Fellowship for K. Glajch in Supplort of Optogenetic characterization of the pallidostriatal synapse in Parkinsonian mice

Pathological activity in the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia contributes to the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent studies describe a novel connection in the indirect pathway: a direct projection from the globus pallidus external segment (GPe) to the dorsal striatum (dStr). However, the neurochemical and functional properties of this pallidostriatal (GPe-dStr) connection remain unknown. In this proposal we seek to understand the basic physiological properties of the pallidostriatal synapse by combining patch-clamp recording with optogenetics in naïve and parkinsonian mice. Given the key role of the dStr in motor control, we predict that perturbations in the properties of pallidostriatal neurons in parkinsonian conditions would have profound consequences on basal ganglia output and motor function. Thus these studies will provide insights into how network adaptations can be translated into new therapeutic strategies for PD patients.