Recent studies have shown that the cerebellum and the basal ganglia are interconnected at subcortical levels. However, a subcortical basal ganglia connection to the inferior olive (IO), being the source of the olivocerebellar climbing fiber system, is not known. We have used classical tracing with CTb, retrograde transneuronal infection with wildtype rabies virus, conditional tracing with genetically modified rabies virus, and examination of material made available by the Allen Brain Institute, to study potential basal ganglia connections to the inferior olive in rats and mice. We show in both species that parvalbumin-positive, and therefore GABAergic, neurons in the entopeduncular nucleus, representing the rodent equivalent of the internal part of the globus pallidus, innervate a group of cells that surrounds the fasciculus retroflexus and that are collectively known as the area parafascicularis prerubralis. As these neurons supply a direct excitatory input to large parts of the inferior olivary complex, we propose that the entopeduncular nucleus, as a main output station of the basal ganglia, provides an inhibitory influence on olivary excitability. As such, this connection may influence olivary involvement in cerebellar learning and/or could be involved in transmission of reward properties that have recently been established for olivocerebellar signaling.

中文翻译：

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与下橄榄的突触基底神经节连接：基底神经节对小脑学习的潜在影响

最近的研究表明，小脑和基底神经节在皮层下水平相互连接。然而，作为橄榄小脑攀爬纤维系统来源的下橄榄 (IO) 的皮质下基底神经节连接尚不清楚。我们使用了 CTb 的经典追踪、野生型狂犬病病毒的逆行跨神经元感染、转基因狂犬病病毒的条件追踪以及艾伦脑研究所提供的材料检查，以研究大鼠和小鼠基底神经节与下橄榄的潜在联系. 我们在这两个物种中都显示，小白蛋白阳性，因此是 GABAergic，内脚核中的神经元，代表相当于苍白球内部的啮齿动物，支配一组围绕后束肌的细胞，这些细胞统称为 parafascicularis prerubralis 区域。由于这些神经元为下橄榄复合体的大部分提供直接兴奋性输入，我们提出脚内核作为基底神经节的主要输出站，对橄榄兴奋性产生抑制影响。因此，这种联系可能影响橄榄参与小脑学习和/或可能参与最近为橄榄小脑信号传导建立的奖励特性的传递。提供对橄榄兴奋性的抑制作用。因此，这种联系可能影响橄榄参与小脑学习和/或可能参与最近为橄榄小脑信号传导建立的奖励特性的传递。提供对橄榄兴奋性的抑制作用。因此，这种联系可能影响橄榄参与小脑学习和/或可能参与最近为橄榄小脑信号传导建立的奖励特性的传递。