MicroRNA-34a Acutely Regulates Synaptic Efficacy in the Adult Dentate Gyrus In Vivo

Role of Apolipoprotein E in the Hippocampus and Its Impact following Ionizing Radiation Exposure

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a lipid carrier in both the peripheral and the central nervous systems (CNSs). Lipid-loaded ApoE lipoprotein particles bind to several cell surface receptors to support membrane homeostasis and brain injury repair. In the brain, ApoE is produced predominantly by astrocytes, but it is also abundantly expressed in most neurons of the CNS. In this study, we addressed the role of ApoE in the hippocampus in mice, focusing on its role in response to radiation injury. To this aim, 8-week-old, wild-type, and ApoE-deficient (ApoE-/-) female mice were acutely whole-body irradiated with 3 Gy of X-rays (0.89 Gy/min), then sacrificed 150 days post-irradiation. In addition, age-matching ApoE-/- females were chronically whole-body irradiated (20 mGy/d, cumulative dose of 3 Gy) for 150 days at the low dose-rate facility at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES), Rokkasho, Japan. To seek for ApoE-dependent modification during lineage progression from neural stem cells to neurons, we have evaluated the cellular composition of the dentate gyrus in unexposed and irradiated mice using stage-specific markers of adult neurogenesis. Our findings indicate that ApoE genetic inactivation markedly perturbs adult hippocampal neurogenesis in unexposed and irradiated mice. The effect of ApoE inactivation on the expression of a panel of miRNAs with an established role in hippocampal neurogenesis, as well as its transcriptional consequences in their target genes regulating neurogenic program, have also been analyzed. Our data show that the absence of ApoE-/- also influences synaptic functionality and integration by interfering with the regulation of mir-34a, mir-29b, and mir-128b, leading to the downregulation of synaptic markers PSD95 and synaptophysin mRNA. Finally, compared to acute irradiation, chronic exposure of ApoE null mice yields fewer consequences except for the increased microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Exploring the function of ApoE in the hippocampus could have implications for developing therapeutic approaches to alleviate radiation-induced brain injury.

miRNA-132/212 Deficiency Disrupts Selective Corticosterone Modulation of Dorsal vs. Ventral Hippocampal Metaplasticity

Cortisol is a potent human steroid hormone that plays key roles in the central nervous system, influencing processes such as brain neuronal synaptic plasticity and regulating the expression of emotional and behavioral responses. The relevance of cortisol stands out in the disease, as its dysregulation is associated with debilitating conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, chronic stress, anxiety and depression. Among other brain regions, cortisol importantly influences the function of the hippocampus, a structure central for memory and emotional information processing. The mechanisms fine-tuning the different synaptic responses of the hippocampus to steroid hormone signaling remain, however, poorly understood. Using ex vivo electrophysiology and wild type (WT) and miR-132/miR-212 microRNAs knockout (miRNA-132/212-/-) mice, we examined the effects of corticosterone (the rodent's equivalent to cortisol in humans) on the synaptic properties of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. In WT mice, corticosterone predominantly inhibited metaplasticity in the dorsal WT hippocampi, whereas it significantly dysregulated both synaptic transmission and metaplasticity at dorsal and ventral regions of miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Western blotting further revealed significantly augmented levels of endogenous CREB and a significant CREB reduction in response to corticosterone only in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. Sirt1 levels were also endogenously enhanced in the miR-132/212-/- hippocampi but unaltered by corticosterone, whereas the levels of phospo-MSK1 were only reduced by corticosterone in WT, not in miR-132/212-/- hippocampi. In behavioral studies using the elevated plus maze, miRNA-132/212-/- mice further showed reduced anxiety-like behavior. These observations propose miRNA-132/212 as potential region-selective regulators of the effects of steroid hormones on hippocampal functions, thus likely fine-tuning hippocampus-dependent memory and emotional processing.

Synaptic plasticity and depression: the role of miRNAs dysregulation

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recently shown to exert several functional roles in the development and function of neurons. Moreover, numerous miRNAs are present in high abundance in presynaptic and postsynaptic sites regulating synaptic plasticity and activity through different mechanisms.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases with key words "Synaptic plasticity", "miRNA" and "major depressive disorder.

RESULTS

Synaptic plasticity has an essential role in the ability of the brain to integrate transitory experiences into constant memory traces. Thus, it participates in the development of neuropsychiatric diseases such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Most notably, MDD-related alterations in synaptic function have been found to be closely related with abnormal expression of miRNAs.

CONCLUSIONS

Several miRNAs such as miR-9-5p, miR-204-5p, miR-128-3, miR-26a-3p, miR-218, miR-22-3p, miR-124-3p, miR-136-3p, miR-154-5p, miR-323a-3p, miR-425-5p, miR-34a, miR-137, miR-204-5p, miR-99a, miR-134, miR-124-3p and miR-3130-5p have been shown to be involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity in the context of MDD. In the current review, we elaborate the role of miRNAs in regulation of this important neuronal feature in MDD.

Age-Dependent and Pathway-Specific Bimodal Action of Nicotine on Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus of Mice Lacking the miR-132/212 Genes

Nicotine addiction develops predominantly during human adolescence through smoking. Self-administration experiments in rodents verify this biological preponderance to adolescence, suggesting evolutionary-conserved and age-defined mechanisms which influence the susceptibility to nicotine addiction. The hippocampus, a brain region linked to drug-related memory storage, undergoes major morpho-functional restructuring during adolescence and is strongly affected by nicotine stimulation. However, the signaling mechanisms shaping the effects of nicotine in young vs. adult brains remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) emerged recently as modulators of brain neuroplasticity, learning and memory, and addiction. Nevertheless, the age-dependent interplay between miRNAs regulation and hippocampal nicotinergic signaling remains poorly explored. We here combined biophysical and pharmacological methods to examine the impact of miRNA-132/212 gene-deletion (miRNA-132/212-/-) and nicotine stimulation on synaptic functions in adolescent and mature adult mice at two hippocampal synaptic circuits: the medial perforant pathway (MPP) to dentate yrus (DG) synapses (MPP-DG) and CA3 Schaffer collaterals to CA1 synapses (CA3-CA1). Basal synaptic transmission and short-term (paired-pulse-induced) synaptic plasticity was unaltered in adolescent and adult miRNA-132/212-/- mice hippocampi, compared with wild-type controls. However, nicotine stimulation promoted CA3-CA1 synaptic potentiation in mature adult (not adolescent) wild-type and suppressed MPP-DG synaptic potentiation in miRNA-132/212-/- mice. Altered levels of CREB, Phospho-CREB, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression were further detected in adult miRNA-132/212-/- mice hippocampi. These observations propose miRNAs as age-sensitive bimodal regulators of hippocampal nicotinergic signaling and, given the relevance of the hippocampus for drug-related memory storage, encourage further research on the influence of miRNAs 132 and 212 in nicotine addiction in the young and the adult brain.

Food reward induction of rhythmic clock gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of rats is accompanied by changes in miR-34a-5p expression

The current study is focused on mechanisms by which the peripheral circadian oscillator in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) participates in food reward-induced activity. The experimental group of male Wistar rats was trained to receive a food reward with a low hedonic and caloric value. Afterwards, animals were exposed to a 5 h phase advance. Experimental animals could access a small food reward as they had been accustomed to, while control rats were exposed to the same phase shift without access to a food reward. When synchronisation to a new light:dark cycle was accompanied by intake of food reward, animals exerted more exact phase shift compared to the controls. In rats with access to a food reward, a rhythm in dopamine receptors types 1 and 2 in the PFC was detected. Rhythmic clock gene expression was induced in the PFC of rats when a food reward was provided together with a phase shift. The per2 and clock genes are predicted targets of miR-34a-5p. The precursor form of miR-34a-5p (pre-miR-34a-5p) showed a daily rhythm in expression in the PFC of the control and experimental groups. On the other hand, the mature form of miR-34a-5p exerted an inverted rhythm compared to pre-miR-34a-5p and negative correlation with per and clock genes expression only in the PFC of rewarded rats. A difference in the pattern of mature and pre-miR-34a-5p values was not related to expression of enzymes drosha, dicer and dgcr8. A role of the clock genes and miR-34a-5p in reward-facilitated synchronisation has been hypothesised.

miRNA-132/212 Gene-Deletion Aggravates the Effect of Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation on Synaptic Functions in the Female Mouse Hippocampus

Cerebral ischemia and its sequelae, which include memory impairment, constitute a leading cause of disability worldwide. Micro-RNAs (miRNA) are evolutionarily conserved short-length/noncoding RNA molecules recently implicated in adaptive/maladaptive neuronal responses to ischemia. Previous research independently implicated the miRNA-132/212 cluster in cholinergic signaling and synaptic transmission, and in adaptive/protective mechanisms of neuronal responses to hypoxia. However, the putative role of miRNA-132/212 in the response of synaptic transmission to ischemia remained unexplored. Using hippocampal slices from female miRNA-132/212 double-knockout mice in an established electrophysiological model of ischemia, we here describe that miRNA-132/212 gene-deletion aggravated the deleterious effect of repeated oxygen-glucose deprivation insults on synaptic transmission in the dentate gyrus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory functions. We also examined the effect of miRNA-132/212 gene-deletion on the expression of key mediators in cholinergic signaling that are implicated in both adaptive responses to ischemia and hippocampal neural signaling. miRNA-132/212 gene-deletion significantly altered hippocampal AChE and mAChR-M1, but not α7-nAChR or MeCP2 expression. The effects of miRNA-132/212 gene-deletion on hippocampal synaptic transmission and levels of cholinergic-signaling elements suggest the existence of a miRNA-132/212-dependent adaptive mechanism safeguarding the functional integrity of synaptic functions in the acute phase of cerebral ischemia.

Microglial Morphology Across Distantly Related Species: Phylogenetic, Environmental and Age Influences on Microglia Reactivity and Surveillance States

Microglial immunosurveillance of the brain parenchyma to detect local perturbations in homeostasis, in all species, results in the adoption of a spectrum of morphological changes that reflect functional adaptations. Here, we review the contribution of these changes in microglia morphology in distantly related species, in homeostatic and non-homeostatic conditions, with three principal goals (1): to review the phylogenetic influences on the morphological diversity of microglia during homeostasis (2); to explore the impact of homeostatic perturbations (Dengue virus challenge) in distantly related species (Mus musculus and Callithrix penicillata) as a proxy for the differential immune response in small and large brains; and (3) to examine the influences of environmental enrichment and aging on the plasticity of the microglial morphological response following an immunological challenge (neurotropic arbovirus infection). Our findings reveal that the differences in microglia morphology across distantly related species under homeostatic condition cannot be attributed to the phylogenetic origin of the species. However, large and small brains, under similar non-homeostatic conditions, display differential microglial morphological responses, and we argue that age and environment interact to affect the microglia morphology after an immunological challenge; in particular, mice living in an enriched environment exhibit a more efficient immune response to the virus resulting in earlier removal of the virus and earlier return to the homeostatic morphological phenotype of microglia than it is observed in sedentary mice.

Arc/Arg3.1 function in long-term synaptic plasticity: Emerging mechanisms and unresolved issues

Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) is posited as a critical regulator of long-term synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses, including long-term potentiation, long-term depression, inverse synaptic tagging and homoeostatic scaling, with pivotal roles in memory and postnatal cortical development. However, the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional regulation of synaptic strength are poorly understood. Here we review evidence from different plasticity paradigms, highlight outstanding issues and discuss stimulus-specific mechanisms that dictate Arc function. We propose a model in which Arc bidirectionally controls synaptic strength by coordinate regulation of AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR) trafficking and actin cytoskeletal dynamics in dendritic spines. Key to this model, Arc is proposed to function as an activity-dependent regulator of AMPAR lateral membrane diffusion and trapping at synapses.

miR-34a induces spine damages via inhibiting synaptotagmin-1 in depression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that participate in the pathophysiology of depression by targeting many functional genes. As shown in our previous study, chronic stress up-regulates miR-34a in the hippocampus. However, little is known about the mechanism by which miR-34a regulates the process of depression or its functions as an antidepressant by regulating its targets. In the present study, the dynamic alterations in miR-34a expression and the mechanism underlying miR-34a regulation were assessed after the administration of the antidepressant fluoxetine to mice exposed to chronic stress. In addition, the effects of miR-34a inhibition on mice were directly evaluated. Both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and corticosterone treatment caused depression-like symptoms and increased miR-34a expression. Additionally, the expression of miR-34a, which was regulated by tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB)/MEK1/ERK signaling, was consistent with the onset of action of fluoxetine. A luciferase reporter assay identified synaptotagmin-1 and Bcl-2 as the targets of miR-34a. Moreover, a miR-34a antagomir exerted antidepressant-like effects, activated TrkB/MEK1/ERK signaling and improved spine morphology in the hippocampus. In conclusion, hippocampal miR-34a overexpression was a typical feature in depression-like animals, and miR-34a downregulation exerts antidepressant-like effects by restoring the spine morphology through its target synaptotagmin-1.

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LPS and corticosterone cause depression and miR-34a overexpression.

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Fluoxetine affects miR-34a in a dynamic alteration in chronic stress.

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Inhibition of TrkB and ERK signaling upregulates the expression of miR-34a.

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Synaptotagmin-1 and Bcl-2 are the targets of miR-34a.

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Inhibition of miR-34a improves spinal morphology.

Cell-to-Cell Communication in Learning and Memory: From Neuro- and Glio-Transmission to Information Exchange Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles

Most aspects of nervous system development and function rely on the continuous crosstalk between neurons and the variegated universe of non-neuronal cells surrounding them. The most extraordinary property of this cellular community is its ability to undergo adaptive modifications in response to environmental cues originating from inside or outside the body. Such ability, known as neuronal plasticity, allows long-lasting modifications of the strength, composition and efficacy of the connections between neurons, which constitutes the biochemical base for learning and memory. Nerve cells communicate with each other through both wiring (synaptic) and volume transmission of signals. It is by now clear that glial cells, and in particular astrocytes, also play critical roles in both modes by releasing different kinds of molecules (e.g., D-serine secreted by astrocytes). On the other hand, neurons produce factors that can regulate the activity of glial cells, including their ability to release regulatory molecules. In the last fifteen years it has been demonstrated that both neurons and glial cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) of different kinds, both in physiologic and pathological conditions. Here we discuss the possible involvement of EVs in the events underlying learning and memory, in both physiologic and pathological conditions.