Biology subjects

Vandrey, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Vandrey, B..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

RatDISCO, a tissue clearing and immunolabelling protocol for large rat brains.

RatDISCO is a simple, cost-effective, and reproducible tissue-clearing protocol optimised for immunolabeling in adult rat brains. It enables robust detection of diverse neuronal subtypes, glial populations, and vasculature, overcoming key limitations in antibody penetration and optical transparency. It is compatible with virally labelled-and transgenic mice, as well as human-derived brain organoids, highlighting its versatility across species and models. Functionally, it enables the detection of activity-dependent markers after behaviour, verified in a rat model of neurodevelopmental disorders, the Fragile X syndrome. These findings highlight RatDISCO as a broadly applicable tool for investigating neuroanatomical and functional alterations in rat models of disorders. HighlightsO_LIOptimised for immunolabeling in adult rat brains C_LIO_LIEnables detection of neurons, glial cells, and vasculature C_LIO_LIAchieves high tissue transparency without requiring specialised equipment. C_LIO_LICompatible with virally labelled mice and human brain organoids C_LIO_LIFacilitates mapping of activity-dependent markers in rat models of neurodevelopmental disorders C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Fan cells in lateral entorhinal cortex directly influence medial entorhinal cortex through synaptic connections in layer 1

Standard models for spatial and episodic memory suggest that the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) send parallel independent inputs to the hippocampus, each carrying different types of information. Here, we evaluate the possibility that information is integrated between divisions of the entorhinal cortex prior to reaching the hippocampus. We demonstrate that fan cells in layer 2 (L2) of LEC that receive neocortical inputs, and that project to the hippocampal dentate gyrus, also send axon collaterals to layer 1 (L1) of the MEC. Activation of fan cell inputs evokes monosynaptic glutamatergic excitation of stellate and pyramidal cells in L2 of the MEC, typically followed by inhibition that contains fast and slow components mediated by GABAA and GABAB receptors, respectively. Fan cell inputs also directly activate interneurons in L1 and L2 of MEC, with synaptic connections from L1 interneurons accounting for slow feedforward inhibition of L2 principal cell populations. The relative strength of excitation and inhibition following fan cell activation differs substantially between neurons and is largely independent of anatomical location. Our results demonstrate that the LEC, in addition to directly influencing the hippocampus, can activate or inhibit major hippocampal inputs arising from the MEC. Thus, local circuits in the superficial MEC may combine spatial information with sensory and higher order signals from the LEC, providing a substrate for integration of what and where components of episodic memories.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Object and object-memory representations across the proximodistal axis of CA1

Episodic memory requires information about objects to be integrated into a spatial framework. Place cells in the hippocampus encode spatial representations of objects that could be generated through signalling from the entorhinal cortex. Projections from lateral and medial entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus terminate in distal and proximal CA1, respectively. We recorded place cells in distal and proximal CA1 as rats explored an environment that contained objects. Place cells in distal CA1 demonstrated higher measures of spatial tuning and expressed place fields closer to objects. Further, remapping to object displacement was modulated by place field proximity to objects in distal, but not proximal CA1. Finally, representations of previous object locations were more precise in distal CA1. Our data suggest that lateral entorhinal cortex inputs to the hippocampus support spatial representations that are more precise and responsive to objects in cue-rich environments. This is consistent with functional segregation in the entorhinal-hippocampal circuits underlying object-place memory.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Fan cells in layer 2 of lateral entorhinal cortex are critical for episodic-like memory

The lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) is a critical structure for episodic memory, but the roles of discrete neuronal populations within LEC are unclear. Here, we establish an approach for selectively targeting fan cells in layer 2 (L2) of LEC. Whereas complete lesions of the LEC were previously found to abolish associative recognition memory, we find that after selective suppression of synaptic output from fan cells mice still recognise novel object-context configurations, but are impaired in recognition of novel object-place-context associations. Our experiments suggest a segregation of memory functions within LEC networks and indicate that specific inactivation of fan cells leads to behavioural deficits reminiscent of early stages of Alzheimers disease.

neuroscience↗