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Bruentgens F, Moreno Velasquez L, Stumpf A, Parthier D, Breustedt J, Benfenati F, Milovanovic D, Schmitz D, Orlando M. The Lack of Synapsin Alters Presynaptic Plasticity at Hippocampal Mossy Fibers in Male Mice. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0330-23.2024. [PMID: 38866497 PMCID: PMC11223178 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0330-23.2024] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Synapsins are highly abundant presynaptic proteins that play a crucial role in neurotransmission and plasticity via the clustering of synaptic vesicles. The synapsin III isoform is usually downregulated after development, but in hippocampal mossy fiber boutons, it persists in adulthood. Mossy fiber boutons express presynaptic forms of short- and long-term plasticity, which are thought to underlie different forms of learning. Previous research on synapsins at this synapse focused on synapsin isoforms I and II. Thus, a complete picture regarding the role of synapsins in mossy fiber plasticity is still missing. Here, we investigated presynaptic plasticity at hippocampal mossy fiber boutons by combining electrophysiological field recordings and transmission electron microscopy in a mouse model lacking all synapsin isoforms. We found decreased short-term plasticity, i.e., decreased facilitation and post-tetanic potentiation, but increased long-term potentiation in male synapsin triple knock-out (KO) mice. At the ultrastructural level, we observed more dispersed vesicles and a higher density of active zones in mossy fiber boutons from KO animals. Our results indicate that all synapsin isoforms are required for fine regulation of short- and long-term presynaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas Bruentgens
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Laura Moreno Velasquez
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Alexander Stumpf
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Daniel Parthier
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Jörg Breustedt
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa 16132, Italy
| | - Dragomir Milovanovic
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Marta Orlando
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
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Shahoha M, Cohen R, Ben-Simon Y, Ashery U. cAMP-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity at the Hippocampal Mossy Fiber Terminal. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:861215. [PMID: 35444523 PMCID: PMC9013808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.861215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a crucial second messenger involved in both pre- and postsynaptic plasticity in many neuronal types across species. In the hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapse, cAMP mediates presynaptic long-term potentiation and depression. The main cAMP-dependent signaling pathway linked to MF synaptic plasticity acts via the activation of the protein kinase A (PKA) molecular cascade. Accordingly, various downstream putative synaptic PKA target proteins have been linked to cAMP-dependent MF synaptic plasticity, such as synapsin, rabphilin, synaptotagmin-12, RIM1a, tomosyn, and P/Q-type calcium channels. Regulating the expression of some of these proteins alters synaptic release probability and calcium channel clustering, resulting in short- and long-term changes to synaptic efficacy. However, despite decades of research, the exact molecular mechanisms by which cAMP and PKA exert their influences in MF terminals remain largely unknown. Here, we review current knowledge of different cAMP catalysts and potential downstream PKA-dependent molecular cascades, in addition to non-canonical cAMP-dependent but PKA-independent cascades, which might serve as alternative, compensatory or competing pathways to the canonical PKA cascade. Since several other central synapses share a similar form of presynaptic plasticity with the MF, a better description of the molecular mechanisms governing MF plasticity could be key to understanding the relationship between the transcriptional and computational levels across brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meishar Shahoha
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronni Cohen
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoav Ben-Simon
- Department of Neurophysiology, Vienna Medical University, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Yoav Ben-Simon,
| | - Uri Ashery
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Uri Ashery,
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3
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Moschetta M, Ravasenga T, De Fusco A, Maragliano L, Aprile D, Orlando M, Sacchetti S, Casagrande S, Lignani G, Fassio A, Baldelli P, Benfenati F. Ca 2+ binding to synapsin I regulates resting Ca 2+ and recovery from synaptic depression in nerve terminals. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:600. [PMID: 36409372 PMCID: PMC9678998 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04631-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Synapsin I (SynI) is a synaptic vesicle (SV)-associated phosphoprotein that modulates neurotransmission by controlling SV trafficking. The SynI C-domain contains a highly conserved ATP binding site mediating SynI oligomerization and SV clustering and an adjacent main Ca2+ binding site, whose physiological role is unexplored. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the E373K point mutation irreversibly deletes Ca2+ binding to SynI, still allowing ATP binding, but inducing a destabilization of the SynI oligomerization interface. Here, we analyzed the effects of this mutation on neurotransmitter release and short-term plasticity in excitatory and inhibitory synapses from primary hippocampal neurons. Patch-clamp recordings showed an increase in the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) that was totally occluded by exogenous Ca2+ chelators and associated with a constitutive increase in resting terminal Ca2+ concentrations. Evoked EPSC amplitude was also reduced, due to a decreased readily releasable pool (RRP) size. Moreover, in both excitatory and inhibitory synapses, we observed a marked impaired recovery from synaptic depression, associated with impaired RRP refilling and depletion of the recycling pool of SVs. Our study identifies SynI as a novel Ca2+ buffer in excitatory terminals. Blocking Ca2+ binding to SynI results in higher constitutive Ca2+ levels that increase the probability of spontaneous release and disperse SVs. This causes a decreased size of the RRP and an impaired recovery from depression due to the failure of SV reclustering after sustained high-frequency stimulation. The results indicate a physiological role of Ca2+ binding to SynI in the regulation of SV clustering and trafficking in nerve terminals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Moschetta
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Tiziana Ravasenga
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,IRCCS, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Antonio De Fusco
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Maragliano
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Davide Aprile
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,Present Address: High-Definition Disease Modelling Lab, Campus IFOM-IEO, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Orlando
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,Present Address: Charitè Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin, Germany
| | - Silvio Sacchetti
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Casagrande
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Lignani
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,Present Address: Queens Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Fassio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,IRCCS, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Pietro Baldelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,IRCCS, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano Di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy ,IRCCS, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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Lee U, Ryu SH, Chang S. SCAMP5 mediates activity-dependent enhancement of NHE6 recruitment to synaptic vesicles during synaptic plasticity. Mol Brain 2021; 14:47. [PMID: 33663553 PMCID: PMC7934559 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00763-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Na+(K+)/H+ exchanger 6 (NHE6) on synaptic vesicle (SV) is critical for the presynaptic regulation of quantal size at the glutamatergic synapses by converting the chemical gradient (ΔpH) into membrane potential (Δψ) across the SV membrane. We recently found that NHE6 directly interacts with secretory carrier membrane protein 5 (SCAMP5), and SCAMP5-dependent recruitment of NHE6 to SVs controls the strength of synaptic transmission by modulation of quantal size of glutamate release at rest. It is, however, unknown whether NHE6 recruitment by SCAMP5 plays a role during synaptic plasticity. Here, we found that the number of NHE6-positive presynaptic boutons was significantly increased by the chemical long-term potentiation (cLTP). Since cLTP involves new synapse formation, our results indicated that NHE6 was recruited not only to the existing presynaptic boutons but also to the newly formed presynaptic boutons. Knock down of SCAMP5 completely abrogated the enhancement of NHE6 recruitment by cLTP. Interestingly, despite an increase in the number of NHE6-positive boutons by cLTP, the quantal size of glutamate release at the presynaptic terminals remained unaltered. Together with our recent results, our findings indicate that SCAMP5-dependent recruitment of NHE6 plays a critical role in manifesting presynaptic efficacy not only at rest but also during synaptic plasticity. Since both are autism candidate genes, reduced presynaptic efficacy by interfering with their interaction may underlie the molecular mechanism of synaptic dysfunction observed in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Unghwi Lee
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, # 309 Medical Science Bldg, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Ryu
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, # 309 Medical Science Bldg, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
| | - Sunghoe Chang
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, # 309 Medical Science Bldg, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
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Khrimian L, Obri A, Ramos-Brossier M, Rousseaud A, Moriceau S, Nicot AS, Mera P, Kosmidis S, Karnavas T, Saudou F, Gao XB, Oury F, Kandel E, Karsenty G. Gpr158 mediates osteocalcin's regulation of cognition. J Exp Med 2017; 214:2859-2873. [PMID: 28851741 PMCID: PMC5626410 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20171320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study by Khrimian et al. demonstrates that the bone-derived hormone osteocalcin is necessary and sufficient to correct age-related cognitive decline in the mouse. It also provides genetic, molecular, and neurophysiological evidence that Gpr158 is the receptor mediating osteocalcin’s regulation of cognition. That osteocalcin (OCN) is necessary for hippocampal-dependent memory and to prevent anxiety-like behaviors raises novel questions. One question is to determine whether OCN is also sufficient to improve these behaviors in wild-type mice, when circulating levels of OCN decline as they do with age. Here we show that the presence of OCN is necessary for the beneficial influence of plasma from young mice when injected into older mice on memory and that peripheral delivery of OCN is sufficient to improve memory and decrease anxiety-like behaviors in 16-mo-old mice. A second question is to identify a receptor transducing OCN signal in neurons. Genetic, electrophysiological, molecular, and behavioral assays identify Gpr158, an orphan G protein–coupled receptor expressed in neurons of the CA3 region of the hippocampus, as transducing OCN’s regulation of hippocampal-dependent memory in part through inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. These results indicate that exogenous OCN can improve hippocampal-dependent memory in mice and identify molecular tools to harness this pathway for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori Khrimian
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Arnaud Obri
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Mariana Ramos-Brossier
- Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, CS 61431, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1151, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Rousseaud
- Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, CS 61431, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1151, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Moriceau
- Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, CS 61431, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1151, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Nicot
- Grenoble Institute des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,INSERM, U1216, Grenoble, France
| | - Paula Mera
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Stylianos Kosmidis
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Theodoros Karnavas
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Frederic Saudou
- Grenoble Institute des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,INSERM, U1216, Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Xiao-Bing Gao
- Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism, Section of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Franck Oury
- Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, CS 61431, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1151, Paris, France.,Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Eric Kandel
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.,Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Gerard Karsenty
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
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Hypertension-induced synapse loss and impairment in synaptic plasticity in the mouse hippocampus mimics the aging phenotype: implications for the pathogenesis of vascular cognitive impairment. GeroScience 2017; 39:385-406. [PMID: 28664509 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-017-9981-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Strong epidemiological and experimental evidence indicates that hypertension has detrimental effects on the cerebral microcirculation and thereby promotes accelerated brain aging. Hypertension is an independent risk factor for both vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the pathophysiological link between hypertension-induced cerebromicrovascular injury (e.g., blood-brain barrier disruption, increased microvascular oxidative stress, and inflammation) and cognitive decline remains elusive. The present study was designed to characterize neuronal functional and morphological alterations induced by chronic hypertension and compare them to those induced by aging. To achieve that goal, we induced hypertension in young C57BL/6 mice by chronic (4 weeks) infusion of angiotensin II. We found that long-term potentiation (LTP) of performant path synapses following high-frequency stimulation of afferent fibers was decreased in hippocampal slices obtained from hypertensive mice, mimicking the aging phenotype. Hypertension and advanced age were associated with comparable decline in synaptic density in the stratum radiatum of the mouse hippocampus. Hypertension, similar to aging, was associated with changes in mRNA expression of several genes involved in regulation of neuronal function, including down-regulation of Bdnf, Homer1, and Dlg4, which may have a role in impaired synaptic plasticity. Collectively, hypertension impairs synaptic plasticity, reduces synaptic density, and promotes dysregulation of genes involved in synaptic function in the mouse hippocampus mimicking the aging phenotype. These hypertension-induced neuronal alterations may impair establishment of memories in the hippocampus and contribute to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of both vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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A Combined Optogenetic-Knockdown Strategy Reveals a Major Role of Tomosyn in Mossy Fiber Synaptic Plasticity. Cell Rep 2015; 12:396-404. [PMID: 26166572 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter release probability (P(r)) largely determines the dynamic properties of synapses. While much is known about the role of presynaptic proteins in transmitter release, their specific contribution to synaptic plasticity is unclear. One such protein, tomosyn, is believed to reduce P(r) by interfering with the SNARE complex formation. Tomosyn is enriched at hippocampal mossy fiber-to-CA3 pyramidal cell synapses (MF-CA3), which characteristically exhibit low P(r), strong synaptic facilitation, and pre-synaptic protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP). To evaluate tomosyn's role in MF-CA3 function, we used a combined knockdown (KD)-optogenetic strategy whereby presynaptic neurons with reduced tomosyn levels were selectively activated by light. Using this approach in mouse hippocampal slices, we found that facilitation, LTP, and PKA-induced potentiation were significantly impaired at tomosyn-deficient synapses. These findings not only indicate that tomosyn is a key regulator of MF-CA3 plasticity but also highlight the power of a combined KD-optogenetic approach to determine the role of presynaptic proteins.
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Koga K, Liu MG, Qiu S, Song Q, O'Den G, Chen T, Zhuo M. Impaired presynaptic long-term potentiation in the anterior cingulate cortex of Fmr1 knock-out mice. J Neurosci 2015; 35:2033-43. [PMID: 25653361 PMCID: PMC6705363 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2644-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome is a common inherited form of mental impairment. Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) plays important roles in the regulation of synaptic protein synthesis, and loss of FMRP leads to deficits in learning-related synaptic plasticity and behavioral disability. Previous studies mostly focus on postsynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) in Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mice. Here, we investigate the role of FMRP in presynaptic LTP (pre-LTP) in the adult mouse anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Low-frequency stimulation induced LTP in layer II/III pyramidal neurons under the voltage-clamp mode. Paired-pulse ratio, which is a parameter for presynaptic changes, was decreased after the low-frequency stimulation in Fmr1 wild-type (WT) mice. Cingulate pre-LTP was abolished in Fmr1 KO mice. We also used a 64-electrode array system for field EPSP recording and found that the combination of low-frequency stimulation paired with a GluK1-containing kainate receptor agonist induced NMDA receptor-independent and metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent pre-LTP in the WT mice. This potentiation was blocked in Fmr1 KO mice. Biochemical experiments showed that Fmr1 KO mice displayed altered translocation of protein kinase A subunits in the ACC. Our results demonstrate that FMRP plays an important role in pre-LTP in the adult mouse ACC, and loss of this pre-LTP may explain some of the behavioral deficits in Fmr1 KO mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Koga
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada, Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China
| | - Ming-Gang Liu
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada, Department of Anatomy and Histology and Embryology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China, and
| | - Shuang Qiu
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada, Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China
| | - Qian Song
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada, Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China
| | - Gerile O'Den
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada, Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China, Department of Anatomy and KK Leung Brain Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710032, China
| | - Min Zhuo
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada, Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China,
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9
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Abstract
Synaptic vesicles release their vesicular contents to the extracellular space by Ca(2+)-triggered exocytosis. The Ca(2+)-triggered exocytotic process is regulated by synaptotagmin (Syt), a vesicular Ca(2+)-binding C2 domain protein. Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), the most studied major isoform among 16 Syt isoforms, mediates Ca(2+)-triggered synaptic vesicle exocytosis by interacting with the target membranes and SNARE/complexin complex. In synapses of the central nervous system, synaptobrevin 2, a major vesicular SNARE protein, forms a ternary SNARE complex with the plasma membrane SNARE proteins, syntaxin 1 and SNAP25. The affinities of Ca(2+)-dependent interactions between Syt1 and its targets (i.e., SNARE complexes and membranes) are well correlated with the efficacies of the corresponding exocytotic processes. Therefore, different SNARE protein isoforms and membrane lipids, which interact with Syt1 with various affinities, are capable of regulating the efficacy of Syt1-mediated exocytosis. Otoferlin, another type of vesicular C2 domain protein that binds to the membrane in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, is also involved in the Ca(2+)-triggered synaptic vesicle exocytosis in auditory hair cells. However, the functions of otoferlin in the exocytotic process are not well understood. In addition, at least five different types of synaptic vesicle proteins such as synaptic vesicle protein 2, cysteine string protein α, rab3, synapsin, and a group of proteins containing four transmembrane regions, which includes synaptophysin, synaptogyrin, and secretory carrier membrane protein, are involved in modulating the exocytotic process by regulating the formation and trafficking of synaptic vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ok-Ho Shin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
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10
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Chen L, Miao Y, Chen L, Jin P, Zha Y, Chai Y, Zheng F, Zhang Y, Zhou W, Zhang J, Wen L, Wang M. The role of elevated autophagy on the synaptic plasticity impairment caused by CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. Biomaterials 2013; 34:10172-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.09.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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11
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Yang Y, Calakos N. Presynaptic long-term plasticity. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2013; 5:8. [PMID: 24146648 PMCID: PMC3797957 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2013.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term synaptic plasticity is a major cellular substrate for learning, memory, and behavioral adaptation. Although early examples of long-term synaptic plasticity described a mechanism by which postsynaptic signal transduction was potentiated, it is now apparent that there is a vast array of mechanisms for long-term synaptic plasticity that involve modifications to either or both the presynaptic terminal and postsynaptic site. In this article, we discuss current and evolving approaches to identify presynaptic mechanisms as well as discuss their limitations. We next provide examples of the diverse circuits in which presynaptic forms of long-term synaptic plasticity have been described and discuss the potential contribution this form of plasticity might add to circuit function. Finally, we examine the present evidence for the molecular pathways and cellular events underlying presynaptic long-term synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA, USA
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12
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Giachello CNG, Premoselli F, Montarolo PG, Ghirardi M. Pentylenetetrazol-induced epileptiform activity affects basal synaptic transmission and short-term plasticity in monosynaptic connections. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56968. [PMID: 23437283 PMCID: PMC3577694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Epileptic activity is generally induced in experimental models by local application of epileptogenic drugs, including pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), widely used on both vertebrate and invertebrate neurons. Despite the high prevalence of this neurological disorder and the extensive research on it, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis still remain unclear. In this work, we examined PTZ-induced neuronal changes in Helix monosynaptic circuits formed in vitro, as a simpler experimental model to investigate the effects of epileptiform activity on both basal release and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP), a form of short-term plasticity. We observed a significant enhancement of basal synaptic strength, with kinetics resembling those of previously described use-dependent forms of plasticity, determined by changes in estimated quantal parameters, such as the readily releasable pool and the release probability. Moreover, these neurons exhibited a strong reduction in PTP expression and in its decay time constant, suggesting an impairment in the dynamic reorganization of synaptic vesicle pools following prolonged stimulation of synaptic transmission. In order to explain this imbalance, we determined whether epileptic activity is related to the phosphorylation level of synapsin, which is known to modulate synaptic plasticity. Using western blot and immunocytochemical staining we found a PTZ-dependent increase in synapsin phosphorylation at both PKA/CaMKI/IV and MAPK/Erk sites, both of which are important for modulating synaptic plasticity. Taken together, our findings suggest that prolonged epileptiform activity leads to an increase in the synapsin phosphorylation status, thereby contributing to an alteration of synaptic strength in both basal condition and tetanus-induced potentiation.
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13
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Deak F, Sonntag WE. Aging, synaptic dysfunction, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2012; 67:611-25. [PMID: 22503992 PMCID: PMC3348499 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gls118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 is an important neurotrophic hormone. Deficiency of this hormone has been reported to influence the genesis of cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly patients. Nevertheless, there are studies indicating that cognitive function can be maintained into old age even in the absence of circulating IGF-1 and studies that link IGF-1 to an acceleration of neurological diseases. Although IGF-1 has a complex role in brain function, synaptic effects appear to be central to the IGF-1-induced improvement in learning and memory. In this review, synaptic mechanisms of learning and memory and the effects of IGF-1 on synaptic communication are discussed. The emerging data indicate that synaptic function decreases with age and that IGF-1 contributes to information processing in the brain. Further studies that detail the specific actions of this important neurotrophic hormone will likely lead to therapies that result in improved cognitive function for the elderly patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Deak
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - William E. Sonntag
- Reynolds Oklahoma Center on Aging, Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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14
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Castillo PE. Presynaptic LTP and LTD of excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2012; 4:cshperspect.a005728. [PMID: 22147943 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a005728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitous forms of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) are caused by enduring increases or decreases in neurotransmitter release. Such forms or presynaptic plasticity are equally observed at excitatory and inhibitory synapses and the list of locations expressing presynaptic LTP and LTD continues to grow. In addition to the mechanistically distinct forms of postsynaptic plasticity, presynaptic plasticity offers a powerful means to modify neural circuits. A wide range of induction mechanisms has been identified, some of which occur entirely in the presynaptic terminal, whereas others require retrograde signaling from the postsynaptic to presynaptic terminals. In spite of this diversity of induction mechanisms, some common induction rules can be identified across synapses. Although the precise molecular mechanism underlying long-term changes in transmitter release in most cases remains unclear, increasing evidence indicates that presynaptic LTP and LTD can occur in vivo and likely mediate some forms of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo E Castillo
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
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15
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Cousin MA, Evans GJO. Activation of silent and weak synapses by cAMP-dependent protein kinase in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. J Physiol 2011; 589:1943-55. [PMID: 21486806 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.200477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Presynaptic long term potentiation of synaptic transmission activates silent synapses and potentiates existing active synapses. We sought to visualise these two processes by studying the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) potentiation of presynaptic vesicle cycling in cultured cerebellar granule neurons.Using FM dyes to label the pool of recycling synaptic vesicles,we found that trains of electrical stimulation which do not potentiate already active synapses are sufficient to rapidly activate a discrete population comprising silent and very low activity synapses. Silent synapse activation required PKA activity and conversely, active synapses could be silenced by PKA inhibition. Surprisingly, the recycling pool of synaptic vesicles in recently activated synapses was larger than in already active synapses and equivalent to synapses treated with forskolin. Imaging of synaptic vesicle cycling and cytosolic Ca(2+) in individual nerve terminals confirmed that silent synapses have evoked Ca(2+) transients comparable to those of active synapses. Furthermore, across populations of active synapses, changes in Ca(2+) influx did not correlate with changes in the size of the pool of recycling synaptic vesicles. Finally, we found that stimulation of synapsin phosphorylation, but not RIM1α, by PKA was frequency dependent and long lasting. These data are consistent with the idea that PKA regulates synaptic vesicle recycling downstream of Ca(2+) influx and that this pathway is highly active in recently activated synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Cousin
- Membrane Biology Group, Centre for Integrative Physiology, George Square, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
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16
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Pegoraro S, Broccard FD, Ruaro ME, Bianchini D, Avossa D, Pastore G, Bisson G, Altafini C, Torre V. Sequential steps underlying neuronal plasticity induced by a transient exposure to gabazine. J Cell Physiol 2010; 222:713-28. [PMID: 20027606 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.21998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Periods of intense electrical activity can initiate neuronal plasticity leading to long lasting changes of network properties. By combining multielectrode extracellular recordings with DNA microarrays, we have investigated in rat hippocampal cultures the temporal sequence of events of neuronal plasticity triggered by a transient exposure to the GABA(A) receptor antagonist gabazine (GabT). GabT induced a synchronous bursting pattern of activity. The analysis of electrical activity identified three main phases during neuronal plasticity induced by GabT: (i) immediately after termination of GabT, an early synchronization (E-Sync) of the spontaneous electrical activity appears that progressively decay after 3-6 h. E-Sync is abolished by inhibitors of the ERK1/2 pathway but not by inhibitors of gene transcription; (ii) the evoked response (induced by a single pulse of extracellular electrical stimulation) was maximally potentiated 3-10 h after GabT (M-LTP); and (iii) at 24 h the spontaneous electrical activity became more synchronous (L-Sync). The genome-wide analysis identified three clusters of genes: (i) an early rise of transcription factors (Cluster 1), primarily composed by members of the EGR and Nr4a families, maximally up-regulated 1.5 h after GabT; (ii) a successive up-regulation of some hundred genes, many of which known to be involved in LTP (Cluster 2), 3 h after GabT likely underlying M-LTP. Moreover, in Cluster 2 several genes coding for K(+) channels are down-regulated at 24 h. (iii) Genes in Cluster 3 are up-regulated at 24 h and are involved in cellular homeostasis. This approach allows relating different steps of neuronal plasticity to specific transcriptional profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pegoraro
- International School for Advanced Studies, Area Science Park, Trieste, Italy
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17
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John JPP, Sunyer B, Höger H, Pollak A, Lubec G. Hippocampal synapsin isoform levels are linked to spatial memory enhancement by SGS742. Hippocampus 2009; 19:731-8. [PMID: 19140176 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Synapsins are essential proteins for synaptic plasticity and there is no information available for their role in cognitive enhancement (CE) of spatial memory formation. It was therefore the aim of the study to link individual synapsin proteins and their isoforms to spatial memory formation enhanced by SGS742 in the mouse. Extracted hippocampal proteins from a cognitive study treating OF1 mice with the cognitive enhancer SGS742 and tested in the Morris water maze, were run on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Subsequently, protein spots were unambiguously identified by qQ-TOF mass spectrometry. Quantification of proteins from four groups (NaCl-treated mice, SGS742-treated mice, SGS742-treated yoked controls, and NaCl-treated yoked controls) was carried out according to an in-gel stable isotope labeling method. A total of 17 protein spots representing synapsin isoforms were identified and quantified. Using quantification of individual synapsin isoforms showed that these can be clearly assigned to CE by the GABAB antagonist SGS742. Quantitative determination of individual synapsin isoform showed an increase in SGS742-treated mice (mean+/-SD) of ratios between light and heavy stable isotope labeled synapsin protein (SGS742 vs. controls: 2.19+/-0.41 for synapsin Ia, and 1.41+/-0.81 for synapsin IIa). Synapsins Ib and IIb were not linked to CE. The NaCl-treated controls and the use of yoked controls that were ruling out swimming- and stress-mediated changes of synapsins, unequivocally allow to propose a role for synapsins Ia and IIa in the mechanism of CE of spatial memory formation.
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18
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RIM1alpha phosphorylation at serine-413 by protein kinase A is not required for presynaptic long-term plasticity or learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:14680-5. [PMID: 18799741 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0806679105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of presynaptic cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) triggers presynaptic long-term plasticity in synapses such as cerebellar parallel fiber and hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. RIM1alpha, a large multidomain protein that forms a scaffold at the presynaptic active zone, is essential for presynaptic long-term plasticity in these synapses and is phosphorylated by PKA at serine-413. Previous studies suggested that phosphorylation of RIM1alpha at serine-413 is required for presynaptic long-term potentiation in parallel fiber synapses formed in vitro by cultured cerebellar neurons and that this type of presynaptic long-term potentiation is mediated by binding of 14-3-3 proteins to phosphorylated serine-413. To test the role of serine-413 phosphorylation in vivo, we have now produced knockin mice in which serine-413 is mutated to alanine. Surprisingly, we find that in these mutant mice, three different forms of presynaptic PKA-dependent long-term plasticity are normal. Furthermore, we observed that in contrast to RIM1alpha KO mice, RIM1 knockin mice containing the serine-413 substitution exhibit normal learning capabilities. The lack of an effect of the serine-413 mutation of RIM1alpha is not due to compensation by RIM2alpha because mice carrying both the serine-413 substitution and a RIM2alpha deletion still exhibited normal long-term presynaptic plasticity. Thus, phosphorylation of serine-413 of RIM1alpha is not essential for PKA-dependent long-term presynaptic plasticity in vivo, suggesting that PKA operates by a different mechanism despite the dependence of long-term presynaptic plasticity on RIM1alpha.
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19
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Corradi A, Zanardi A, Giacomini C, Onofri F, Valtorta F, Zoli M, Benfenati F. Synapsin-I- and synapsin-II-null mice display an increased age-dependent cognitive impairment. J Cell Sci 2008; 121:3042-51. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.035063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapsin I (SynI) and synapsin II (SynII) are major synaptic vesicle (SV) proteins that function in the regulation of the availability of SVs for release in mature neurons. SynI and SynII show a high level of sequence similarity and share many functions in vivo, although distinct physiological roles for the two proteins have been proposed. Both SynI–/– and SynII–/– mice have a normal lifespan, but exhibit a decreased number of SVs and synaptic depression upon high-frequency stimulation. Because of the role of the synapsin proteins in synaptic organization and plasticity, we studied the long-lasting effects of synapsin deletion on the phenotype of SynI–/– and SynII–/– mice during aging. Both SynI–/– and SynII–/– mice displayed behavioural defects that emerged during aging and involved emotional memory in both mutants, and spatial memory in SynII–/– mice. These abnormalities, which were more pronounced in SynII–/– mice, were associated with neuronal loss and gliosis in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The data indicate that SynI and SynII have specific and non-redundant functions, and that synaptic dysfunctions associated with synapsin mutations negatively modulate cognitive performances and neuronal survival during senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Corradi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Physiology, University of Genova and Istituto Nazionale di Neuroscienze, Viale Benedetto XV, 3 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Alessio Zanardi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Modena, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy
| | - Caterina Giacomini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Physiology, University of Genova and Istituto Nazionale di Neuroscienze, Viale Benedetto XV, 3 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Franco Onofri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Physiology, University of Genova and Istituto Nazionale di Neuroscienze, Viale Benedetto XV, 3 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Flavia Valtorta
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute/Vita-Salute University, IIT Unit of Molecular Neuroscience and Istituto Nazionale di Neuroscienze, via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milano, Italy
| | - Michele Zoli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Modena, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Physiology, University of Genova and Istituto Nazionale di Neuroscienze, Viale Benedetto XV, 3 16132 Genova, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, The Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
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20
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Owe SG, Jensen V, Evergren E, Ruiz A, Shupliakov O, Kullmann DM, Storm-Mathisen J, Walaas SI, Hvalby Ø, Bergersen LH. Synapsin- and actin-dependent frequency enhancement in mouse hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. Cereb Cortex 2008; 19:511-23. [PMID: 18550596 PMCID: PMC2638812 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhn101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The synapsin proteins have different roles in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic terminals. We demonstrate a differential role between types of excitatory terminals. Structural and functional aspects of the hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapses were studied in wild-type (WT) mice and in synapsin double-knockout mice (DKO). A severe reduction in the number of synaptic vesicles situated more than 100 nm away from the presynaptic membrane active zone was found in the synapsin DKO animals. The ultrastructural level gave concomitant reduction in F-actin immunoreactivity observed at the periactive endocytic zone of the MF terminals. Frequency facilitation was normal in synapsin DKO mice at low firing rates (approximately 0.1 Hz) but was impaired at firing rates within the physiological range (approximately 2 Hz). Synapses made by associational/commissural fibers showed comparatively small frequency facilitation at the same frequencies. Synapsin-dependent facilitation in MF synapses of WT mice was attenuated by blocking F-actin polymerization with cytochalasin B in hippocampal slices. Synapsin III, selectively seen in MF synapses, is enriched specifically in the area adjacent to the synaptic cleft. This may underlie the ability of synapsin III to promote synaptic depression, contributing to the reduced frequency facilitation observed in the absence of synapsins I and II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simen G Owe
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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21
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Abstract
Experiences, whether they be learning in a classroom, a stressful event, or ingestion of a psychoactive substance, impact the brain by modifying the activity and organization of specific neural circuitry. A major mechanism by which the neural activity generated by an experience modifies brain function is via modifications of synaptic transmission; that is, synaptic plasticity. Here, we review current understanding of the mechanisms of the major forms of synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses in the mammalian brain. We also provide examples of the possible developmental and behavioral functions of synaptic plasticity and how maladaptive synaptic plasticity may contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Citri
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304-5485, USA
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22
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Fioravante D, Liu RY, Netek AK, Cleary LJ, Byrne JH. Synapsin Regulates Basal Synaptic Strength, Synaptic Depression, and Serotonin-Induced Facilitation of Sensorimotor Synapses in Aplysia. J Neurophysiol 2007; 98:3568-80. [PMID: 17913990 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00604.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Synapsin is a synaptic vesicle-associated protein implicated in the regulation of vesicle trafficking and transmitter release, but its role in heterosynaptic plasticity remains elusive. Moreover, contradictory results have obscured the contribution of synapsin to homosynaptic plasticity. We previously reported that the neuromodulator serotonin (5-HT) led to the phosphorylation and redistribution of Aplysia synapsin, suggesting that synapsin may be a good candidate for the regulation of vesicle mobilization underlying the short-term synaptic plasticity induced by 5-HT. This study examined the role of synapsin in homosynaptic and heterosynaptic plasticity. Overexpression of synapsin reduced basal transmission and enhanced homosynaptic depression. Although synapsin did not affect spontaneous recovery from depression, it potentiated 5-HT–induced dedepression. Computational analysis showed that the effects of synapsin on plasticity could be adequately simulated by altering the rate of Ca2+-dependent vesicle mobilization, supporting the involvement of synapsin not only in homosynaptic but also in heterosynaptic forms of plasticity by regulating vesicle mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diasinou Fioravante
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, W M Keck Ctr for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77225, USA
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23
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Abstract
A major goal of learning and memory research is to correlate the function of molecules with the behaviour of organisms. The beautiful laminar structure of the cerebellar cortex lends itself to the study of synaptic plasticity, because its clearly defined patterns of neurons and their synapses form circuits that have been implicated in simple motor behaviour paradigms. The best understood in terms of molecular mechanism is the parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapse, where presynaptic long-term potentiation and postsynaptic long-term depression and potentiation finely tune cerebellar output. Our understanding of these forms of plasticity has mostly come from the electrophysiological and behavioural analysis of knockout mutant mice, but more recently the knock-in of synaptic molecules with mutated phosphorylation sites and binding domains has provided more detailed insights into the signalling events. The present review details the major forms of plasticity in the cerebellar cortex, with particular attention to the membrane trafficking and intracellular signalling responsible. This overview of the current literature suggests it will not be long before the involvement of the cerebellum in certain motor behaviours is fully explained in molecular terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth J O Evans
- Department of Biology (Area 3), University of York, Heslington, York, UK.
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24
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Akers KG, Nakazawa M, Romeo RD, Connor JA, McEwen BS, Tang AC. Early life modulators and predictors of adult synaptic plasticity. Eur J Neurosci 2006; 24:547-54. [PMID: 16903856 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04921.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Early life experience can induce long-lasting changes in brain and behaviour that are opposite in direction, such as enhancement or impairment in regulation of stress response, structural and functional integrity of the hippocampus, and learning and memory. To explore how multiple early life events jointly determine developmental outcome, we investigated the combined effects of neonatal trauma (anoxia on postnatal day 1, P1) and neonatal novelty exposure (P2-21) on adult social recognition memory (3 months of age) and synaptic plasticity in the CA1 of the rat hippocampus (4.5-8 months of age). While neonatal anoxia selectively reduced post-tetanic potentiation (PTP), neonatal novel exposure selectively increased long-term potentiation (LTP). No interaction between anoxia and novelty exposure was found on either PTP or LTP. These findings suggest that the two contrasting neonatal events have selective and distinct effects on two different forms of synaptic plasticity. At the level of behaviour, the effect of novelty exposure on LTP was associated with increased social memory, and the effect of anoxia on PTP was not accompanied by changes in social memory. Such a finding suggests a bias toward the involvement of LTP over PTP in social memory. Finally, we report a surprising finding that an early behavioural measure of emotional response to a novel environment obtained at 25 days of age can predict adult LTP measured several months later. Therefore, individual differences in emotional responses present during the juvenile stage may contribute to adult individual differences in cellular mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine G Akers
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA
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25
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Hvalby Ø, Jensen V, Kao HT, Walaas SI. Synapsin-regulated synaptic transmission from readily releasable synaptic vesicles in excitatory hippocampal synapses in mice. J Physiol 2005; 571:75-82. [PMID: 16322053 PMCID: PMC1805647 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.100685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of synapsin proteins on synaptic transmission from vesicles in the readily releasable vesicle pool have been examined by comparing excitatory synaptic transmission in hippocampal slices from mice devoid of synapsins I and II and from wild-type control animals. Application of stimulus trains at variable frequencies to the CA3-to-CA1 pyramidal cell synapse suggested that, in both genotypes, synaptic responses obtained within 2 s stimulation originated from readily releasable vesicles. Detailed analysis of the responses during this period indicated that stimulus trains at 2-20 Hz enhanced all early synaptic responses in the CA3-to-CA1 pyramidal cell synapse, but depressed all early responses in the medial perforant path-to-granule cell synapse. The synapsin-dependent part of these responses, i.e. the difference between the results obtained in the transgene and the wild-type preparations, showed that in the former synapse, the presence of synapsins I and II minimized the early responses at 2 Hz, but enhanced the early responses at 20 Hz, while in the latter synapse, the presence of synapsins I and II enhanced all responses at both stimulation frequencies. The results indicate that synapsins I and II are necessary for full expression of both enhancing and decreasing modulatory effects on synaptic transmission originating from the readily releasable vesicles in these excitatory synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øivind Hvalby
- Molecular Neurobiology Research Group, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1103 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
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26
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García-Junco-Clemente P, Linares-Clemente P, Fernández-Chacón R. Active zones for presynaptic plasticity in the brain. Mol Psychiatry 2005; 10:185-200; image 131. [PMID: 15630409 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4001628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Some of the most abundant synapses in the brain such as the synapses formed by the hippocampal mossy fibers, cerebellar parallel fibers and several types of cortical afferents express presynaptic forms of long-term potentiation (LTP), a putative cellular model for spatial, motor and fear learning. Those synapses often display presynaptic mechanisms of LTP induction, which are either NMDA receptor independent of dependent of presynaptic NMDA receptors. Recent investigations on the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release modulation in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity in central synapses give a preponderant role to active zone proteins as Munc-13 and RIM1-alpha, and point toward the maturation process of synaptic vesicles prior to Ca(2+)-dependent fusion as a key regulatory step of presynaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- P García-Junco-Clemente
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla. Avda. Sánchez-Pizjuán 4, Sevilla, Spain
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27
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Abstract
LTP and LTD, the long-term potentiation and depression of excitatory synaptic transmission, are widespread phenomena expressed at possibly every excitatory synapse in the mammalian brain. It is now clear that "LTP" and "LTD" are not unitary phenomena. Their mechanisms vary depending on the synapses and circuits in which they operate. Here we review those forms of LTP and LTD for which mechanisms have been most firmly established. Examples are provided that show how these mechanisms can contribute to experience-dependent modifications of brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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28
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Abstract
One of the most significant challenges in neuroscience is to identify the cellular and molecular processes that underlie learning and memory formation. The past decade has seen remarkable progress in understanding changes that accompany certain forms of acquisition and recall, particularly those forms which require activation of afferent pathways in the hippocampus. This progress can be attributed to a number of factors including well-characterized animal models, well-defined probes for analysis of cell signaling events and changes in gene transcription, and technology which has allowed gene knockout and overexpression in cells and animals. Of the several animal models used in identifying the changes which accompany plasticity in synaptic connections, long-term potentiation (LTP) has received most attention, and although it is not yet clear whether the changes that underlie maintenance of LTP also underlie memory consolidation, significant advances have been made in understanding cell signaling events that contribute to this form of synaptic plasticity. In this review, emphasis is focused on analysis of changes that occur after learning, especially spatial learning, and LTP and the value of assessing these changes in parallel is discussed. The effect of different stressors on spatial learning/memory and LTP is emphasized, and the review concludes with a brief analysis of the contribution of studies, in which transgenic animals were used, to the literature on memory/learning and LTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Lynch
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
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Lonart G, Schoch S, Kaeser PS, Larkin CJ, Südhof TC, Linden DJ. Phosphorylation of RIM1α by PKA Triggers Presynaptic Long-Term Potentiation at Cerebellar Parallel Fiber Synapses. Cell 2003; 115:49-60. [PMID: 14532002 DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(03)00727-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Presynaptic activation of protein kinase A (PKA) induces LTP in cerebellar parallel fiber synapses. Presynaptic LTP is known to require the active zone protein RIM1alpha, but the underlying induction mechanism remains unclear. We now show that PKA directly phosphorylates RIM1alpha at two sites. Using paired recordings from cultured cerebellar granule and Purkinje neurons, we demonstrate that LTP is absent in neurons from RIM1alpha KO mice but is rescued by presynaptic expression of RIM1alpha. Mutant RIM1alpha lacking the N-terminal phosphorylation site is unable to rescue LTP in RIM1alpha knockout neurons but selectively suppresses LTP in wild-type neurons. Our findings suggest that PKA-mediated phosphorylation of the active zone protein RIM1alpha at a single N-terminal site induces presynaptic LTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- György Lonart
- Center for Basic Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Cheetham JJ, Murray J, Ruhkalova M, Cuccia L, McAloney R, Ingold KU, Johnston LJ. Interaction of synapsin I with membranes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2003; 309:823-9. [PMID: 13679047 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.08.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The synapsins (I, II, and III) comprise a family of peripheral membrane proteins that are involved in both regulation of neurotransmitter release and synaptogenesis. Synapsins are concentrated at presynaptic nerve terminals and are associated with the cytoplasmic surface of synaptic vesicles. Membrane-binding of synapsins involves interaction with both protein and lipid components of synaptic vesicles. Synapsin I binds rapidly and with high affinity to liposomes containing anionic lipids. The binding of bovine synapsin I to liposomes was studied using fluoresceinphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (FPE) to measure membrane electrostatic potential. Synapsin binding to liposomes caused a rapid increase in FPE fluorescence, indicating an increase in positive charge at the membrane surface. Synapsin I binding to monolayers resulted in a substantial increase in monolayer surface pressure. At higher initial surface pressures, the synapsin-induced increase in monolayer surface pressure is dependent on the presence of anionic lipids in the monolayer. Synapsin I also induced rapid aggregation of liposomes, but did not induce leakage of entrapped carboxyfluorescein, while other aggregation-inducing agents promoted extensive leakage. These results are in agreement with the presence of amphipathic stretches of amino acids in synapsin I that exhibit both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with membranes, and offer a molecular explanation for the high affinity binding of synapsin I to liposomes and for stabilization of membranes by synapsin I.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Cheetham
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1S 5B6.
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31
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Alloui A, Begon S, Chassaing C, Eschalier A, Gueux E, Rayssiguier Y, Dubray C. Does Mg2+ deficiency induce a long-term sensitization of the central nociceptive pathways? Eur J Pharmacol 2003; 469:65-9. [PMID: 12782186 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-2999(03)01719-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In rats, a Mg(2+)-deficient diet, which in a few days dramatically decreased the Mg(2+) concentration in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and spinal cord, was accompanied by a significant lowering of the nociceptive threshold. After reloading, the Mg(2+) concentration was rapidly normalized in both spinal cord and CSF. In parallel, the neurological disturbances induced by Mg(2+) deficiency vanished in less that 24 h, but the reversal of the hyperalgesia was delayed for up to 11 to 20 days. In this model, repeated doses of dizocilpine (MK-801), a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, given at start of the Mg(2+)-depleted diet, prevented hyperalgesia, suggesting the involvement of NMDA receptor channels. The delayed recovery of a normal pain threshold argues for long-term sensitization of the nociceptive pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelkrim Alloui
- INSERM EMI 9904/UdA Laboratoire Pharmacologie Fondamentale et Clinique de la Douleur, Faculté de Médecine, B.P. 38, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, Cedex 1, France.
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32
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Castillo PE, Schoch S, Schmitz F, Südhof TC, Malenka RC. RIM1alpha is required for presynaptic long-term potentiation. Nature 2002; 415:327-30. [PMID: 11797010 DOI: 10.1038/415327a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Two main forms of long-term potentiation (LTP)-a prominent model for the cellular mechanism of learning and memory-have been distinguished in the mammalian brain. One requires activation of postsynaptic NMDA (N-methyl d-aspartate) receptors, whereas the other, called mossy fibre LTP, has a principal presynaptic component. Mossy fibre LTP is expressed in hippocampal mossy fibre synapses, cerebellar parallel fibre synapses and corticothalamic synapses, where it apparently operates by a mechanism that requires activation of protein kinase A. Thus, presynaptic substrates of protein kinase A are probably essential in mediating this form of long-term synaptic plasticity. Studies of knockout mice have shown that the synaptic vesicle protein Rab3A is required for mossy fibre LTP, but the protein kinase A substrates rabphilin, synapsin I and synapsin II are dispensable. Here we report that mossy fibre LTP in the hippocampus and the cerebellum is abolished in mice lacking RIM1alpha, an active zone protein that binds to Rab3A and that is also a protein kinase A substrate. Our results indicate that the long-term increase in neurotransmitter release during mossy fibre LTP may be mediated by a unitary mechanism that involves the GTP-dependent interaction of Rab3A with RIM1alpha at the interface of synaptic vesicles and the active zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo E Castillo
- Nancy Friend Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94304, USA
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33
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Santschi L, Reyes-Harde M, Stanton PK. Chemically induced, activity-independent LTD elicited by simultaneous activation of PKG and inhibition of PKA. J Neurophysiol 1999; 82:1577-89. [PMID: 10482771 DOI: 10.1152/jn.1999.82.3.1577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it is widely agreed that cyclic AMP is necessary for the full expression of long-term potentiation of synaptic strength, it is unclear whether cyclic AMP or cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) play roles in the induction of long-term depression (LTD). We show here that two PKA inhibitors, H-89 (10 microM) and KT5720 (1 microM), are unable to block induction of LTD at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in hippocampal slices in vitro. Rather, H-89 enhanced the magnitude of LTD induced by submaximal low-frequency stimulation. Raising [cGMP] with zaprinast (20 microM), a selective type V phosphodiesterase inhibitor, reversibly depressed synaptic potentials. However, coapplication of H-89 plus zaprinast converted this to a robust LTD that depended critically on activation of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Chemically induced LTD is activity-independent because it could be induced without stimulation and in tetrodotoxin (0.5 microM). Additionally, chemical LTD did not require activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate or GABA receptors and could be reversed by LTP. Stimulus-induced LTD occluded chemical LTD, suggesting a common expression mechanism. In contrast to bath application, postsynaptic infusion of H-89 into CA1 pyramidal neurons did not enhance LTD, suggesting a presynaptic site of action. Further evidence for a presynaptic locus was supplied by experiments where H-89 applied postsynaptically along with bath application of zaprinast was unable to produce chemical LTD. Thus simultaneous presynaptic generation of cyclic GMP and inhibition of PKA is sufficient to induce LTD of synaptic transmission at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Santschi
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
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34
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Sanes
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
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Terada S, Tsujimoto T, Takei Y, Takahashi T, Hirokawa N. Impairment of inhibitory synaptic transmission in mice lacking synapsin I. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 1999; 145:1039-48. [PMID: 10352020 PMCID: PMC2133127 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.145.5.1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion of the synapsin I genes, encoding one of the major groups of proteins on synaptic vesicles, in mice causes late onset epileptic seizures and enhanced experimental temporal lobe epilepsy. However, mice lacking synapsin I maintain normal excitatory synaptic transmission and modulation but for an enhancement of paired-pulse facilitation. To elucidate the cellular basis for epilepsy in mutants, we examined whether the inhibitory synapses in the hippocampus from mutant mice are intact by electrophysiological and morphological means. In the cultured hippocampal synapses from mutant mice, repeated application of a hypertonic solution significantly suppressed the subsequent transmitter release, associated with an accelerated vesicle replenishing time at the inhibitory synapses, compared with the excitatory synapses. In the mutants, morphologically identifiable synaptic vesicles failed to accumulate after application of a hypertonic solution at the inhibitory preterminals but not at the excitatory preterminals. In the CA3 pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices from mutant mice, inhibitory postsynaptic currents evoked by direct electrical stimulation of the interneuron in the striatum oriens were characterized by reduced quantal content compared with those in wild type. We conclude that synapsin I contributes to the anchoring of synaptic vesicles, thereby minimizing transmitter depletion at the inhibitory synapses. This may explain, at least in part, the epileptic seizures occurring in the synapsin I mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Terada
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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36
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Fernández-Chacón R, Südhof TC. Genetics of synaptic vesicle function: toward the complete functional anatomy of an organelle. Annu Rev Physiol 1999; 61:753-76. [PMID: 10099709 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.physiol.61.1.753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic transmission starts with the release of neurotransmitters by exocytosis of synaptic vesicles. As a relatively simple organelle with a limited number of components, synaptic vesicles are in principle accessible to complete structural and functional genetic analysis. At present, the majority of synaptic vesicle proteins has been characterized, and many have been genetically analyzed in mice, Drosophila, and Caenorhabditis elegans. These studies have shown that synaptic vesicles contain proteins with diverse structures and functions. Although the genetic studies are as yet unfinished, they promise to lead to a full description of synaptic vesicles as macromolecular machines involved in all aspects of presynaptic neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Fernández-Chacón
- Center for Basic Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas 75235-9050, USA.
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37
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Tzounopoulos T, Janz R, Südhof TC, Nicoll RA, Malenka RC. A role for cAMP in long-term depression at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. Neuron 1998; 21:837-45. [PMID: 9808469 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80599-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mossy fiber synapses on hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells, in addition to expressing an NMDA receptor-independent form of long-term potentiation (LTP), have recently been shown to express a novel presynaptic form of long-term depression (LTD). We have studied the mechanisms underlying mossy fiber LTD and present evidence that it is triggered, at least in part, by a metabotropic glutamate receptor-mediated decrease in adenylyl cyclase activity, which leads to a decrease in the activity of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and a reversal of the presynaptic processes responsible for mossy fiber LTP. The bidirectional control of synaptic strength at mossy fiber synapses by activity therefore appears to be due to modulation of the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway in mossy fiber boutons.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Tzounopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA
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38
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Picciotto MR, Wickman K. Using knockout and transgenic mice to study neurophysiology and behavior. Physiol Rev 1998; 78:1131-63. [PMID: 9790572 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.1998.78.4.1131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse genetics, in which detailed knowledge of a gene of interest permits in vivo modification of its expression or function, provides a powerful method for examining the physiological relevance of any protein. Transgenic and knockout mouse models are particularly useful for studies of complex neurobiological problems. The primary aims of this review are to familiarize the nonspecialist with the techniques and limitations of mouse mutagenesis, to describe new technologies that may overcome these limitations, and to illustrate, using representative examples from the literature, some of the ways in which genetically altered mice have been used to analyze central nervous system function. The goal is to provide the information necessary to evaluate critically studies in which mutant mice have been used to study neurobiological problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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39
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Silva AJ, Giese KP, Fedorov NB, Frankland PW, Kogan JH. Molecular, cellular, and neuroanatomical substrates of place learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 1998; 70:44-61. [PMID: 9753586 DOI: 10.1006/nlme.1998.3837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Learning and remembering the location of food resources, predators, escape routes, and immediate kin is perhaps the most essential form of higher cognitive processing in mammals. Two of the most frequently studied forms of place learning are spatial learning and contextual conditioning. Spatial learning refers to an animal's capacity to learn the location of a reward, such as the escape platform in a water maze, while contextual conditioning taps into an animal's ability to associate specific places with aversive stimuli, such as an electric shock. Recently, transgenic and gene targeting techniques have been introduced to the study of place learning. In contrast with the abundant literature on the neuroanatomical substrates of place learning in rats, very little has been done in mice. Thus, in the first part of this article, we will review our studies on the involvement of the hippocampus in both spatial learning and contextual conditioning. Having demonstrated the importance of the hippocampus to place learning, we will then focus attention on the molecular and cellular substrates of place learning. We will show that just as in rats, mouse hippocampal pyramidal cells can show place specific firing. Then, we will review our evidence that hippocampal-dependent place learning involves a number of interacting physiological mechanisms with distinct functions. We will show that in addition to long-term potentiation, the hippocampus uses a number of other mechanisms, such as short-term-plasticity and changes in spiking, to process, store, and recall information. Much of the focus of this article is on genetic studies of learning and memory (L&M). However, there is no single experiment that can unambiguously connect any cellular or molecular mechanism with L&M. Instead, several different types of studies are required to determine whether any one mechanism is involved in L&M, including (i) the development of biologically based learning models that explain the involvement of a given mechanism in L&M, (ii) lesion experiments (genetics and pharmacology), (iii) direct observations during learning, and (iv) experiments where learning is triggered by turning on the candidate mechanism. We will show how genetic techniques will be key to unraveling the molecular and cellular basis of place learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Silva
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
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40
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Abstract
Biochemical and genetic characterization of proteins in presynaptic axon terminals have led to models of the biochemical pathways underlying synaptic vesicle docking, activation, and fusion. Several studies have attempted recently to assign a precise physiological role to these proteins. This review deals with some of these studies, concentrating on those performed with hippocampal synapses. It is shown that changes in the state of these presynaptic proteins, together with modifications in Ca2+ dynamics in axon terminals, functionally determine the level of basal synaptic transmission, and underlie pharmacologically induced and activity-dependent facilitation of transmitter release in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Capogna
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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41
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Abstract
In mossy fiber synapses of the CA3 region of the hippocampus, long-term potentiation (LTP) is induced presynaptically by activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Rab3A is a synaptic vesicle protein that regulates vesicle fusion and is essential for mossy fiber LTP. Rab3A probably acts via two effector proteins, rabphilin and RIM, of which rabphilin is an in vitro substrate for PKA. To test if rabphilin is phosphorylated in nerve terminals and if its PKA-dependent phosphorylation correlates with the PKA-dependent induction of LTP in mossy fiber terminals, we have studied the phosphorylation of rabphilin in synaptosomes isolated from the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. Rabphilin was phosphorylated in both CA1 and CA3 synaptosomes. However, when we treated the CA1 and CA3 synaptosomes with forskolin (an agent that enhances PKA activity) or induced Ca2+ influx into synaptosomes with high K+, rabphilin phosphorylation was increased selectively in mossy fiber CA3 synaptosomes, but not in CA1 synaptosomes. In contrast, the phosphorylation of synapsin, studied as a control for the specificity of the region-specific phosphorylation of rabphilin, was augmented similarly by both treatments in CA1 and CA3 synaptosomes. These results reveal that the phosphorylation states of two synaptic substrates for PKA and CaM KII, rabphilin and synapsin, are regulated differentially in a region-specific manner, an unexpected finding because rabphilin and synapsin are similarly present in CA1 and CA3 synaptosomes and are colocalized on the same synaptic vesicles. The region-specific phosphorylation of rabphilin agrees well with the restricted induction of LTP by presynaptic PKA activation in mossy fiber, but not CA1, nerve terminals.
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Abstract
The general goal of genetic studies of learning and memory is to develop and test theories that explain the animal's behavior in neuroanatomical, neurophysiological, cellular, and molecular terms. In this review we describe the role that gene targeting and other transgenic techniques have had in the study of mammalian learning and memory. We focus especially on the hippocampus, a brain structure that is thought to be central to the processing and temporary storage of complex information. We also discuss the main issues that confront this young field, as well as our vision for its future.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Silva
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York 11724, USA
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43
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Garcia R, Musleh W, Tocco G, Thompson RF, Baudry M. Time-dependent blockade of STP and LTP in hippocampal slices following acute stress in mice. Neurosci Lett 1997; 233:41-4. [PMID: 9324235 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(97)00621-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The characteristics of short-term potentiation (STP) and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices were determined at various times following exposure to acute stress produced by restraint and tail-shock in mice. In slices prepared from control animals, theta-burst stimulation resulted in a large increase in evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) amplitude and slope that remained stable at least up to 30 min after stimulation. Slices prepared 1 h after stress exhibited a marked decrease in the extent of both STP and LTP. STP and LTP magnitude were still significantly decreased 24 h after stress exposure and were completely restored to control levels by 48 h. These results provide evidence for a reversible impairment of STP and LTP in CA1 following an acute episode of stress, and suggest that stress activates processes different from those activated by LTP-inducing stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Garcia
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Comportementales et Cognitives, CNRS URA 339, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.
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44
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Castillo PE, Janz R, Südhof TC, Tzounopoulos T, Malenka RC, Nicoll RA. Rab3A is essential for mossy fibre long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. Nature 1997; 388:590-3. [PMID: 9252190 DOI: 10.1038/41574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Repetitive activation of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system results in a long-lasting increase in synaptic transmission called long-term potentiation (LTP). It is generally believed that this synaptic plasticity may underlie certain forms of learning and memory. LTP at most synapses involves the activation of the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) subtype of glutamate receptor, but LTP at hippocampal mossy fibre synapses is independent of NMDA receptors and has a component that is induced and expressed presynaptically. It appears to be triggered by a rise in presynaptic Ca2+, and requires the activation of protein kinase A, which leads to an increased release of glutamate. A great deal is known about the biochemical steps involved in the vesicular release of transmitter, but none of these steps has been directly implicated in long-term synaptic plasticity. Here we show that, although a variety of short-term plasticities are normal, LTP at mossy fibre synapses is abolished in mice lacking the synaptic vesicle protein Rab3A.
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Affiliation(s)
- P E Castillo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA
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45
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Chen C, Tonegawa S. Molecular genetic analysis of synaptic plasticity, activity-dependent neural development, learning, and memory in the mammalian brain. Annu Rev Neurosci 1997; 20:157-84. [PMID: 9056711 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.neuro.20.1.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Recently, dozens of mutant mice generated with gene targeting or transgenic technologies have been shown to exhibit a distinct set of impairments in the brain and behavior. In this review, we discuss how studies of mutant mice have helped elucidate the mechanisms that underlie synaptic plasticity and the relationship of these synaptic mechanisms to the activity-dependent phase of neural development and learning and memory. We focus on the recent progress in the analysis of whisker-related pattern formation, elimination of climbing fibers, long-term potentiation, long-term depression, and various learning and memory tasks in mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Chen
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA
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46
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Silva AJ, Rosahl TW, Chapman PF, Marowitz Z, Friedman E, Frankland PW, Cestari V, Cioffi D, Südhof TC, Bourtchuladze R. Impaired learning in mice with abnormal short-lived plasticity. Curr Biol 1996; 6:1509-18. [PMID: 8939606 DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(96)00756-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many studies suggest that long term potentiation (LTP) has a role in learning and memory. In contrast, little is known about the function of short-lived plasticity (SLP). Modeling results suggested that SLP could be responsible for temporary memory storage, as in working memory, or that it may be involved in processing information regarding the timing of events. These models predict that abnormalities in SLP should lead to learning deficits. We tested this prediction in four lines of mutant mice with abnormal SLP, but apparently normal LTP-mice heterozygous for a alpha-calcium calmodulin kinase II mutation (alpha CaMKII +/-) have lower paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) and increased post-tetanic potentiation (PTP); mice lacking synapsin II (SyII-/-), and mice defective in both synapsin I and synapsin II (SyI/II-/-), show normal PPF but lower PTP; in contrast, mice just lacking synapsin I (SyI-/-) have increased PPF, but normal PTP. RESULTS Our behavioral results demonstrate that alpha CaMKII +/-, SyII-/- and SyI/II-/- mutant mice, which have decreased PPF or PTP, have profound impairments in learning tasks. In contrast, behavioral analysis did not reveal learning deficits in SyI-/- mice, which have increased PPF. CONCLUSIONS Our results are consistent with models that propose a role for SLP in learning, as mice with decreased PPF or PTP, in the absence of known LTP deficits, also show profound learning impairments. Importantly, analysis of the SyI-/- mutants demonstrated that an increase in PPF does not disrupt learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Silva
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York 11724, USA.
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47
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Tong G, Malenka RC, Nicoll RA. Long-term potentiation in cultures of single hippocampal granule cells: a presynaptic form of plasticity. Neuron 1996; 16:1147-57. [PMID: 8663991 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80141-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
We have explored the mechanisms of mossy fiber long-term potentiation (LTP) at autapses in single-cell cultures of guinea pig hippocampal dentate granule cells. L-AP4-sensitive, but not insensitive, cells responded to a brief tetanus with a sustained potentiation in the synaptic responses. The induction of this LTP appeared identical to that observed in hippocampal mossy fiber synapses in situ, in that it required a rise in presynaptic Ca2+ and activation of protein kinase A. Its expression also appeared to be presynaptic and was due, at least in part, to events that occurred after the entry of Ca2+ and to the switching on of previously silent release sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Tong
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA
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