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Ying Y, Liu W, Wang H, Shi J, Wang Z, Fei J. GABA transporter mGat4 is involved in multiple neural functions in mice. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119740. [PMID: 38697303 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2024.119740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The termination of GABA transmission is through the action of GABA transporters (GATs). mGAT4 (encoded by Slc6a11) is another GAT besides GAT1 (encoded by Slc6a1) that functions in GABA reuptake in CNS. Research on the function of mGAT4 is still in its infancy. We developed an mGat4 knockout mouse model (mGat4-/- mice) and performed a series of behavioral analyses for the first time to study the effect of mGat4 on biological processes in CNS. Our results indicated that homozygous mGat4-/- mice had less depression, anxiety-like behavior and more social activities than their wild-type littermate controls. However, they had weight loss and showed motor incoordination and imbalance. Meanwhile, mGat4-/- mice showed increased pain threshold and hypoalgesia behavior in nociceptive stimulus and learning and memory impairments. The expression of multiple components of the GABAergic system including GAD67, GABAA and KCC2 was altered. There is little or no compensatory change in mGat1. In a word, mGat4 may play a key role in normal motor coordination, sensation, emotion, learning and memory and could be the potential target of neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ying
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Weitong Liu
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Haoyue Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Model Organisms, SMOC, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiahao Shi
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhugang Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Model Organisms, SMOC, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jian Fei
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Model Organisms, SMOC, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Martinez-Lozada Z, Todd FW, Schober AL, Krizman E, Robinson MB, Murai KK. Cooperative and competitive regulation of the astrocytic transcriptome by neurons and endothelial cells: Impact on astrocyte maturation. J Neurochem 2023; 167:52-75. [PMID: 37525469 PMCID: PMC10543513 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes have essential roles in central nervous system (CNS) health and disease. During development, immature astrocytes show complex interactions with neurons, endothelial cells, and other glial cell types. Our work and that of others have shown that these interactions are important for astrocytic maturation. However, whether and how these cells work together to control this process remains poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that cooperative interactions of astrocytes with neurons and endothelial cells promote astrocytic maturation. Astrocytes were cultured alone, with neurons, endothelial cells, or a combination of both. This was followed by astrocyte sorting, RNA sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis to detect transcriptional changes. Across culture configurations, 7302 genes were differentially expressed by 4 or more fold and organized into 8 groups that demonstrate cooperative and antagonist effects of neurons and endothelia on astrocytes. We also discovered that neurons and endothelial cells caused splicing of 200 and 781 mRNAs, respectively. Changes in gene expression were validated using quantitative PCR, western blot (WB), and immunofluorescence analysis. We found that the transcriptomic data from the three-culture configurations correlated with protein expression of three representative targets (FAM107A, GAT3, and GLT1) in vivo. Alternative splicing results also correlated with cortical tissue isoform representation of a target (Fibronectin 1) at different developmental stages. By comparing our results to published transcriptomes of immature and mature astrocytes, we found that neurons or endothelia shift the astrocytic transcriptome toward a mature state and that the presence of both cell types has a greater effect on maturation than either cell alone. These results increase our understanding of cellular interactions/pathways that contribute to astrocytic maturation. They also provide insight into how alterations to neurons and/or endothelial cells may alter astrocytes with implications for astrocytic changes in CNS disorders and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zila Martinez-Lozada
- Departments of Pediatrics and Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 19104-4318
| | - Farmer W. Todd
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
| | - Alexandra L. Schober
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
| | - Elizabeth Krizman
- Departments of Pediatrics and Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 19104-4318
| | - Michael B. Robinson
- Departments of Pediatrics and Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 19104-4318
| | - Keith K. Murai
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
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Bhatt M, Gauthier-Manuel L, Lazzarin E, Zerlotti R, Ziegler C, Bazzone A, Stockner T, Bossi E. A comparative review on the well-studied GAT1 and the understudied BGT-1 in the brain. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1145973. [PMID: 37123280 PMCID: PMC10137170 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1145973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Its homeostasis is maintained by neuronal and glial GABA transporters (GATs). The four GATs identified in humans are GAT1 (SLC6A1), GAT2 (SLC6A13), GAT3 (SLC6A11), and betaine/GABA transporter-1 BGT-1 (SLC6A12) which are all members of the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family of sodium-dependent transporters. While GAT1 has been investigated extensively, the other GABA transporters are less studied and their role in CNS is not clearly defined. Altered GABAergic neurotransmission is involved in different diseases, but the importance of the different transporters remained understudied and limits drug targeting. In this review, the well-studied GABA transporter GAT1 is compared with the less-studied BGT-1 with the aim to leverage the knowledge on GAT1 to shed new light on the open questions concerning BGT-1. The most recent knowledge on transporter structure, functions, expression, and localization is discussed along with their specific role as drug targets for neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. We review and discuss data on the binding sites for Na+, Cl-, substrates, and inhibitors by building on the recent cryo-EM structure of GAT1 to highlight specific molecular determinants of transporter functions. The role of the two proteins in GABA homeostasis is investigated by looking at the transport coupling mechanism, as well as structural and kinetic transport models. Furthermore, we review information on selective inhibitors together with the pharmacophore hypothesis of transporter substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manan Bhatt
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Centre for Neuroscience—University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Laure Gauthier-Manuel
- Department of Biophysics II/Structural Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Erika Lazzarin
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr, Vienna
| | - Rocco Zerlotti
- Department of Biophysics II/Structural Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Nanion Technologies GmbH, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Ziegler
- Department of Biophysics II/Structural Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Stockner
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstr, Vienna
- *Correspondence: Thomas Stockner, ; Elena Bossi,
| | - Elena Bossi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Centre for Neuroscience—University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- *Correspondence: Thomas Stockner, ; Elena Bossi,
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Jomura R, Akanuma SI, Tachikawa M, Hosoya KI. SLC6A and SLC16A family of transporters: Contribution to transport of creatine and creatine precursors in creatine biosynthesis and distribution. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183840. [PMID: 34921896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Creatine (Cr) is needed to maintain high energy levels in cells. Since Cr plays reportedly a critical role in neurodevelopment and the immune system, Cr dynamics should be strictly regulated to control these physiological events. This review focuses on the role of transporters that recognize Cr and/or Cr precursors. Our previous studies revealed physiological roles of SLC6A and SLC16A family transporters in Cr dynamics. Creatine transporter (CRT/SLC6A8) contributes to the influx transport of Cr in Cr distribution. γ-Aminobutyric acid transporter 2 (GAT2/SLC6A13) mediates incorporation of guanidinoacetate (GAA), a Cr precursor, in the process of Cr biosynthesis. Monocarboxylate transporter 12 (MCT12/SLC16A12) functions as an efflux transporter for Cr and GAA, and contributes to the process of Cr biosynthesis. Accordingly, the SLC6A and SLC16A family of transporters play important roles in the process of Cr biosynthesis and distribution via permeation of Cr and Cr precursors across the plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuta Jomura
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
| | - Shin-Ichi Akanuma
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
| | - Masanori Tachikawa
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, 1-78-1 Shomachi, Tokushima 770-8505, Japan.
| | - Ken-Ichi Hosoya
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
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Felix L, Stephan J, Rose CR. Astrocytes of the early postnatal brain. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:5649-5672. [PMID: 32406559 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In the rodent forebrain, the majority of astrocytes are generated during the early postnatal phase. Following differentiation, astrocytes undergo maturation which accompanies the development of the neuronal network. Neonate astrocytes exhibit a distinct morphology and domain size which differs to their mature counterparts. Moreover, many of the plasma membrane proteins prototypical for fully developed astrocytes are only expressed at low levels at neonatal stages. These include connexins and Kir4.1, which define the low membrane resistance and highly negative membrane potential of mature astrocytes. Newborn astrocytes moreover express only low amounts of GLT-1, a glutamate transporter critical later in development. Furthermore, they show specific differences in the properties and spatio-temporal pattern of intracellular calcium signals, resulting from differences in their repertoire of receptors and signalling pathways. Therefore, roles fulfilled by mature astrocytes, including ion and transmitter homeostasis, are underdeveloped in the young brain. Similarly, astrocytic ion signalling in response to neuronal activity, a process central to neuron-glia interaction, differs between the neonate and mature brain. This review describes the unique functional properties of astrocytes in the first weeks after birth and compares them to later stages of development. We conclude that with an immature neuronal network and wider extracellular space, astrocytic support might not be as demanding and critical compared to the mature brain. The delayed differentiation and maturation of astrocytes in the first postnatal weeks might thus reflect a reduced need for active, energy-consuming regulation of the extracellular space and a less tight control of glial feedback onto synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Felix
- Institute of Neurobiology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Jonathan Stephan
- Institute of Neurobiology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Christine R Rose
- Institute of Neurobiology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
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Age-Dependency of Levetiracetam Effects on Exocytotic GABA Release from Nerve Terminals in the Hippocampus and Cortex in Norm and After Perinatal Hypoxia. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 39:701-714. [PMID: 31006090 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00676-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal hypoxia can lead to multiple chronic neurological deficits, e.g., mental retardation, behavioral abnormalities, and epilepsy. Levetiracetam (LEV), 2S-(2-oxo-1-pyrrolidiny1) butanamide, is an anticonvulsant drug with proven efficiency in treating patients with focal and generalized seizures. Rats were underwent hypoxia and seizures at the age of 10-12 postnatal days (pd). The ambient level and depolarization-induced exocytotic release of [3H]GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) were analyzed in nerve terminals in the hippocampus and cortex during development at the age of pd 17-19 and pd 24-26 (infantile stage), pd 38-40 (puberty) and pd 66-73 (young adults) in norm and after perinatal hypoxia. LEV had no effects on the ambient [3H]GABA level. The latter increased during development and was further elevated after perinatal hypoxia in nerve terminals in the hippocampus during the whole period and in the cortex in young adults. Exocytotic [3H]GABA release from nerve terminals increased after perinatal hypoxia during development in the hippocampus and cortex, however this effect was preserved at all ages during blockage of GABA transporters by NO-711 in the hippocampus only. LEV realized its anticonvulsant effects at the presynaptic site through an increase in exocytotic release of GABA. LEV exerted more significant effect after perinatal hypoxia than in norm. Action of LEV was strongly age-dependent and can be registered in puberty and young adults, but the drug was inert at the infantile stage.
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Tachikawa M, Yashiki A, Akanuma SI, Matsukawa H, Ide S, Minami M, Hosoya KI. Astrocytic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters mediate guanidinoacetate transport in rat brain. Neurochem Int 2018; 113:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Kirischuk S, Sinning A, Blanquie O, Yang JW, Luhmann HJ, Kilb W. Modulation of Neocortical Development by Early Neuronal Activity: Physiology and Pathophysiology. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:379. [PMID: 29238291 PMCID: PMC5712676 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal and human studies revealed that patterned neuronal activity is an inherent feature of developing nervous systems. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the mechanisms generating early electrical activity patterns and their impact on structural and functional development of the cerebral cortex. All neocortical areas display distinct spontaneous and sensory-driven neuronal activity patterns already at early phases of development. At embryonic stages, intermittent spontaneous activity is synchronized within small neuronal networks, becoming more complex with further development. This transition is accompanied by a gradual shift from electrical to chemical synaptic transmission, with a particular role of non-synaptic tonic currents before the onset of phasic synaptic activity. In this review article we first describe functional impacts of classical neurotransmitters (GABA, glutamate) and modulatory systems (e.g., acetylcholine, ACh) on early neuronal activities in the neocortex with special emphasis on electrical synapses, nonsynaptic and synaptic currents. Early neuronal activity influences probably all developmental processes and is crucial for the proper formation of neuronal circuits. In the second part of our review, we illustrate how specific activity patterns might interfere with distinct neurodevelopmental processes like proliferation, migration, axonal and dendritic sprouting, synapse formation and neurotransmitter specification. Finally, we present evidence that transient alterations in neuronal activity during restricted perinatal periods can lead to persistent changes in functional connectivity and therefore might underlie the manifestation of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Kirischuk
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anne Sinning
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Oriane Blanquie
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jenq-Wei Yang
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Werner Kilb
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Pozdnyakova N. Consequences of perinatal hypoxia in developing brain: Changes in GABA transporter functioning in cortical, hippocampal and thalamic rat nerve terminals. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 63:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Pozdnyakova
- Department of NeurochemistryPalladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineLeontovicha Str. 9Kiev01030Ukraine
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GABAergic Function as a Limiting Factor for Prefrontal Maturation during Adolescence. Trends Neurosci 2016; 39:441-448. [PMID: 27233681 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the onset of mental illnesses including schizophrenia and affective disorders, yet the neurodevelopmental processes underlying this vulnerability remain poorly understood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its local GABAergic system are thought to contribute to the core of cognitive deficits associated with such disorders. However, clinical and preclinical end-point analyses performed in adults are likely to give limited insight into the cellular mechanisms that are altered during adolescence but are only manifested in adulthood. This perspective summarizes work regarding the developmental trajectories of the GABAergic system in the PFC during adolescence to provide an insight into the increased susceptibility to psychiatric disorders during this critical developmental period.
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Liao C, Han Q, Ma Y, Su B. Age-related gene expression change of GABAergic system in visual cortex of rhesus macaque. Gene 2016; 590:227-33. [PMID: 27196061 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Degradation of visual function is a common phenomenon during aging and likely mediated by change in the impaired central visual pathway. Treatment with GABA or its agonist could recover the ability of visual neurons in the primary visual cortex of senescent macaques. However, little is known about how GABAergic system change is related to the aged degradation of visual function in nonhuman primate. With the use of quantitative PCR method, we measured the expression change of 24 GABA related genes in the primary visual cortex (Brodmann's 17) of different age groups. In this study, both of mRNA and protein of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) were measured by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results revealed that the level of GAD65 message was not significantly altered, but the proteins were significantly decreased in the aged monkey. As GAD65 plays an important role in GABA synthesis, the down-regulation of GAD65 protein was likely the key factor leading to the observed GABA reduction in the primary visual cortex of the aged macaques. In addition, 7 of 14 GABA receptor genes were up-regulated and one GABA receptor gene was significantly reduced during aging process even after Banjamini correction for multiple comparisons (P<0.05). These results suggested that the dysregulation of GAD65 protein might contribute to some age-related neural visual dysfunctions and most of GABA receptor genes induce a clear indication of compensatory effect for the reduced GABA release in the healthy aged monkey cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghong Liao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Qian Han
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yuanye Ma
- Laboratory of the Primate Model for Brain Diseases and Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
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Unichenko P, Kirischuk S, Luhmann HJ. GABA transporters control GABAergic neurotransmission in the mouse subplate. Neuroscience 2015; 304:217-27. [PMID: 26232716 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The subplate is a transient layer between the cortical plate and intermediate zone in the developing cortex. Thalamo-cortical axons form temporary synapses on subplate neurons (SPns) before invading the cortical plate. Neuronal activity within the subplate is of critical importance for the development of neocortical circuits and architecture. Although both glutamatergic and GABAergic inputs on SPns were reported, short-term plasticity of GABAergic transmission has not been investigated yet. GABAergic postsynaptic currents (GPSCs) were recorded from SPns in coronal neocortical slices prepared from postnatal day 3-4 mice using whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Evoked GPSCs (eGPSCs) elicited by electrical paired-pulse stimulation demonstrated paired-pulse depression at all interstimulus intervals tested. Baclofen, a specific GABAB receptor (GABABR) agonist, reduced eGPSC amplitudes and increased paired-pulse ratio (PPR), suggesting presynaptic location of functional GABABRs. Baclofen-induced effects were alleviated by (2S)-3-[[(1S)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]amino-2-hydroxypropyl](phenylmethyl)phosphinic acid (CGP55845), a selective GABABR blocker. Moreover, CGP55845 increased eGPSC amplitudes and decreased PPR even under control conditions, indicating that GABABRs are tonically activated by ambient GABA. Because extracellular GABA concentration is mainly regulated by GABA transporters (GATs), we asked whether GATs release GABA. 1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-1-[2-[[(diphenylmethylene)amino]oxy]ethyl]-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid (NNC-711) (10μM), a selective GAT-1 blocker, increased eGPSC decay time, decreased eGPSC amplitudes and PPR. The two last effects but not the first one were blocked by CGP55845, indicating that GAT-1 blockade causes an elevation of extracellular GABA concentration and in turn activation of extrasynaptic GABAARs and presynaptic GABABRs. 1-[2-[tris(4-methoxyphenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-(S)-3-piperidinecarboxylic acid (SNAP-5114), a specific GAT-2/3 blocker, failed to affect eGPSC kinetics. However, in contrast to NNC-711 SNAP-5114 increased eGPSC amplitudes and decreased PPR. In the presence of SNAP-5114 CGP55845 did not influence GABAergic transmission, indicating that GABABRs are not activated any longer. We conclude that in the subplate GAT-2/3 operates in reverse mode. GABA released via GAT-2/3 activates presynaptic GABABRs on GABAergic synapses and tonically inhibits GABAergic inputs on SPns.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Unichenko
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - S Kirischuk
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - H J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
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Stephan J, Friauf E. Functional analysis of the inhibitory neurotransmitter transporters GlyT1, GAT-1, and GAT-3 in astrocytes of the lateral superior olive. Glia 2014; 62:1992-2003. [PMID: 25103283 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter clearance from the synaptic cleft is a major function of astrocytes and requires neurotransmitter transporters. In the rodent lateral superior olive (LSO), a conspicuous auditory brainstem center, both glycine and GABA mediate synaptic inhibition. However, the main inhibitory input from the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) appears to be glycinergic by postnatal day (P) 14, when circuit maturation is almost accomplished. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings at P3-20, we analyzed glycine transporters (GlyT1) and GABA transporters (GAT-1, GAT-3) in mouse LSO astrocytes, emphasizing on their developmental regulation. Application of glycine or GABA induced a dose- and age-dependent inward current and a respective depolarization. The GlyT1-specific inhibitor sarcosine reduced the maximal glycine-induced current (IGly (max) ) by about 60%. The GAT-1 and GAT-3 antagonists NO711 and SNAP5114, respectively, reduced the maximal GABA-induced current (IGABA (max) ) by about 35%. Furthermore, [Cl(-) ]o reduction decreased IGly (max) and IGABA (max) by about 85 to 95%, showing the Cl(-) dependence of GlyT and GAT. IGABA (max) was stronger than IGly (max) , and the ratio increased developmentally from 1.6-fold to 3.7-fold. Together, our results demonstrate the functional presence of the three inhibitory neurotransmitter transporters GlyT1, GAT-1, and GAT-3 in LSO astrocytes. Furthermore, the uptake capability for GABA was higher than for glycine, pointing toward eminent GABAergic signaling in the LSO. GABA may originate from another source than the MNTB-LSO synapses, namely from another projection or from reversal of astrocytic GATs. Thus, neuronal signaling in the LSO appears to be more versatile than previously thought. GLIA 2014;62:1992-2003.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Stephan
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology Group, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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Melone M, Ciappelloni S, Conti F. Plasma membrane transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 contribute to heterogeneity of GABAergic synapses in neocortex. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:72. [PMID: 25120439 PMCID: PMC4110517 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical GABAergic synapses exhibit a high degree of molecular, anatomical and functional heterogeneity of their neurons of origins, presynaptic mechanisms, receptors, and scaffolding proteins. GABA transporters (GATs) have an important role in regulating GABA levels; among them, GAT-1 and GAT-3 play a prominent role in modulating tonic and phasic GABAAR-mediated inhibition. We asked whether GAT-1 and GAT-3 contribute to generating heterogeneity by studying their ultrastructural localization at cortical symmetric synapses using pre- and post-embedding electron microcopy. GAT-1 and GAT-3 staining at symmetric synapses showed that in some cases the transporters were localized exclusively over axon terminals; in others they were in both axon terminals and perisynaptic astrocytic processes; and in some others GAT-1 and GAT-3 were in perisynaptic astrocytic processes only. Moreover, we showed that the organizational pattern of GAT-1, but not of GAT-3, exhibits a certain degree of specificity related to the post-synaptic target of GABAergic synapses. These findings show that symmetric synapses expressing GAT-1 or GAT-3 are heterogeneous, and indicate that plasma membrane transporters can contribute to synaptic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Melone
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche Ancona, Italy ; Center for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA IRCCS Ancona, Italy
| | - Silvia Ciappelloni
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche Ancona, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche Ancona, Italy ; Center for Neurobiology of Aging, INRCA IRCCS Ancona, Italy ; Foundation for Molecular Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche Ancona, Italy
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15
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Silveri MM. GABAergic contributions to alcohol responsivity during adolescence: insights from preclinical and clinical studies. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 143:197-216. [PMID: 24631274 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
There is a considerable body of literature demonstrating that adolescence is a unique age period, which includes rapid and dramatic maturation of behavioral, cognitive, hormonal and neurobiological systems. Most notably, adolescence is also a period of unique responsiveness to alcohol effects, with both hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity observed to the various effects of alcohol. Multiple neurotransmitter systems are undergoing fine-tuning during this critical period of brain development, including those that contribute to the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. The role of developmental maturation of the γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA) system, however, has received less attention in contributing to age-specific alcohol sensitivities. This review integrates GABA findings from human magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies as they may translate to understanding adolescent-specific responsiveness to alcohol effects. Better understanding of the vulnerability of the GABA system both during adolescent development, and in psychiatric conditions that include alcohol dependence, could point to a putative mechanism, boosting brain GABA, that may have increased effectiveness for treating alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa M Silveri
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Characteristic development of the GABA-removal system in the mouse spinal cord. Neuroscience 2014; 262:129-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.12.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Melone M, Ciappelloni S, Conti F. A quantitative analysis of cellular and synaptic localization of GAT-1 and GAT-3 in rat neocortex. Brain Struct Funct 2013; 220:885-97. [PMID: 24368619 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-013-0690-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
High-affinity plasma membrane GABA transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 contribute to the modulation of GABA-mediated inhibition in adult mammalian cerebral cortex. How GATs regulate inhibition in neocortical circuits remains however poorly understood for the lack of information on key localizational features. In this study, we used quantitative pre- and post-embedding electron microscopy to define the distribution of GAT-1 and GAT-3 in elements contributing to synapses and to unveil their ultrastructural organization at adult cortical GABAergic synapses. GAT-1 and GAT-3 were found in both neuronal and astrocytic processes: GAT-1 was prevalently segregated in neuronal elements and in profiles contributing to synapses, whereas GAT-3 was mostly expressed in astrocytes and did not exhibit a preferential distribution in elements contributing to synapses. Analysis of the ultrastructural distribution of GAT-1 and GAT-3 in the plasma membrane of axon terminals and perisynaptic astrocytic processes of symmetric synapses in relation to the active zone revealed that GAT-1 was more concentrated in restricted perisynaptic and extrasynaptic regions, whereas GAT-3 was prominent in extrasynaptic areas. These studies provide a basis for understanding the role GAT-1 and GAT-3 play in the modulation of GABA-mediated phasic and tonic inhibition in cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Melone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60026, Ancona, Italy,
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Sharopov S, Chen R, Sun H, Kolbaev SN, Kirischuk S, Luhmann HJ, Kilb W. Inhibition of different GABA transporter systems is required to attenuate epileptiform activity in the CA3 region of the immature rat hippocampus. Epilepsy Res 2013; 108:182-9. [PMID: 24359690 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2013.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
GABA transporters (GATs) are an essential element of the GABAergic system, which regulate excitability in the central nervous system and are thus used as targets for anticonvulsive therapy. However, in the immature nervous system the functions of the GABAergic system and the expression profile of GATs are distinct from the adult situation, obscuring to predict how different GAT isoforms influence epileptiform activity. Therefore we analyzed the effects of subtype specific GAT inhibitors on repetitive epileptiform discharges using field potential and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in the CA3 region of hippocampal slices of immature (postnatal days 4-7) rats. These experiments revealed that inhibition of GAT-1 with either tiagabine (30 μM) or NO-711 (10 μM) exhibited only a minor anticonvulsive effect on repetitive epileptiform discharges. Blockade of GAT-2/3 with SNAP-5114 (40 μM) had no anticonvulsive effect, but significantly prolonged the decay of spontaneous GABAergic postsynaptic currents. In contrast, the combined application of 10 μM NO-711 and 40 μM SNAP-5114 blocked epileptiform activity in 33% of all slices and reduced the occurrence of epileptiform discharges by 54% in the remaining slices. In addition, the input resistance decreased by 10.5 ± 1.0% under this condition. These results indicate that both GAT-1 and GAT-2/3 are functional in the immature hippocampus and that only the combined inhibition of GAT 1-3 is sufficient to promote a considerable anticonvulsive effect. We conclude from these results that both GAT-1 and GAT-2/3 act synergistically to regulate the excitability in the immature hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salim Sharopov
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rongqing Chen
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany
| | - Haiyan Sun
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sergei N Kolbaev
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sergei Kirischuk
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany
| | - Werner Kilb
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, D-55120 Mainz, Germany.
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Unichenko P, Dvorzhak A, Kirischuk S. Transporter-mediated replacement of extracellular glutamate for GABA in the developing murine neocortex. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:3580-8. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Revised: 08/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Unichenko
- Institute of Physiology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; Duesbergweg 6 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Anton Dvorzhak
- Department of Experimental Neurology; Cluster of Excellence Neurocure; University Medicine Charitè; Berlin Germany
| | - Sergei Kirischuk
- Institute of Physiology; University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; Duesbergweg 6 55128 Mainz Germany
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Craiu D. What is special about the adolescent (JME) brain? Epilepsy Behav 2013; 28 Suppl 1:S45-51. [PMID: 23756479 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) involves cortico-thalamo-cortical networks. Thalamic, frontal gray matter, connectivity, and neurotransmitter disturbances have been demonstrated by structural/functional imaging studies. Few patients with JME show mutations in genes coding ion channels or GABAA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor subunits. Recent research points to EFHC1 gene mutations leading to microdysgenesis and possible aberrant circuitry. Imaging studies have shown massive structural/functional changes of normally developing adolescent brain structures maturing at strikingly different rates and times. Gray matter (GM) volume diminishes in cortical areas (frontal and parietal) and deep structures (anterior thalamus, putamen, and caudate). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings support continued microstructural change in WM (white matter) during late adolescence with robust developmental changes in thalamocortical connectivity. The GABAA receptor distribution and specific receptor subunits' expression patterns change with age from neonate to adolescent/adult, contributing to age-related changes in brain excitability. Hormonal influence on brain structure development during adolescence is presented. Possible implications of brain changes during adolescence on the course of JME are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Craiu
- Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Alexandru Obregia Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania.
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21
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Zhou Y, Holmseth S, Guo C, Hassel B, Höfner G, Huitfeldt HS, Wanner KT, Danbolt NC. Deletion of the γ-aminobutyric acid transporter 2 (GAT2 and SLC6A13) gene in mice leads to changes in liver and brain taurine contents. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:35733-35746. [PMID: 22896705 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.368175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The GABA transporters (GAT1, GAT2, GAT3, and BGT1) have mostly been discussed in relation to their potential roles in controlling the action of transmitter GABA in the nervous system. We have generated the first mice lacking the GAT2 (slc6a13) gene. Deletion of GAT2 (both mRNA and protein) neither affected growth, fertility, nor life span under nonchallenging rearing conditions. Immunocytochemistry showed that the GAT2 protein was predominantly expressed in the plasma membranes of periportal hepatocytes and in the basolateral membranes of proximal tubules in the renal cortex. This was validated by processing tissue from wild-type and knockout mice in parallel. Deletion of GAT2 reduced liver taurine levels by 50%, without affecting the expression of the taurine transporter TAUT. These results suggest an important role for GAT2 in taurine uptake from portal blood into liver. In support of this notion, GAT2-transfected HEK293 cells transported [(3)H]taurine. Furthermore, most of the uptake of [(3)H]GABA by cultured rat hepatocytes was due to GAT2, and this uptake was inhibited by taurine. GAT2 was not detected in brain parenchyma proper, excluding a role in GABA inactivation. It was, however, expressed in the leptomeninges and in a subpopulation of brain blood vessels. Deletion of GAT2 increased brain taurine levels by 20%, suggesting a taurine-exporting role for GAT2 in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhou
- Centre of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Silvia Holmseth
- Centre of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Caiying Guo
- HHMI, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia 20147
| | - Bjørnar Hassel
- Department for Neurohabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, N-0372 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Georg Höfner
- Department für Pharmazie, Zentrum für Pharmaforschung, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 München, Germany
| | - Henrik S Huitfeldt
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, N-0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Klaus T Wanner
- Department für Pharmazie, Zentrum für Pharmaforschung, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-81377 München, Germany
| | - Niels C Danbolt
- Centre of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, N-0317 Oslo, Norway.
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Glutamate transporters and presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors protect neocortical Cajal-Retzius cells against over-excitation. Pflugers Arch 2012; 464:217-25. [PMID: 22665047 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-012-1109-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Revised: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/14/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells, early generated neurons in the marginal zone of developing neocortex, are reported to be highly vulnerable to excitotoxic damage. Because extracellular glutamate concentration in the central nervous system is mainly controlled by glutamate transporters (EAATs), we studied the effects of EAAT blockade on CR cells. DL: -TBOA, a specific EAAT antagonist, induced NMDA receptor-dependent bursting discharges in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, indicating that EAATs operate in the uptake mode and their blockade leads to elevation of extracellular glutamate concentration. In CR cells, however, DL: -TBOA failed to change either the membrane resistance or holding current, and moreover, it reduced the frequency of spontaneous GABAergic postsynaptic currents. DL: -TBOA decreased the mean amplitude and increased paired-pulse ratio of evoked GABAergic postsynaptic currents, indicating the presynaptic locus of its action. Indeed, LY379268, a specific agonist of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR-II), mimicked the DL: -TBOA-mediated effects, and LY341495, an unspecific mGluR antagonist, eliminated the DL: -TBOA-induced effects. As dihydrokainic acid, a specific EAAT2 blocker, failed to affect evoked GABAergic postsynaptic currents, whereas TFB-TBOA, a selective blocker of EAAT1 and EAAT2, produced effects similar to that of DL: -TBOA, extracellular glutamate concentration in the marginal zone is mainly controlled by EAAT1 (GLAST). Thus, even though CR cells are highly vulnerable to excitotoxic damage, a number of mechanisms serve to protect them against excessive extracellular glutamate concentration including a lack of functional glutamatergic synapses, Mg(2+) blockade of NMDA receptors, and presynaptic mGluRs that inhibit transmission at GABAergic synapses.
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23
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Boulland JL, Chaudhry FA. Ontogenetic changes in the distribution of the vesicular GABA transporter VGAT correlate with the excitation/inhibition shift of GABA action. Neurochem Int 2012; 61:506-16. [PMID: 22490609 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Revised: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult CNS and is among others involved in the synchronization of large neuronal networks. During development, GABA acts as a morphogenetic factor and has transient excitatory actions in many brain regions. One distinct protein, the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), has been identified accumulating GABA into presynaptic vesicles prior to its exocytotic release. The function of VGAT and its distribution is well defined in the adult, but its contribution to the transient excitatory action at putative GABAergic nerve terminals in the immature brain and its potential roles in putative glutamatergic nerve terminals remain elusive. We have studied VGAT expression in the brain from late embryonic stages through several postnatal stages until adulthood. Quantitative immunoblotting and immunolabeling of tissue sections at the light microscope and the electron microscope levels show an abrupt augmentation in VGAT staining in the cerebral cortex during the first three postnatal weeks, resembling the increase in other proteins involved in GABA synthesis and recycling in the same time frame - such as GAD65, GAD67, GAT1 (Slc6a1) and SN1 (Slc38a3) - and coincides with the synaptogenetic spurt. Dynamic changes in the expression of VGAT are seen in many cellular populations and in several layers in different brain regions. However, mossy fiber terminals (MFT) elude staining for VGAT. We also demonstrate that VGAT(+) nerve terminals undergo a developmental reorganization so that from targeting primarily the dendrites of the principal neurons in several brain regions in the immature brain, they target the soma of the same cells in the adult. This shift in the targeted subcellular compartment coincides with the conversion of the chloride gradient across neuronal membranes and suggests that it may be important for the shift of GABA action from excitation to inhibition and for the establishment of the potent synchronization of neuronal networks.
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Abstract
The neurotransmitter GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), acting via inotropic GABA(A) and metabotropic GABA(B) receptors, plays an essential role in a variety of distinct neuronal processes, including regulation of neuronal excitability, determination of temporal aspects of spike trains, control of the size and propagation of neuronal assemblies, generation of oscillatory activity, and neuronal plasticity. Although the developmental switch between excitatory and inhibitory GABA(A) receptor-mediated responses is widely appreciated, the fact that the postnatal maturation of the GABAergic system lasts until late adolescence is not so persuasively promoted. This review summarizes recent knowledge of the maturation of various aspects of the GABAergic systems, like functional expression of GABA synthesizing/degrading enzymes and transporters, density of GABAergic synapses, GABAergic projection patterns, GABA receptor subunit composition, and properties of GABAergic interneurons, with an emphasis on the late developmental alterations. In addition, some aspects of the development of mental capabilities during adolescence and their relation the delayed maturation of the GABAergic system are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Kilb
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
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δ-Aminolevulinic acid and its methyl ester induce the formation of Protoporphyrin IX in cultured sensory neurones. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2011; 384:583-602. [PMID: 21947250 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-011-0683-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 08/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Application of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) or its methyl ester (MAL) onto cutaneous tumours increases intracellular Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), serving as photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy (PDT). While PDT is highly effective as treatment of neoplastic skin lesions, it may induce severe pain in some patients. Here, we investigated ALA and MAL uptake and PpIX formation in sensory neurones as potential contributor to the pain. PpIX formation was induced in cultured sensory neurones from rat dorsal root ganglion by incubation with ALA or MAL. Using inhibitors of GABA transporters (GAT), a pharmacological profile of ALA and MAL uptake was assessed. GAT mRNA expression in the cultures was determined by RT-PCR. Cultured sensory neurones synthesised Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) from extracellularly administered ALA and MAL. PpIX formation was dose- and time-dependent with considerably different kinetics for both compounds. While partial inhibition occurred using L-arginine, PpIX formation from both ALA and MAL could be fully blocked by the GABA-Transporter (GAT)-2/3 inhibitor (S)-SNAP 5114 with similar K (i) (ALA: 195 ± 6 μM; MAL: 129 ± 13 μM). GAT-1 and GAT-3 could be detected in sensory neurons using RT-PCR on mRNA level and using [³H]-GABA uptake on protein level. Cultured sensory neurones take up ALA and MAL and synthesize PpIX from both, enabling a direct impact of photodynamic therapy on cutaneous free nerve endings. The pharmacological profile of ALA and MAL uptake in our test system was very similar and suggests uptake via GABA and amino acid transporters.
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Jin XT, Galvan A, Wichmann T, Smith Y. Localization and Function of GABA Transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 in the Basal Ganglia. Front Syst Neurosci 2011; 5:63. [PMID: 21847373 PMCID: PMC3148782 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2011.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
GABA transporter type 1 and 3 (GAT-1 and GAT-3, respectively) are the two main subtypes of GATs responsible for the regulation of extracellular GABA levels in the central nervous system. These transporters are widely expressed in neuronal (mainly GAT-1) and glial (mainly GAT-3) elements throughout the brain, but most data obtained so far relate to their role in the regulation of GABA(A) receptor-mediated postsynaptic tonic and phasic inhibition in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Taking into consideration the key role of GABAergic transmission within basal ganglia networks, and the importance for these systems to be properly balanced to mediate normal basal ganglia function, we analyzed in detail the localization and function of GAT-1 and GAT-3 in the globus pallidus of normal and Parkinsonian animals, in order to further understand the substrate and possible mechanisms by which GABA transporters may regulate basal ganglia outflow, and may become relevant targets for new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of basal ganglia-related disorders. In this review, we describe the general features of GATs in the basal ganglia, and give a detailed account of recent evidence that GAT-1 and GAT-3 regulation can have a major impact on the firing rate and pattern of basal ganglia neurons through pre- and post-synaptic GABA(A)- and GABA(B)-receptor-mediated effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Tao Jin
- Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Neurology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Adriana Galvan
- Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Neurology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Thomas Wichmann
- Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Neurology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yoland Smith
- Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Department of Neurology, Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
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28
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Ávila MN, Real MÁ, Guirado S. Patterns of GABA and GABA Transporter-1 immunoreactivities in the developing and adult mouse brain amygdala. Brain Res 2011; 1388:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.02.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2010] [Revised: 02/04/2011] [Accepted: 02/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Abstract
The long-lasting actions of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA result from the activation of metabotropic GABA(B) receptors. Enhanced GABA(B)-mediated IPSCs are critical for the generation of generalized thalamocortical seizures. Here, we demonstrate that GABA(B)-mediated IPSCs recorded in the thalamus are primarily defined by GABA diffusion and activation of distal extrasynaptic receptors potentially up to tens of micrometers from synapses. We also show that this diffusion is differentially regulated by two astrocytic GABA transporters, GAT1 and GAT3, which are localized near and far from synapses, respectively. A biologically constrained model of GABA diffusion and uptake shows how the two GATs differentially modulate amplitude and duration of GABA(B) IPSCs. Specifically, the perisynaptic expression of GAT1 enables it to regulate GABA levels near synapses and selectively modulate peak IPSC amplitude, which is primarily dependent on perisynaptic receptor occupancy. GAT3 expression, however, is broader and includes distal extrasynaptic regions. As such, GAT3 acts as a gatekeeper to prevent diffusion of GABA away from synapses toward extrasynaptic regions that contain a potentially enormous pool of GABA(B) receptors. Targeting this gatekeeper function may provide new pharmacotherapeutic opportunities to prevent the excessive GABA(B) receptor activation that appears necessary for thalamic seizure generation.
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Richter D, Luhmann HJ, Kilb W. Intrinsic activation of GABA(A) receptors suppresses epileptiform activity in the cerebral cortex of immature mice. Epilepsia 2010; 51:1483-92. [PMID: 20491873 DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02591.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Activation of ionotropic γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A) ) receptors induces in immature neocortical neurons a membrane depolarization that may contribute to the higher epilepsy susceptibility in newborns. To elucidate whether depolarizing GABAergic responses enhance or attenuate epileptiform activity in the immature neocortex, we investigated the effect of agonists, antagonists, and positive modulators of GABA(A) receptors on epileptiform activity. METHODS We performed in vitro field potential recordings on isolated whole neocortex preparations and whole cell recordings of identified pyramidal neurons in 400-μm slices of immature (postnatal day 1-7) mice. Epileptiform activity was induced by low Mg²(+) solutions with or without 50-100 μm 4-aminopyridine. RESULTS Bath application of GABA (3-100 μm, in the presence of tiagabine) attenuated epileptiform activity. The GABA transporter isoform 1 (GAT-1) inhibitor tiagabine (30 μm) and the GAT-2/3 specific inhibitor SNAP 5114 (40 μm) reduced the frequency of epileptiform activity. The benzodiazepines midazolam (0.2 μm) and zolpidem (0.5 μm) as well as the barbiturate phenobarbital (30 μm) slightly attenuated epileptiform activity. Continuous bath application of the GABAergic antagonist gabazine (SR-95531, 2-3 μm) or picrotoxin (15 μm) induced epileptiform discharges. DISCUSSION These results demonstrate, that (1) the activation or positive modulation of GABA(A) receptors attenuates epileptiform activity, (2) GABA(A) antagonists mediate a disinhibition, and (3) GABA uptake contributes to the regulation of extracellular GABA in immature neocortex. We conclude from these findings that a constant inhibition via GABA(A) receptors is required to suppress epileptiform activity already in the immature neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Richter
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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31
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The response to postnatal stress: amino acids transporters and PKC activity. Neurochem Res 2010; 35:967-75. [PMID: 20306295 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-010-0153-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that animals exposed to stressful stimuli during their early life develop different neurological disorders when they become adults. In this study, we evaluated the effect of acute cold stress on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-Serine (L-Ser) transporters in vitro, using the uptake of [(3)H]-GABA and [(3)H]L-Ser by synaptosomes-enriched fractions isolated from rat cerebral cortex during postnatal development. GABA and L-Ser uptake studies in vitro will be used in this investigation as a colateral evidence of changes in the expression of transporters of GABA and L-Ser. We observed that the maximum velocity (V (max)) in L-Ser and GABA uptake after stress session increased in all stages studied. In contrast, K (m) values of L-Ser uptake enhancent in almost age calculated, excluding at PD21 after cold stress during development, at the same time as K (m) (uptake affinity) values of GABA increased in just about age considered but not at PD5 compared with the control group. Finally we investigated the mechanism by which cells regulate the substrate affinity of L-Ser and GABA transporters. We demonstrated a significantly increase in total PKC activity to PD5 from PD21. Pretreatment with PKC inhibitor: staurosporine (SP) led to a restoration of control uptake in several postnatal-days suggesting a relationship between amino acids system and PKC activation. These findings suggest that a single exposure to postnatal cold stress at different periods after birth modifies both GABA and L-Ser transporters and the related increase in total PKC activity could be intracellular events that participate in neuronal plasticity by early life stress, which could be relevant to function of transporters in the adult rat brain.
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Barbaresi P. Postnatal development of GABA-immunoreactive neurons and terminals in rat periaqueductal gray matter: A light and electron microscopic study. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:2240-60. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.22329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Excitotoxic neonatal damage induced by monosodium glutamate reduces several GABAergic markers in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in adulthood. Int J Dev Neurosci 2009; 27:845-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2009.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2009] [Revised: 07/07/2009] [Accepted: 07/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Grewal S, Defamie N, Zhang X, De Gois S, Shawki A, Mackenzie B, Chen C, Varoqui H, Erickson JD. SNAT2 amino acid transporter is regulated by amino acids of the SLC6 gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter subfamily in neocortical neurons and may play no role in delivering glutamine for glutamatergic transmission. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:11224-36. [PMID: 19240036 PMCID: PMC2670127 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m806470200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2008] [Revised: 02/06/2009] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
System A transporters SNAT1 and SNAT2 mediate uptake of neutral alpha-amino acids (e.g. glutamine, alanine, and proline) and are expressed in central neurons. We tested the hypothesis that SNAT2 is required to support neurotransmitter glutamate synthesis by examining spontaneous excitatory activity after inducing or repressing SNAT2 expression for prolonged periods. We stimulated de novo synthesis of SNAT2 mRNA and increased SNAT2 mRNA stability and total SNAT2 protein and functional activity, whereas SNAT1 expression was unaffected. Increased endogenous SNAT2 expression did not affect spontaneous excitatory action-potential frequency over control. Long term glutamine exposure strongly repressed SNAT2 expression but increased excitatory action-potential frequency. Quantal size was not altered following SNAT2 induction or repression. These results suggest that spontaneous glutamatergic transmission in pyramidal neurons does not rely on SNAT2. To our surprise, repression of SNAT2 activity was not limited to System A substrates. Taurine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and beta-alanine (substrates of the SLC6 gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter family) repressed SNAT2 expression more potently (10x) than did System A substrates; however, the responses to System A substrates were more rapid. Since ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein are known to bind to an amino acid response element within the SNAT2 promoter and mediate induction of SNAT2 in peripheral cell lines, we tested whether either factor was similarly induced by amino acid deprivation in neurons. We found that glutamine and taurine repressed the induction of both transcription factors. Our data revealed that SNAT2 expression is constitutively low in neurons under physiological conditions but potently induced, together with the taurine transporter TauT, in response to depletion of neutral amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukhjeevan Grewal
- Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA
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Zheng F, Adelsberger H, Müller MR, Fritschy JM, Werner S, Alzheimer C. Activin tunes GABAergic neurotransmission and modulates anxiety-like behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2009; 14:332-46. [PMID: 18180762 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, affords neuroprotection in acute brain injury, but its physiological functions in normal adult brain are largely unknown. Using transgenic (tg) mice expressing a dominant-negative activin receptor mutant under the control of the CaMKIIalpha promoter in forebrain neurons, we identified activin as a key regulator of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic synapses and anxiety-like behavior. In the open field, wild-type (wt) and tg mice did not differ in spontaneous locomotion and exploration behavior. However, tg mice visited inner fields significantly more often than wt mice. In the light-dark exploration test, tg mice made more exits, spent significantly more time on a well-lit elevated bar and went farther away from the dark box as compared to wt mice. In addition, the anxiolytic effect of diazepam was abrogated in tg mice. Thus the disruption of activin receptor signaling produced a low-anxiety phenotype that failed to respond to benzodiazepines. In whole-cell recordings from hippocampal pyramidal cells, enhanced spontaneous GABA release, increased GABA tonus, reduced benzodiazepine sensitivity and augmented GABA(B) receptor function emerged as likely substrates of the low-anxiety phenotype. These data provide strong evidence that activin influences pre- and postsynaptic components of GABAergic synapses in a highly synergistic fashion. Given the crucial role of GABAergic neurotransmission in emotional states, anxiety and depression, dysfunctions of activin receptor signaling could be involved in affective disorders: and drugs affecting this pathway might show promise for psychopharmacological treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Zheng
- Institute of Physiology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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36
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Ellefsen S, Stensløkken KO, Fagernes CE, Kristensen TA, Nilsson GE. Expression of genes involved in GABAergic neurotransmission in anoxic crucian carp brain (Carassius carassius). Physiol Genomics 2009; 36:61-8. [DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.90301.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The crucian carp, Carassius carassius, survives days to months without oxygen, depending on temperature. In the anoxic crucian carp brain, increased GABAergic inhibition, mediated by increased extracellular levels of GABA, has been shown to suppress electric activity and ATP consumption. To investigate an involvement of gene expression in this response, we utilized real-time RT-PCR to test the effect of 1 and 7 days anoxia (8°C) on the expression of 22 genes, including nine GABAAreceptor subunits (α1–6, β2, δ, and γ2), three GABABreceptor subunits (GB1a-1b and GB2), three enzymes involved in GABA metabolism (GAD65 and GAD67, GABAT), four GABA transporters (GAT1, 2a-b and 3), two GABAAreceptor-associated proteins (GABARAP 1 and 2), and the K+/Cl−cotransporter KCC2. While the expression of GABAAreceptor subunits was dominated by α4-, α6-, and δ-subunits, all of which are located to extrasynaptic sites in mammalian brains and respond to elevations in extracellular levels of GABA by showing tonic activity patterns, the expression of GABA transporters was dominated by GAT2 (a and b) and GAT3, which also show extrasynaptic location in mammals. These expression patterns differ from those observed in mammals and may be a prerequisite for GABAergic inhibition of anoxic metabolic rate in crucian carp. Furthermore, while the expression of the majority of the genes was largely unaltered by anoxia, the expression of GAT2 and GAT3 decreased to 20%. This suggests impairment of GABA transport, which could be a mechanism behind the accumulation of extracellular GABA and the increased GABAergic inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stian Ellefsen
- Physiology Programme, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo
- Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer
| | | | - Cathrine E. Fagernes
- Physiology Programme, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo
| | - Tom A. Kristensen
- Gene Programme, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Göran E. Nilsson
- Physiology Programme, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo
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GABA Effects During Neuronal Differentiation of Stem Cells. Neurochem Res 2008; 33:1546-57. [DOI: 10.1007/s11064-008-9642-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2007] [Accepted: 02/21/2008] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Cheluja MG, Scolari MJ, Coelho TM, Blake MG, Boccia MM, Baratti CM, Acosta GB. l-serine and GABA uptake by synaptosomes during postnatal development of rat. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2007; 146:499-505. [PMID: 16481208 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2005.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2005] [Revised: 11/21/2005] [Accepted: 11/25/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Postnatal development changes in mechanisms of synaptosomal amino acid transport have been studied in rat cerebral cortex. Specific uptake of radiolabeled L-serine was examined and compared with that of radiolabeled GABA using synaptosomes-enriched fractions freshly prepared from cerebral cortex at different postnatal days from the birth to young adulthood. The preparations were incubated with 10 nM of [3H]L-serine and 10 nM of [3H]-GABA in either the presence or absence of NaCl, KCl or choline chloride, at 2 and 30 degrees C, for different periods up to 30 min. The uptake of [3H]l-serine was temperature dependent in synaptosomal fractions prepared from cerebral cortex of rats in postnatal days 5, 7, 13 and 21, but stronger dependence was observed in adult brain, irrespective of the presence of Na+, K+ or choline ions. At all postnatal ages studied, [3H]-GABA uptake showed a high activity in the presence of Na+ ions and at 30 degrees C. The values of Km were 90-489 microM in L-serine uptake. However, in the uptake of GABA the values of Km were 80-150 microM. The highest values of Vmax were obtained at 5 and 21 postnatal days for both transport systems. These results indicate that the uptake of l-serine and GABA are regulated differentially during postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gabriela Cheluja
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET-UBA), Junín 956. 5 piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Bak LK, Schousboe A, Waagepetersen HS. The glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle: aspects of transport, neurotransmitter homeostasis and ammonia transfer. J Neurochem 2006; 98:641-53. [PMID: 16787421 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03913.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 748] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neurons are metabolically handicapped in the sense that they are not able to perform de novo synthesis of neurotransmitter glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from glucose. A metabolite shuttle known as the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle describes the release of neurotransmitter glutamate or GABA from neurons and subsequent uptake into astrocytes. In return, astrocytes release glutamine to be taken up into neurons for use as neurotransmitter precursor. In this review, the basic properties of the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle will be discussed, including aspects of transport and metabolism. Discussions of stoichiometry, the relative role of glutamate vs. GABA and pathological conditions affecting the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycling are presented. Furthermore, a section is devoted to the accompanying ammonia homeostasis of the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle, examining the possible means of intercellular transfer of ammonia produced in neurons (when glutamine is deamidated to glutamate) and utilized in astrocytes (for amidation of glutamate) when the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle is operating. A main objective of this review is to endorse the view that the glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle must be seen as a bi-directional transfer of not only carbon units but also nitrogen units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse K Bak
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Kirmse K, Kirischuk S. Ambient GABA constrains the strength of GABAergic synapses at Cajal-Retzius cells in the developing visual cortex. J Neurosci 2006; 26:4216-27. [PMID: 16624942 PMCID: PMC6674013 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0589-06.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
At early stages of brain development, GABA plays a dual role. It fulfills important trophic functions and provides a major excitatory drive for the immature neuronal network. Here, we investigated whether GABA itself can limit the strength of excitatory GABAergic synapses on Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells in sagittal slices from the mouse visual cortex. (2S)-3-[[(1S)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]amino-2-hydroxypropyl](phenylmethyl)phosphinic acid (CGP55845), a specific GABAB receptor (GABABR) blocker, increased the frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ transients and spontaneous and miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) but did not affect mIPSC amplitudes or kinetics. CGP55845 significantly increased evoked IPSC (eIPSC) amplitudes and decreased the paired-pulse ratio (PPR). Baclofen, a specific GABABR agonist, produced opposite effects. The size of the readily releasable pool was not affected by these GABABR modulators. The same CGP55845 actions were observed at physiological temperatures, but they were abolished after glutamate decarboxylase block with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MP). These results indicate that presynaptic GABABRs dynamically regulate GABA release probability. SNAP-5114, a specific GABA transporter-2/3 (GAT-2/3) blocker, enhanced mIPSC frequencies, decreased PPR, and increased eIPSC amplitudes without changing eIPSC kinetics. These effects were blocked by CGP55845 and 3-MP. NO-711, a specific GAT-1 blocker, prolonged eIPSC decay and decreased eIPSC/mIPSC amplitudes. These NO-711-mediated effects were not sensitive to CGP55845 and 3-MP. We conclude that the strength of GABAergic inputs to CR cells is constrained by GABABRs that are persistently activated by ambient GABA. The latter is also provided by GAT-2/3 operating in the reversed mode. Presynaptic GAT-1 functions in the uptake mode and possibly provides GABA for presynaptic vesicle filling.
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Mullen GP, Mathews EA, Saxena P, Fields SD, McManus JR, Moulder G, Barstead RJ, Quick MW, Rand JB. The Caenorhabditis elegans snf-11 gene encodes a sodium-dependent GABA transporter required for clearance of synaptic GABA. Mol Biol Cell 2006; 17:3021-30. [PMID: 16641366 PMCID: PMC1483038 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e06-02-0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sodium-dependent neurotransmitter transporters participate in the clearance and/or recycling of neurotransmitters from synaptic clefts. The snf-11 gene in Caenorhabditis elegans encodes a protein of high similarity to mammalian GABA transporters (GATs). We show here that snf-11 encodes a functional GABA transporter; SNF-11-mediated GABA transport is Na+ and Cl- dependent, has an EC50 value of 168 microM, and is blocked by the GAT1 inhibitor SKF89976A. The SNF-11 protein is expressed in seven GABAergic neurons, several additional neurons in the head and retrovesicular ganglion, and three groups of muscle cells. Therefore, all GABAergic synapses are associated with either presynaptic or postsynaptic (or both) expression of SNF-11. Although a snf-11 null mutation has no obvious effects on GABAergic behaviors, it leads to resistance to inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase. In vivo, a snf-11 null mutation blocks GABA uptake in at least a subset of GABAergic cells; in a cell culture system, all GABA uptake is abolished by the snf-11 mutation. We conclude that GABA transport activity is not essential for normal GABAergic function in C. elegans and that the localization of SNF-11 is consistent with a GABA clearance function rather than recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P. Mullen
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
| | - Eleanor A. Mathews
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
| | - Paurush Saxena
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520
| | - Stephen D. Fields
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
| | - John R. McManus
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
| | - Gary Moulder
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
| | - Robert J. Barstead
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
| | - Michael W. Quick
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520
| | - James B. Rand
- *Program in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104; and
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Wu Q, Wada M, Shimada A, Yamamoto A, Fujita T. Functional characterization of Zn2(+)-sensitive GABA transporter expressed in primary cultures of astrocytes from rat cerebral cortex. Brain Res 2006; 1075:100-9. [PMID: 16466645 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.12.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2005] [Revised: 12/26/2005] [Accepted: 12/27/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian cerebral cortex, are regulated by specific high-affinity Na(+)/Cl(-) dependent transporters (GATs). GAT1 mainly expressed in cerebrocortical neurons is thought to play an important role for clearance of GABA in the extracellular fluid, whereas there is a little information available for pharmacological importance for astrocytic GABA transporters. In the present study, we therefore described the functional characterization of GABA transport in primary cultures of astrocytes from rat cerebral cortex and the identification of GABA transporter subtype(s). GABA transport was Na(+) and Cl(-) dependent and saturable with a Michaelis constant (K(t)) of 9.3+/-2.8 microM. Na(+)- and Cl(-)- activation kinetics revealed that the Na(+)-Cl(-)-to-GABA stoichiometry was 2:1:1 and concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-) necessary for half-maximal transport (K(0.5)(Na) and K(0.5)(Cl)) were 78+/-28 mM and 9.6+/-2.6 mM, respectively. Na(+)-dependent GABA transport was competitively inhibited by various GABA transport inhibitors, especially GAT2- or GAT3-selective inhibitor. In addition, Zn(2+), which has been reported to be a potent inhibitor of GAT3, was found to have a significantly but partially inhibitory effect on the Na(+)-dependent GABA transport in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that GAT2 and GAT3 are expressed in primary cultures of astrocytes. These results clearly showed that zinc is a useful reagent for separating GAT3 activity from GAT1- and GAT2-activities in CNS. To our knowledge, the present study represents the first report on the inhibitory effect of zinc on the Na(+)-dependent GABA transport in rat cerebrocortical astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wu
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Yamashina, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
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Keros S, Hablitz JJ. Subtype-Specific GABA Transporter Antagonists Synergistically Modulate Phasic and Tonic GABAA Conductances in Rat Neocortex. J Neurophysiol 2005; 94:2073-85. [PMID: 15987761 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00520.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic inhibition in the brain can be classified as either phasic or tonic. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake by GABA transporters (GATs) can limit the time course of phasic currents arising from endogenous and exogenous GABA, as well as decrease a tonically active GABA current. GABA transporter subtypes 1 and 3 (GAT-1 and GAT-3) are the most heavily expressed of the four known GAT subtypes. The role of GATs in shaping GABA currents in the neocortex has not been explored. We obtained patch-clamp recordings from layer II/III pyramidal cells and layer I interneurons in rat sensorimotor cortex. We found that selective GAT-1 inhibition with NO711 decreased the amplitude and increased the decay time of evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) but had no effect on the tonic current or spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs). GAT-2/3 inhibition with SNAP-5114 had no effect on IPSCs or the tonic current. Coapplication of NO711 and SNAP-5114 substantially increased tonic currents and synergistically decreased IPSC amplitudes and increased IPSC decay times. sIPSCs were not resolvable with coapplication of NO711 and SNAP-5114. The effects of the nonselective GAT antagonist nipecotic acid were similar to those of NO711 and SNAP-5114 together. We conclude that synaptic GABA levels in neocortical neurons are controlled primarily by GAT-1, but that GAT-1 and GAT-2/3 work together extrasynaptically to limit tonic currents. Inhibition of any one GAT subtype does not increase the tonic current, presumably as a result of increased activity of the remaining transporters. Thus neocortical GAT-1 and GAT-2/3 have distinct but overlapping roles in modulating GABA conductances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotirios Keros
- Department of Neurobiology and Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA
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Abstract
The role of GAT-3 transporters in regulating GABA(A) receptor-mediated inhibition was examined in the rat neocortex using an in vitro slice preparation. Pharmacologically isolated GABA(A) receptor-mediated responses were recorded from layer V neocortical pyramidal cells, and the effects of SNAP-5114, a GAT-3 GABA transporter-selective antagonist, were evaluated. Application of SNAP-5114 resulted in a reversible increase in the amplitude of an evoked GABA(A) response in most cells examined, although no effect on the decay time was observed. Examination of the spontaneous output of inhibitory interneurons revealed a reversible increase in the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory synaptic currents as a consequence of GAT-3 inhibition. This effect of GAT-3 inhibition on spontaneous inhibitory events was action potential-dependent because no such increases were observed when SNAP-5114 was applied in the presence of TTX. These results demonstrate that GAT-3 transporters regulate inhibitory interneuron output in the neocortex. The increase in inhibitory interneuron excitability resulting from application of SNAP-5114 suggests that inhibition of GAT-3 transporter function results in a reduction in ambient GABA levels, possibly by a reduction in carrier-mediated GABA release via the GAT-3 transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Kinney
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, 98104, USA.
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Pow DV, Sullivan RKP, Williams SM, Scott HL, Dodd PR, Finkelstein D. Differential expression of the GABA transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 in brains of rats, cats, monkeys and humans. Cell Tissue Res 2005; 320:379-92. [PMID: 15821932 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-004-0928-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2004] [Accepted: 05/25/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The homeostasis of GABA is critical to normal brain function. Extracellular levels of GABA are regulated mainly by plasmalemmal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters. Whereas the expression of GABA transporters has been extensively studied in rodents, validation of this data in other species, including humans, has been limited. As this information is crucial for our understanding of therapeutic options in human diseases such as epilepsy, we have compared, by immunocytochemistry, the distributions of the GABA transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 in rats, cats, monkeys and humans. We demonstrate subtle differences between the results reported in the literature and our results, such as the predominance of GAT-1 labelling in neurons rather than astrocytes in the rat cortex. We note that the optimal localisation of GAT-1 in cats, monkeys and humans requires the use of an antibody against the human sequence carboxyl terminal region of GAT-1 rather than against the slightly different rat sequence. We demonstrate that GAT-3 is localised mainly to astrocytes in hindbrain and midbrain regions of rat brains. However, in species such as cats, monkeys and humans, additional strong immunolabelling of oligodendrocytes has also been observed. We suggest that differences in GAT distribution, especially the expression of GAT-3 by oligodendrocytes in humans, must be accommodated in extrapolating rodent models of GABA homeostasis to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- David V Pow
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia.
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Schweigert ID, de Oliveira DL, Scheibel F, da Costa F, Wofchuk ST, Souza DO, Perry MLS. Gestational and postnatal malnutrition affects sensitivity of young rats to picrotoxin and quinolinic acid and uptake of GABA by cortical and hippocampal slices. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 2005; 154:177-85. [PMID: 15707671 DOI: 10.1016/j.devbrainres.2004.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2004] [Revised: 10/21/2004] [Accepted: 10/24/2004] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
It is widely known that a complex interaction between excitatory and inhibitory systems is required to support the adequate functioning of the brain and that significant alterations induced by early protein restriction are complex, involving many systems. Based on such assumptions, we investigated the effects of maternal protein restriction during pregnancy and lactation followed by offspring protein restriction on some GABAergic and glutamatergic parameters, which mediate inhibitory and excitatory transmission, respectively. The sensitivity of young malnourished rats to convulsant actions of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist picrotoxin (PCT; s.c.) and to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist quinolinic acid (QA; i.c.v) and also gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) and glutamate uptake by cortical and hippocampal slices were evaluated in P25 old rats. Early protein malnutrition induced higher sensitivity to picrotoxin, which could be associated with the observed higher GABA uptake by cortical, and hippocampal slices in malnourished rats. In contrast, we observed lower sensitivity to quinolinic acid in spite of unaltered glutamate uptake by the same cerebral structures. Picrotoxin enhanced GABA uptake in hippocampus in well- and malnourished rats; however, it did not affect cortical GABA uptake. Our data corroborate our previous report, showing that malnutrition depresses the glutamatergic activity, and point to altered modulation of GABAergic neurotransmission. Such findings allow us to speculate that malnutrition may affect the excitatory and inhibitory interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid D Schweigert
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 anexo, CEP 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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47
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Jelitai M, Madarasz E. The role of GABA in the early neuronal development. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2005; 71:27-62. [PMID: 16512345 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7742(05)71002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Jelitai
- Laboratory of Neural Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest
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Conti F, Minelli A, Melone M. GABA transporters in the mammalian cerebral cortex: localization, development and pathological implications. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 45:196-212. [PMID: 15210304 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2004] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian cerebral cortex, are regulated by specific high-affinity, Na+/Cl- dependent transporters. Four distinct genes encoding GABA transporters (GATs), named GAT-1, GAT-2, GAT-3, and BGT-1 have been identified using molecular cloning. Of these, GAT-1 and -3 are expressed in the cerebral cortex. Studies of the cortical distribution, cellular localization, ontogeny and relationships of GATs with GABA-releasing elements using a variety of light and electron microscopic immunocytochemical techniques have shown that: (i) a fraction of GATs is strategically placed to mediate GABA uptake at fast inhibitory synapses, terminating GABA's action and shaping inhibitory postsynaptic responses; (ii) another fraction may participate in functions such as the regulation of GABA's diffusion to neighboring synapses and of GABA levels in cerebrospinal fluid; (iii) GATs may play a role in the complex processes regulating cortical maturation; and (iv) GATs may contribute to the dysregulation of neuronal excitability that accompanies at least two major human diseases: epilepsy and ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorenzo Conti
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisiologia, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Tronto 10/A, Torrette di Ancona, I-60020 Ancona, Italy.
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Schousboe A, Sarup A, Bak LK, Waagepetersen HS, Larsson OM. Role of astrocytic transport processes in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Neurochem Int 2004; 45:521-7. [PMID: 15186918 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2003.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2003] [Accepted: 11/10/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The fine tuning of both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission is to a large extent dependent upon optimal function of astrocytic transport processes. Thus, glutamate transport in astrocytes is mandatory to maintain extrasynaptic glutamate levels sufficiently low to prevent excitotoxic neuronal damage. In GABA synapses hyperactivity of astroglial GABA uptake may lead to diminished GABAergic inhibitory activity resulting in seizures. As a consequence of this the expression and functional activity of astrocytic glutamate and GABA transport is regulated in a number of ways at transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels. This opens for a number of therapeutic strategies by which the efficacy of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission may be manipulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Schousboe
- Department of Pharmacology, The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Leal SM, Kumar N, Neckameyer WS. GABAergic modulation of motor-driven behaviors in juvenileDrosophila and evidence for a nonbehavioral role for GABA transport. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 61:189-208. [PMID: 15389689 DOI: 10.1002/neu.20061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We have identified specific GABAergic-modulated behaviors in the juvenile stage of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster via systemic treatment of second instar larvae with the potent GABA transport inhibitor DL-2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DABA). DABA significantly inhibited motor-controlled body wall and mouth hook contractions and impaired rollover activity and contractile responses to touch stimulation. The perturbations in locomotion and rollover activity were reminiscent of corresponding DABA-induced deficits in locomotion and the righting reflex observed in adult flies. The effects were specific to these motor-controlled behaviors, because DABA-treated larvae responded normally in olfaction and phototaxis assays. Recovery of these behaviors was achieved by cotreatment with the vertebrate GABA(A) receptor antagonist picrotoxin. Pharmacological studies performed in vitro with plasma membrane vesicles isolated from second instar larval tissues verified the presence of high-affinity, saturable GABA uptake mechanisms. GABA uptake was also detected in plasma membrane vesicles isolated from behaviorally quiescent stages. Competitive inhibition studies of [3H]-GABA uptake into plasma membrane vesicles from larval and pupal tissues with either unlabeled GABA or the transport inhibitors DABA, nipecotic acid, or valproic acid, revealed differences in affinities. GABAergic-modulation of motor behaviors is thus conserved between the larval and adult stages of Drosophila, as well as in mammals and other vertebrate species. The pharmacological studies reveal shared conservation of GABA transport mechanisms between Drosophila and mammals, and implicate the involvement of GABA and GABA transporters in regulating physiological processes distinct from neurotransmission during behaviorally quiescent stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M Leal
- Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63103, USA
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