Team Chevaleyre / Piskorowski

Why study hippocampal area CA2? This relatively small yet under-studied region in the hippocampus receives powerful excitatory sensory information from the cortex and dentate gyrus. Unlike areas CA1 and CA3, CA2 receives input from hypothalamic regions that are very active during emotional and social context, resulting in the release of neuromodulators such as vasopressin and oxytocin that are known to effect learning and social interaction. Furthermore, the pyramidal neurons and interneurons of area CA2 have unique circuitry, physiology and molecular make-up that sets this region apart from other hippocampal areas. The receptors for numerous neuromodulators including enkephalin, vasopressin, estrogen, somatostatin, corticoids, substance P and oxytocin are either highly enriched or uniquely expressed in this hippocampal region. CA2 pyramidal neurons strongly project to areas CA3, CA1, and to external hippocampal structures including the hypothalamus and septum. Thus, the neurons in area CA2 are poised to modulate memory formation and act on long-range brain network connections during emotionally laden tasks. Supporting this hypothesis are the recent findings that area CA2 is critical for social memory (Hitti et al, Nature 2014) and the re-expression of vasopressin 1b receptors only in CA2 pyramidal neurons in a vasopressin 1b receptor KO mouse can rescue aggressive behavior (Pagani, Mol Psychiatry 2014).

Entire_slice_CA1biocytin_CA2channel

Our goal is to better understand how area CA2 is incorporated into the hippocampal circuit and under which circumstances this region is most active. Our team currently has a cutting-edge set of tools that allows us to examine the circuitry and physiology of the interneurons and pyramidal cells in area CA2 and the hypothalamus in adult mice. We routinely use electrophysiology, optogenetics and pharmacogenetics (i.e. DREADDs) to selectively excite or silence CA2 pyramidal neurons.  With these methods, our team has discovered a unique plasticity of inhibitory transmission that occurs in area CA2 (Piskorowski and Chevaleyre, 2013; Nasrallah et al 2015) that requires the activation of delta-opioid receptors.

Area CA2 shows marked vulnerability in multiple psychiatric disorders (Knable, Mol Psychiatry 2004). Reports from human post-mortem studies as well as research performed by our team have discovered that both interneurons and pyramidal cells undergo profound age-dependent changes in area CA2 (Piskorowski et al, Neuron, 2016). TThus, a better understanding of area CA2 can have profound consequences not only for understanding learning and memory, but also for the understanding of psychiatric disease. Because of the unique molecular identity of neurons in area CA2, this region holds particular promise for the development of potential pharmacological treatments for the symptoms in numerous psychological disorders.

Funding sources

• ANR WhoRU
• ANR PlasticAdo

Recent Publications

Boehringer R, Polygalov D, Huang AJY, Middleton SJ, Robert V, Wintzer ME, Piskorowski RA, Chevaleyre V, and McHugh TJ. (2017) “Chronic loss of CA2 transmission leads to hippocampal hyperexcitability.” Neuron, May 3;94(3):642-655.e9.

Nasrallah K, Piskorowski RA, Chevaleyre V. (2017) “Bi-directional interplay between proximal and distal inputs to CA2 pyramidal neurons.” Neurobiol Learn Mem. Feb;138:173-181.

Palacio S, Chevaleyre V, Brann DH, Murray KD, Piskorowski RA and Trimmer JS. (2017) “Heterogeneity in Kv2 Channel Expression Shapes Action Potential Characteristics and Firing Patterns in CA1 versus CA2 Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons.” eNeuro, August 24; 4 (4).

Prévôt TD, Gastambide F, Viollet C, Henkous N, Martel G, Epelbaum J, Béracochéa D, Guillou JL (2017) “Roles of hippocampal somatostatin receptor subtypes in stress response and emotionality” Neuropsychopharmacology 42 (8), 1647

Viollet C, Simon A, Tolle V, Labarthe A, Grouselle D, Loe-Mie Y, Simonneau M, Martel G, Epelbaum J. (2017) “Somatostatin-IRES-Cre mice: between knockout and wild-type?” Frontiers in endocrinology 8, 131.

Beaudet G, Jozet-Alves C, Asselot R, Schumann-Bard P, Freret T, Boulouard M, Paizanis E. (2017) “Deletion of the serotonin receptor type 7 disrupts the acquisition of allocentric but not egocentric navigation strategies in mice." Behav Brain Res. 2017 Mar 1;320:179-185.

Beaudet G, Paizanis E, Zoratto F, Lacivita E, Leopoldo M, Freret T, Laviola G, Boulouard M, Adriani W. (2016) “LP-211, a selective 5-HT7 receptor agonist, increases novelty-preference and promotes risk-prone behavior in rats.” Synapse. 2017 Dec;71(12).

Piskorowski RA, Chevaleyre V. (2018) “Memory Circuits: CA2” Curr Opin Neurobiol. Apr 26;52:54-59.

Robert V, Cassim S, Chevaleyre V and Piskorowski RA. (2018) “Hippocampal Area CA2: Properties and Contribution to Hippocampal Function.” Cell and Tissue Research. Sep;373(3):525-540.

Mariotti L, Losi G, Lia A, Melone M, Chiavegato A, Gómez-Gonzalo M, Sessolo M, Bovetti S, Forli A, Zonta M, Requie LM, Marcon I, Pugliese A, Viollet C, Bettler B, Fellin T, Conti F, Carmignoto G (2018) “Interneuron-specific signaling evokes distinctive somatostatin-mediated responses in adult cortical astrocytes” Nature Communications. 9 (1), 82.

Prévôt TD, Viollet C, Epelbaum J, Dominguez G, Béracochéa D, Guillou JL. (2018) “sst2-receptor gene deletion exacerbates chronic stress-induced deficits: Consequences for emotional and cognitive ageing” Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 86, 390-400.

Heinrich J, Vidal JS, Simon A, Rigaud AS, Hanon O, Epelbaum J, Viollet C, Duron E. (2018) “Relationships Between Lower Olfaction and Brain White Matter Lesions in Elderly Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment” Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 61 (3), 1133-1141.

Nasrallah K, Therreau L, Robert V, Huang A, McHugh T, Piskorowski* RA and V Chevaleyre*. “Routing hippocampal information flow throught Parvalbumin interneuron plasticity in area CA2.” (2019) Cell Reports. 27, 86-98.

Nocera S, Simon A, Fiquet O, Chen Y, Gascuel J, Datiche F, Schneider N, Epelbaum J, Viollet C (2019) “Somatostatin Serves a Modulatory Role in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb: Neuroanatomical and Behavioral Evidence” Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 13, 61.

Domínguez S, Rey CC, Therreau T, Fanton A, Massotte D, Verret L, Piskorowski RA and V Chevaleyre. “Maturation of PNN and ErbB4 signaling in area CA2 during adolescence underlies the emergence of PV interneuron plasticity and social memory.” (2019) Cell Reports. Cell Rep. 2019 Oct 29;29(5):1099-1112.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.044.

Schneider NY, Chaudy S, Epstein AL, Viollet C, Benani A, Pénicaud L, Grosmaître X, Datiche F, Gascuel J. Centrifugal projections to the main olfactory bulb revealed by trans-synaptic retrograde tracing in mice. J Comp Neurol. (2019) Dec 23;. doi: 10.1002/cne.24846.

Robert V , Ludivine T, Davatolhagh MF, Bernardo-Garcia FJ, Clements KN, Chevaleyre V, Piskorowski RA. “The Mechanisms Shaping CA2 Pyramidal Neuron Action Potential Bursting Induced by Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Activation.” (2020) Journal of General Physiology. 152(4). Apr 6. doi: 10.1085/jgp.201912462.