic mouse hindbrain explants as a scalable in vitro model that maintains the long-range olivo-cerebellar circuit while providing direct experimental access to both pre- and postsynaptic neurons. The preparation supports repeated live imaging, targeted single-cell manipulation and labelling, electrophysiology, ultrastructural analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing during circuit assembly. Hindbrain explants faithfully recapitulate key features of olivo-cerebellar organization and development, including cytoarchitecture, synaptic organization and maturation, neuronal differentiation, and spontaneous network activity while preserving developmental glial features. By combining developmental and physiological fidelity with longitudinal multimodal accessibility, this resource bridges the gap between reductionist cultures and technically demanding in vivo approaches, providing a versatile and ethical model for investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cerebellar circuit assembly and disease.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Distinct subtypes of astrocytes selectively regulate specific inhibitory synapses

Astrocyte functional heterogeneity within a given neuronal circuit remains largely undetermined, particularly their role at tripartite synapses. Here, we examine multiple functional characteristics of astrocytes distinguished by their specific spatial relation to inhibitory synapses made on distinct hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell domains: astrocytes covering the peri-somatic area in stratum pyramidale (SP) receiving input from Parvalbumin interneurons, or the apical dendritic area in stratum radiatum (SR) innervated by inhibitory inputs from Somatostatin interneurons. Whole-cell dye-filling and confocal imaging of SR astrocytes showed a typical bushy organization of processes while those of SP astrocytes were more polarized, indicating astrocyte morphological heterogeneity. In addition, SP astrocytes formed a smaller, yet polarised syncytium and displayed greater input resistance relative to SR astrocytes. The two populations of astrocyte are functionally different as indicated by their intrinsic Ca2+ signaling properties: SP astrocyte Ca2+ events had a lower frequency and temporal density, but greater amplitude, relative to SR astrocytes. Using the territorial segregation of inhibitory synapses, we observed that the selective activation using DREADD or blockade with intracellular BAPTA of the two populations of astrocytes regulated inhibitory synapses exclusively in their own syncytial territory. Furthermore, each astrocyte population selectively mediated long-term depression at the respective inhibitory synapses through Ca2+-dependent modulation of post-synaptic targets. These results indicate domain-specific regulation of inhibitory synapses by distinct SP and SR astrocyte syncytia. Transcriptional analysis revealed enriched gene expression in SP relative to SR astrocytes, notably for regulation of cell growth and morphology, synaptic function and signaling. Overall, our findings reveal a functional specialization of astrocyte subtypes in the hippocampus, highlighting heterogeneous astrocyte regulation of hippocampal synaptic networks important for learning and memory. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=88 SRC="FIGDIR/small/654545v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (30K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16639c9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@5bf548org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1448292org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d86c00_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

MRI R2* captures inflammation in disconnected brain structures after stroke: a translational study

Ischemic strokes disrupt brain networks, leading to remote effects in key regions like the thalamus, a critical hub for brain functions. However, non-invasive methods to quantify these remote consequences still need to be explored. This study aimed to demonstrate that MRI-derived R2* changes can capture iron accumulation linked with inflammation secondary to stroke-induced disconnection. In order to link remote R2* changes to stroke-induced disconnection, we first conducted a secondary analysis of 156 prospectively included stroke patients who underwent MRI at baseline and 1-year follow-up. We mapped fibers disconnected by baseline infarcts to compare the R2* changes over 1 year according to the disconnectivity status in specific thalamic nuclei groups. We also identified the predictors of elevated R2* at 1 year in a multivariate context through linear regressions. In parallel, to understand the biological underpinning of the remote R2* changes, we set up a translational mouse model through photothrombotic induction of focal cortical infarcts or sham procedures in 110 C57BL/6J mice. We explored the mice through combinations of in vivo MRI at 72h, 2-, 4-, and 8-weeks, histology, qPCR for gene expression, mass spectrometry for iron concentration quantification, and additional ex vivo high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging. In stroke patients, we found a significant increase of R2* within severely disconnected medial and lateral thalamic nuclei groups from baseline to 1 year. At the same time, no change occurred if these structures were not disconnected. We also showed that the disconnectivity status at baseline was a significant predictor of R2* at follow-up, independently from confounders, establishing a direct and independent relationship between baseline disconnection and the subsequent R2* increase within the associated locations. In mice, we recapitulated the patients conditions by observing increased R2* in the stroke groups, specifically within the disconnected thalamic nuclei. Such remote and focal R2* changes peaked at 2 weeks, preceding and correlating with longer-term atrophy at 8 weeks. We established that the remote R2* increase was spatially and temporally correlated with a significant increase of chemically determined iron load bound to ferritin within activated microglial cells. This study provides critical evidence that R2* is a sensitive marker of inflammation secondary to network disconnection, potentially informing future neuroprotective strategies targeting remote brain regions after stroke.

neuroscience↗