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Automated Image Analysis Reveals Different Localization of Synaptic Gephyrin C4 Splice Variants. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0102-22.2022. [PMID: 36543537 PMCID: PMC9831149 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0102-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postsynaptic scaffolding proteins function as central organization hubs, ensuring the synaptic localization of neurotransmitter receptors, trans-synaptic adhesion proteins, and signaling molecules. Gephyrin is the major postsynaptic scaffolding protein at glycinergic and a subset of GABAergic inhibitory synapses. In contrast to cells outside the CNS, where one gephyrin isoform is predominantly expressed, neurons express different splice variants. In this study, we characterized the expression and scaffolding of neuronal gephyrin isoforms differing in the inclusion of the C4 cassettes located in the central C-domain. In hippocampal and cortical neuronal populations, gephyrin P1, lacking additional cassettes, is the most abundantly expressed isoform. In addition, alternative splicing generated isoforms carrying predominantly C4a, and minor amounts of C4c or C4d cassettes. We detected no striking difference in C4 isoform expression between different neuron types and a single neuron can likely express all C4 isoforms. To avoid the cytosolic aggregates that are commonly observed upon exogenous gephyrin expression, we used adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression to analyze the scaffolding behavior of individual C4 isoforms in murine dissociated hippocampal glutamatergic neurons. While all isoforms showed similar clustering at GABAergic synapses, a thorough quantitative analysis revealed localization differences for the C4c isoform (also known as P2). Specifically, synaptic C4c isoform clusters showed a more distal dendritic localization and reduced occurrence at P1-predominating synapses. Additionally, inhibitory currents displayed faster decay kinetics in the presence of gephyrin C4c compared with P1. Therefore, inhibitory synapse heterogeneity may be influenced, at least in part, by mechanisms relating to C4 cassette splicing.
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Neocortex- and hippocampus-specific deletion of Gabrg2 causes temperature-dependent seizures in mice. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:553. [PMID: 34050134 PMCID: PMC8163876 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03846-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the GABRG2 gene encoding the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor gamma 2 subunit are associated with genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus, febrile seizures plus, febrile seizures, and other symptoms of epilepsy. However, the mechanisms underlying Gabrg2-mediated febrile seizures are poorly understood. Here, we used the Cre/loxP system to generate conditional knockout (CKO) mice with deficient Gabrg2 in the hippocampus and neocortex. Heterozygous CKO mice (Gabrg2fl/wtCre+) exhibited temperature-dependent myoclonic jerks, generalised tonic-clonic seizures, increased anxiety-like symptoms, and a predisposition to induce seizures. Cortical electroencephalography showed the hyperexcitability in response to temperature elevation in Gabrg2fl/wtCre+ mice, but not in wild-type mice. Gabrg2fl/wtCre+ mice exhibited spontaneous seizures and susceptibility to temperature-induced seizures. Loss of neurons were observed in cortical layers V-VI and hippocampus of Gabrg2fl/wtCre+ mice. Furthermore, the latency of temperature- or pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures were significantly decreased in Gabrg2fl/wtCre+ mice compared with wild-type mice. In summary, Gabrg2fl/wtCre+ mice with Gabrg2 deletion in the neocortex and hippocampus reproduce many features of febrile seizures and therefore provide a novel model to further understand this syndrome at the cellular and molecular level.
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Kim S, Kang M, Park D, Lee AR, Betz H, Ko J, Chang I, Um JW. Impaired formation of high-order gephyrin oligomers underlies gephyrin dysfunction-associated pathologies. iScience 2021; 24:102037. [PMID: 33532714 PMCID: PMC7822942 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gephyrin is critical for the structure, function, and plasticity of inhibitory synapses. Gephyrin mutations have been linked to various neurological disorders; however, systematic analyses of the functional consequences of these mutations are lacking. Here, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of gephyrin to predict how six reported point mutations might change the structural stability and/or function of gephyrin. Additional in silico analyses revealed that the A91T and G375D mutations reduce the binding free energy of gephyrin oligomer formation. Gephyrin A91T and G375D displayed altered clustering patterns in COS-7 cells and nullified the inhibitory synapse-promoting effect of gephyrin in cultured neurons. However, only the G375D mutation reduced gephyrin interaction with GABAA receptors and neuroligin-2 in mouse brain; it also failed to normalize deficits in GABAergic synapse maintenance and neuronal hyperactivity observed in hippocampal dentate gyrus-specific gephyrin-deficient mice. Our results provide insights into biochemical, cell-biological, and network-activity effects of the pathogenic G375D mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjoon Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Mooseok Kang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea.,Core Protein Resources Center, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Dongseok Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Ae-Ree Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea.,Core Protein Resources Center, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Heinrich Betz
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jaewon Ko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Iksoo Chang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea.,Core Protein Resources Center, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea.,Supercomputing Bigdata Center, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Ji Won Um
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea.,Core Protein Resources Center, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea
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Dhuriya YK, Sharma D. Neuronal Plasticity: Neuronal Organization is Associated with Neurological Disorders. J Mol Neurosci 2020; 70:1684-1701. [PMID: 32504405 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-020-01555-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Stimuli from stressful events, attention in the classroom, and many other experiences affect the functionality of the brain by changing the structure or reorganizing the connections between neurons and their communication. Modification of the synaptic transmission is a vital mechanism for generating neural activity via internal or external stimuli. Neuronal plasticity is an important driving force in neuroscience research, as it is the basic process underlying learning and memory and is involved in many other functions including brain development and homeostasis, sensorial training, and recovery from brain injury. Indeed, neuronal plasticity has been explored in numerous studies, but it is still not clear how neuronal plasticity affects the physiology and morphology of the brain. Thus, unraveling the molecular mechanisms of neuronal plasticity is essential for understanding the operation of brain functions. In this timeline review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying different forms of synaptic plasticity and their association with neurodegenerative/neurological disorders as a consequence of alterations in neuronal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh Kumar Dhuriya
- Developmental Toxicology Laboratory, Systems Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR) Vishvigyan Bhawan, 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, 226 001, India
| | - Divakar Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Tajganj, Agra, India. .,CRF, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Kusuma School of Biological Sciences (KSBS), Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D), Delhi, 110016, India.
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Chiu CQ, Barberis A, Higley MJ. Preserving the balance: diverse forms of long-term GABAergic synaptic plasticity. Nat Rev Neurosci 2019; 20:272-281. [PMID: 30837689 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-019-0141-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cellular mechanisms that regulate the interplay of synaptic excitation and inhibition are thought to be central to the functional stability of healthy neuronal circuits. A growing body of literature demonstrates the capacity for inhibitory GABAergic synapses to exhibit long-term plasticity in response to changes in neuronal activity. Here, we review this expanding field of research, focusing on the diversity of mechanisms that link glutamatergic signalling, postsynaptic action potentials and inhibitory synaptic strength. Several lines of evidence indicate that multiple, parallel forms of plasticity serve to regulate activity at both the input and output domains of individual neurons. Overall, these varied phenomena serve to promote both stability and flexibility over the life of the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiayu Q Chiu
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaiso, Universidad de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile
| | | | - Michael J Higley
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Alhourani A, Fish KN, Wozny TA, Sudhakar V, Hamilton RL, Richardson RM. GABA bouton subpopulations in the human dentate gyrus are differentially altered in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. J Neurophysiol 2019; 123:392-406. [PMID: 31800363 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00523.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy is a devastating disease, for which surgical removal of the seizure onset zone is the only known cure. Multiple studies have found evidence of abnormal dentate gyrus network circuitry in human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Principal neurons within the dentate gyrus gate entorhinal input into the hippocampus, providing a critical step in information processing. Crucial to that role are GABA-expressing neurons, particularly parvalbumin (PV)-expressing basket cells (PVBCs) and chandelier cells (PVChCs), which provide strong, temporally coordinated inhibitory signals. Alterations in PVBC and PVChC boutons have been described in epilepsy, but the value of these studies has been limited due to methodological hurdles associated with studying human tissue. We developed a multilabel immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and a custom segmentation algorithm to quantitatively assess PVBC and PVChC bouton densities and to infer relative synaptic protein content in the human dentate gyrus. Using en bloc specimens from MTLE subjects with and without hippocampal sclerosis, paired with nonepileptic controls, we demonstrate the utility of this approach for detecting cell-type specific synaptic alterations. Specifically, we found increased density of PVBC boutons, while PVChC boutons decreased significantly in the dentate granule cell layer of subjects with hippocampal sclerosis compared with matched controls. In contrast, bouton densities for either PV-positive cell type did not differ between epileptic subjects without sclerosis and matched controls. These results may explain conflicting findings from previous studies that have reported both preserved and decreased PV bouton densities and establish a new standard for quantitative assessment of interneuron boutons in epilepsy.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A state-of-the-art, multilabel immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and custom segmentation algorithm technique, developed previously for studying synapses in the human prefrontal cortex, was modified to study the hippocampal dentate gyrus in specimens surgically removed from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. The authors discovered that chandelier and basket cell boutons in the human dentate gyrus are differentially altered in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Alhourani
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Kenneth N Fish
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas A Wozny
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Vivek Sudhakar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ronald L Hamilton
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - R Mark Richardson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Vnencak M, Schölvinck ML, Schwarzacher SW, Deller T, Willem M, Jedlicka P. Lack of β-amyloid cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) impairs long-term synaptic plasticity but enhances granule cell excitability and oscillatory activity in the dentate gyrus in vivo. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1279-1290. [PMID: 30701309 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01836-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACE1 is a β-secretase involved in the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The entorhinal cortex and the dentate gyrus are important for learning and memory, which are affected in the early stages of AD. Since BACE1 is a potential target for AD therapy, it is crucial to understand its physiological role in these brain regions. Here, we examined the function of BACE1 in the dentate gyrus. We show that loss of BACE1 in the dentate gyrus leads to increased granule cell excitability, indicated by enhanced efficiency of synaptic potentials to generate granule cell spikes. The increase in granule cell excitability was accompanied by prolonged paired-pulse inhibition, altered network gamma oscillations, and impaired synaptic plasticity at entorhinal-dentate synapses of the perforant path. In summary, this is the first detailed electrophysiological study of BACE1 deletion at the network level in vivo. The results suggest that BACE1 is important for normal dentate gyrus network function. This has implications for the use of BACE1 inhibitors as therapeutics for AD therapy, since BACE1 inhibition could similarly disrupt synaptic plasticity and excitability in the entorhinal-dentate circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Vnencak
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. .,Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, PL 52, 20521, Turku, Finland.
| | - Marieke L Schölvinck
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephan W Schwarzacher
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Deller
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Willem
- BioMedical Center, Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Jedlicka
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. .,ICAR3R-Interdisciplinary Centre for 3Rs in Animal Research, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 6, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
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Groeneweg FL, Trattnig C, Kuhse J, Nawrotzki RA, Kirsch J. Gephyrin: a key regulatory protein of inhibitory synapses and beyond. Histochem Cell Biol 2018; 150:489-508. [DOI: 10.1007/s00418-018-1725-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Babaev O, Piletti Chatain C, Krueger-Burg D. Inhibition in the amygdala anxiety circuitry. Exp Mol Med 2018; 50:1-16. [PMID: 29628509 PMCID: PMC5938054 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-018-0063-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory neurotransmission plays a key role in anxiety disorders, as evidenced by the anxiolytic effect of the benzodiazepine class of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor agonists and the recent discovery of anxiety-associated variants in the molecular components of inhibitory synapses. Accordingly, substantial interest has focused on understanding how inhibitory neurons and synapses contribute to the circuitry underlying adaptive and pathological anxiety behaviors. A key element of the anxiety circuitry is the amygdala, which integrates information from cortical and thalamic sensory inputs to generate fear and anxiety-related behavioral outputs. Information processing within the amygdala is heavily dependent on inhibitory control, although the specific mechanisms by which amygdala GABAergic neurons and synapses regulate anxiety-related behaviors are only beginning to be uncovered. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge and highlight open questions regarding the role of inhibition in the amygdala anxiety circuitry. We discuss the inhibitory neuron subtypes that contribute to the processing of anxiety information in the basolateral and central amygdala, as well as the molecular determinants, such as GABA receptors and synapse organizer proteins, that shape inhibitory synaptic transmission within the anxiety circuitry. Finally, we conclude with an overview of current and future approaches for converting this knowledge into successful treatment strategies for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Babaev
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carolina Piletti Chatain
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dilja Krueger-Burg
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
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Dong H, Zhu M, Meng L, Ding Y, Yang D, Zhang S, Qiang W, Fisher DW, Xu EY. Pumilio2 regulates synaptic plasticity via translational repression of synaptic receptors in mice. Oncotarget 2018; 9:32134-32148. [PMID: 30181804 PMCID: PMC6114944 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PUMILIO 2 (PUM2) is a member of Pumilio and FBF (PUF) family, an RNA binding protein family with phylogenetically conserved roles in germ cell development. The Drosophila Pumilio homolog is also required for dendrite morphogenesis and synaptic function via translational control of synaptic proteins, such as glutamate receptors, and recent mammalian studies demonstrated a similar role in neuronal culture with associated motor and memory abnormalities in vivo. Importantly, transgenic mice with PUM2 knockout show prominent epileptiform activity, and patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy and mice with pilocarpine-induced seizures have decreased neuronal PUM2, possibly leading to further seizure susceptibility. However, how PUM2 influences synaptic function in vivo and, subsequently, seizures is not known. We found that PUM2 is highly expressed in the brain, especially in the temporal lobe, and knockout of Pum2 (Pum2-/- ) resulted in significantly increased pyramidal cell dendrite spine and synapse density. In addition, multiple proteins associated with excitatory synaptic function, including glutamate receptor 2 (GLUR2), are up-regulated in Pum2-/- mice. The expression of GLUR2 protein but not mRNA is increased in the Pum2-/- mutant hippocampus, Glur2 transcripts are increased in mutant polysome fractions, and overexpression of PUM2 led to repression of reporter expression containing the 3'Untranslated Region (3'UTR) of Glur2, suggesting translation of GLUR2 was increased in the absence of Pum2. Overall, these studies provide a molecular mechanism for the increased temporal lobe excitability observed with PUM2 loss and suggest PUM2 might contribute to intractable temporal lobe epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxin Dong
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mengyi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Liping Meng
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Ding Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Wenan Qiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Daniel W Fisher
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Eugene Yujun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, P. R. China
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Biphasic Alteration of the Inhibitory Synapse Scaffold Protein Gephyrin in Early and Late Stages of an Alzheimer Disease Model. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 186:2279-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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