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Ivica J, Kejzar N, Ho H, Stockwell I, Kuchtiak V, Scrutton AM, Nakagawa T, Greger IH. Proton-triggered rearrangement of the AMPA receptor N-terminal domains impacts receptor kinetics and synaptic localization. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01369-5. [PMID: 39138332 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01369-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
AMPA glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are ion channel tetramers that mediate the majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission. They are composed of four subunits (GluA1-GluA4); the GluA2 subunit dominates AMPAR function throughout the forebrain. Its extracellular N-terminal domain (NTD) determines receptor localization at the synapse, ensuring reliable synaptic transmission and plasticity. This synaptic anchoring function requires a compact NTD tier, stabilized by a GluA2-specific NTD interface. Here we show that low pH conditions, which accompany synaptic activity, rupture this interface. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal that protonation of an interfacial histidine residue (H208) centrally contributes to NTD rearrangement. Moreover, in stark contrast to their canonical compact arrangement at neutral pH, GluA2 cryo-electron microscopy structures exhibit a wide spectrum of NTD conformations under acidic conditions. We show that the consequences of this pH-dependent conformational control are twofold: rupture of the NTD tier slows recovery from desensitized states and increases receptor mobility at mouse hippocampal synapses. Therefore, a proton-triggered NTD switch will shape both AMPAR location and kinetics, thereby impacting synaptic signal transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josip Ivica
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nejc Kejzar
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hinze Ho
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Imogen Stockwell
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Viktor Kuchtiak
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander M Scrutton
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Terunaga Nakagawa
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Ingo H Greger
- Neurobiology Division, Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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2
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Kellner S, Berlin S. Rescuing tri-heteromeric NMDA receptor function: the potential of pregnenolone-sulfate in loss-of-function GRIN2B variants. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:235. [PMID: 38795169 PMCID: PMC11127902 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05243-x] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs emerging from GRIN genes) are tetrameric receptors that form diverse channel compositions in neurons, typically consisting of two GluN1 subunits combined with two GluN2(A-D) subunits. During prenatal stages, the predominant channels are di-heteromers with two GluN1 and two GluN2B subunits due to the high abundance of GluN2B subunits. Postnatally, the expression of GluN2A subunits increases, giving rise to additional subtypes, including GluN2A-containing di-heteromers and tri-heteromers with GluN1, GluN2A, and GluN2B subunits. The latter emerge as the major receptor subtype at mature synapses in the hippocampus. Despite extensive research on purely di-heteromeric receptors containing two identical GRIN variants, the impact of a single variant on the function of other channel forms, notably tri-heteromers, is lagging. In this study, we systematically investigated the effects of two de novo GRIN2B variants (G689C and G689S) in pure, mixed di- and tri-heteromers. Our findings reveal that incorporating a single variant in mixed di-heteromers or tri-heteromers exerts a dominant negative effect on glutamate potency, although 'mixed' channels show improved potency compared to pure variant-containing di-heteromers. We show that a single variant within a receptor complex does not impair the response of all receptor subtypes to the positive allosteric modulator pregnenolone-sulfate (PS), whereas spermine completely fails to potentiate tri-heteromers containing GluN2A and -2B-subunits. We examined PS on primary cultured hippocampal neurons transfected with the variants, and observed a positive impact over current amplitudes and synaptic activity. Together, our study supports previous observations showing that mixed di-heteromers exhibit improved glutamate potency and extend these findings towards the exploration of the effect of Loss-of-Function variants over tri-heteromers. Notably, we provide an initial and crucial demonstration of the beneficial effects of GRIN2B-relevant potentiators on tri-heteromers. Our results underscore the significance of studying how different variants affect distinct receptor subtypes, as these effects cannot be inferred solely from observations made on pure di-heteromers. Overall, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to understand the pathophysiology of GRINopathies and provides insights into potential treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Kellner
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Bat Galim, Haifa, 3525433, Israel
| | - Shai Berlin
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Bat Galim, Haifa, 3525433, Israel.
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3
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Hedrick NG, Wright WJ, Komiyama T. Local and global predictors of synapse elimination during motor learning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk0540. [PMID: 38489360 PMCID: PMC10942101 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk0540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
During learning, synaptic connections between excitatory neurons in the brain display considerable dynamism, with new connections being added and old connections eliminated. Synapse elimination offers an opportunity to understand the features of synapses that the brain deems dispensable. However, with limited observations of synaptic activity and plasticity in vivo, the features of synapses subjected to elimination remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the functional basis of synapse elimination in the apical dendrites of L2/3 neurons in the primary motor cortex throughout motor learning. We found no evidence that synapse elimination is facilitated by a lack of activity or other local forms of plasticity. Instead, eliminated synapses display asynchronous activity with nearby synapses, suggesting that functional synaptic clustering is a critical component of synapse survival. In addition, eliminated synapses show delayed activity timing with respect to postsynaptic output. Thus, synaptic inputs that fail to be co-active with their neighboring synapses or are mistimed with neuronal output are targeted for elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan G. Hedrick
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William J. Wright
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Takaki Komiyama
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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4
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Chen JJ, Kaufmann WA, Chen C, Arai I, Kim O, Shigemoto R, Jonas P. Developmental transformation of Ca 2+ channel-vesicle nanotopography at a central GABAergic synapse. Neuron 2024; 112:755-771.e9. [PMID: 38215739 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
The coupling between Ca2+ channels and release sensors is a key factor defining the signaling properties of a synapse. However, the coupling nanotopography at many synapses remains unknown, and it is unclear how it changes during development. To address these questions, we examined coupling at the cerebellar inhibitory basket cell (BC)-Purkinje cell (PC) synapse. Biophysical analysis of transmission by paired recording and intracellular pipette perfusion revealed that the effects of exogenous Ca2+ chelators decreased during development, despite constant reliance of release on P/Q-type Ca2+ channels. Structural analysis by freeze-fracture replica labeling (FRL) and transmission electron microscopy (EM) indicated that presynaptic P/Q-type Ca2+ channels formed nanoclusters throughout development, whereas docked vesicles were only clustered at later developmental stages. Modeling suggested a developmental transformation from a more random to a more clustered coupling nanotopography. Thus, presynaptic signaling developmentally approaches a point-to-point configuration, optimizing speed, reliability, and energy efficiency of synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Chen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Walter A Kaufmann
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Chong Chen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Itaru Arai
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Olena Kim
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Ryuichi Shigemoto
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Jonas
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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5
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Koesters AG, Rich MM, Engisch KL. Diverging from the Norm: Reevaluating What Miniature Excitatory Postsynaptic Currents Tell Us about Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:49-70. [PMID: 35904350 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221112336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The idea that the nervous system maintains a set point of network activity and homeostatically returns to that set point in the face of dramatic disruption-during development, after injury, in pathologic states, and during sleep/wake cycles-is rapidly becoming accepted as a key plasticity behavior, placing it alongside long-term potentiation and depression. The dramatic growth in studies of homeostatic synaptic plasticity of miniature excitatory synaptic currents (mEPSCs) is attributable, in part, to the simple yet elegant mechanism of uniform multiplicative scaling proposed by Turrigiano and colleagues: that neurons sense their own activity and globally multiply the strength of every synapse by a single factor to return activity to the set point without altering established differences in synaptic weights. We have recently shown that for mEPSCs recorded from control and activity-blocked cultures of mouse cortical neurons, the synaptic scaling factor is not uniform but is close to 1 for the smallest mEPSC amplitudes and progressively increases as mEPSC amplitudes increase, which we term divergent scaling. Using insights gained from simulating uniform multiplicative scaling, we review evidence from published studies and conclude that divergent synaptic scaling is the norm rather than the exception. This conclusion has implications for hypotheses about the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic scaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Koesters
- Department of Behavior, Cognition, and Neurophysiology, Environmental Health Effects Laboratory, Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA
| | - Mark M Rich
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, College of Science and Mathematics, and Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Kathrin L Engisch
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, College of Science and Mathematics, and Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
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6
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Olah SS, Kareemo DJ, Buchta WC, Sinnen BL, Miller CN, Actor-Engel HS, Gookin SE, Winborn CS, Kleinjan MS, Crosby KC, Aoto J, Smith KR, Kennedy MJ. Acute reorganization of postsynaptic GABA A receptors reveals the functional impact of molecular nanoarchitecture at inhibitory synapses. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113331. [PMID: 37910506 PMCID: PMC10782565 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113331] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter receptors partition into nanometer-scale subdomains within the postsynaptic membrane that are precisely aligned with presynaptic neurotransmitter release sites. While spatial coordination between pre- and postsynaptic elements is observed at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses, the functional significance of this molecular architecture has been challenging to evaluate experimentally. Here we utilized an optogenetic clustering approach to acutely alter the nanoscale organization of the postsynaptic inhibitory scaffold gephyrin while monitoring synaptic function. Gephyrin clustering rapidly enlarged postsynaptic area, laterally displacing GABAA receptors from their normally precise apposition with presynaptic active zones. Receptor displacement was accompanied by decreased synaptic GABAA receptor currents even though presynaptic release probability and the overall abundance and function of synaptic GABAA receptors remained unperturbed. Thus, acutely repositioning neurotransmitter receptors within the postsynaptic membrane profoundly influences synaptic efficacy, establishing the functional importance of precision pre-/postsynaptic molecular coordination at inhibitory synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha S Olah
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Dean J Kareemo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - William C Buchta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Brooke L Sinnen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Carley N Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Hannah S Actor-Engel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Sara E Gookin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Christina S Winborn
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Mason S Kleinjan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Kevin C Crosby
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Jason Aoto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Katharine R Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Matthew J Kennedy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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7
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Gordleeva S, Dembitskaya Y, Kazantsev V, Postnikov EB. Estimation of cumulative amplitude distributions of miniature postsynaptic currents allows characterising their multimodality, quantal size and variability. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15660. [PMID: 37731019 PMCID: PMC10511413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42882-9] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A miniature postsynaptic current (mPSC) is a small, rare, and highly variable spontaneous synaptic event that is generally caused by the spontaneous release of single vesicles. The amplitude and variability of mPSCs are key measures of the postsynaptic processes and are taken as the main characteristics of an elementary unit (quantal size) in traditional quantal analysis of synaptic transmission. Due to different sources of biological and measurement noise, recordings of mPSCs exhibit high trial-to-trial heterogeneity, and experimental measurements of mPSCs are usually noisy and scarce, making their analysis demanding. Here, we present a sequential procedure for precise analysis of mPSC amplitude distributions for the range of small currents. To illustrate the developed approach, we chose previously obtained experimental data on the effect of the extracellular matrix on synaptic plasticity. The proposed statistical technique allowed us to identify previously unnoticed additional modality in the mPSC amplitude distributions, indicating the formation of new immature synapses upon ECM attenuation. We show that our approach can reliably detect multimodality in the distributions of mPSC amplitude, allowing for accurate determination of the size and variability of the quantal synaptic response. Thus, the proposed method can significantly expand the informativeness of both existing and newly obtained experimental data. We also demonstrated that mPSC amplitudes around the threshold of microcurrent excitation follow the Gumbel distribution rather than the binomial statistics traditionally used for a wide range of currents, either for a single synapse or when taking into consideration small influences of the adjacent synapses. Such behaviour is argued to originate from the theory of extreme processes. Specifically, recorded mPSCs represent instant random current fluctuations, among which there are relatively larger spikes (extreme events). They required more level of coherence that can be provided by different mechanisms of network or system level activation including neuron circuit signalling and extrasynaptic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Gordleeva
- Scientific-Educational Mathematical Center "Mathematics of Future Technologies", Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia, 443079.
| | - Yulia Dembitskaya
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 117997
| | - Victor Kazantsev
- Scientific-Educational Mathematical Center "Mathematics of Future Technologies", Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia, 443079
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8
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Sato Y, Yamamoto H, Kato H, Tanii T, Sato S, Hirano-Iwata A. Microfluidic cell engineering on high-density microelectrode arrays for assessing structure-function relationships in living neuronal networks. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:943310. [PMID: 36699522 PMCID: PMC9868575 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.943310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal networks in dissociated culture combined with cell engineering technology offer a pivotal platform to constructively explore the relationship between structure and function in living neuronal networks. Here, we fabricated defined neuronal networks possessing a modular architecture on high-density microelectrode arrays (HD-MEAs), a state-of-the-art electrophysiological tool for recording neural activity with high spatial and temporal resolutions. We first established a surface coating protocol using a cell-permissive hydrogel to stably attach a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic film on the HD-MEA. We then recorded the spontaneous neural activity of the engineered neuronal network, which revealed an important portrait of the engineered neuronal network-modular architecture enhances functional complexity by reducing the excessive neural correlation between spatially segregated modules. The results of this study highlight the impact of HD-MEA recordings combined with cell engineering technologies as a novel tool in neuroscience to constructively assess the structure-function relationships in neuronal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Sato
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan,Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hideaki Yamamoto
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan,*Correspondence: Hideaki Yamamoto,
| | - Hideyuki Kato
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Oita University, Oita, Japan
| | - Takashi Tanii
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeo Sato
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ayumi Hirano-Iwata
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan,Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan,Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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9
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Vardalaki D, Chung K, Harnett MT. Filopodia are a structural substrate for silent synapses in adult neocortex. Nature 2022; 612:323-327. [PMID: 36450984 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05483-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Newly generated excitatory synapses in the mammalian cortex lack sufficient AMPA-type glutamate receptors to mediate neurotransmission, resulting in functionally silent synapses that require activity-dependent plasticity to mature. Silent synapses are abundant in early development, during which they mediate circuit formation and refinement, but they are thought to be scarce in adulthood1. However, adults retain a capacity for neural plasticity and flexible learning that suggests that the formation of new connections is still prevalent. Here we used super-resolution protein imaging to visualize synaptic proteins at 2,234 synapses from layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the primary visual cortex of adult mice. Unexpectedly, about 25% of these synapses lack AMPA receptors. These putative silent synapses were located at the tips of thin dendritic protrusions, known as filopodia, which were more abundant by an order of magnitude than previously believed (comprising about 30% of all dendritic protrusions). Physiological experiments revealed that filopodia do indeed lack AMPA-receptor-mediated transmission, but they exhibit NMDA-receptor-mediated synaptic transmission. We further showed that functionally silent synapses on filopodia can be unsilenced through Hebbian plasticity, recruiting new active connections into a neuron's input matrix. These results challenge the model that functional connectivity is largely fixed in the adult cortex and demonstrate a new mechanism for flexible control of synaptic wiring that expands the learning capabilities of the mature brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Vardalaki
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kwanghun Chung
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mark T Harnett
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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10
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Lin Z, Li Y, Hang Y, Wang C, Liu B, Li J, Yin L, Jiang X, Du X, Qiao Z, Zhu F, Zhang Z, Zhang Q, Zhou Z. Tuning the Size of Large Dense-Core Vesicles and Quantal Neurotransmitter Release via Secretogranin II Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2202263. [PMID: 35896896 PMCID: PMC9507364 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs) are larger in volume than synaptic vesicles, and are filled with multiple neuropeptides, hormones, and neurotransmitters that participate in various physiological processes. However, little is known about the mechanism determining the size of LDCVs. Here, it is reported that secretogranin II (SgII), a vesicle matrix protein, contributes to LDCV size regulation through its liquid-liquid phase separation in neuroendocrine cells. First, SgII undergoes pH-dependent polymerization and the polymerized SgII forms phase droplets with Ca2+ in vitro and in vivo. Further, the Ca2+ -induced SgII droplets recruit reconstituted bio-lipids, mimicking the LDCVs biogenesis. In addition, SgII knockdown leads to significant decrease of the quantal neurotransmitter release by affecting LDCV size, which is differently rescued by SgII truncations with different degrees of phase separation. In conclusion, it is shown that SgII is a unique intravesicular matrix protein undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation, and present novel insights into how SgII determines LDCV size and the quantal neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Yinglin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Yuqi Hang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Changhe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Lili Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Xiaohan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Xingyu Du
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Zhongjun Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Feipeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Quanfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Zhuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
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11
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Re-examination of the determinants of synaptic strength from the perspective of superresolution imaging. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 74:102540. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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12
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Diurnal changes in the efficiency of information transmission at a sensory synapse. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2613. [PMID: 35551183 PMCID: PMC9098879 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30202-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulators adapt sensory circuits to changes in the external world or the animal’s internal state and synapses are key control sites for such plasticity. Less clear is how neuromodulation alters the amount of information transmitted through the circuit. We investigated this question in the context of the diurnal regulation of visual processing in the retina of zebrafish, focusing on ribbon synapses of bipolar cells. We demonstrate that contrast-sensitivity peaks in the afternoon accompanied by a four-fold increase in the average Shannon information transmitted from an active zone. This increase reflects higher synaptic gain, lower spontaneous “noise” and reduced variability of evoked responses. Simultaneously, an increase in the probability of multivesicular events with larger information content increases the efficiency of transmission (bits per vesicle) by factors of 1.5-2.7. This study demonstrates the multiplicity of mechanisms by which a neuromodulator can adjust the synaptic transfer of sensory information. Neuromodulators can adjust how sensory signals are processed. In this study, the authors demonstrate how time of day affects the way information is transmitted in the zebrafish retina.
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13
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Bodzęta A, Berger F, MacGillavry HD. Subsynaptic mobility of presynaptic mGluR types is differentially regulated by intra- and extracellular interactions. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar66. [PMID: 35511883 PMCID: PMC9635276 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-10-0484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are essential for the control of synaptic transmission. However, how the subsynaptic dynamics of these receptors is controlled and contributes to synaptic signaling remain poorly understood quantitatively. Particularly, since the affinity of individual mGluR subtypes for glutamate differs considerably, the activation of mGluR subtypes critically depends on their precise subsynaptic distribution. Here, using superresolution microscopy and single-molecule tracking, we unravel novel molecular mechanisms that control the nanoscale distribution and mobility of presynaptic mGluRs in hippocampal neurons. We demonstrate that the high-affinity group II receptor mGluR2 localizes diffusely along the axon, and is highly mobile, while the low-affinity group III receptor mGluR7 is stably anchored at the active zone. We demonstrate that intracellular interactions modulate surface diffusion of mGluR2, while immobilization of mGluR7 at the active zone relies on its extracellular domain. Receptor activation or increases in synaptic activity do not alter the surface mobility of presynaptic mGluRs. Finally, computational modeling of presynaptic mGluR activity revealed that this particular nanoscale arrangement directly impacts their ability to modulate neurotransmitter release. Altogether, this study demonstrates that distinct mechanisms control surface mobility of presynaptic mGluRs to contribute differentially to glutamatergic synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bodzęta
- Division of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Florian Berger
- Division of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Harold D MacGillavry
- Division of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, The Netherlands
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14
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Shi B, Jin YH, Wu LG. Dynamin 1 controls vesicle size and endocytosis at hippocampal synapses. Cell Calcium 2022; 103:102564. [PMID: 35220002 PMCID: PMC9009158 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2022.102564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Following calcium-triggered vesicle exocytosis, endocytosis regenerates vesicles to maintain exocytosis and thus synaptic transmission, which underlies neuronal circuit activities. Although most molecules involved in endocytosis have been identified, it remains rather poorly understood how endocytic machinery regulates vesicle size. Vesicle size, together with the transmitter concentration inside the vesicle, determines the amount of transmitter the vesicle can release, the quantal size, that may control the strength of synaptic transmission. Here, we report that, surprisingly, knockout of the GTPase dynamin 1, the most abundant brain dynamin isoform known to catalyze fission of the membrane pit's neck (the last step of endocytosis), not only significantly slowed endocytosis but also increased the synaptic vesicle diameter by as much as ∼40-64% at cultured hippocampal synapses. Furthermore, dynamin 1 knockout increased the size of membrane pits, the precursor for endocytic vesicle formation. These results suggest an important function of dynamin other than its well-known fission function - control of vesicle size at the pit formation stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Shi
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 United States; Biological Sciences Graduate Program, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740 United States
| | - Ying-Hui Jin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 United States; Department of Critical Care Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 North Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ling-Gang Wu
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 35 Convent Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892 United States.
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15
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Liu Z, Jiang M, Liakath-Ali K, Sclip A, Ko J, Zhang RS, Südhof TC. Deletion of Calsyntenin-3, an atypical cadherin, suppresses inhibitory synapses but increases excitatory parallel-fiber synapses in cerebellum. eLife 2022; 11:e70664. [PMID: 35420982 PMCID: PMC9064300 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cadherins contribute to the organization of nearly all tissues, but the functions of several evolutionarily conserved cadherins, including those of calsyntenins, remain enigmatic. Puzzlingly, two distinct, non-overlapping functions for calsyntenins were proposed: As postsynaptic neurexin ligands in synapse formation, or as presynaptic kinesin adaptors in vesicular transport. Here, we show that, surprisingly, acute CRISPR-mediated deletion of calsyntenin-3 in mouse cerebellum in vivo causes a large decrease in inhibitory synapse, but a robust increase in excitatory parallel-fiber synapses in Purkinje cells. As a result, inhibitory synaptic transmission was suppressed, whereas parallel-fiber synaptic transmission was enhanced in Purkinje cells by the calsyntenin-3 deletion. No changes in the dendritic architecture of Purkinje cells or in climbing-fiber synapses were detected. Sparse selective deletion of calsyntenin-3 only in Purkinje cells recapitulated the synaptic phenotype, indicating that calsyntenin-3 acts by a cell-autonomous postsynaptic mechanism in cerebellum. Thus, by inhibiting formation of excitatory parallel-fiber synapses and promoting formation of inhibitory synapses in the same neuron, calsyntenin-3 functions as a postsynaptic adhesion molecule that regulates the excitatory/inhibitory balance in Purkinje cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Man Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Alessandra Sclip
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Jaewon Ko
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and TechnologyDaeguRepublic of Korea
| | - Roger Shen Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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16
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Shahoha M, Cohen R, Ben-Simon Y, Ashery U. cAMP-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity at the Hippocampal Mossy Fiber Terminal. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:861215. [PMID: 35444523 PMCID: PMC9013808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.861215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a crucial second messenger involved in both pre- and postsynaptic plasticity in many neuronal types across species. In the hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapse, cAMP mediates presynaptic long-term potentiation and depression. The main cAMP-dependent signaling pathway linked to MF synaptic plasticity acts via the activation of the protein kinase A (PKA) molecular cascade. Accordingly, various downstream putative synaptic PKA target proteins have been linked to cAMP-dependent MF synaptic plasticity, such as synapsin, rabphilin, synaptotagmin-12, RIM1a, tomosyn, and P/Q-type calcium channels. Regulating the expression of some of these proteins alters synaptic release probability and calcium channel clustering, resulting in short- and long-term changes to synaptic efficacy. However, despite decades of research, the exact molecular mechanisms by which cAMP and PKA exert their influences in MF terminals remain largely unknown. Here, we review current knowledge of different cAMP catalysts and potential downstream PKA-dependent molecular cascades, in addition to non-canonical cAMP-dependent but PKA-independent cascades, which might serve as alternative, compensatory or competing pathways to the canonical PKA cascade. Since several other central synapses share a similar form of presynaptic plasticity with the MF, a better description of the molecular mechanisms governing MF plasticity could be key to understanding the relationship between the transcriptional and computational levels across brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meishar Shahoha
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronni Cohen
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoav Ben-Simon
- Department of Neurophysiology, Vienna Medical University, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Yoav Ben-Simon,
| | - Uri Ashery
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Uri Ashery,
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17
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Teng Z, Gottmann K. Hemisynapse Formation Between Target Astrocytes and Cortical Neuron Axons in vitro. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:829506. [PMID: 35386271 PMCID: PMC8978633 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.829506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most fundamental organizing principles in the mammalian brain is that neurons do not establish synapses with the other major cell type, the astrocytes. However, induced synapse formation between neurons and astrocytes appears conceivable, because astrocytes are well known to express functional ionotropic glutamate receptors. Here, we attempted to trigger synapse formation between co-cultured neurons and astrocytes by overexpressing the strongly synaptogenic adhesion protein LRRTM2 in astrocytes physically contacted by cortical axons. Interestingly, control experiments with immature cortical astrocytes without any overexpression resulted in the induction of synaptic vesicle clustering in contacting axons (hemisynapse formation). This synaptogenic activity correlated with the endogenous expression of the synaptogenic protein Neuroligin1. Hemisynapse formation was further enhanced upon overexpression of LRRTM2 in cortical astrocytes. In contrast, cerebellar astrocytes required overexpression of LRRTM2 for induction of synaptic vesicle clustering in contacting axons. We further addressed, whether hemisynapse formation was accompanied by the appearance of fully functional glutamatergic synapses. We therefore attempted to record AMPA receptor-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in innervated astrocytes using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Despite the endogenous expression of the AMPA receptor subunits GluA2 and to a lesser extent GluA1, we did not reliably observe spontaneous AMPA mEPSCs. In conclusion, overexpression of the synaptogenic protein LRRTM2 induced hemisynapse formation between co-cultured neurons and astrocytes. However, the formation of fully functional synapses appeared to require additional factors critical for nano-alignment of presynaptic vesicles and postsynaptic receptors.
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18
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Guzikowski NJ, Kavalali ET. Nano-Organization at the Synapse: Segregation of Distinct Forms of Neurotransmission. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 13:796498. [PMID: 35002671 PMCID: PMC8727373 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.796498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Synapses maintain synchronous, asynchronous, and spontaneous modes of neurotransmission through distinct molecular and biochemical pathways. Traditionally a single synapse was assumed to have a homogeneous organization of molecular components both at the active zone and post-synaptically. However, recent advancements in experimental tools and the further elucidation of the physiological significance of distinct forms of release have challenged this notion. In comparison to rapid evoked release, the physiological significance of both spontaneous and asynchronous neurotransmission has only recently been considered in parallel with synaptic structural organization. Active zone nanostructure aligns with postsynaptic nanostructure creating a precise trans-synaptic alignment of release sites and receptors shaping synaptic efficacy, determining neurotransmission reliability, and tuning plasticity. This review will discuss how studies delineating synaptic nanostructure create a picture of a molecularly heterogeneous active zone tuned to distinct forms of release that may dictate diverse synaptic functional outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Guzikowski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Ege T Kavalali
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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19
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Nikolaus J, Hancock K, Tsemperouli M, Baddeley D, Karatekin E. Optimal Detection of Fusion Pore Dynamics Using Polarized Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:740408. [PMID: 34859048 PMCID: PMC8631473 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.740408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fusion pore is the initial narrow connection that forms between fusing membranes. During vesicular release of hormones or neurotransmitters, the nanometer-sized fusion pore may open-close repeatedly (flicker) before resealing or dilating irreversibly, leading to kiss-and-run or full-fusion events, respectively. Pore dynamics govern vesicle cargo release and the mode of vesicle recycling, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. This is partly due to a lack of reconstituted assays that combine single-pore sensitivity and high time resolution. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy offers unique advantages for characterizing single membrane fusion events, but signals depend on effects that are difficult to disentangle, including the polarization of the excitation electric field, vesicle size, photobleaching, orientation of the excitation dipoles of the fluorophores with respect to the membrane, and the evanescent field depth. Commercial TIRF microscopes do not allow control of excitation polarization, further complicating analysis. To overcome these challenges, we built a polarization-controlled total internal reflection fluorescence (pTIRF) microscope and monitored fusion of proteoliposomes with planar lipid bilayers with single molecule sensitivity and ∼15 ms temporal resolution. Using pTIRF microscopy, we detected docking and fusion of fluorescently labeled small unilamellar vesicles, reconstituted with exocytotic/neuronal v-SNARE proteins (vSUVs), with a supported bilayer containing the cognate t-SNAREs (tSBL). By varying the excitation polarization angle, we were able to identify a dye-dependent optimal polarization at which the fluorescence increase upon fusion was maximal, facilitating event detection and analysis of lipid transfer kinetics. An improved algorithm allowed us to estimate the size of the fusing vSUV and the fusion pore openness (the fraction of time the pore is open) for every event. For most events, lipid transfer was much slower than expected for diffusion through an open pore, suggesting that fusion pore flickering limits lipid release. We find a weak correlation between fusion pore openness and vesicle area. The approach can be used to study mechanisms governing fusion pore dynamics in a wide range of membrane fusion processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joerg Nikolaus
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kasey Hancock
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States
- Integrated Physical and Engineering Biology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Maria Tsemperouli
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - David Baddeley
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States
- Cell Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Erdem Karatekin
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, United States
- Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences (SPPIN), Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
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20
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Ergina JL, Amakhin DV, Postnikova TY, Soboleva EB, Zaitsev AV. Short-Term Epileptiform Activity Potentiates Excitatory Synapses but Does Not Affect Intrinsic Membrane Properties of Pyramidal Neurons in the Rat Hippocampus In Vitro. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9101374. [PMID: 34680489 PMCID: PMC8533424 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Even brief epileptic seizures can lead to activity-dependent structural remodeling of neural circuitry. Animal models show that the functional plasticity of synapses and changes in the intrinsic excitability of neurons can be crucial for epileptogenesis. However, the exact mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis remain unclear. We induced epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices for 15 min using a 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in vitro model and observed hippocampal hyperexcitability for at least 1 h. We tested several possible mechanisms of this hyperexcitability, including changes in intrinsic membrane properties of neurons and presynaptic and postsynaptic alterations. Neither input resistance nor other essential biophysical properties of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons were affected by epileptiform activity. The glutamate release probability also remained unchanged, as the frequency of miniature EPSCs and the paired amplitude ratio of evoked responses did not change after epileptiform activity. However, we found an increase in the AMPA/NMDA ratio, suggesting alterations in the properties of postsynaptic glutamatergic receptors. Thus, the increase in excitability of hippocampal neural networks is realized through postsynaptic mechanisms. In contrast, the intrinsic membrane properties of neurons and the probability of glutamate release from presynaptic terminals are not affected in a 4-AP model.
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21
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Matthews PM, Pinggera A, Kampjut D, Greger IH. Biology of AMPA receptor interacting proteins - From biogenesis to synaptic plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2021; 197:108709. [PMID: 34271020 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AMPA-type glutamate receptors mediate the majority of excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. Their signaling properties and abundance at synapses are both crucial determinants of synapse efficacy and plasticity, and are therefore under sophisticated control. Unique to this ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) is the abundance of interacting proteins that contribute to its complex regulation. These include transient interactions with the receptor cytoplasmic tail as well as the N-terminal domain locating to the synaptic cleft, both of which are involved in AMPAR trafficking and receptor stabilization at the synapse. Moreover, an array of transmembrane proteins operate as auxiliary subunits that in addition to receptor trafficking and stabilization also substantially impact AMPAR gating and pharmacology. Here, we provide an overview of the catalogue of AMPAR interacting proteins, and how they contribute to the complex biology of this central glutamate receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Matthews
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexandra Pinggera
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Domen Kampjut
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ingo H Greger
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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22
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Kellner S, Abbasi A, Carmi I, Heinrich R, Garin-Shkolnik T, Hershkovitz T, Giladi M, Haitin Y, Johannesen KM, Steensbjerre Møller R, Berlin S. Two de novo GluN2B mutations affect multiple NMDAR-functions and instigate severe pediatric encephalopathy. eLife 2021; 10:67555. [PMID: 34212862 PMCID: PMC8260228 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs; GluNRS) are glutamate receptors, commonly located at excitatory synapses. Mutations affecting receptor function often lead to devastating neurodevelopmental disorders. We have identified two toddlers with different heterozygous missense mutations of the same, and highly conserved, glycine residue located in the ligand-binding-domain of GRIN2B: G689C and G689S. Structure simulations suggest severely impaired glutamate binding, which we confirm by functional analysis. Both variants show three orders of magnitude reductions in glutamate EC50, with G689S exhibiting the largest reductions observed for GRIN2B (~2000-fold). Moreover, variants multimerize with, and upregulate, GluN2Bwt-subunits, thus engendering a strong dominant-negative effect on mixed channels. In neurons, overexpression of the variants instigates suppression of synaptic GluNRs. Lastly, while exploring spermine potentiation as a potential treatment, we discovered that the variants fail to respond due to G689’s novel role in proton-sensing. Together, we describe two unique variants with extreme effects on channel function. We employ protein-stability measures to explain why current (and future) LBD mutations in GluN2B primarily instigate Loss-of-Function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Kellner
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Abeer Abbasi
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ido Carmi
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ronit Heinrich
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | | | | | - Moshe Giladi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoni Haitin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Katrine M Johannesen
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark.,Institute for Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Rikke Steensbjerre Møller
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark.,Institute for Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Shai Berlin
- Department of Neuroscience, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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23
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Wu Z, Dharan N, McDargh ZA, Thiyagarajan S, O'Shaughnessy B, Karatekin E. The neuronal calcium sensor Synaptotagmin-1 and SNARE proteins cooperate to dilate fusion pores. eLife 2021; 10:68215. [PMID: 34190041 PMCID: PMC8294851 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
All membrane fusion reactions proceed through an initial fusion pore, including calcium-triggered release of neurotransmitters and hormones. Expansion of this small pore to release cargo is energetically costly and regulated by cells, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we show that the neuronal/exocytic calcium sensor Synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) promotes expansion of fusion pores induced by SNARE proteins. Pore dilation relied on calcium-induced insertion of the tandem C2 domain hydrophobic loops of Syt1 into the membrane, previously shown to reorient the C2 domain. Mathematical modelling suggests that C2B reorientation rotates a bound SNARE complex so that it exerts force on the membranes in a mechanical lever action that increases the height of the fusion pore, provoking pore dilation to offset the bending energy penalty. We conclude that Syt1 exerts novel non-local calcium-dependent mechanical forces on fusion pores that dilate pores and assist neurotransmitter and hormone release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyong Wu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, United States.,Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, United States
| | - Nadiv Dharan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Zachary A McDargh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Sathish Thiyagarajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Ben O'Shaughnessy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Erdem Karatekin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, United States.,Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, United States.,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, United States.,Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences (SPPIN), Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8003, Paris, France
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24
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Chiang CW, Shu WC, Wan J, Weaver BA, Jackson MB. Recordings from neuron-HEK cell cocultures reveal the determinants of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:211910. [PMID: 33755721 PMCID: PMC7992392 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous exocytosis of single synaptic vesicles generates miniature synaptic currents, which provide a window into the dynamic control of synaptic transmission. To resolve the impact of different factors on the dynamics and variability of synaptic transmission, we recorded miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) from cocultures of mouse hippocampal neurons with HEK cells expressing the postsynaptic proteins GluA2, neuroligin 1, PSD-95, and stargazin. Synapses between neurons and these heterologous cells have a molecularly defined postsynaptic apparatus, while the compact morphology of HEK cells eliminates the distorting effect of dendritic filtering. HEK cells in coculture produced mEPSCs with a higher frequency, larger amplitude, and more rapid rise and decay than neurons from the same culture. However, mEPSC area indicated that nerve terminals in synapses with both neurons and HEK cells release similar populations of vesicles. Modulation by the glutamate receptor ligand aniracetam revealed receptor contributions to mEPSC shape. Dendritic cable effects account for the slower mEPSC rise in neurons, whereas the slower decay also depends on other factors. Lastly, expression of synaptobrevin transmembrane domain mutants in neurons slowed the rise of HEK cell mEPSCs, thus revealing the impact of synaptic fusion pores. In summary, we show that cocultures of neurons with heterologous cells provide a geometrically simplified and molecularly defined system to investigate the time course of synaptic transmission and to resolve the contribution of vesicles, fusion pores, dendrites, and receptors to this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Wei Chiang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Wen-Chi Shu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Jun Wan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Beth A Weaver
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Meyer B Jackson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
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25
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Sethuramanujam S, Matsumoto A, deRosenroll G, Murphy-Baum B, Grosman C, McIntosh JM, Jing M, Li Y, Berson D, Yonehara K, Awatramani GB. Rapid multi-directed cholinergic transmission in the central nervous system. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1374. [PMID: 33654091 PMCID: PMC7925691 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21680-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In many parts of the central nervous system, including the retina, it is unclear whether cholinergic transmission is mediated by rapid, point-to-point synaptic mechanisms, or slower, broad-scale 'non-synaptic' mechanisms. Here, we characterized the ultrastructural features of cholinergic connections between direction-selective starburst amacrine cells and downstream ganglion cells in an existing serial electron microscopy data set, as well as their functional properties using electrophysiology and two-photon acetylcholine (ACh) imaging. Correlative results demonstrate that a 'tripartite' structure facilitates a 'multi-directed' form of transmission, in which ACh released from a single vesicle rapidly (~1 ms) co-activates receptors expressed in multiple neurons located within ~1 µm of the release site. Cholinergic signals are direction-selective at a local, but not global scale, and facilitate the transfer of information from starburst to ganglion cell dendrites. These results suggest a distinct operational framework for cholinergic signaling that bears the hallmarks of synaptic and non-synaptic forms of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Akihiro Matsumoto
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | | | - Claudio Grosman
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 407 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - J Michael McIntosh
- George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry; School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Miao Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - David Berson
- Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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26
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Abnormalities of synaptic mitochondria in autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders. J Mol Med (Berl) 2020; 99:161-178. [PMID: 33340060 PMCID: PMC7819932 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-02018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition primarily characterized by an impairment of social interaction combined with the occurrence of repetitive behaviors. ASD starts in childhood and prevails across the lifespan. The variability of its clinical presentation renders early diagnosis difficult. Mutations in synaptic genes and alterations of mitochondrial functions are considered important underlying pathogenic factors, but it is obvious that we are far from a comprehensive understanding of ASD pathophysiology. At the synapse, mitochondria perform diverse functions, which are clearly not limited to their classical role as energy providers. Here, we review the current knowledge about mitochondria at the synapse and summarize the mitochondrial disturbances found in mouse models of ASD and other ASD-related neurodevelopmental disorders, like DiGeorge syndrome, Rett syndrome, Tuberous sclerosis complex, and Down syndrome.
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27
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Schieweck R, Ninkovic J, Kiebler MA. RNA-binding proteins balance brain function in health and disease. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1309-1370. [PMID: 33000986 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00047.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttranscriptional gene expression including splicing, RNA transport, translation, and RNA decay provides an important regulatory layer in many if not all molecular pathways. Research in the last decades has positioned RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) right in the center of posttranscriptional gene regulation. Here, we propose interdependent networks of RBPs to regulate complex pathways within the central nervous system (CNS). These are involved in multiple aspects of neuronal development and functioning, including higher cognition. Therefore, it is not sufficient to unravel the individual contribution of a single RBP and its consequences but rather to study and understand the tight interplay between different RBPs. In this review, we summarize recent findings in the field of RBP biology and discuss the complex interplay between different RBPs. Second, we emphasize the underlying dynamics within an RBP network and how this might regulate key processes such as neurogenesis, synaptic transmission, and synaptic plasticity. Importantly, we envision that dysfunction of specific RBPs could lead to perturbation within the RBP network. This would have direct and indirect (compensatory) effects in mRNA binding and translational control leading to global changes in cellular expression programs in general and in synaptic plasticity in particular. Therefore, we focus on RBP dysfunction and how this might cause neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Based on recent findings, we propose that alterations in the entire regulatory RBP network might account for phenotypic dysfunctions observed in complex diseases including neurodegeneration, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rico Schieweck
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Department for Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jovica Ninkovic
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Department for Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Michael A Kiebler
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Department for Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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28
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Nosov G, Kahms M, Klingauf J. The Decade of Super-Resolution Microscopy of the Presynapse. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:32. [PMID: 32848695 PMCID: PMC7433402 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The presynaptic compartment of the chemical synapse is a small, yet extremely complex structure. Considering its size, most methods of optical microscopy are not able to resolve its nanoarchitecture and dynamics. Thus, its ultrastructure could only be studied by electron microscopy. In the last decade, new methods of optical superresolution microscopy have emerged allowing the study of cellular structures and processes at the nanometer scale. While this is a welcome addition to the experimental arsenal, it has necessitated careful analysis and interpretation to ensure the data obtained remains artifact-free. In this article we review the application of nanoscopic techniques to the study of the synapse and the progress made over the last decade with a particular focus on the presynapse. We find to our surprise that progress has been limited, calling for imaging techniques and probes that allow dense labeling, multiplexing, longer imaging times, higher temporal resolution, while at least maintaining the spatial resolution achieved thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Nosov
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,CIM-IMPRS Graduate Program in Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Martin Kahms
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jurgen Klingauf
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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29
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Direct imaging of rapid tethering of synaptic vesicles accompanying exocytosis at a fast central synapse. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:14493-14502. [PMID: 32513685 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000265117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A high rate of synaptic vesicle (SV) release is required at cerebellar mossy fiber terminals for rapid information processing. As the number of release sites is limited, fast SV reloading is necessary to achieve sustained release. However, rapid reloading has not been observed directly. Here, we visualize SV movements near presynaptic membrane using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. Upon stimulation, SVs appeared in the TIRF-field and became tethered to the presynaptic membrane with unexpectedly rapid time course, almost as fast as SVs disappeared due to release. However, such stimulus-induced tethering was abolished by inhibiting exocytosis, suggesting that the tethering is tightly coupled to preceding exocytosis. The newly tethered vesicles became fusion competent not immediately but only 300 ms to 400 ms after tethering. Together with model simulations, we propose that rapid tethering leads to an immediate filling of vacated spaces and release sites within <100 nm of the active zone by SVs, which serve as precursors of readily releasable vesicles, thereby shortening delays during sustained activity.
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30
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Vickery RM, Ng KKW, Potas JR, Shivdasani MN, McIntyre S, Nagi SS, Birznieks I. Tapping Into the Language of Touch: Using Non-invasive Stimulation to Specify Tactile Afferent Firing Patterns. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:500. [PMID: 32508581 PMCID: PMC7248323 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The temporal pattern of action potentials can convey rich information in a variety of sensory systems. We describe a new non-invasive technique that enables precise, reliable generation of action potential patterns in tactile peripheral afferent neurons by brief taps on the skin. Using this technique, we demonstrate sophisticated coding of temporal information in the somatosensory system, that shows that perceived vibration frequency is not encoded in peripheral afferents as was expected by either their firing rate or the underlying periodicity of the stimulus. Instead, a burst gap or silent gap between trains of action potentials conveys frequency information. This opens the possibility of new encoding strategies that could be deployed to convey sensory information using mechanical or electrical stimulation in neural prostheses and brain-machine interfaces, and may extend to senses beyond artificial encoding of aspects of touch. We argue that a focus on appropriate use of effective temporal coding offers more prospects for rapid improvement in the function of these interfaces than attempts to scale-up existing devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Vickery
- School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kevin K. W. Ng
- School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jason R. Potas
- School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mohit N. Shivdasani
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarah McIntyre
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Saad S. Nagi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ingvars Birznieks
- School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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31
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Purkey AM, Dell’Acqua ML. Phosphorylation-Dependent Regulation of Ca 2+-Permeable AMPA Receptors During Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:8. [PMID: 32292336 PMCID: PMC7119613 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent learning and memory require multiple forms of plasticity at hippocampal and cortical synapses that are regulated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type ionotropic glutamate receptors (NMDAR, AMPAR). These plasticity mechanisms include long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), which are Hebbian input-specific mechanisms that rapidly increase or decrease AMPAR synaptic strength at specific inputs, and homeostatic plasticity that globally scales-up or -down AMPAR synaptic strength across many or even all inputs. Frequently, these changes in synaptic strength are also accompanied by a change in the subunit composition of AMPARs at the synapse due to the trafficking to and from the synapse of receptors lacking GluA2 subunits. These GluA2-lacking receptors are most often GluA1 homomeric receptors that exhibit higher single-channel conductance and are Ca2+-permeable (CP-AMPAR). This review article will focus on the role of protein phosphorylation in regulation of GluA1 CP-AMPAR recruitment and removal from hippocampal synapses during synaptic plasticity with an emphasis on the crucial role of local signaling by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and the Ca2+calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase 2B/calcineurin (CaN) that is coordinated by the postsynaptic scaffold protein A-kinase anchoring protein 79/150 (AKAP79/150).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark L. Dell’Acqua
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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32
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Functional Electron Microscopy, "Flash and Freeze," of Identified Cortical Synapses in Acute Brain Slices. Neuron 2020; 105:992-1006.e6. [PMID: 31928842 PMCID: PMC7083231 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
How structural and functional properties of synapses relate to each other is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Electrophysiology has elucidated mechanisms of synaptic transmission, and electron microscopy (EM) has provided insight into morphological properties of synapses. Here we describe an enhanced method for functional EM (“flash and freeze”), combining optogenetic stimulation with high-pressure freezing. We demonstrate that the improved method can be applied to intact networks in acute brain slices and organotypic slice cultures from mice. As a proof of concept, we probed vesicle pool changes during synaptic transmission at the hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 pyramidal neuron synapse. Our findings show overlap of the docked vesicle pool and the functionally defined readily releasable pool and provide evidence of fast endocytosis at this synapse. Functional EM with acute slices and slice cultures has the potential to reveal the structural and functional mechanisms of transmission in intact, genetically perturbed, and disease-affected synapses. Functional EM may be applied to acute brain slices and organotypic slice cultures Docked vesicle pool and RRP are overlapping Smaller-diameter vesicles have higher release probability than larger vesicles Endocytic pits after moderate stimulation suggest fast endocytosis
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33
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Ultrastructural and molecular features of excitatory and glutamatergic synapses. The auditory nerve synapses. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2020; 114:23-51. [PMID: 32723545 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2020.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Glutamatergic synapses mediate fast synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. New developments highlight the importance of the synapse structural and molecular remodeling during development, aging and in neurological disorders. This chapter summarizes key structural and molecular aspects of the presynaptic and postsynaptic components of glutamatergic synapses in the brain. In addition, this chapter describes how the structure of the postsynaptic density and ionotropic glutamate content contribute to the function of auditory nerve synapses in the lower auditory brainstem.
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34
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Zhang XM, François U, Silm K, Angelo MF, Fernandez-Busch MV, Maged M, Martin C, Bernard V, Cordelières FP, Deshors M, Pons S, Maskos U, Bemelmans AP, Wojcik SM, El Mestikawy S, Humeau Y, Herzog E. A proline-rich motif on VGLUT1 reduces synaptic vesicle super-pool and spontaneous release frequency. eLife 2019; 8:50401. [PMID: 31663854 PMCID: PMC6861006 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate secretion at excitatory synapses is tightly regulated to allow for the precise tuning of synaptic strength. Vesicular Glutamate Transporters (VGLUT) accumulate glutamate into synaptic vesicles (SV) and thereby regulate quantal size. Further, the number of release sites and the release probability of SVs maybe regulated by the organization of active-zone proteins and SV clusters. In the present work, we uncover a mechanism mediating an increased SV clustering through the interaction of VGLUT1 second proline-rich domain, endophilinA1 and intersectin1. This strengthening of SV clusters results in a combined reduction of axonal SV super-pool size and miniature excitatory events frequency. Our findings support a model in which clustered vesicles are held together through multiple weak interactions between Src homology three and proline-rich domains of synaptic proteins. In mammals, VGLUT1 gained a proline-rich sequence that recruits endophilinA1 and turns the transporter into a regulator of SV organization and spontaneous release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Min Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Urielle François
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Kätlin Silm
- Neuroscience Paris Seine NPS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie INSERM U1130 CNRS UMR8246, Paris, France
| | - Maria Florencia Angelo
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Maria Victoria Fernandez-Busch
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mona Maged
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Christelle Martin
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Véronique Bernard
- Neuroscience Paris Seine NPS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie INSERM U1130 CNRS UMR8246, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice P Cordelières
- Bordeaux Imaging Center, Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMS 3420, INSERM US4, Bordeaux, France
| | - Melissa Deshors
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Stéphanie Pons
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3571, Unité NISC, Paris, France
| | - Uwe Maskos
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3571, Unité NISC, Paris, France
| | - Alexis Pierre Bemelmans
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Direction de laRecherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut de Biologie François Jacob (IBFJ), MolecularImaging Research Center (MIRCen), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Sonja M Wojcik
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Salah El Mestikawy
- Neuroscience Paris Seine NPS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie INSERM U1130 CNRS UMR8246, Paris, France.,Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Yann Humeau
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Etienne Herzog
- Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience CNRS UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
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35
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Chen JH, Blanpied TA, Tang AH. Quantification of trans-synaptic protein alignment: A data analysis case for single-molecule localization microscopy. Methods 2019; 174:72-80. [PMID: 31325491 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoscale distribution of proteins and their relative positioning within a defined subcellular region are key to their physiological functions. Thanks to the super-resolution imaging methods, especially single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), mapping the three-dimensional distribution of multiple proteins has been easier and more efficient than ever. Nevertheless, in spite of the many tools available for efficient localization detection and image rendering, it has been a challenge to quantitatively analyze the 3D distribution and relative positioning of proteins in these SMLM data. Here, using heterogeneously distributed synaptic proteins as examples, we describe in detail a series of analytical methods including detection of nanoscale density clusters, quantification of the trans-synaptic alignment between these protein densities, and automatic en face projection and averaging. These analyses were performed within customized Matlab routines and we make the full scripts available. The concepts behind these analytical methods and the scripts can be adapted for quantitative analysis of spatial organization of other macromolecular complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Thomas A Blanpied
- Program in Neuroscience and Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Ai-Hui Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
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36
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Tottori T, Fujii M, Kuroda S. NMDAR-Mediated Ca 2+ Increase Shows Robust Information Transfer in Dendritic Spines. Biophys J 2019; 116:1748-1758. [PMID: 31023534 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A dendritic spine is a small structure on the dendrites of a neuron that processes input timing information from other neurons. Tens of thousands of spines are present on a neuron. Why are spines so small and many? We addressed this issue by using the stochastic simulation model of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated Ca2+ increase. NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ increase codes the input timing information between prespiking and postspiking. We examined how much the input timing information is encoded by Ca2+ increase against presynaptic fluctuation. We found that the input timing information encoded in the cell volume (103μm3) largely decreases against the presynaptic fluctuation, whereas that in the spine volume (10-1μm3) slightly decreases. Therefore, the input timing information encoded in the spine volume is more robust against presynaptic fluctuation than that in the cell volume. We further examined the mechanism of the robust information transfer in the spine volume. We demonstrated that the condition for the robustness is that the stochastic NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ increase (intrinsic noise) becomes much larger than the presynaptic fluctuation (extrinsic noise). When the presynaptic fluctuation is large, the condition is satisfied in the spine volume but not in the cell volume. Moreover, we compared the input timing information encoded in many small spines with that encoded in a single large spine. We found that the input timing information encoded in many small spines are larger than that in a single large spine when presynaptic fluctuation is large because of their robustness. Thus, robustness is a functional reason why dendritic spines are so small and many.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takehiro Tottori
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Fujii
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Molecular Genetics Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Kuroda
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Molecular Genetics Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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37
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Duarte R, Morrison A. Leveraging heterogeneity for neural computation with fading memory in layer 2/3 cortical microcircuits. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006781. [PMID: 31022182 PMCID: PMC6504118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Complexity and heterogeneity are intrinsic to neurobiological systems, manifest in every process, at every scale, and are inextricably linked to the systems' emergent collective behaviours and function. However, the majority of studies addressing the dynamics and computational properties of biologically inspired cortical microcircuits tend to assume (often for the sake of analytical tractability) a great degree of homogeneity in both neuronal and synaptic/connectivity parameters. While simplification and reductionism are necessary to understand the brain's functional principles, disregarding the existence of the multiple heterogeneities in the cortical composition, which may be at the core of its computational proficiency, will inevitably fail to account for important phenomena and limit the scope and generalizability of cortical models. We address these issues by studying the individual and composite functional roles of heterogeneities in neuronal, synaptic and structural properties in a biophysically plausible layer 2/3 microcircuit model, built and constrained by multiple sources of empirical data. This approach was made possible by the emergence of large-scale, well curated databases, as well as the substantial improvements in experimental methodologies achieved over the last few years. Our results show that variability in single neuron parameters is the dominant source of functional specialization, leading to highly proficient microcircuits with much higher computational power than their homogeneous counterparts. We further show that fully heterogeneous circuits, which are closest to the biophysical reality, owe their response properties to the differential contribution of different sources of heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Duarte
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships (JBI-1 / INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Institute of Adaptive and Neural Computation, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail Morrison
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships (JBI-1 / INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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38
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A Screen for Synaptic Growth Mutants Reveals Mechanisms That Stabilize Synaptic Strength. J Neurosci 2019; 39:4051-4065. [PMID: 30902873 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2601-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Synapses grow, prune, and remodel throughout development, experience, and disease. This structural plasticity can destabilize information transfer in the nervous system. However, neural activity remains stable throughout life, implying that adaptive countermeasures exist that maintain neurotransmission within proper physiological ranges. Aberrant synaptic structure and function have been associated with a variety of neural diseases, including Fragile X syndrome, autism, and intellectual disability. We have screened 300 mutants in Drosophila larvae of both sexes for defects in synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction, identifying 12 mutants with severe reductions or enhancements in synaptic growth. Remarkably, electrophysiological recordings revealed that synaptic strength was unchanged in all but one of these mutants compared with WT. We used a combination of genetic, anatomical, and electrophysiological analyses to illuminate three mechanisms that stabilize synaptic strength despite major disparities in synaptic growth. These include compensatory changes in (1) postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor abundance, (2) presynaptic morphology, and (3) active zone structure. Together, this characterization identifies new mutants with defects in synaptic growth and the adaptive strategies used by synapses to homeostatically stabilize neurotransmission in response.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study reveals compensatory mechanisms used by synapses to ensure stable functionality during severe alterations in synaptic growth using the neuromuscular junction of Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Through a forward genetic screen, we identify mutants that exhibit dramatic undergrown or overgrown synapses yet express stable levels of synaptic strength, with three specific compensatory mechanisms discovered. Thus, this study reveals novel insights into the adaptive strategies that constrain neurotransmission within narrow physiological ranges while allowing considerable flexibility in overall synapse number. More broadly, these findings provide insights into how stable synaptic function may be maintained in the nervous system during periods of intensive synaptic growth, pruning, and remodeling.
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Rademacher N, Kuropka B, Kunde SA, Wahl MC, Freund C, Shoichet SA. Intramolecular domain dynamics regulate synaptic MAGUK protein interactions. eLife 2019; 8:41299. [PMID: 30864948 PMCID: PMC6438691 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PSD-95 MAGUK family scaffold proteins are multi-domain organisers of synaptic transmission that contain three PDZ domains followed by an SH3-GK domain tandem. This domain architecture allows coordinated assembly of protein complexes composed of neurotransmitter receptors, synaptic adhesion molecules and downstream signalling effectors. Here we show that binding of monomeric CRIPT-derived PDZ3 ligands to the third PDZ domain of PSD-95 induces functional changes in the intramolecular SH3-GK domain assembly that influence subsequent homotypic and heterotypic complex formation. We identify PSD-95 interactors that differentially bind to the SH3-GK domain tandem depending on its conformational state. Among these interactors, we further establish the heterotrimeric G protein subunit Gnb5 as a PSD-95 complex partner at dendritic spines of rat hippocampal neurons. The PSD-95 GK domain binds to Gnb5, and this interaction is triggered by CRIPT-derived PDZ3 ligands binding to the third PDZ domain of PSD-95, unraveling a hierarchical binding mechanism of PSD-95 complex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rademacher
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benno Kuropka
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stella-Amrei Kunde
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus C Wahl
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Macromolecular Crystallography, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Freund
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah A Shoichet
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Panzera LC, Hoppa MB. Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators Are Illuminating Subcellular Physiology of the Axon. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:52. [PMID: 30881287 PMCID: PMC6406964 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Everything we see and do is regulated by electrical signals in our nerves and muscle. Ion channels are crucial for sensing and generating electrical signals. Two voltage-dependent conductances, Na+ and K+, form the bedrock of the electrical impulse in the brain known as the action potential. Several classes of mammalian neurons express combinations of nearly 100 different varieties of these two voltage-dependent channels and their subunits. Not surprisingly, this variability orchestrates a diversity of action potential shapes and firing patterns that have been studied in detail at neural somata. A remarkably understudied phenomena exists in subcellular compartments of the axon, where action potentials initiate synaptic transmission. Ion channel research was catalyzed by the invention of glass electrodes to measure electrical signals in cell membranes, however, progress in the field of neurobiology has been stymied by the fact that most axons in the mammalian CNS are far too small and delicate for measuring ion channel function with electrodes. These quantitative measurements of membrane voltage can be achieved within the axon using light. A revolution of optical voltage sensors has enabled exploring important questions of how ion channels regulate axon physiology and synaptic transmission. In this review we will consider advantages and disadvantages of different fluorescent voltage indicators and discuss particularly relevant questions that these indicators can elucidate for understanding the crucial relationship between action potentials and synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael B. Hoppa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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Reynolds JP, Zheng K, Rusakov DA. Multiplexed calcium imaging of single-synapse activity and astroglial responses in the intact brain. Neurosci Lett 2019; 689:26-32. [PMID: 29908948 PMCID: PMC6335263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
All-optical registration of neuronal and astrocytic activities within the intact mammalian brain has improved significantly with recent advances in optical sensors and biophotonics. However, relating single-synapse release events and local astroglial responses to sensory stimuli in an intact animal has not hitherto been feasible. Here, we present a multiplexed multiphoton excitation imaging approach for assessing the relationship between presynaptic Ca2+ entry at thalamocortical axonal boutons and perisynaptic astrocytic Ca2+ elevations, induced by whisker stimulation in the barrel cortex of C57BL/6 mice. We find that, unexpectedly, Ca2+ elevations in the perisynaptic astrocytic regions consistently precede local presynaptic Ca2+ signals during spontaneous brain activity associated with anaesthesia. The methods described here can be adapted to a variety of optical sensors and are compatible with experimental designs that might necessitate repeated sampling of single synapses over a longitudinal behavioural paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Reynolds
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Kaiyu Zheng
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Dmitri A Rusakov
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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O'Neill N, Sylantyev S. Glutamate Receptor Probing with Rapid Application and Solution Exchange (RASE). Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1941:65-78. [PMID: 30707428 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9077-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Probing of glutamate receptors at sub-millisecond time scale is a key element needed for understanding of their response kinetics, neural signal transduction, and, in a wider context, intercellular cross talk. One of the classical techniques used to obtain this type of data in electrophysiology is placing a recording pipette in front of a double-barrel solution application pipette, which provides a rapid switch between two solutions. Here we describe a modification of this classical technique, which utilizes a solution application pipette with several loading capillaries. Such a system is capable of replacing multiple application solutions within 7-12 s time intervals. This modified protocol enables ultrafast application of several solutions at the same set of receptors, thus allowing powerful paired-sample statistical approaches. In addition, the same experimental equipment fabricated for the ultra-resolution probing of receptor kinetics can also be applied in several other types of electrophysiological experiments.
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Individual synaptic vesicles mediate stimulated exocytosis from cochlear inner hair cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12811-12816. [PMID: 30463957 PMCID: PMC6294930 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811814115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission is codetermined by presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Therefore, to understand how the inner hair cell (IHC) signals to spiral ganglion neurons at the first synapse in the auditory pathway, here we directly studied individual membrane fusion events by making cell-attached membrane capacitance recordings from IHCs, for which the quantal size is debated. The observed fusion steps in membrane capacitance are consistent with the quantal hypothesis of synaptic transmission in which individual synaptic vesicles undergo exocytosis independently from each other. This finding, in conjunction with previous work, raises the exciting possibility that action potential generation can be triggered by the release of a single vesicle at the IHC synapse. Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) measured from the first synapse in the mammalian auditory pathway reach a large mean amplitude with a high level of variance (CV between 0.3 and 1). This has led some to propose that each inner hair cell (IHC) ribbon-type active zone (AZ), on average, releases ∼6 synaptic vesicles (SVs) per sEPSC in a coordinated manner. If true, then the predicted change in membrane capacitance (Cm) for such multivesicular fusion events would equate to ∼300 attofarads (aF). Here, we performed cell-attached Cm measurements to directly examine the size of fusion events at the basolateral membrane of IHCs where the AZs are located. The frequency of events depended on the membrane potential and the expression of Cav1.3, the principal Ca2+-channel type of IHCs. Fusion events averaged 40 aF, which equates to a normal-sized SV with an estimated diameter of 37 nm. The calculated SV volumes showed a high degree of variance (CV > 0.6). These results indicate that SVs fused individually with the plasma membrane during spontaneous and evoked release and SV volume may contribute more variability in EPSC amplitude than previously assumed.
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Karatekin E. Toward a unified picture of the exocytotic fusion pore. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:3563-3585. [PMID: 30317539 PMCID: PMC6353554 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter and hormone release involve calcium-triggered fusion of a cargo-loaded vesicle with the plasma membrane. The initial connection between the fusing membranes, called the fusion pore, can evolve in various ways, including rapid dilation to allow full cargo release, slow expansion, repeated opening-closing and resealing. Pore dynamics determine the kinetics of cargo release and the mode of vesicle recycling, but how these processes are controlled is poorly understood. Previous reconstitutions could not monitor single pores, limiting mechanistic insight they could provide. Recently developed nanodisc-based fusion assays allow reconstitution and monitoring of single pores with unprecedented detail and hold great promise for future discoveries. They recapitulate various aspects of exocytotic fusion pores, but comparison is difficult because different approaches suggested very different exocytotic fusion pore properties, even for the same cell type. In this Review, I discuss how most of the data can be reconciled, by recognizing how different methods probe different aspects of the same fusion process. The resulting picture is that fusion pores have broadly distributed properties arising from stochastic processes which can be modulated by physical constraints imposed by proteins, lipids and membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdem Karatekin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
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Chemogenetic Isolation Reveals Synaptic Contribution of δ GABA A Receptors in Mouse Dentate Granule Neurons. J Neurosci 2018; 38:8128-8145. [PMID: 30076210 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0799-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Two major GABAA receptor classes mediate ionotropic GABA signaling, those containing a δ subunit and those with a γ2 subunit. The classical viewpoint equates γ2-containing receptors with IPSCs and δ-containing receptors with tonic inhibition because of differences in receptor localization, but significant questions remain because the populations cannot be pharmacologically separated. We removed this barrier using gene editing to confer a point mutation on the δ subunit in mice, rendering receptors containing the subunit picrotoxin resistant. By pharmacologically isolating δ-containing receptors, our results demonstrate their contribution to IPSCs in dentate granule neurons and weaker contributions to thalamocortical IPSCs. Despite documented extrasynaptic localization, we found that receptor localization does not preclude participation in isolated IPSCs, including mIPSCs. Further, phasic inhibition from δ subunit-containing receptors strongly inhibited summation of EPSPs, whereas tonic activity had little impact. In addition to any role that δ-containing receptors may play in canonical tonic inhibition, our results highlight a previously underestimated contribution of δ-containing receptors to phasic inhibition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT GABAA receptors play key roles in transient and tonic inhibition. The prevailing view suggests that synaptic γ2-containing GABAA receptors drive phasic inhibition, whereas extrasynaptic δ-containing receptors mediate tonic inhibition. To re-evaluate the impact of δ receptors, we took a chemogenetic approach that offers a sensitive method to probe the synaptic contribution of δ-containing receptors. Our results reveal that localization does not strongly limit the contribution of δ receptors to IPSCs and that δ receptors make an unanticipated robust contribution to phasic inhibition.
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Haas KT, Compans B, Letellier M, Bartol TM, Grillo-Bosch D, Sejnowski TJ, Sainlos M, Choquet D, Thoumine O, Hosy E. Pre-post synaptic alignment through neuroligin-1 tunes synaptic transmission efficiency. eLife 2018; 7:e31755. [PMID: 30044218 PMCID: PMC6070337 DOI: 10.7554/elife.31755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nanoscale organization of neurotransmitter receptors regarding pre-synaptic release sites is a fundamental determinant of the synaptic transmission amplitude and reliability. How modifications in the pre- and post-synaptic machinery alignments affects synaptic currents, has only been addressed with computer modelling. Using single molecule super-resolution microscopy, we found a strong spatial correlation between AMPA receptor (AMPAR) nanodomains and the post-synaptic adhesion protein neuroligin-1 (NLG1). Expression of a truncated form of NLG1 disrupted this correlation without affecting the intrinsic AMPAR organization, shifting the pre-synaptic release machinery away from AMPAR nanodomains. Electrophysiology in dissociated and organotypic hippocampal rodent cultures shows these treatments significantly decrease AMPAR-mediated miniature and EPSC amplitudes. Computer modelling predicts that ~100 nm lateral shift between AMPAR nanoclusters and glutamate release sites induces a significant reduction in AMPAR-mediated currents. Thus, our results suggest the synapses necessity to release glutamate precisely in front of AMPAR nanodomains, to maintain a high synaptic responses efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalina T Haas
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Benjamin Compans
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Mathieu Letellier
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Thomas M Bartol
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteSalk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Dolors Grillo-Bosch
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Terrence J Sejnowski
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteSalk Institute for Biological StudiesLa JollaUnited States
| | - Matthieu Sainlos
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Daniel Choquet
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Bordeaux Imaging CenterUMS 3420 CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, US4 INSERM, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Olivier Thoumine
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
| | - Eric Hosy
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Bordeaux, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
- Interdisciplinary Institute for NeuroscienceCNRS, UMR 5297, F-33000BordeauxFrance
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Karunanithi S, Troup M, van Swinderen B. Using Drosophila to Understand General Anesthesia: From Synapses to Behavior. Methods Enzymol 2018; 602:153-176. [PMID: 29588027 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Investigating mechanisms of general anesthesia requires access to multiple levels of neuronal function, from effects at individual synapses to responses in behaving animals. Drosophila melanogaster provides an excellent model to test different theories for general anesthesia because it offers robust methods for testing local as well as global target processes, in an animal that is similarly impacted by these diverse drugs as humans. Here, we outline methods to quantify two such endpoints, neurotransmission and behavioral responsiveness, focusing on the intravenous drug propofol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanker Karunanithi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia; School of Medical Science and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael Troup
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Bruno van Swinderen
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
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Caverzasio S, Amato N, Manconi M, Prosperetti C, Kaelin-Lang A, Hutchison WD, Galati S. Brain plasticity and sleep: Implication for movement disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 86:21-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Yu X, Xu T, Ou S, Yuan J, Deng J, Li R, Yang J, Liu X, Li Q, Chen Y. Endophilin A1 mediates seizure activity via regulation of AMPARs in a PTZ-kindled epileptic mouse model. Exp Neurol 2018; 304:41-57. [PMID: 29481784 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Endophilin A1 is a member of the endophilin A family and is primarily expressed in the central nervous system. Endophilin A1 can mediate neuronal excitability by regulating neuronal synaptic plasticity, which indicates that the protein may be involved in epilepsy. However, to date, its role in epilepsy remains unclear. To explore the role of endophilin A1 in epilepsy, we aimed to investigate the expression patterns of endophilin A1 in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in a pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled epileptic mouse model and to conduct behavioral and electrophysiological analyses after lentivirus-mediated knockdown of endophilin A1 in the hippocampus of epileptic mice. This study found that the expression of endophilin A1 was significantly up-regulated in the temporal neocortex of TLE patients and in the hippocampus and adjacent temporal cortex of the PTZ-kindled epileptic mouse model. Behavioral analyses indicated that knockdown of endophilin A1 in the mouse hippocampus increased the latency of the first seizure and reduced the frequency and duration of seizure activity. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA3 area indicated that knockdown of endophilin A1 in the mouse hippocampus resulted in a reduced frequency of action potentials and decreased amplitudes of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and evoked AMPA-dependent EPSCs. Moreover, western blotting analysis showed that the surface expression of the AMPAR GluR2 subunit was also decreased after endophilin A1 knockdown, and co-immunoprecipitation indicated an association between endophilin A1 and AMPAR GluR2 in the mouse hippocampus. Further, when AMPARs were activated by CX546, the antiepileptic function of endophilin A1 knockdown was decreased. Based on these results, endophilin A1 plays a critical role in epilepsy, and its suppression in the mouse hippocampus can restrain neuronal excitability and seizure activity via regulating AMPARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Yu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shu Ou
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jinxian Yuan
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Deng
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xi Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yangmei Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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Gupta R. Self-crowding of AMPA receptors in the excitatory postsynaptic density can effectuate anomalous receptor sub-diffusion. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005984. [PMID: 29444074 PMCID: PMC5812565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) and their associations with auxiliary transmembrane proteins are bulky structures with large steric-exclusion volumes. Hence, self-crowding of AMPARs, depending on the local density, may affect their lateral diffusion in the postsynaptic membrane as well as in the highly crowded postsynaptic density (PSD) at excitatory synapses. Earlier theoretical studies considered only the roles of transmembrane obstacles and the AMPAR-binding submembranous scaffold proteins in shaping receptor diffusion within PSD. Using lattice model of diffusion, the present study investigates the additional impacts of self-crowding on the anomalousity and effective diffusion coefficient (Deff) of AMPAR diffusion. A recursive algorithm for avoiding false self-blocking during diffusion simulation is also proposed. The findings suggest that high density of AMPARs in the obstacle-free membrane itself engenders strongly anomalous diffusion and severe decline in Deff. Adding transmembrane obstacles to the membrane accentuates the anomalousity arising from self-crowding due to the reduced free diffusion space. Contrarily, enhanced AMPAR-scaffold binding, either through increase in binding strength or scaffold density or both, ameliorates the anomalousity resulting from self-crowding. However, binding has differential impacts on Deff depending on the receptor density. Increase in binding causes consistent decrease in Deff for low and moderate receptor density. For high density, binding increases Deff as long as it reduces anomalousity associated with intense self-crowding. Given a sufficiently strong binding condition when diffusion acquires normal behavior, further increase in binding causes decrease in Deff. Supporting earlier experimental observations are mentioned and implications of present findings to the experimental observations on AMPAR diffusion are also drawn. The transmembrane AMPA receptors (AMPARs) prominently exhibit lateral diffusion in the postsynaptic membrane at excitatory synapses. Steric obstructions to AMPAR diffusion due to the crowd of other relatively static transmembrane proteins and binding of AMPARs to the submembranous scaffold proteins in the specialized region of postsynaptic density (PSD) are well known to retard receptor diffusion, which causes receptor trapping and accumulation within PSD. However, AMPARs are significantly bulky structures and may also obstruct their own diffusion paths in the presence of their high density. It is shown here that intense self-crowding of AMPARs may lead to highly obstructed and confined receptor diffusion even in the obstacle-free medium, and the presence of other obstacles further aggravates this effect. AMPAR-scaffold binding reduces confined diffusion arising from self-crowding and strong binding engenders normal diffusion even at high receptor density. However, it overall causes reduction in the effective diffusion coefficient of the receptor diffusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Gupta
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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