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Samavat M, Bartol TM, Bromer C, Hubbard DD, Hanka DC, Kuwajima M, Mendenhall JM, Parker PH, Bowden JB, Abraham WC, Sejnowski TJ, Harris KM. Long-Term Potentiation Produces a Sustained Expansion of Synaptic Information Storage Capacity in Adult Rat Hippocampus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.12.574766. [PMID: 38260636 PMCID: PMC10802612 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.12.574766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP) has become a standard model for investigating synaptic mechanisms of learning and memory. Increasingly, it is of interest to understand how LTP affects the synaptic information storage capacity of the targeted population of synapses. Here, structural synaptic plasticity during LTP was explored using three-dimensional reconstruction from serial section electron microscopy. Storage capacity was assessed by applying a new analytical approach, Shannon information theory, to delineate the number of functionally distinguishable synaptic strengths. LTP was induced by delta-burst stimulation of perforant pathway inputs to the middle molecular layer of hippocampal dentate granule cells in adult rats. Spine head volumes were measured as predictors of synaptic strength and compared between LTP and control hemispheres at 30 min and 2 hr after the induction of LTP. Synapses from the same axon onto the same dendrite were used to determine the precision of synaptic plasticity based on the similarity of their physical dimensions. Shannon entropy was measured by exploiting the frequency of spine heads in functionally distinguishable sizes to assess the degree to which LTP altered the number of bits of information storage. Outcomes from these analyses reveal that LTP expanded storage capacity; the distribution of spine head volumes was increased from 2 bits in controls to 3 bits at 30 min and 2.7 bits at 2 hr after the induction of LTP. Furthermore, the distribution of spine head volumes was more uniform across the increased number of functionally distinguishable sizes following LTP, thus achieving more efficient use of coding space across the population of synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Samavat
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, UC San Diego
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Thomas M Bartol
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Cailey Bromer
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Dusten D Hubbard
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Dakota C Hanka
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Masaaki Kuwajima
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - John M Mendenhall
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Patrick H Parker
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Jared B Bowden
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Wickliffe C Abraham
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Terrence J Sejnowski
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Kristen M Harris
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
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2
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Miller AM, Daniels RM, Sheng JA, Wu TJ, Handa RJ. Glucocorticoid regulation of diurnal spine plasticity in the murine ventromedial prefrontal cortex. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13212. [PMID: 36426781 PMCID: PMC10078509 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) regulates fear acquisition, fear extinction, mood, and HPA axis function. Multiple brain regions exhibit time-of-day dependent variations in learning, long term potentiation (LTP), and dendritic morphology. Glucocorticoids have been implicated in the regulation of dendritic structure in the context of stress. Glucocorticoids are also known to regulate molecular clock entrainment via upregulation of Per1 transcription. In the present study, C57BL/6 N mice were sacrificed at three distinct times of day (ZT3, ZT12, and ZT16, lights off at ZT12) and Per1 mRNA expression was measured in the infralimbic and prelimbic vmPFC subregions using droplet digital (dd) PCR after recovering from adrenalectomy or sham surgery for 10 days. Sham mice showed Per1 rhythmicity in both infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PL) cortex, with peak expression occurring at ZT12. Adrenalectomized mice showed reductions in Per1 amplitude at ZT12 in both IL and PL, suggesting that the vmPFC molecular clock is entrained by diurnal glucocorticoid oscillations. Thy1-eGFP mice were used to visualize and quantify dendritic spine density on deep layer pyramidal dendrites at ZT 3, 12, and 16. Spine density in both PL and IL exhibited changes between the light (inactive) and dark (active) phases, with peak spine density observed at ZT16 and trough spine density observed at ZT3. These changes in spine density were restricted to changes in long thin and stubby type spines. To determine if changes in spine density is regulated by glucocorticoid oscillations, the 11β-hydroxylase inhibitor metyrapone was administered 2 h prior to the onset of the active phase (ZT10) daily for 7 days. Metyrapone administration blocked both the diurnal peak of plasma corticosterone and peak spine densities in the IL and PL at ZT16. These results suggest that vmPFC molecular clock gene and dendritic spine diurnal rhythms depend on intact diurnal glucocorticoid oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Miller
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Renata M Daniels
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Julietta A Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - T John Wu
- Department of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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3
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Wu XL, Yan QJ, Zhu F. Abnormal synaptic plasticity and impaired cognition in schizophrenia. World J Psychiatry 2022; 12:541-557. [PMID: 35582335 PMCID: PMC9048451 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i4.541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe mental illness that affects several brain domains with relation to cognition and behaviour. SCZ symptoms are typically classified into three categories, namely, positive, negative, and cognitive. The etiology of SCZ is thought to be multifactorial and poorly understood. Accumulating evidence has indicated abnormal synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairments in SCZ. Synaptic plasticity is thought to be induced at appropriate synapses during memory formation and has a critical role in the cognitive symptoms of SCZ. Many factors, including synaptic structure changes, aberrant expression of plasticity-related genes, and abnormal synaptic transmission, may influence synaptic plasticity and play vital roles in SCZ. In this article, we briefly summarize the morphology of the synapse, the neurobiology of synaptic plasticity, and the role of synaptic plasticity, and review potential mechanisms underlying abnormal synaptic plasticity in SCZ. These abnormalities involve dendritic spines, postsynaptic density, and long-term potentiation-like plasticity. We also focus on cognitive dysfunction, which reflects impaired connectivity in SCZ. Additionally, the potential targets for the treatment of SCZ are discussed in this article. Therefore, understanding abnormal synaptic plasticity and impaired cognition in SCZ has an essential role in drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Lin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiu-Jin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
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4
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Stampanoni Bassi M, Iezzi E, Centonze D. Multiple sclerosis: Inflammation, autoimmunity and plasticity. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 184:457-470. [PMID: 35034754 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819410-2.00024-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, experimental studies have clarified that immune system influences the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. The neuro-immune crosstalk plays a crucial role in neuronal development and may be critically involved in mediating CNS response to neuronal damage. Multiple sclerosis (MS) represents a good model to investigate how the immune system regulates neuronal activity. Accordingly, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that increased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators may significantly impact synaptic mechanisms, influencing overall neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity expression. In this chapter, we provide an overview of preclinical data and clinical studies exploring synaptic functioning noninvasively with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with MS. Moreover, we examine how inflammation-driven synaptic dysfunction could affect synaptic plasticity expression, negatively influencing the MS course. Contrasting CSF inflammation together with pharmacologic enhancement of synaptic plasticity and application of noninvasive brain stimulation, alone or in combination with rehabilitative treatments, could improve the clinical compensation and prevent the accumulating deterioration in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ennio Iezzi
- Unit of Neurology & Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Diego Centonze
- Unit of Neurology & Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy; Laboratory of Synaptic Immunopathology, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
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Cuestas Torres DM, Cardenas FP. Synaptic plasticity in Alzheimer's disease and healthy aging. Rev Neurosci 2021; 31:245-268. [PMID: 32250284 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2019-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The strength and efficiency of synaptic connections are affected by the environment or the experience of the individual. This property, called synaptic plasticity, is directly related to memory and learning processes and has been modeled at the cellular level. These types of cellular memory and learning models include specific stimulation protocols that generate a long-term strengthening of the synapses, called long-term potentiation, or a weakening of the said long-term synapses, called long-term depression. Although, for decades, researchers have believed that the main cause of the cognitive deficit that characterizes Alzheimer's disease (AD) and aging was the loss of neurons, the hypothesis of an imbalance in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity underlying this deficit is currently widely accepted. An understanding of the molecular and cellular changes underlying the process of synaptic plasticity during the development of AD and aging will direct future studies to specific targets, resulting in the development of much more efficient and specific therapeutic strategies. In this review, we classify, discuss, and describe the main findings related to changes in the neurophysiological mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in excitatory synapses underlying AD and aging. In addition, we suggest possible mechanisms in which aging can become a high-risk factor for the development of AD and how its development could be prevented or slowed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Marcela Cuestas Torres
- Departamento de Psicología and Departamento de Biología, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Universidad de los Andes, Cra 1 N° 18A-12, CP 111711, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Fernando P Cardenas
- Departamento de Psicología, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Universidad de los Andes, Cra 1 N° 18A-12, CP 111711, Bogotá, Colombia
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6
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Lewis V, Laberge F, Heyland A. Temporal Profile of Brain Gene Expression After Prey Catching Conditioning in an Anuran Amphibian. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1407. [PMID: 31992968 PMCID: PMC6971186 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A key goal in modern neurobiology is to understand the mechanisms underlying learning and memory. To that end, it is essential to identify the patterns of gene expression and the temporal sequence of molecular events associated with learning and memory processes. It is also important to ascertain if and how these molecular events vary between organisms. In vertebrates, learning and memory processes are characterized by distinct phases of molecular activity involving gene transcription, structural change, and long-term maintenance of such structural change in the nervous system. Utilizing next generation sequencing techniques, we profiled the temporal expression patterns of genes in the brain of the fire-bellied toad Bombina orientalis after prey catching conditioning. The fire-bellied toad is a basal tetrapod whose neural architecture and molecular pathways may help us understand the ancestral state of learning and memory mechanisms in tetrapods. Differential gene expression following conditioning revealed activity in molecular pathways related to immediate early genes (IEG), cytoskeletal modification, axon guidance activity, and apoptotic processes. Conditioning induced early IEG activity coinciding with transcriptional activity and neuron structural modification, followed by axon guidance and cell adhesion activity, and late neuronal pruning. While some of these gene expression patterns are similar to those found in mammals submitted to conditioning, some interesting divergent expression profiles were seen, and differential expression of some well-known learning-related mammalian genes is missing altogether. These results highlight the importance of using a comparative approach in the study of the mechanisms of leaning and memory and provide molecular resources for a novel vertebrate model in the relatively poorly studied Amphibia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vern Lewis
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andreas Heyland
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Chidambaram SB, Rathipriya AG, Bolla SR, Bhat A, Ray B, Mahalakshmi AM, Manivasagam T, Thenmozhi AJ, Essa MM, Guillemin GJ, Chandra R, Sakharkar MK. Dendritic spines: Revisiting the physiological role. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:161-193. [PMID: 30654089 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small, thin, specialized protrusions from neuronal dendrites, primarily localized in the excitatory synapses. Sophisticated imaging techniques revealed that dendritic spines are complex structures consisting of a dense network of cytoskeletal, transmembrane and scaffolding molecules, and numerous surface receptors. Molecular signaling pathways, mainly Rho and Ras family small GTPases pathways that converge on actin cytoskeleton, regulate the spine morphology and dynamics bi-directionally during synaptic activity. During synaptic plasticity the number and shapes of dendritic spines undergo radical reorganizations. Long-term potentiation (LTP) induction promote spine head enlargement and the formation and stabilization of new spines. Long-term depression (LTD) results in their shrinkage and retraction. Reports indicate increased spine density in the pyramidal neurons of autism and Fragile X syndrome patients and reduced density in the temporal gyrus loci of schizophrenic patients. Post-mortem reports of Alzheimer's brains showed reduced spine number in the hippocampus and cortex. This review highlights the spine morphogenesis process, the activity-dependent structural plasticity and mechanisms by which synaptic activity sculpts the dendritic spines, the structural and functional changes in spines during learning and memory using LTP and LTD processes. It also discusses on spine status in neurodegenerative diseases and the impact of nootropics and neuroprotective agents on the functional restoration of dendritic spines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru, Karnataka 570015, India.
| | - A G Rathipriya
- Food and Brain Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Srinivasa Rao Bolla
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Damam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abid Bhat
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru, Karnataka 570015, India
| | - Bipul Ray
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru, Karnataka 570015, India
| | - Arehally Marappa Mahalakshmi
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru, Karnataka 570015, India
| | - Thamilarasan Manivasagam
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Arokiasamy Justin Thenmozhi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Musthafa Mohamed Essa
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, CAMS, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Gilles J Guillemin
- Neuropharmacology Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Deb Bailey MND Research Laboratory, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Department of Chemistry, Ambedkar Centre for BioMedical Research, Delhi University, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Meena Kishore Sakharkar
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, 107, Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9, Canada.
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Langille JJ, Brown RE. The Synaptic Theory of Memory: A Historical Survey and Reconciliation of Recent Opposition. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:52. [PMID: 30416432 PMCID: PMC6212519 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Trettenbrein (2016) has argued that the concept of the synapse as the locus of memory is outdated and has made six critiques of this concept. In this article, we examine these six critiques and suggest that the current theories of the neurobiology of memory and the empirical data indicate that synaptic activation is the first step in a chain of cellular and biochemical events that lead to memories formed in cell assemblies and neural networks that rely on synaptic modification for their formation. These neural networks and their modified synaptic connections can account for the cognitive basis of learning and memory and for memory deterioration in neurological disorders. We first discuss Hebb's (1949) theory that synaptic change and the formation of cell assemblies and phase sequences can link neurophysiology to cognitive processes. We then examine each of Trettenbrein's (2016) critiques of the synaptic theory in light of Hebb's theories and recent empirical data. We examine the biochemical basis of memory formation and the necessity of synaptic modification to form the neural networks underlying learning and memory. We then examine the use of Hebb's theories of synaptic change and cell assemblies for integrating neurophysiological and cognitive conceptions of learning and memory. We conclude with an examination of the applications of the Hebb synapse and cell assembly theories to the study of the neuroscience of learning and memory, the development of computational models of memory and the construction of "intelligent" robots. We conclude that the synaptic theory of memory has not met its demise, but is essential to our understanding of the neural basis of memory, which has two components: synaptic plasticity and intrinsic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard E. Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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9
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Stampanoni Bassi M, Mori F, Buttari F, Marfia GA, Sancesario A, Centonze D, Iezzi E. Neurophysiology of synaptic functioning in multiple sclerosis. Clin Neurophysiol 2017; 128:1148-1157. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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10
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Janz P, Savanthrapadian S, Häussler U, Kilias A, Nestel S, Kretz O, Kirsch M, Bartos M, Egert U, Haas CA. Synaptic Remodeling of Entorhinal Input Contributes to an Aberrant Hippocampal Network in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:2348-2364. [PMID: 27073230 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is reciprocally connected with the entorhinal cortex. Although several studies emphasized a role for the entorhinal cortex in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), it remains uncertain whether its synaptic connections with the hippocampus are altered. To address this question, we traced hippocampo-entorhinal and entorhino-hippocampal projections, assessed their connectivity with the respective target cells and examined functional alterations in a mouse model for MTLE. We show that hippocampal afferents to the dorsal entorhinal cortex are lost in the epileptic hippocampus. Conversely, entorhino-dentate projections via the medial perforant path (MPP) are preserved, but appear substantially altered on the synaptic level. Confocal imaging and 3D-reconstruction revealed that new putative contacts are established between MPP fibers and dentate granule cells (DGCs). Immunohistochemical identification of pre- and postsynaptic elements indicated that these contacts are functionally mature synapses. On the ultrastructural level, pre- and postsynaptic compartments of MPP synapses were strongly enlarged. The length and complexity of postsynaptic densities were also increased pointing to long-term potentiation-related morphogenesis. Finally, whole-cell recordings of DGCs revealed an enhancement of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents. In conclusion, the synaptic rearrangement of excitatory inputs to DGCs from the medial entorhinal cortex may contribute to the epileptogenic circuitry in MTLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Janz
- Experimental Epilepsy Research, Department of Neurosurgery.,Faculty of Biology
| | | | - Ute Häussler
- Experimental Epilepsy Research, Department of Neurosurgery
| | - Antje Kilias
- Faculty of Biology.,Laboratory for Biomicrotechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering, Freiburg im Breisgau 79110, Germany.,Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Germany
| | - Sigrun Nestel
- Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
| | - Oliver Kretz
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79106, Germany
| | | | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute for Physiology I, Systemic and Cellular Neurophysiology.,Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Germany.,BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79110, Germany
| | - Ulrich Egert
- Laboratory for Biomicrotechnology, Department of Microsystems Engineering, Freiburg im Breisgau 79110, Germany.,Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Germany.,BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79110, Germany
| | - Carola A Haas
- Experimental Epilepsy Research, Department of Neurosurgery.,Bernstein Center Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Germany.,BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79110, Germany
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11
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Bosch M, Castro J, Sur M, Hayashi Y. Photomarking Relocalization Technique for Correlated Two-Photon and Electron Microcopy Imaging of Single Stimulated Synapses. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1538:185-214. [PMID: 27943192 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6688-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Synapses learn and remember by persistent modifications of their internal structures and composition but, due to their small size, it is difficult to observe these changes at the ultrastructural level in real time. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PM) allows time-course live imaging of individual synapses but lacks ultrastructural resolution. Electron microscopy (EM) allows the ultrastructural imaging of subcellular components but cannot detect fluorescence and lacks temporal resolution. Here, we describe a combination of procedures designed to achieve the correlated imaging of the same individual synapse under both 2PM and EM. This technique permits the selective stimulation and live imaging of a single dendritic spine and the subsequent localization of the same spine in EM ultrathin serial sections. Landmarks created through a photomarking method based on the 2-photon-induced precipitation of an electrodense compound are used to unequivocally localize the stimulated synapse. This technique was developed to image, for the first time, the ultrastructure of the postsynaptic density in which long-term potentiation was selectively induced just seconds or minutes before, but it can be applied for the study of any biological process that requires the precise relocalization of micron-wide structures for their correlated imaging with 2PM and EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Bosch
- RIKEN-MIT Neuroscience Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jorge Castro
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yasunori Hayashi
- RIKEN-MIT Neuroscience Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Saitama University Brain Science Institute, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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12
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Suzuki A, Iinuma M, Hayashi S, Sato Y, Azuma K, Kubo KY. Maternal chewing during prenatal stress ameliorates stress-induced hypomyelination, synaptic alterations, and learning impairment in mouse offspring. Brain Res 2016; 1651:36-43. [PMID: 27613358 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Maternal chewing during prenatal stress attenuates both the development of stress-induced learning deficits and decreased cell proliferation in mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus. Hippocampal myelination affects spatial memory and the synaptic structure is a key mediator of neuronal communication. We investigated whether maternal chewing during prenatal stress ameliorates stress-induced alterations of hippocampal myelin and synapses, and impaired development of spatial memory in adult offspring. Pregnant mice were divided into control, stress, and stress/chewing groups. Stress was induced by placing mice in a ventilated restraint tube, and was initiated on day 12 of pregnancy and continued until delivery. Mice in the stress/chewing group were given a wooden stick to chew during restraint. In 1-month-old pups, spatial memory was assessed in the Morris water maze, and hippocampal oligodendrocytes and synapses in CA1 were assayed by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Prenatal stress led to impaired learning ability, and decreased immunoreactivity of myelin basic protein (MBP) and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) in the hippocampal CA1 in adult offspring. Numerous myelin sheath abnormalities were observed. The G-ratio [axonal diameter to axonal fiber diameter (axon plus myelin sheath)] was increased and postsynaptic density length was decreased in the hippocampal CA1 region. Maternal chewing during stress attenuated the prenatal stress-induced impairment of spatial memory, and the decreased MBP and CNPase immunoreactivity, increased G-ratios, and decreased postsynaptic-density length in the hippocampal CA1 region. These findings suggest that chewing during prenatal stress in dams could be an effective coping strategy to prevent hippocampal behavioral and morphologic impairments in their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Suzuki
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu 501-0296, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Iinuma
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu 501-0296, Japan
| | - Sakurako Hayashi
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu 501-0296, Japan
| | - Yuichi Sato
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Kitasato University School of Allied Health Science, Kitasato 1-15-1, Minamiku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Kagaku Azuma
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 807-8555, Japan
| | - Kin-Ya Kubo
- Seijoh University Graduate School of Health Care Studies, 2-172, Fukinodai, Tokai, Aichi 476-8588, Japan.
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Chazeau A, Giannone G. Organization and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton during dendritic spine morphological remodeling. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:3053-73. [PMID: 27105623 PMCID: PMC11108290 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2214-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In the central nervous system, most excitatory post-synapses are small subcellular structures called dendritic spines. Their structure and morphological remodeling are tightly coupled to changes in synaptic transmission. The F-actin cytoskeleton is the main driving force of dendritic spine remodeling and sustains synaptic plasticity. It is therefore essential to understand how changes in synaptic transmission can regulate the organization and dynamics of actin binding proteins (ABPs). In this review, we will provide a detailed description of the organization and dynamics of F-actin and ABPs in dendritic spines and will discuss the current models explaining how the actin cytoskeleton sustains both structural and functional synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaël Chazeau
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, University of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, 33000, Bordeaux, France
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, CNRS, UMR 5297, 33000, Bordeaux, France
- Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Grégory Giannone
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, University of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, CNRS, UMR 5297, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
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14
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Abstract
Memory is fundamentally important to everyday life, and memory loss has devastating consequences to individuals and society. Understanding the neurophysiological and cellular basis of memory paves the way for gaining insights into the molecular steps involved in memory formation, thereby revealing potential therapeutic targets for neurological diseases. For three decades, long-term potentiation (LTP) has been the gold standard synaptic model for mammalian memory mechanisms, in large part because of its long-lasting nature. Here, the authors summarize the characteristics of LTP persistence in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, comparing this with other hippocampal subregions and neocortex. They consider how long LTP can last and how its persistence is affected by subsequent behavioral experiences. Next, they review the molecular mechanisms known to contribute to LTP induction and persistence, in particular the role of new gene expression and protein synthesis and how they may be associated with potential structural reorganization of the synapse. A temporal schema for the processes important for consolidating LTP into a persistent form is presented. The parallels between the molecular aspects of LTP and memory strongly support the continuation with LTP as a model system for studying the mechanisms underlying long-term memory consolidation and retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wickliffe C Abraham
- Department of Psychology, Box 56, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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15
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Park J, Trinh VN, Sears-Kraxberger I, Li KW, Steward O, Luo ZD. Synaptic ultrastructure changes in trigeminocervical complex posttrigeminal nerve injury. J Comp Neurol 2015; 524:309-22. [PMID: 26132987 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Trigeminal nerves collecting sensory information from the orofacial area synapse on second-order neurons in the dorsal horn of subnucleus caudalis and cervical C1/C2 spinal cord (Vc/C2, or trigeminocervical complex), which is critical for sensory information processing. Injury to the trigeminal nerves may cause maladaptive changes in synaptic connectivity that plays an important role in chronic pain development. Here we examined whether injury to the infraorbital nerve, a branch of the trigeminal nerves, led to synaptic ultrastructural changes when the injured animals have developed neuropathic pain states. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine synaptic profiles in Vc/C2 at 3 weeks postinjury, corresponding to the time of peak behavioral hypersensitivity following chronic constriction injury to the infraorbital nerve (CCI-ION). Using established criteria, synaptic profiles were classified as associated with excitatory (R-), inhibitory (F-), and primary afferent (C-) terminals. Each type was counted within the superficial dorsal horn of the Vc/C2 and the means from each rat were compared between sham and injured animals; synaptic contact length was also measured. The overall analysis indicates that rats with orofacial pain states had increased numbers and decreased mean synaptic length of R-profiles within the Vc/C2 superficial dorsal horn (lamina I) 3 weeks post-CCI-ION. Increases in the number of excitatory synapses in the superficial dorsal horn of Vc/C2 could lead to enhanced activation of nociceptive pathways, contributing to the development of orofacial pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Park
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697
| | - Van Nancy Trinh
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697
| | - Ilse Sears-Kraxberger
- Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697
| | - Kang-Wu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697
| | - Oswald Steward
- Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697
| | - Z David Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697.,Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697.,Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, California, 92697
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16
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Adaptive Synaptogenesis Constructs Neural Codes That Benefit Discrimination. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004299. [PMID: 26176744 PMCID: PMC4503424 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Intelligent organisms face a variety of tasks requiring the acquisition of expertise within a specific domain, including the ability to discriminate between a large number of similar patterns. From an energy-efficiency perspective, effective discrimination requires a prudent allocation of neural resources with more frequent patterns and their variants being represented with greater precision. In this work, we demonstrate a biologically plausible means of constructing a single-layer neural network that adaptively (i.e., without supervision) meets this criterion. Specifically, the adaptive algorithm includes synaptogenesis, synaptic shedding, and bi-directional synaptic weight modification to produce a network with outputs (i.e. neural codes) that represent input patterns proportional to the frequency of related patterns. In addition to pattern frequency, the correlational structure of the input environment also affects allocation of neural resources. The combined synaptic modification mechanisms provide an explanation of neuron allocation in the case of self-taught experts. One neural correlate of being an expert is more brain volume—and presumably more neurons and more synapses—devoted to processing the input patterns falling within one's field of expertise. As the number of neurons in the neocortex does not increase during the learning period that begins with novice abilities and ends with expert performance, neurons must be viewed as a scarce resource whose connections are adjusted to be more responsive to inputs within the field of expertise and less responsive to input patterns outside this field. To accomplish this enhanced, but localized improvement of representational capacity, the usual theory of associative synaptic modification is extended to include synaptogenesis (formation of new synapses) and synaptic shedding (rejection of synapses by a postsynaptic neuron) in a manner compatible with the original, associative synaptic modification algorithm. Using some mathematically simplifying assumptions, a theory is developed that predicts the algorithm's eventual outcome on expert neuronal coding, and then without the simplifying assumptions, computational simulations confirm the theory’s predictions in long, but finite periods of simulation-time (i.e., finite-sampling leads to stable connections, and thus, stable expert encodings).
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17
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Hendriksen RG, Hoogland G, Schipper S, Hendriksen JG, Vles JS, Aalbers MW. A possible role of dystrophin in neuronal excitability: A review of the current literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 51:255-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Revised: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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18
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Meyer D, Bonhoeffer T, Scheuss V. Balance and Stability of Synaptic Structures during Synaptic Plasticity. Neuron 2014; 82:430-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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19
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Sala C, Segal M. Dendritic spines: the locus of structural and functional plasticity. Physiol Rev 2014; 94:141-88. [PMID: 24382885 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00012.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The introduction of high-resolution time lapse imaging and molecular biological tools has changed dramatically the rate of progress towards the understanding of the complex structure-function relations in synapses of central spiny neurons. Standing issues, including the sequence of molecular and structural processes leading to formation, morphological change, and longevity of dendritic spines, as well as the functions of dendritic spines in neurological/psychiatric diseases are being addressed in a growing number of recent studies. There are still unsettled issues with respect to spine formation and plasticity: Are spines formed first, followed by synapse formation, or are synapses formed first, followed by emergence of a spine? What are the immediate and long-lasting changes in spine properties following exposure to plasticity-producing stimulation? Is spine volume/shape indicative of its function? These and other issues are addressed in this review, which highlights the complexity of molecular pathways involved in regulation of spine structure and function, and which contributes to the understanding of central synaptic interactions in health and disease.
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20
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Kraemer BR, Yoon SO, Carter BD. The biological functions and signaling mechanisms of the p75 neurotrophin receptor. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2014; 220:121-164. [PMID: 24668472 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-45106-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) regulates a wide range of cellular functions, including programmed cell death, axonal growth and degeneration, cell proliferation, myelination, and synaptic plasticity. The multiplicity of cellular functions governed by the receptor arises from the variety of ligands and co-receptors which associate with p75(NTR) and regulate its signaling. P75(NTR) promotes survival through interactions with Trk receptors, inhibits axonal regeneration via partnerships with Nogo receptor (Nogo-R) and Lingo-1, and promotes apoptosis through association with Sortilin. Signals downstream of these interactions are further modulated through regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) of p75(NTR) and by interactions with numerous cytosolic partners. In this chapter, we discuss the intricate signaling mechanisms of p75(NTR), emphasizing how these signals are differentially regulated to mediate these diverse cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R Kraemer
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 625 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
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21
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Peng Z, Zhang X, Liu Y, Xi C, Zeng S, Zhang X, Zuo M, xu J, Ji Y, Han Z. Ultrastructural and electrophysiological analysis of Area X in the untutored and deafened Bengalese finch in relation to normally reared birds. Brain Res 2013; 1527:87-98. [PMID: 23820426 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Birdsong learning bears many similarities to human speech acquisition. Although the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) is believed to be involved in birdsong learning, the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear. We produced two types of abnormal song learning: young birds untutored from adult "song tutors", or birds deafened by bilateral cochlear removal before the onset of sensory learning. We then studied how ultrastructure and electrophysiological activity changed in an AFP nucleus, Area X, among these birds at adulthood. Our results showed that, although the size of Area X did not change significantly, the numbers of synapses per unit area and compound synapses and the percent of concave synapses increased significantly in the untutored or deafened birds. The percent of perforated synapses or axo-spinous synapses decreased compared to the normally reared birds, suggesting a decreased efficiency of synaptic transmission in the untutored or deafened birds. We then identified several types of spontaneously firing cells in Area X. Cells with fast and slow firing rates did not show significant electrophysiological differences among the groups, but cells with moderate firing rates, most likely DLM-projecting neurons, fired at significantly lower rates in the untutored and deafened birds. In addition, cells firing irregularly were only found in the deafened birds. Thus, the decreased or irregular electrophysiological activity in the untutored or deafened birds, together with the corresponding ultrastructural findings, could be implicated in the abnormal song production in these two types of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Peng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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22
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Synaptic changes in the dentate gyrus of APP/PS1 transgenic mice revealed by electron microscopy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2013; 72:386-95. [PMID: 23584198 PMCID: PMC3678882 DOI: 10.1097/nen.0b013e31828d41ec] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Numerous studies have reported widespread synaptic dysfunction or loss in early stages of both Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and animal models; it is widely accepted that synapse loss is the major structural correlate of cognitive dysfunction. Elucidation of the changes that may affect synapses is crucial for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms underlying AD, but ultrastructural preservation of human postmortem brain tissue is often poor, and classical methods for quantification of synapses have significant technical limitations. We previously observed changes in dendritic spines in plaque-free regions of the neuropil of the dentate gyrus of double-transgenic APP/PS1 (amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1) model mice by light microscopy. Here, we used electron microscopy to examine possible synaptic alterations in this region. We used standard stereologic techniques to determine numbers of synapses per volume. We were able to reconstruct and analyze thousands of synapses and their 3-dimensional characteristics using a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope and 3-dimensional reconstruction software (EspINA), which performs semiautomated segmentation of synapses. Our results show that both numbers of synapses per volume and synaptic morphology are affected in plaque-free regions of APP/PS1 mice. Therefore, changes in the number and morphology of synapses seem to be widespread alterations in this animal model.
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23
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Morice E, Farley S, Poirier R, Dallerac G, Chagneau C, Pannetier S, Hanauer A, Davis S, Vaillend C, Laroche S. Defective synaptic transmission and structure in the dentate gyrus and selective fear memory impairment in the Rsk2 mutant mouse model of Coffin-Lowry syndrome. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 58:156-68. [PMID: 23742761 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Coffin-Lowry syndrome (CLS) is a syndromic form of intellectual disability caused by loss-of-function of the RSK2 serine/threonine kinase encoded by the rsk2 gene. Rsk2 knockout mice, a murine model of CLS, exhibit spatial learning and memory impairments, yet the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. In the current study, we examined the performance of Rsk2 knockout mice in cued, trace and contextual fear memory paradigms and identified selective deficits in the consolidation and reconsolidation of hippocampal-dependent fear memories as task difficulty and hippocampal demand increase. Electrophysiological, biochemical and electron microscopy analyses were carried out in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus to explore potential alterations in neuronal functions and structure. In vivo and in vitro electrophysiology revealed impaired synaptic transmission, decreased network excitability and reduced AMPA and NMDA conductance in Rsk2 knockout mice. In the absence of RSK2, standard measures of short-term and long-term potentiation (LTP) were normal, however LTP-induced CREB phosphorylation and expression of the transcription factors EGR1/ZIF268 were reduced and that of the scaffolding protein SHANK3 was blocked, indicating impaired activity-dependent gene regulation. At the structural level, the density of perforated and non-perforated synapses and of multiple spine boutons was not altered, however, a clear enlargement of spine neck width and post-synaptic densities indicates altered synapse ultrastructure. These findings show that RSK2 loss-of-function is associated in the dentate gyrus with multi-level alterations that encompass modifications of glutamate receptor channel properties, synaptic transmission, plasticity-associated gene expression and spine morphology, providing novel insights into the mechanisms contributing to cognitive impairments in CLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Morice
- Centre de Neurosciences Paris-Sud, CNRS, Orsay, France
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24
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Peng Z, Zhang X, Xi C, Zeng S, Liu N, Zuo M, Zhang X. Changes in ultra-structures and electrophysiological properties in HVC of untutored and deafened Bengalese finches relation to normally reared birds: implications for song learning. Brain Res Bull 2012; 89:211-22. [PMID: 22982255 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Revised: 08/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Songbirds are increasingly used as an experimentally tractable system to study the neurobiological underpinnings of vocal learning. To gain additional insights into how birdsongs are learned, we compared the size of HVC, the high vocal center for song production, and its ultrastructural or electrophysiological properties between the normally reared Bengalese finches, and the untutored or deafened ones before the onset of sensory learning (around post-hatching day 20). Our results showed that HVC had more synapses and concave synaptic curvature, but fewer perforated synapse, in the untutored or deafened birds in comparison with those in the normally reared birds. Although there was no significant difference of the ratio of straight or compound synapses, there was an increasing tendency for the untutored and deafened birds to possess more straight and compound synapses. These data revealed that synapses in the isolated or deafened birds had lower synapse activity in relation to those with normal hearing. This was confirmed by our electrophysiological results to show significant decreases in the firing rates of spike or burst in the isolated or deafened birds in the three types of HVC neurons i.e., putative X-projecting neurons, RA-projecting neurons and interneurons. In addition, low firing frequency (<10Hz) occurred much more in the above three types of HVC neurons in the tutored or deafened birds than in the normally reared birds. These data suggest that all the three putative types of neurons in HVC might be involved in the activity of the production of adult normal songs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Peng
- Beijing Key Lab of Gene Engineering Drugs & Biological Technology, Beijing Normal University, China
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25
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Shao CY, Sondhi R, van de Nes PS, Sacktor TC. PKMζ is necessary and sufficient for synaptic clustering of PSD-95. Hippocampus 2012; 22:1501-7. [PMID: 22378468 PMCID: PMC3371310 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The persistent activity of protein kinase Mzeta (PKMζ), a brain-specific, constitutively active protein kinase C isoform, maintains synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP). Structural remodeling of the postsynaptic density is believed to contribute to the expression of LTP. We therefore examined the role of PKMζ in reconfiguring PSD-95, the major postsynaptic scaffolding protein at excitatory synapses. In primary cultures of hippocampal neurons, PKMζ activity was critical for increasing the size of PSD-95 clusters during chemical LTP (cLTP). Increasing PKMζ activity by overexpressing the kinase in hippocampal neurons was sufficient to increase PSD-95 cluster size, spine size, and postsynaptic AMPAR subunit GluA2. Overexpression of an inactive mutant of PKMζ did not increase PSD-95 clustering, and applications of the ζ-pseudosubstrate inhibitor ZIP reversed the PKMζ-mediated increases in PSD-95 clustering, indicating that the activity of PKMζ is necessary to induce and maintain the increased size of PSD-95 clusters. Thus the persistent activity of PKMζ is both necessary and sufficient for maintaining increases of PSD-95 clusters, providing a unified mechanism for long-term functional and structural modifications of synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Y. Shao
- Department of Pathology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203
| | - Rachna Sondhi
- Graduate Program in Neural and Behavioral Science, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203
- School of Graduate Studies, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203
| | - Paula S. van de Nes
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203
- School of Graduate Studies, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203
| | - Todd Charlton Sacktor
- Departments of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neurology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203
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26
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Peng Z, Zeng S, Liu Y, Dong Y, Zhang H, Zhang X, Zuo M. Comparative study on song behavior, and ultra-structural, electrophysiological and immunoreactive properties in RA among deafened, untutored and normal-hearing Bengalese finches. Brain Res 2012; 1458:40-55. [PMID: 22552113 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2011] [Revised: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 04/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
To gain additional insight into how a birdsong is learned, we compared the songs of Bengalese finch males that were deafened early in development or raised without tutors to control finches that learned songs from adult models. Fewer note types and a more variable number of notes per bout were observed in untutored male songs, and no audible songs were detected in deafened males. We then investigated the ultrastructural, immunohistological, and electrophysiological correlates of the outcomes of song learning within the robust nucleus of the archopallium (RA), a forebrain nucleus for song production. In comparison to control birds, untutored and deafened birds had more synapses per unit volume, fewer vesicles per synapse, longer postsynaptic densities, and a lower proportion of perforated synapses, which suggest lower activity or decreased efficiency of synaptic transmission within the RA of the treated birds. For anesthetized birds, neurons within the RA of untutored and deafened males had lower spontaneous firing rates, fewer and shorter bursts, and higher coefficient of variation of the instantaneous firing rate than the normally reared males. Compared with controls, the untutored and deafened males had higher staining intensities within the RA of GABA and the GABA(A) receptor, less staining of tyrosine hydroxylase and no difference in the staining of NMDA receptors. Thus, both the ultrastructural and immunohistochemical results could explain for the stronger electrophysiological activities in normally reared birds. Because RA is involved in generating the motor commands, these data might account for the deficits in birds with abnormal song learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Peng
- Beijing Key Lab of Gene Engineering Drugs & Biological Technology, Beijing Normal University, China
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27
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Bourne JN, Harris KM. Nanoscale analysis of structural synaptic plasticity. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 22:372-82. [PMID: 22088391 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Structural plasticity of dendritic spines and synapses is an essential mechanism to sustain long lasting changes in the brain with learning and experience. The use of electron microscopy over the last several decades has advanced our understanding of the magnitude and extent of structural plasticity at a nanoscale resolution. In particular, serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) provides accurate measurements of plasticity-related changes in synaptic size and density and distribution of key cellular resources such as polyribosomes, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and synaptic vesicles. Careful attention to experimental and analytical approaches ensures correct interpretation of ultrastructural data and has begun to reveal the degree to which synapses undergo structural remodeling in response to physiological plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Bourne
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neurobiology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712-0805, USA
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28
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Synapse formation in adult barrel cortex following naturalistic environmental enrichment. Neuroscience 2011; 199:143-52. [PMID: 22061424 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Revised: 10/05/2011] [Accepted: 10/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment paradigms in adult laboratory animals, consisting of physical, perceptual, and social stimulation, have been shown to affect synapse and cell morphology in sensory cortex and enhance learning ability, whereas enrichment, which is in harmony with the animal's natural habitat may have even greater implications for plasticity. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that whisker stimulation induced the formation of synapses and spines in the corresponding barrel. In the present study adult C57/Bl6J female laboratory mice at 6 weeks of age were placed during 2 months in a protected enrichment enclosure in a forest clearing at the Chisti Les Biological Station, Tvier, Russia. We analyzed neuropil ultrastructure in the C2 barrel using serial-section electron microscopy on a total of eight mice (n=4 enriched, n=4 standard cagemate controls). Quantitative analyses of volumes of neuropil showed a significant increase in excitatory and inhibitory synapses on spines and excitatory synapses on dendritic shafts in the C2 barrel in the enriched group compared with standard cagemate controls. These results demonstrate that naturalistic experience alters the synaptic circuitry in layer IV of the somatosensory cortex, the first cortical relay of sensory information, leaving a lasting trace that may guide subsequent behavior.
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29
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Bourne JN, Harris KM. Coordination of size and number of excitatory and inhibitory synapses results in a balanced structural plasticity along mature hippocampal CA1 dendrites during LTP. Hippocampus 2011; 21:354-73. [PMID: 20101601 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Enlargement of dendritic spines and synapses correlates with enhanced synaptic strength during long-term potentiation (LTP), especially in immature hippocampal neurons. Less clear is the nature of this structural synaptic plasticity on mature hippocampal neurons, and nothing is known about the structural plasticity of inhibitory synapses during LTP. Here the timing and extent of structural synaptic plasticity and changes in local protein synthesis evidenced by polyribosomes were systematically evaluated at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses on CA1 dendrites from mature rats following induction of LTP with theta-burst stimulation (TBS). Recent work suggests dendritic segments can act as functional units of plasticity. To test whether structural synaptic plasticity is similarly coordinated, we reconstructed from serial section transmission electron microscopy all of the spines and synapses along representative dendritic segments receiving control stimulation or TBS-LTP. At 5 min after TBS, polyribosomes were elevated in large spines suggesting an initial burst of local protein synthesis, and by 2 h only those spines with further enlarged synapses contained polyribosomes. Rapid induction of synaptogenesis was evidenced by an elevation in asymmetric shaft synapses and stubby spines at 5 min and more nonsynaptic filopodia at 30 min. By 2 h, the smallest synaptic spines were markedly reduced in number. This synapse loss was perfectly counterbalanced by enlargement of the remaining excitatory synapses such that the summed synaptic surface area per length of dendritic segment was constant across time and conditions. Remarkably, the inhibitory synapses showed a parallel synaptic plasticity, also demonstrating a decrease in number perfectly counterbalanced by an increase in synaptic surface area. Thus, TBS-LTP triggered spinogenesis followed by loss of small excitatory and inhibitory synapses and a subsequent enlargement of the remaining synapses by 2 h. These data suggest that dendritic segments coordinate structural plasticity across multiple synapses and maintain a homeostatic balance of excitatory and inhibitory inputs through local protein-synthesis and selective capture or redistribution of dendritic resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Bourne
- Center for Learning and Memory, Section of Neurobiology, Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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Bosch M, Hayashi Y. Structural plasticity of dendritic spines. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 22:383-8. [PMID: 21963169 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 287] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small mushroom-like protrusions arising from neurons where most excitatory synapses reside. Their peculiar shape suggests that spines can serve as an autonomous postsynaptic compartment that isolates chemical and electrical signaling. How neuronal activity modifies the morphology of the spine and how these modifications affect synaptic transmission and plasticity are intriguing issues. Indeed, the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) or depression (LTD) is associated with the enlargement or shrinkage of the spine, respectively. This structural plasticity is mainly controlled by actin filaments, the principal cytoskeletal component of the spine. Here we review the pioneering microscopic studies examining the structural plasticity of spines and propose how changes in actin treadmilling might regulate spine morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Bosch
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Michmizos D, Koutsouraki E, Asprodini E, Baloyannis S. Synaptic Plasticity: A Unifying Model to Address Some Persisting Questions. Int J Neurosci 2011; 121:289-304. [DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2011.556283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Abstract
Synaptic junctions are generated by adhesion proteins that bridge the synaptic cleft to firmly anchor pre- and postsynaptic membranes. Several cell adhesion molecule (CAM) families localize to synapses, but it is not yet completely understood how each synaptic CAM family contributes to synapse formation and/or structure, and whether or how smaller groups of CAMs serve as minimal, functionally cooperative adhesive units upon which structure is based. Synapse structure and function evolve over the course of development, and in mature animals, synapses are composed of a greater number of proteins, surrounded by a stabilizing extracellular matrix, and often contacted by astrocytic processes. Thus, in mature networks undergoing plasticity, persistent changes in synapse strength, morphology, or number must be accompanied by selective and regulated remodeling of the neuropil. Recent work indicates that regulated, extracellular proteolysis may be essential for this, and rather than simply acting permissively to enable synapse plasticity, is more likely playing a proactive role in driving coordinated synaptic structural and functional modifications that underlie persistent changes in network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna L Benson
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
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Adams MM, Donohue HS, Linville MC, Iversen EA, Newton IG, Brunso-Bechtold JK. Age-related synapse loss in hippocampal CA3 is not reversed by caloric restriction. Neuroscience 2010; 171:373-82. [PMID: 20854882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2010] [Revised: 09/01/2010] [Accepted: 09/14/2010] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Caloric restriction (CR) is a reduction of total caloric intake without a decrease in micronutrients or a disproportionate reduction of any one dietary component. While CR attenuates age-related cognitive deficits in tasks of hippocampal-dependent memory, the cellular mechanisms by which CR improves this cognitive decline are poorly understood. Previously, we have reported age-related decreases in key synaptic proteins in the CA3 region of the hippocampus that are stabilized by lifelong CR. In the present study, we examined possible age-related changes in the functional microcircuitry of the synapses in the stratum lacunosum-molecular (SL-M) of the CA3 region of the hippocampus, and whether lifelong CR might prevent these age-related alterations. We used serial electron microscopy to reconstruct and classify SL-M synapses and their postsynaptic spines. We analyzed synapse number and size as well as spine surface area and volume in young (10 months) and old (29 months) ad libitum fed rats and in old rats that were calorically restricted from 4 months of age. We limited our analysis to SL-M because previous work demonstrated age-related decreases in synaptophysin confined to this specific layer and region of the hippocampus. The results revealed an age-related decrease in macular axo-spinous synapses that was not reversed by CR that occurred in the absence of changes in the size of synapses or spines. Thus, the benefits of CR for CA3 function and synaptic plasticity may involve other biological effects including the stabilization of synaptic proteins levels in the face of age-related synapse loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Adams
- Department of Neurobiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1010, USA.
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Huntley GW, Elste AM, Patil SB, Bozdagi O, Benson DL, Steward O. Synaptic loss and retention of different classic cadherins with LTP-associated synaptic structural remodeling in vivo. Hippocampus 2010; 22:17-28. [PMID: 20848607 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Cadherins are synaptic cell adhesion molecules that contribute to persistently enhanced synaptic strength characteristic of long-term potentiation (LTP). What is relatively unexplored is how synaptic activity of the kind that induces LTP-associated remodeling of synapse structure affects localization of cadherins, particularly in mature animals in vivo, details which could offer insight into how different cadherins contribute to synaptic plasticity. Here, we use a well-described in vivo LTP induction protocol that produces robust synaptic morphological remodeling in dentate gyrus of adult rats in combination with confocal and immunogold electron microscopy to localize cadherin-8 and N-cadherin at remodeled synapses. We find that the density and size of cadherin-8 puncta are significantly diminished in the potentiated middle molecular layer (MML) while concurrently, N-cadherin remains tightly clustered at remodeled synapses. These changes are specific to the potentiated MML, and occur without any change in density or size of synaptophysin puncta. Thus, the loss of cadherin-8 probably represents selective removal from synapses rather than overall loss of synaptic junctions. Together, these findings suggest that activity-regulated loss and retention of different synaptic cadherins could contribute to dual demands of both flexibility and stability in synapse structure that may be important for synaptic morphological remodeling that accompanies long-lasting plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- George W Huntley
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10029-6574, USA.
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Santamaria F, Gonzalez J, Augustine GJ, Raghavachari S. Quantifying the effects of elastic collisions and non-covalent binding on glutamate receptor trafficking in the post-synaptic density. PLoS Comput Biol 2010; 6:e1000780. [PMID: 20485563 PMCID: PMC2869312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2009] [Accepted: 04/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
One mechanism of information storage in neurons is believed to be determined by the strength of synaptic contacts. The strength of an excitatory synapse is partially due to the concentration of a particular type of ionotropic glutamate receptor (AMPAR) in the post-synaptic density (PSD). AMPAR concentration in the PSD has to be plastic, to allow the storage of new memories; but it also has to be stable to preserve important information. Although much is known about the molecular identity of synapses, the biophysical mechanisms by which AMPAR can enter, leave and remain in the synapse are unclear. We used Monte Carlo simulations to determine the influence of PSD structure and activity in maintaining homeostatic concentrations of AMPARs in the synapse. We found that, the high concentration and excluded volume caused by PSD molecules result in molecular crowding. Diffusion of AMPAR in the PSD under such conditions is anomalous. Anomalous diffusion of AMPAR results in retention of these receptors inside the PSD for periods ranging from minutes to several hours in the absence of strong binding of receptors to PSD molecules. Trapping of receptors in the PSD by crowding effects was very sensitive to the concentration of PSD molecules, showing a switch-like behavior for retention of receptors. Non-covalent binding of AMPAR to anchored PSD molecules allowed the synapse to become well-mixed, resulting in normal diffusion of AMPAR. Binding also allowed the exchange of receptors in and out of the PSD. We propose that molecular crowding is an important biophysical mechanism to maintain homeostatic synaptic concentrations of AMPARs in the PSD without the need of energetically expensive biochemical reactions. In this context, binding of AMPAR with PSD molecules could collaborate with crowding to maintain synaptic homeostasis but could also allow synaptic plasticity by increasing the exchange of these receptors with the surrounding extra-synaptic membrane. One of the most accepted theories of information storage in neurons is that it is partially localized in the strength of synaptic contacts. Evidence suggests that at the cellular level, in combination with other cellular mechanisms, this is implemented by increasing or decreasing the concentration of a particular type of membrane molecules. Two opposing mechanisms have to coexist in synapses to allow them to store information. On one hand, synapses have to be flexible, to allow the storage of new memories. On the other hand, synapses have to be stable to preserve previously learned information. Although much is known about the molecular identity of synapses, the biophysical mechanisms by which molecules can enter, leave and remain in the synapse are unclear. Our modeling work uses fundamental biophysical principles to quantify the effects of molecular collisions and biochemical reactions. Our results show that molecular collisions alone, between the diffusing proteins with anchored molecules in the synapse, can replicate known experimental results. Molecular collision in combination with biochemical binding can be fundamental biophysical principles used by synapses for the formation and preservation of memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fidel Santamaria
- Biology Department, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Neurosciences Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (FS); (SR)
| | - Jossina Gonzalez
- Biology Department, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - George J. Augustine
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sridhar Raghavachari
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (FS); (SR)
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Spine Remodeling and Synaptic Modification. Mol Neurobiol 2010; 41:29-41. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-009-8093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/09/2009] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Lushnikova I, Skibo G, Muller D, Nikonenko I. Synaptic potentiation induces increased glial coverage of excitatory synapses in CA1 hippocampus. Hippocampus 2009; 19:753-62. [PMID: 19156853 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of activity that induce synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses, such as long-term potentiation, result in structural remodeling of the postsynaptic spine, comprising an enlargement of the spine head and reorganization of the postsynaptic density (PSD). Furthermore, spine synapses represent complex functional units in which interaction between the presynaptic varicosity and the postsynaptic spine is also modulated by surrounding astroglial processes. To investigate how activity patterns could affect the morphological interplay between these three partners, we used an electron microscopic (EM) approach and 3D reconstructions of excitatory synapses to study the activity-related morphological changes underlying induction of synaptic potentiation by theta burst stimulation or brief oxygen/glucose deprivation episodes in hippocampal organotypic slice cultures. EM analyses demonstrated that the typical glia-synapse organization described in in vivo rat hippocampus is perfectly preserved and comparable in organotypic slice cultures. Three-dimensional reconstructions of synapses, classified as simple or complex depending upon PSD organization, showed significant changes following induction of synaptic potentiation using both protocols. The spine head volume and the area of the PSD significantly enlarged 30 min and 1 h after stimulation, particularly in large synapses with complex PSD, an effect that was associated with a concomitant enlargement of presynaptic terminals. Furthermore, synaptic activity induced a pronounced increase of the glial coverage of both pre- and postsynaptic structures, these changes being prevented by application of the NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid. These data reveal dynamic, activity-dependent interactions between glial processes and pre- and postsynaptic partners and suggest that glia can participate in activity-induced structural synapse remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Lushnikova
- Department of Cytology, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kiev, Ukraine
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Miranda R, Sebrie C, Degrouard J, Gillet B, Jaillard D, Laroche S, Vaillend C. Reorganization of Inhibitory Synapses and Increased PSD Length of Perforated Excitatory Synapses in Hippocampal Area CA1 of Dystrophin-Deficient mdx Mice. Cereb Cortex 2008; 19:876-88. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhn135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Role of mental retardation-associated dystrophin-gene product Dp71 in excitatory synapse organization, synaptic plasticity and behavioral functions. PLoS One 2008; 4:e6574. [PMID: 19649270 PMCID: PMC2718704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2009] [Accepted: 06/25/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by deficient expression of the cytoskeletal protein, dystrophin. One third of DMD patients also have mental retardation (MR), likely due to mutations preventing expression of dystrophin and other brain products of the DMD gene expressed from distinct internal promoters. Loss of Dp71, the major DMD-gene product in brain, is thought to contribute to the severity of MR; however, the specific function of Dp71 is poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings Complementary approaches were used to explore the role of Dp71 in neuronal function and identify mechanisms by which Dp71 loss may impair neuronal and cognitive functions. Besides the normal expression of Dp71 in a subpopulation of astrocytes, we found that a pool of Dp71 colocalizes with synaptic proteins in cultured neurons and is expressed in synaptic subcellular fractions in adult brains. We report that Dp71-associated protein complexes interact with specialized modular scaffolds of proteins that cluster glutamate receptors and organize signaling in postsynaptic densities. We then undertook the first functional examination of the brain and cognitive alterations in the Dp71-null mice. We found that these mice display abnormal synapse organization and maturation in vitro, altered synapse density in the adult brain, enhanced glutamatergic transmission and reduced synaptic plasticity in CA1 hippocampus. Dp71-null mice show selective behavioral disturbances characterized by reduced exploratory and novelty-seeking behavior, mild retention deficits in inhibitory avoidance, and impairments in spatial learning and memory. Conclusions/Significance Results suggest that Dp71 expression in neurons play a regulatory role in glutamatergic synapse organization and function, which provides a new mechanism by which inactivation of Dp71 in association with that of other DMD-gene products may lead to increased severity of MR.
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Moon YS, Paik SK, Seo JH, Yi HW, Cho YS, Moritani M, Yoshida A, Ahn CDK, Kim YS, Bae YC. GABA- and glycine-like immunoreactivity in axonal endings presynaptic to the vibrissa afferents in the cat trigeminal interpolar nucleus. Neuroscience 2008; 152:138-45. [PMID: 18248903 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2007] [Revised: 11/20/2007] [Accepted: 11/21/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to analyze the synaptic interaction of primary afferents with GABA- and/or glycine-immunopositive presynaptic endings in the cat trigeminal interpolar nucleus (Vi). Fast adapting vibrissa afferents were labeled by intra-axonal injections of horseradish peroxidase. Postembedding immunogold labeling on serially cut ultrathin sections and quantitative ultrastructural analysis of the labeled boutons and their presynaptic endings (p-endings) in the Vi were performed. The majority of p-endings presynaptic to labeled boutons (83%) were immunopositive for both GABA and glycine and 8% were immunopositive for glycine alone. A small fraction of p-endings were immunopositive for GABA alone (4%) or immunonegative for both GABA and glycine (4%). Ultrastructural parameters related to synaptic release, i.e. bouton volume, mitochondrial volume, and active zone area, were significantly larger in the labeled boutons of primary afferents than in the p-endings. The volume of labeled boutons was positively correlated with the number of the postsynaptic dendrites and p-endings. In addition, fairly large-sized labeled boutons and p-endings were frequently observed in the Vi. These results reveal that large majority of vibrissa afferents in the Vi are presynaptically modulated by interneurons immunopositive for both GABA and glycine, and suggest that the Vi plays a distinct role in the processing of orofacial sensory information, different from that of other trigeminal sensory nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y S Moon
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, 3056-6, Daemyong-Dong, Nam-Gu, Daegu 705-718, Korea
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Lynch G, Rex CS, Chen LY, Gall CM. The substrates of memory: defects, treatments, and enhancement. Eur J Pharmacol 2008; 585:2-13. [PMID: 18374328 PMCID: PMC2427007 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.11.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2007] [Revised: 09/11/2007] [Accepted: 11/29/2007] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent work has added strong support to the long-standing hypothesis that the stabilization of both long-term potentiation and memory requires rapid reorganization of the spine actin cytoskeleton. This development has led to new insights into the origins of cognitive disorders, and raised the possibility that a diverse array of memory problems, including those associated with diabetes, reflect disturbances to various components of the same mechanism. In accord with this argument, impairments to long-term potentiation in mouse models of Huntington's disease and in middle-aged rats have both been linked to problems with modulatory factors that control actin polymerization in spine heads. Complementary to the common mechanism hypothesis is the idea of a single treatment for addressing seemingly unrelated memory diseases. First tests of the point were positive: Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a potent activator of actin signaling cascades in adult spines, rescued potentiation in Huntington's disease mutant mice, middle-aged rats, and a mouse model of Fragile-X syndrome. A similar reversal of impairments to long-term potentiation was obtained in middle-aged rats by up-regulating BDNF production with brief exposures to ampakines, a class of drugs that positively modulate AMPA-type glutamate receptors. Work now in progress will test if chronic elevation of BDNF enhances memory in normal animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine CA, United States
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Harms KJ, Dunaevsky A. Dendritic spine plasticity: Looking beyond development. Brain Res 2007; 1184:65-71. [PMID: 16600191 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.02.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2006] [Accepted: 02/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Most excitatory synapses in the CNS form on dendritic spines, tiny protrusions from the dendrites of excitatory neurons. As such, spines are likely loci of synaptic plasticity. Spines are dynamic structures, but the functional consequences of dynamic changes in these structures in the mature brain are unclear. Changes in spine density, morphology, and motility have been shown to occur with paradigms that induce synaptic plasticity, as well as altered sensory experience and neuronal activity. These changes potentially lead to an alteration in synaptic connectivity and strength between neuronal partners, affecting the efficacy of synaptic communication. Here, we review the formation and modification of excitatory synapses on dendritic spines as it relates to plasticity in the central nervous system after the initial phase of synaptogenesis. We will also discuss some of the molecular links that have been implicated in both synaptic plasticity and the regulation of spine morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J Harms
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Lauterborn JC, Rex CS, Kramár E, Chen LY, Pandyarajan V, Lynch G, Gall CM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor rescues synaptic plasticity in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. J Neurosci 2007; 27:10685-94. [PMID: 17913902 PMCID: PMC6672822 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2624-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice lacking expression of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (Fmr1) gene have deficits in types of learning that are dependent on the hippocampus. Here, we report that long-term potentiation (LTP) elicited by threshold levels of theta burst afferent stimulation (TBS) is severely impaired in hippocampal field CA1 of young adult Fmr1 knock-out mice. The deficit was not associated with changes in postsynaptic responses to TBS, NMDA receptor activation, or levels of punctate glutamic acid decarboxylase-65/67 immunoreactivity. TBS-induced actin polymerization within dendritic spines was also normal. The LTP impairment was evident within 5 min of induction and, thus, may not be secondary to defects in activity-initiated protein synthesis. Protein levels for both brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin that activates pathways involved in spine cytoskeletal reorganization, and its TrkB receptor were comparable between genotypes. BDNF infusion had no effect on baseline transmission or on postsynaptic responses to theta burst stimulation, but nonetheless fully restored LTP in slices from fragile X mice. These results indicate that the fragile X mutation produces a highly selective impairment to LTP, possibly at a step downstream of actin filament assembly, and suggest a means for overcoming this deficit. The possibility of a pharmacological therapy based on these results is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C Lauterborn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4292, USA.
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Steward O, Huang F, Guzowski JF. A form of perforant path LTP can occur without ERK1/2 phosphorylation or immediate early gene induction. Learn Mem 2007; 14:433-45. [PMID: 17562895 PMCID: PMC1896093 DOI: 10.1101/lm.554607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Stimulation paradigms that induce perforant path long-term potentiation (LTP) initiate phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and induce expression of a variety of immediate early genes (IEGs). These events are thought to be critical components of the mechanism for establishing the changes in synaptic efficacy that endure for hours or longer. Here we show that in mice, perforant path LTP can be induced using a standard protocol (repeated trains at 250 Hz), without accompanying increases in immunostaining for p-ERK1/2 or increased in expression of representative IEGs (Arc and c-fos). Signaling pathways capable of inducing ERK phosphorylation and IEG transcription are intact in mice because ERK phosphorylation differs strikingly in awake versus anesthetized mice, and IEG expression is strongly induced by electroconvulsive seizures. In pursuing the reasons for the lack of induction with LTP, we found that in rats, one of the stimulation paradigms used to induce perforant path LTP (trains at 250 Hz) also does not activate MAP kinase or induce IEG expression, despite the fact that the LTP induced by 250 Hz stimulation requires NMDA receptor activation and persists for hours. These findings indicate that there are different forms of perforant path LTP, one of which does not require MAP kinase activation or IEG induction. Moreover, these data demonstrate that different LTP induction paradigms do not have identical molecular consequences, which may account for certain discrepancies between previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald Steward
- Reeve-Irvine Research Center, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA.
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Marrone DF. Ultrastructural plasticity associated with hippocampal-dependent learning: A meta-analysis. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2007; 87:361-71. [PMID: 17174119 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2006.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2006] [Revised: 10/01/2006] [Accepted: 10/02/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In order to develop a profile of how individual synapses in the hippocampal formation alter their structure following learning experience, a meta-analysis synthesized the available literature on morphological change following hippocampal-dependent learning. Analysis of the 132 calculated effect sizes suggest a consistent profile of morphological change in the hippocampus following learning experience. Across the hippocampal formation, dendritic complexity, spine density, and the size of perforated postsynaptic densities showed consistent increases following training. Both the density of synapses in general and perforated synapses in particular showed unique responses to training, depending on the duration of training and/or different cell layers of the hippocampal formation. Most importantly, it seems that this profile, while consistent, is small and specific--only a select few of the morphological parameters typically measured in anatomical studies of plasticity showed significant change following training. Collectively, these data suggest that the distinct electrophysiological properties of neocortical versus hippocampal synapses may be at least partially mediated by distinct morphological cascades. That is, on the basis of theory, and with the support of the current data, it seems that synaptogenesis correlates with enduring neocortical plasticity, while structural changes correlate with more transient hippocampal plasticity. To be able to state these conclusions with conviction, however, more data are needed in several key areas for continued pursuit of the morphological correlates of hippocampal-dependent learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diano F Marrone
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
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Derrick BE. Plastic processes in the dentate gyrus: a computational perspective. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2007; 163:417-51. [PMID: 17765732 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(07)63024-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The dentate gyrus has the capacity for numerous types of synaptic plasticity that use diverse mechanisms and are thought essential for the storage of information in the hippocampus. Here we review the various forms of synaptic plasticity that involve afferents and efferents of the dentate gyrus, and, from a computational perspective, relate how these plastic processes might contribute to sparse, orthogonal encoding, and the selective recall of information within the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian E Derrick
- Department of Biology, The Cajal Neuroscience Research Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX 78249-0662, USA.
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Kim BG, Dai HN, McAtee M, Vicini S, Bregman BS. Remodeling of synaptic structures in the motor cortex following spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2006; 198:401-15. [PMID: 16443221 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2005.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2005] [Revised: 12/08/2005] [Accepted: 12/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
After spinal cord injury (SCI), structural reorganization occurs at multiple levels of the motor system including the motor cortex, and this remodeling may underlie recovery of motor function. The present study determined whether SCI leads to a remodeling of synaptic structures in the motor cortex. Dendritic spines in the rat motor cortex were visualized by confocal microscopy in fixed slices, and their density and morphology were analyzed after an overhemisection injury at C4 level. Spine density decreased at 7 days and partially recovered by 28 days. Spine head diameter significantly increased in a layer-specific manner. SCI led to a higher proportion of longer spines especially at 28 days, resulting in a roughly 10% increase in mean spine length. In addition, filopodium-like long dendritic protrusions were more frequently observed after SCI, suggesting an increase in synaptogenic events. This spine remodeling was accompanied by increased expression of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule, which attenuates adhesion between the pre- and postsynaptic membranes, in the motor cortex from as early as 3 days to 2 weeks after injury, suggesting a decrease in synaptic adhesion during the remodeling process. These results demonstrate time-dependent changes in spine density and morphology in the motor cortex following SCI. This synaptic remodeling seems to proceed with a time scale ranging from days to weeks. Elongation of dendritic spines may indicate a more immature and modifiable pattern of synaptic connectivity in the motor cortex being reorganized following SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung G Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, NRB Rm EP-04, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3970 Reservoir Rd., NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
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Wong M. Modulation of dendritic spines in epilepsy: cellular mechanisms and functional implications. Epilepsy Behav 2005; 7:569-77. [PMID: 16246628 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2005.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2005] [Revised: 08/02/2005] [Accepted: 08/07/2005] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy patients often suffer from significant neurological deficits, including memory impairment, behavioral problems, and psychiatric disorders. While the causes of neuropsychological dysfunction in epilepsy are multifactorial, accumulating evidence indicates that seizures themselves may directly cause brain injury. Although seizures sometimes result in neuronal death, they may also cause more subtle pathological changes in neuronal structure and function, including abnormalities in synaptic transmission. Dendritic spines receive a majority of the excitatory synaptic inputs to cortical neurons and are critically involved in synaptic plasticity and learning. Studies of human epilepsy and experimental animal models demonstrate that seizures may directly affect the morphological and functional properties of dendritic spines, suggesting that seizure-related changes in spines may represent a mechanistic basis for cognitive deficits in epilepsy. Novel therapeutic strategies directed at modulation of spine motility may prevent the detrimental effects of seizures on cognitive function in epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wong
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Lin B, Kramár EA, Bi X, Brucher FA, Gall CM, Lynch G. Theta stimulation polymerizes actin in dendritic spines of hippocampus. J Neurosci 2005; 25:2062-9. [PMID: 15728846 PMCID: PMC6726058 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4283-04.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that the endurance of long-term potentiation (LTP) depends on structural changes entailing reorganization of the spine actin cytoskeleton. The present study used a new technique involving intracellular and extracellular application of rhodamine-phalloidin to conventional hippocampal slices to test whether induction of LTP by naturalistic patterns of afferent activity selectively increases actin polymerization in juvenile to young adult spines. Rhodamine-phalloidin, which selectively binds to polymerized actin, was detected in perikarya and proximal dendrites of CA1 pyramidal cells that received low-frequency afferent activity but was essentially absent in spines and fine dendritic processes. Theta pattern stimulation induced LTP and caused a large (threefold), reliable increase in labeled spines and spine-like puncta in the proximal dendritic zone containing potentiated synapses. The spines frequently occurred in the absence of labeling to other structures but were also found in association with fluorescent dendritic processes. These effects were replicated (>10-fold increase in labeled spines) using extracellular applications of rhodamine-phalloidin. Increases in labeling appeared within 2 min, were completely blocked by treatments that prevent LTP induction, and occurred in slices prepared from young adult rats. These results indicate that near-threshold conditions for inducing stable potentiation cause the rapid polymerization of actin in mature spines and suggest that the effect is both sufficiently discrete to satisfy the synapse-specificity rule of LTP as well as rapid enough to participate in the initial stages of LTP consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Lin
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92617-1695, USA
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Brunson KL, Kramár E, Lin B, Chen Y, Colgin LL, Yanagihara TK, Lynch G, Baram TZ. Mechanisms of late-onset cognitive decline after early-life stress. J Neurosci 2005; 25:9328-38. [PMID: 16221841 PMCID: PMC3100717 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2281-05.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 360] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2005] [Revised: 08/05/2005] [Accepted: 08/15/2005] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressive cognitive deficits that emerge with aging are a result of complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors. Whereas much has been learned about the genetic underpinnings of these disorders, the nature of "acquired" contributing factors, and the mechanisms by which they promote progressive learning and memory dysfunction, remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a period of early-life "psychological" stress causes late-onset, selective deterioration of both complex behavior and synaptic plasticity: two forms of memory involving the hippocampus, were severely but selectively impaired in middle-aged, but not young adult, rats exposed to fragmented maternal care during the early postnatal period. At the cellular level, disturbances to hippocampal long-term potentiation paralleled the behavioral changes and were accompanied by dendritic atrophy and mossy fiber expansion. These findings constitute the first evidence that a short period of stress early in life can lead to delayed, progressive impairments of synaptic and behavioral measures of hippocampal function, with potential implications to the basis of age-related cognitive disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Brunson
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4475, USA
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