Wenliang Zhou, PhD
Associate Research Scientist in PsychiatryCards
About
Research
Publications
2022
Activity of a direct VTA to ventral pallidum GABA pathway encodes unconditioned reward value and sustains motivation for reward
Zhou WL, Kim K, Ali F, Pittenger ST, Calarco CA, Mineur YS, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Kwan AC, Picciotto MR. Activity of a direct VTA to ventral pallidum GABA pathway encodes unconditioned reward value and sustains motivation for reward. Science Advances 2022, 8: eabm5217. PMID: 36260661, PMCID: PMC9581470, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5217.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHippocampal acetylcholine modulates stress-related behaviors independent of specific cholinergic inputs
Mineur YS, Mose TN, Vanopdenbosch L, Etherington IM, Ogbejesi C, Islam A, Pineda CM, Crouse RB, Zhou W, Thompson DC, Bentham MP, Picciotto MR. Hippocampal acetylcholine modulates stress-related behaviors independent of specific cholinergic inputs. Molecular Psychiatry 2022, 27: 1829-1838. PMID: 34997190, PMCID: PMC9106825, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01404-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStress-related behaviorsCholinergic inputMedial septum/diagonal bandBehavioral effectsBrain ACh levelsChAT-positive neuronsSelective chemogenetic activationMuscarinic ACh receptorsDepression-like symptomsSignificant behavioral effectsHippocampal acetylcholineMaladaptive behavioral responsesAntidepressant effectsCholinergic neuronsACh releaseChemogenetic activationChemogenetic inhibitionCholinergic antagonistsLocal infusionAcetylcholine levelsACh levelsDiagonal bandACh receptorsHippocampal neuronsPharmacological approaches
2020
Local glutamate-mediated dendritic plateau potentials change the state of the cortical pyramidal neuron
Gao PP, Graham JW, Zhou WL, Jang J, Angulo S, Dura-Bernal S, Hines M, Lytton WW, Antic SD. Local glutamate-mediated dendritic plateau potentials change the state of the cortical pyramidal neuron. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2020, 125: 23-42. PMID: 33085562, PMCID: PMC8087381, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00734.2019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCortical pyramidal neuronsDendritic plateau potentialsPyramidal neuronsPlateau potentialsCell bodiesBasal dendritesAfferent inputDendritic potentialsAction potentialsThin basal dendritesSomatic input resistanceThin dendritic branchesLocal dendritic potentialNeuronal statesGlutamatergic inputsFunctional neuronal ensemblesTau changesCortical neuronsVoltage-sensitive dyeDendritic spikesMembrane time constantStimulation intensityOblique branchNeuronsInput resistance
2018
Molecular and cellular characterization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in the arcuate nucleus of the mouse hypothalamus
Calarco CA, Li Z, Taylor SR, Lee S, Zhou W, Friedman JM, Mineur YS, Gotti C, Picciotto MR. Molecular and cellular characterization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in the arcuate nucleus of the mouse hypothalamus. European Journal Of Neuroscience 2018, 48: 1600-1619. PMID: 29791746, PMCID: PMC6251769, DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13966.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPOMC cellsArcuate nucleusFood intakeOrexigenic agouti-related peptideNicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypesAnorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neuronsDecrease food intakePro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neuronsAcetylcholine receptor subtypesMRNA levelsAgouti-related peptideNicotinic agonist cytisineNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsSubunit mRNA levelsNeuronal cell typesAnorexigenic neuronsNicotinic regulationNicotinic modulationSmall hairpin RNAHypothalamic regionsReal-time PCRReceptor subtypesAgonist cytisineΑ7 subunitAcetylcholine receptorsStriatin-1 is a B subunit of protein phosphatase PP2A that regulates dendritic arborization and spine development in striatal neurons
Li D, Musante V, Zhou W, Picciotto MR, Nairn AC. Striatin-1 is a B subunit of protein phosphatase PP2A that regulates dendritic arborization and spine development in striatal neurons. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2018, 293: 11179-11194. PMID: 29802198, PMCID: PMC6052221, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001519.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSerine/threonine phosphatase PP2AStriatin-interacting phosphataseRNA knockdown approachB subunitSTRIPAK complexPhosphatase PP2AProtein phosphataseMultiprotein complexesKnockdown approachStriatin familyMutant constructsStriatal neuronal culturesPP2ANeuronal developmentPrimary striatal neuronal culturesDendritic phenotypeKnockdown modelSynapse formationSubunitsSpine developmentSelective roleReduced expressionNeuron maturationNeuronal culturesStriatal neurons
2017
The stochastic nature of action potential backpropagation in apical tuft dendrites
Short SM, Oikonomou KD, Zhou WL, Acker CD, Popovic MA, Zecevic D, Antic SD. The stochastic nature of action potential backpropagation in apical tuft dendrites. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2017, 118: 1394-1414. PMID: 28566465, PMCID: PMC5558024, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00800.2016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDendritic CaPyramidal neuronsApical tuftCortical pyramidal neuronsAction potential backpropagationRat brain slicesSpontaneous synaptic inputsDifferent cortical layersVoltage-gated CaAP backpropagationAP burstsGlutamate iontophoresisSynaptic contactsSomatic APsApical trunkAP frequencyBrain slicesDendritic physiologySynaptic inputsCortical layersChannel inactivationLocal NaNeuronsSpike-timing dependent plasticityTrials
2015
Antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine and sex-specific differences in effects on c-fos immunoreactivity and paired-pulse ratio in male and female mice
Mineur YS, Bentham MP, Zhou WL, Plantenga ME, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Antidepressant-like effects of guanfacine and sex-specific differences in effects on c-fos immunoreactivity and paired-pulse ratio in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology 2015, 232: 3539-3549. PMID: 26146014, PMCID: PMC4561580, DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4001-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAntidepressant-like effectsPaired-pulse ratioC-Fos immunoreactivityPrefrontal cortexSwim testBrain areasRobust antidepressant-like effectsBrain regionsSex differencesMale C57BL/6J miceDepression-like behaviorEffects of guanfacineAcetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmineLight/dark boxBaseline sex differencesC-fos expressionDepression-like stateCritical brain regionsDifferent brain areasSex-specific changesAntidepressant efficacyCholinergic controlInhibitor physostigmineC57BL/6J miceAgonist guanfacineAcetylcholine Acts through Nicotinic Receptors to Enhance the Firing Rate of a Subset of Hypocretin Neurons in the Mouse Hypothalamus through Distinct pre- and Postsynaptic Mechanisms
Zhou WL, Gao XB, Picciotto MR. Acetylcholine Acts through Nicotinic Receptors to Enhance the Firing Rate of a Subset of Hypocretin Neurons in the Mouse Hypothalamus through Distinct pre- and Postsynaptic Mechanisms. ENeuro 2015, 2: eneuro.0052-14.2015. PMID: 26322330, PMCID: PMC4551500, DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0052-14.2015.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHypocretin neuronsMiniature EPSCsPostsynaptic nAChRsFiring rateHypocretin/orexin neuronsFrequency of mEPSCsAntagonism of nAChRsPhasic ACh releasePresence of atropineApplication of AChInternal calcium releaseNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsMouse brain slicesOne-thirdAddiction-related behaviorsPresynaptic AChPresynaptic nAChRsOrexin neuronsACh releaseGlutamatergic inputsPostsynaptic modulationPostsynaptic mechanismsMEPSC frequencyTonic activationBrain slices
2014
Branch specific and spike-order specific action potential invasion in basal, oblique, and apical dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons
Zhou W, Short S, Rich M, Oikonomou K, Singh M, Sterjanaj E, Antic S. Branch specific and spike-order specific action potential invasion in basal, oblique, and apical dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons. Neurophotonics 2014, 2: 021006-021006. PMID: 26157997, PMCID: PMC4478750, DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.2.2.021006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPyramidal neuronsAction potentialsDendritic branchesTrains of APsCortical pyramidal neuronsL5 pyramidal neuronsSame cortical layerNeocortical pyramidal neuronsAction potential invasionThin dendritic branchesAP backpropagationApical dendritesAP trainsApical trunkSame neuronsDendritic diameterDistal synapsesCalcium transientsVariable efficacyCalcium imagingCortical layersDendritic treeDendritic voltageOblique branchMultisite optical recordingsConnexin hemichannels contribute to spontaneous electrical activity in the human fetal cortex
Moore A, Zhou W, Sirois C, Belinsky G, Zecevic N, Antic S. Connexin hemichannels contribute to spontaneous electrical activity in the human fetal cortex. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2014, 111: e3919-e3928. PMID: 25197082, PMCID: PMC4169969, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1405253111.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHuman fetal cortexAction potential firingFetal cortexSP neuronsSpontaneous activitySpontaneous depolarizationsYoung postmitotic neuronsGlycinergic synaptic transmissionConnexin-based gap junctionsElectrical activityAcute cortical slicesSpontaneous electrical activityWhole-cell recordingsConnexin hemichannelsGap junctionsHuman subplate neuronsPresence of connexinsSubplate neuronsSecond trimesterCortical slicesSynaptic contactsSynaptic transmissionImmunohistochemical analysisSP zonePostmitotic neurons