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Cooper CP, Cheng L, Bhatti J, Melendez ER, Huell D, Banuelos C, Perez E, Long JM, Rapp PR. Cerebellum Purkinje cell vulnerability in aged rats with memory impairment. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25610. [PMID: 38605461 PMCID: PMC11027960 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The cerebellum is involved in higher order cognitive function and is susceptible to age-related atrophy. However, limited evidence has directly examined the cerebellum's role in cognitive aging. To interrogate potential substrates of the relationship between cerebellar structure and memory in aging, here we target the Purkinje cells (PCs). The sole output neurons of the cerebellum, PC loss and/or degeneration underlie a variety of behavioral abnormalities. Using a rat model of normal cognitive aging, we immunostained sections through the cerebellum for the PC-specific protein, calbindin-D28k. Although morphometric quantification revealed no significant difference in total PC number as a function of age or cognitive status, regional cell number was a more robust correlate of memory performance in the young cerebellum than in aged animals. Parallel biochemical analysis of PC-specific protein levels in whole cerebellum additionally revealed that calbindin-D28k and Purkinje cell protein-2 (pcp-2) levels were lower selectively in aged rats with spatial memory impairment compared to both young animals and aged rats with intact memory. These results suggest that cognitive aging is associated with cerebellum vulnerability, potentially reflecting disruption of the cerebellum-medial temporal lobe network.
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Affiliation(s)
- C’iana P. Cooper
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Liam Cheng
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jafar Bhatti
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Edward R. Melendez
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Derek Huell
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cristina Banuelos
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Evelyn Perez
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey M. Long
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Peter R. Rapp
- Neurocognitive Aging Section, Laboratory of Behavioral
Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, Maryland
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2
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Region-specific vulnerability in neurodegeneration: lessons from normal ageing. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 67:101311. [PMID: 33639280 PMCID: PMC8024744 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Why neurodegenerative disease pathology is regionally restricted remains elusive. Regions selectively prone to neurodegeneration are also vulnerable to normal ageing. Nervous system tissue, cellular and molecular ageing may determine regional vulnerability. Differential ageing can conceptually extend from an individual to subcellular scale. An understanding of region-specific vulnerability might guide therapeutic advances.
A number of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), possess a shared characteristic of region-specific neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms which determine why particular regions within the nervous system are selectively vulnerable to neurodegeneration, whilst others remain relatively unaffected throughout disease progression, remain elusive. Here, we review how regional susceptibility to the ubiquitous physiological phenomenon of normal ageing might underlie the vulnerability of these same regions to neurodegeneration, highlighting three regions archetypally associated with AD, PD and ALS (the hippocampus, substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral spinal cord, respectively), as especially prone to age-related alterations. Placing particular emphasis on these three regions, we comprehensively explore differential regional susceptibility to nervous system tissue, cellular and molecular level ageing to provide an integrated perspective on why age-related neurodegenerative diseases exhibit region-selective vulnerability. Combining these principles with increasingly recognised differences between chronological and biological ageing (termed differential or ‘delta’ ageing) might ultimately guide therapeutic approaches for these devastating neurodegenerative diseases, for which a paucity of disease modifying and/or life promoting treatments currently exist.
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3
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Lintas A, Sánchez-Campusano R, Villa AEP, Gruart A, Delgado-García JM. Operant conditioning deficits and modified local field potential activities in parvalbumin-deficient mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2970. [PMID: 33536607 PMCID: PMC7859233 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered functioning of GABAergic interneurons expressing parvalbumin (PV) in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit are likely to be involved in several human psychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in attention and sensory gating with dysfunctional decision-making behavior. However, the contribution of these interneurons in the ability to acquire demanding learning tasks remains unclear. Here, we combine an operant conditioning task with local field potentials simultaneously recorded in several nuclei involved in reward circuits of wild-type (WT) and PV-deficient (PVKO) mice, which are characterized by changes in firing activity of PV-expressing interneurons. In comparison with WT mice, PVKO animals presented significant deficits in the acquisition of the selected learning task. Recordings from prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hippocampus showed significant decreases of the spectral power in beta and gamma bands in PVKO compared with WT mice particularly during the performance of the operant conditioning task. From the first to the last session, at all frequency bands the spectral power in NAc tended to increase in WT and to decrease in PVKO. Results indicate that PV deficiency impairs signaling necessary for instrumental learning and the recognition of natural rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Lintas
- Neuroheuristic Research Group & LABEX, HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Chamberonne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Raudel Sánchez-Campusano
- Division of Neurosciences, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alessandro E P Villa
- Neuroheuristic Research Group & LABEX, HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Chamberonne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Agnès Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - José M Delgado-García
- Division of Neurosciences, Pablo de Olavide University, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
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Ehlers VL, Smies CW, Moyer JR. Apoaequorin differentially modulates fear memory in adult and aged rats. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01832. [PMID: 32945630 PMCID: PMC7667302 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cognitive deficits during aging are pervasive across species and learning paradigms. One of the major mechanisms thought to play a role in age-related memory decline is dysregulated calcium (Ca2+ ) homeostasis. Aging is associated with impaired function of several calcium-regulatory mechanisms, including calcium-binding proteins that normally support intracellular Ca2+ regulation. This age-related calcium-binding protein dysfunction and changes in expression lead to disrupted maintenance of intracellular Ca2+ , thus contributing to memory decline. Other work has found that age-related cognitive deficits can be mitigated by either blocking Ca2+ entry into the cytosol or preventing its release from intracellular Ca2+ stores. However, the effect of calcium-binding protein administration on cognitive function during aging is not well-understood. Our laboratory has previously shown that the calcium-binding protein apoaequorin (AQ) is neuroprotective during oxygen-glucose deprivation, a model of in vitro ischemia characterized by calcium-induced excitotoxicity. The current experiments assessed the effect of direct dorsal hippocampal AQ infusion on trace and context fear memory in adult and aged rats. METHODS Adult (3-6 months) and aged (22-26 months) male F344 rats were randomly assigned to different experimental infusion groups before undergoing trace fear conditioning and testing. In experiment 1, rats received bilateral dorsal hippocampal infusions of either vehicle or AQ (4% w/v) 24 hr before trace fear conditioning. In experiment 2, rats received bilateral dorsal hippocampal infusions of either vehicle or 4% AQ 1 hr before trace fear conditioning and 1 hr before testing. RESULTS Aged rats displayed impaired trace and context fear memory. While a single AQ infusion 24 hr before trace fear conditioning was insufficient to rescue age-related trace fear memory deficits, AQ infusion 1 hr before both conditioning and testing abolished age-related context fear memory deficits. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that intrahippocampal infusion of AQ may reverse aging-related deficits in hippocampus-dependent context fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa L Ehlers
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Chad W Smies
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - James R Moyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Vishnyakova PA, Moiseev KY, Spirichev AA, Emanuilov AI, Nozdrachev AD, Masliukov PM. Expression of calbindin and calretinin in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei during aging. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:1094-1104. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.24536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Polina A. Vishnyakova
- Department of Normal Physiology and Biophysics Yaroslavl State Medical University Yaroslavl Russia
| | - Konstantin Yu. Moiseev
- Department of Normal Physiology and Biophysics Yaroslavl State Medical University Yaroslavl Russia
| | - Andrey A. Spirichev
- Department of Normal Physiology and Biophysics Yaroslavl State Medical University Yaroslavl Russia
| | - Andrey I. Emanuilov
- Department of Normal Physiology and Biophysics Yaroslavl State Medical University Yaroslavl Russia
| | | | - Petr M. Masliukov
- Department of Normal Physiology and Biophysics Yaroslavl State Medical University Yaroslavl Russia
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Kim J, Lee S, Kim J, Ham S, Park JHY, Han S, Jung YK, Shim I, Han JS, Lee KW, Kim J. Ca2+-permeable TRPV1 pain receptor knockout rescues memory deficits and reduces amyloid-β and tau in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:228-237. [PMID: 31814000 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) protein is a pain receptor that elicits a hot sensation when an organism eats the capsaicin of red chili peppers. This calcium (Ca2+)-permeable cation channel is mostly expressed in the peripheral nervous system sensory neurons but also in the central nervous system (e.g. hippocampus and cortex). Preclinical studies found that TRPV1 mediates behaviors associated with anxiety and depression. Loss of TRPV1 functionality increases expression of genes related to synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. Thus, we hypothesized that TRPV1 deficiency may modulate Alzheimer's disease (AD). We generated a triple-transgenic AD mouse model (3xTg-AD+/+) with wild-type (TRPV1+/+), hetero (TRPV1+/-) and knockout (TRPV1-/-) TRPV1 to investigate the role of TRPV1 in AD pathogenesis. We analyzed the animals' memory function, hippocampal Ca2+ levels and amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies when they were 12 months old. We found that compared with 3xTg-AD-/-/TRPV1+/+ mice, 3xTg-AD+/+/TRPV1+/+ mice had memory impairment and increased levels of hippocampal Ca2+, Aβ and total and phosphorylated tau. However, 3xTg-AD+/+/TRPV1-/- mice had better memory function and lower levels of hippocampal Ca2+, Aβ, tau and p-tau, compared with 3xTg-AD+/+/TRPV1+/+ mice. Examination of 3xTg-AD-derived primary neuronal cultures revealed that the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA/AM and the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine decreased the production of Aβ, tau and p-tau. Taken together, these results suggested that TRPV1 deficiency had anti-AD effects and promoted resilience to memory loss. These findings suggest that drugs or food components that modulate TRPV1 could be exploited as therapeutics to prevent or treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juyong Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Siyoung Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaekyoon Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangwoo Ham
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Han Yoon Park
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungbong Han
- Department of Applied Statistics, Gachon University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Keun Jung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Insop Shim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Soo Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.,Center for Food and Bioconvergence, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiyoung Kim
- Center for Food and Bioconvergence, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Angulo SL, Henzi T, Neymotin SA, Suarez MD, Lytton WW, Schwaller B, Moreno H. Amyloid pathology-produced unexpected modifications of calcium homeostasis in hippocampal subicular dendrites. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 16:251-261. [PMID: 31668966 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer's disease (AD) is linked to neuronal calcium dyshomeostasis, which is associated with network hyperexcitability. Decreased expression of the calcium-binding protein cal- bindin-D28K (CB) might be a susceptibility factor for AD. The subiculum is affected early in AD, for unknown reasons. METHODS In AD, CB knock-out and control mice fluorescence Ca2+ imaging combined with patch clamp were used to characterize Ca2+ dynamics, resting Ca2+ , and Ca2+ -buffering capacity in subicular neurons. CB expression levels in wild-type and AD mice were also analyzed. RESULTS The subiculum and dentate gyrus of wild-type mice showed age-related decline in CB expression not observed in AD mice. Resting Ca2+ and Ca2+ -buffering capacity was increased in aged AD mice subicular dendrites. Modeling suggests that AD calcium changes can be explained by alterations of Ca2+ extrusion pumps rather than by buffers. DISCUSSION Overall, abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis in AD has an age dependency that comprises multiple mechanisms, including compensatory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio L Angulo
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Henzi
- Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Samuel A Neymotin
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Manuel D Suarez
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - William W Lytton
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Herman Moreno
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology/Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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8
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Schwaller B. Cytosolic Ca 2+ Buffers Are Inherently Ca 2+ Signal Modulators. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2020; 12:cshperspect.a035543. [PMID: 31308146 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a035543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
For precisely regulating intracellular Ca2+ signals in a time- and space-dependent manner, cells make use of various components of the "Ca2+ signaling toolkit," including Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ extrusion systems. A class of cytosolic Ca2+-binding proteins termed Ca2+ buffers serves as modulators of such, mostly short-lived Ca2+ signals. Prototypical Ca2+ buffers include parvalbumins (α and β isoforms), calbindin-D9k, calbindin-D28k, and calretinin. Although initially considered to function as pure Ca2+ buffers, that is, as intracellular Ca2+ signal modulators controlling the shape (amplitude, decay, spread) of Ca2+ signals, evidence has accumulated that calbindin-D28k and calretinin have additional Ca2+ sensor functions. These other functions are brought about by direct interactions with target proteins, thereby modulating their targets' function/activity. Dysregulation of Ca2+ buffer expression is associated with several neurologic/neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. In some cases, the presence of these proteins is presumed to confer a neuroprotective effect, as evidenced in animal models of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beat Schwaller
- Department of Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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9
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Fairless R, Williams SK, Diem R. Calcium-Binding Proteins as Determinants of Central Nervous System Neuronal Vulnerability to Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092146. [PMID: 31052285 PMCID: PMC6539299 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal subpopulations display differential vulnerabilities to disease, but the factors that determine their susceptibility are poorly understood. Toxic increases in intracellular calcium are a key factor in several neurodegenerative processes, with calcium-binding proteins providing an important first line of defense through their ability to buffer incoming calcium, allowing the neuron to quickly achieve homeostasis. Since neurons expressing different calcium-binding proteins have been reported to be differentially susceptible to degeneration, it can be hypothesized that rather than just serving as markers of different neuronal subpopulations, they might actually be a key determinant of survival. In this review, we will summarize some of the evidence that expression of the EF-hand calcium-binding proteins, calbindin, calretinin and parvalbumin, may influence the susceptibility of distinct neuronal subpopulations to disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Fairless
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DFKZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Sarah K Williams
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DFKZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ricarda Diem
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DFKZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Shivakumar V, Kalmady SV, Rajasekaran A, Chhabra H, Anekal AC, Narayanaswamy JC, Ravi V, Gangadhar BN, Venkatasubramanian G. Telomere length and its association with hippocampal gray matter volume in antipsychotic-naïve/free schizophrenia patients. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 282:11-17. [PMID: 30384145 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Accelerated ageing processes are postulated to underlie schizophrenia pathogenesis. This postulate is supported by observations of reduced telomere length in schizophrenia patients. Hippocampus, one of the most important brain regions implicated in schizophrenia, is shown to atrophy at a faster rate in aging. In this study, telomere length (TL) was measured in 30 antipsychotic-naive/free schizophrenia patients and 60 healthy controls using quantitative PCR assay. Hippocampus volume was measured using voxel-based morphometry. Schizophrenia was associated with differential TL between sexes [Status × Sex; F(1,85) = 5.9, p = 0.017, η2 = 0.065]. Male schizophrenia patients had significantly lower relative TL than female patients [F(1,85) = 7.38, p = 0.008], while such sex difference was not observed in healthy controls [F(1,85) = 0.16, p = 0.69]. Schizophrenia patients showed a significant sex-by-telomere interaction with both right & left hippocampus, with male patients showing positive association of telomere length with volume, while female patients showed negative association. Telomere shortening and the positive association of telomere length with hippocampus volume was observed only in male patients with schizophrenia. Since correlational observations in this cross-sectional study does not necessarily support definitive causal relationship, further longitudinal studies examining hippocampus volume and telomere in schizophrenia patients are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkataram Shivakumar
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Sunil V Kalmady
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Ashwini Rajasekaran
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Harleen Chhabra
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Amaresha C Anekal
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Janardhanan C Narayanaswamy
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Vasanthapuram Ravi
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Bangalore N Gangadhar
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- The Schizophrenia Clinic, Department of Psychiatry & Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore 560029, India.
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Gonzalez-Perez O, López-Virgen V, Ibarra-Castaneda N. Permanent Whisker Removal Reduces the Density of c-Fos+ Cells and the Expression of Calbindin Protein, Disrupts Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Affects Spatial-Memory-Related Tasks. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:132. [PMID: 29867365 PMCID: PMC5962760 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial vibrissae, commonly known as whiskers, are the main sensitive tactile system in rodents. Whisker stimulation triggers neuronal activity that promotes neural plasticity in the barrel cortex (BC) and helps create spatial maps in the adult hippocampus. Moreover, activity-dependent inputs and calcium homeostasis modulate adult neurogenesis. Therefore, the neuronal activity of the BC possibly regulates hippocampal functions and neurogenesis. To assess whether tactile information from facial whiskers may modulate hippocampal functions and neurogenesis, we permanently eliminated whiskers in CD1 male mice and analyzed the effects in cellular composition, molecular expression and memory processing in the adult hippocampus. Our data indicated that the permanent deprivation of whiskers reduced in 4-fold the density of c-Fos+ cells (a calcium-dependent immediate early gene) in cornu ammonis subfields (CA1, CA2 and CA3) and 4.5-fold the dentate gyrus (DG). A significant reduction in the expression of calcium-binding proteincalbindin-D28k was also observed in granule cells of the DG. Notably, these changes coincided with an increase in apoptosis and a decrease in the proliferation of neural precursor cells in the DG, which ultimately reduced the number of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)+NeuN+ mature neurons generated after whisker elimination. These abnormalities in the hippocampus were associated with a significant impairment of spatial memory and navigation skills. This is the first evidence indicating that tactile inputs from vibrissal follicles strongly modify the expression of c-Fos and calbindin in the DG, disrupt different aspects of hippocampal neurogenesis, and support the notion that spatial memory and navigation skills strongly require tactile information in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Gonzalez-Perez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico.,El Colegio de Colima, Colima, Mexico
| | - Verónica López-Virgen
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico.,Medical Sciences PhD Program, School of Medicine, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico
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12
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Filice F, Lauber E, Vörckel KJ, Wöhr M, Schwaller B. 17-β estradiol increases parvalbumin levels in Pvalb heterozygous mice and attenuates behavioral phenotypes with relevance to autism core symptoms. Mol Autism 2018; 9:15. [PMID: 29507711 PMCID: PMC5833085 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0199-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by two core symptoms: impaired social interaction and communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests. The pathophysiology of ASD is not yet fully understood, due to a plethora of genetic and environmental risk factors that might be associated with or causal for ASD. Recent findings suggest that one putative convergent pathway for some forms of ASD might be the downregulation of the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV). PV-deficient mice (PV-/-, PV+/-), as well as Shank1-/-, Shank3-/-, and VPA mice, which show behavioral deficits relevant to all human ASD core symptoms, are all characterized by lower PV expression levels. Methods Based on the hypothesis that PV expression might be increased by 17-β estradiol (E2), PV+/- mice were treated with E2 from postnatal days 5-15 and ASD-related behavior was tested between postnatal days 25 and 31. Results PV expression levels were significantly increased after E2 treatment and, concomitantly, sociability deficits in PV+/- mice in the direct reciprocal social interaction and the 3-chamber social approach assay, as well as repetitive behaviors, were attenuated. E2 treatment of PV+/+ mice did not increase PV levels and had detrimental effects on sociability and repetitive behavior. In PV-/- mice, E2 obviously did not affect PV levels; tested behaviors were not different from the ones in vehicle-treated PV-/- mice. Conclusion Our results suggest that the E2-linked amelioration of ASD-like behaviors is specifically occurring in PV+/- mice, indicating that PV upregulation is required for the E2-mediated rescue of ASD-relevant behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Filice
- Anatomy Unit, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Emanuel Lauber
- Anatomy Unit, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Karl Jakob Vörckel
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraße 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraße 18, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Marburg Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MCMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Straße 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy Unit, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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Dobbins DL, Klorig DC, Smith T, Godwin DW. Expression of channelrhodopsin-2 localized within the deep CA1 hippocampal sublayer in the Thy1 line 18 mouse. Brain Res 2018; 1679:179-184. [PMID: 29191773 PMCID: PMC5752121 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetic proteins are powerful tools for advancing our understanding of neural circuitry. However, the precision of optogenetics is dependent in part on the extent to which expression is limited to cells of interest. The Thy1-ChR2 transgenic mouse is commonly used in optogenetic experiments. Although general expression patterns in these animals have been characterized, a detailed evaluation of cell-type specificity is lacking. This information is critical for interpretation of experimental results using these animals. We characterized ChR2 expression under the Thy1promoter in line 18 in comparison to known expression profiles of hippocampal cell types using immunohistochemistry in CA1. ChR2 expression did not colocalize with parvalbumin or calbindin expressing interneurons. However, we found ChR2 expression to be localized in the deep sublayer of CA1 in calbindin-negative pyramidal cells. These findings demonstrate the utility of the Thy1-ChR2-YFP mouse to study the activity and functional role of excitatory neurons located in the deep CA1 pyramidal cell layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy L Dobbins
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| | - David C Klorig
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Thuy Smith
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Dwayne W Godwin
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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Wächter C, Eiden LE, Naumann N, Depboylu C, Weihe E. Loss of cerebellar neurons in the progression of lentiviral disease: effects of CNS-permeant antiretroviral therapy. J Neuroinflammation 2016; 13:272. [PMID: 27737697 PMCID: PMC5064958 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-016-0726-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of investigations on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) neglect the cerebellum in spite of emerging evidence for its role in higher cognitive functions and dysfunctions in common neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS We systematically investigated the molecular and cellular responses of the cerebellum as contributors to lentiviral infection-induced neurodegeneration, in the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaque model for HIV infection and HAND. Four cohorts of animals were studied: non-infected controls, SIV-infected asymptomatic animals, and SIV-infected AIDS-diseased animals with and without brain-permeant antiretroviral treatment. The antiretroviral utilized was 6-chloro-2',3'-dideoxyguanosine (6-Cl-ddG), a CNS-permeable nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Quantitation of granule cells and Purkinje cells, of an established biomarker of SIV infection (gp41), of microglial/monocyte/macrophage markers (IBA-1, CD68, CD163), and of the astroglial marker (GFAP) were used to reveal cell-specific cerebellar responses to lentiviral infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART). The macromolecular integrity of the blood brain barrier was tested by albumin immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Productive CNS infection was observed in the symptomatic stage of disease, and correlated with extensive microglial/macrophage and astrocyte activation, and widespread macromolecular blood brain barrier defects. Signs of productive infection, and inflammation, were reversed upon treatment with 6-Cl-ddG, except for a residual low-grade activation of microglial cells and astrocytes. There was an extensive loss of granule cells in the SIV-infected asymptomatic cohort, which was further increased in the symptomatic stage of the disease and persisted after 6-Cl-ddG (administered after the onset of symptoms of AIDS). In the symptomatic stage, Purkinje cell density was reduced. Purkinje cell loss was likewise unaffected by 6-Cl-ddG treatment at this time. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that neurodegenerative mechanisms are triggered by SIV infection early in the disease process, i. e., preceding large-scale cerebellar productive infection and marked neuroinflammation. These affect primarily granule cells early in disease, with later involvement of Purkinje cells, indicating differential vulnerability of the two neuronal populations. The results presented here indicate a role for the cerebellum in neuro-AIDS. They also support the conclusion that, in order to attenuate the development of motor and cognitive dysfunctions in HIV-positive individuals, CNS-permeant antiretroviral therapy combined with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective treatment is indicated even before overt signs of CNS inflammation occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Wächter
- Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lee E Eiden
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Regulation, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nedye Naumann
- Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Candan Depboylu
- Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany.,Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Eberhard Weihe
- Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 8, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
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Febo M, Foster TC. Preclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Studies of Memory, Aging, and Cognitive Decline. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:158. [PMID: 27468264 PMCID: PMC4942756 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging provides for non-invasive evaluation of brain structure and activity and has been employed to suggest possible mechanisms for cognitive aging in humans. However, these imaging procedures have limits in terms of defining cellular and molecular mechanisms. In contrast, investigations of cognitive aging in animal models have mostly utilized techniques that have offered insight on synaptic, cellular, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms affecting memory. Studies employing magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS, respectively) in animal models have emerged as an integrative set of techniques bridging localized cellular/molecular phenomenon and broader in vivo neural network alterations. MRI methods are remarkably suited to longitudinal tracking of cognitive function over extended periods permitting examination of the trajectory of structural or activity related changes. Combined with molecular and electrophysiological tools to selectively drive activity within specific brain regions, recent studies have begun to unlock the meaning of fMRI signals in terms of the role of neural plasticity and types of neural activity that generate the signals. The techniques provide a unique opportunity to causally determine how memory-relevant synaptic activity is processed and how memories may be distributed or reconsolidated over time. The present review summarizes research employing animal MRI and MRS in the study of brain function, structure, and biochemistry, with a particular focus on age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, William L. and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, William L. and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
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Radwan B, Dvorak D, Fenton AA. Impaired cognitive discrimination and discoordination of coupled theta-gamma oscillations in Fmr1 knockout mice. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 88:125-38. [PMID: 26792400 PMCID: PMC4758895 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Revised: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) patients do not make the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). The absence of FMRP causes dysregulated translation, abnormal synaptic plasticity and the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. But FMRP loss has minimal effects on memory itself, making it difficult to understand why the absence of FMRP impairs memory discrimination and increases risk of autistic symptoms in patients, such as exaggerated responses to environmental changes. While Fmr1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice perform cognitive discrimination tasks, we find abnormal patterns of coupling between theta and gamma oscillations in perisomatic and dendritic hippocampal CA1 local field potentials of the KO. Perisomatic CA1 theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) decreases with familiarity in both the WT and KO, but activating an invisible shock zone, subsequently changing its location, or turning it off, changes the pattern of oscillatory events in the LFPs recorded along the somato-dendritic axis of CA1. The cognition-dependent changes of this pattern of neural activity are relatively constrained in WT mice compared to KO mice, which exhibit abnormally weak changes during the cognitive challenge caused by changing the location of the shock zone and exaggerated patterns of change when the shock zone is turned off. Such pathophysiology might explain how dysregulated translation leads to intellectual disability in FXS. These findings demonstrate major functional abnormalities after the loss of FMRP in the dynamics of neural oscillations and that these impairments would be difficult to detect by steady-state measurements with the subject at rest or in steady conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma Radwan
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, USA
| | - Dino Dvorak
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, USA; Joint Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center and New York University/Polytechnic University, USA
| | - André A Fenton
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, USA; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural & Behavioral Science, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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17
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Filice F, Vörckel KJ, Sungur AÖ, Wöhr M, Schwaller B. Reduction in parvalbumin expression not loss of the parvalbumin-expressing GABA interneuron subpopulation in genetic parvalbumin and shank mouse models of autism. Mol Brain 2016; 9:10. [PMID: 26819149 PMCID: PMC4729132 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-016-0192-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A reduction of the number of parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactive (PV(+)) GABAergic interneurons or a decrease in PV immunoreactivity was reported in several mouse models of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This includes Shank mutant mice, with SHANK being one of the most important gene families mutated in human ASD. Similar findings were obtained in heterozygous (PV+/-) mice for the Pvalb gene, which display a robust ASD-like phenotype. Here, we addressed the question whether the observed reduction in PV immunoreactivity was the result of a decrease in PV expression levels and/or loss of the PV-expressing GABA interneuron subpopulation hereafter called "Pvalb neurons". The two alternatives have important implications as they likely result in opposing effects on the excitation/inhibition balance, with decreased PV expression resulting in enhanced inhibition, but loss of the Pvalb neuron subpopulation in reduced inhibition. METHODS Stereology was used to determine the number of Pvalb neurons in ASD-associated brain regions including the medial prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortex and striatum of PV-/-, PV+/-, Shank1-/- and Shank3B-/- mice. As a second marker for the identification of Pvalb neurons, we used Vicia Villosa Agglutinin (VVA), a lectin recognizing the specific extracellular matrix enwrapping Pvalb neurons. PV protein and Pvalb mRNA levels were determined quantitatively by Western blot analyses and qRT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS Our analyses of total cell numbers in different brain regions indicated that the observed "reduction of PV(+) neurons" was in all cases, i.e., in PV+/-, Shank1-/- and Shank3B-/- mice, due to a reduction in Pvalb mRNA and PV protein, without any indication of neuronal cell decrease/loss of Pvalb neurons evidenced by the unaltered numbers of VVA(+) neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the PV system might represent a convergent downstream endpoint for some forms of ASD, with the excitation/inhibition balance shifted towards enhanced inhibition due to the down-regulation of PV being a promising target for future pharmacological interventions. Testing whether approaches aimed at restoring normal PV protein expression levels and/or Pvalb neuron function might reverse ASD-relevant phenotypes in mice appears therefore warranted and may pave the way for novel therapeutic treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Filice
- Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Karl Jakob Vörckel
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraβe 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Ayse Özge Sungur
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraβe 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstraβe 18, D-35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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18
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Wöhr M, Orduz D, Gregory P, Moreno H, Khan U, Vörckel KJ, Wolfer DP, Welzl H, Gall D, Schiffmann SN, Schwaller B. Lack of parvalbumin in mice leads to behavioral deficits relevant to all human autism core symptoms and related neural morphofunctional abnormalities. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e525. [PMID: 25756808 PMCID: PMC4354349 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene mutations and gene copy number variants are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Affected gene products are often part of signaling networks implicated in synapse formation and/or function leading to alterations in the excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance. Although the network of parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons has gained particular attention in ASD, little is known on PV's putative role with respect to ASD. Genetic mouse models represent powerful translational tools for studying the role of genetic and neurobiological factors underlying ASD. Here, we report that PV knockout mice (PV(-/-)) display behavioral phenotypes with relevance to all three core symptoms present in human ASD patients: abnormal reciprocal social interactions, impairments in communication and repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior. PV-depleted mice also showed several signs of ASD-associated comorbidities, such as reduced pain sensitivity and startle responses yet increased seizure susceptibility, whereas no evidence for behavioral phenotypes with relevance to anxiety, depression and schizophrenia was obtained. Reduced social interactions and communication were also observed in heterozygous (PV(+/-)) mice characterized by lower PV expression levels, indicating that merely a decrease in PV levels might be sufficient to elicit core ASD-like deficits. Structural magnetic resonance imaging measurements in PV(-/-) and PV(+/-) mice further revealed ASD-associated developmental neuroanatomical changes, including transient cortical hypertrophy and cerebellar hypoplasia. Electrophysiological experiments finally demonstrated that the E/I balance in these mice is altered by modification of both inhibitory and excitatory synaptic transmission. On the basis of the reported changes in PV expression patterns in several, mostly genetic rodent models of ASD, we propose that in these models downregulation of PV might represent one of the points of convergence, thus providing a common link between apparently unrelated ASD-associated synapse structure/function phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Wöhr
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - D Orduz
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - P Gregory
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - H Moreno
- Department of Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, The Robert F Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - U Khan
- Department of Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, The Robert F Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - K J Vörckel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - D P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, D-HEST, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - H Welzl
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - D Gall
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - S N Schiffmann
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - B Schwaller
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland,Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, Fribourg CH 1700, Switzerland. E-mail:
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19
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Skulachev MV, Severin FF, Skulachev VP. Receptor regulation of senile phenoptosis. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2014; 79:994-1003. [PMID: 25519059 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297914100022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Here we present a concept that considers organism aging as an additional facultative function promoting evolution, but counterproductive for an individual. We hypothesize that aging can be inhibited or even arrested when full mobilization of all resources is needed for the survival of an individual. We believe that the organism makes such a decision based on the analysis of signals of special receptors that monitor a number of parameters of the internal and external environment. The amount of available food is one of these parameters. Food restriction is perceived by the organism as a signal of coming starvation; in response to it, the organism inhibits its counterproductive programs, in particular, aging. We hypothesize that the level of protein obtained with food is estimated based on blood concentration of one of the essential amino acids (methionine), of carbohydrates - via glucose level, and fats - based on the level of one of the free fatty acids. When the amount of available food is sufficient, these receptors transmit the signal allowing aging. In case of lack of food, this signal is cancelled, and as a result aging is inhibited, i.e. age-related weakening of physiological functions is inhibited, and lifespan increases (the well-known geroprotective effect of partial food restriction). In Caenorhabditis elegans, lowering of the ambient temperature has a similar effect. This geroprotective effect is removed by the knockout of one of the cold receptors, and replacement of the C. elegans receptor by a similar human receptor restores the ability of low temperature to increase the lifespan of the nematode. A chain of events linking the receptor with the aging mechanism has been discovered in mice - for one of the pain receptors in neurons, the nerve endings of which entwine pancreas β-cells. Age-related activation of these receptors inhibits the work of insulin genes in β-cells. Problems with insulin secretion lead to oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and type II diabetes, which can be regarded as one of the forms of senile phenoptosis. In conclusion, we consider the role of some psychological factors in the regulation of the aging program.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Skulachev
- Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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20
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Bandopadhyay R, Liu JYW, Sisodiya SM, Thom M. A comparative study of the dentate gyrus in hippocampal sclerosis in epilepsy and dementia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2014; 40:177-90. [PMID: 24028428 PMCID: PMC4282449 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Aims: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is long-recognized in association with epilepsy (HSE) and more recently in the context of cognitive decline or dementia in the elderly (HSD), in some cases as a component of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and fronto-temporal lobe dementia (FTLD). There is an increased risk of seizures in AD and spontaneous epileptiform discharges in the dentate gyrus of transgenic AD models; epilepsy can be associated with an age-accelerated increase in AD-type pathology and cognitive decline. The convergence between these disease processes could be related to hippocampal pathology. HSE typically shows re-organization of both excitatory and inhibitory neuronal networks in the dentate gyrus, and is considered to be relevant to hippocampal excitability. We sought to compare the pathology of HSE and HSD, focusing on re-organization in the dentate gyrus. Methods: In nine post mortem cases with HSE and bilateral damage, 18 HSD and 11 controls we carried out immunostaining for mossy fibres (dynorphin), and interneuronal networks (NPY, calbindin and calretinin) on sections from the mid-hippocampal body. Fibre sprouting (FS) or loss of expression in the dentate gyrus was semi-quantitatively graded from grade 0 (normal) to grade 3 (marked alteration). Results: Significantly more re-organization was seen with all four markers in the HSE than HSD group (P < 0.01). Mild alterations were noted in HSD group with dynorphin (FS in 3 cases), calretinin (FS in 6 cases), NPY (FS in 11 cases) and calbindin (loss in 10 cases). In eight HSD cases, alteration was seen with more than one antibody but in no cases were the highest grades seen. We also noted NPY and, to a lesser extent, calretinin labelling of Hirano bodies in CA1 of AD cases and some older controls, but not in HSE. Conclusion: Reorganization of excitatory and inhibitory networks in the dentate gyrus is more typical of HSE. Subtle alterations in HSD may be a result of increased hippocampal excitability, including unrecognized seizure activity. An unexpected finding was the identification of NPY-positive Hirano bodies in HSD but not HSE, which may be a consequence of the relative vulnerabilities of interneurons in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bandopadhyay
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL, Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
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21
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Brini M, Calì T, Ottolini D, Carafoli E. Neuronal calcium signaling: function and dysfunction. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:2787-814. [PMID: 24442513 PMCID: PMC11113927 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1550-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 429] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Calcium (Ca(2+)) is an universal second messenger that regulates the most important activities of all eukaryotic cells. It is of critical importance to neurons as it participates in the transmission of the depolarizing signal and contributes to synaptic activity. Neurons have thus developed extensive and intricate Ca(2+) signaling pathways to couple the Ca(2+) signal to their biochemical machinery. Ca(2+) influx into neurons occurs through plasma membrane receptors and voltage-dependent ion channels. The release of Ca(2+) from the intracellular stores, such as the endoplasmic reticulum, by intracellular channels also contributes to the elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+). Inside the cell, Ca(2+) is controlled by the buffering action of cytosolic Ca(2+)-binding proteins and by its uptake and release by mitochondria. The uptake of Ca(2+) in the mitochondrial matrix stimulates the citric acid cycle, thus enhancing ATP production and the removal of Ca(2+) from the cytosol by the ATP-driven pumps in the endoplasmic reticulum and the plasma membrane. A Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger in the plasma membrane also participates in the control of neuronal Ca(2+). The impaired ability of neurons to maintain an adequate energy level may impact Ca(2+) signaling: this occurs during aging and in neurodegenerative disease processes. The focus of this review is on neuronal Ca(2+) signaling and its involvement in synaptic signaling processes, neuronal energy metabolism, and neurotransmission. The contribution of altered Ca(2+) signaling in the most important neurological disorders will then be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Brini
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U.Bassi, 58/b, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Tito Calì
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U.Bassi, 58/b, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Denis Ottolini
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U.Bassi, 58/b, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Ernesto Carafoli
- Venetian Institute for Molecular Medicine (VIMM), Via G.Orus, 2, 35129 Padua, Italy
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22
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Riera CE, Huising MO, Follett P, Leblanc M, Halloran J, Van Andel R, de Magalhaes Filho CD, Merkwirth C, Dillin A. TRPV1 pain receptors regulate longevity and metabolism by neuropeptide signaling. Cell 2014; 157:1023-36. [PMID: 24855942 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The sensation of pain is associated with increased mortality, but it is unknown whether pain perception can directly affect aging. We find that mice lacking TRPV1 pain receptors are long-lived, displaying a youthful metabolic profile at old age. Loss of TRPV1 inactivates a calcium-signaling cascade that ends in the nuclear exclusion of the CREB-regulated transcriptional coactivator CRTC1 within pain sensory neurons originating from the spinal cord. In long-lived TRPV1 knockout mice, CRTC1 nuclear exclusion decreases production of the neuropeptide CGRP from sensory endings innervating the pancreatic islets, subsequently promoting insulin secretion and metabolic health. In contrast, CGRP homeostasis is disrupted with age in wild-type mice, resulting in metabolic decline. We show that pharmacologic inactivation of CGRP receptors in old wild-type animals can restore metabolic health. These data suggest that ablation of select pain sensory receptors or the inhibition of CGRP are associated with increased metabolic health and control longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline E Riera
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; The Glenn Center for Aging Research, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mark O Huising
- The Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Patricia Follett
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; The Glenn Center for Aging Research, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mathias Leblanc
- The Glenn Center for Aging Research, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jonathan Halloran
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Roger Van Andel
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Carsten Merkwirth
- The Glenn Center for Aging Research, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Andrew Dillin
- Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; The Glenn Center for Aging Research, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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23
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Stefanits H, Wesseling C, Kovacs GG. Loss of Calbindin immunoreactivity in the dentate gyrus distinguishes Alzheimer's disease from other neurodegenerative dementias. Neurosci Lett 2014; 566:137-41. [PMID: 24569123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Calbindin (Cb) is one of the major Ca(2+) binding proteins exhibiting neuromodulatory functions such as long-term potentiation (LTP), synaptic plasticity, and memory functions. It is expressed in hippocampal interneurons, pyramidal cells and granule cells of the dentate gyrus (DGCs). Cb mRNA levels remain stable during normal ageing, but decrease in Alzheimer's, Huntington, and Parkinson's disease. A recent study suggested a link between Aβ-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cognitive deficits and neuronal depletion of Cb. To evaluate whether this is specific for AD, we performed a comparative study of Cb immunoreactivity of DGCs in cases with AD-related neuropathologic change (49), grouped according to the stages of Braak and Braak, BB), Creutzfeldt-Jakob-disease (16), FTLD-tau Pick's disease type (PiD; 5), argyrophilic grain disease (8), and FTLD-TDP types A and B (6). The group of AD cases with BB stages V and VI showed the highest proportion of Cb negative cells in the DGC when compared to all other groups except PiD. The ratio of negative cells correlated significantly with the BB stages. While the total number of DGCs decreased with age in our series, loss of Cb immunoreactivity was shown to be age-dependent only in PiD and FTLD-TDP. We conclude, that late stage AD-neuropathologic change (BB V and VI stages) associates with significantly higher ratios of Cb negative DGCs and this correlates with advanced BB stage. This might suggest an accumulative effect of an epilepsy-like pathway on the Cb expression or the direct influence of local pathological protein deposits on the DGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Stefanits
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carolin Wesseling
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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24
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Lintas A, Schwaller B, Villa AE. Visual thalamocortical circuits in parvalbumin-deficient mice. Brain Res 2013; 1536:107-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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25
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Popelář J, Rybalko N, Burianová J, Schwaller B, Syka J. The effect of parvalbumin deficiency on the acoustic startle response and prepulse inhibition in mice. Neurosci Lett 2013; 553:216-20. [PMID: 23999028 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The strength of the acoustic startle response (ASR) to short bursts of broadband noise or tone pips (4, 8 and 16 kHz) and the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the ASR elicited by prepulse tones (4, 8 and 16 kHz) were measured in parvalbumin-deficient (PV-/-) mice and in age-matched PV+/+ mice as controls. Hearing thresholds as determined from recordings of auditory brainstem responses were found to be similar in both genotypes. The ASRs to broadband noise and tones of low and middle frequencies were stronger than the ASRs in response to high-frequency tones in both groups. In PV-/- mice, we observed smaller ASR amplitudes in response to relatively weak startling stimuli (80-90 dB sound pressure level (SPL)) of either broadband noise or 8-kHz tones compared to those recorded in PV+/+ mice. For these startling stimuli, PV-/- mice had higher ASR thresholds and longer ASR latencies. PPI of the ASR in PV-/- mice was less effective than in PV+/+ mice, for all tested prepulse frequencies (4, 8 or 16 kHz) at 70 dB SPL. Our findings demonstrate no effect of PV deficiency on hearing thresholds in PV-/- mice. However, the frequency-specific differences in the ASR and the significant reduction of PPI of ASR likely reflect specific changes of neuronal circuits, mainly inhibitory, in the auditory centers in PV-deficient mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Popelář
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Department of Auditory Neuroscience, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic.
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26
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Lewandowski NM, Bordelon Y, Brickman AM, Angulo S, Khan U, Muraskin J, Griffith EY, Wasserman P, Menalled L, Vonsattel JP, Marder K, Small SA, Moreno H. Regional vulnerability in Huntington's disease: fMRI-guided molecular analysis in patients and a mouse model of disease. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 52:84-93. [PMID: 23220414 PMCID: PMC4435974 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Revised: 10/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the huntingtin gene is expressed in brain throughout life, phenotypically Huntington's disease (HD) begins only in midlife and affects specific brain regions. Here, to investigate regional vulnerability in the disease, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to translationally link studies in patients with a mouse model of disease. Using fMRI, we mapped cerebral blood volume (CBV) in three groups: HD patients, symptom-free carriers of the huntingtin genetic mutation, and age-matched controls. In contrast to a region in the anterior caudate, in which dysfunction was linked to genotype independent of phenotype, a region in the posterior body of the caudate was differentially associated with disease phenotype. Guided by these observations, we harvested regions from the anterior and posterior body of the caudate in postmortem control and HD human brain tissue. Gene-expression profiling identified two molecules whose expression levels were most strongly correlated with regional vulnerability - protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 7 (PPP1R7) and Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (WIF-1). To verify and potentially extend these findings, we turned to the YAC128 (C57BL/6J) HD transgenic mice. By fMRI we longitudinally mapped CBV in transgenic and wildtype (WT) mice, and over time, abnormally low fMRI signal emerged selectively in the dorsal striatum. A relatively unaffected brain region, primary somatosensory cortex (S1), was used as a control. Both dorsal striatum and S1 were harvested from transgenic and WT mice and molecular analysis confirmed that PPP1R7 deficiency was strongly correlated with the phenotype. Together, converging findings in human HD patients and this HD mouse model suggest a functional pattern of caudate vulnerability and that variation in expression levels of herein identified molecules correlate with this pattern of vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yvette Bordelon
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Adam M. Brickman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
| | - Sergio Angulo
- The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Departments of Neurology
- Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203
| | - Usman Khan
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203
| | - Jordan Muraskin
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
| | - Erica Y. Griffith
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
| | - Paula Wasserman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
| | | | - Jean Paul Vonsattel
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
| | - Karen Marder
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
| | - Scott A. Small
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
| | - Herman Moreno
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York NY 10032
- The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Departments of Neurology
- Physiology/Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203
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27
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Albéri L, Lintas A, Kretz R, Schwaller B, Villa AEP. The calcium-binding protein parvalbumin modulates the firing 1 properties of the reticular thalamic nucleus bursting neurons. J Neurophysiol 2013; 109:2827-41. [PMID: 23486206 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00375.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The reticular thalamic nucleus (RTN) of the mouse is characterized by an overwhelming majority of GABAergic neurons receiving afferences from both the thalamus and the cerebral cortex and sending projections mainly on thalamocortical neurons. The RTN neurons express high levels of the "slow Ca(2+) buffer" parvalbumin (PV) and are characterized by low-threshold Ca(2+) currents, I(T). We performed extracellular recordings in ketamine/xylazine anesthetized mice in the rostromedial portion of the RTN. In the RTN of wild-type and PV knockout (PVKO) mice we distinguished four types of neurons characterized on the basis of their firing pattern: irregular firing (type I), medium bursting (type II), long bursting (type III), and tonically firing (type IV). Compared with wild-type mice, we observed in the PVKOs the medium bursting (type II) more frequently than the long bursting type and longer interspike intervals within the burst without affecting the number of spikes. This suggests that PV may affect the firing properties of RTN neurons via a mechanism associated with the kinetics of burst discharges. Ca(v)3.2 channels, which mediate the I(T) currents, were more localized to the somatic plasma membrane of RTN neurons in PVKO mice, whereas Ca(v)3.3 expression was similar in both genotypes. The immunoelectron microscopy analysis showed that Ca(v)3.2 channels were localized at active axosomatic synapses, thus suggesting that the differential localization of Ca(v)3.2 in the PVKOs may affect bursting dynamics. Cross-correlation analysis of simultaneously recorded neurons from the same electrode tip showed that about one-third of the cell pairs tended to fire synchronously in both genotypes, independent of PV expression. In summary, PV deficiency does not affect the functional connectivity between RTN neurons but affects the distribution of Ca(v)3.2 channels and the dynamics of burst discharges of RTN cells, which in turn regulate the activity in the thalamocortical circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavinia Albéri
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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28
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R6/2 Huntington's disease mice develop early and progressive abnormal brain metabolism and seizures. J Neurosci 2012; 32:6456-67. [PMID: 22573668 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0388-12.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark feature of Huntington's disease pathology is the atrophy of brain regions including, but not limited to, the striatum. Though MRI studies have identified structural CNS changes in several Huntington's disease (HD) mouse models, the functional consequences of HD pathology during the progression of the disease have yet to be investigated using in vivo functional MRI (fMRI). To address this issue, we first established the structural and functional MRI phenotype of juvenile HD mouse model R6/2 at early and advanced stages of disease. Significantly higher fMRI signals [relative cerebral blood volumes (rCBVs)] and atrophy were observed in both age groups in specific brain regions. Next, fMRI results were correlated with electrophysiological analysis, which showed abnormal increases in neuronal activity in affected brain regions, thus identifying a mechanism accounting for the abnormal fMRI findings. [(14)C] 2-deoxyglucose maps to investigate patterns of glucose utilization were also generated. An interesting mismatch between increases in rCBV and decreases in glucose uptake was observed. Finally, we evaluated the sensitivity of this mouse line to audiogenic seizures early in the disease course. We found that R6/2 mice had an increased susceptibility to develop seizures. Together, these findings identified seizure activity in R6/2 mice and show that neuroimaging measures sensitive to oxygen metabolism can be used as in vivo biomarkers, preceding the onset of an overt behavioral phenotype. Since fMRI-rCBV can also be obtained in patients, we propose that it may serve as a translational tool to evaluate therapeutic responses in humans and HD mouse models.
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29
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Todkar K, Scotti AL, Schwaller B. Absence of the calcium-binding protein calretinin, not of calbindin D-28k, causes a permanent impairment of murine adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Front Mol Neurosci 2012; 5:56. [PMID: 22536174 PMCID: PMC3332231 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2012.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Calretinin (CR) and calbindin D-28k (CB) are cytosolic EF-hand Ca(2+)-binding proteins and function as Ca(2+) buffers affecting the spatiotemporal aspects of Ca(2+) transients and possibly also as Ca(2+) sensors modulating signaling cascades. In the adult hippocampal circuitry, CR and CB are expressed in specific principal neurons and subsets of interneurons. In addition, CR is transiently expressed within the neurogenic dentate gyrus (DG) niche. CR and CB expression during adult neurogenesis mark critical transition stages, onset of differentiation for CR, and the switch to adult-like connectivity for CB. Absence of either protein during these stages in null-mutant mice may have functional consequences and contribute to some aspects of the identified phenotypes. We report the impact of CR- and CB-deficiency on the proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells within the subgranular zone (SGZ) neurogenic niche of the DG. Effects were evaluated (1) two and four weeks postnatally, during the transition period of the proliferative matrix to the adult state, and (2) in adult animals (3 months) to trace possible permanent changes in adult neurogenesis. The absence of CB from differentiated DG granule cells has no retrograde effect on the proliferative activity of progenitor cells, nor affects survival or migration/differentiation of newborn neurons in the adult DG including the SGZ. On the contrary, lack of CR from immature early postmitotic granule cells causes an early loss in proliferative capacity of the SGZ that is maintained into adult age, when it has a further impact on the migration/survival of newborn granule cells. The transient CR expression at the onset of adult neurogenesis differentiation may thus have two functions: (1) to serve as a self-maintenance signal for the pool of cells at the same stage of neurogenesis contributing to their survival/differentiation, and (2) it may contribute to retrograde signaling required for maintenance of the progenitor pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Todkar
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg Fribourg, Switzerland
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30
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Emmanuele V, Garcia-Cazorla A, Huang HB, Coku J, Dorado B, Cortes EP, Engelstad K, De Vivo DC, Dimauro S, Bonilla E, Tanji K. Decreased hippocampal expression of calbindin D28K and cognitive impairment in MELAS. J Neurol Sci 2012; 317:29-34. [PMID: 22483853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2012.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2011] [Revised: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is a maternally inherited mitochondrial syndrome characterized by seizures, migrainous headaches, lactic acidosis, vomiting, and recurrent stroke-like episodes. Patients often suffer from cognitive dysfunction of unclear pathogenesis. In this study, we explored a possible link between cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal expression of calbindin D(28KD) (CB), a high affinity calcium-binding protein, in four MELAS patients, using post mortem hippocampal tissues. We found significantly reduced CB levels in all patients by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and quantitative real-time PCR. Reduction in CB expression has been associated with aging and with neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. We postulate that the reduced CB expression may play a role in the cognitive abnormalities associated with MELAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Emmanuele
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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