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Xiao H, Xi K, Wang K, Zhou Y, Dong B, Xie J, Xie Y, Zhang H, Ma G, Wang W, Feng D, Guo B, Wu S. Restoring the Function of Thalamocortical Circuit Through Correcting Thalamic Kv3.2 Channelopathy Normalizes Fear Extinction Impairments in a PTSD Mouse Model. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305939. [PMID: 38102998 PMCID: PMC10916658 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Impaired extinction of fear memory is one of the most common symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with limited therapeutic strategies due to the poor understanding of its underlying neural substrates. In this study, functional screening is performed and identified hyperactivity in the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) during fear extinction. Furthermore, the encoding patterns of the hyperactivated MD is investigated during persistent fear responses using multiple machine learning algorithms. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is also identified as a functional downstream region of the MD that mediates the extinction of fear memory. The thalamocortical circuit is comprehensively analyzed and found that the MD-ACC parvalbumin interneurons circuit is preferentially enhanced in PTSD mice, disrupting the local excitatory and inhibitory balance. It is found that decreased phosphorylation of the Kv3.2 channel contributed to the hyperactivated MD, primarily to the malfunctioning thalamocortical circuit. Using a lipid nanoparticle-based RNA therapy strategy, channelopathy is corrected via a methoxylated siRNA targeting the protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit and restored fear memory extinction in PTSD mice. These findings highlight the function of the thalamocortical circuit in PTSD-related impaired extinction of fear memory and provide therapeutic insights into Kv3.2-targeted RNA therapy for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxiang Xiao
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Kaiwen Xi
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Kaifang Wang
- Department of AnesthesiologyTangdu HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Yongsheng Zhou
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
- Eastern Theater Air Force Hospital of PLANanjing210000China
| | - Baowen Dong
- Department of NeurosurgeryTangdu HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Jinyi Xie
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Yuqiao Xie
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Haifeng Zhang
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Guaiguai Ma
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Dayun Feng
- Department of NeurosurgeryTangdu HospitalFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Baolin Guo
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of NeurobiologySchool of Basic MedicineFourth Military Medical UniversityXi'an710032China
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2
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Lai H, Gao M, Yang H. The potassium channels: Neurobiology and pharmacology of tinnitus. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25281. [PMID: 38284861 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25281] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Tinnitus is a widespread public health issue that imposes a significant social burden. The occurrence and maintenance of tinnitus have been shown to be associated with abnormal neuronal activity in the auditory pathway. Based on this view, neurobiological and pharmacological developments in tinnitus focus on ion channels and synaptic neurotransmitter receptors in neurons in the auditory pathway. With major breakthroughs in the pathophysiology and research methodology of tinnitus in recent years, the role of the largest family of ion channels, potassium ion channels, in modulating the excitability of neurons involved in tinnitus has been increasingly demonstrated. More and more potassium channels involved in the neural mechanism of tinnitus have been discovered, and corresponding drugs have been developed. In this article, we review animal (mouse, rat, hamster, and guinea-pig), human, and genetic studies on the different potassium channels involved in tinnitus, analyze the limitations of current clinical research on potassium channels, and propose future prospects. The aim of this review is to promote the understanding of the role of potassium ion channels in tinnitus and to advance the development of drugs targeting potassium ion channels for tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haohong Lai
- Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minqian Gao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Hearing and Speech-Language Science, Guangzhou Xinhua University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haidi Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Hearing and Speech-Language Science, Guangzhou Xinhua University, Guangzhou, China
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3
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Henton A, Zhao Y, Tzounopoulos T. A Role for KCNQ Channels on Cell Type-Specific Plasticity in Mouse Auditory Cortex after Peripheral Damage. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2277-2290. [PMID: 36813573 PMCID: PMC10072297 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1070-22.2023] [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: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Damage to sensory organs triggers compensatory plasticity mechanisms in sensory cortices. These plasticity mechanisms result in restored cortical responses, despite reduced peripheral input, and contribute to the remarkable recovery of perceptual detection thresholds to sensory stimuli. Overall, peripheral damage is associated with a reduction of cortical GABAergic inhibition; however, less is known about changes in intrinsic properties and the underlying biophysical mechanisms. To study these mechanisms, we used a model of noise-induced peripheral damage in male and female mice. We uncovered a rapid, cell type-specific reduction in the intrinsic excitability of parvalbumin-expressing neurons (PVs) in layer (L) 2/3 of auditory cortex. No changes in the intrinsic excitability of either L2/3 somatostatin-expressing or L2/3 principal neurons (PNs) were observed. The decrease in L2/3 PV excitability was observed 1, but not 7, d after noise exposure, and was evidenced by a hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential, depolarization of the action potential threshold, and reduction in firing frequency in response to depolarizing current. To uncover the underlying biophysical mechanisms, we recorded potassium currents. We found an increase in KCNQ potassium channel activity in L2/3 PVs of auditory cortex 1 d after noise exposure, associated with a hyperpolarizing shift in the minimal voltage activation of KCNQ channels. This increase contributes to the decreased intrinsic excitability of PVs. Our results highlight cell-type- and channel-specific mechanisms of plasticity after noise-induced hearing loss and will aid in understanding the pathologic processes involved in hearing loss and hearing loss-related disorders, such as tinnitus and hyperacusis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Noise-induced damage to the peripheral auditory system triggers central plasticity that compensates for the reduced peripheral input. The mechanisms of this plasticity are not fully understood. In the auditory cortex, this plasticity likely contributes to the recovery of sound-evoked responses and perceptual hearing thresholds. Importantly, other functional aspects of hearing do not recover, and peripheral damage may also lead to maladaptive plasticity-related disorders, such as tinnitus and hyperacusis. Here, after noise-induced peripheral damage, we highlight a rapid, transient, and cell type-specific reduction in the excitability of layer 2/3 parvalbumin-expressing neurons, which is due, at least in part, to increased KCNQ potassium channel activity. These studies may highlight novel strategies for enhancing perceptual recovery after hearing loss and mitigating hyperacusis and tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Henton
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
| | - Yanjun Zhao
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261
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4
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Sharma K, Kang KW, Seo YW, Glowatzki E, Yi E. Low-voltage Activating K + Channels in Cochlear Afferent Nerve Fiber Dendrites. Exp Neurobiol 2022; 31:243-259. [PMID: 36050224 PMCID: PMC9471414 DOI: 10.5607/en22013] [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: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cochlear afferent nerve fibers (ANF) are the first neurons in the ascending auditory pathway. We investigated the low-voltage activating K+ channels expressed in ANF dendrites using isolated rat cochlear segments. Whole cell patch clamp recordings were made from the dendritic terminals of ANFs. Outward currents activating at membrane potentials as low as -64 mV were observed in all dendrites studied. These currents were inhibited by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a blocker known to preferentially inhibit low-voltage activating K+ currents (IKL) in CNS auditory neurons and spiral ganglion neurons. When the dendritic IKL was blocked by 4-AP, the EPSP decay time was significantly prolonged, suggesting that dendritic IKL speeds up the decay of EPSPs and likely modulates action potentials of ANFs. To reveal molecular subtype of dendritic IKL, α-dendrotoxin (α-DTX), a selective inhibitor for Kv1.1, Kv1.2, and Kv1.6 containing channels, was tested. α-DTX inhibited 23±9% of dendritic IKL. To identify the α-DTXsensitive and α-DTX-insensitive components of IKL, immunofluorescence labeling was performed. Strong Kv1.1- and Kv1.2-immunoreactivity was found at unmyelinated dendritic segments, nodes of Ranvier, and cell bodies of most ANFs. A small fraction of ANF dendrites showed Kv7.2- immunoreactivity. These data suggest that dendritic IKL is conducted through Kv1.1and Kv1.2 channels, with a minor contribution from Kv7.2 and other as yet unidentified channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kushal Sharma
- College of Pharmacy and Natural Medicine Research Institute, Mokpo National University, Muan 58554, Korea
| | - Kwon Woo Kang
- College of Pharmacy and Natural Medicine Research Institute, Mokpo National University, Muan 58554, Korea
| | - Young-Woo Seo
- KBSI Gwangju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Elisabeth Glowatzki
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Eunyoung Yi
- College of Pharmacy and Natural Medicine Research Institute, Mokpo National University, Muan 58554, Korea
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5
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McCullagh EA, Peacock J, Lucas A, Poleg S, Greene NT, Gaut A, Lagestee S, Zhang Y, Kaczmarek LK, Park TJ, Tollin DJ, Klug A. Auditory brainstem development of naked mole-rats ( Heterocephalus glaber). Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220878. [PMID: 35946148 PMCID: PMC9363996 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Life underground often leads to animals having specialized auditory systems to accommodate the constraints of acoustic transmission in tunnels. Despite living underground, naked mole-rats use a highly vocal communication system, implying that they rely on central auditory processing. However, little is known about these animals' central auditory system, and whether it follows a similar developmental time course as other rodents. Naked mole-rats show slowed development in the hippocampus suggesting they have altered brain development compared to other rodents. Here, we measured morphological characteristics and voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3.3 expression and protein levels at different key developmental time points (postnatal days 9, 14, 21 and adulthood) to determine whether the auditory brainstem (lateral superior olive and medial nucleus of the trapezoid body) develops similarly to two common auditory rodent model species: gerbils and mice. Additionally, we measured the hearing onset of naked mole-rats using auditory brainstem response recordings at the same developmental timepoints. In contrast with other work in naked mole-rats showing that they are highly divergent in many aspects of their physiology, we show that naked mole-rats have a similar hearing onset, between postnatal day (P) 9 and P14, to many other rodents. On the other hand, we show some developmental differences, such as a unique morphology and Kv3.3 protein levels in the brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Peacock
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Alexandra Lucas
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Shani Poleg
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Nathaniel T. Greene
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Addison Gaut
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Samantha Lagestee
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Yalan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Leonard K. Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Thomas J. Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Daniel J. Tollin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Achim Klug
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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6
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Olah VJ, Goettemoeller AM, Rayaprolu S, Dammer EB, Seyfried NT, Rangaraju S, Dimidschstein J, Rowan MJM. Biophysical Kv3 channel alterations dampen excitability of cortical PV interneurons and contribute to network hyperexcitability in early Alzheimer's. eLife 2022; 11:75316. [PMID: 35727131 PMCID: PMC9278953 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a multitude of genetic risk factors and early biomarkers are known. Nevertheless, the causal factors responsible for initiating cognitive decline in AD remain controversial. Toxic plaques and tangles correlate with progressive neuropathology, yet disruptions in circuit activity emerge before their deposition in AD models and patients. Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are potential candidates for dysregulating cortical excitability as they display altered action potential (AP) firing before neighboring excitatory neurons in prodromal AD. Here, we report a novel mechanism responsible for PV hypoexcitability in young adult familial AD mice. We found that biophysical modulation of Kv3 channels, but not changes in their mRNA or protein expression, were responsible for dampened excitability in young 5xFAD mice. These K+ conductances could efficiently regulate near-threshold AP firing, resulting in gamma-frequency-specific network hyperexcitability. Thus, biophysical ion channel alterations alone may reshape cortical network activity prior to changes in their expression levels. Our findings demonstrate an opportunity to design a novel class of targeted therapies to ameliorate cortical circuit hyperexcitability in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor J Olah
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
| | | | - Sruti Rayaprolu
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
| | | | | | | | - Matthew J M Rowan
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
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7
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Richardson A, Ciampani V, Stancu M, Bondarenko K, Newton S, Steinert JR, Pilati N, Graham BP, Kopp-Scheinpflug C, Forsythe ID. Kv3.3 subunits control presynaptic action potential waveform and neurotransmitter release at a central excitatory synapse. eLife 2022; 11:75219. [PMID: 35510987 PMCID: PMC9110028 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Kv3 potassium currents mediate rapid repolarisation of action potentials (APs), supporting fast spikes and high repetition rates. Of the four Kv3 gene family members, Kv3.1 and Kv3.3 are highly expressed in the auditory brainstem and we exploited this to test for subunit-specific roles at the calyx of Held presynaptic terminal in the mouse. Deletion of Kv3.3 (but not Kv3.1) reduced presynaptic Kv3 channel immunolabelling, increased presynaptic AP duration and facilitated excitatory transmitter release; which in turn enhanced short-term depression during high-frequency transmission. The response to sound was delayed in the Kv3.3KO, with higher spontaneous and lower evoked firing, thereby reducing signal-to-noise ratio. Computational modelling showed that the enhanced EPSC and short-term depression in the Kv3.3KO reflected increased vesicle release probability and accelerated activity-dependent vesicle replenishment. We conclude that Kv3.3 mediates fast repolarisation for short precise APs, conserving transmission during sustained high-frequency activity at this glutamatergic excitatory synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Richardson
- epartment of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Ciampani
- epartment of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Mihai Stancu
- Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Germany
| | - Kseniia Bondarenko
- epartment of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sherylanne Newton
- epartment of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Joern R Steinert
- epartment of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Nadia Pilati
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Citta'della Speranza, Padova, Italy
| | - Bruce P Graham
- Computing Science and Mathematics, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ian D Forsythe
- epartment of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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8
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Zhang Y, Li D, Darwish Y, Fu X, Trussell LO, Huang H. KCNQ Channels Enable Reliable Presynaptic Spiking and Synaptic Transmission at High Frequency. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3305-3315. [PMID: 35256530 PMCID: PMC9034779 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0363-20.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The presynaptic action potential (AP) is required to drive calcium influx into nerve terminals, resulting in neurotransmitter release. Accordingly, the AP waveform is crucial in determining the timing and strength of synaptic transmission. The calyx of Held nerve terminals of rats of either sex showed minimum changes in AP waveform during high-frequency AP firing. We found that the stability of the calyceal AP waveform requires KCNQ (KV7) K+ channel activation during high-frequency spiking activity. High-frequency presynaptic spikes gradually led to accumulation of KCNQ channels in open states which kept interspike membrane potential sufficiently negative to maintain Na+ channel availability. Blocking KCNQ channels during stimulus trains led to inactivation of presynaptic Na+, and to a lesser extent KV1 channels, thereby reducing the AP amplitude and broadening AP duration. Moreover, blocking KCNQ channels disrupted the stable calcium influx and glutamate release required for reliable synaptic transmission at high frequency. Thus, while KCNQ channels are generally thought to prevent hyperactivity of neurons, we find that in axon terminals these channels function to facilitate reliable high-frequency synaptic signaling needed for sensory information processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The presynaptic spike results in calcium influx required for neurotransmitter release. For this reason, the spike waveform is crucial in determining the timing and strength of synaptic transmission. Auditory information is encoded by spikes phase locked to sound frequency at high rates. The calyx of Held nerve terminals in the auditory brainstem show minimum changes in spike waveform during high-frequency spike firing. We found that activation of KCNQ K+ channel builds up during high-frequency firing and its activation helps to maintain a stable spike waveform and reliable synaptic transmission. While KCNQ channels are generally thought to prevent hyperexcitability of neurons, we find that in axon terminals these channels function to facilitate high-frequency synaptic signaling during auditory information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
| | - Dainan Li
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
| | - Youad Darwish
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
| | - Xin Fu
- Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Laurence O Trussell
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Hai Huang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
- Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
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9
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OIsen T, Capurro A, Švent M, Pilati N, Large C, Hartell N, Hamann M. Sparsely Distributed, Pre-synaptic Kv3 K + Channels Control Spontaneous Firing and Cross-Unit Synchrony via the Regulation of Synaptic Noise in an Auditory Brainstem Circuit. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:721371. [PMID: 34539351 PMCID: PMC8446535 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.721371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous subthreshold activity in the central nervous system is fundamental to information processing and transmission, as it amplifies and optimizes sub-threshold signals, thereby improving action potential initiation and maintaining reliable firing. This form of spontaneous activity, which is frequently considered noise, is particularly important at auditory synapses where acoustic information is encoded by rapid and temporally precise firing rates. In contrast, when present in excess, this form of noise becomes detrimental to acoustic information as it contributes to the generation and maintenance of auditory disorders such as tinnitus. The most prominent contribution to subthreshold noise is spontaneous synaptic transmission (synaptic noise). Although numerous studies have examined the role of synaptic noise on single cell excitability, little is known about its pre-synaptic modulation owing in part to the difficulties of combining noise modulation with monitoring synaptic release. Here we study synaptic noise in the auditory brainstem dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of mice and show that pharmacological potentiation of Kv3 K+ currents reduces the level of synaptic bombardment onto DCN principal fusiform cells. Using a transgenic mouse line (SyG37) expressing SyGCaMP2-mCherry, a calcium sensor that targets pre-synaptic terminals, we show that positive Kv3 K+ current modulation decreases calcium influx in a fifth of pre-synaptic boutons. Furthermore, while maintaining rapid and precise spike timing, positive Kv3 K+ current modulation increases the synchronization of local circuit neurons by reducing spontaneous activity. In conclusion, our study identifies a unique pre-synaptic mechanism which reduces synaptic noise at auditory synapses and contributes to the coherent activation of neurons in a local auditory brainstem circuit. This form of modulation highlights a new therapeutic target, namely the pre-synaptic bouton, for ameliorating the effects of hearing disorders which are dependent on aberrant spontaneous activity within the central auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy OIsen
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Alberto Capurro
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Maša Švent
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Charles Large
- Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - Nick Hartell
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Martine Hamann
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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10
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Beebe NL, Zhang C, Burger RM, Schofield BR. Multiple Sources of Cholinergic Input to the Superior Olivary Complex. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:715369. [PMID: 34335196 PMCID: PMC8319744 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.715369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The superior olivary complex (SOC) is a major computation center in the brainstem auditory system. Despite previous reports of high expression levels of cholinergic receptors in the SOC, few studies have addressed the functional role of acetylcholine in the region. The source of the cholinergic innervation is unknown for all but one of the nuclei of the SOC, limiting our understanding of cholinergic modulation. The medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, a key inhibitory link in monaural and binaural circuits, receives cholinergic input from other SOC nuclei and also from the pontomesencephalic tegmentum. Here, we investigate whether these same regions are sources of cholinergic input to other SOC nuclei. We also investigate whether individual cholinergic cells can send collateral projections bilaterally (i.e., into both SOCs), as has been shown at other levels of the subcortical auditory system. We injected retrograde tract tracers into the SOC in gerbils, then identified retrogradely-labeled cells that were also immunolabeled for choline acetyltransferase, a marker for cholinergic cells. We found that both the SOC and the pontomesencephalic tegmentum (PMT) send cholinergic projections into the SOC, and these projections appear to innervate all major SOC nuclei. We also observed a small cholinergic projection into the SOC from the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus of the reticular formation. These various sources likely serve different functions; e.g., the PMT has been associated with things such as arousal and sensory gating whereas the SOC may provide feedback more closely tuned to specific auditory stimuli. Further, individual cholinergic neurons in each of these regions can send branching projections into both SOCs. Such projections present an opportunity for cholinergic modulation to be coordinated across the auditory brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole L Beebe
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Hearing Research Focus Group, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States.,Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - R Michael Burger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
| | - Brett R Schofield
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Hearing Research Focus Group, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, United States.,Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
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11
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Zhang Y, Ali SR, Nabbout R, Barcia G, Kaczmarek LK. A KCNC1 mutation in epilepsy of infancy with focal migrating seizures produces functional channels that fail to be regulated by PKC phosphorylation. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:532-539. [PMID: 34232791 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00257.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Channelopathies caused by mutations in genes encoding ion channels generally produce a clear change in channel function. Accordingly, mutations in KCNC1, which encodes the voltage-dependent Kv3.1 potassium channel, result in progressive myoclonus epilepsy as well as other developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, and these have been shown to reduce or fully abolish current amplitude. One exception to this is the mutation A513V Kv3.1b, located in the cytoplasmic C-terminal domain of the channel protein. This de novo variant was detected in a patient with epilepsy of infancy with focal migrating seizures (EIFMS), but no difference could be detected between A513V Kv3.1 current and that of wild-type Kv3.1. Using both biochemical and electrophysiological approaches, we have now confirmed that this variant produces functional channels but find that the A513V mutation renders the channel completely insensitive to regulation by phosphorylation at S503, a nearby regulatory site in the C-terminus. In this respect, the mutation resembles those in another channel, KCNT1, which are the major cause of EIFMS. Because the amplitude of Kv3.1 current is constantly adjusted by phosphorylation in vivo, our findings suggest that loss of such regulation contributes to EIFMS phenotype and emphasize the role of channel modulation for normal neuronal function.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Ion channel mutations that cause serious human diseases generally alter the biophysical properties or expression of the channel. We describe a de novo mutation in the Kv3.1 potassium channel that causes severe intellectual disability with early-onset epilepsy. The properties of this channel appear identical to those of wild-type channels, but the mutation prevents phosphorylation of the channel by protein kinase C. Our findings emphasize the role of channel modulation in normal brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Syed R Ali
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rima Nabbout
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Centre de Référence Épilepsies Rares, Member of ERN EPICARE, Institut Imagine, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Giulia Barcia
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Centre de Référence Épilepsies Rares, Member of ERN EPICARE, Institut Imagine, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Department of Medical Genetics, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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12
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Wu XS, Subramanian S, Zhang Y, Shi B, Xia J, Li T, Guo X, El-Hassar L, Szigeti-Buck K, Henao-Mejia J, Flavell RA, Horvath TL, Jonas EA, Kaczmarek LK, Wu LG. Presynaptic Kv3 channels are required for fast and slow endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. Neuron 2021; 109:938-946.e5. [PMID: 33508244 PMCID: PMC7979485 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Since their discovery decades ago, the primary physiological and pathological effects of potassium channels have been attributed to their ion conductance, which sets membrane potential and repolarizes action potentials. For example, Kv3 family channels regulate neurotransmitter release by repolarizing action potentials. Here we report a surprising but crucial function independent of potassium conductance: by organizing the F-actin cytoskeleton in mouse nerve terminals, the Kv3.3 protein facilitates slow endocytosis, rapid endocytosis, vesicle mobilization to the readily releasable pool, and recovery of synaptic depression during repetitive firing. A channel mutation that causes spinocerebellar ataxia inhibits endocytosis, vesicle mobilization, and synaptic transmission during repetitive firing by disrupting the ability of the channel to nucleate F-actin. These results unmask novel functions of potassium channels in endocytosis and vesicle mobilization crucial for sustaining synaptic transmission during repetitive firing. Potassium channel mutations that impair these "non-conducting" functions may thus contribute to generation of diverse neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Sheng Wu
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shobana Subramanian
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yalan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Bo Shi
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Jessica Xia
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tiansheng Li
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lynda El-Hassar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Klara Szigeti-Buck
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jorge Henao-Mejia
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Richard A Flavell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Tamas L Horvath
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Jonas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Ling-Gang Wu
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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13
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Wu J, Kaczmarek LK. Modulation of Neuronal Potassium Channels During Auditory Processing. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:596478. [PMID: 33613177 PMCID: PMC7887315 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.596478] [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: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraction and localization of an auditory stimulus of interest from among multiple other sounds, as in the ‘cocktail-party’ situation, requires neurons in auditory brainstem nuclei to encode the timing, frequency, and intensity of sounds with high fidelity, and to compare inputs coming from the two cochleae. Accurate localization of sounds requires certain neurons to fire at high rates with high temporal accuracy, a process that depends heavily on their intrinsic electrical properties. Studies have shown that the membrane properties of auditory brainstem neurons, particularly their potassium currents, are not fixed but are modulated in response to changes in the auditory environment. Here, we review work focusing on how such modulation of potassium channels is critical to shaping the firing pattern and accuracy of these neurons. We describe how insights into the role of specific channels have come from human gene mutations that impair localization of sounds in space. We also review how short-term and long-term modulation of these channels maximizes the extraction of auditory information, and how errors in the regulation of these channels contribute to deficits in decoding complex auditory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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14
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Zemel BM, Zhi L, Brown EV, Tymanskyj SR, Liang Q, Covarrubias M. PKCε associates with the Kv3.4 channel to promote its expression in a kinase activity-dependent manner. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21241. [PMID: 33368632 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901877r] [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: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3.4 is a crucial regulator of nociceptive signaling in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Moreover, Kv3.4 dysfunction has been linked to neuropathic pain. Although kinases and phosphatases can directly modulate Kv3.4 gating, the signaling mechanisms regulating the expression and stability of the Kv3.4 protein are generally unknown. We explored a potential role of PKCε and found an unexpected interaction that has a positive effect on Kv3.4 expression. Co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed a physical association between PKCε and Kv3.4 in both heterologous cells and rat DRG neurons. Furthermore, in contrast to the wild-type and constitutively active forms of PKCε, expression of a catalytically inactive form of the enzyme inhibits Kv3.4 expression and membrane localization through a dominant negative effect. Co-expression of Kv3.4 with the wild-type, constitutively active, or catalytically inactive forms of PKCε had no significant effects on Kv3.4 gating. These results suggest that a novel physical interaction of the Kv3.4 channel with functional PKCε primarily determines its stability and localization in DRG neurons. This interaction is akin to those of previously identified accessory ion channel proteins, which could be significant in neural tissues where Kv3.4 regulates electrical signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Zemel
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lianteng Zhi
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eric V Brown
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen R Tymanskyj
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qiansheng Liang
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Manuel Covarrubias
- Department of Neuroscience and Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Jefferson College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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15
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Mechanisms and Functional Consequences of Presynaptic Homeostatic Plasticity at Auditory Nerve Synapses. J Neurosci 2020; 40:6896-6909. [PMID: 32747441 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1175-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple forms of homeostasis influence synaptic function under diverse activity conditions. Both presynaptic and postsynaptic forms of homeostasis are important, but their relative impact on fidelity is unknown. To address this issue, we studied auditory nerve synapses onto bushy cells in the cochlear nucleus of mice of both sexes. These synapses undergo bidirectional presynaptic and postsynaptic homeostatic changes with increased and decreased acoustic stimulation. We found that both young and mature synapses exhibit similar activity-dependent changes in short-term depression. Experiments using chelators and imaging both indicated that presynaptic Ca2+ influx decreased after noise exposure, and increased after ligating the ear canal. By contrast, Ca2+ cooperativity was unaffected. Experiments using specific antagonists suggest that occlusion leads to changes in the Ca2+ channel subtypes driving neurotransmitter release. Furthermore, dynamic-clamp experiments revealed that spike fidelity primarily depended on changes in presynaptic depression, with some contribution from changes in postsynaptic intrinsic properties. These experiments indicate that presynaptic Ca2+ influx is homeostatically regulated in vivo to enhance synaptic fidelity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Homeostatic mechanisms in synapses maintain stable function in the face of different levels of activity. Both juvenile and mature auditory nerve synapses onto bushy cells modify short-term depression in different acoustic environments, which raises the question of what the underlying presynaptic mechanisms are and the relative importance of presynaptic and postsynaptic contributions to the faithful transfer of information. Changes in short-term depression under different acoustic conditions were a result of changes in presynaptic Ca2+ influx. Spike fidelity was affected by both presynaptic and postsynaptic changes after ear occlusion and was only affected by presynaptic changes after noise-rearing. These findings are important for understanding regulation of auditory synapses under normal conditions and also in disorders following noise exposure or conductive hearing loss.
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16
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Choudhury N, Linley D, Richardson A, Anderson M, Robinson SW, Marra V, Ciampani V, Walter SM, Kopp‐Scheinpflug C, Steinert JR, Forsythe ID. Kv3.1 and Kv3.3 subunits differentially contribute to Kv3 channels and action potential repolarization in principal neurons of the auditory brainstem. J Physiol 2020; 598:2199-2222. [DOI: 10.1113/jp279668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nasreen Choudhury
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Deborah Linley
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Amy Richardson
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Michelle Anderson
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Susan W. Robinson
- Neurotoxicity at the Synaptic Interface MRC Toxicology Unit University of Leicester, UK
| | - Vincenzo Marra
- Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Victoria Ciampani
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Sophie M. Walter
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Conny Kopp‐Scheinpflug
- Division of Neurobiology Department Biology II Ludwig‐Maximilians‐University Munich Großhaderner Strasse 2 Planegg‐Martinsried D‐82152 Germany
| | - Joern R. Steinert
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
| | - Ian D. Forsythe
- Auditory Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour College of Life Sciences University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK
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17
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Fernández-Fernández D, Lamas JA. Metabotropic Modulation of Potassium Channels During Synaptic Plasticity. Neuroscience 2020; 456:4-16. [PMID: 32114098 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Besides their primary function mediating the repolarization phase of action potentials, potassium channels exquisitely and ubiquitously regulate the resting membrane potential of neurons and therefore have a key role establishing their intrinsic excitability. This group of proteins is composed of a very diverse collection of voltage-dependent and -independent ion channels, whose specific distribution is finely tuned at the level of the synapse. Both at the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes, different types of potassium channels are subjected to modulation by second messenger signaling cascades triggered by metabotropic receptors, which in this way serve as a link between neurotransmitter actions and changes in the neuron membrane excitability. On the one hand, by regulating the resting membrane potential of the postsynaptic membrane, potassium channels appear to be critical towards setting the threshold for the induction of long-term potentiation and depression. On the other hand, these channels maintain the presynaptic membrane potential under control, therefore influencing the probability of neurotransmitter release underlying different forms of short-term plasticity. In the present review, we examine in detail the role of metabotropic receptors translating their activation by different neurotransmitters into a final effect modulating several types of potassium channels. Furthermore, we evaluate the consequences that this interplay has on the induction and maintenance of different forms of synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Fernández-Fernández
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
| | - J A Lamas
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, Vigo, Galicia, Spain
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18
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McCullagh EA, Rotschafer SE, Auerbach BD, Klug A, Kaczmarek LK, Cramer KS, Kulesza RJ, Razak KA, Lovelace JW, Lu Y, Koch U, Wang Y. Mechanisms underlying auditory processing deficits in Fragile X syndrome. FASEB J 2020; 34:3501-3518. [PMID: 32039504 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902435r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are strongly associated with auditory hypersensitivity or hyperacusis (difficulty tolerating sounds). Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenetic cause of ASD, has emerged as a powerful gateway for exploring underlying mechanisms of hyperacusis and auditory dysfunction in ASD. This review discusses examples of disruption of the auditory pathways in FXS at molecular, synaptic, and circuit levels in animal models as well as in FXS individuals. These examples highlight the involvement of multiple mechanisms, from aberrant synaptic development and ion channel deregulation of auditory brainstem circuits, to impaired neuronal plasticity and network hyperexcitability in the auditory cortex. Though a relatively new area of research, recent discoveries have increased interest in auditory dysfunction and mechanisms underlying hyperacusis in this disorder. This rapidly growing body of data has yielded novel research directions addressing critical questions regarding the timing and possible outcomes of human therapies for auditory dysfunction in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McCullagh
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Sarah E Rotschafer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, GA, USA
| | - Benjamin D Auerbach
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders & Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Achim Klug
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Departments of Pharmacology and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Karina S Cramer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Randy J Kulesza
- Department of Anatomy, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA, USA
| | - Khaleel A Razak
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | | | - Yong Lu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA
| | - Ursula Koch
- Institute of Biology, Neurophysiology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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19
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Expression and Localization of Kv1.1 and Kv3.1b Potassium Channels in the Cochlear Nucleus and Inferior Colliculus after Long-Term Auditory Deafferentation. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10010035. [PMID: 31936259 PMCID: PMC7017294 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Deafness affects the expression and distribution of voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kvs) of central auditory neurons in the short-term, i.e., hours to days, but the consequences in the expression of Kvs after long-term deafness remain unknown. We tested expression and distribution of Kv1.1 and Kv3.1b, key for auditory processing, in the rat cochlear nucleus (CN), and in the inferior colliculus (IC), at 1, 15 and 90 days after mechanical lesion of the cochlea, using a combination of qRT-PCR and Western blot in the whole CN, along with semi-quantitative immunocytochemistry in the AVCN, where the role of both Kvs in the control of excitability for accurate auditory timing signal processing is well established. Neither Kv1.1/Kv3.1b mRNA or protein expression changed significantly in the CN between 1 and 15 days after deafness. At 90 days post-lesion, however, mRNA and protein expression for both Kvs increased, suggesting that regulation of Kv1.1 and Kv3.1b expression is part of cellular mechanisms for long-term adaptation to auditory deprivation in the CN. Consistent with these findings, immunocytochemistry showed increased labeling intensity for both Kvs in the AVCN at day 90 after cochlear lesion. This increase argues that up-regulation of Kv1.1 and Kv3.1b in AVCN neurons may be required to adapt intrinsic excitability to altered input over the long term after auditory deprivation. Contrary to these findings in the CN, expression levels of Kv1.1 and Kv3.1b in the IC did not undergo major changes after cochlear lesion. In particular, there was no evidence of long-term up-regulation of either Kv1.1 or Kv3.1b, supporting that such post-lesion adaptive mechanism may not be needed in the IC. These results reveal that post-lesion adaptations do not necessarily involve stereotyped plastic mechanisms along the entire auditory pathway.
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20
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Sagi Y, Medrihan L, George K, Barney M, McCabe KA, Greengard P. Emergence of 5-HT5A signaling in parvalbumin neurons mediates delayed antidepressant action. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1191-1201. [PMID: 30804492 PMCID: PMC7244406 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0379-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral response to antidepressants is closely associated with physiological changes in the function of neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Parvalbumin interneurons are a major class of GABAergic neurons, essential for DG function, and are involved in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the role(s) of these neurons in major depressive disorder or in mediating the delayed behavioral response to antidepressants. Here we show, in mice, that hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons express functionally silent serotonin 5A receptors, which translocate to the cell membrane and become active upon chronic, but not acute, treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Activation of these serotonergic receptors in these neurons initiates a signaling cascade through which Gi-protein reduces cAMP levels and attenuates protein kinase A and protein phosphatase 2A activities. This results in increased phosphorylation and inhibition of Kv3.1β channels, and thereby reduces the firing of the parvalbumin neurons. Through the loss of this signaling pathway in these neurons, conditional deletion of the serotonin 5A receptor leads to the loss of the physiological and behavioral responses to chronic antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yotam Sagi
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Lucian Medrihan
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Katia George
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Miles Barney
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Kathryn A. McCabe
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Paul Greengard
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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21
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An Epilepsy-Associated KCNT1 Mutation Enhances Excitability of Human iPSC-Derived Neurons by Increasing Slack K Na Currents. J Neurosci 2019; 39:7438-7449. [PMID: 31350261 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1628-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the KCNT1 (Slack, KNa1.1) sodium-activated potassium channel produce severe epileptic encephalopathies. Expression in heterologous systems has shown that the disease-causing mutations give rise to channels that have increased current amplitude. It is not known, however, whether such gain of function occurs in human neurons, nor whether such increased KNa current is expected to suppress or increase the excitability of cortical neurons. Using genetically engineered human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, we have now found that sodium-dependent potassium currents are increased several-fold in neurons bearing a homozygous P924L mutation. In current-clamp recordings, the increased KNa current in neurons with the P924L mutation acts to shorten the duration of action potentials and to increase the amplitude of the afterhyperpolarization that follows each action potential. Strikingly, the number of action potentials that were evoked by depolarizing currents as well as maximal firing rates were increased in neurons expressing the mutant channel. In networks of spontaneously active neurons, the mean firing rate, the occurrence of rapid bursts of action potentials, and the intensity of firing during the burst were all increased in neurons with the P924L Slack mutation. The feasibility of an increased KNa current to increase firing rates independent of any compensatory changes was validated by numerical simulations. Our findings indicate that gain-of-function in Slack KNa channels causes hyperexcitability in both isolated neurons and in neural networks and occurs by a cell-autonomous mechanism that does not require network interactions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT KCNT1 mutations lead to severe epileptic encephalopathies for which there are no effective treatments. This study is the first demonstration that a KCNT1 mutation increases the Slack current in neurons. It also provides the first explanation for how this increased potassium current induces hyperexcitability, which could be the underlining factor causing seizures.
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22
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Park J, Koko M, Hedrich UBS, Hermann A, Cremer K, Haberlandt E, Grimmel M, Alhaddad B, Beck‐Woedl S, Harrer M, Karall D, Kingelhoefer L, Tzschach A, Matthies LC, Strom TM, Ringelstein EB, Sturm M, Engels H, Wolff M, Lerche H, Haack TB. KCNC1-related disorders: new de novo variants expand the phenotypic spectrum. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019; 6:1319-1326. [PMID: 31353862 PMCID: PMC6649617 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.50799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A recurrent de novo missense variant in KCNC1, encoding a voltage-gated potassium channel expressed in inhibitory neurons, causes progressive myoclonus epilepsy and ataxia, and a nonsense variant is associated with intellectual disability. We identified three new de novo missense variants in KCNC1 in five unrelated individuals causing different phenotypes featuring either isolated nonprogressive myoclonus (p.Cys208Tyr), intellectual disability (p.Thr399Met), or epilepsy with myoclonic, absence and generalized tonic-clonic seizures, ataxia, and developmental delay (p.Ala421Val, three patients). Functional analyses demonstrated no measurable currents for all identified variants and dominant-negative effects for p.Thr399Met and p.Ala421Val predicting neuronal disinhibition as the underlying disease mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joohyun Park
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Department of Neurology and EpileptologyHertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Mahmoud Koko
- Department of Neurology and EpileptologyHertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Ulrike B. S. Hedrich
- Department of Neurology and EpileptologyHertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht‐Kossel”, Department of Neurology and Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR)University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock18147RostockGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald18147RostockGermany
| | - Kirsten Cremer
- Institute of Human GeneticsUniversity of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Edda Haberlandt
- Clinic for PediatricsKrankenhaus Stadt DornbirnDornbirnAustria
| | - Mona Grimmel
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Bader Alhaddad
- Institute of Human GeneticsTechnische Universität MünchenMunichGermany
- Institute of Human GeneticsHelmholtz Zentrum MünchenNeuherbergGermany
| | - Stefanie Beck‐Woedl
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Merle Harrer
- Department of Neurology and EpileptologyHertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Daniela Karall
- Clinic for Pediatrics, Division of Inherited Metabolic DisordersMedical University of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | - Lisa Kingelhoefer
- Department of NeurologyTechnische Universität Dresden and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Research Side DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Andreas Tzschach
- Institute of Clinical GeneticsTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Lars C. Matthies
- Institute of Human GeneticsUniversity of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Tim M. Strom
- Institute of Human GeneticsTechnische Universität MünchenMunichGermany
- Institute of Human GeneticsHelmholtz Zentrum MünchenNeuherbergGermany
| | - Erich Bernd Ringelstein
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital of MuensterMuensterGermany
- German Neuroscience CenterDubaiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Marc Sturm
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Hartmut Engels
- Institute of Human GeneticsUniversity of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Markus Wolff
- Department of NeuropediatricsUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Holger Lerche
- Department of Neurology and EpileptologyHertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Tobias B. Haack
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied GenomicsUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Institute of Human GeneticsTechnische Universität MünchenMunichGermany
- Centre for Rare DiseasesUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
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23
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Modulators of Kv3 Potassium Channels Rescue the Auditory Function of Fragile X Mice. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4797-4813. [PMID: 30936239 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0839-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, including environmental sounds. We compared the auditory brainstem response (ABR) recorded in vivo in mice lacking the gene (Fmr1 -/y ) for fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) with that in wild-type animals. We found that ABR wave I, which represents input from the auditory nerve, is reduced in Fmr1 -/y animals, but only at high sound levels. In contrast, wave IV, which represents the activity of auditory brainstem nuclei is enhanced at all sound levels, suggesting that loss of FMRP alters the central processing of auditory signals. Current-clamp recordings of neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body in the auditory brainstem revealed that, in contrast to neurons from wild-type animals, sustained depolarization triggers repetitive firing rather than a single action potential. In voltage-clamp recordings, K+ currents that activate at positive potentials ("high-threshold" K+ currents), which are required for high-frequency firing and are carried primarily by Kv3.1 channels, are elevated in Fmr1 -/y mice, while K+ currents that activate near the resting potential and inhibit repetitive firing are reduced. We therefore tested the effects of AUT2 [((4-({5-[(4R)-4-ethyl-2,5-dioxo-1-imidazolidinyl]-2-pyridinyl}oxy)-2-(1-methylethyl) benzonitrile], a compound that modulates Kv3.1 channels. AUT2 reduced the high-threshold K+ current and increased the low-threshold K+ currents in neurons from Fmr1 -/y animals by shifting the activation of the high-threshold current to more negative potentials. This reduced the firing rate and, in vivo, restored wave IV of the ABR. Our results from animals of both sexes suggest that the modulation of the Kv3.1 channel may have potential for the treatment of sensory hypersensitivity in patients with FXS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT mRNA encoding the Kv3.1 potassium channel was one of the first described targets of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Fragile X syndrome is caused by loss of FMRP and, in humans and mice, causes hypersensitivity to auditory stimuli. We found that components of the auditory brain response (ABR) corresponding to auditory brainstem activity are enhanced in mice lacking FMRP. This is accompanied by hyperexcitability and altered potassium currents in auditory brainstem neurons. Treatment with a drug that alters the voltage dependence of Kv3.1 channels normalizes the imbalance of potassium currents, as well as ABR responses in vivo, suggesting that such compounds may be effective in treating some symptoms of fragile X syndrome.
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24
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Lauer AM, Dent ML, Sun W, Xu-Friedman MA. Effects of Non-traumatic Noise and Conductive Hearing Loss on Auditory System Function. Neuroscience 2019; 407:182-191. [PMID: 30685543 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The effects of traumatic noise-exposure and deafening on auditory system function have received a great deal of attention. However, lower levels of noise as well as temporary conductive hearing loss also have consequences on auditory physiology and hearing. Here we review how abnormal acoustic experience at early ages affects the ascending and descending auditory pathways, as well as hearing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Lauer
- Dept of Otolaryngology-HNS, Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Micheal L Dent
- Dept. Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, United States
| | - Wei Sun
- Dept. Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY, United States
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25
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The ion channels and synapses responsible for the physiological diversity of mammalian lower brainstem auditory neurons. Hear Res 2018; 376:33-46. [PMID: 30606624 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The auditory part of the brainstem is composed of several nuclei specialized in the computation of the different spectral and temporal features of the sound before it reaches the higher auditory regions. There are a high diversity of neuronal types in these nuclei, many with remarkable electrophysiological and synaptic properties unique to these structures. This diversity reflects specializations necessary to process the different auditory signals in order to extract precisely the acoustic information necessary for the auditory perception by the animal. Low threshold Kv1 channels and HCN channels are expressed in neurons that use timing clues for auditory processing, like bushy and octopus cells, in order to restrict action potential firing and reduce input resistance and membrane time constant. Kv3 channels allow principal neurons of the MNTB and pyramidal DCN neurons to fire fast trains of action potentials. Calcium channels on cartwheel DCN neurons produce complex spikes characteristic of these neurons. Calyceal synapses compensate the low input resistance of bushy and principal neurons of the MNTB by releasing hundreds of glutamate vesicles resulting in large EPSCs acting in fast ionotropic glutamate receptors, in order to reduce temporal summation of synaptic potentials, allowing more precise correspondence of pre- and post-synaptic potentials, and phase-locking. Pre-synaptic calyceal sodium channels have fast recovery from inactivation allowing extremely fast trains of action potential firing, and persistent sodium channels produce spontaneous activity of fusiform neurons at rest, which expands the dynamic range of these neurons. The unique combinations of different ion channels, ionotropic receptors and synaptic structures create a unique functional diversity of neurons extremely adapted to their complex functions in the auditory processing.
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26
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Carlyon RP, Deeks JM, Guérit F, Lamping W, Billig AJ, Large CH, Saeed SR, Harris P. Evaluation of Possible Effects of a Potassium Channel Modulator on Temporal Processing by Cochlear Implant Listeners. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2018; 19:669-680. [PMID: 30232712 PMCID: PMC6249161 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-00694-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal processing by cochlear implant listeners is degraded and is affected by auditory deprivation. The fast-acting Kv3.1 potassium channel is important for sustained temporally accurate firing and is also susceptible to deprivation, the effects of which can be partially restored in animals by the molecule AUT00063. We report the results of a randomised placebo-controlled double-blind study on psychophysical tests of the effects of AUT00063 on temporal processing by CI listeners. The study measured the upper limit of temporal pitch, gap detection, and discrimination of low rates (centred on 120 pps) for monopolar pulse trains presented to an apical electrode. The upper limit was measured using the optimally efficient midpoint comparison (MPC) pitch-ranking procedure; thresholds were obtained for the other two measures using an adaptive procedure. Twelve CI users (MedEl and Cochlear) were tested before and after two periods of AUT00063 or placebo in a within-subject crossover study. No significant differences occurred between post-drug and post-placebo conditions. This absence of effect occurred despite high test-retest reliability for all three measures, obtained by comparing performance on the two baseline visits, and despite the demonstrated sensitivity of the measures to modest changes in temporal processing obtained in other studies from our laboratory. Hence, we have no evidence that AUT00063 improves temporal processing for the doses and patient population employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Carlyon
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK.
| | - John M Deeks
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - François Guérit
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Wiebke Lamping
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Alexander J Billig
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Charles H Large
- Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Imperial College Incubator, London, UK
| | - Shakeel R Saeed
- Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, UCL Ear Institute, 330 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8DA, UK
| | - Peter Harris
- Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Imperial College Incubator, London, UK
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27
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Gu Y, Servello D, Han Z, Lalchandani RR, Ding JB, Huang K, Gu C. Balanced Activity between Kv3 and Nav Channels Determines Fast-Spiking in Mammalian Central Neurons. iScience 2018; 9:120-137. [PMID: 30390433 PMCID: PMC6218699 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fast-spiking (FS) neurons can fire action potentials (APs) up to 1,000 Hz and play key roles in vital functions such as sound location, motor coordination, and cognition. Here we report that the concerted actions of Kv3 voltage-gated K+ (Kv) and Na+ (Nav) channels are sufficient and necessary for inducing and maintaining FS. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed a robust correlation between the Kv3/Nav current ratio and FS. Expressing Kv3 channels alone could convert ∼30%-60% slow-spiking (SS) neurons to FS in culture. In contrast, co-expression of either Nav1.2 or Nav1.6 together with Kv3.1 or Kv3.3, but not alone or with Kv1.2, converted SS to FS with 100% efficiency. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing-based genome-wide analysis revealed that the Kv3/Nav ratio and Kv3 expression levels strongly correlated with the maximal AP frequencies. Therefore, FS is established by the properly balanced activities of Kv3 and Nav channels and could be further fine-tuned by channel biophysical features and localization patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzheng Gu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, 182 Rightmire Hall, 1060 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dustin Servello
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Zhi Han
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; College of Software, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Rupa R Lalchandani
- Department of Neurosurgery, and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kun Huang
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518037, China
| | - Chen Gu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, 182 Rightmire Hall, 1060 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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28
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Beiderbeck B, Myoga MH, Müller NIC, Callan AR, Friauf E, Grothe B, Pecka M. Precisely timed inhibition facilitates action potential firing for spatial coding in the auditory brainstem. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1771. [PMID: 29720589 PMCID: PMC5932051 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04210-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs is fundamental to neuronal processing. In the mammalian auditory brainstem, neurons compare excitatory and inhibitory inputs from the ipsilateral and contralateral ear, respectively, for sound localization. However, the temporal precision and functional roles of inhibition in this integration process are unclear. Here, we demonstrate by in vivo recordings from the lateral superior olive (LSO) that inhibition controls spiking with microsecond precision throughout high frequency click trains. Depending on the relative timing of excitation and inhibition, neuronal spike probability is either suppressed or-unexpectedly-facilitated. In vitro conductance-clamp LSO recordings establish that a reduction in the voltage threshold for spike initiation due to a prior hyperpolarization results in post-inhibitory facilitation of otherwise sub-threshold synaptic events. Thus, microsecond-precise differences in the arrival of inhibition relative to excitation can facilitate spiking in the LSO, thereby promoting spatial sensitivity during the processing of faint sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Beiderbeck
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany
| | - Michael H Myoga
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Nicolas I C Müller
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology Group, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, D-67653, Germany
| | - Alexander R Callan
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany
| | - Eckhard Friauf
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology Group, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, D-67653, Germany
| | - Benedikt Grothe
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany. .,Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany.
| | - Michael Pecka
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, D-82152, Germany.
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29
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Chambers AR, Pilati N, Balaram P, Large CH, Kaczmarek LK, Polley DB. Pharmacological modulation of Kv3.1 mitigates auditory midbrain temporal processing deficits following auditory nerve damage. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17496. [PMID: 29235497 PMCID: PMC5727503 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17406-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher stages of central auditory processing compensate for a loss of cochlear nerve synapses by increasing the gain on remaining afferent inputs, thereby restoring firing rate codes for rudimentary sound features. The benefits of this compensatory plasticity are limited, as the recovery of precise temporal coding is comparatively modest. We reasoned that persistent temporal coding deficits could be ameliorated through modulation of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels that regulate temporal firing patterns. Here, we characterize AUT00063, a pharmacological compound that modulates Kv3.1, a high-threshold channel expressed in fast-spiking neurons throughout the central auditory pathway. Patch clamp recordings from auditory brainstem neurons and in silico modeling revealed that application of AUT00063 reduced action potential timing variability and improved temporal coding precision. Systemic injections of AUT00063 in vivo improved auditory synchronization and supported more accurate decoding of temporal sound features in the inferior colliculus and auditory cortex in adult mice with a near-complete loss of auditory nerve afferent synapses in the contralateral ear. These findings suggest modulating Kv3.1 in central neurons could be a promising therapeutic approach to mitigate temporal processing deficits that commonly accompany aging, tinnitus, ototoxic drug exposure or noise damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Chambers
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nadia Pilati
- Autifony SRL, Verona, Italy; and Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Imperial College Incubator, London, UK
| | - Pooja Balaram
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles H Large
- Autifony SRL, Verona, Italy; and Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Imperial College Incubator, London, UK
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Departments of Pharmacology and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel B Polley
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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30
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Kaczmarek LK, Zhang Y. Kv3 Channels: Enablers of Rapid Firing, Neurotransmitter Release, and Neuronal Endurance. Physiol Rev 2017; 97:1431-1468. [PMID: 28904001 PMCID: PMC6151494 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic electrical characteristics of different types of neurons are shaped by the K+ channels they express. From among the more than 70 different K+ channel genes expressed in neurons, Kv3 family voltage-dependent K+ channels are uniquely associated with the ability of certain neurons to fire action potentials and to release neurotransmitter at high rates of up to 1,000 Hz. In general, the four Kv3 channels Kv3.1-Kv3.4 share the property of activating and deactivating rapidly at potentials more positive than other channels. Each Kv3 channel gene can generate multiple protein isoforms, which contribute to the high-frequency firing of neurons such as auditory brain stem neurons, fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons, and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, and to regulation of neurotransmitter release at the terminals of many neurons. The different Kv3 channels have unique expression patterns and biophysical properties and are regulated in different ways by protein kinases. In this review, we cover the function, localization, and modulation of Kv3 channels and describe how levels and properties of the channels are altered by changes in ongoing neuronal activity. We also cover how the protein-protein interaction of these channels with other proteins affects neuronal functions, and how mutations or abnormal regulation of Kv3 channels are associated with neurological disorders such as ataxias, epilepsies, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Departments of Pharmacology and of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yalan Zhang
- Departments of Pharmacology and of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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31
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Low Somatic Sodium Conductance Enhances Action Potential Precision in Time-Coding Auditory Neurons. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11999-12009. [PMID: 27881784 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1475-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Auditory nerve fibers encode sounds in the precise timing of action potentials (APs), which is used for such computations as sound localization. Timing information is relayed through several cell types in the auditory brainstem that share an unusual property: their APs are not overshooting, suggesting that the cells have very low somatic sodium conductance (gNa). However, it is not clear how gNa influences temporal precision. We addressed this by comparing bushy cells (BCs) in the mouse cochlear nucleus with T-stellate cells (SCs), which do have normal overshooting APs. BCs play a central role in both relaying and refining precise timing information from the auditory nerve, whereas SCs discard precise timing information and encode the envelope of sound amplitude. Nucleated-patch recording at near-physiological temperature indicated that the Na current density was 62% lower in BCs, and the voltage dependence of gNa inactivation was 13 mV hyperpolarized compared with SCs. We endowed BCs with SC-like gNa using two-electrode dynamic clamp and found that synaptic activity at physiologically relevant rates elicited APs with significantly lower probability, through increased activation of delayed rectifier channels. In addition, for two near-simultaneous synaptic inputs, the window of coincidence detection widened significantly with increasing gNa, indicating that refinement of temporal information by BCs is degraded by gNa Thus, reduced somatic gNa appears to be an adaption for enhancing fidelity and precision in time-coding neurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Proper hearing depends on analyzing temporal aspects of sounds with high precision. Auditory neurons that specialize in precise temporal information have a suite of unusual intrinsic properties, including nonovershooting action potentials and few sodium channels in the soma. However, it was not clear how low sodium channel availability in the soma influenced the temporal precision of action potentials initiated in the axon initial segment. We studied this using dynamic clamp to mimic sodium channels in the soma, which yielded normal, overshooting action potentials. Increasing somatic sodium conductance had major negative consequences: synaptic activity evoked action potentials with lower fidelity, and the precision of coincidence detection was degraded. Thus, low somatic sodium channel availability appears to enhance fidelity and temporal precision.
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32
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Changes in Properties of Auditory Nerve Synapses following Conductive Hearing Loss. J Neurosci 2017; 37:323-332. [PMID: 28077712 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0523-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Auditory activity plays an important role in the development of the auditory system. Decreased activity can result from conductive hearing loss (CHL) associated with otitis media, which may lead to long-term perceptual deficits. The effects of CHL have been mainly studied at later stages of the auditory pathway, but early stages remain less examined. However, changes in early stages could be important because they would affect how information about sounds is conveyed to higher-order areas for further processing and localization. We examined the effects of CHL at auditory nerve synapses onto bushy cells in the mouse anteroventral cochlear nucleus following occlusion of the ear canal. These synapses, called endbulbs of Held, normally show strong depression in voltage-clamp recordings in brain slices. After 1 week of CHL, endbulbs showed even greater depression, reflecting higher release probability. We observed no differences in quantal size between control and occluded mice. We confirmed these observations using mean-variance analysis and the integration method, which also revealed that the number of release sites decreased after occlusion. Consistent with this, synaptic puncta immunopositive for VGLUT1 decreased in area after occlusion. The level of depression and number of release sites both showed recovery after returning to normal conditions. Finally, bushy cells fired fewer action potentials in response to evoked synaptic activity after occlusion, likely because of increased depression and decreased input resistance. These effects appear to reflect a homeostatic, adaptive response of auditory nerve synapses to reduced activity. These effects may have important implications for perceptual changes following CHL. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Normal hearing is important to everyday life, but abnormal auditory experience during development can lead to processing disorders. For example, otitis media reduces sound to the ear, which can cause long-lasting deficits in language skills and verbal production, but the location of the problem is unknown. Here, we show that occluding the ear causes synapses at the very first stage of the auditory pathway to modify their properties, by decreasing in size and increasing the likelihood of releasing neurotransmitter. This causes synapses to deplete faster, which reduces fidelity at central targets of the auditory nerve, which could affect perception. Temporary hearing loss could cause similar changes at later stages of the auditory pathway, which could contribute to disorders in behavior.
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33
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Vicente PC, Kim JY, Ha J, Song M, Lee H, Kim D, Choi J, Park K. Identification and characterization of site‐specific N‐glycosylation in the potassium channel Kv3.1b. J Cell Physiol 2017; 233:549-558. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Biomedical Omics GroupKorea Basic Science InstituteCheongju‐si Chungcheongbuk‐doSouth Korea
| | - Jeong‐Ju Ha
- Department of Physiology, School of MedicineKyung Hee UniversitySeoulSouth Korea
| | - Min‐Young Song
- Department of Physiology, School of MedicineKyung Hee UniversitySeoulSouth Korea
- Biomedical Omics GroupKorea Basic Science InstituteCheongju‐si Chungcheongbuk‐doSouth Korea
| | - Hyun‐Kyung Lee
- Biomedical Omics GroupKorea Basic Science InstituteCheongju‐si Chungcheongbuk‐doSouth Korea
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and TechnologyChungnam National UniversityDaejeonSouth Korea
| | - Dong‐Hyun Kim
- College of PharmacyCatholic University of KoreaBucheonGyeonggi‐DoSouth Korea
| | - Jin‐Sung Choi
- College of PharmacyCatholic University of KoreaBucheonGyeonggi‐DoSouth Korea
| | - Kang‐Sik Park
- Department of Physiology, School of MedicineKyung Hee UniversitySeoulSouth Korea
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Choi YK, Urnukhsaikhan E, Yoon HH, Seo YK, Cho H, Jeong JS, Kim SC, Park JK. Combined effect of pulsed electromagnetic field and sound wave on In vitro and In vivo neural differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Biotechnol Prog 2016; 33:201-211. [PMID: 27790871 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Biophysical wave stimulus has been used as an effective tool to promote cellular maturation and differentiation in the construction of engineered tissue. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and sound waves have been selected as effective stimuli that can promote neural differentiation. The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of PEMFs and sound waves on the neural differentiation potential in vitro and in vivo using human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). In vitro, neural-related genes in hBM-MSCs were accelerated by the combined exposure to both waves more than by individual exposure to PEMFs or sound waves. The combined wave also up-regulated the expression of neural and synaptic-related proteins in a three-dimensional (3-D) culture system through the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase. In a mouse model of photochemically induced ischemia, exposure to the combined wave reduced the infarction volume and improved post-injury behavioral activity. These results indicate that a combined stimulus of biophysical waves, PEMFs and sound can enhance and possibly affect the differentiation of MSCs into neural cells. Our study is meaningful for highlighting the potential of combined wave for neurogenic effects and providing new therapeutic approaches for neural cell therapy. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:201-211, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Kyong Choi
- Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Hee-Hoon Yoon
- Dongguk University Research Inst. of Biotechnology, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Kwon Seo
- Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyunjin Cho
- Dongguk University Research Inst. of Biotechnology, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong-Seob Jeong
- Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soo-Chan Kim
- Graduate School of Bio and Information Technology, Hankyong National University, Anseong-si, Kyonggi-do, Korea
| | - Jung-Keug Park
- Dept. of Medical Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea
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Brown MR, El-Hassar L, Zhang Y, Alvaro G, Large CH, Kaczmarek LK. Physiological modulators of Kv3.1 channels adjust firing patterns of auditory brain stem neurons. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:106-21. [PMID: 27052580 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00174.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Many rapidly firing neurons, including those in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) in the auditory brain stem, express "high threshold" voltage-gated Kv3.1 potassium channels that activate only at positive potentials and are required for stimuli to generate rapid trains of actions potentials. We now describe the actions of two imidazolidinedione derivatives, AUT1 and AUT2, which modulate Kv3.1 channels. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing rat Kv3.1 channels, we found that lower concentrations of these compounds shift the voltage of activation of Kv3.1 currents toward negative potentials, increasing currents evoked by depolarization from typical neuronal resting potentials. Single-channel recordings also showed that AUT1 shifted the open probability of Kv3.1 to more negative potentials. Higher concentrations of AUT2 also shifted inactivation to negative potentials. The effects of lower and higher concentrations could be mimicked in numerical simulations by increasing rates of activation and inactivation respectively, with no change in intrinsic voltage dependence. In brain slice recordings of mouse MNTB neurons, both AUT1 and AUT2 modulated firing rate at high rates of stimulation, a result predicted by numerical simulations. Our results suggest that pharmaceutical modulation of Kv3.1 currents represents a novel avenue for manipulation of neuronal excitability and has the potential for therapeutic benefit in the treatment of hearing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maile R Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lynda El-Hassar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yalan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Giuseppe Alvaro
- Autifony SRL, Verona, Italy; and Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Imperial College Incubator, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles H Large
- Autifony SRL, Verona, Italy; and Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Imperial College Incubator, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut;
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Intrinsic plasticity induced by group II metabotropic glutamate receptors via enhancement of high-threshold KV currents in sound localizing neurons. Neuroscience 2016; 324:177-90. [PMID: 26964678 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsic plasticity has emerged as an important mechanism regulating neuronal excitability and output under physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we report a novel form of intrinsic plasticity. Using perforated patch clamp recordings, we examined the modulatory effects of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR II) on voltage-gated potassium (KV) currents and the firing properties of neurons in the chicken nucleus laminaris (NL), the first central auditory station where interaural time cues are analyzed for sound localization. We found that activation of mGluR II by synthetic agonists resulted in a selective increase of the high-threshold KV currents. More importantly, synaptically released glutamate (with reuptake blocked) also enhanced the high-threshold KV currents. The enhancement was frequency-coding region dependent, being more pronounced in low-frequency neurons compared to middle- and high-frequency neurons. The intracellular mechanism involved the Gβγ signaling pathway associated with phospholipase C and protein kinase C. The modulation strengthened membrane outward rectification, sharpened action potentials, and improved the ability of NL neurons to follow high-frequency inputs. These data suggest that mGluR II provides a feedforward modulatory mechanism that may regulate temporal processing under the condition of heightened synaptic inputs.
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Redistribution of Kv1 and Kv7 enhances neuronal excitability during structural axon initial segment plasticity. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8815. [PMID: 26581625 PMCID: PMC4673506 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural plasticity of the axon initial segment (AIS), the trigger zone of neurons, is a powerful means for regulating neuronal activity. Here, we show that AIS plasticity is not limited to structural changes; it also occurs as changes in ion-channel expression, which substantially augments the efficacy of regulation. In the avian cochlear nucleus, depriving afferent inputs by removing cochlea elongated the AIS, and simultaneously switched the dominant Kv channels at the AIS from Kv1.1 to Kv7.2. Due to the slow activation kinetics of Kv7.2, the redistribution of the Kv channels reduced the shunting conductance at the elongated AIS during the initiation of action potentials and effectively enhanced the excitability of the deprived neurons. The results indicate that the functional plasticity of the AIS works cooperatively with the structural plasticity and compensates for the loss of afferent inputs to maintain the homeostasis of auditory circuits after hearing loss by cochlea removal. Sensory deprivation in the avian brain can lead to structural changes in the axon initial segment. Here, the authors build on their previous work by showing that such homeostatic AIS plasticity also involves changes in Kv channel expression, which contributes to enhanced neuronal excitability.
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Ruby K, Falvey K, Kulesza R. Abnormal neuronal morphology and neurochemistry in the auditory brainstem of Fmr1 knockout rats. Neuroscience 2015; 303:285-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.06.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Decreased temporal precision of neuronal signaling as a candidate mechanism of auditory processing disorder. Hear Res 2015; 330:213-20. [PMID: 26119177 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2015.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The sense of hearing is the fastest of our senses and provides the first all-or-none action potential in the auditory nerve in less than four milliseconds. Short stimulus evoked latencies and their minimal variability are hallmarks of auditory processing from spiral ganglia to cortex. Here, we review how even small changes in first spike latencies (FSL) and their variability (jitter) impact auditory temporal processing. We discuss a number of mouse models with degraded FSL/jitter whose mutations occur exclusively in the central auditory system and therefore might serve as candidates to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying auditory processing disorders (APD).
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Activity-dependent, homeostatic regulation of neurotransmitter release from auditory nerve fibers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:6479-84. [PMID: 25944933 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420885112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Information processing in the brain requires reliable synaptic transmission. High reliability at specialized auditory nerve synapses in the cochlear nucleus results from many release sites (N), high probability of neurotransmitter release (Pr), and large quantal size (Q). However, high Pr also causes auditory nerve synapses to depress strongly when activated at normal rates for a prolonged period, which reduces fidelity. We studied how synapses are influenced by prolonged activity by exposing mice to constant, nondamaging noise and found that auditory nerve synapses changed to facilitating, reflecting low Pr. For mice returned to quiet, synapses recovered to normal depression, suggesting that these changes are a homeostatic response to activity. Two additional properties, Q and average excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) amplitude, were unaffected by noise rearing, suggesting that the number of release sites (N) must increase to compensate for decreased Pr. These changes in N and Pr were confirmed physiologically using the integration method. Furthermore, consistent with increased N, endbulbs in noise-reared animals had larger VGlut1-positive puncta, larger profiles in electron micrographs, and more release sites per profile. In current-clamp recordings, noise-reared BCs had greater spike fidelity even during high rates of synaptic activity. Thus, auditory nerve synapses regulate excitability through an activity-dependent, homeostatic mechanism, which could have major effects on all downstream processing. Our results also suggest that noise-exposed bushy cells would remain hyperexcitable for a period after returning to normal quiet conditions, which could have perceptual consequences.
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Trimmer JS. Subcellular localization of K+ channels in mammalian brain neurons: remarkable precision in the midst of extraordinary complexity. Neuron 2015; 85:238-56. [PMID: 25611506 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Potassium channels (KChs) are the most diverse ion channels, in part due to extensive combinatorial assembly of a large number of principal and auxiliary subunits into an assortment of KCh complexes. Their structural and functional diversity allows KChs to play diverse roles in neuronal function. Localization of KChs within specialized neuronal compartments defines their physiological role and also fundamentally impacts their activity, due to localized exposure to diverse cellular determinants of channel function. Recent studies in mammalian brain reveal an exquisite refinement of KCh subcellular localization. This includes axonal KChs at the initial segment, and near/within nodes of Ranvier and presynaptic terminals, dendritic KChs found at sites reflecting specific synaptic input, and KChs defining novel neuronal compartments. Painting the remarkable diversity of KChs onto the complex architecture of mammalian neurons creates an elegant picture of electrical signal processing underlying the sophisticated function of individual neuronal compartments, and ultimately neurotransmission and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Trimmer
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Genc O, Kochubey O, Toonen RF, Verhage M, Schneggenburger R. Munc18-1 is a dynamically regulated PKC target during short-term enhancement of transmitter release. eLife 2014; 3:e01715. [PMID: 24520164 PMCID: PMC3919271 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmitter release at synapses is regulated by preceding neuronal activity, which can give rise to short-term enhancement of release like post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). Diacylglycerol (DAG) and Protein-kinase C (PKC) signaling in the nerve terminal have been widely implicated in the short-term modulation of transmitter release, but the target protein of PKC phosphorylation during short-term enhancement has remained unknown. Here, we use a gene-replacement strategy at the calyx of Held, a large CNS model synapse that expresses robust PTP, to study the molecular mechanisms of PTP. We find that two PKC phosphorylation sites of Munc18-1 are critically important for PTP, which identifies the presynaptic target protein for the action of PKC during PTP. Pharmacological experiments show that a phosphatase normally limits the duration of PTP, and that PTP is initiated by the action of a ‘conventional’ PKC isoform. Thus, a dynamic PKC phosphorylation/de-phosphorylation cycle of Munc18-1 drives short-term enhancement of transmitter release during PTP. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01715.001 Brain function depends on the rapid transfer of information from one brain cell to the next at junctions known as synapses. Small packages called vesicles play an important role in this process. The arrival of an electrical action potential at the nerve terminal of the first cell causes some vesicles in the cell to fuse with the cell membrane, and this leads to the neurotransmitters inside the vesicles being released into the synapse. The neurotransmitters then bind to receptors on the second cell, which leads to an electrical signal in the second cell. A protein called Munc18-1 has a central role in the fusion of the vesicle at the cell membrane. The strength of a synapse—that is, how easily the first brain cell can impact the electrical behaviour of the second—can change, and this ‘synaptic plasticity’ is thought to underlie learning and memory. Long-term changes in synaptic strength require additional receptors to be inserted into the membrane of the second cell. However, synapses can also be temporarily strengthened: the arrival of a burst of action potentials—a tetanus—causes some synapses to increase the amount of neurotransmitter they release in response to any subsequent, single, action potential. This temporary increase in synaptic strength, which is known as post-tetanic potentiation, requires an enzyme called protein kinase C; the role of this enzyme is to phosphorylate specific target proteins (i.e., to add phosphate groups to them). Now, Genç et al. have genetically modified a mouse synapse in vivo and shown that protein kinase C brings about post-tetanic potentiation by phosphorylating Munc18-1. Furthermore, pharmacological experiments show that proteins called phosphatases, which de-phosphorylate proteins, normally terminate the post-tetanic potentiation after about one minute. Taken together, the study identifies a target protein which is phosphorylated by protein kinase C during post-tetanic potentiation. The study also suggests that in addition to its fundamental role in vesicle fusion, the phosphorylation state of Munc18-1 can change the probability of vesicle fusion in a more subtle way, thereby contributing to synaptic plasticity. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01715.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozgür Genc
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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43
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Bae SH, Kim DH, Shin SK, Choi JS, Park KS. Src regulates membrane trafficking of the Kv3.1b channel. FEBS Lett 2013; 588:86-91. [PMID: 24291260 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The Kv3.1 channel plays a crucial role in regulating the high-frequency firing properties of neurons. Here, we determined whether Src regulates the subcellular distributions of the Kv3.1b channel. Co-expression of active Src induced a dramatic redistribution of Kv3.1b to the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, co-expression of the Kv3.1b channel with active Src induced a remarkable decrease in the pool of Kv3.1b at the cell surface. Moreover, the co-expression of active Src results in a significant decrease in the peak current densities of the Kv3.1b channel, and a substantial alteration in the voltage dependence of its steady-state inactivation. Taken together, these results indicate that Src kinase may play an important role in regulating membrane trafficking of Kv3.1b channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong Han Bae
- Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 130-701, South Korea
| | - Dong Hyun Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
| | - Seok Kyo Shin
- Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 130-701, South Korea
| | - Jin Sung Choi
- College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 420-743, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
| | - Kang-Sik Park
- Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 130-701, South Korea; Biomedical Science Institute, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
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44
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Liu Q, Lee E, Davis RL. Heterogeneous intrinsic excitability of murine spiral ganglion neurons is determined by Kv1 and HCN channels. Neuroscience 2013; 257:96-110. [PMID: 24200924 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.10.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2013] [Revised: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The spiral ganglion conveys afferent auditory information predominantly through a single class of type I neurons that receive signals from inner hair cell sensory receptors. These auditory primary afferents, like in other systems (Puopolo and Belluzzi, 1998; Gascon and Moqrich, 2010; Leao et al., 2012) possess a marked diversity in their electrophysiological features (Taberner and Liberman, 2005). Consistent with these observations, when the auditory primary afferents were assessed in neuronal explants separated from their peripheral and central targets it was found that individual neurons were markedly heterogeneous in their endogenous electrophysiological features. One aspect of this heterogeneity, obvious throughout the ganglion, was their wide range of excitability as assessed by voltage threshold measurements (Liu and Davis, 2007). Thus, while neurons in the base differed significantly from apical and middle neurons in their voltage thresholds, each region showed distinctly wide ranges of values. To determine whether the resting membrane potentials (RMPs) of these neurons correlate with the threshold distribution and to identify the ion channel regulatory elements underlying heterogeneous neuronal excitability in the ganglion, patch-clamp recordings were made from postnatal day (P5-8) murine spiral ganglion neurons in vitro. We found that RMP mirrored the tonotopic threshold distribution, and contributed an additional level of heterogeneity in each cochlear location. Pharmacological experiments further indicated that threshold and RMP was coupled through the Kv1 current, which had a dual impact on both electrophysiological parameters. Whereas, hyperpolarization-activated cationic channels decoupled these two processes by primarily affecting RMP without altering threshold level. Thus, beyond mechanical and synaptic specializations, ion channel regulation of intrinsic membrane properties imbues spiral ganglion neurons with different excitability levels, a feature that contributes to primary auditory afferent diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - E Lee
- Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07746, USA
| | - R L Davis
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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Kullmann L, Schlüter T, Wagner H, Nothwang HG. Evolutionary conservation of Kv3.1 in the barn owl Tyto alba. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2013; 81:187-193. [PMID: 23615168 DOI: 10.1159/000350196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
For prey capture in the dark, the barn owl Tyto alba has evolved into an auditory specialist with an exquisite capability of sound localization. Adaptations include asymmetrical ears, enlarged auditory processing centers, the utilization of minute interaural time differences, and phase locking along the entire hearing range up to 10 kHz. Adaptations on the molecular level have not yet been investigated. Here, we tested the hypothesis that divergence in the amino acid sequence of the voltage-gated K(+) channel Kv3.1 contributes to the accuracy and high firing rates of auditory neurons in the barn owl. We therefore cloned both splice variants of Kcnc1, the gene encoding Kv3.1. Both splice variants, Kcnc1a and Kcnc1b, encode amino acids identical to those of the chicken, an auditory generalist. Expression analyses confirmed neural-restricted expression of the channel. In summary, our data reveal strong evolutionary conservation of Kcnc1 in the barn owl and point to other genes involved in auditory specializations of this animal. The data also demonstrate the feasibility to address neuroethological questions in organisms with no reference genome by molecular approaches. This will open new avenues for neuroethologists working in these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Kullmann
- Neurogenetics Group, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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Markham MR, Kaczmarek LK, Zakon HH. A sodium-activated potassium channel supports high-frequency firing and reduces energetic costs during rapid modulations of action potential amplitude. J Neurophysiol 2013; 109:1713-23. [PMID: 23324315 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00875.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the ionic mechanisms that allow dynamic regulation of action potential (AP) amplitude as a means of regulating energetic costs of AP signaling. Weakly electric fish generate an electric organ discharge (EOD) by summing the APs of their electric organ cells (electrocytes). Some electric fish increase AP amplitude during active periods or social interactions and decrease AP amplitude when inactive, regulated by melanocortin peptide hormones. This modulates signal amplitude and conserves energy. The gymnotiform Eigenmannia virescens generates EODs at frequencies that can exceed 500 Hz, which is energetically challenging. We examined how E. virescens meets that challenge. E. virescens electrocytes exhibit a voltage-gated Na(+) current (I(Na)) with extremely rapid recovery from inactivation (τ(recov) = 0.3 ms) allowing complete recovery of Na(+) current between APs even in fish with the highest EOD frequencies. Electrocytes also possess an inwardly rectifying K(+) current and a Na(+)-activated K(+) current (I(KNa)), the latter not yet identified in any gymnotiform species. In vitro application of melanocortins increases electrocyte AP amplitude and the magnitudes of all three currents, but increased I(KNa) is a function of enhanced Na(+) influx. Numerical simulations suggest that changing I(Na) magnitude produces corresponding changes in AP amplitude and that K(Na) channels increase AP energy efficiency (10-30% less Na(+) influx/AP) over model cells with only voltage-gated K(+) channels. These findings suggest the possibility that E. virescens reduces the energetic demands of high-frequency APs through rapidly recovering Na(+) channels and the novel use of KNa channels to maximize AP amplitude at a given Na(+) conductance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Markham
- Section of Neurobiology and Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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47
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Cotella D, Hernandez-Enriquez B, Duan Z, Wu X, Gazula VR, Brown MR, Kaczmarek LK, Sesti F. An evolutionarily conserved mode of modulation of Shaw-like K⁺ channels. FASEB J 2012; 27:1381-93. [PMID: 23233530 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-222778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated K(+) channels of the Shaw family (also known as the KCNC or Kv3 family) play pivotal roles in mammalian brains, and genetic or pharmacological disruption of their activities in mice results in a spectrum of behavioral defects. We have used the model system of Caenorhabditis elegans to elucidate conserved molecular mechanisms that regulate these channels. We have now found that the C. elegans Shaw channel KHT-1, and its mammalian homologue, murine Kv3.1b, are both modulated by acid phosphatases. Thus, the C. elegans phosphatase ACP-2 is stably associated with KHT-1, while its mammalian homolog, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP; also known as ACPP-201) stably associates with murine Kv3.1b K(+) channels in vitro and in vivo. In biochemical experiments both phosphatases were able to reverse phosphorylation of their associated channel. The effect of phosphorylation on both channels is to produce a decrease in current amplitude and electrophysiological analyses demonstrated that dephosphorylation reversed the effects of phosphorylation on the magnitude of the macroscopic currents. ACP-2 and KHT-1 were colocalized in the nervous system of C. elegans and, in the mouse nervous system, PAP and Kv3.1b were colocalized in subsets of neurons, including in the brain stem and the ventricular zone. Taken together, this body of evidence suggests that acid phosphatases are general regulatory partners of Shaw-like K(+) channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Cotella
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Modulation of voltage-gated K+ channels by the sodium channel β1 subunit. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:18577-82. [PMID: 23090990 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1209142109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium (Na(V)) and potassium (K(V)) channels are critical components of neuronal action potential generation and propagation. Here, we report that Na(V)β1 encoded by SCN1b, an integral subunit of Na(V) channels, coassembles with and modulates the biophysical properties of K(V)1 and K(V)7 channels, but not K(V)3 channels, in an isoform-specific manner. Distinct domains of Na(V)β1 are involved in modulation of the different K(V) channels. Studies with channel chimeras demonstrate that Na(V)β1-mediated changes in activation kinetics and voltage dependence of activation require interaction of Na(V)β1 with the channel's voltage-sensing domain, whereas changes in inactivation and deactivation require interaction with the channel's pore domain. A molecular model based on docking studies shows Na(V)β1 lying in the crevice between the voltage-sensing and pore domains of K(V) channels, making significant contacts with the S1 and S5 segments. Cross-modulation of Na(V) and K(V) channels by Na(V)β1 may promote diversity and flexibility in the overall control of cellular excitability and signaling.
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Pedroarena CM. BK and Kv3.1 potassium channels control different aspects of deep cerebellar nuclear neurons action potentials and spiking activity. THE CEREBELLUM 2012; 10:647-58. [PMID: 21750937 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-011-0279-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Deep cerebellar nuclear neurons (DCNs) display characteristic electrical properties, including spontaneous spiking and the ability to discharge narrow spikes at high frequency. These properties are thought to be relevant to processing inhibitory Purkinje cell input and transferring well-timed signals to cerebellar targets. Yet, the underlying ionic mechanisms are not completely understood. BK and Kv3.1 potassium channels subserve similar functions in spike repolarization and fast firing in many neurons and are both highly expressed in DCNs. Here, their role in the abovementioned spiking characteristics was addressed using whole-cell recordings of large and small putative-glutamatergic DCNs. Selective BK channel block depolarized DCNs of both groups and increased spontaneous firing rate but scarcely affected evoked activity. After adjusting the membrane potential to control levels, the spike waveforms under BK channel block were indistinguishable from control ones, indicating no significant BK channel involvement in spike repolarization. The increased firing rate suggests that lack of DCN-BK channels may have contributed to the ataxic phenotype previously found in BK channel-deficient mice. On the other hand, block of Kv3.1 channels with low doses of 4-aminopyridine (20 μM) hindered spike repolarization and severely depressed evoked fast firing. Therefore, I propose that despite similar characteristics of BK and Kv3.1 channels, they play different roles in DCNs: BK channels control almost exclusively spontaneous firing rate, whereas DCN-Kv3.1 channels dominate the spike repolarization and enable fast firing. Interestingly, after Kv3.1 channel block, BK channels gained a role in spike repolarization, demonstrating how the different function of each of the two channels is determined in part by their co-expression and interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Pedroarena
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Systems Neurophysiology, CIN, University of Tübingen, Otfried Müller Strasse 27, Tübingen, Germany.
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Kaczmarek LK. Gradients and modulation of K(+) channels optimize temporal accuracy in networks of auditory neurons. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002424. [PMID: 22438799 PMCID: PMC3305353 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate timing of action potentials is required for neurons in auditory brainstem nuclei to encode the frequency and phase of incoming sound stimuli. Many such neurons express "high threshold" Kv3-family channels that are required for firing at high rates (> -200 Hz). Kv3 channels are expressed in gradients along the medial-lateral tonotopic axis of the nuclei. Numerical simulations of auditory brainstem neurons were used to calculate the input-output relations of ensembles of 1-50 neurons, stimulated at rates between 100-1500 Hz. Individual neurons with different levels of potassium currents differ in their ability to follow specific rates of stimulation but all perform poorly when the stimulus rate is greater than the maximal firing rate of the neurons. The temporal accuracy of the combined synaptic output of an ensemble is, however, enhanced by the presence of gradients in Kv3 channel levels over that measured when neurons express uniform levels of channels. Surprisingly, at high rates of stimulation, temporal accuracy is also enhanced by the occurrence of random spontaneous activity, such as is normally observed in the absence of sound stimulation. For any pattern of stimulation, however, greatest accuracy is observed when, in the presence of spontaneous activity, the levels of potassium conductance in all of the neurons is adjusted to that found in the subset of neurons that respond better than their neighbors. This optimization of response by adjusting the K(+) conductance occurs for stimulus patterns containing either single and or multiple frequencies in the phase-locking range. The findings suggest that gradients of channel expression are required for normal auditory processing and that changes in levels of potassium currents across the nuclei, by mechanisms such as protein phosphorylation and rapid changes in channel synthesis, adapt the nuclei to the ongoing auditory environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard K Kaczmarek
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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