1
|
Reshetniak S, Bogaciu CA, Bonn S, Brose N, Cooper BH, D'Este E, Fauth M, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Fiosins M, Fischer A, Georgiev SV, Jakobs S, Klumpp S, Köster S, Lange F, Lipstein N, Macarrón-Palacios V, Milovanovic D, Moser T, Müller M, Opazo F, Outeiro TF, Pape C, Priesemann V, Rehling P, Salditt T, Schlüter O, Simeth N, Steinem C, Tchumatchenko T, Tetzlaff C, Tirard M, Urlaub H, Wichmann C, Wolf F, Rizzoli SO. The synaptic vesicle cluster as a controller of pre- and postsynaptic structure and function. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 39367860 DOI: 10.1113/jp286400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The synaptic vesicle cluster (SVC) is an essential component of chemical synapses, which provides neurotransmitter-loaded vesicles during synaptic activity, at the same time as also controlling the local concentrations of numerous exo- and endocytosis cofactors. In addition, the SVC hosts molecules that participate in other aspects of synaptic function, from cytoskeletal components to adhesion proteins, and affects the location and function of organelles such as mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. We argue here that these features extend the functional involvement of the SVC in synapse formation, signalling and plasticity, as well as synapse stabilization and metabolism. We also propose that changes in the size of the SVC coalesce with changes in the postsynaptic compartment, supporting the interplay between pre- and postsynaptic dynamics. Thereby, the SVC could be seen as an 'all-in-one' regulator of synaptic structure and function, which should be investigated in more detail, to reveal molecular mechanisms that control synaptic function and heterogeneity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofiia Reshetniak
- Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology and Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cristian A Bogaciu
- Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology and Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Bonn
- Institute of Medical Systems Biology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nils Brose
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin H Cooper
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Elisa D'Este
- Optical Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Fauth
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Faculty of Physics, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maksims Fiosins
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - André Fischer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Svilen V Georgiev
- Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology and Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Jakobs
- Research Group Structure and Dynamics of Mitochondria, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Klumpp
- Theoretical Biophysics Group, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Köster
- Institute for X-Ray Physics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Felix Lange
- Research Group Structure and Dynamics of Mitochondria, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Noa Lipstein
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Dragomir Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Felipe Opazo
- Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology and Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Constantin Pape
- Institute of Computer Science, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Viola Priesemann
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Faculty of Physics, Institute for the Dynamics of Complex Systems, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, Göttingen, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Am Fassberg 17, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Rehling
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tim Salditt
- Institute for X-Ray Physics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schlüter
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nadja Simeth
- Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Steinem
- Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tatjana Tchumatchenko
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Tetzlaff
- Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology and Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marilyn Tirard
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carolin Wichmann
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen and Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Silvio O Rizzoli
- Institute for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology and Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) Center, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Medeiros AT, Gratz SJ, Delgado A, Ritt JT, O'Connor-Giles KM. Ca 2+ channel and active zone protein abundance intersects with input-specific synapse organization to shape functional synaptic diversity. eLife 2024; 12:RP88412. [PMID: 39291956 PMCID: PMC11410372 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88412] [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] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic heterogeneity is a hallmark of nervous systems that enables complex and adaptable communication in neural circuits. To understand circuit function, it is thus critical to determine the factors that contribute to the functional diversity of synapses. We investigated the contributions of voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) abundance, spatial organization, and subunit composition to synapse diversity among and between synapses formed by two closely related Drosophila glutamatergic motor neurons with distinct neurotransmitter release probabilities (Pr). Surprisingly, VGCC levels are highly predictive of heterogeneous Pr among individual synapses of either low- or high-Pr inputs, but not between inputs. We find that the same number of VGCCs are more densely organized at high-Pr synapses, consistent with tighter VGCC-synaptic vesicle coupling. We generated endogenously tagged lines to investigate VGCC subunits in vivo and found that the α2δ-3 subunit Straightjacket along with the CAST/ELKS active zone (AZ) protein Bruchpilot, both key regulators of VGCCs, are less abundant at high-Pr inputs, yet positively correlate with Pr among synapses formed by either input. Consistently, both Straightjacket and Bruchpilot levels are dynamically increased across AZs of both inputs when neurotransmitter release is potentiated to maintain stable communication following glutamate receptor inhibition. Together, these findings suggest a model in which VGCC and AZ protein abundance intersects with input-specific spatial and molecular organization to shape the functional diversity of synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Audrey T Medeiros
- Neuroscience Graduate Training Program, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Scott J Gratz
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Ambar Delgado
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Jason T Ritt
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, United States
| | - Kate M O'Connor-Giles
- Neuroscience Graduate Training Program, Brown University, Providence, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, United States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chien C, He K, Perry S, Tchitchkan E, Han Y, Li X, Dickman D. Distinct input-specific mechanisms enable presynaptic homeostatic plasticity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.10.612361. [PMID: 39314403 PMCID: PMC11419068 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.10.612361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Synapses are endowed with the flexibility to change through experience, but must be sufficiently stable to last a lifetime. This tension is illustrated at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ), where two motor inputs that differ in structural and functional properties co-innervate most muscles to coordinate locomotion. To stabilize NMJ activity, motor neurons augment neurotransmitter release following diminished postsynaptic glutamate receptor functionality, termed presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP). How these distinct inputs contribute to PHP plasticity remains enigmatic. We have used a botulinum neurotoxin to selectively silence each input and resolve their roles in PHP, demonstrating that PHP is input-specific: Chronic (genetic) PHP selectively targets the tonic MN-Ib, where active zone remodeling enhances Ca2+ influx to promote increased glutamate release. In contrast, acute (pharmacological) PHP selectively increases vesicle pools to potentiate phasic MN-Is. Thus, distinct homeostatic modulations in active zone nanoarchitecture, vesicle pools, and Ca2+ influx collaborate to enable input-specific PHP expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun Chien
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
- USC Neuroscience Graduate Program
| | - Kaikai He
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
- USC Neuroscience Graduate Program
| | - Sarah Perry
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Elizabeth Tchitchkan
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Yifu Han
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
- USC Neuroscience Graduate Program
| | - Xiling Li
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
- USC Neuroscience Graduate Program
| | - Dion Dickman
- University of Southern California, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Emperador-Melero J, Andersen JW, Metzbower SR, Levy AD, Dharmasri PA, de Nola G, Blanpied TA, Kaeser PS. Distinct active zone protein machineries mediate Ca 2+ channel clustering and vesicle priming at hippocampal synapses. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1680-1694. [PMID: 39160372 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01720-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Action potentials trigger neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic active zone with spatiotemporal precision. This is supported by protein machinery that mediates synaptic vesicle priming and clustering of CaV2 Ca2+ channels nearby. One model posits that scaffolding proteins directly tether vesicles to CaV2s; however, here we find that at mouse hippocampal synapses, CaV2 clustering and vesicle priming are executed by separate machineries. CaV2 nanoclusters are positioned at variable distances from those of the priming protein Munc13. The active zone organizer RIM anchors both proteins but distinct interaction motifs independently execute these functions. In transfected cells, Liprin-α and RIM form co-assemblies that are separate from CaV2-organizing complexes. At synapses, Liprin-α1-Liprin-α4 knockout impairs vesicle priming but not CaV2 clustering. The cell adhesion protein PTPσ recruits Liprin-α, RIM and Munc13 into priming complexes without co-clustering CaV2s. We conclude that active zones consist of distinct machineries to organize CaV2s and prime vesicles, and Liprin-α and PTPσ specifically support priming site assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah R Metzbower
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aaron D Levy
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Poorna A Dharmasri
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Giovanni de Nola
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas A Blanpied
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pascal S Kaeser
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen X, Bao Y, Sun G, Wang X, Zhu J. UNC13B regulates the sensitivity of Wilms' tumor cells to doxorubicin by modulating lysosomes. Oncol Lett 2024; 28:446. [PMID: 39091580 PMCID: PMC11292464 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Wilms' tumor is a malignant neoplasm where current medical advancements have significantly improved survival rates; however, challenges persist such as the resistance of the tumor to chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin. This necessitates higher dosages, leading to decreased sensitivity. However, using high doses of doxorubicin can have late effects on the heart. Unc-13 homolog B (UNC13B) may be involved in the drug resistance in several tumors, yet its role in modulating drug sensitivity in Wilms' tumor remains unexplored. UNC13B levels were quantified using reverse transcription-qPCR and Western blotting. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration for doxorubicin, vincristine, and actinomycin-D was determined using CCK-8 assays. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry, and lysosomal changes were observed using Lyso-Tracker staining. The present study initially evaluated UNC13B expression levels in the Wilms' tumor 17.94 cell line. Additionally, through short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown, changes in doxorubicin sensitivity in 17.94 Wilms' tumor cells were assessed. Concurrently, preliminary investigations into the role of UNC13B in regulating lysosomes was performed, revealing a significant positive association between UNC13B levels and lysosome formation in the 17.94 cell line. Lysosomes likely serve a role in the sensitivity of Wilms' tumor cell lines to drugs. Elevated UNC13B expression was observed in the 17.94 Wilms' tumor cell line compared to normal kidney cells. UNC13B knockdown also resulted in increased apoptosis levels upon doxorubicin treatment. Immunofluorescence revealed UNC13B localization within cellular vesicles, and its knockdown significantly decreased lysosome levels. Overall, the findings of the present study demonstrate that UNC13B regulates the sensitivity of the Wilms' tumor 17.94 cell line to doxorubicin by modulating lysosome formation within cells. The results suggest that UNC13B is likely an enriched target involved in lysosomal regulation in certain tumors, offering a new approach for optimizing chemotherapy in Wilms' tumor and other cancers with high UNC13B expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Neonatology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Yingying Bao
- Department of Neonatology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Ge Sun
- Department of Neonatology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, P.R. China
| | - Jiajun Zhu
- Department of Neonatology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li J, Zhan Z, Li Y, Sun Y, Zhou T, Xu K. Chromosome-level genome assembly of a deep-sea Venus flytrap sea anemone sheds light upon adaptations to an extremely oligotrophic environment. Mol Ecol 2024:e17504. [PMID: 39166453 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The Venus flytrap sea anemone Actinoscyphia liui inhabits the nutrient-limited deep ocean in the tropical western Pacific. Compared with most other sea anemones, it has undergone a distinct modification of body shape similar to that of the botanic flytrap. However, the molecular mechanism by which such a peculiar sea anemone adapts to a deep-sea oligotrophic environment is unknown. Here, we report the chromosomal-level genome of A. liui constructed from PacBio and Hi-C data. The assembled genome is 522 Mb in size and exhibits a continuous scaffold N50 of 58.4 Mb. Different from most other sea anemones, which typically possess 14-18 chromosomes per haplotype, A. liui has only 11. The reduced number of chromosomes is associated with chromosome fusion, which likely represents an adaptive strategy to economize energy in oligotrophic deep-sea environments. Comparative analysis with other deep-sea sea anemones revealed adaptive evolution in genes related to cellular autophagy (TMBIM6, SESN1, SCOCB and RPTOR) and mitochondrial energy metabolism (MDH1B and KAD2), which may aid in A. liui coping with severe food scarcity. Meanwhile, the genome has undergone at least two rounds of expansion in gene families associated with fast synaptic transmission, facilitating rapid responses to water currents and prey. Positive selection was detected on putative phosphorylation sites of muscle contraction-related proteins, possibly further improving feeding efficiency. Overall, the present study provides insights into the molecular adaptation to deep-sea oligotrophic environments and sheds light upon potential effects of a novel morphology on the evolution of Cnidaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junyuan Li
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- College of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Taizhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, Taizhou, China
| | - Zifeng Zhan
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Li
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanan Sun
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Kuidong Xu
- Laboratory of Marine Organism Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Medeiros AT, Gratz S, Delgado A, Ritt J, O’Connor-Giles KM. Ca 2+ channel and active zone protein abundance intersects with input-specific synapse organization to shape functional synaptic diversity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.02.535290. [PMID: 37034654 PMCID: PMC10081318 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.02.535290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic heterogeneity is a hallmark of nervous systems that enables complex and adaptable communication in neural circuits. To understand circuit function, it is thus critical to determine the factors that contribute to the functional diversity of synapses. We investigated the contributions of voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) abundance, spatial organization, and subunit composition to synapse diversity among and between synapses formed by two closely related Drosophila glutamatergic motor neurons with distinct neurotransmitter release probabilities (Pr). Surprisingly, VGCC levels are highly predictive of heterogeneous Pr among individual synapses of either low- or high-Pr inputs, but not between inputs. We find that the same number of VGCCs are more densely organized at high-Pr synapses, consistent with tighter VGCC-synaptic vesicle coupling. We generated endogenously tagged lines to investigate VGCC subunits in vivo and found that the α2δ-3 subunit Straightjacket along with the CAST/ELKS active zone (AZ) protein Bruchpilot, both key regulators of VGCCs, are less abundant at high-Pr inputs, yet positively correlate with Pr among synapses formed by either input. Consistently, both Straightjacket and Bruchpilot levels are dynamically increased across AZs of both inputs when neurotransmitter release is potentiated to maintain stable communication following glutamate receptor inhibition. Together, these findings suggest a model in which VGCC and AZ protein abundance intersects with input-specific spatial and molecular organization to shape the functional diversity of synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. T. Medeiros
- Neuroscience Graduate Training Program, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - S.J. Gratz
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - A. Delgado
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - J.T. Ritt
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Kate M. O’Connor-Giles
- Neuroscience Graduate Training Program, Brown University, Providence, RI
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rodriguez Gotor JJ, Mahfooz K, Perez-Otano I, Wesseling JF. Parallel processing of quickly and slowly mobilized reserve vesicles in hippocampal synapses. eLife 2024; 12:RP88212. [PMID: 38727712 PMCID: PMC11087054 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88212] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Vesicles within presynaptic terminals are thought to be segregated into a variety of readily releasable and reserve pools. The nature of the pools and trafficking between them is not well understood, but pools that are slow to mobilize when synapses are active are often assumed to feed pools that are mobilized more quickly, in a series. However, electrophysiological studies of synaptic transmission have suggested instead a parallel organization where vesicles within slowly and quickly mobilized reserve pools would separately feed independent reluctant- and fast-releasing subdivisions of the readily releasable pool. Here, we use FM-dyes to confirm the existence of multiple reserve pools at hippocampal synapses and a parallel organization that prevents intermixing between the pools, even when stimulation is intense enough to drive exocytosis at the maximum rate. The experiments additionally demonstrate extensive heterogeneity among synapses in the relative sizes of the slowly and quickly mobilized reserve pools, which suggests equivalent heterogeneity in the numbers of reluctant and fast-releasing readily releasable vesicles that may be relevant for understanding information processing and storage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kashif Mahfooz
- Department of Pharmacology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Isabel Perez-Otano
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante CSIC-UMHSan Juan de AlicanteSpain
| | - John F Wesseling
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante CSIC-UMHSan Juan de AlicanteSpain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Turrel O, Gao L, Sigrist SJ. Presynaptic regulators in memory formation. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a054013. [PMID: 38862173 PMCID: PMC11199941 DOI: 10.1101/lm.054013.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The intricate molecular and structural sequences guiding the formation and consolidation of memories within neuronal circuits remain largely elusive. In this study, we investigate the roles of two pivotal presynaptic regulators, the small GTPase Rab3, enriched at synaptic vesicles, and the cell adhesion protein Neurexin-1, in the formation of distinct memory phases within the Drosophila mushroom body Kenyon cells. Our findings suggest that both proteins play crucial roles in memory-supporting processes within the presynaptic terminal, operating within distinct plasticity modules. These modules likely encompass remodeling and maturation of existing active zones (AZs), as well as the formation of new AZs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oriane Turrel
- Institute for Biology, Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lili Gao
- Institute for Biology, Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology, Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dharmasri PA, Levy AD, Blanpied TA. Differential nanoscale organization of excitatory synapses onto excitatory vs. inhibitory neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315379121. [PMID: 38625946 PMCID: PMC11047112 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315379121] [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: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
A key feature of excitatory synapses is the existence of subsynaptic protein nanoclusters (NCs) whose precise alignment across the cleft in a transsynaptic nanocolumn influences the strength of synaptic transmission. However, whether nanocolumn properties vary between excitatory synapses functioning in different cellular contexts is unknown. We used a combination of confocal and DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy to directly compare the organization of shared scaffold proteins at two important excitatory synapses-those forming onto excitatory principal neurons (Ex→Ex synapses) and those forming onto parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (Ex→PV synapses). As in Ex→Ex synapses, we find that in Ex→PV synapses, presynaptic Munc13-1 and postsynaptic PSD-95 both form NCs that demonstrate alignment, underscoring synaptic nanostructure and the transsynaptic nanocolumn as conserved organizational principles of excitatory synapses. Despite the general conservation of these features, we observed specific differences in the characteristics of pre- and postsynaptic Ex→PV nanostructure. Ex→PV synapses contained larger PSDs with fewer PSD-95 NCs when accounting for size than Ex→Ex synapses. Furthermore, the PSD-95 NCs were larger and denser. The identity of the postsynaptic cell was also represented in Munc13-1 organization, as Ex→PV synapses hosted larger Munc13-1 puncta that contained less dense but larger and more numerous Munc13-1 NCs. Moreover, we measured the spatial variability of transsynaptic alignment in these synapse types, revealing protein alignment in Ex→PV synapses over a distinct range of distances compared to Ex→Ex synapses. We conclude that while general principles of nanostructure and alignment are shared, cell-specific elements of nanodomain organization likely contribute to functional diversity of excitatory synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Poorna A. Dharmasri
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- University of Maryland-Medicine Institute of Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
| | - Aaron D. Levy
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- University of Maryland-Medicine Institute of Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
| | - Thomas A. Blanpied
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
- University of Maryland-Medicine Institute of Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Miyano R, Sakamoto H, Hirose K, Sakaba T. RIM-BP2 regulates Ca 2+ channel abundance and neurotransmitter release at hippocampal mossy fiber terminals. eLife 2024; 12:RP90799. [PMID: 38329474 PMCID: PMC10945523 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90799] [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] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic vesicles dock and fuse at the presynaptic active zone (AZ), the specialized site for transmitter release. AZ proteins play multiple roles such as recruitment of Ca2+ channels as well as synaptic vesicle docking, priming, and fusion. However, the precise role of each AZ protein type remains unknown. In order to dissect the role of RIM-BP2 at mammalian cortical synapses having low release probability, we applied direct electrophysiological recording and super-resolution imaging to hippocampal mossy fiber terminals of RIM-BP2 knockout (KO) mice. By using direct presynaptic recording, we found the reduced Ca2+ currents. The measurements of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and presynaptic capacitance suggested that the initial release probability was lowered because of the reduced Ca2+ influx and impaired fusion competence in RIM-BP2 KO. Nevertheless, larger Ca2+ influx restored release partially. Consistent with presynaptic recording, STED microscopy suggested less abundance of P/Q-type Ca2+ channels at AZs deficient in RIM-BP2. Our results suggest that the RIM-BP2 regulates both Ca2+ channel abundance and transmitter release at mossy fiber synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rinako Miyano
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Hirokazu Sakamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of TokyoBunkyo-kuJapan
| | - Kenzo Hirose
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of TokyoBunkyo-kuJapan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of TokyoBunkyo-kuJapan
| | - Takeshi Sakaba
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha UniversityKyotoJapan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chen K, Gao T, Liu Y, Zhu K, Wang T, Zeng P. Identifying risk loci for FTD and shared genetic component with ALS: A large-scale multitrait association analysis. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 134:28-39. [PMID: 37979250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Current genome-wide association studies of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are underpowered due to limited samples. Further, common genetic etiologies between FTD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain unknown. Using the largest summary statistics of FTD (3526 cases and 9402 controls) and ALS (27,205 cases and 110,881 controls), we found a significant genetic correlation between them (rˆg = 0.637, P = 0.032) and identified 190 FTD-related variants within 5 loci (3p22.1, 5q35.1, 9p21.2, 19p13.11, and 20q13.13). Among these, ALS and FTD had causal variants in 9p21.2 and 19p13.11. Moreover, MOBP (3p22.1), C9orf72 (9p21.2), MOB3B (9p21.2), UNC13A (19p13.11), SLC9A8 (20q13.13), SNAI1 (20q13.13), and SPATA2 (20q13.13) were discovered by both SNP- and gene-level analyses, which together discovered 15 FTD-associated genes, with 10 not detected before (IFNK, RNF114, SLC9A8, SPATA2, SNAI1, SCFD1, POLDIP2, TMEM97, G2E3, and PIGW). Functional analyses showed these genes were enriched in heart left ventricle, kidney cortex, and some brain regions. Overall, this study provides insights into genetic determinants of FTD and shared genetic etiology underlying FTD and ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keying Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Tongyu Gao
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Kexuan Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ping Zeng
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Center for Medical Statistics and Data Analysis, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Biological Data Mining and Healthcare Transformation Innovation Engineering Research Center, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Baralle M, Romano M. Age-Related Alternative Splicing: Driver or Passenger in the Aging Process? Cells 2023; 12:2819. [PMID: 38132139 PMCID: PMC10742131 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing changes are closely linked to aging, though it remains unclear if they are drivers or effects. As organisms age, splicing patterns change, varying gene isoform levels and functions. These changes may contribute to aging alterations rather than just reflect declining RNA quality control. Three main splicing types-intron retention, cassette exons, and cryptic exons-play key roles in age-related complexity. These events modify protein domains and increase nonsense-mediated decay, shifting protein isoform levels and functions. This may potentially drive aging or serve as a biomarker. Fluctuations in splicing factor expression also occur with aging. Somatic mutations in splicing genes can also promote aging and age-related disease. The interplay between splicing and aging has major implications for aging biology, though differentiating correlation and causation remains challenging. Declaring a splicing factor or event as a driver requires comprehensive evaluation of the associated molecular and physiological changes. A greater understanding of how RNA splicing machinery and downstream targets are impacted by aging is essential to conclusively establish the role of splicing in driving aging, representing a promising area with key implications for understanding aging, developing novel therapeutical options, and ultimately leading to an increase in the healthy human lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Baralle
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Romano
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via A. Valerio 28, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mrestani A, Dannhäuser S, Pauli M, Kollmannsberger P, Hübsch M, Morris L, Langenhan T, Heckmann M, Paul MM. Nanoscaled RIM clustering at presynaptic active zones revealed by endogenous tagging. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302021. [PMID: 37696575 PMCID: PMC10494931 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical synaptic transmission involves neurotransmitter release from presynaptic active zones (AZs). The AZ protein Rab-3-interacting molecule (RIM) is important for normal Ca2+-triggered release. However, its precise localization within AZs of the glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions of Drosophila melanogaster remains elusive. We used CRISPR/Cas9-assisted genome engineering of the rim locus to incorporate small epitope tags for targeted super-resolution imaging. A V5-tag, derived from simian virus 5, and an HA-tag, derived from human influenza virus, were N-terminally fused to the RIM Zinc finger. Whereas both variants are expressed in co-localization with the core AZ scaffold Bruchpilot, electrophysiological characterization reveals that AP-evoked synaptic release is disturbed in rimV5-Znf but not in rimHA-Znf In addition, rimHA-Znf synapses show intact presynaptic homeostatic potentiation. Combining super-resolution localization microscopy and hierarchical clustering, we detect ∼10 RIMHA-Znf subclusters with ∼13 nm diameter per AZ that are compacted and increased in numbers in presynaptic homeostatic potentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Achmed Mrestani
- https://ror.org/00fbnyb24 Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Division of General Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven Dannhäuser
- https://ror.org/00fbnyb24 Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Pauli
- https://ror.org/00fbnyb24 Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Martha Hübsch
- https://ror.org/00fbnyb24 Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lydia Morris
- Division of General Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Langenhan
- Division of General Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- https://ror.org/00fbnyb24 Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mila M Paul
- https://ror.org/00fbnyb24 Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- https://ror.org/03pvr2g57 Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Emperador-Melero J, Andersen JW, Metzbower SR, Levy AD, Dharmasri PA, de Nola G, Blanpied TA, Kaeser PS. Molecular definition of distinct active zone protein machineries for Ca 2+ channel clustering and synaptic vesicle priming. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.27.564439. [PMID: 37961089 PMCID: PMC10634917 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.27.564439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Action potentials trigger neurotransmitter release with minimal delay. Active zones mediate this temporal precision by co-organizing primed vesicles with CaV2 Ca2+ channels. The presumed model is that scaffolding proteins directly tether primed vesicles to CaV2s. We find that CaV2 clustering and vesicle priming are executed by separate machineries. At hippocampal synapses, CaV2 nanoclusters are positioned at variable distances from those of the priming protein Munc13. The active zone organizer RIM anchors both proteins, but distinct interaction motifs independently execute these functions. In heterologous cells, Liprin-α and RIM from co-assemblies that are separate from CaV2-organizing complexes upon co-transfection. At synapses, Liprin-α1-4 knockout impairs vesicle priming, but not CaV2 clustering. The cell adhesion protein PTPσ recruits Liprin-α, RIM and Munc13 into priming complexes without co-clustering of CaV2s. We conclude that active zones consist of distinct complexes to organize CaV2s and vesicle priming, and Liprin-α and PTPσ specifically support priming site assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah R. Metzbower
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Aaron D. Levy
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Poorna A. Dharmasri
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | | | - Thomas A. Blanpied
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ramesh N, Escher M, Turrel O, Lützkendorf J, Matkovic T, Liu F, Sigrist SJ. An antagonism between Spinophilin and Syd-1 operates upstream of memory-promoting presynaptic long-term plasticity. eLife 2023; 12:e86084. [PMID: 37767892 PMCID: PMC10588984 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We still face fundamental gaps in understanding how molecular plastic changes of synapses intersect with circuit operation to define behavioral states. Here, we show that an antagonism between two conserved regulatory proteins, Spinophilin (Spn) and Syd-1, controls presynaptic long-term plasticity and the maintenance of olfactory memories in Drosophila. While Spn mutants could not trigger nanoscopic active zone remodeling under homeostatic challenge and failed to stably potentiate neurotransmitter release, concomitant reduction of Syd-1 rescued all these deficits. The Spn/Syd-1 antagonism converged on active zone close F-actin, and genetic or acute pharmacological depolymerization of F-actin rescued the Spn deficits by allowing access to synaptic vesicle release sites. Within the intrinsic mushroom body neurons, the Spn/Syd-1 antagonism specifically controlled olfactory memory stabilization but not initial learning. Thus, this evolutionarily conserved protein complex controls behaviorally relevant presynaptic long-term plasticity, also observed in the mammalian brain but still enigmatic concerning its molecular mechanisms and behavioral relevance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niraja Ramesh
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Marc Escher
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Oriane Turrel
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | | | - Tanja Matkovic
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Fan Liu
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare PharmakologieBerlinGermany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Dharmasri PA, Levy AD, Blanpied TA. Differential nanoscale organization of excitatory synapses onto excitatory vs inhibitory neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.06.556279. [PMID: 37732271 PMCID: PMC10508768 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.06.556279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
A key feature of excitatory synapses is the existence of subsynaptic protein nanoclusters whose precise alignment across the cleft in a trans-synaptic nanocolumn influences the strength of synaptic transmission. However, whether nanocolumn properties vary between excitatory synapses functioning in different cellular contexts is unknown. We used a combination of confocal and DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy to directly compare the organization of shared scaffold proteins at two important excitatory synapses - those forming onto excitatory principal neurons (Ex→Ex synapses) and those forming onto parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (Ex→PV synapses). As in Ex→Ex synapses, we find that in Ex→PV synapses presynaptic Munc13-1 and postsynaptic PSD-95 both form nanoclusters that demonstrate alignment, underscoring synaptic nanostructure and the trans-synaptic nanocolumn as conserved organizational principles of excitatory synapses. Despite the general conservation of these features, we observed specific differences in the characteristics of pre- and postsynaptic Ex→PV nanostructure. Ex→PV synapses contained larger PSDs with fewer PSD-95 NCs when accounting for size than Ex→Ex synapses. Furthermore, the PSD-95 NCs were larger and denser. The identity of the postsynaptic cell also had a retrograde impact on Munc13-1 organization, as Ex→PV synapses hosted larger Munc13-1 puncta that contained less dense but larger and more numerous Munc13-1 NCs. Moreover, we measured the spatial variability of transsynaptic alignment in these synapse types, revealing protein alignment in Ex→PV synapses over a distinct range of distances compared to Ex→Ex synapses. We conclude that while general principles of nanostructure and alignment are shared, cell-specific elements of nanodomain organization likely contribute to functional diversity of excitatory synapses. Understanding the rules of synapse nanodomain assembly, which themselves are cell-type specific, will be essential for illuminating brain network dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Poorna A Dharmasri
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- University of Maryland Medicine Institute of Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Aaron D Levy
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- University of Maryland Medicine Institute of Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Thomas A Blanpied
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- University of Maryland Medicine Institute of Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Jusyte M, Blaum N, Böhme MA, Berns MMM, Bonard AE, Vámosi ÁB, Pushpalatha KV, Kobbersmed JRL, Walter AM. Unc13A dynamically stabilizes vesicle priming at synaptic release sites for short-term facilitation and homeostatic potentiation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112541. [PMID: 37243591 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Presynaptic plasticity adjusts neurotransmitter (NT) liberation. Short-term facilitation (STF) tunes synapses to millisecond repetitive activation, while presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) of NT release stabilizes transmission over minutes. Despite different timescales of STF and PHP, our analysis of Drosophila neuromuscular junctions reveals functional overlap and shared molecular dependence on the release-site protein Unc13A. Mutating Unc13A's calmodulin binding domain (CaM-domain) increases baseline transmission while blocking STF and PHP. Mathematical modeling suggests that Ca2+/calmodulin/Unc13A interaction plastically stabilizes vesicle priming at release sites and that CaM-domain mutation causes constitutive stabilization, thereby blocking plasticity. Labeling the functionally essential Unc13A MUN domain reveals higher STED microscopy signals closer to release sites following CaM-domain mutation. Acute phorbol ester treatment similarly enhances NT release and blocks STF/PHP in synapses expressing wild-type Unc13A, while CaM-domain mutation occludes this, indicating common downstream effects. Thus, Unc13A regulatory domains integrate signals across timescales to switch release-site participation for synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meida Jusyte
- Molecular and Theoretical Neuroscience, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany; Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalie Blaum
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mathias A Böhme
- Molecular and Theoretical Neuroscience, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany; Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manon M M Berns
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alix E Bonard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ábel B Vámosi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Janus R L Kobbersmed
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Alexander M Walter
- Molecular and Theoretical Neuroscience, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany; Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Krout M, Oh KH, Xiong A, Frankel EB, Kurshan PT, Kim H, Richmond JE. C. elegans Clarinet/CLA-1 recruits RIMB-1/RIM-binding protein and UNC-13 to orchestrate presynaptic neurotransmitter release. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220856120. [PMID: 37186867 PMCID: PMC10214197 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220856120] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission requires the coordinated activity of multiple synaptic proteins that are localized at the active zone (AZ). We previously identified a Caenorhabditis elegans protein named Clarinet (CLA-1) based on homology to the AZ proteins Piccolo, Rab3-interactingmolecule (RIM)/UNC-10 and Fife. At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), cla-1 null mutants exhibit release defects that are greatly exacerbated in cla-1;unc-10 double mutants. To gain insights into the coordinated roles of CLA-1 and UNC-10, we examined the relative contributions of each to the function and organization of the AZ. Using a combination of electrophysiology, electron microscopy, and quantitative fluorescence imaging we explored the functional relationship of CLA-1 to other key AZ proteins including: RIM1, Cav2.1 channels, RIM1-binding protein, and Munc13 (C. elegans UNC-10, UNC-2, RIMB-1 and UNC-13, respectively). Our analyses show that CLA-1 acts in concert with UNC-10 to regulate UNC-2 calcium channel levels at the synapse via recruitment of RIMB-1. In addition, CLA-1 exerts a RIMB-1-independent role in the localization of the priming factor UNC-13. Thus C. elegans CLA-1/UNC-10 exhibit combinatorial effects that have overlapping design principles with other model organisms: RIM/RBP and RIM/ELKS in mouse and Fife/RIM and BRP/RBP in Drosophila. These data support a semiconserved arrangement of AZ scaffolding proteins that are necessary for the localization and activation of the fusion machinery within nanodomains for precise coupling to Ca2+ channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mia Krout
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL60607
| | - Kelly H. Oh
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology, and Infection, Chicago Medical School, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL60064
| | - Ame Xiong
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology, and Infection, Chicago Medical School, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL60064
| | - Elisa B. Frankel
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY10461
| | - Peri T. Kurshan
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY10461
| | - Hongkyun Kim
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY10461
| | - Janet E. Richmond
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL60607
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Grasskamp AT, Jusyte M, McCarthy AW, Götz TWB, Ditlevsen S, Walter AM. Spontaneous neurotransmission at evocable synapses predicts their responsiveness to action potentials. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1129417. [PMID: 36970416 PMCID: PMC10030884 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1129417] [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: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission relies on presynaptic neurotransmitter (NT) release from synaptic vesicles (SVs) and on NT detection by postsynaptic receptors. Transmission exists in two principal modes: action-potential (AP) evoked and AP-independent, "spontaneous" transmission. AP-evoked neurotransmission is considered the primary mode of inter-neuronal communication, whereas spontaneous transmission is required for neuronal development, homeostasis, and plasticity. While some synapses appear dedicated to spontaneous transmission only, all AP-responsive synapses also engage spontaneously, but whether this encodes functional information regarding their excitability is unknown. Here we report on functional interdependence of both transmission modes at individual synaptic contacts of Drosophila larval neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) which were identified by the presynaptic scaffolding protein Bruchpilot (BRP) and whose activities were quantified using the genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator GCaMP. Consistent with the role of BRP in organizing the AP-dependent release machinery (voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and SV fusion machinery), most active BRP-positive synapses (>85%) responded to APs. At these synapses, the level of spontaneous activity was a predictor for their responsiveness to AP-stimulation. AP-stimulation resulted in cross-depletion of spontaneous activity and both transmission modes were affected by the non-specific Ca2+ channel blocker cadmium and engaged overlapping postsynaptic receptors. Thus, by using overlapping machinery, spontaneous transmission is a continuous, stimulus independent predictor for the AP-responsiveness of individual synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Meida Jusyte
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Torsten W. B. Götz
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Ditlevsen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexander M. Walter
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Koike Y, Pickles S, Estades Ayuso V, Jansen-West K, Qi YA, Li Z, Daughrity LM, Yue M, Zhang YJ, Cook CN, Dickson DW, Ward M, Petrucelli L, Prudencio M. TDP-43 and other hnRNPs regulate cryptic exon inclusion of a key ALS/FTD risk gene, UNC13A. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002028. [PMID: 36930682 PMCID: PMC10057836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A major function of TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) is to repress the inclusion of cryptic exons during RNA splicing. One of these cryptic exons is in UNC13A, a genetic risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The accumulation of cryptic UNC13A in disease is heightened by the presence of a risk haplotype located within the cryptic exon itself. Here, we revealed that TDP-43 extreme N-terminus is important to repress UNC13A cryptic exon inclusion. Further, we found hnRNP L, hnRNP A1, and hnRNP A2B1 bind UNC13A RNA and repress cryptic exon inclusion, independently of TDP-43. Finally, higher levels of hnRNP L protein associate with lower burden of UNC13A cryptic RNA in ALS/FTD brains. Our findings suggest that while TDP-43 is the main repressor of UNC13A cryptic exon inclusion, other hnRNPs contribute to its regulation and may potentially function as disease modifiers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Koike
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sarah Pickles
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Virginia Estades Ayuso
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Karen Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yue A. Qi
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ziyi Li
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lillian M. Daughrity
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mei Yue
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Casey N. Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Dennis W. Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Michael Ward
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fukaya R, Hirai H, Sakamoto H, Hashimotodani Y, Hirose K, Sakaba T. Increased vesicle fusion competence underlies long-term potentiation at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd3616. [PMID: 36812326 PMCID: PMC9946361 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add3616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Presynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) is thought to play an important role in learning and memory. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive because of the difficulty of direct recording during LTP. Hippocampal mossy fiber synapses exhibit pronounced LTP of transmitter release after tetanic stimulation and have been used as a model of presynaptic LTP. Here, we induced LTP by optogenetic tools and applied direct presynaptic patch-clamp recordings. The action potential waveform and evoked presynaptic Ca2+ currents remained unchanged after LTP induction. Membrane capacitance measurements suggested higher release probability of synaptic vesicles without changing the number of release-ready vesicles after LTP induction. Synaptic vesicle replenishment was also enhanced. Furthermore, stimulated emission depletion microscopy suggested an increase in the numbers of Munc13-1 and RIM1 molecules within active zones. We propose that dynamic changes in the active zone components may be relevant for the increased fusion competence and synaptic vesicle replenishment during LTP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Fukaya
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
- Institute of Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Himawari Hirai
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Sakamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuki Hashimotodani
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Kenzo Hirose
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sakaba
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ghelani T, Escher M, Thomas U, Esch K, Lützkendorf J, Depner H, Maglione M, Parutto P, Gratz S, Matkovic-Rachid T, Ryglewski S, Walter AM, Holcman D, O‘Connor Giles K, Heine M, Sigrist SJ. Interactive nanocluster compaction of the ELKS scaffold and Cacophony Ca 2+ channels drives sustained active zone potentiation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade7804. [PMID: 36800417 PMCID: PMC9937578 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
At presynaptic active zones (AZs), conserved scaffold protein architectures control synaptic vesicle (SV) release by defining the nanoscale distribution and density of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs). While AZs can potentiate SV release in the minutes range, we lack an understanding of how AZ scaffold components and VGCCs engage into potentiation. We here establish dynamic, intravital single-molecule imaging of endogenously tagged proteins at Drosophila AZs undergoing presynaptic homeostatic potentiation. During potentiation, the numbers of α1 VGCC subunit Cacophony (Cac) increased per AZ, while their mobility decreased and nanoscale distribution compacted. These dynamic Cac changes depended on the interaction between Cac channel's intracellular carboxyl terminus and the membrane-close amino-terminal region of the ELKS-family protein Bruchpilot, whose distribution compacted drastically. The Cac-ELKS/Bruchpilot interaction was also needed for sustained AZ potentiation. Our single-molecule analysis illustrates how the AZ scaffold couples to VGCC nanoscale distribution and dynamics to establish a state of sustained potentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tina Ghelani
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Molecular and Theoretical Neuroscience Leibniz-Forschungs Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) im CharitéCrossOver (CCO) Charité–University Medicine Berlin Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Platz, 110117 Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc Escher
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Thomas
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestr. 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Klara Esch
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Janine Lützkendorf
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Harald Depner
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marta Maglione
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry, SupraFAB, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 23a, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pierre Parutto
- Group of Applied Mathematics and Computational Biology, IBENS, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France
- Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0DS, UK
| | - Scott Gratz
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Tanja Matkovic-Rachid
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Ryglewski
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Alexander M. Walter
- Molecular and Theoretical Neuroscience Leibniz-Forschungs Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) im CharitéCrossOver (CCO) Charité–University Medicine Berlin Charité Campus Mitte, Charité Platz, 110117 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - David Holcman
- Group of Applied Mathematics and Computational Biology, IBENS, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France
- Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0DS, UK
| | - Kate O‘Connor Giles
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Martin Heine
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Research Group Molecular Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Brenneckestr. 6, 39118 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Stephan J. Sigrist
- Institute for Biology and Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Cunningham KL, Littleton JT. Mechanisms controlling the trafficking, localization, and abundance of presynaptic Ca 2+ channels. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1116729. [PMID: 36710932 PMCID: PMC9880069 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1116729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) mediate Ca2+ influx to trigger neurotransmitter release at specialized presynaptic sites termed active zones (AZs). The abundance of VGCCs at AZs regulates neurotransmitter release probability (Pr ), a key presynaptic determinant of synaptic strength. Given this functional significance, defining the processes that cooperate to establish AZ VGCC abundance is critical for understanding how these mechanisms set synaptic strength and how they might be regulated to control presynaptic plasticity. VGCC abundance at AZs involves multiple steps, including channel biosynthesis (transcription, translation, and trafficking through the endomembrane system), forward axonal trafficking and delivery to synaptic terminals, incorporation and retention at presynaptic sites, and protein recycling. Here we discuss mechanisms that control VGCC abundance at synapses, highlighting findings from invertebrate and vertebrate models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Cunningham
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jin Y, Zhai RG. Presynaptic Cytomatrix Proteins. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 33:23-42. [PMID: 37615862 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-34229-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The Cytomatrix Assembled at the active Zone (CAZ) of a presynaptic terminal displays electron-dense appearance and defines the center of the synaptic vesicle release. The protein constituents of CAZ are multiple-domain scaffolds that interact extensively with each other and also with an ensemble of synaptic vesicle proteins to ensure docking, fusion, and recycling. Reflecting the central roles of the active zone in synaptic transmission, CAZ proteins are highly conserved throughout evolution. As the nervous system increases complexity and diversity in types of neurons and synapses, CAZ proteins expand in the number of gene and protein isoforms and interacting partners. This chapter summarizes the discovery of the core CAZ proteins and current knowledge of their functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yishi Jin
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - R Grace Zhai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Meunier FA, Hu Z. Functional Roles of UNC-13/Munc13 and UNC-18/Munc18 in Neurotransmission. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 33:203-231. [PMID: 37615868 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-34229-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Neurotransmitters are released from synaptic and secretory vesicles following calcium-triggered fusion with the plasma membrane. These exocytotic events are driven by assembly of a ternary SNARE complex between the vesicle SNARE synaptobrevin and the plasma membrane-associated SNAREs syntaxin and SNAP-25. Proteins that affect SNARE complex assembly are therefore important regulators of synaptic strength. In this chapter, we review our current understanding of the roles played by two SNARE interacting proteins: UNC-13/Munc13 and UNC-18/Munc18. We discuss results from both invertebrate and vertebrate model systems, highlighting recent advances, focusing on the current consensus on molecular mechanisms of action and nanoscale organization, and pointing out some unresolved aspects of their functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric A Meunier
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Zhitao Hu
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Dannhäuser S, Mrestani A, Gundelach F, Pauli M, Komma F, Kollmannsberger P, Sauer M, Heckmann M, Paul MM. Endogenous tagging of Unc-13 reveals nanoscale reorganization at active zones during presynaptic homeostatic potentiation. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1074304. [PMID: 36589286 PMCID: PMC9797049 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1074304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neurotransmitter release at presynaptic active zones (AZs) requires concerted protein interactions within a dense 3D nano-hemisphere. Among the complex protein meshwork the (M)unc-13 family member Unc-13 of Drosophila melanogaster is essential for docking of synaptic vesicles and transmitter release. Methods We employ minos-mediated integration cassette (MiMIC)-based gene editing using GFSTF (EGFP-FlAsH-StrepII-TEV-3xFlag) to endogenously tag all annotated Drosophila Unc-13 isoforms enabling visualization of endogenous Unc-13 expression within the central and peripheral nervous system. Results and discussion Electrophysiological characterization using two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) reveals that evoked and spontaneous synaptic transmission remain unaffected in unc-13 GFSTF 3rd instar larvae and acute presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) can be induced at control levels. Furthermore, multi-color structured-illumination shows precise co-localization of Unc-13GFSTF, Bruchpilot, and GluRIIA-receptor subunits within the synaptic mesoscale. Localization microscopy in combination with HDBSCAN algorithms detect Unc-13GFSTF subclusters that move toward the AZ center during PHP with unaltered Unc-13GFSTF protein levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Dannhäuser
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Achmed Mrestani
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
- Division of General Biochemistry, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Gundelach
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Pauli
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Komma
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philip Kollmannsberger
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mila M Paul
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Zhang W, Jiang HH, Luo F. Diverse organization of voltage-gated calcium channels at presynaptic active zones. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:1023256. [PMID: 36544543 PMCID: PMC9760684 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1023256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are highly organized but are also highly diverse in their organization and properties to allow for optimizing the computing power of brain circuits. Along these lines, voltage-gated calcium (CaV) channels at the presynaptic active zone are heterogeneously organized, which creates a variety of calcium dynamics profiles that can shape neurotransmitter release properties of individual synapses. Extensive studies have revealed striking diversity in the subtype, number, and distribution of CaV channels, as well as the nanoscale topographic relationships to docked synaptic vesicles. Further, multi-protein complexes including RIMs, RIM-binding proteins, CAST/ELKS, and neurexins are required for coordinating the diverse organization of CaV channels at the presynaptic active zone. In this review, we highlight major advances in the studies of the functional organization of presynaptic CaV channels and discuss their physiological implications for synaptic transmission and short-term plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Zhang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China,Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - He-Hai Jiang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China,Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fujun Luo
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China,Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Fujun Luo
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Huang S, Piao C, Beuschel CB, Zhao Z, Sigrist SJ. A brain-wide form of presynaptic active zone plasticity orchestrates resilience to brain aging in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001730. [PMID: 36469518 PMCID: PMC9721493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain as a central regulator of stress integration determines what is threatening, stores memories, and regulates physiological adaptations across the aging trajectory. While sleep homeostasis seems to be linked to brain resilience, how age-associated changes intersect to adapt brain resilience to life history remains enigmatic. We here provide evidence that a brain-wide form of presynaptic active zone plasticity ("PreScale"), characterized by increases of active zone scaffold proteins and synaptic vesicle release factors, integrates resilience by coupling sleep, longevity, and memory during early aging of Drosophila. PreScale increased over the brain until mid-age, to then decreased again, and promoted the age-typical adaption of sleep patterns as well as extended longevity, while at the same time it reduced the ability of forming new memories. Genetic induction of PreScale also mimicked early aging-associated adaption of sleep patterns and the neuronal activity/excitability of sleep control neurons. Spermidine supplementation, previously shown to suppress early aging-associated PreScale, also attenuated the age-typical sleep pattern changes. Pharmacological induction of sleep for 2 days in mid-age flies also reset PreScale, restored memory formation, and rejuvenated sleep patterns. Our data suggest that early along the aging trajectory, PreScale acts as an acute, brain-wide form of presynaptic plasticity to steer trade-offs between longevity, sleep, and memory formation in a still plastic phase of early brain aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Huang
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Chengji Piao
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine B. Beuschel
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Zhiying Zhao
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J. Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Turrel O, Ramesh N, Escher MJF, Pooryasin A, Sigrist SJ. Transient active zone remodeling in the Drosophila mushroom body supports memory. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4900-4913.e4. [PMID: 36327980 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating how the distinct components of synaptic plasticity dynamically orchestrate the distinct stages of memory acquisition and maintenance within neuronal networks remains a major challenge. Specifically, plasticity processes tuning the functional and also structural state of presynaptic active zone (AZ) release sites are widely observed in vertebrates and invertebrates, but their behavioral relevance remains mostly unclear. We here provide evidence that a transient upregulation of presynaptic AZ release site proteins supports aversive olfactory mid-term memory in the Drosophila mushroom body (MB). Upon paired aversive olfactory conditioning, AZ protein levels (ELKS-family BRP/(m)unc13-family release factor Unc13A) increased for a few hours with MB-lobe-specific dynamics. Kenyon cell (KC, intrinsic MB neurons)-specific knockdown (KD) of BRP did not affect aversive olfactory short-term memory (STM) but strongly suppressed aversive mid-term memory (MTM). Different proteins crucial for the transport of AZ biosynthetic precursors (transport adaptor Aplip1/Jip-1; kinesin motor IMAC/Unc104; small GTPase Arl8) were also specifically required for the formation of aversive olfactory MTM. Consistent with the merely transitory increase of AZ proteins, BRP KD did not interfere with the formation of aversive olfactory long-term memory (LTM; i.e., 1 day). Our data suggest that the remodeling of presynaptic AZ refines the MB circuitry after paired aversive conditioning, over a time window of a few hours, to display aversive olfactory memories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oriane Turrel
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Niraja Ramesh
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marc J F Escher
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Atefeh Pooryasin
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Chen X, Chu H, Dong Y. UNC13A Gene Brings New Hope for ALS Disease-Modifying Drugs. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:1431-1434. [PMID: 35907106 PMCID: PMC9672290 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00924-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Neurology, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Heling Chu
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
| | - Yi Dong
- Department of Neurology, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Midorikawa M. Developmental and activity-dependent modulation of coupling distance between release site and Ca2+ channel. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1037721. [DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1037721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are junctions between a presynaptic neuron and a postsynaptic cell specialized for fast and precise information transfer. The presynaptic terminal secretes neurotransmitters via exocytosis of synaptic vesicles. Exocytosis is a tightly regulated reaction that occurs within a millisecond of the arrival of an action potential. One crucial parameter in determining the characteristics of the transmitter release kinetics is the coupling distance between the release site and the Ca2+ channel. Still, the technical limitations have hindered detailed analysis from addressing how the coupling distance is regulated depending on the development or activity of the synapse. However, recent technical advances in electrophysiology and imaging are unveiling their different configurations in different conditions. Here, I will summarize developmental- and activity-dependent changes in the coupling distances revealed by recent studies.
Collapse
|
33
|
Glavač D, Mladinić M, Ban J, Mazzone GL, Sámano C, Tomljanović I, Jezernik G, Ravnik-Glavač M. The Potential Connection between Molecular Changes and Biomarkers Related to ALS and the Development and Regeneration of CNS. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911360. [PMID: 36232667 PMCID: PMC9570269 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the greatest medical burdens of the modern age, being mostly incurable and with limited prognostic and diagnostic tools. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of motoneurons, with a complex etiology, combining genetic, epigenetic, and environmental causes. The neuroprotective therapeutic approaches are very limited, while the diagnostics rely on clinical examination and the exclusion of other diseases. The recent advancement in the discovery of molecular pathways and gene mutations involved in ALS has deepened the understanding of the disease pathology and opened the possibility for new treatments and diagnostic procedures. Recently, 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology were identified as linked to ALS through common and rare variant association analyses. Interestingly, the quantity of related proteins to these genes has been found to change during early postnatal development in mammalian spinal cord tissue (opossum Monodelphis domestica) at the particular time when neuroregeneration stops being possible. Here, we discuss the possibility that the ALS-related genes/proteins could be connected to neuroregeneration and development. Moreover, since the regulation of gene expression in developmental checkpoints is frequently regulated by non-coding RNAs, we propose that studying the changes in the composition and quantity of non-coding RNA molecules, both in ALS patients and in the developing central nervous (CNS) system of the opossum at the time when neuroregeneration ceases, could reveal potential biomarkers useful in ALS prognosis and diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damjan Glavač
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljublana, Slovenia
- Center for Human Genetics & Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Miranda Mladinić
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Jelena Ban
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Graciela L. Mazzone
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional (IIMT), CONICET-Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires B1629AHJ, Argentina
| | - Cynthia Sámano
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Cuajimalpa, Mexico City 05348, Mexico
| | - Ivana Tomljanović
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Gregor Jezernik
- Center for Human Genetics & Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Metka Ravnik-Glavač
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Grabner CP, Jansen I, Neef J, Weihs T, Schmidt R, Riedel D, Wurm CA, Moser T. Resolving the molecular architecture of the photoreceptor active zone with 3D-MINFLUX. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl7560. [PMID: 35857490 PMCID: PMC9286502 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl7560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Cells assemble macromolecular complexes into scaffoldings that serve as substrates for catalytic processes. Years of molecular neurobiology research indicate that neurotransmission depends on such optimization strategies. However, the molecular topography of the presynaptic active zone (AZ), where transmitter is released upon synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion, remains to be visualized. Therefore, we implemented MINFLUX optical nanoscopy to resolve the AZ of rod photoreceptors. This was facilitated by a novel sample immobilization technique that we name heat-assisted rapid dehydration (HARD), wherein a thin layer of rod synaptic terminals (spherules) was transferred onto glass coverslips from fresh retinal slices. Rod ribbon AZs were readily immunolabeled and imaged in 3D with a precision of a few nanometers. Our 3D-MINFLUX results indicate that the SV release site in rods is a molecular complex of bassoon-RIM2-ubMunc13-2-Cav1.4, which repeats longitudinally on both sides of the ribbon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad P. Grabner
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 1286, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells”, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Corresponding author. (C.P.G.); (C.A.W.); (T.M.)
| | - Isabelle Jansen
- Abberior Instruments, Hans-Adolf-Krebs-Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jakob Neef
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 1286, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells”, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Weihs
- Abberior Instruments, Hans-Adolf-Krebs-Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roman Schmidt
- Abberior Instruments, Hans-Adolf-Krebs-Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dietmar Riedel
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christian A. Wurm
- Abberior Instruments, Hans-Adolf-Krebs-Weg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Corresponding author. (C.P.G.); (C.A.W.); (T.M.)
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 1286, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells”, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Corresponding author. (C.P.G.); (C.A.W.); (T.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
The evolution of synaptic and cognitive capacity: Insights from the nervous system transcriptome of Aplysia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2122301119. [PMID: 35867761 PMCID: PMC9282427 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2122301119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The gastropod mollusk Aplysia is an important model for cellular and molecular neurobiological studies, particularly for investigations of molecular mechanisms of learning and memory. We developed an optimized assembly pipeline to generate an improved Aplysia nervous system transcriptome. This improved transcriptome enabled us to explore the evolution of cognitive capacity at the molecular level. Were there evolutionary expansions of neuronal genes between this relatively simple gastropod Aplysia (20,000 neurons) and Octopus (500 million neurons), the invertebrate with the most elaborate neuronal circuitry and greatest behavioral complexity? Are the tremendous advances in cognitive power in vertebrates explained by expansion of the synaptic proteome that resulted from multiple rounds of whole genome duplication in this clade? Overall, the complement of genes linked to neuronal function is similar between Octopus and Aplysia. As expected, a number of synaptic scaffold proteins have more isoforms in humans than in Aplysia or Octopus. However, several scaffold families present in mollusks and other protostomes are absent in vertebrates, including the Fifes, Lev10s, SOLs, and a NETO family. Thus, whereas vertebrates have more scaffold isoforms from select families, invertebrates have additional scaffold protein families not found in vertebrates. This analysis provides insights into the evolution of the synaptic proteome. Both synaptic proteins and synaptic plasticity evolved gradually, yet the last deuterostome-protostome common ancestor already possessed an elaborate suite of genes associated with synaptic function, and critical for synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
|
36
|
Duhart JC, Mosca TJ. Genetic regulation of central synapse formation and organization in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2022; 221:6597078. [PMID: 35652253 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A goal of modern neuroscience involves understanding how connections in the brain form and function. Such a knowledge is essential to inform how defects in the exquisite complexity of nervous system growth influence neurological disease. Studies of the nervous system in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster enabled the discovery of a wealth of molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying development of synapses-the specialized cell-to-cell connections that comprise the essential substrate for information flow and processing in the nervous system. For years, the major driver of knowledge was the neuromuscular junction due to its ease of examination. Analogous studies in the central nervous system lagged due to a lack of genetic accessibility of specific neuron classes, synaptic labels compatible with cell-type-specific access, and high resolution, quantitative imaging strategies. However, understanding how central synapses form remains a prerequisite to understanding brain development. In the last decade, a host of new tools and techniques extended genetic studies of synapse organization into central circuits to enhance our understanding of synapse formation, organization, and maturation. In this review, we consider the current state-of-the-field. We first discuss the tools, technologies, and strategies developed to visualize and quantify synapses in vivo in genetically identifiable neurons of the Drosophila central nervous system. Second, we explore how these tools enabled a clearer understanding of synaptic development and organization in the fly brain and the underlying molecular mechanisms of synapse formation. These studies establish the fly as a powerful in vivo genetic model that offers novel insights into neural development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Duhart
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Timothy J Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Knodel MM, Dutta Roy R, Wittum G. Influence of T-Bar on Calcium Concentration Impacting Release Probability. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:855746. [PMID: 35586479 PMCID: PMC9108211 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.855746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The relation of form and function, namely the impact of the synaptic anatomy on calcium dynamics in the presynaptic bouton, is a major challenge of present (computational) neuroscience at a cellular level. The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a simple model system, which allows studying basic effects in a rather simple way. This synapse harbors several special structures. In particular, in opposite to standard vertebrate synapses, the presynaptic boutons are rather large, and they have several presynaptic zones. In these zones, different types of anatomical structures are present. Some of the zones bear a so-called T-bar, a particular anatomical structure. The geometric form of the T-bar resembles the shape of the letter “T” or a table with one leg. When an action potential arises, calcium influx is triggered. The probability of vesicle docking and neurotransmitter release is superlinearly proportional to the concentration of calcium close to the vesicular release site. It is tempting to assume that the T-bar causes some sort of calcium accumulation and hence triggers a higher release probability and thus enhances neurotransmitter exocytosis. In order to study this influence in a quantitative manner, we constructed a typical T-bar geometry and compared the calcium concentration close to the active zones (AZs). We compared the case of synapses with and without T-bars. Indeed, we found a substantial influence of the T-bar structure on the presynaptic calcium concentrations close to the AZs, indicating that this anatomical structure increases vesicle release probability. Therefore, our study reveals how the T-bar zone implies a strong relation between form and function. Our study answers the question of experimental studies (namely “Wichmann and Sigrist, Journal of neurogenetics 2010”) concerning the sense of the anatomical structure of the T-bar.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus M. Knodel
- Goethe Center for Scientific Computing (GCSC), Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Markus M. Knodel ; orcid.org/0000-0001-8739-0803
| | | | - Gabriel Wittum
- Goethe Center for Scientific Computing (GCSC), Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Buettner JM, Kirmann T, Mentis GZ, Hallermann S, Simon CM. Laser microscopy acquisition and analysis of premotor synapses in the murine spinal cord. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101236. [PMID: 35300003 PMCID: PMC8920933 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of synapses on spinal motor neurons is a major feature of several neurodegenerative diseases; however, analyzing these premotor synapses is challenging because of their small size and high density. This protocol describes confocal and Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) imaging of murine spinal premotor synapses and their segment-specific quantification by confocal microscopy. We detail the preparation of spinal cord segments, followed by image acquisition and analysis. This protocol enables in-depth analysis of pathological changes in spinal premotor synapses during neurodegeneration. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Buettner et al. (2021). Dissection and sectioning of identified murine spinal cord segments Fluorescent labeling of spinal premotor synapses and motor neurons Confocal and super-resolution acquisition of individual premotor synapses Quantification of premotor synapses onto motor neurons
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jannik M. Buettner
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Toni Kirmann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - George Z. Mentis
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Depts. of Pathology and Cell Biology and Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Stefan Hallermann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian M. Simon
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Ma XR, Prudencio M, Koike Y, Vatsavayai SC, Kim G, Harbinski F, Briner A, Rodriguez CM, Guo C, Akiyama T, Schmidt HB, Cummings BB, Wyatt DW, Kurylo K, Miller G, Mekhoubad S, Sallee N, Mekonnen G, Ganser L, Rubien JD, Jansen-West K, Cook CN, Pickles S, Oskarsson B, Graff-Radford NR, Boeve BF, Knopman DS, Petersen RC, Dickson DW, Shorter J, Myong S, Green EM, Seeley WW, Petrucelli L, Gitler AD. TDP-43 represses cryptic exon inclusion in the FTD-ALS gene UNC13A. Nature 2022; 603:124-130. [PMID: 35197626 PMCID: PMC8891019 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04424-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 105.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A hallmark pathological feature of the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the depletion of RNA-binding protein TDP-43 from the nucleus of neurons in the brain and spinal cord1. A major function of TDP-43 is as a repressor of cryptic exon inclusion during RNA splicing2-4. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in UNC13A are among the strongest hits associated with FTD and ALS in human genome-wide association studies5,6, but how those variants increase risk for disease is unknown. Here we show that TDP-43 represses a cryptic exon-splicing event in UNC13A. Loss of TDP-43 from the nucleus in human brain, neuronal cell lines and motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells resulted in the inclusion of a cryptic exon in UNC13A mRNA and reduced UNC13A protein expression. The top variants associated with FTD or ALS risk in humans are located in the intron harbouring the cryptic exon, and we show that they increase UNC13A cryptic exon splicing in the face of TDP-43 dysfunction. Together, our data provide a direct functional link between one of the strongest genetic risk factors for FTD and ALS (UNC13A genetic variants), and loss of TDP-43 function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- X Rosa Ma
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yuka Koike
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Sarat C Vatsavayai
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Garam Kim
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Adam Briner
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caitlin M Rodriguez
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Caiwei Guo
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tetsuya Akiyama
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - H Broder Schmidt
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gemechu Mekonnen
- Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laura Ganser
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jack D Rubien
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Casey N Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Sarah Pickles
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sua Myong
- Program in Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - William W Seeley
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Munc13 structural transitions and oligomers that may choreograph successive stages in vesicle priming for neurotransmitter release. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2121259119. [PMID: 35135883 PMCID: PMC8851502 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121259119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The speed of neural information processing in the human central nervous system is ultimately determined by the speed of chemical transmission at synapses, because action potentials have relatively short distances to traverse. The release of synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitters must therefore be remarkably fast as compared to other forms of membrane fusion. Six separate SNARE complexes cooperate to achieve this. But how can exactly six copies be assembled under every vesicle? Here we report that six copies of the key molecular chaperone that assembles the SNAREs can arrange themselves into a closed hexagon, providing the likely answer. How can exactly six SNARE complexes be assembled under each synaptic vesicle? Here we report cryo-EM crystal structures of the core domain of Munc13, the key chaperone that initiates SNAREpin assembly. The functional core of Munc13, consisting of C1–C2B–MUN–C2C (Munc13C) spontaneously crystallizes between phosphatidylserine-rich bilayers in two distinct conformations, each in a radically different oligomeric state. In the open conformation (state 1), Munc13C forms upright trimers that link the two bilayers, separating them by ∼21 nm. In the closed conformation, six copies of Munc13C interact to form a lateral hexamer elevated ∼14 nm above the bilayer. Open and closed conformations differ only by a rigid body rotation around a flexible hinge, which when performed cooperatively assembles Munc13 into a lateral hexamer (state 2) in which the key SNARE assembly-activating site of Munc13 is autoinhibited by its neighbor. We propose that each Munc13 in the lateral hexamer ultimately assembles a single SNAREpin, explaining how only and exactly six SNARE complexes are templated. We suggest that state 1 and state 2 may represent two successive states in the synaptic vesicle supply chain leading to “primed” ready-release vesicles in which SNAREpins are clamped and ready to release (state 3).
Collapse
|
41
|
Banerjee A, Imig C, Balakrishnan K, Kershberg L, Lipstein N, Uronen RL, Wang J, Cai X, Benseler F, Rhee JS, Cooper BH, Liu C, Wojcik SM, Brose N, Kaeser PS. Molecular and functional architecture of striatal dopamine release sites. Neuron 2022; 110:248-265.e9. [PMID: 34767769 PMCID: PMC8859508 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite the importance of dopamine for striatal circuit function, mechanistic understanding of dopamine transmission remains incomplete. We recently showed that dopamine secretion relies on the presynaptic scaffolding protein RIM, indicating that it occurs at active zone-like sites similar to classical synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Here, we establish using a systematic gene knockout approach that Munc13 and Liprin-α, active zone proteins for vesicle priming and release site organization, are important for dopamine secretion. Furthermore, RIM zinc finger and C2B domains, which bind to Munc13 and Liprin-α, respectively, are needed to restore dopamine release after RIM ablation. In contrast, and different from typical synapses, the active zone scaffolds RIM-BP and ELKS, and RIM domains that bind to them, are expendable. Hence, dopamine release necessitates priming and release site scaffolding by RIM, Munc13, and Liprin-α, but other active zone proteins are dispensable. Our work establishes that efficient release site architecture mediates fast dopamine exocytosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Banerjee
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cordelia Imig
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Lauren Kershberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Noa Lipstein
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Riikka-Liisa Uronen
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jiexin Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xintong Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Fritz Benseler
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jeong Seop Rhee
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin H Cooper
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Changliang Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sonja M Wojcik
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nils Brose
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pascal S Kaeser
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Götze KJ, Mrestani A, Beckmann P, Krohn K, Le Duc D, Velluva A, Böhme MA, Heckmann M, Jamra RA, Lemke JR, Bläker H, Scholz N, Ljaschenko D, Langenhan T. Improving one-step scarless genome editing in Drosophila melanogaster by combining ovoD co-CRISPR selection with sgRNA target site masking. Biol Methods Protoc 2022; 7:bpac003. [PMID: 35087953 PMCID: PMC8789338 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise and rapid construction of alleles through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering renders Drosophila melanogaster a powerful animal system for molecular structure–function analyses and human disease models. Application of the ovoD co-selection method offers expedited generation and enrichment of scarlessly edited alleles without the need for linked transformation markers, which specifically in the case of exon editing can impact allele usability. However, we found that knockin procedures by homology-directed repair (HDR) under ovoD co-selection resulted in low transformation efficiency. This is likely due to repeated rounds of Cas9 cleavage of HDR donor and/or engineered genomic locus DNA, as noted for other CRISPR/Cas9 editing strategies before, impeding the recovery of correctly edited alleles. Here we provide a one-step protocol to improve the generation of scarless alleles by ovoD-co-selection with single-guide RNA (sgRNA) binding site masking. Using this workflow, we constructed human disease alleles for two Drosophila genes, unc-13/CG2999 and armadillo/CG11579. We show and quantify how a known countermeasure, the insertion of silent point mutations into protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) or sgRNA homology regions, can potently suppress unintended sequence modifications during CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing of D. melanogaster under ovoD co-selection. This strongly increased the recovery frequency of disease alleles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina J Götze
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Achmed Mrestani
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 9, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paula Beckmann
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Knut Krohn
- Core Unit DNA, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Diana Le Duc
- Institute of Human Genetics,University of Leipzig Medical Center, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Akhil Velluva
- Institute of Human Genetics,University of Leipzig Medical Center, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mathias A Böhme
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 9, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rami Abou Jamra
- Institute of Human Genetics,University of Leipzig Medical Center, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes R Lemke
- Institute of Human Genetics,University of Leipzig Medical Center, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hendrik Bläker
- Institute of Pathology,University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Scholz
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dmitrij Ljaschenko
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Langenhan
- Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Division of General Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Piao C, Sigrist SJ. (M)Unc13s in Active Zone Diversity: A Drosophila Perspective. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 13:798204. [PMID: 35046788 PMCID: PMC8762327 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.798204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The so-called active zones at pre-synaptic terminals are the ultimate filtering devices, which couple between action potential frequency and shape, and the information transferred to the post-synaptic neurons, finally tuning behaviors. Within active zones, the release of the synaptic vesicle operates from specialized “release sites.” The (M)Unc13 class of proteins is meant to define release sites topologically and biochemically, and diversity between Unc13-type release factor isoforms is suspected to steer diversity at active zones. The two major Unc13-type isoforms, namely, Unc13A and Unc13B, have recently been described from the molecular to the behavioral level, exploiting Drosophila being uniquely suited to causally link between these levels. The exact nanoscale distribution of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels relative to release sites (“coupling”) at pre-synaptic active zones fundamentally steers the release of the synaptic vesicle. Unc13A and B were found to be either tightly or loosely coupled across Drosophila synapses. In this review, we reported recent findings on diverse aspects of Drosophila Unc13A and B, importantly, their nano-topological distribution at active zones and their roles in release site generation, active zone assembly, and pre-synaptic homeostatic plasticity. We compared their stoichiometric composition at different synapse types, reviewing the correlation between nanoscale distribution of these two isoforms and release physiology and, finally, discuss how isoform-specific release components might drive the functional heterogeneity of synapses and encode discrete behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengji Piao
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan J. Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Stephan J. Sigrist
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Oliver D, Ramachandran S, Philbrook A, Lambert CM, Nguyen KCQ, Hall DH, Francis MM. Kinesin-3 mediated axonal delivery of presynaptic neurexin stabilizes dendritic spines and postsynaptic components. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010016. [PMID: 35089924 PMCID: PMC8827443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional properties of neural circuits are defined by the patterns of synaptic connections between their partnering neurons, but the mechanisms that stabilize circuit connectivity are poorly understood. We systemically examined this question at synapses onto newly characterized dendritic spines of C. elegans GABAergic motor neurons. We show that the presynaptic adhesion protein neurexin/NRX-1 is required for stabilization of postsynaptic structure. We find that early postsynaptic developmental events proceed without a strict requirement for synaptic activity and are not disrupted by deletion of neurexin/nrx-1. However, in the absence of presynaptic NRX-1, dendritic spines and receptor clusters become destabilized and collapse prior to adulthood. We demonstrate that NRX-1 delivery to presynaptic terminals is dependent on kinesin-3/UNC-104 and show that ongoing UNC-104 function is required for postsynaptic maintenance in mature animals. By defining the dynamics and temporal order of synapse formation and maintenance events in vivo, we describe a mechanism for stabilizing mature circuit connectivity through neurexin-based adhesion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devyn Oliver
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Shankar Ramachandran
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alison Philbrook
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Lambert
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ken C. Q. Nguyen
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - David H. Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael M. Francis
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Abstract
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Physics, University of California, San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
| | - Olga K Dudko
- Department of Physics, University of California, San DiegoLa JollaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Cho Y, Kim G, Park J. Mitochondrial aconitase 1 regulates age-related memory impairment via autophagy/mitophagy-mediated neural plasticity in middle-aged flies. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13520. [PMID: 34799973 PMCID: PMC8672789 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Age‐related memory impairment (AMI) occurs in many species, including humans. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In wild‐type Drosophila (w1118), AMI appears in the form of a decrease in learning (3‐min memory) from middle age (30 days after eclosion [DAE]). We performed in vivo, DNA microarray, and behavioral screen studies to identify genes controlling both lifespan and AMI and selected mitochondrial Acon1 (mAcon1). mAcon1 expression in the head of w1118 decreased with age. Neuronal overexpression of mAcon1 extended its lifespan and improved AMI. Neuronal or mushroom body expression of mAcon1 regulated the learning of young (10 DAE) and middle‐aged flies. Interestingly, acetyl‐CoA and citrate levels increased in the heads of middle‐aged and neuronal mAcon1 knockdown flies. Acetyl‐CoA, as a cellular energy sensor, is related to autophagy. Autophagy activity and efficacy determined by the positive and negative changes in the expression levels of Atg8a‐II and p62 were proportional to the expression level of mAcon1. Levels of the presynaptic active zone scaffold protein Bruchpilot were inversely proportional to neuronal mAcon1 levels in the whole brain. Furthermore, mAcon1 overexpression in Kenyon cells induced mitophagy labeled with mt‐Keima and improved learning ability. Both processes were blocked by pink1 knockdown. Taken together, our results imply that the regulation of learning and AMI by mAcon1 occurs via autophagy/mitophagy‐mediated neural plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun‐Ho Cho
- Department of Physiology Korea University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Gye‐Hyeong Kim
- Department of Physiology Korea University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Joong‐Jean Park
- Department of Physiology Korea University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Fluorescence imaging techniques play a pivotal role in our understanding of the nervous system. The emergence of various super-resolution microscopy methods and specialized fluorescent probes enables direct insight into neuronal structure and protein arrangements in cellular subcompartments with so far unmatched resolution. Super-resolving visualization techniques in neurons unveil a novel understanding of cytoskeletal composition, distribution, motility, and signaling of membrane proteins, subsynaptic structure and function, and neuron-glia interaction. Well-defined molecular targets in autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease models provide excellent starting points for in-depth investigation of disease pathophysiology using novel and innovative imaging methodology. Application of super-resolution microscopy in human brain samples and for testing clinical biomarkers is still in its infancy but opens new opportunities for translational research in neurology and neuroscience. In this review, we describe how super-resolving microscopy has improved our understanding of neuronal and brain function and dysfunction in the last two decades.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Werner
- Department of Biotechnology & Biophysics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology & Biophysics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Geis
- Section Translational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Mrestani A, Pauli M, Kollmannsberger P, Repp F, Kittel RJ, Eilers J, Doose S, Sauer M, Sirén AL, Heckmann M, Paul MM. Active zone compaction correlates with presynaptic homeostatic potentiation. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109770. [PMID: 34610300 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter release is stabilized by homeostatic plasticity. Presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) operates on timescales ranging from minute- to life-long adaptations and likely involves reorganization of presynaptic active zones (AZs). At Drosophila melanogaster neuromuscular junctions, earlier work ascribed AZ enlargement by incorporating more Bruchpilot (Brp) scaffold protein a role in PHP. We use localization microscopy (direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy [dSTORM]) and hierarchical density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (HDBSCAN) to study AZ plasticity during PHP at the synaptic mesoscale. We find compaction of individual AZs in acute philanthotoxin-induced and chronic genetically induced PHP but unchanged copy numbers of AZ proteins. Compaction even occurs at the level of Brp subclusters, which move toward AZ centers, and in Rab3 interacting molecule (RIM)-binding protein (RBP) subclusters. Furthermore, correlative confocal and dSTORM imaging reveals how AZ compaction in PHP translates into apparent increases in AZ area and Brp protein content, as implied earlier.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Achmed Mrestani
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Pauli
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philip Kollmannsberger
- Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Felix Repp
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Robert J Kittel
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Institute of Biology, Department of Animal Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jens Eilers
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sören Doose
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Leena Sirén
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Heckmann
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Mila M Paul
- Institute for Physiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Sauvola CW, Littleton JT. SNARE Regulatory Proteins in Synaptic Vesicle Fusion and Recycling. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:733138. [PMID: 34421538 PMCID: PMC8377282 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.733138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane fusion is a universal feature of eukaryotic protein trafficking and is mediated by the soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) family. SNARE proteins embedded in opposing membranes spontaneously assemble to drive membrane fusion and cargo exchange in vitro. Evolution has generated a diverse complement of SNARE regulatory proteins (SRPs) that ensure membrane fusion occurs at the right time and place in vivo. While a core set of SNAREs and SRPs are common to all eukaryotic cells, a specialized set of SRPs within neurons confer additional regulation to synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion. Neuronal communication is characterized by precise spatial and temporal control of SNARE dynamics within presynaptic subdomains specialized for neurotransmitter release. Action potential-elicited Ca2+ influx at these release sites triggers zippering of SNAREs embedded in the SV and plasma membrane to drive bilayer fusion and release of neurotransmitters that activate downstream targets. Here we discuss current models for how SRPs regulate SNARE dynamics and presynaptic output, emphasizing invertebrate genetic findings that advanced our understanding of SRP regulation of SV cycling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad W Sauvola
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - J Troy Littleton
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Szikora S, Görög P, Kozma C, Mihály J. Drosophila Models Rediscovered with Super-Resolution Microscopy. Cells 2021; 10:1924. [PMID: 34440693 PMCID: PMC8391832 DOI: 10.3390/cells10081924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
With the advent of super-resolution microscopy, we gained a powerful toolbox to bridge the gap between the cellular- and molecular-level analysis of living organisms. Although nanoscopy is broadly applicable, classical model organisms, such as fruit flies, worms and mice, remained the leading subjects because combining the strength of sophisticated genetics, biochemistry and electrophysiology with the unparalleled resolution provided by super-resolution imaging appears as one of the most efficient approaches to understanding the basic cell biological questions and the molecular complexity of life. Here, we summarize the major nanoscopic techniques and illustrate how these approaches were used in Drosophila model systems to revisit a series of well-known cell biological phenomena. These investigations clearly demonstrate that instead of simply achieving an improvement in image quality, nanoscopy goes far beyond with its immense potential to discover novel structural and mechanistic aspects. With the examples of synaptic active zones, centrosomes and sarcomeres, we will explain the instrumental role of super-resolution imaging pioneered in Drosophila in understanding fundamental subcellular constituents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Szilárd Szikora
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Péter Görög
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Kozma
- Foundation for the Future of Biomedical Sciences in Szeged, Szeged Scientists Academy, Pálfy u. 52/d, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - József Mihály
- Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary;
- Department of Genetics, University of Szeged, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|