Cell-type-specific enhancement of deviance detection by synaptic zinc in the mouse auditory cortex.

Stimulus-specific adaptation is a hallmark of sensory processing in which a repeated stimulus results in diminished successive neuronal responses, but a deviant stimulus will still elicit robust responses from the same neurons. Recent work has established that synaptically released zinc is an endogenous mechanism that shapes neuronal responses to sounds in the auditory cortex. Here, to understand the contributions of synaptic zinc to deviance detection of specific neurons, we performed wide-field and 2-photon calcium imaging of multiple classes of cortical neurons.

Trans-synaptic Association of Vesicular Zinc Transporter 3 and Shank3 Supports Synapse-Specific Dendritic Spine Structure and Function in the Mouse Auditory Cortex.

Shank3 is a synaptic scaffolding protein that assists in tethering and organizing structural proteins and glutamatergic receptors in the postsynaptic density of excitatory synapses. The localization of Shank3 at excitatory synapses and the formation of stable Shank3 complexes is regulated by the binding of zinc to the C-terminal sterile-alpha-motif (SAM) domain of Shank3. Mutations in the SAM domain of Shank3 result in altered synaptic function and morphology, and disruption of zinc in synapses that express Shank3 leads to a reduction of postsynaptic proteins important for synaptic structure and function.

Use of a Cannulated, Percutaneous Expandable Reamer for Physeal Sparing Excision of a Femoral Head Chondroblastoma.

The treatment of chondroblastoma in the epiphysis of the femoral head in skeletally immature individuals is challenging and often requires surgical hip dislocation. We present a unique method of percutaneous use of an expandable reamer (X-REAM, Wright Medical) to treat a chondroblastoma of the femoral head in a 9-year-old boy without requiring surgical hip dislocation. The described technique provides access to the tumor in the proximal femoral epiphysis and local tumor control.

Synaptic zinc potentiates AMPA receptor function in mouse auditory cortex.

Synaptic zinc signaling modulates synaptic activity and is present in specific populations of cortical neurons, suggesting that synaptic zinc contributes to the diversity of intracortical synaptic microcircuits and their functional specificity. To understand the role of zinc signaling in the cortex, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from intratelencephalic (IT)-type neurons and pyramidal tract (PT)-type neurons in layer 5 of the mouse auditory cortex during optogenetic stimulation of specific classes of presynaptic neurons. Our results show that synaptic zinc potentiates AMPA receptor (AMPAR) function in a synapse-specific manner.