1
|
Echeverría F, Gonzalez-Sanabria N, Alvarado-Sanchez R, Fernández M, Castillo K, Latorre R. Large conductance voltage-and calcium-activated K + (BK) channel in health and disease. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1373507. [PMID: 38584598 PMCID: PMC10995336 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1373507] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Large Conductance Voltage- and Calcium-activated K+ (BK) channels are transmembrane pore-forming proteins that regulate cell excitability and are also expressed in non-excitable cells. They play a role in regulating vascular tone, neuronal excitability, neurotransmitter release, and muscle contraction. Dysfunction of the BK channel can lead to arterial hypertension, hearing disorders, epilepsy, and ataxia. Here, we provide an overview of BK channel functioning and the implications of its abnormal functioning in various diseases. Understanding the function of BK channels is crucial for comprehending the mechanisms involved in regulating vital physiological processes, both in normal and pathological conditions, controlled by BK. This understanding may lead to the development of therapeutic interventions to address BK channelopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Echeverría
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Naileth Gonzalez-Sanabria
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Rosangelina Alvarado-Sanchez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Miguel Fernández
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Karen Castillo
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Ramon Latorre
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso, Instituto de Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ancatén-González C, Segura I, Alvarado-Sánchez R, Chávez AE, Latorre R. Ca 2+- and Voltage-Activated K + (BK) Channels in the Nervous System: One Gene, a Myriad of Physiological Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3407. [PMID: 36834817 PMCID: PMC9967218 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BK channels are large conductance potassium channels characterized by four pore-forming α subunits, often co-assembled with auxiliary β and γ subunits to regulate Ca2+ sensitivity, voltage dependence and gating properties. BK channels are abundantly expressed throughout the brain and in different compartments within a single neuron, including axons, synaptic terminals, dendritic arbors, and spines. Their activation produces a massive efflux of K+ ions that hyperpolarizes the cellular membrane. Together with their ability to detect changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration, BK channels control neuronal excitability and synaptic communication through diverse mechanisms. Moreover, increasing evidence indicates that dysfunction of BK channel-mediated effects on neuronal excitability and synaptic function has been implicated in several neurological disorders, including epilepsy, fragile X syndrome, mental retardation, and autism, as well as in motor and cognitive behavior. Here, we discuss current evidence highlighting the physiological importance of this ubiquitous channel in regulating brain function and its role in the pathophysiology of different neurological disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Ancatén-González
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias, Mención Neurociencia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
| | - Ignacio Segura
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
| | - Rosangelina Alvarado-Sánchez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
- Doctorado en Ciencias Mención Biofísica y Biología Computacional, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
| | - Andrés E. Chávez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
| | - Ramon Latorre
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia de Valparaíso (CINV), Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Patel S, Mittal R, Sarantopoulos KD, Galor A. Neuropathic ocular surface pain: Emerging drug targets and therapeutic implications. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2022; 26:681-695. [PMID: 36069761 PMCID: PMC9613591 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2022.2122438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dysfunction at various levels of the somatosensory system can lead to ocular surface pain with a neuropathic component. Compared to nociceptive pain (due to noxious stimuli at the ocular surface), neuropathic pain tends to be chronic and refractory to therapies, making it an important source of morbidity in the population. An understanding of the options available for neuropathic ocular surface pain, including new and emerging therapies, is thus an important topic. AREAS COVERED This review will examine studies focusing on ocular surface pain, emphasizing those examining patients with a neuropathic component. Attention will be placed toward recent (after 2017) studies that have examined new and emerging therapies for neuropathic ocular surface pain. EXPERT OPINION Several therapies have been studied thus far, and continued research is needed to identify which individuals would benefit from specific therapies. Gaps in our understanding exist, especially with availability of in-clinic diagnostics for neuropathic pain. A focus on improving diagnostic capabilities and researching gene-modulating therapies could help us to provide more specific mechanism-based therapies for patients. In the meantime, continuing to uncover new modalities and examining which are likely to work depending on pain phenotype remains an important short-term goal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sneh Patel
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rhiya Mittal
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Konstantinos D. Sarantopoulos
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, and Pain Management, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Anat Galor
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Surgical services, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Stitt IM, Wellings TP, Drury HR, Jobling P, Callister RJ, Brichta AM, Lim R. Properties of Deiters' neurons and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the mouse lateral vestibular nucleus. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:131-147. [PMID: 35730750 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00016.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Deiters' neurons, located exclusively in the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN), are involved in vestibulospinal reflexes, innervate extensor motoneurons that drive anti-gravity muscles, and receive inhibitory inputs from the cerebellum. We investigated intrinsic membrane properties, short-term plasticity, and inhibitory synaptic inputs of mouse Deiters' and non-Deiters' neurons within the LVN. Deiters' neurons are distinguished from non-Deiters' neurons by their very low input resistance (105.8 vs 521.8 MOhms) respectively, long axons that project as far as the ipsilateral lumbar spinal cord, and expression of the cytostructural protein, non-phosphorylated neurofilament protein (NPNFP). Whole-cell patch clamp recordings in brainstem slices show most Deiters' and non-Deiters' neurons were tonically active (>92%). Short-term plasticity was studied by examining discharge rate modulation following release from hyperpolarization (post-inhibitory rebound firing; PRF) and depolarization (firing rate adaptation; FRA). PRF and FRA gain were similar in Deiters' and non-Deiters' neurons (PRF: 24.9 vs. 20.2 Hz and FRA gain: 231.5 vs. 287.8 spikes/sec/nA respectively). Inhibitory synaptic input to both populations showed GABAergic rather than glycinergic inhibition dominated in Deiters' neurons and GABAA miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSC) frequency was much higher in Deiters' neurons compared to non-Deiters' neurons (~15.9 vs. 1.4 Hz respectively). Our data suggest Deiters' neurons can be reliably identified by their intrinsic membrane and synaptic properties. They are tonically active, glutamatergic, have low sensitivity or 'gain', exhibit little adaptation, and receive strong GABAergic input. Together, these features suggest, since Deiters' neurons have minimal short-term plasticity they are well-suited to a role encoding tonic signals for the vestibulospinal reflex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iain M Stitt
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas P Wellings
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah Rose Drury
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Phillip Jobling
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert J Callister
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Alan Martin Brichta
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Rebecca Lim
- The School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yamawaki Y, Wada Y, Matsui S, Ohtsuki G. Microglia-triggered hypoexcitability plasticity of pyramidal neurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 3:100028. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
|
6
|
Rupnik M, Baker D, Selwood DL. Oligodendrocytes, BK channels and remyelination. F1000Res 2021; 10:781. [PMID: 34909188 PMCID: PMC8596180 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.53422.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Oligodendrocytes wrap multiple lamellae of their membrane, myelin, around axons of the central nervous system (CNS), to improve impulse conduction. Myelin synthesis is specialised and dynamic, responsive to local neuronal excitation. Subtle pathological insults are sufficient to cause significant neuronal metabolic impairment, so myelin preservation is necessary to safeguard neural networks. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most prevalent demyelinating disease of the CNS. In MS, inflammatory attacks against myelin, proposed to be autoimmune, cause myelin decay and oligodendrocyte loss, leaving neurons vulnerable. Current therapies target the prominent neuroinflammation but are mostly ineffective in protecting from neurodegeneration and the progressive neurological disability. People with MS have substantially higher levels of extracellular glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. This impairs cellular homeostasis to cause excitotoxic stress. Large conductance Ca2 +-activated K + channels (BK channels) could preserve myelin or allow its recovery by protecting cells from the resulting excessive excitability. This review evaluates the role of excitotoxic stress, myelination and BK channels in MS pathology, and explores the hypothesis that BK channel activation could be a therapeutic strategy to protect oligodendrocytes from excitotoxic stress in MS. This could reduce progression of neurological disability if used in parallel to immunomodulatory therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Rupnik
- Wolfson Insitute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David Baker
- Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David L. Selwood
- Wolfson Insitute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rupnik M, Baker D, Selwood DL. Oligodendrocytes, BK channels and the preservation of myelin. F1000Res 2021; 10:781. [PMID: 34909188 PMCID: PMC8596180 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.53422.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligodendrocytes wrap multiple lamellae of their membrane, myelin, around axons of the central nervous system (CNS), to improve impulse conduction. Myelin synthesis is specialised and dynamic, responsive to local neuronal excitation. Subtle pathological insults are sufficient to cause significant neuronal metabolic impairment, so myelin preservation is necessary to safeguard neural networks. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most prevalent demyelinating disease of the CNS. In MS, inflammatory attacks against myelin, proposed to be autoimmune, cause myelin decay and oligodendrocyte loss, leaving neurons vulnerable. Current therapies target the prominent neuroinflammation but are mostly ineffective in protecting from neurodegeneration and the progressive neurological disability. People with MS have substantially higher levels of extracellular glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. This impairs cellular homeostasis to cause excitotoxic stress. Large conductance Ca2 +-activated K + channels (BK channels) could preserve myelin or allow its recovery by protecting cells from the resulting excessive excitability. This review evaluates the role of excitotoxic stress, myelination and BK channels in MS pathology, and explores the hypothesis that BK channel activation could be a therapeutic strategy to protect oligodendrocytes from excitotoxic stress in MS. This could reduce progression of neurological disability if used in parallel to immunomodulatory therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Rupnik
- Wolfson Insitute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David Baker
- Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David L. Selwood
- Wolfson Insitute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Daou A, Margoliash D. Intrinsic plasticity and birdsong learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 180:107407. [PMID: 33631346 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Although information processing and storage in the brain is thought to be primarily orchestrated by synaptic plasticity, other neural mechanisms such as intrinsic plasticity are available. While a number of recent studies have described the plasticity of intrinsic excitability in several types of neurons, the significance of non-synaptic mechanisms in memory and learning remains elusive. After reviewing plasticity of intrinsic excitation in relation to learning and homeostatic mechanisms, we focus on the intrinsic properties of a class of basal-ganglia projecting song system neurons in zebra finch, how these related to each bird's unique learned song, how these properties change over development, and how they are maintained dynamically to rapidly change in response to auditory feedback perturbations. We place these results in the broader theme of learning and changes in intrinsic properties, emphasizing the computational implications of this form of plasticity, which are distinct from synaptic plasticity. The results suggest that exploring reciprocal interactions between intrinsic and network properties will be a fruitful avenue for understanding mechanisms of birdsong learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arij Daou
- University of Chicago, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ramakrishna Y, Sadeghi SG. Activation of GABA B receptors results in excitatory modulation of calyx terminals in rat semicircular canal cristae. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:962-972. [PMID: 32816581 PMCID: PMC7509296 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00243.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have found GABA in vestibular end organs. However, existence of GABA receptors or possible GABAergic effects on vestibular nerve afferents has not been investigated. The current study was conducted to determine whether activation of GABAB receptors affects calyx afferent terminals in the central region of the cristae of semicircular canals. We used patch-clamp recording in postnatal day 13-18 (P13-P18) Sprague-Dawley rats of either sex. Application of GABAB receptor agonist baclofen inhibited voltage-sensitive potassium currents. This effect was blocked by selective GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 35348. Application of antagonists of small (SK)- and large-conductance potassium (BK) channels almost completely blocked the effects of baclofen. The remaining baclofen effect was blocked by cadmium chloride, suggesting that it could be due to inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels. Furthermore, baclofen had no effect in the absence of calcium in the extracellular fluid. Inhibition of potassium currents by GABAB activation resulted in an excitatory effect on calyx terminal action potential firing. While in the control condition calyces could only fire a single action potential during step depolarizations, in the presence of baclofen they fired continuously during steps and a few even showed repetitive discharge. We also found a decrease in threshold for action potential generation and a decrease in first-spike latency during step depolarization. These results provide the first evidence for the presence of GABAB receptors on calyx terminals, showing that their activation results in an excitatory effect and that GABA inputs could be used to modulate calyx response properties.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using in vitro whole cell patch-clamp recordings from calyx terminals in the vestibular end organs, we show that activation of GABAB receptors result in an excitatory effect, with decreased spike-frequency adaptation and shortened first-spike latencies. Our results suggest that these effects are mediated through inhibition of calcium-sensitive potassium channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yugandhar Ramakrishna
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
- Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, California
| | - Soroush G Sadeghi
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
- Neuroscience Program, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ohtsuki G, Shishikura M, Ozaki A. Synergistic excitability plasticity in cerebellar functioning. FEBS J 2020; 287:4557-4593. [PMID: 32367676 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum, a universal processor for sensory acquisition and internal models, and its association with synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity have been envisioned as the biological correlates of learning, perception, and even thought. Indeed, the cerebellum is no longer considered merely as the locus of motor coordination and its learning. Here, we introduce the mechanisms underlying the induction of multiple types of plasticity in cerebellar circuit and give an overview focusing on the plasticity of nonsynaptic intrinsic excitability. The discovery of long-term potentiation of synaptic responsiveness in hippocampal neurons led investigations into changes of their intrinsic excitability. This activity-dependent potentiation of neuronal excitability is distinct from that of synaptic efficacy. Systematic examination of excitability plasticity has indicated that the modulation of various types of Ca2+ - and voltage-dependent K+ channels underlies the phenomenon, which is also triggered by immune activity. Intrinsic plasticity is expressed specifically on dendrites and modifies the integrative processing and filtering effect. In Purkinje cells, modulation of the discordance of synaptic current on soma and dendrite suggested a novel type of cellular learning mechanism. This property enables a plausible synergy between synaptic efficacy and intrinsic excitability, by amplifying electrical conductivity and influencing the polarity of bidirectional synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, the induction of intrinsic plasticity in the cerebellum correlates with motor performance and cognitive processes, through functional connections from the cerebellar nuclei to neocortex and associated regions: for example, thalamus and midbrain. Taken together, recent advances in neuroscience have begun to shed light on the complex functioning of nonsynaptic excitability and the synergy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gen Ohtsuki
- The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Japan.,Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Mari Shishikura
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Japan
| | - Akitoshi Ozaki
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Takashima Y, Tseng J, Fannon MJ, Purohit DC, Quach LW, Terranova MJ, Kharidia KM, Oliver RJ, Mandyam CD. Sex Differences in Context-Driven Reinstatement of Methamphetamine Seeking is Associated with Distinct Neuroadaptations in the Dentate Gyrus. Brain Sci 2018; 8:brainsci8120208. [PMID: 30487415 PMCID: PMC6316047 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8120208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined differences in operant responses in adult male and female rats during distinct phases of addiction. Males and females demonstrated escalation in methamphetamine (0.05 mg/kg, i.v.) intake with females showing enhanced latency to escalate, and bingeing. Following protracted abstinence, females show reduced responses during extinction, and have greater latency to extinguish compared with males, indicating reduced craving. Females demonstrated lower context-driven reinstatement compared to males, indicating that females have less motivational significance to the context associated with methamphetamine. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings on dentate gyrus (DG) granule cell neurons (GCNs) were performed in acute brain slices from controls and methamphetamine experienced male and female rats, and neuronal excitability was evaluated from GCNs. Reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking reduced spiking in males, and increased spiking in females compared to controls, demonstrating distinct neuroadaptations in intrinsic excitability of GCNs in males and females. Reduced excitability of GCNs in males was associated with enhanced levels of neural progenitor cells, expression of plasticity-related proteins including CaMKII, and choline acetyltransferase in the DG. Enhanced excitability in females was associated with an increased GluN2A/2B ratio, indicating changes in postsynaptic GluN subunit composition in the DG. Altered intrinsic excitability of GCNs was associated with reduced mossy fiber terminals in the hilus and pyramidal projections, demonstrating compromised neuroplasticity in the DG in both sexes. The alterations in excitability, plasticity-related proteins, and mossy fiber density were correlated with enhanced activation of microglial cells in the hilus, indicating neuroimmune responses in both sexes. Together, the present results indicate sexually dimorphic adaptive biochemical changes in excitatory neurotransmitter systems in the DG and highlight the importance of including sex as a biological variable in exploring neuroplasticity and neuroimmune changes that predict enhanced relapse to methamphetamine-seeking behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Takashima
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
| | - Joyee Tseng
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
| | | | | | - Leon W Quach
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Chitra D Mandyam
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Shim HG, Lee YS, Kim SJ. The Emerging Concept of Intrinsic Plasticity: Activity-dependent Modulation of Intrinsic Excitability in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells and Motor Learning. Exp Neurobiol 2018; 27:139-154. [PMID: 30022866 PMCID: PMC6050419 DOI: 10.5607/en.2018.27.3.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
What is memory? How does the brain process the sensory information and modify an organism's behavior? Many neuroscientists have focused on the activity- and experience-dependent modifications of synaptic functions in order to solve these fundamental questions in neuroscience. Recently, the plasticity of intrinsic excitability (called intrinsic plasticity) has emerged as an important element for information processing and storage in the brain. As the cerebellar Purkinje cells are the sole output neurons in the cerebellar cortex and the information is conveyed from a neuron to its relay neurons by forms of action potential firing, the modulation of the intrinsic firing activity may play a critical role in the cerebellar learning. Many voltage-gated and/or Ca2+-activated ion channels are involved in shaping the spiking output as well as integrating synaptic inputs to finely tune the cerebellar output. Recent studies suggested that the modulation of the intrinsic excitability and its plasticity in the cerebellar Purkinje cells might function as an integrator for information processing and memory formation. Moreover, the intrinsic plasticity might also determine the strength of connectivity to the sub-cortical areas such as deep cerebellar nuclei and vestibular nuclei to trigger the consolidation of the cerebellar-dependent memory by transferring the information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Geun Shim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Yong-Seok Lee
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Sang Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cavaccini A, Gritti M, Giorgi A, Locarno A, Heck N, Migliarini S, Bertero A, Mereu M, Margiani G, Trusel M, Catelani T, Marotta R, De Luca MA, Caboche J, Gozzi A, Pasqualetti M, Tonini R. Serotonergic Signaling Controls Input-Specific Synaptic Plasticity at Striatal Circuits. Neuron 2018; 98:801-816.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
14
|
Fischer L, Leibold C, Felmy F. Resonance Properties in Auditory Brainstem Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:8. [PMID: 29416503 PMCID: PMC5787568 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory signals carry relevant information on a large range of time scales from below milliseconds to several seconds. Different stages in the auditory brainstem are specialized to extract information in specific frequency domains. One biophysical mechanism to facilitate frequency specific processing are membrane potential resonances. Here, we provide data from three different brainstem nuclei that all exhibit high-frequency subthreshold membrane resonances that are all most likely based on low-threshold potassium currents. Fitting a linear model, we argue that, as long as neurons possess active subthreshold channels, the main determinant for their resonance behavior is the steady state membrane time constant. Tuning this leak conductance can shift membrane resonance frequencies over more than a magnitude and therefore provide a flexible mechanism to tune frequency-specific auditory processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Fischer
- Zoologisches Institut, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Department Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Felix Felmy
- Zoologisches Institut, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Titley HK, Brunel N, Hansel C. Toward a Neurocentric View of Learning. Neuron 2017; 95:19-32. [PMID: 28683265 PMCID: PMC5519140 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity (e.g., long-term potentiation [LTP]) is considered the cellular correlate of learning. Recent optogenetic studies on memory engram formation assign a critical role in learning to suprathreshold activation of neurons and their integration into active engrams ("engram cells"). Here we review evidence that ensemble integration may result from LTP but also from cell-autonomous changes in membrane excitability. We propose that synaptic plasticity determines synaptic connectivity maps, whereas intrinsic plasticity-possibly separated in time-amplifies neuronal responsiveness and acutely drives engram integration. Our proposal marks a move away from an exclusively synaptocentric toward a non-exclusive, neurocentric view of learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Titley
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicolas Brunel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Christian Hansel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
All for One But Not One for All: Excitatory Synaptic Scaling and Intrinsic Excitability Are Coregulated by CaMKIV, Whereas Inhibitory Synaptic Scaling Is Under Independent Control. J Neurosci 2017; 37:6778-6785. [PMID: 28592691 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0618-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neocortical circuits use a family of homeostatic plasticity mechanisms to stabilize firing, including excitatory and inhibitory synaptic scaling and homeostatic intrinsic plasticity (Turrigiano and Nelson, 2004). All three mechanisms can be induced in tandem in cultured rat neocortical pyramidal neurons by chronic manipulations of firing, but it is unknown whether they are coinduced by the same activity-sensors and signaling pathways, or whether they are under independent control. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type IV (CaMKIV) is a key sensory/effector in excitatory synaptic scaling that senses perturbations in firing through changes in calcium influx, and translates this into compensatory changes in excitatory quantal amplitude (Ibata et al., 2008; Goold and Nicoll, 2010). Whether CaMKIV also controls inhibitory synaptic scaling and intrinsic homeostatic plasticity was unknown. To test this we manipulated CaMKIV signaling in individual neurons using dominant-negative (dn) or constitutively-active (ca) forms of nuclear-localized CaMKIV and measured the induction of all three forms of homeostatic plasticity. We found that excitatory synaptic scaling and intrinsic plasticity were bidirectionally coinduced by these manipulations. In contrast, these cell-autonomous manipulations had no impact on inhibitory quantal amplitude. Finally, we found that spontaneous firing rates were shifted up or down by dnCaMKIV or caCaMKIV, respectively, suggesting that uncoupling CaMKIV activation from activity generates an error signal in the negative feedback mechanism that controls firing rates. Together, our data show that excitatory synaptic scaling and intrinsic excitability are tightly coordinated through bidirectional changes in the same signaling pathway, whereas inhibitory synaptic scaling is sensed and regulated through an independent control mechanism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Maintaining stable function in highly interconnected neural circuits is essential for preventing circuit disorders, and is accomplished through a set of negative feedback mechanisms that sense and compensate for perturbations in activity. These "homeostatic" mechanisms can target synaptic excitation, synaptic inhibition, and intrinsic excitability, but whether they are independently controlled is not known. We find that synaptic excitation and intrinsic excitability are coregulated in individual neurons through CaMKIV signaling, which is tightly controlled by neuronal activity. In contrast, synaptic inhibition is unaffected by changes in firing or CaMKIV signaling in individual neurons. These results show that circuit stability is controlled both through cell-autonomous mechanisms that regulate some aspects of excitability, as well as circuit-level mechanisms that adjust inhibition.
Collapse
|
17
|
BK Channels Mediate Synaptic Plasticity Underlying Habituation in Rats. J Neurosci 2017; 37:4540-4551. [PMID: 28348135 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3699-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Habituation is a basic form of implicit learning and represents a sensory filter that is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and several other mental disorders. Despite extensive research in the past decades on habituation of startle and other escape responses, the underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully understood. There is evidence from previous studies indicating that BK channels might play a critical role in habituation. We here used a wide array of approaches to test this hypothesis. We show that BK channel activation and subsequent phosphorylation of these channels are essential for synaptic depression presumably underlying startle habituation in rats, using patch-clamp recordings and voltage-sensitive dye imaging in slices. Furthermore, positive modulation of BK channels in vivo can enhance short-term habituation. Although results using different approaches do not always perfectly align, together they provide convincing evidence for a crucial role of BK channel phosphorylation in synaptic depression underlying short-term habituation of startle. We also show that this mechanism can be targeted to enhance short-term habituation and therefore to potentially ameliorate sensory filtering deficits associated with psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Short-term habituation is the most fundamental form of implicit learning. Habituation also represents a filter for inundating sensory information, which is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders. Habituation has been studied in different organisms and behavioral models and is thought to be caused by synaptic depression in respective pathways. The underlying molecular mechanisms, however, are poorly understood. We here identify, for the first time, a BK channel-dependent molecular synaptic mechanism leading to synaptic depression that is crucial for habituation, and we discuss the significance of our findings for potential treatments enhancing habituation.
Collapse
|
18
|
Lv X, Dickerson JW, Rook JM, Lindsley CW, Conn PJ, Xiang Z. M 1 muscarinic activation induces long-lasting increase in intrinsic excitability of striatal projection neurons. Neuropharmacology 2017; 118:209-222. [PMID: 28336323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The dorsolateral striatum is critically involved in movement control and motor learning. Striatal function is regulated by a variety of neuromodulators including acetylcholine. Previous studies have shown that cholinergic activation excites striatal principal projection neurons, medium spiny neurons (MSNs), and this action is mediated by muscarinic acetylcholine subtype 1 receptors (M1) through modulating multiple potassium channels. In the present study, we used electrophysiology techniques in conjunction with optogenetic and pharmacological tools to determine the long-term effects of striatal cholinergic activation on MSN intrinsic excitability. A transient increase in acetylcholine release in the striatum by optogenetic stimulation resulted in a long-lasting increase in excitability of MSNs, which was associated with hyperpolarizing shift of action potential threshold and decrease in afterhyperpolarization (AHP) amplitude, leading to an increase in probability of EPSP-action potential coupling. The M1 selective antagonist VU0255035 prevented, while the M1 selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0453595 potentiated the cholinergic activation-induced persistent increase in MSN intrinsic excitability, suggesting that M1 receptors are critically involved in the induction of this long-lasting response. This M1 receptor-dependent long-lasting change in MSN intrinsic excitability could have significant impact on striatal processing and might provide a novel mechanism underlying cholinergic regulation of the striatum-dependent motor learning and cognitive function. Consistent with this, behavioral studies indicate that potentiation of M1 receptor signaling by VU0453595 enhanced performance of mice in cue-dependent water-based T-maze, a dorsolateral striatum-dependent learning task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Lv
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jonathan W Dickerson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jerri M Rook
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Zixiu Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dong N, Feng ZP. Inverse Relationship between Basal Pacemaker Neuron Activity and Aversive Long-Term Memory Formation in Lymnaea stagnalis. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 10:297. [PMID: 28101006 PMCID: PMC5209385 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory formation are essential physiological functions. While quiescent neurons have long been the focus of investigations into the mechanisms of memory formation, there is increasing evidence that spontaneously active neurons also play key roles in this process and possess distinct rules of activity-dependent plasticity. In this study, we used a well-defined aversive learning model of aerial respiration in the mollusk Lymnaea stagnalis (L. stagnalis) to study the role of basal firing activity of the respiratory pacemaker neuron Right Pedal Dorsal 1 (RPeD1) as a determinant of aversive long-term memory (LTM) formation. We investigated the relationship between basal aerial respiration behavior and RPeD1 firing activity, and examined aversive LTM formation and neuronal plasticity in animals exhibiting different basal aerial respiration behavior. We report that animals with higher basal aerial respiration behavior exhibited early responses to operant conditioning and better aversive LTM formation. Early behavioral response to the conditioning procedure was associated with biphasic enhancements in the membrane potential, spontaneous firing activity and gain of firing response, with an early phase spanning the first 2 h after conditioning and a late phase that is observed at 24 h. Taken together, we provide the first evidence suggesting that lower neuronal activity at the time of learning may be correlated with better memory formation in spontaneously active neurons. Our findings provide new insights into the diversity of cellular rules of plasticity underlying memory formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Dong
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zhong-Ping Feng
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
BK Channels Are Required for Multisensory Plasticity in the Oculomotor System. Neuron 2016; 93:211-220. [PMID: 27989457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Neural circuits are endowed with several forms of intrinsic and synaptic plasticity that could contribute to adaptive changes in behavior, but circuit complexities have hindered linking specific cellular mechanisms with their behavioral consequences. Eye movements generated by simple brainstem circuits provide a means for relating cellular plasticity to behavioral gain control. Here we show that firing rate potentiation, a form of intrinsic plasticity mediated by reductions in BK-type calcium-activated potassium currents in spontaneously firing neurons, is engaged during optokinetic reflex compensation for inner ear dysfunction. Vestibular loss triggers transient increases in postsynaptic excitability, occlusion of firing rate potentiation, and reductions in BK currents in vestibular nucleus neurons. Concurrently, adaptive increases in visually evoked eye movements rapidly restore oculomotor function in wild-type mice but are profoundly impaired in BK channel-null mice. Activity-dependent regulation of intrinsic excitability may be a general mechanism for adaptive control of behavioral output in multisensory circuits.
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Large conductance Ca(2+)- and voltage-activated K(+) (BK) channels are widely distributed in the postnatal central nervous system (CNS). BK channels play a pleiotropic role in regulating the activity of brain and spinal cord neural circuits by providing a negative feedback mechanism for local increases in intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations. In neurons, they regulate the timing and duration of K(+) influx such that they can either increase or decrease firing depending on the cellular context, and they can suppress neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals. In addition, BK channels located in astrocytes and arterial myocytes modulate cerebral blood flow. Not surprisingly, both loss and gain of BK channel function have been associated with CNS disorders such as epilepsy, ataxia, mental retardation, and chronic pain. On the other hand, the neuroprotective role played by BK channels in a number of pathological situations could potentially be leveraged to correct neurological dysfunction.
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
UNLABELLED The sensation of touch is initiated when fast conducting low-threshold mechanoreceptors (Aβ-LTMRs) generate impulses at their terminals in the skin. Plasticity in this system is evident in the process of adaption, in which a period of diminished sensitivity follows prior stimulation. CaMKII is an ideal candidate for mediating activity-dependent plasticity in touch because it shifts into an enhanced activation state after neuronal depolarizations and can thereby reflect past firing history. Here we show that sensory neuron CaMKII autophosphorylation encodes the level of Aβ-LTMR activity in rat models of sensory deprivation (whisker clipping, tail suspension, casting). Blockade of CaMKII signaling limits normal adaptation of action potential generation in Aβ-LTMRs in excised skin. CaMKII activity is also required for natural filtering of impulse trains as they travel through the sensory neuron T-junction in the DRG. Blockade of CaMKII selectively in presynaptic Aβ-LTMRs removes dorsal horn inhibition that otherwise prevents Aβ-LTMR input from activating nociceptive lamina I neurons. Together, these consequences of reduced CaMKII function in Aβ-LTMRs cause low-intensity mechanical stimulation to produce pain behavior. We conclude that, without normal sensory activity to maintain adequate levels of CaMKII function, the touch pathway shifts into a pain system. In the clinical setting, sensory disuse may be a critical factor that enhances and prolongs chronic pain initiated by other conditions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The sensation of touch is served by specialized sensory neurons termed low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs). We examined the role of CaMKII in regulating the function of these neurons. Loss of CaMKII function, such as occurred in rats during sensory deprivation, elevated the generation and propagation of impulses by LTMRs, and altered the spinal cord circuitry in such a way that low-threshold mechanical stimuli produced pain behavior. Because limbs are protected from use during a painful condition, this sensitization of LTMRs may perpetuate pain and prevent functional rehabilitation.
Collapse
|
23
|
Redistribution of Kv1 and Kv7 enhances neuronal excitability during structural axon initial segment plasticity. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8815. [PMID: 26581625 PMCID: PMC4673506 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural plasticity of the axon initial segment (AIS), the trigger zone of neurons, is a powerful means for regulating neuronal activity. Here, we show that AIS plasticity is not limited to structural changes; it also occurs as changes in ion-channel expression, which substantially augments the efficacy of regulation. In the avian cochlear nucleus, depriving afferent inputs by removing cochlea elongated the AIS, and simultaneously switched the dominant Kv channels at the AIS from Kv1.1 to Kv7.2. Due to the slow activation kinetics of Kv7.2, the redistribution of the Kv channels reduced the shunting conductance at the elongated AIS during the initiation of action potentials and effectively enhanced the excitability of the deprived neurons. The results indicate that the functional plasticity of the AIS works cooperatively with the structural plasticity and compensates for the loss of afferent inputs to maintain the homeostasis of auditory circuits after hearing loss by cochlea removal. Sensory deprivation in the avian brain can lead to structural changes in the axon initial segment. Here, the authors build on their previous work by showing that such homeostatic AIS plasticity also involves changes in Kv channel expression, which contributes to enhanced neuronal excitability.
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
Although our ability to store semantic declarative information can nowadays be readily surpassed by that of simple personal computers, our ability to learn and express procedural memories still outperforms that of supercomputers controlling the most advanced robots. To a large extent, our procedural memories are formed in the cerebellum, which embodies more than two-thirds of all neurons in our brain. In this review, we will focus on the emerging view that different modules of the cerebellum use different encoding schemes to form and express their respective memories. More specifically, zebrin-positive zones in the cerebellum, such as those controlling adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, appear to predominantly form their memories by potentiation mechanisms and express their memories via rate coding, whereas zebrin-negative zones, such as those controlling eyeblink conditioning, appear to predominantly form their memories by suppression mechanisms and express their memories in part by temporal coding using rebound bursting. Together, the different types of modules offer a rich repertoire to acquire and control sensorimotor processes with specific challenges in the spatiotemporal domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel M Ten Brinke
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Differential CaMKII regulation by voltage-gated calcium channels in the striatum. Mol Cell Neurosci 2015; 68:234-43. [PMID: 26255006 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2015.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium signaling regulates synaptic plasticity and many other functions in striatal medium spiny neurons to modulate basal ganglia function. Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a major calcium-dependent signaling protein that couples calcium entry to diverse cellular changes. CaMKII activation results in autophosphorylation at Thr286 and sustained calcium-independent CaMKII activity after calcium signals dissipate. However, little is known about the mechanisms regulating striatal CaMKII. To address this, mouse brain slices were treated with pharmacological modulators of calcium channels and punches of dorsal striatum were immunoblotted for CaMKII Thr286 autophosphorylation as an index of CaMKII activation. KCl depolarization increased levels of CaMKII autophosphorylation ~2-fold; this increase was blocked by an LTCC antagonist and was mimicked by treatment with pharmacological LTCC activators. The chelation of extracellular calcium robustly decreased basal CaMKII autophosphorylation within 5min and increased levels of total CaMKII in cytosolic fractions, in addition to decreasing the phosphorylation of CaMKII sites in the GluN2B subunit of NMDA receptors and the GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptors. We also found that the maintenance of basal levels of CaMKII autophosphorylation requires low-voltage gated T-type calcium channels, but not LTCCs or R-type calcium channels. Our findings indicate that CaMKII activity is dynamically regulated by multiple calcium channels in the striatum thus coupling calcium entry to key downstream substrates.
Collapse
|
26
|
Xie H, Zhang YQ, Pan XL, Wu SH, Chen X, Wang J, Liu H, Qian XZ, Liu ZG, Liu LJ. Decreased calcium-activated potassium channels by hypoxia causes abnormal firing in the spontaneous firing medial vestibular nuclei neurons. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 272:2703-11. [PMID: 25173490 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-014-3158-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) presents complex varied clinical symptoms, including vertigo and hearing loss. Little is known, however, about how Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel attributes to the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neural activity in VBI. To address this issue, we performed whole-cell patch clamp and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to examine the effects of hypoxia on neural activity and the changes of the large conductance Ca(2+) activated K(+) channels (BKCa channels) in the MVN neurons in brain slices of male C57BL/6 mice. Brief hypoxic stimuli of the brain slices containing MVN were administrated by switching the normoxic artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) equilibrated with 21% O2/5% CO2 to hypoxic ACSF equilibrated with 5% O2/5% CO2 (balance N2). 3-min hypoxia caused a depolarization in the resting membrane potential (RM) in 8/11 non-spontaneous firing MVN neurons. 60/72 spontaneous firing MVN neurons showed a dramatic increase in firing frequency and a depolarization in the RM following brief hypoxia. The amplitude of the afterhyperpolarization (AHPA) was significantly decreased in both type A and type B spontaneous firing MVN neurons. Hypoxia-induced firing response was alleviated by pretreatment with NS1619, a selective BKCa activator. Furthermore, brief hypoxia caused a decrease in the amplitude of iberiotoxin-sensitive outward currents and mRNA level of BKCa in MVN neurons. These results suggest that BKCa channels protect against abnormal MVN neuronal activity induced by hypoxia, and might be a key target for treatment of vertigo and hearing loss in VBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xie
- Jingzhou Central Hospital, Jingzhou, 434020, People's Republic of China,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Yang Y, Lisberger SG. Role of plasticity at different sites across the time course of cerebellar motor learning. J Neurosci 2014; 34:7077-90. [PMID: 24849344 PMCID: PMC4028490 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0017-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning comprises multiple components that probably involve cellular and synaptic plasticity at multiple sites. Different neural sites may play their largest roles at different times during behavioral learning. We have used motor learning in smooth pursuit eye movements of monkeys to determine how and when different components of learning occur in a known cerebellar circuit. The earliest learning occurs when one climbing-fiber response to a learning instruction causes simple-spike firing rate of Purkinje cells in the floccular complex of the cerebellum to be depressed transiently at the time of the instruction on the next trial. Trial-over-trial depression and the associated learning in eye movement are forgotten in <6 s, but facilitate long-term behavioral learning over a time scale of ∼5 min. During 100 repetitions of a learning instruction, simple-spike firing rate becomes progressively depressed in Purkinje cells that receive climbing-fiber inputs from the instruction. In Purkinje cells that prefer the opposite direction of pursuit and therefore do not receive climbing-fiber inputs related to the instruction, simple-spike responses undergo potentiation, but more weakly and more slowly. Analysis of the relationship between the learned changes in simple-spike firing and learning in eye velocity suggests an orderly progression of plasticity: first on Purkinje cells with complex-spike (CS) responses to the instruction, later on Purkinje cells with CS responses to the opposite direction of instruction, and last in sites outside the cerebellar cortex. Climbing-fiber inputs appear to play a fast and primary, but nonexclusive, role in pursuit learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen G Lisberger
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27110
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Bidirectional homeostatic plasticity induced by interneuron cell death and transplantation in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 111:492-7. [PMID: 24344303 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307784111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic changes in excitability and activity can induce homeostatic plasticity. These perturbations may be associated with neurological disorders, particularly those involving loss or dysfunction of GABA interneurons. In distal-less homeobox 1 (Dlx1(-/-)) mice with late-onset interneuron loss and reduced inhibition, we observed both excitatory synaptic silencing and decreased intrinsic neuronal excitability. These homeostatic changes do not fully restore normal circuit function, because synaptic silencing results in enhanced potential for long-term potentiation and abnormal gamma oscillations. Transplanting medial ganglionic eminence interneuron progenitors to introduce new GABAergic interneurons, we demonstrate restoration of hippocampal function. Specifically, miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, input resistance, hippocampal long-term potentiation, and gamma oscillations are all normalized. Thus, in vivo homeostatic plasticity is a highly dynamic and bidirectional process that responds to changes in inhibition.
Collapse
|
29
|
Hyperpolarization induces a long-term increase in the spontaneous firing rate of cerebellar Golgi cells. J Neurosci 2013; 33:5895-902. [PMID: 23554471 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4052-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Golgi cells (GoCs) are inhibitory interneurons that influence the cerebellar cortical response to sensory input by regulating the excitability of the granule cell layer. While GoC inhibition is essential for normal motor coordination, little is known about the circuit dynamics that govern the activity of these cells. In particular, although GoC spontaneous spiking influences the extent of inhibition and gain throughout the granule cell layer, it is not known whether this spontaneous activity can be modulated in a long-term manner. Here we describe a form of long-term plasticity that regulates the spontaneous firing rate of GoCs in the rat cerebellar cortex. We find that membrane hyperpolarization, either by mGluR2 activation of potassium channels, or by somatic current injection, induces a long-lasting increase in GoC spontaneous firing. This spike rate plasticity appears to result from a strong reduction in the spike after hyperpolarization. Pharmacological manipulations suggest the involvement of calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II and calcium-activated potassium channels in mediating these firing rate increases. As a consequence of this plasticity, GoC spontaneous spiking is selectively enhanced, but the gain of evoked spiking is unaffected. Hence, this plasticity is well suited for selectively regulating the tonic output of GoCs rather than their sensory-evoked responses.
Collapse
|
30
|
Rehak R, Bartoletti TM, Engbers JDT, Berecki G, Turner RW, Zamponi GW. Low voltage activation of KCa1.1 current by Cav3-KCa1.1 complexes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61844. [PMID: 23626738 PMCID: PMC3633930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium-activated potassium channels of the KCa1.1 class are known to regulate repolarization of action potential discharge through a molecular association with high voltage-activated calcium channels. The current study examined the potential for low voltage-activated Cav3 (T-type) calcium channels to interact with KCa1.1 when expressed in tsA-201 cells and in rat medial vestibular neurons (MVN) in vitro. Expression of the channel α-subunits alone in tsA-201 cells was sufficient to enable Cav3 activation of KCa1.1 current. Cav3 calcium influx induced a 50 mV negative shift in KCa1.1 voltage for activation, an interaction that was blocked by Cav3 or KCa1.1 channel blockers, or high internal EGTA. Cav3 and KCa1.1 channels coimmunoprecipitated from lysates of either tsA-201 cells or rat brain, with Cav3 channels associating with the transmembrane S0 segment of the KCa1.1 N-terminus. KCa1.1 channel activation was closely aligned with Cav3 calcium conductance in that KCa1.1 current shared the same low voltage dependence of Cav3 activation, and was blocked by voltage-dependent inactivation of Cav3 channels or by coexpressing a non calcium-conducting Cav3 channel pore mutant. The Cav3-KCa1.1 interaction was found to function highly effectively in a subset of MVN neurons by activating near –50 mV to contribute to spike repolarization and gain of firing. Modelling data indicate that multiple neighboring Cav3-KCa1.1 complexes must act cooperatively to raise calcium to sufficiently high levels to permit KCa1.1 activation. Together the results identify a novel Cav3-KCa1.1 signaling complex where Cav3-mediated calcium entry enables KCa1.1 activation over a wide range of membrane potentials according to the unique voltage profile of Cav3 calcium channels, greatly extending the roles for KCa1.1 potassium channels in controlling membrane excitability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renata Rehak
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Theodore M. Bartoletti
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jordan D. T. Engbers
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Geza Berecki
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Ray W. Turner
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Gerald W. Zamponi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
On the mechanism of synaptic depression induced by CaMKIIN, an endogenous inhibitor of CaMKII. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49293. [PMID: 23145145 PMCID: PMC3493544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity underlies, at least in part, learning and memory processes. NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) is a major synaptic plasticity model. During LTP induction, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is activated, autophosphorylated and persistently translocated to the postsynaptic density, where it binds to the NMDAR. If any of these steps is inhibited, LTP is disrupted. The endogenous CaMKII inhibitor proteins CaMKIINα,β are rapidly upregulated in specific brain regions after learning. We recently showed that transient application of peptides derived from CaMKIINα (CN peptides) persistently depresses synaptic strength and reverses LTP saturation, as it allows further LTP induction in previously saturated pathways. The treatment disrupts basal CaMKII-NMDAR interaction and decreases bound CaMKII fraction in spines. To unravel CaMKIIN function and to further understand CaMKII role in synaptic strength maintenance, here we more deeply investigated the mechanism of synaptic depression induced by CN peptides (CN-depression) in rat hippocampal slices. We showed that CN-depression does not require glutamatergic synaptic activity or Ca2+ signaling, thus discarding unspecific triggering of activity-dependent long-term depression (LTD) in slices. Moreover, occlusion experiments revealed that CN-depression and NMDAR-LTD have different expression mechanisms. We showed that CN-depression does not involve complex metabolic pathways including protein synthesis or proteasome-mediated degradation. Remarkably, CN-depression cannot be resolved in neonate rats, for which CaMKII is mostly cytosolic and virtually absent at the postsynaptic densities. Overall, our results support a direct effect of CN peptides on synaptic CaMKII-NMDAR binding and suggest that CaMKIINα,β could be critical plasticity-related proteins that may operate as cell-wide homeostatic regulators preventing saturation of LTP mechanisms or may selectively erase LTP-induced traces in specific groups of synapses.
Collapse
|
32
|
Dulcis D, Spitzer NC. Reserve pool neuron transmitter respecification: Novel neuroplasticity. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:465-74. [PMID: 21595049 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The identity of the neurotransmitters expressed by neurons has been thought to be fixed and immutable, but recent studies demonstrate that changes in electrical activity can rapidly and reversibly reconfigure the transmitters and corresponding transmitter receptors that neurons express. Induction of transmitter expression can be achieved by selective activation of afferents recruited by a physiological range of sensory input. Strikingly, neurons acquiring an additional transmitter project to appropriate targets prior to transmitter respecification in some cases, indicating the presence of reserve pools of neurons that can boost circuit function. We discuss the evidence for such reserve pools, their likely locations and ways to test for their existence, and the potential clinical value of such circuit-specific neurotransmitter respecification for treatments of neurological disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Dulcis
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences and Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Klug JR, Mathur BN, Kash TL, Wang HD, Matthews RT, Robison AJ, Anderson ME, Deutch AY, Lovinger DM, Colbran RJ, Winder DG. Genetic inhibition of CaMKII in dorsal striatal medium spiny neurons reduces functional excitatory synapses and enhances intrinsic excitability. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45323. [PMID: 23028932 PMCID: PMC3448631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is abundant in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). CaMKII is dynamically regulated by changes in dopamine signaling, as occurs in Parkinson's disease as well as addiction. Although CaMKII has been extensively studied in the hippocampus where it regulates excitatory synaptic transmission, relatively little is known about how it modulates neuronal function in the striatum. Therefore, we examined the impact of selectively overexpressing an EGFP-fused CaMKII inhibitory peptide (EAC3I) in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) using a novel transgenic mouse model. EAC3I-expressing cells exhibited markedly decreased excitatory transmission, indicated by a decrease in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). This decrease was not accompanied by changes in the probability of release, levels of glutamate at the synapse, or changes in dendritic spine density. CaMKII regulation of the AMPA receptor subunit GluA1 is a major means by which the kinase regulates neuronal function in the hippocampus. We found that the decrease in striatal excitatory transmission seen in the EAC3I mice is mimicked by deletion of GluA1. Further, while CaMKII inhibition decreased excitatory transmission onto MSNs, it increased their intrinsic excitability. These data suggest that CaMKII plays a critical role in setting the excitability rheostat of striatal MSNs by coordinating excitatory synaptic drive and the resulting depolarization response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason R. Klug
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Brian N. Mathur
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Hui-Dong Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Robert T. Matthews
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - A. J. Robison
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Mark E. Anderson
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Ariel Y. Deutch
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - David M. Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Roger J. Colbran
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Center for Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Mahon S, Charpier S. Bidirectional plasticity of intrinsic excitability controls sensory inputs efficiency in layer 5 barrel cortex neurons in vivo. J Neurosci 2012; 32:11377-89. [PMID: 22895720 PMCID: PMC6621180 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0415-12.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Responsiveness of cortical neurons to sensory inputs can be altered by experience and learning. While synaptic plasticity is generally proposed as the underlying cellular mechanism, possible contributions of activity-dependent changes in intrinsic excitability remain poorly investigated. Here, we show that periods of rhythmic firing in rat barrel cortex layer 5 pyramidal neurons can trigger a long-lasting increase or decrease in their membrane excitability in vivo. Potentiation of cortical excitability consisted of an increased firing in response to intracellular stimulation and a reduction in threshold current for spike initiation. Conversely, depression of cortical excitability was evidenced by an augmented firing threshold leading to a reduced current-evoked spiking. The direction of plasticity depended on the baseline level of spontaneous firing rate and cell excitability. We also found that changes in intrinsic excitability were accompanied by corresponding modifications in the effectiveness of sensory inputs. Potentiation and depression of cortical neuron excitability resulted, respectively, in an increased or decreased firing probability on whisker-evoked synaptic responses, without modifications in the synaptic strength itself. These data suggest that bidirectional intrinsic plasticity could play an important role in experience-dependent refinement of sensory cortical networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Séverine Mahon
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), INSERM UMR-S 975, CNRS UMR 7225, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, F-75013, Paris, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ohtsuki G, Piochon C, Adelman JP, Hansel C. SK2 channel modulation contributes to compartment-specific dendritic plasticity in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Neuron 2012; 75:108-20. [PMID: 22794265 PMCID: PMC3398406 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Small-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels (SK channels) modulate excitability and curtail excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in neuronal dendrites. Here, we demonstrate long-lasting plasticity of intrinsic excitability (IE) in dendrites that results from changes in the gain of this regulatory mechanism. Using dendritic patch-clamp recordings from rat cerebellar Purkinje cells, we find that somatic depolarization or parallel fiber (PF) burst stimulation induce long-term amplification of synaptic responses to climbing fiber (CF) or PF stimulation and enhance the amplitude of passively propagated sodium spikes. Dendritic plasticity is mimicked and occluded by the SK channel blocker apamin and is absent in Purkinje cells from SK2 null mice. Triple-patch recordings from two dendritic sites and the soma and confocal calcium imaging studies show that local stimulation limits dendritic plasticity to the activated compartment of the dendrite. This plasticity mechanism allows Purkinje cells to adjust the SK2-mediated control of dendritic excitability in an activity-dependent manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gen Ohtsuki
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Claire Piochon
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - John P. Adelman
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Christian Hansel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Gemes G, Oyster KD, Pan B, Wu HE, Bangaru MLY, Tang Q, Hogan QH. Painful nerve injury increases plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase activity in axotomized sensory neurons. Mol Pain 2012; 8:46. [PMID: 22713297 PMCID: PMC3481352 DOI: 10.1186/1744-8069-8-46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA) is the principal means by which sensory neurons expel Ca2+ and thereby regulate the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ and the processes controlled by this critical second messenger. We have previously found that painful nerve injury decreases resting cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels and activity-induced cytoplasmic Ca2+ accumulation in axotomized sensory neurons. Here we examine the contribution of PMCA after nerve injury in a rat model of neuropathic pain. RESULTS PMCA function was isolated in dissociated sensory neurons by blocking intracellular Ca2+ sequestration with thapsigargin, and cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration was recorded with Fura-2 fluorometry. Compared to control neurons, the rate at which depolarization-induced Ca2+ transients resolved was increased in axotomized neurons after spinal nerve ligation, indicating accelerated PMCA function. Electrophysiological recordings showed that blockade of PMCA by vanadate prolonged the action potential afterhyperpolarization, and also decreased the rate at which neurons could fire repetitively. CONCLUSION We found that PMCA function is elevated in axotomized sensory neurons, which contributes to neuronal hyperexcitability. Accelerated PMCA function in the primary sensory neuron may contribute to the generation of neuropathic pain, and thus its modulation could provide a new pathway for peripheral treatment of post-traumatic neuropathic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geza Gemes
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Anesthesiology, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Wang JQ, Li HX, Chen XM, Mo FF, Qi RR, Guo JS, Cai YL. Temporal change in NMDA receptor signaling and GABAA receptor exypression in rat caudal vestibular nucleus during motion sickness habituation. Brain Res 2012; 1461:30-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Revised: 03/31/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
38
|
Lamont MG, Weber JT. The role of calcium in synaptic plasticity and motor learning in the cerebellar cortex. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:1153-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2011] [Revised: 01/13/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
|
39
|
Naudé J, Paz JT, Berry H, Delord B. A theory of rate coding control by intrinsic plasticity effects. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002349. [PMID: 22275858 PMCID: PMC3261921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic plasticity (IP) is a ubiquitous activity-dependent process regulating neuronal excitability and a cellular correlate of behavioral learning and neuronal homeostasis. Because IP is induced rapidly and maintained long-term, it likely represents a major determinant of adaptive collective neuronal dynamics. However, assessing the exact impact of IP has remained elusive. Indeed, it is extremely difficult disentangling the complex non-linear interaction between IP effects, by which conductance changes alter neuronal activity, and IP rules, whereby activity modifies conductance via signaling pathways. Moreover, the two major IP effects on firing rate, threshold and gain modulation, remain unknown in their very mechanisms. Here, using extensive simulations and sensitivity analysis of Hodgkin-Huxley models, we show that threshold and gain modulation are accounted for by maximal conductance plasticity of conductance that situate in two separate domains of the parameter space corresponding to sub- and supra-threshold conductance (i.e. activating below or above the spike onset threshold potential). Analyzing equivalent integrate-and-fire models, we provide formal expressions of sensitivities relating to conductance parameters, unraveling unprecedented mechanisms governing IP effects. Our results generalize to the IP of other conductance parameters and allow strong inference for calcium-gated conductance, yielding a general picture that accounts for a large repertoire of experimental observations. The expressions we provide can be combined with IP rules in rate or spiking models, offering a general framework to systematically assess the computational consequences of IP of pharmacologically identified conductance with both fine grain description and mathematical tractability. We provide an example of such IP loop model addressing the important issue of the homeostatic regulation of spontaneous discharge. Because we do not formulate any assumptions on modification rules, the present theory is also relevant to other neural processes involving excitability changes, such as neuromodulation, development, aging and neural disorders. Over the past decades, experimental and theoretical studies of the cellular basis of learning and memory have mainly focused on synaptic plasticity, the experience-dependent modification of synapses. However, behavioral learning has also been correlated with experience-dependent changes of non-synaptic voltage-dependent ion channels. This intrinsic plasticity changes the neuron's propensity to fire action potentials in response to synaptic inputs. Thus a fundamental problem is to relate changes of the neuron input-output function with voltage-gated conductance modifications. Using a sensitivity analysis in biophysically realistic models, we depict a generic dichotomy between two classes of voltage-dependent ion channels. These two classes modify the threshold and the slope of the neuron input-output relation, allowing neurons to regulate the range of inputs they respond to and the gain of that response, respectively. We further provide analytical descriptions that enlighten the dynamical mechanisms underlying these effects and propose a concise and realistic framework for assessing the computational impact of intrinsic plasticity in neuron network models. Our results account for a large repertoire of empirical observations and may enlighten functional changes that characterize development, aging and several neural diseases, which also involve changes in voltage-dependent ion channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Naudé
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, CNRS – UMR 7222, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Paris, France
| | - J. T. Paz
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - H. Berry
- Project-Team BEAGLE, INRIA Rhone-Alpes, LIRIS UMR5205, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - B. Delord
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, CNRS – UMR 7222, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abstract
The cerebellum dedicates a majority of the brain's neurons to processing a wide range of sensory, motor, and cognitive signals. Stereotyped circuitry within the cerebellar cortex suggests that similar computations are performed throughout the cerebellum, but little is known about whether diverse precerebellar neurons are specialized for the nature of the information they convey. In vivo recordings indicate that firing responses to sensory or motor stimuli vary dramatically across different precerebellar nuclei, but whether this reflects diverse synaptic inputs or differentially tuned intrinsic excitability has not been determined. We targeted whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to neurons in eight precerebellar nuclei which were retrogradely labeled from different regions of the cerebellum in mice. Intrinsic physiology was compared across neurons in the medial vestibular, external cuneate, lateral reticular, prepositus hypoglossi, supragenual, Roller/intercalatus, reticularis tegmenti pontis, and pontine nuclei. Within the firing domain, precerebellar neurons were remarkably similar. Firing faithfully followed temporally modulated inputs, could be sustained at high rates, and was a linear function of input current over a wide range of inputs and firing rates. Pharmacological analyses revealed common expression of Kv3 currents, which were essential for a wide linear firing range, and of SK (small-conductance calcium-activated potassium) currents, which were essential for a wide linear input range. In contrast, membrane properties below spike threshold varied considerably within and across precerebellar nuclei, as evidenced by variability in postinhibitory rebound firing. Our findings indicate that diverse precerebellar neurons perform similar scaling computations on their inputs but may be differentially tuned to synaptic inhibition.
Collapse
|
41
|
Witter L, De Zeeuw CI, Ruigrok TJH, Hoebeek FE. The cerebellar nuclei take center stage. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2011; 10:633-6. [PMID: 21279491 PMCID: PMC3215877 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0245-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laurens Witter
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, Ee 1202, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom J. H. Ruigrok
- Department of Neuroscience, Ee 1202, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek E. Hoebeek
- Department of Neuroscience, Ee 1202, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Multiple types of cerebellar target neurons and their circuitry in the vestibulo-ocular reflex. J Neurosci 2011; 31:10776-86. [PMID: 21795530 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0768-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum influences behavior and cognition exclusively via Purkinje cell synapses onto neurons in the deep cerebellar and vestibular nuclei. In contrast with the rich information available about the organization of the cerebellar cortex and its synaptic inputs, relatively little is known about microcircuitry postsynaptic to Purkinje cells. Here we examined the cell types and microcircuits through which Purkinje cells influence an oculomotor behavior controlled by the cerebellum, the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex, which involves only two eye muscles. Using a combination of anatomical tracing and electrophysiological recordings in transgenic mouse lines, we identified several classes of neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus that receive Purkinje cell synapses from the cerebellar flocculus. Glycinergic and glutamatergic flocculus target neurons (FTNs) with somata densely surrounded by Purkinje cell terminals projected axons to the ipsilateral abducens and oculomotor nuclei, respectively. Of three additional types of FTNs that were sparsely innervated by Purkinje cells, glutamatergic and glycinergic neurons projected to the contralateral and ipsilateral abducens, respectively, and GABAergic neurons projected to contralateral vestibular nuclei. Densely innervated FTNs had high spontaneous firing rates and pronounced postinhibitory rebound firing, and were physiologically homogeneous, whereas the intrinsic excitability of sparsely innervated FTNs varied widely. Heterogeneity in the molecular expression, physiological properties, and postsynaptic targets of FTNs implies that Purkinje cell activity influences the neural control of eye movements in several distinct ways. These results indicate that the cerebellum regulates a simple reflex behavior via at least five different cell types that are postsynaptic to Purkinje cells.
Collapse
|
43
|
Kolkman KE, Moghadam SH, du Lac S. Intrinsic physiology of identified neurons in the prepositus hypoglossi and medial vestibular nuclei. J Vestib Res 2011; 21:33-47. [PMID: 21422541 DOI: 10.3233/ves-2011-0394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Signal processing in the vestibular system is influenced by the intrinsic physiological properties of neurons that differ in neurotransmitters and circuit connections. Do membrane and firing properties differ across functionally distinct cell types? This study examines the intrinsic physiology of neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and nucleus prepositus hypoglossi (NPH) which express different neurotransmitters and have distinct axonal projections. NPH neurons expressing fluorescent proteins in glutamatergic, glycinergic, or GABAergic neurons were targeted for whole-cell patch recordings in brainstem slices obtained from transgenic mouse lines (YFP-16, GlyT2, and GIN). Recordings from MVN neurons projecting to the spinal cord, reticular formation, or oculomotor nucleus were obtained by targeting fluorescent neurons retrogradely labeled from tracer injections. Intrinsic physiological properties of identified neurons exhibited continuous variations but tended to differ between functionally defined cell types. Within the NPH, YFP-16 neurons had the narrowest action potentials and highest evoked firing rates and expressed high levels of Kv3.3 proteins, which speed repolarization. MVN neurons projecting to the spinal cord and oculomotor nucleus had similar action potential waveforms, but oculomotor-projecting neurons had higher intrinsic gains than those projecting to the spinal cord. These results indicate that intrinsic membrane properties are differentially tuned in MVN and NPH neurons subserving different functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristine E Kolkman
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Wijesinghe R, Camp AJ. Intrinsic neuronal excitability: implications for health and disease. Biomol Concepts 2011; 2:247-59. [PMID: 25962033 DOI: 10.1515/bmc.2011.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2011] [Accepted: 05/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The output of a single neuron depends on both synaptic connectivity and intrinsic membrane properties. Changes in both synaptic and intrinsic membrane properties have been observed during homeostatic processes (e.g., vestibular compensation) as well as in several central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Although changes in synaptic properties have been extensively studied, particularly with regard to learning and memory, the contribution of intrinsic membrane properties to either physiological or pathological processes is much less clear. Recent research, however, has shown that alterations in the number, location or properties of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels can underlie both normal and abnormal physiology, and that these changes arise via a diverse suite of molecular substrates. The literature reviewed here shows that changes in intrinsic neuronal excitability (presumably in concert with synaptic plasticity) can fundamentally modify the output of neurons, and that these modifications can subserve both homeostatic mechanisms and the pathogenesis of CNS disorders including epilepsy, migraine, and chronic pain.
Collapse
|
45
|
Turrigiano G. Too Many Cooks? Intrinsic and Synaptic Homeostatic Mechanisms in Cortical Circuit Refinement. Annu Rev Neurosci 2011; 34:89-103. [PMID: 21438687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-153238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 484] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gina Turrigiano
- Department of Biology, Center for Complex Systems, and Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454;
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Shaping of action potentials by type I and type II large-conductance Ca²+-activated K+ channels. Neuroscience 2011; 192:205-18. [PMID: 21723921 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Revised: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/09/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The BK channel is a Ca(2+) and voltage-gated conductance responsible for shaping action potential waveforms in many types of neurons. Type II BK channels are differentiated from type I channels by their pharmacology and slow gating kinetics. The β4 accessory subunit confers type II properties on BK α subunits. Empirically derived properties of BK channels, with and without the β4 accessory subunit, were obtained using a heterologous expression system under physiological ionic conditions. These data were then used to study how BK channels alone (type I) and with the accessory β4 subunit (type II) modulate action potential properties in biophysical neuron models. Overall, the models support the hypothesis that it is the slower kinetics provided by the β4 subunit that endows the BK channel with type II properties, which leads to broadening of action potentials and, secondarily, to greater recruitment of SK channels reducing neuronal excitability. Two regions of parameter space distinguished type II and type I effects; one where the range of BK-activating Ca(2+) was high (>20 μM) and the other where BK-activating Ca(2+) was low (∼0.4-1.2 μM). The latter required an elevated BK channel density, possibly beyond a likely physiological range. BK-mediated sharpening of the spike waveform associated with the lack of the β4 subunit was sensitive to the properties of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels due to electrogenic effects on spike duration. We also found that depending on Ca(2+) dynamics, type II BK channels may have the ability to contribute to the medium AHP, a property not generally ascribed to BK channels, influencing the frequency-current relationship. Finally, we show how the broadening of action potentials conferred by type II BK channels can also indirectly increase the recruitment of SK-type channels decreasing the excitability of the neuron.
Collapse
|
47
|
George AA, Macleod GT, Zakon HH. Calcium-dependent phosphorylation regulates neuronal stability and plasticity in a highly precise pacemaker nucleus. J Neurophysiol 2011; 106:319-31. [PMID: 21525377 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00741.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific types of neurons show stable, predictable excitability properties, while other neurons show transient adaptive plasticity of their excitability. However, little attention has been paid to how the cellular pathways underlying adaptive plasticity interact with those that maintain neuronal stability. We addressed this question in the pacemaker neurons from a weakly electric fish because these neurons show a highly stable spontaneous firing rate as well as an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent form of plasticity. We found that basal firing rates were regulated by a serial interaction of conventional and atypical PKC isoforms and that this interaction establishes individual differences within the species. We observed that NMDA receptor-dependent plasticity is achieved by further activation of these kinases. Importantly, the PKC pathway is maintained in an unsaturated baseline state to allow further Ca(2+)-dependent activation during plasticity. On the other hand, the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin does not regulate baseline firing but is recruited to control the duration of the NMDA receptor-dependent plasticity and return the pacemaker firing rate back to baseline. This work illustrates how neuronal plasticity can be realized by biasing ongoing mechanisms of stability (e.g., PKC) and terminated by recruiting alternative mechanisms (e.g., calcineurin) that constrain excitability. We propose this as a general model for regulating activity-dependent change in neuronal excitability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew A George
- Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, Patterson Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Hosy E, Piochon C, Teuling E, Rinaldo L, Hansel C. SK2 channel expression and function in cerebellar Purkinje cells. J Physiol 2011; 589:3433-40. [PMID: 21521760 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.205823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-conductance calcium-activated K(+) channels (SK channels) regulate the excitability of neurons and their responsiveness to synaptic input patterns. SK channels contribute to the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) following action potential bursts, and curtail excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in neuronal dendrites. Here we review evidence that SK2 channels are expressed in rat cerebellar Purkinje cells during development and throughout adulthood, and play a key role in diverse cellular processes such as the regulation of the spike firing frequency and the modulation of calcium transients in dendritic spines. In Purkinje cells as well as in other types of neurons, SK2 channel plasticity seems to provide an important mechanism allowing these cells to adjust their intrinsic excitability and to alter the probabilities for the induction of synaptic learning correlates, such as long-term potentiation (LTP).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hosy
- Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire de la Synapse, CNRS, Bordeaux Neuroscience Institute, University of Bordeaux, 33077 Bordeaux Cedex, France
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Torkkeli PH, Panek I, Meisner S. Ca²(+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II mediates the octopamine-induced increase in sensitivity in spider VS-3 mechanosensory neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2011; 33:1186-96. [PMID: 21366726 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07624.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled octopamine (OA) receptors mediate their effects by Ca²(+) signaling or adjusting intracellular cAMP levels. Depending on OA concentration and cell type, activation of OA receptors in excitable cells triggers excitatory or inhibitory effects, but the mechanisms by which Ca²(+) or cAMP mediates these effects are not well understood. We investigated signaling mechanisms that are potentially activated by OA, and OA effects on excitability and frequency sensitivity in mechanosensory neurons innervating the VS-3 slit sensilla on the patella of the spider Cupiennius salei. These neurons are directly innervated by octopaminergic efferents, and possess OA receptors that were immunoreactive to an antibody against an OA receptor highly expressed in mushroom bodies. OA application enhanced VS-3 neuron sensitivity, especially at high stimulation frequencies. This enhancement lasted for at least 1 h after OA application. Changes in sensitivity were also detected when the Ca²(+) ionophore ionomycin or the cAMP analog 8-Br-cAMP was applied. However, the cAMP pathway was unlikely to mediate the OA effect, as the protein kinase A inhibitor RP-cAMPS did not diminish this effect. In contrast, the OA-induced sensitivity enhancement was significantly reduced by KN-62, an inhibitor of Ca²(+) /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and by the Ca²(+) chelator BAPTA-AM. OA depolarized the neurons by 3.8 mV from resting potential, well below the threshold for opening of voltage-activated Ca²(+) channels. OA also reduced the amplitudes of voltage-activated K(+) currents. We propose that OA receptors in VS-3 neurons activate inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, leading to Ca²(+) release from intracellular stores. The Ca²(+) surge switches on CaMKII, which modulates voltage-activated K(+) channels, resulting in persistent enhancement in excitability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Päivi H Torkkeli
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1X5, Canada.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Eugène D, Idoux E, Beraneck M, Moore LE, Vidal PP. Intrinsic membrane properties of central vestibular neurons in rodents. Exp Brain Res 2011; 210:423-36. [PMID: 21331527 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-011-2569-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2010] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies in rodents have shown that the functional efficacy of several neurotransmitter receptors and the intrinsic membrane excitability of central vestibular neurons, as well as the organization of synaptic connections within and between vestibular nuclei can be modified during postnatal development, after a lesion of peripheral vestibular organs or in vestibular-deficient mutant animals. This review mainly focuses on the intrinsic membrane properties of neurons of the medial vestibular nuclei of rodents, their postnatal maturation, and changes following experimental or congenital alterations in vestibular inputs. It also presents the concomitant modifications in the distribution of these neurons into different neuron types, which has been based on their membrane properties in relation to their anatomical, biochemical, or functional properties. The main points discussed in this review are that (1) the intrinsic membrane properties can be used to distinguish between two dominant types of neurons, (2) the system remains plastic throughout the whole life of the animal, and finally, (3) the intracellular calcium concentration has a major effect on the intrinsic membrane properties of central vestibular neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Eugène
- Centre d'Etudes de la SensoriMotricité (CESeM), UMR 8194, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Paris cedex 06, France
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|