Synaptotagmin IV determines the linear Ca2+ dependence of vesicle fusion at auditory ribbon synapses

AAV-mediated Gene Cocktails Enhance Supporting Cell Reprogramming and Hair Cell Regeneration

Mammalian cochlear hair cells (HCs) are essential for hearing, and damage to HCs results in severe hearing impairment. Damaged HCs can be regenerated by neighboring supporting cells (SCs), thus the functional regeneration of HCs is the main goal for the restoration of auditory function in vivo. Here, cochlear SC trans-differentiation into outer and inner HC by the induced expression of the key transcription factors Atoh1 and its co-regulators Gfi1, Pou4f3, and Six1 (GPAS), which are necessary for SCs that are destined for HC development and maturation via the AAV-ie targeting the inner ear stem cells are successfully achieved. Single-cell nuclear sequencing and lineaging tracing results showed that the majority of new Atoh1-derived HCs are in a state of initiating differentiation, while GP (Gfi1, Pou4f3) and GPS (Gfi1, Pou4f3, and Six1) enhanced the Atoh1-induced new HCs into inner and outer HCs. Moreover, the patch-clamp analysis indicated that newborn inner HCs induced by GPAS forced expression have similar electrophysiological characteristics to those of native inner HCs. Also, GPAS can induce HC regeneration in the HC-damaged mice model. In summary, the study demonstrates that AAV-mediated co-regulation of multiple genes, such as GPAS, is an effective means to achieve functional HC regeneration in the mouse cochlea.

Pleiotropic brain function of whirlin identified by a novel mutation

Despite some evidence indicating diverse roles of whirlin in neurons, the functional corollary of whirlin gene function and behavior has not been investigated or broadly characterized. A single nucleotide variant was identified from our recessive ENU-mutagenesis screen at a donor-splice site in whirlin, a protein critical for proper sensorineural hearing function. The mutation (head-bob, hb) led to partial intron-retention causing a frameshift and introducing a premature termination codon. Mutant mice had a head-bobbing phenotype and significant hyperactivity across several phenotyping tests. Lack of complementation of head-bob with whirler mutant mice confirmed the head-bob mutation as functionally distinct with compound mutants having a mild-moderate hearing defect. Utilizing transgenics, we demonstrate rescue of the hyperactive phenotype and combined with the expression profiling data conclude whirlin plays an essential role in activity-related behaviors. These results highlight a pleiotropic role of whirlin within the brain and implicate alternative, central mediated pathways in its function.

Amlodipine inhibits Synaptotagmin-4's oncogenic activity on gastric cancer proliferation by targeting calcium signaling

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality globally. Synaptotagmin-4 (SYT4), a calcium-sensing synaptic vesicle protein, has been implicated in the oncogenesis of diverse malignancies.

PURPOSE

This study delineates the role of SYT4 in modulating clinical outcomes and biological behaviors in GC.

METHODS

We evaluated SYT4 expression in GC specimens using bioinformatics analyses and immunohistochemistry. Functional assays included CCK8 proliferation tests, apoptosis assays via flow cytometry, confocal calcium imaging, and xenograft models. Western blotting elucidated MAPK pathway involvement. Additionally, we investigated the impact of the calcium channel blocker amlodipine on cellular dynamics and MAPK pathway activity.

RESULTS

SYT4 was higher in GC tissues, and the elevated SYT4 was significantly correlated with adverse prognosis. Both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed SYT4 as an independent prognostic indicator for GC. Functionally, SYT4 promoted tumorigenesis by fostering cellular proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, and enhancing intracellular Ca2+ influx, predominantly via MAPK pathway activation. Amlodipine pre-treatment attenuated SYT4-driven cell growth and potentiated apoptosis, corroborated by in vivo xenograft assessments. These effects were attributed to MAPK pathway suppression by amlodipine.

CONCLUSION

SYT4 emerges as a potential prognostic biomarker and a pro-oncogenic mediator in GC through a Ca2+-dependent MAPK mechanism. Amlodipine demonstrates significant antitumor effects against SYT4-driven GC, positing its therapeutic promise. This study underscores the imperative of targeting calcium signaling in GC treatment strategies.

Synaptotagmin-4 induces anhedonic responses to chronic stress via BDNF signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex

Stressful circumstances are significant contributors to mental illnesses such as major depressive disorder. Anhedonia, defined as loss of the ability to enjoy pleasure in pleasurable situations, including rewarding activities or social contexts, is considered a key symptom of depression. Although stress-induced depression is associated with anhedonia in humans and animals, the underlying molecular mechanisms of anhedonic responses remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that synaptotagmin-4 (SYT4), which is involved in the release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, is implicated in chronic stress-induced anhedonia. Employing chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), we evaluated two subpopulations of mice, susceptible (SUS, anhedonic) and resilient (RES, nonanhedonic), based on sucrose preference, which was strongly correlated with social reward. The FosTRAP (targeted recombination in active populations) system and optogenetic approach revealed that neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was significantly associated with CUS-induced anhedonic behavioral phenotypes. By conducting weighted gene coexpression network analysis of RNA sequencing data from the mPFC of SUS and RES mice, we identified Syt4 as a hub gene in a gene network that was unique to anhedonia. We also confirmed that Syt4 overexpression in the mPFC was pro-susceptible, while Syt4 knockdown was pro-resilient; the pro-susceptible effects of SYT4 were mediated through a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling in the mPFC. These findings suggest that SYT4-BDNF interactions in the mPFC represent a crucial regulatory mechanism of anhedonic susceptibility to chronic stress.

Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Composition of Glutamatergic Organelles of Auditory Inner Hair Cells

In the ear, inner hair cells (IHCs) employ sophisticated glutamatergic ribbon synapses with afferent neurons to transmit auditory information to the brain. The presynaptic machinery responsible for neurotransmitter release in IHC synapses includes proteins such as the multi-C2-domain protein otoferlin and the vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3). Yet, much of this likely unique molecular machinery remains to be deciphered. The scarcity of material has so far hampered biochemical studies which require large amounts of purified samples. We developed a subcellular fractionation workflow combined with immunoisolation of VGluT3-containing membrane vesicles, allowing for the enrichment of glutamatergic organelles that are likely dominated by synaptic vesicles (SVs) of IHCs. We have characterized their protein composition in mice before and after hearing onset using mass spectrometry and confocal imaging and provide a fully annotated proteome with hitherto unidentified proteins. Despite the prevalence of IHC marker proteins across IHC maturation, the profiles of trafficking proteins differed markedly before and after hearing onset. Among the proteins enriched after hearing onset were VAMP-7, syntaxin-7, syntaxin-8, syntaxin-12/13, SCAMP1, V-ATPase, SV2, and PKCα. Our study provides an inventory of the machinery associated with synaptic vesicle-mediated trafficking and presynaptic activity at IHC ribbon synapses and serves as a foundation for future functional studies.

Probing the role of the C2F domain of otoferlin

Afferent synapses of cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) employ a unique molecular machinery. Otoferlin is a key player in this machinery, and its genetic defects cause human auditory synaptopathy. We employed site-directed mutagenesis in mice to investigate the role of Ca2+ binding to the C2F domain of otoferlin. Substituting two aspartate residues of the C2F top loops, which are thought to coordinate Ca2+-ions, by alanines (OtofD1841/1842A) abolished Ca2+-influx-triggered IHC exocytosis and synchronous signaling in the auditory pathway despite substantial expression (~60%) of the mutant otoferlin in the basolateral IHC pole. Ca2+ influx of IHCs and their resting membrane capacitance, reflecting IHC size, as well as the number of IHC synapses were maintained. The mutant otoferlin showed a strong apex-to-base abundance gradient in IHCs, suggesting impaired protein targeting. Our results indicate a role of the C2F domain in otoferlin targeting and of Ca2+ binding by the C2F domain for IHC exocytosis and hearing.

Ca2+ regulation of glutamate release from inner hair cells of hearing mice

In our hearing organ, sound is encoded at ribbon synapses formed by inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). How the underlying synaptic vesicle (SV) release is controlled by Ca2+ in IHCs of hearing animals remained to be investigated. Here, we performed patch-clamp SGN recordings of the initial rate of release evoked by brief IHC Ca2+-influx in an ex vivo cochlear preparation from hearing mice. We aimed to closely mimic physiological conditions by perforated-patch recordings from IHCs kept at the physiological resting potential and at body temperature. We found release to relate supralinearly to Ca2+-influx (power, m: 4.3) when manipulating the [Ca2+] available for SV release by Zn2+-flicker-blocking of the single Ca2+-channel current. In contrast, a near linear Ca2+ dependence (m: 1.2 to 1.5) was observed when varying the number of open Ca2+-channels during deactivating Ca2+-currents and by dihydropyridine channel-inhibition. Concurrent changes of number and current of open Ca2+-channels over the range of physiological depolarizations revealed m: 1.8. These findings indicate that SV release requires ~4 Ca2+-ions to bind to their Ca2+-sensor of fusion. We interpret the near linear Ca2+-dependence of release during manipulations that change the number of open Ca2+-channels to reflect control of SV release by the high [Ca2+] in the Ca2+-nanodomain of one or few nearby Ca2+-channels. We propose that a combination of Ca2+ nanodomain control and supralinear intrinsic Ca2+-dependence of fusion optimally links SV release to the timing and amplitude of the IHC receptor potential and separates it from other IHC Ca2+-signals unrelated to afferent synaptic transmission.

AAV-mediated rescue of Eps8 expression in vivo restores hair-cell function in a mouse model of recessive deafness

The transduction of acoustic information by hair cells depends upon mechanosensitive stereociliary bundles that project from their apical surface. Mutations or absence of the stereociliary protein EPS8 cause deafness in humans and mice, respectively. Eps8 knockout mice (Eps8 -/- ) have hair cells with immature stereocilia and fail to become sensory receptors. Here, we show that exogenous delivery of Eps8 using Anc80L65 in P1-P2 Eps8 -/- mice in vivo rescued the hair bundle structure of apical-coil hair cells. Rescued hair bundles correctly localize EPS8, WHIRLIN, MYO15, and BAIAP2L2, and generate normal mechanoelectrical transducer currents. Inner hair cells with normal-looking stereocilia re-expressed adult-like basolateral ion channels (BK and KCNQ4) and have normal exocytosis. The number of hair cells undergoing full recovery was not sufficient to rescue hearing in Eps8 -/- mice. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-transduction of P3 apical-coil and P1-P2 basal-coil hair cells does not rescue hair cells, nor does Anc80L65-Eps8 delivery in adult Eps8 -/- mice. We propose that AAV-induced gene-base therapy is an efficient strategy to recover the complex hair-cell defects in Eps8 -/- mice. However, this therapeutic approach may need to be performed in utero since, at postnatal ages, Eps8 -/- hair cells appear to have matured or accumulated damage beyond the point of repair.

Signal transmission in mature mammalian vestibular hair cells

The maintenance of balance and gaze relies on the faithful and rapid signaling of head movements to the brain. In mammals, vestibular organs contain two types of sensory hair cells, type-I and type-II, which convert the head motion-induced movement of their hair bundles into a graded receptor potential that drives action potential activity in their afferent fibers. While signal transmission in both hair cell types involves Ca2+-dependent quantal release of glutamate at ribbon synapses, type-I cells appear to also exhibit a non-quantal mechanism that is believed to increase transmission speed. However, the reliance of mature type-I hair cells on non-quantal transmission remains unknown. Here we investigated synaptic transmission in mammalian utricular hair cells using patch-clamp recording of Ca2+ currents and changes in membrane capacitance (ΔCm). We found that mature type-II hair cells showed robust exocytosis with a high-order dependence on Ca2+ entry. By contrast, exocytosis was approximately 10 times smaller in type-I hair cells. Synaptic vesicle exocytosis was largely absent in mature vestibular hair cells of CaV1.3 (CaV1.3−/−) and otoferlin (Otof−/−) knockout mice. Even though Ca2+-dependent exocytosis was small in type-I hair cells of wild-type mice, or absent in CaV1.3−/− and Otof−/−mice, these cells were able to drive action potential activity in the postsynaptic calyces. This supports a functional role for non-quantal synaptic transmission in type-I cells. The large vesicle pools in type-II cells would facilitate sustained transmission of tonic or low-frequency signals. In type-I cells, the restricted vesicle pool size, together with a rapid non-quantal mechanism, could allow them to sustain high-frequency phasic signal transmission at their specialized large calyceal synapses.

Grxcr1 regulates hair bundle morphogenesis and is required for normal mechanoelectrical transduction in mouse cochlear hair cells

Tasmanian devil (tde) mice are deaf and exhibit circling behaviour. Sensory hair cells of mutants show disorganised hair bundles with abnormally thin stereocilia. The origin of this mutation is the insertion of a transgene which disrupts expression of the Grxcr1 (glutaredoxin cysteine rich 1) gene. We report here that Grxcr1 exons and transcript sequences are not affected by the transgene insertion in tde homozygous (tde/tde) mice. Furthermore, 5'RACE PCR experiments showed the presence of two different transcripts of the Grxcr1 gene, expressed in both tde/tde and in wild-type controls. However, quantitative analysis of Grxcr1 transcripts revealed a significantly decreased mRNA level in tde/tde mice. The key stereociliary proteins ESPN, MYO7A, EPS8 and PTPRQ were distributed in hair bundles of homozygous tde mutants in a similar pattern compared with control mice. We found that the abnormal morphology of the stereociliary bundle was associated with a reduction in the size and Ca2+-sensitivity of the mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) current. We propose that GRXCR1 is key for the normal growth of the stereociliary bundle prior to the onset of hearing, and in its absence hair cells are unable to mature into fully functional sensory receptors.

Implication of synaptotagmins 4 and 7 in activity-dependent somatodendritic dopamine release in the ventral midbrain

Dopamine (DA) neurons can release DA not just from axon terminals, but also from their somatodendritic (STD) compartment through a mechanism that is still incompletely understood. Using voltammetry in mouse mesencephalic brain slices, we find that STD DA release has low capacity and shows a calcium sensitivity that is comparable to that of axonal release. We find that the molecular mechanism of STD DA release differs from axonal release with regard to the implication of synaptotagmin (Syt) calcium sensors. While individual constitutive knockout of Syt4 or Syt7 is not sufficient to reduce STD DA release, the removal of both isoforms reduces this release by approximately 50%, leaving axonal release unimpaired. Our work unveils clear differences in the mechanisms of STD and axonal DA release.

A theory of synaptic transmission

Rapid and precise neuronal communication is enabled through a highly synchronous release of signaling molecules neurotransmitters within just milliseconds of the action potential. Yet neurotransmitter release lacks a theoretical framework that is both phenomenologically accurate and mechanistically realistic. Here, we present an analytic theory of the action-potential-triggered neurotransmitter release at the chemical synapse. The theory is demonstrated to be in detailed quantitative agreement with existing data on a wide variety of synapses from electrophysiological recordings in vivo and fluorescence experiments in vitro. Despite up to ten orders of magnitude of variation in the release rates among the synapses, the theory reveals that synaptic transmission obeys a simple, universal scaling law, which we confirm through a collapse of the data from strikingly diverse synapses onto a single master curve. This universality is complemented by the capacity of the theory to readily extract, through a fit to the data, the kinetic and energetic parameters that uniquely identify each synapse. The theory provides a means to detect cooperativity among the SNARE complexes that mediate vesicle fusion and reveals such cooperativity in several existing data sets. The theory is further applied to establish connections between molecular constituents of synapses and synaptic function. The theory allows competing hypotheses of short-term plasticity to be tested and identifies the regimes where particular mechanisms of synaptic facilitation dominate or, conversely, fail to account for the existing data for the paired-pulse ratio. The derived trade-off relation between the transmission rate and fidelity shows how transmission failure can be controlled by changing the microscopic properties of the vesicle pool and SNARE complexes. The established condition for the maximal synaptic efficacy reveals that no fine tuning is needed for certain synapses to maintain near-optimal transmission. We discuss the limitations of the theory and propose possible routes to extend it. These results provide a quantitative basis for the notion that the molecular-level properties of synapses are crucial determinants of the computational and information-processing functions in synaptic transmission.

Impaired Hearing and Altered Subplate Circuits During the First and Second Postnatal Weeks of Otoferlin-Deficient Mice

Sensory deprivation from the periphery impacts cortical development. Otoferlin deficiency leads to impaired cochlear synaptic transmission and is associated with progressive hearing loss in adults. However, it remains elusive how sensory deprivation due to otoferlin deficiency impacts the early development of the auditory cortex (ACX) especially before the onset of low threshold hearing. To test that, we performed in vivo imaging of the ACX in awake mice lacking otoferlin (Otof-/-) during the first and second postnatal weeks and found that spontaneous and sound-driven cortical activity were progressively impaired. We then characterized the effects on developing auditory cortical circuits by performing in vitro recordings from subplate neurons (SPN), the first primary targets of thalamocortical inputs. We found that in Otof-/- pups, SPNs received exuberant connections from excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Moreover, as a population, SPNs showed higher similarity with respect to their circuit topology in the absence of otoferlin. Together, our results show that otoferlin deficiency results in impaired hearing and has a powerful influence on cortical connections and spontaneous activity in early development even before complete deafness. Therefore, peripheral activity has the potential to sculpt cortical structures from the earliest ages, even before hearing impairment is diagnosed.

Noise Exposure Potentiates Exocytosis From Cochlear Inner Hair Cells

Noise-induced hearing loss has gained relevance as one of the most common forms of hearing impairment. The anatomical correlates of hearing loss, principally cell damage and/or death, are relatively well-understood histologically. However, much less is known about the physiological aspects of damaged, surviving cells. Here we addressed the functional consequences of noise exposure on the capacity of inner hair cells (IHCs) to release synaptic vesicles at synapses with spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Mice of either sex at postnatal day (P) 15–16 were exposed to 1–12 kHz noise at 120 dB sound pressure level (SPL), for 1 h. Exocytosis was measured by tracking changes in membrane capacitance (ΔCm) from IHCs of the apical cochlea. Upon IHC depolarization to different membrane potentials, ΔC_m showed the typical bell-shaped curve that mirrors the voltage dependence of Ca²⁺ influx, in both exposed and unexposed cells. Surprisingly, from IHCs at 1-day after exposure (d.a.e.), we found potentiation of exocytosis at the peak of the bell-shaped curve. The increase in exocytosis was not accompanied by changes in whole-cell Ca²⁺ influx, suggesting a modification in coupling between Ca²⁺ channels and synaptic vesicles. Consistent with this notion, noise exposure also changed the Ca²⁺-dependence of exocytosis from linear to supralinear. Noise exposure did not cause loss of IHCs, but did result in a small reduction in the number of IHC-SGN synapses at 1-d.a.e. which recovered by 14-d.a.e. In contrast, a strong reduction in auditory brainstem response wave-I amplitude (representing synchronous firing of SGNs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (reflecting outer hair cell function) indicated a profound hearing loss at 1- and 14-d.a.e. To determine the role of glutamate release in the noise-induced potentiation of exocytosis, we evaluated vesicular glutamate transporter-3 (Vglut3) knock-out (KO) mice. Unlike WT, IHCs from Vglut3^KO mice showed a noise-induced reduction in ΔC_m and Ca²⁺ influx with no change in the Ca²⁺-dependence of exocytosis. Together, these results indicate that traumatic noise exposure triggers changes of IHC synaptic function including a Vglut3-dependent potentiation of exocytosis.

Calcium dependence of neurotransmitter release at a high fidelity synapse

The Ca²⁺-dependence of the priming, fusion, and replenishment of synaptic vesicles are fundamental parameters controlling neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Despite intense efforts, these important steps in the synaptic vesicles’ cycle remain poorly understood due to the technical challenge in disentangling vesicle priming, fusion, and replenishment. Here, we investigated the Ca²⁺-sensitivity of these steps at mossy fiber synapses in the rodent cerebellum, which are characterized by fast vesicle replenishment mediating high-frequency signaling. We found that the basal free Ca²⁺ concentration (<200 nM) critically controls action potential-evoked release, indicating a high-affinity Ca²⁺ sensor for vesicle priming. Ca²⁺ uncaging experiments revealed a surprisingly shallow and non-saturating relationship between release rate and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration up to 50 μM. The rate of vesicle replenishment during sustained elevated intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration exhibited little Ca²⁺-dependence. Finally, quantitative mechanistic release schemes with five Ca²⁺ binding steps incorporating rapid vesicle replenishment via parallel or sequential vesicle pools could explain our data. We thus show that co-existing high- and low-affinity Ca²⁺ sensors mediate priming, fusion, and replenishment of synaptic vesicles at a high-fidelity synapse.

Neuronal development in the cochlea of a nonhuman primate model, the common marmoset

Precise cochlear neuronal development is vital to hearing ability. Understanding the developmental process of the spiral ganglion is useful for studying hearing loss aimed at aging or regenerative therapy. Although interspecies differences have been reported between rodents and humans, to date, most of our knowledge about the development of cochlear neuronal development has been obtained from rodent models because of the difficulty in using human fetal samples in this field. In this study, we investigated cochlear neuronal development in a small New World monkey species, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). We examined more than 25 genes involved in the neuronal development of the cochlea and described the critical developmental steps of these neurons. We also revealed similarities and differences between previously reported rodent models and this primate animal model. Our results clarified that this animal model of cochlear neuronal development is more similar to humans than rodents and is suitable as an alternative for the analysis of human cochlear development. The time course established in this report will be a useful tool for studying primate‐specific neuronal biology of the inner ear, which could eventually lead to new treatment strategies for human hearing loss.

Sensory adaptation at ribbon synapses in the zebrafish lateral line

Adaptation is used by sensory systems to adjust continuously their sensitivity to match changes in environmental stimuli. In the auditory and vestibular systems, the release properties of glutamate-containing vesicles at the hair-cell ribbon synapses play a crucial role in sensory adaptation, thus shaping the neural response to sustained stimulation. How ribbon synapses regulate the release of glutamate and how they modulate afferent responses in vivo is still largely unknown. Here, we have used two-photon imaging and electrophysiology to investigate the synaptic transfer characteristics of the hair cells in the context of sensory adaptation in live zebrafish. Prolonged and repeated water-jet stimulation of the hair-cell stereociliary bundles caused adaptation of the action potential firing rate elicited in the afferent neurons. By monitoring glutamate at ribbon synapses using time-lapse imaging, we identified two kinetically distinct release components: a rapid response that was exhausted within 50-100 ms and a slower and sustained response lasting the entire stimulation. After repeated stimulations, the recovery of the fast component followed a biphasic time course. Depression of glutamate release was largely responsible for the rapid firing rate adaptation recorded in the afferent neurons. However, postsynaptic Ca²⁺ responses had a slower recovery time course than that of glutamate release, indicating that they are also likely to contribute to the afferent firing adaptation. Hair cells also exhibited a form of adaptation during inhibitory bundle stimulations. We conclude that hair cells have optimised their synaptic machinery to encode prolonged stimuli and to maintain their sensitivity to new incoming stimuli.

Quantitative Fluorescent in situ Hybridization Reveals Differential Transcription Profile Sharpening of Endocytic Proteins in Cochlear Hair Cells Upon Maturation

The organ of Corti (OC) comprises two types of sensory cells: outer hair cells (OHCs) and inner hair cells (IHCs). While both are mechanotransducers, OHCs serve as cochlear amplifiers, whereas IHCs transform sound into transmitter release. Reliable sound encoding is ensured by indefatigable exocytosis of synaptic vesicles associated with efficient replenishment of the vesicle pool. Vesicle reformation requires retrieval of vesicle membrane from the hair cell’s membrane via endocytosis. So far, the protein machinery for endocytosis in pre-mature and terminally differentiated hair cells has only partially been deciphered. Here, we studied three endocytic proteins, dynamin-1, dynamin-3, and endophilin-A1, by assessing their transcription profiles in pre-mature and mature mouse OCs. State-of-the-art RNAscope^® fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of whole-mount OCs was used for quantification of target mRNAs on single-cell level. We found that pre-mature IHCs contained more mRNA transcripts of dnm1 (encoding dynamin-1) and sh3gl2 (endophilin-A1), but less of dnm3 (dynamin-3) than OHCs. These differential transcription profiles between OHCs and IHCs were sharpened upon maturation. It is noteworthy that low but heterogeneous signal numbers were found between individual negative controls, which highlights the importance of corresponding analyses in RNAscope^® assays. Complementary immunolabeling revealed strong expression of dynamin-1 in the soma of mature IHCs, which was much weaker in pre-mature IHCs. By contrast, dynamin-3 was predominantly found in the soma and at the border of the cuticular plates of pre-mature and mature OHCs. In summary, using quantitative RNAscope^® FISH and immunohistochemistry on whole-mount tissue of both pre-mature and mature OCs, we disclosed the cellular upregulation of endocytic proteins at the level of transcription/translation during terminal differentiation of the OC. Dynamin-1 and endophilin-A1 likely contribute to the strengthening of the endocytic machinery in IHCs after the onset of hearing, whereas expression of dynamin-3 at the cuticular plate of pre-mature and mature OHCs suggests its possible involvement in activity-independent apical endocytosis.

Molecular Assembly and Structural Plasticity of Sensory Ribbon Synapses-A Presynaptic Perspective

In the mammalian cochlea, specialized ribbon-type synapses between sensory inner hair cells (IHCs) and postsynaptic spiral ganglion neurons ensure the temporal precision and indefatigability of synaptic sound encoding. These high-through-put synapses are presynaptically characterized by an electron-dense projection-the synaptic ribbon-which provides structural scaffolding and tethers a large pool of synaptic vesicles. While advances have been made in recent years in deciphering the molecular anatomy and function of these specialized active zones, the developmental assembly of this presynaptic interaction hub remains largely elusive. In this review, we discuss the dynamic nature of IHC (pre-) synaptogenesis and highlight molecular key players as well as the transport pathways underlying this process. Since developmental assembly appears to be a highly dynamic process, we further ask if this structural plasticity might be maintained into adulthood, how this may influence the functional properties of a given IHC synapse and how such plasticity could be regulated on the molecular level. To do so, we take a closer look at other ribbon-bearing systems, such as retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes and aim to infer conserved mechanisms that may mediate these phenomena.

Pathophysiological changes in inner hair cell ribbon synapses in the ageing mammalian cochlea

KEY POINTS

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is associated with the loss of inner hair cell (IHC) ribbon synapses, lower hearing sensitivity and decreased ability to understand speech, especially in a noisy environment. Little is known about the age-related physiological and morphological changes that occur at ribbon synapses. We show that the differing degrees of ARHL in four selected mouse stains is correlated with the loss of ribbon synapses, being most severe for the strains C57BL/6NTac and C57BL/6J, less so for C57BL/6NTac^Cdh23+ -Repaired and lowest for C3H/HeJ. Despite the loss of ribbon synapses with age, the volume of the remaining ribbons increased and the size and kinetics of Ca²⁺ -dependent exocytosis in IHCs was unaffected, indicating the presence of a previously unknown degree of functional compensation at ribbon synapses. Although the age-related morphological changes at IHC ribbon synapses contribute to the different progression of ARHL, without the observed functional compensation hearing loss could be greater.

ABSTRACT

Mammalian cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) are specialized sensory receptors able to provide dynamic coding of sound signals. This ability is largely conferred by their ribbon synapses, which tether a large number of vesicles at the IHC's presynaptic active zones, allowing high rates of sustained synaptic transmission onto the afferent fibres. How the physiological and morphological properties of ribbon synapses change with age remains largely unknown. Here, we have investigated the biophysical and morphological properties of IHC ribbon synapses in the ageing cochlea (9-12 kHz region) of four mouse strains commonly used in hearing research: early-onset progressive hearing loss (C57BL/6J and C57BL/6NTac) and 'good hearing' strains (C57BL/6NTac^Cdh23+ and C3H/HeJ). We found that with age, both modiolar and pillar sides of the IHC exhibited a loss of ribbons, but there was an increased volume of those that remained. These morphological changes, which only occurred after 6 months of age, were correlated with the level of hearing loss in the different mouse strains, being most severe for C57BL/6NTac and C57BL/6J, less so for C57BL/6NTac^Cdh23+ and absent for C3H/HeJ strains. Despite the age-related reduction in ribbon number in three of the four strains, the size and kinetics of Ca²⁺ -dependent exocytosis, as well as the replenishment of synaptic vesicles, in IHCs was not affected. The degree of vesicle release at the fewer, but larger, individual remaining ribbon synapses colocalized with the post-synaptic afferent terminals is likely to increase, indicating the presence of a previously unknown degree of functional compensation in the ageing mouse cochlea.

Exocytosis in mouse vestibular Type II hair cells shows a high-order Ca2+ dependence that is independent of synaptotagmin-4

Mature hair cells transduce information over a wide range of stimulus intensities and frequencies for prolonged periods of time. The efficiency of such a demanding task is reflected in the characteristics of exocytosis at their specialized presynaptic ribbons. Ribbons are electron-dense structures able to tether a large number of releasable vesicles allowing them to maintain high rates of vesicle release. Calcium entry through rapidly activating, non-inactivating CaV 1.3 (L-type) Ca2+ channels in response to cell depolarization causes a local increase in Ca2+ at the ribbon synapses, which is detected by the exocytotic Ca2+ sensors. The Ca2+ dependence of vesicle exocytosis at mammalian vestibular hair cell (VHC) ribbon synapses is believed to be linear, similar to that observed in mature cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs). The linear relation has been shown to correlate with the presence of the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin-4 (Syt-4). Therefore, we studied the exocytotic Ca2+ dependence, and the release kinetics of different vesicle pool populations, in Type II VHCs of control and Syt-4 knockout mice using patch-clamp capacitance measurements, under physiological recording conditions. We found that exocytosis in mature control and knockout Type II VHCs displayed a high-order dependence on Ca2+ entry, rather than the linear relation previously observed. Consistent with this finding, the Ca2+ dependence and release kinetics of the ready releasable pool (RRP) of vesicles were not affected by an absence of Syt-4. However, we did find that Syt-4 could play a role in regulating the release of the secondary releasable pool (SRP) in these cells. Our findings show that the coupling between Ca2+ influx and neurotransmitter release at mature Type II VHC ribbon synapses is faithfully described by a nonlinear relation that is likely to be more appropriate for the accurate encoding of low-frequency vestibular information, consistent with that observed at low-frequency mammalian auditory receptors.

Functions of Vertebrate Ferlins

Ferlins are multiple-C2-domain proteins involved in Ca²⁺-triggered membrane dynamics within the secretory, endocytic and lysosomal pathways. In bony vertebrates there are six ferlin genes encoding, in humans, dysferlin, otoferlin, myoferlin, Fer1L5 and 6 and the long noncoding RNA Fer1L4. Mutations in DYSF (dysferlin) can cause a range of muscle diseases with various clinical manifestations collectively known as dysferlinopathies, including limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) and Miyoshi myopathy. A mutation in MYOF (myoferlin) was linked to a muscular dystrophy accompanied by cardiomyopathy. Mutations in OTOF (otoferlin) can be the cause of nonsyndromic deafness DFNB9. Dysregulated expression of any human ferlin may be associated with development of cancer. This review provides a detailed description of functions of the vertebrate ferlins with a focus on muscle ferlins and discusses the mechanisms leading to disease development.

Sensory Processing at Ribbon Synapses in the Retina and the Cochlea

In recent years, sensory neuroscientists have made major efforts to dissect the structure and function of ribbon synapses which process sensory information in the eye and ear. This review aims to summarize our current understanding of two key aspects of ribbon synapses: 1) their mechanisms of exocytosis and endocytosis and 2) their molecular anatomy and physiology. Our comparison of ribbon synapses in the cochlea and the retina reveals convergent signaling mechanisms, as well as divergent strategies in different sensory systems.

RBP2 stabilizes slow Cav1.3 Ca2+ channel inactivation properties of cochlear inner hair cells

Cav1.3 L-type Ca²⁺ channels (LTCCs) in cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) are essential for hearing as they convert sound-induced graded receptor potentials into tonic postsynaptic glutamate release. To enable fast and indefatigable presynaptic Ca²⁺ signaling, IHC Cav1.3 channels exhibit a negative activation voltage range and uniquely slow inactivation kinetics. Interaction with CaM-like Ca²⁺-binding proteins inhibits Ca²⁺-dependent inactivation, while the mechanisms underlying slow voltage-dependent inactivation (VDI) are not completely understood. Here we studied if the complex formation of Cav1.3 LTCCs with the presynaptic active zone proteins RIM2α and RIM-binding protein 2 (RBP2) can stabilize slow VDI. We detected both RIM2α and RBP isoforms in adult mouse IHCs, where they co-localized with Cav1.3 and synaptic ribbons. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings (tsA-201 cells), we assessed their effect on the VDI of the C-terminal full-length Cav1.3 (Cav1.3_L) and a short splice variant (Cav1.3_42A) that lacks the C-terminal RBP2 interaction site. When co-expressed with the auxiliary β3 subunit, RIM2α alone (Cav1.3_42A) or RIM2α/RBP2 (Cav1.3_L) reduced Cav1.3 VDI to a similar extent as observed in IHCs. Membrane-anchored β2 variants (β2a, β2e) that inhibit inactivation on their own allowed no further modulation of inactivation kinetics by RIM2α/RBP2. Moreover, association with RIM2α and/or RBP2 consolidated the negative Cav1.3 voltage operating range by shifting the channel's activation threshold toward more hyperpolarized potentials. Taken together, the association with "slow" β subunits (β2a, β2e) or presynaptic scaffolding proteins such as RIM2α and RBP2 stabilizes physiological gating properties of IHC Cav1.3 LTCCs in a splice variant-dependent manner ensuring proper IHC function.

Hair Cell Afferent Synapses: Function and Dysfunction

To provide a meaningful representation of the auditory landscape, mammalian cochlear hair cells are optimized to detect sounds over an incredibly broad range of frequencies and intensities with unparalleled accuracy. This ability is largely conferred by specialized ribbon synapses that continuously transmit acoustic information with high fidelity and sub-millisecond precision to the afferent dendrites of the spiral ganglion neurons. To achieve this extraordinary task, ribbon synapses employ a unique combination of molecules and mechanisms that are tailored to sounds of different frequencies. Here we review the current understanding of how the hair cell's presynaptic machinery and its postsynaptic afferent connections are formed, how they mature, and how their function is adapted for an accurate perception of sound.

Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin-1 mediates exocytosis in mammalian photoreceptors

To encode light-dependent changes in membrane potential, rod and cone photoreceptors utilize synaptic ribbons to sustain continuous exocytosis while making rapid, fine adjustments to release rate. Release kinetics are shaped by vesicle delivery down ribbons and by properties of exocytotic Ca2+ sensors. We tested the role for synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) in photoreceptor exocytosis by using novel mouse lines in which Syt1 was conditionally removed from rods or cones. Photoreceptors lacking Syt1 exhibited marked reductions in exocytosis as measured by electroretinography and single-cell recordings. Syt1 mediated all evoked release in cones, whereas rods appeared capable of some slow Syt1-independent release. Spontaneous release frequency was unchanged in cones but increased in rods lacking Syt1. Loss of Syt1 did not alter synaptic anatomy or reduce Ca2+ currents. These results suggest that Syt1 mediates both phasic and tonic release at photoreceptor synapses, revealing unexpected flexibility in the ability of Syt1 to regulate Ca2+-dependent synaptic transmission.

Synaptotagmins: Beyond Presynaptic Neurotransmitter Release

Synaptotagmins (Syts) are well-established primary Ca²⁺ sensors to initiate presynaptic neurotransmitter release. They also play critical roles in the docking, priming, and fusion steps of exocytosis, as well as the tightly coupled exo-endocytosis, in presynapses. A recent study by Awasthi and others (2019) shows that Syt3 Ca²⁺-dependently modulates the postsynaptic receptor endocytosis and thereby promotes the long-term depression (LTD) and the decay of long-term potentiation (LTP). This work highlights the importance of Syt3 in modulating long-term synaptic plasticity and, importantly, extends the function of Syt proteins from presynaptic neurotransmitter release to a new promising postsynaptic receptor internalization.

Phase Locking of Auditory-Nerve Fibers Reveals Stereotyped Distortions and an Exponential Transfer Function with a Level-Dependent Slope

Phase locking of auditory-nerve-fiber (ANF) responses to the fine structure of acoustic stimuli is a hallmark of the auditory system's temporal precision and is important for many aspects of hearing. Period histograms from phase-locked ANF responses to low-frequency tones exhibit spike-rate and temporal asymmetries, but otherwise retain an approximately sinusoidal shape as stimulus level increases, even beyond the level at which the mean spike rate saturates. This is intriguing because apical cochlear mechanical vibrations show little compression, and mechanoelectrical transduction in the receptor cells is thought to obey a static sigmoidal nonlinearity, which might be expected to produce peak clipping at moderate and high stimulus levels. Here we analyze phase-locked responses of ANFs from cats of both sexes. We show that the lack of peak clipping is due neither to ANF refractoriness nor to spike-rate adaptation on time scales longer than the stimulus period. We demonstrate that the relationship between instantaneous pressure and instantaneous rate is well described by an exponential function whose slope decreases with increasing stimulus level. Relatively stereotyped harmonic distortions in the input to the exponential can account for the temporal asymmetry of the period histograms, including peak splitting. We show that the model accounts for published membrane-potential waveforms when assuming a power-of-three, but not a power-of-one, relationship to exocytosis. Finally, we demonstrate the relationship between the exponential transfer functions and the sigmoidal pseudotransducer functions obtained in the literature by plotting the maxima and minima of the voltage responses against the maxima and minima of the stimuli.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Phase locking of auditory-nerve-fiber responses to the temporal fine structure of acoustic stimuli is important for many aspects of hearing, but the mechanisms underlying phase locking are not fully understood. Intriguingly, period histograms retain an approximately sinusoidal shape across sound levels, even when the mean rate has saturated. We find that neither refractoriness nor spike-rate adaptation is responsible for this behavior. Instead, the peripheral auditory system operates as though it contains an exponential transfer function whose slope changes with stimulus level. The underlying mechanism is distinct from the comparatively weak cochlear mechanical compression in the cochlear apex, and likely resides in the receptor cells.

Dissecting Molecular and Circuit Mechanisms for Inhibition and Delayed Response of ASI Neurons during Nociceptive Stimulus

The mechanisms by which off-response neurons stay quiescent during stimulation are largely unknown. Here, we dissect underlying molecular and circuit mechanisms for the inhibition of off-response ASI neurons during nociceptive Cu²⁺ stimulation. ASIs are inhibited in parallel by sensory neurons ASER, ADFs, and ASHs. ASER activates RIC interneurons that release octopamine (OA) to inhibit ASIs through SER-3 and SER-6 receptors. ADFs release 5-HT that acts on the SER-1 receptor to activate RICs and subsequently inhibit ASIs. Furthermore, it is an inherent property of ASIs that only a delayed on response is evoked by Cu²⁺ stimulation even when all inhibitory neurons are silenced. Ectopic expression of the ion channel OCR-2, which functions synergistically with OSM-9, in the cilia of ASIs can induce an immediate on response of ASIs upon Cu²⁺ stimulation. Our findings elucidate the molecular and circuit mechanisms regulating fundamental properties of ASIs, including their inhibition and delayed response.

Gene Co-expression Analysis Indicates Potential Pathways and Regulators of Beef Tenderness in Nellore Cattle

Beef tenderness, a complex trait affected by many factors, is economically important to beef quality, industry, and consumer’s palatability. In this study, RNA-Seq was used in network analysis to better understand the biological processes that lead to differences in beef tenderness. Skeletal muscle transcriptional profiles from 24 Nellore steers, selected by extreme estimated breeding values (EBVs) for shear force after 14 days of aging, were analyzed and 22 differentially expressed transcripts were identified. Among these were genes encoding ribosomal proteins, glutathione transporter ATP-binding cassette, sub-family C (CFTR/MRP), member 4 (ABCC4), and synaptotagmin IV (SYT4). Complementary co-expression analyses using Partial Correlation with Information Theory (PCIT), Phenotypic Impact Factor (PIF) and the Regulatory Impact Factor (RIF) methods identified candidate regulators and related pathways. The PCIT analysis identified ubiquitin specific peptidase 2 (USP2), growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (GBR10), anoctamin 1 (ANO1), and transmembrane BAX inhibitor motif containing 4 (TMBIM4) as the most differentially hubbed (DH) transcripts. The transcripts that had a significant correlation with USP2, GBR10, ANO1, and TMBIM4 enriched for proteasome KEGG pathway. RIF analysis identified microRNAs as candidate regulators of variation in tenderness, including bta-mir-133a-2 and bta-mir-22. Both microRNAs have target genes present in the calcium signaling pathway and apoptosis. PIF analysis identified myoglobin (MB), enolase 3 (ENO3), and carbonic anhydrase 3 (CA3) as potentially having fundamental roles in tenderness. Pathways identified in our study impacted in beef tenderness included: calcium signaling, apoptosis, and proteolysis. These findings underscore some of the complex molecular mechanisms that control beef tenderness in Nellore cattle.

Transmission Disrupted: Modeling Auditory Synaptopathy in Zebrafish

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form of hearing loss in humans, and results from either dysfunction in hair cells, the sensory receptors of sound, or the neurons that innervate hair cells. A specific type of sensorineural hearing loss, referred to as auditory synaptopathy, occurs when hair cells are able to detect sound but fail to transmit sound stimuli at the hair-cell synapse. Auditory synaptopathy can originate from genetic alterations that specifically disrupt hair-cell synapse function. Additionally, environmental factors such as noise exposure can leave hair cells intact but result in loss of hair-cell synapses, and represent an acquired form of auditory synaptopathy. The zebrafish model has emerged as a valuable system for studies of hair-cell function, and specifically hair-cell synaptopathy. In this review, we describe the experimental tools that have been developed to study hair-cell synapses in zebrafish. We discuss how zebrafish genetics has helped identify and define the roles of hair-cell synaptic proteins crucial for hearing in humans, and highlight how studies in zebrafish have contributed to our understanding of hair-cell synapse formation and function. In addition, we also discuss work that has used noise exposure or pharmacological mimic of noise-induced excitotoxicity in zebrafish to define cellular mechanisms underlying noise-induced hair-cell damage and synapse loss. Lastly, we highlight how future studies in zebrafish could enhance our understanding of the pathological processes underlying synapse loss in both genetic and acquired auditory synaptopathy. This knowledge is critical in order to develop therapies that protect or repair auditory synaptic contacts.

Synaptotagmin 4 Regulates Pancreatic β Cell Maturation by Modulating the Ca2+ Sensitivity of Insulin Secretion Vesicles

Islet β cells from newborn mammals exhibit high basal insulin secretion and poor glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Here we show that β cells of newborns secrete more insulin than adults in response to similar intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, suggesting differences in the Ca2+ sensitivity of insulin secretion. Synaptotagmin 4 (Syt4), a non-Ca2+ binding paralog of the β cell Ca2+ sensor Syt7, increased by ∼8-fold during β cell maturation. Syt4 ablation increased basal insulin secretion and compromised GSIS. Precocious Syt4 expression repressed basal insulin secretion but also impaired islet morphogenesis and GSIS. Syt4 was localized on insulin granules and Syt4 levels inversely related to the number of readily releasable vesicles. Thus, transcriptional regulation of Syt4 affects insulin secretion; Syt4 expression is regulated in part by Myt transcription factors, which repress Syt4 transcription. Finally, human SYT4 regulated GSIS in EndoC-βH1 cells, a human β cell line. These findings reveal the role that altered Ca2+ sensing plays in regulating β cell maturation.

Levetiracetam Affects Differentially Presynaptic Proteins in Rat Cerebral Cortex

Presynaptic proteins are potential therapeutic targets for epilepsy and other neurological diseases. We tested the hypothesis that chronic treatment with the SV2A ligand levetiracetam affects the expression of other presynaptic proteins. Results showed that in rat neocortex no significant difference was detected in SV2A protein levels in levetiracetam treated animals compared to controls, whereas levetiracetam post-transcriptionally decreased several vesicular proteins and increased LRRK2, without any change in mRNA levels. Analysis of SV2A interactome indicates that the presynaptic proteins regulation induced by levetiracetam reported here is mediated by this interactome, and suggests that LRRK2 plays a role in forging the pattern of effects.

Otoferlin acts as a Ca2+ sensor for vesicle fusion and vesicle pool replenishment at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses

Hearing relies on rapid, temporally precise, and sustained neurotransmitter release at the ribbon synapses of sensory cells, the inner hair cells (IHCs). This process requires otoferlin, a six C2-domain, Ca2+-binding transmembrane protein of synaptic vesicles. To decipher the role of otoferlin in the synaptic vesicle cycle, we produced knock-in mice (OtofAla515,Ala517/Ala515,Ala517) with lower Ca2+-binding affinity of the C2C domain. The IHC ribbon synapse structure, synaptic Ca2+ currents, and otoferlin distribution were unaffected in these mutant mice, but auditory brainstem response wave-I amplitude was reduced. Lower Ca2+ sensitivity and delay of the fast and sustained components of synaptic exocytosis were revealed by membrane capacitance measurement upon modulations of intracellular Ca2+ concentration, by varying Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+-channels or Ca2+ uncaging. Otoferlin thus functions as a Ca2+ sensor, setting the rates of primed vesicle fusion with the presynaptic plasma membrane and synaptic vesicle pool replenishment in the IHC active zone.

Connexin-Mediated Signaling in Nonsensory Cells Is Crucial for the Development of Sensory Inner Hair Cells in the Mouse Cochlea

Mutations in the genes encoding for gap junction proteins connexin 26 (Cx26) and connexin 30 (Cx30) have been linked to syndromic and nonsyndromic hearing loss in mice and humans. The release of ATP from connexin hemichannels in cochlear nonsensory cells has been proposed to be the main trigger for action potential activity in immature sensory inner hair cells (IHCs), which is crucial for the refinement of the developing auditory circuitry. Using connexin knock-out mice, we show that IHCs fire spontaneous action potentials even in the absence of ATP-dependent intercellular Ca²⁺ signaling in the nonsensory cells. However, this signaling from nonsensory cells was able to increase the intrinsic IHC firing frequency. We also found that connexin expression is key to IHC functional maturation. In Cx26 conditional knock-out mice (Cx26^Sox10-Cre), the maturation of IHCs, which normally occurs at approximately postnatal day 12, was partially prevented. Although Cx30 has been shown not to be required for hearing in young adult mice, IHCs from Cx30 knock-out mice exhibited a comprehensive brake in their development, such that their basolateral membrane currents and synaptic machinery retain a prehearing phenotype. We propose that IHC functional differentiation into mature sensory receptors is initiated in the prehearing cochlea provided that the expression of either connexin reaches a threshold level. As such, connexins regulate one of the most crucial functional refinements in the mammalian cochlea, the disruption of which contributes to the deafness phenotype observed in mice and DFNB1 patients.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The correct development and function of the mammalian cochlea relies not only on the sensory hair cells, but also on the surrounding nonsensory cells. Although the nonsensory cells have been largely implicated in the general homeostasis in the mature cochlea, their involvement in the initial functional differentiation of the sensory inner hair cells is less clear. Using mutant mouse models for the most common form of congenital deafness in humans, which are knock-outs for the gap-junction channels connexin 26 and connexin 30 genes, we show that defects in nonsensory cells prevented the functional maturation of inner hair cells. In connexin knock-outs, inner hair cells remained stuck at a prehearing stage of development and, as such, are unable to process sound information.

Dynamin regulates the fusion pore of endo- and exocytotic vesicles as revealed by membrane capacitance measurements

BACKGROUND

Dynamin is a multidomain GTPase exhibiting mechanochemical and catalytic properties involved in vesicle scission from the plasmalemma during endocytosis. New evidence indicates that dynamin is also involved in exocytotic release of catecholamines, suggesting the existence of a dynamin-regulated structure that couples endo- to exocytosis.

METHODS

Thus we here employed high-resolution cell-attached capacitance measurements and super-resolution structured illumination microscopy to directly examine single vesicle interactions with the plasmalemma in cultured rat astrocytes treated with distinct pharmacological modulators of dynamin activity. Fluorescent dextrans and the lipophilic plasmalemmal marker DiD were utilized to monitor uptake and distribution of vesicles in the peri-plasmalemmal space and in the cell cytosol.

RESULTS

Dynamin inhibition with Dynole™-34-2 and Dyngo™-4a prevented vesicle internalization into the cytosol and decreased fusion pore conductance of vesicles that remained attached to the plasmalemma via a narrow fusion pore that lapsed into a state of repetitive opening and closing - flickering. In contrast, the dynamin activator Ryngo™-1-23 promoted vesicle internalization and favored fusion pore closure by prolonging closed and shortening open fusion pore dwell times. Immunocytochemical staining revealed dextran uptake into dynamin-positive vesicles and increased dextran uptake into Syt4- and VAMP2-positive vesicles after dynamin inhibition, indicating prolonged retention of these vesicles at the plasmalemma.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results have provided direct evidence for a role of dynamin in regulation of fusion pore geometry and kinetics of endo- and exocytotic vesicles, indicating that both share a common dynamin-regulated structural intermediate, the fusion pore.

The Coupling between Ca2+ Channels and the Exocytotic Ca2+ Sensor at Hair Cell Ribbon Synapses Varies Tonotopically along the Mature Cochlea

The cochlea processes auditory signals over a wide range of frequencies and intensities. However, the transfer characteristics at hair cell ribbon synapses are still poorly understood at different frequency locations along the cochlea. Using recordings from mature gerbils, we report here a surprisingly strong block of exocytosis by the slow Ca²⁺ buffer EGTA (10 mM) in basal hair cells tuned to high frequencies (∼30 kHz). In addition, using recordings from gerbil, mouse, and bullfrog auditory organs, we find that the spatial coupling between Ca²⁺ influx and exocytosis changes from nanodomain in low-frequency tuned hair cells (∼<2 kHz) to progressively more microdomain in high-frequency cells (∼>2 kHz). Hair cell synapses have thus developed remarkable frequency-dependent tuning of exocytosis: accurate low-latency encoding of onset and offset of sound intensity in the cochlea's base and submillisecond encoding of membrane receptor potential fluctuations in the apex for precise phase-locking to sound signals. We also found that synaptic vesicle pool recovery from depletion was sensitive to high concentrations of EGTA, suggesting that intracellular Ca²⁺ buffers play an important role in vesicle recruitment in both low- and high-frequency hair cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that microdomain coupling is important for exocytosis in high-frequency hair cells, suggesting a novel hypothesis for why these cells are more susceptible to sound-induced damage than low-frequency cells; high-frequency inner hair cells must have a low Ca²⁺ buffer capacity to sustain exocytosis, thus making them more prone to Ca²⁺-induced cytotoxicity.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the inner ear, sensory hair cells signal reception of sound. They do this by converting the sound-induced movement of their hair bundles present at the top of these cells, into an electrical current. This current depolarizes the hair cell and triggers the calcium-induced release of the neurotransmitter glutamate that activates the postsynaptic auditory fibers. The speed and precision of this process enables the brain to perceive the vital components of sound, such as frequency and intensity. We show that the coupling strength between calcium channels and the exocytosis calcium sensor at inner hair cell synapses changes along the mammalian cochlea such that the timing and/or intensity of sound is encoded with high precision.

The structural and functional evidence for vesicular release from astrocytes in situ

The concept of the tripartite synapse states that bi-directional signalling between perisynaptic astrocyte processes, presynaptic axonal boutons and postsynaptic neuronal structures defines the properties of synaptic information processing. Ca²⁺-dependent vesicular release from astrocytes, as one of the mechanisms of astrocyte-neuron communication, has attracted particular attention but has also been the subject of intense debate. In neurons, regulated vesicular release is a strongly coordinated process. It requires a complex release machinery comprised of many individual components ranging from vesicular neurotransmitter transporters and soluble NSF attachment protein receptors (SNARE) proteins to Ca²⁺-sensors and the proteins that spatially and temporally control exocytosis of synaptic vesicles. If astrocytes employ similar mechanisms to release neurotransmitters is less well understood. The aim of this review is therefore to discuss recent experimental evidence that sheds light on the central structural components responsible for vesicular release from astrocytes in situ.

New insights into cochlear sound encoding

The inner ear uses specialized synapses to indefatigably transmit sound information from hair cells to spiral ganglion neurons at high rates with submillisecond precision. The emerging view is that hair cell synapses achieve their demanding function by employing an unconventional presynaptic molecular composition. Hair cell active zones hold the synaptic ribbon, an electron-dense projection made primarily of RIBEYE, which tethers a halo of synaptic vesicles and is thought to enable a large readily releasable pool of vesicles and to contribute to its rapid replenishment. Another important presynaptic player is otoferlin, coded by a deafness gene, which assumes a multi-faceted role in vesicular exocytosis and, when disrupted, causes auditory synaptopathy. A functional peculiarity of hair cell synapses is the massive heterogeneity in the sizes and shapes of excitatory postsynaptic currents. Currently, there is controversy as to whether this reflects multiquantal release with a variable extent of synchronization or uniquantal release through a dynamic fusion pore. Another important question in the field has been the precise mechanisms of coupling presynaptic Ca ²⁺ channels and vesicular Ca ²⁺ sensors. This commentary provides an update on the current understanding of sound encoding in the cochlea with a focus on presynaptic mechanisms.

Absence of Neuroplastin-65 Affects Synaptogenesis in Mouse Inner Hair Cells and Causes Profound Hearing Loss

The Neuroplastin gene encodes two synapse-enriched protein isoforms, Np55 and Np65, which are transmembrane glycoproteins that regulate several cellular processes, including the genesis, maintenance, and plasticity of synapses. We found that an absence of Np65 causes early-onset sensorineural hearing loss and prevented the normal synaptogenesis in inner hair cells (IHCs) in the newly identified mouse mutant pitch. In wild-type mice, Np65 is strongly upregulated in the cochlea from around postnatal day 12 (P12), which corresponds to the onset of hearing. Np65 was specifically localized at the presynaptic region of IHCs. We found that the colocalization of presynaptic IHC ribbons and postsynaptic afferent terminals is greatly reduced in pitch mutants. Moreover, IHC exocytosis is also reduced with mutant mice showing lower rates of vesicle release. Np65 appears to have a nonessential role in vision. We propose that Np65, by regulating IHC synaptogenesis, is critical for auditory function in mammals.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

In the mammalian cochlea, the sensory inner hair cells (IHCs) encode auditory information. They do this by converting sound wave-induced mechanical motion of their hair bundles into an electrical current. This current generates a receptor potential that controls release of glutamate neurotransmitter from their ribbon synapses onto the auditory afferent fiber. We show that the synapse-enriched protein Np65, encoded by the Neuroplastin gene, is localized at the IHC presynaptic region. In mutant mice, absence of Np65 causes early-onset sensorineural hearing loss and prevents normal neurotransmitter release in IHCs and colocalization of presynaptic ribbons with postsynaptic afferents. We identified Neuroplastin as a novel deafness gene required for ribbon synapse formation and function, which is critical for sound perception in mammals.

Wbp2 is required for normal glutamatergic synapses in the cochlea and is crucial for hearing

WBP2 encodes the WW domain-binding protein 2 that acts as a transcriptional coactivator for estrogen receptor α (ESR1) and progesterone receptor (PGR). We reported that the loss of Wbp2 expression leads to progressive high-frequency hearing loss in mouse, as well as in two deaf children, each carrying two different variants in the WBP2 gene. The earliest abnormality we detect in Wbp2-deficient mice is a primary defect at inner hair cell afferent synapses. This study defines a new gene involved in the molecular pathway linking hearing impairment to hormonal signalling and provides new therapeutic targets.

The zebrafish pinball wizard gene encodes WRB, a tail-anchored-protein receptor essential for inner-ear hair cells and retinal photoreceptors

KEY POINTS

The zebrafish pinball wizard (pwi) mutant is deaf and blind. The pwi phenotype includes a reduced auditory startle response and reduced visual evoked potentials, suggesting fatigue of synaptic release at ribbon synapses in hair cells and photoreceptors. The gene defective in the pwi mutant is WRB, a protein homologous to the yeast protein Get1, which is involved in the insertion of 'tail-anchored' membrane proteins. Many tail-anchored proteins are associated with synaptic vesicles, and both vesicles and synaptic ribbons are reduced in synaptic regions of hair cells in pwi. Abnormal processing of synaptic vesicle proteins important for ribbon synapses can explain the pwi phenotype.

ABSTRACT

In a large-scale zebrafish insertional mutagenesis screen, we identified the pinball wizard (pwi) line, which displays a deafness and blindness phenotype. Although the gross morphology and structure of the pwi larval inner ear was near normal, acoustic startle stimuli evoked smaller postsynaptic responses in afferent neurons, which rapidly fatigued. In the retina, similarly, an abnormal electroretinogram suggested reduced transmission at the photoreceptor ribbon synapse. A functional deficit in these specialized synapses was further supported by a reduction of synaptic marker proteins Rab3 and cysteine-string protein (CSP/Dnajc5) in hair cells and photoreceptors, as well as by a reduction of the number of both ribbons and vesicles surrounding the ribbons in hair cells. The pwi gene encodes a homologue of the yeast Get1 and human tryptophan-rich basic (WRB) proteins, which are receptors for membrane insertion of tail-anchored (TA) proteins. We identified more than 100 TA proteins expressed in hair cells, including many synaptic proteins. The expression of synaptobrevin and syntaxin 3, TA proteins essential for vesicle fusion, was reduced in the synaptic layers of mutant retina, consistent with a role for the pwi/WRB protein in TA-protein processing. The WRB protein was located near the apical domain and the ribbons in hair cells, and in the inner segment and the axon of the photoreceptor, consistent with a role in vesicle biogenesis or trafficking. Taken together, our results suggest that WRB plays a critical role in synaptic functions in these two sensory cells, and that disrupted processing of synaptic vesicle TA proteins explains much of the mutant phenotype.

Synaptotagmin-11 inhibits clathrin-mediated and bulk endocytosis

Precise and efficient endocytosis is essential for vesicle recycling during a sustained neurotransmission. The regulation of endocytosis has been extensively studied, but inhibitors have rarely been found. Here, we show that synaptotagmin-11 (Syt11), a non-Ca(2+)-binding Syt implicated in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) and bulk endocytosis in dorsal root ganglion neurons. The frequency of both types of endocytic event increases in Syt11 knockdown neurons, while the sizes of endocytosed vesicles and the kinetics of individual bulk endocytotic events remain unaffected. Specifically, clathrin-coated pits and bulk endocytosis-like structures increase on the plasma membrane in Syt11-knockdown neurons. Structural-functional analysis reveals distinct domain requirements for Syt11 function in CME and bulk endocytosis. Importantly, Syt11 also inhibits endocytosis in hippocampal neurons, implying a general role of Syt11 in neurons. Taken together, we propose that Syt11 functions to ensure precision in vesicle retrieval, mainly by limiting the sites of membrane invagination at the early stage of endocytosis.

Injured astrocytes are repaired by Synaptotagmin XI-regulated lysosome exocytosis

Astrocytes are known to facilitate repair following brain injury; however, little is known about how injured astrocytes repair themselves. Repair of cell membrane injury requires Ca(2+)-triggered vesicle exocytosis. In astrocytes, lysosomes are the main Ca(2+)-regulated exocytic vesicles. Here we show that astrocyte cell membrane injury results in a large and rapid calcium increase. This triggers robust lysosome exocytosis where the fusing lysosomes release all luminal contents and merge fully with the plasma membrane. In contrast to this, receptor stimulation produces a small sustained calcium increase, which is associated with partial release of the lysosomal luminal content, and the lysosome membrane does not merge into the plasma membrane. In most cells, lysosomes express the synaptotagmin (Syt) isoform Syt VII; however, this isoform is not present on astrocyte lysosomes and exogenous expression of Syt VII on lysosome inhibits their exocytosis. Deletion of one of the most abundant Syt isoform in astrocyte--Syt XI--suppresses astrocyte lysosome exocytosis. This identifies lysosome as Syt XI-regulated exocytic vesicle in astrocytes. Further, inhibition of lysosome exocytosis (by Syt XI depletion or Syt VII expression) prevents repair of injured astrocytes. These results identify the lysosomes and Syt XI as the sub-cellular and molecular regulators, respectively of astrocyte cell membrane repair.

Synaptic studies inform the functional diversity of cochlear afferents

Type I and type II cochlear afferents differ markedly in number, morphology and innervation pattern. The predominant type I afferents transmit the elemental features of acoustic information to the central nervous system. Excitation of these large diameter myelinated neurons occurs at a single ribbon synapse of a single inner hair cell. This solitary transmission point depends on efficient vesicular release that can produce large, rapid, suprathreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials. In contrast, the many fewer, thinner, unmyelinated type II afferents cross the tunnel of Corti, turning basally for hundreds of microns to form contacts with ten or more outer hair cells. Although each type II afferent is postsynaptic to many outer hair cells, transmission from each occurs by the infrequent release of single vesicles, producing receptor potentials of only a few millivolts. Analysis of membrane properties and the site of spike initiation suggest that the type II afferent could be activated only if all its presynaptic outer hair cells were maximally stimulated. Thus, the details of synaptic transfer inform the functional distinctions between type I and type II afferents. High efficiency transmission across the inner hair cell's ribbon synapse supports detailed analyses of the acoustic world. The much sparser transfer from outer hair cells to type II afferents implies that these could respond only to the loudest, sustained sounds, consistent with previous reports from in vivo recordings. However, type II afferents could be excited additionally by ATP released during acoustic stress of cochlear tissues.

Molecularly and structurally distinct synapses mediate reliable encoding and processing of auditory information

Hearing impairment is the most common human sensory deficit. Considering the sophisticated anatomy and physiology of the auditory system, disease-related failures frequently occur. To meet the demands of the neuronal circuits responsible for processing auditory information, the synapses of the lower auditory pathway are anatomically and functionally specialized to process acoustic information indefatigably with utmost temporal precision. Despite sharing some functional properties, the afferent synapses of the cochlea and of auditory brainstem differ greatly in their morphology and employ distinct molecular mechanisms for regulating synaptic vesicle release. Calyceal synapses of the endbulb of Held and the calyx of Held profit from a large number of release sites that project onto one principal cell. Cochlear inner hair cell ribbon synapses exhibit a unique one-to-one relation of the presynaptic active zone to the postsynaptic cell and use hair-cell-specific proteins such as otoferlin for vesicle release. The understanding of the molecular physiology of the hair cell ribbon synapse has been advanced by human genetics studies of sensorineural hearing impairment, revealing human auditory synaptopathy as a new nosological entity.

Specific synaptopathies diversify brain responses and hearing disorders: you lose the gain from early life

Before hearing onset, inner hair cell (IHC) maturation proceeds under the influence of spontaneous Ca(2+) action potentials (APs). The temporal signature of the IHC Ca(2+) AP is modified through an efferent cholinergic feedback from the medial olivocochlear bundle (MOC) and drives the IHC pre- and post-synapse phenotype towards low spontaneous (spike) rate (SR), high-threshold characteristics. With sensory experience, the IHC pre- and post-synapse phenotype matures towards the instruction of low-SR, high-threshold and of high-SR, low-threshold auditory fiber characteristics. Corticosteroid feedback together with local brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF) and catecholaminergic neurotransmitters (dopamine) might be essential for this developmental step. In this review, we address the question of whether the control of low-SR and high-SR fiber characteristics is linked to various degrees of vulnerability of auditory fibers in the mature system. In particular, we examine several IHC synaptopathies in the context of various hearing disorders and exemplified shortfalls before and after hearing onset.

Elementary properties of Ca(2+) channels and their influence on multivesicular release and phase-locking at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses

Voltage-gated calcium (Ca_v1.3) channels in mammalian inner hair cells (IHCs) open in response to sound and the resulting Ca²⁺ entry triggers the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate onto afferent terminals. At low to mid sound frequencies cell depolarization follows the sound sinusoid and pulses of transmitter release from the hair cell generate excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in the afferent fiber that translate into a phase-locked pattern of action potential activity. The present article summarizes our current understanding on the elementary properties of single IHC Ca²⁺ channels, and how these could have functional implications for certain, poorly understood, features of synaptic transmission at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.

Implementation of linear sensory signaling via multiple coordinated mechanisms at central vestibular nerve synapses

Signal transfer in neural circuits is dynamically modified by the recent history of neuronal activity. Short-term plasticity endows synapses with nonlinear transmission properties, yet synapses in sensory and motor circuits are capable of signaling linearly over a wide range of presynaptic firing rates. How do such synapses achieve rate-invariant transmission despite history-dependent nonlinearities? Here, ultrastructural, biophysical, and computational analyses demonstrate that concerted molecular, anatomical, and physiological refinements are required for central vestibular nerve synapses to linearly transmit rate-coded sensory signals. Vestibular synapses operate in a physiological regime of steady-state depression imposed by tonic firing. Rate-invariant transmission relies on brief presynaptic action potentials that delimit calcium influx, large pools of rapidly mobilized vesicles, multiple low-probability release sites, robust postsynaptic receptor sensitivity, and efficient transmitter clearance. Broadband linear synaptic filtering of head motion signals is thus achieved by coordinately tuned synaptic machinery that maintains physiological operation within inherent cell biological limitations.