TY - JOUR
T1 - The Claustrum Supports Resilience to Distraction
AU - Atlan, Gal
AU - Terem, Anna
AU - Peretz-Rivlin, Noa
AU - Sehrawat, Kamini
AU - Gonzales, Ben Jerry
AU - Pozner, Guy
AU - Tasaka, Gen ichi
AU - Goll, Yael
AU - Refaeli, Ron
AU - Zviran, Ori
AU - Lim, Byung Kook
AU - Groysman, Maya
AU - Goshen, Inbal
AU - Mizrahi, Adi
AU - Nelken, Israel
AU - Citri, Ami
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/9/10
Y1 - 2018/9/10
N2 - A barrage of information constantly assaults our senses, of which only a fraction is relevant at any given point in time. However, the neural circuitry supporting the suppression of irrelevant sensory distractors is not completely understood. The claustrum, a circuit hub with vast cortical connectivity, is an intriguing brain structure, whose restrictive anatomy, thin and elongated, has precluded functional investigation. Here, we describe the use of Egr2-CRE mice to access genetically defined claustral neurons. Utilizing conditional viruses for anterograde axonal labeling and retrograde trans-synaptic tracing, we validated this transgenic model for accessing the claustrum and extended the known repertoire of claustral input/output connectivity. Addressing the function of the claustrum, we inactivated CLEgr2+ neurons, chronically as well as acutely, in mice performing an automated two-alternative forced-choice behavioral task. Strikingly, inhibition of CLEgr2+ neurons did not significantly impact task performance under varying delay times and cue durations, but revealed a selective role for the claustrum in supporting performance in the presence of an irrelevant auditory distractor. Further investigation of behavior, in the naturalistic maternal pup-retrieval task, replicated the result of sensitization to an auditory distractor following inhibition of CLEgr2+ neurons. Initiating investigation into the underlying mechanism, we found that activation of CLEgr2+ neurons modulated cortical sensory processing, suppressing tone representation in the auditory cortex. This functional study, utilizing selective genetic access, implicates the claustrum in supporting resilience to distraction, a fundamental aspect of attention. Atlan, Terem, et al. describe the use of Egr2-CRE mice to access claustral projection neurons, identifying reciprocal connectivity throughout the brain. Silencing of CLEgr2+ neurons renders mice susceptible to an auditory distractor. Congruently, tone representation in the auditory cortex is suppressed by activation of CLEgr2+ neurons, suggesting an underlying mechanism.
AB - A barrage of information constantly assaults our senses, of which only a fraction is relevant at any given point in time. However, the neural circuitry supporting the suppression of irrelevant sensory distractors is not completely understood. The claustrum, a circuit hub with vast cortical connectivity, is an intriguing brain structure, whose restrictive anatomy, thin and elongated, has precluded functional investigation. Here, we describe the use of Egr2-CRE mice to access genetically defined claustral neurons. Utilizing conditional viruses for anterograde axonal labeling and retrograde trans-synaptic tracing, we validated this transgenic model for accessing the claustrum and extended the known repertoire of claustral input/output connectivity. Addressing the function of the claustrum, we inactivated CLEgr2+ neurons, chronically as well as acutely, in mice performing an automated two-alternative forced-choice behavioral task. Strikingly, inhibition of CLEgr2+ neurons did not significantly impact task performance under varying delay times and cue durations, but revealed a selective role for the claustrum in supporting performance in the presence of an irrelevant auditory distractor. Further investigation of behavior, in the naturalistic maternal pup-retrieval task, replicated the result of sensitization to an auditory distractor following inhibition of CLEgr2+ neurons. Initiating investigation into the underlying mechanism, we found that activation of CLEgr2+ neurons modulated cortical sensory processing, suppressing tone representation in the auditory cortex. This functional study, utilizing selective genetic access, implicates the claustrum in supporting resilience to distraction, a fundamental aspect of attention. Atlan, Terem, et al. describe the use of Egr2-CRE mice to access claustral projection neurons, identifying reciprocal connectivity throughout the brain. Silencing of CLEgr2+ neurons renders mice susceptible to an auditory distractor. Congruently, tone representation in the auditory cortex is suppressed by activation of CLEgr2+ neurons, suggesting an underlying mechanism.
KW - attention
KW - auditory cortex
KW - chemogenetics
KW - claustrum
KW - cortical gain
KW - distraction
KW - fiber photometry
KW - optogenetics
KW - sensory selection
KW - transgenic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052902528&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.068
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.068
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C2 - 30122531
AN - SCOPUS:85052902528
SN - 0960-9822
VL - 28
SP - 2752-2762.e7
JO - Current Biology
JF - Current Biology
IS - 17
ER -