1
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Pál B. On the functions of astrocyte-mediated neuronal slow inward currents. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:2602-2612. [PMID: 38595279 PMCID: PMC11168512 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Slow inward currents are known as neuronal excitatory currents mediated by glutamate release and activation of neuronal extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors with the contribution of astrocytes. These events are significantly slower than the excitatory postsynaptic currents. Parameters of slow inward currents are determined by several factors including the mechanisms of astrocytic activation and glutamate release, as well as the diffusion pathways from the release site towards the extrasynaptic receptors. Astrocytes are stimulated by neuronal network activity, which in turn excite neurons, forming an astrocyte-neuron feedback loop. Mostly as a consequence of brain edema, astrocytic swelling can also induce slow inward currents under pathological conditions. There is a growing body of evidence on the roles of slow inward currents on a single neuron or local network level. These events often occur in synchrony on neurons located in the same astrocytic domain. Besides synchronization of neuronal excitability, slow inward currents also set synaptic strength via eliciting timing-dependent synaptic plasticity. In addition, slow inward currents are also subject to non-synaptic plasticity triggered by long-lasting stimulation of the excitatory inputs. Of note, there might be important region-specific differences in the roles and actions triggering slow inward currents. In greater networks, the pathophysiological roles of slow inward currents can be better understood than physiological ones. Slow inward currents are identified in the pathophysiological background of autism, as slow inward currents drive early hypersynchrony of the neural networks. Slow inward currents are significant contributors to paroxysmal depolarizational shifts/interictal spikes. These events are related to epilepsy, but also found in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke, leading to the decline of cognitive functions. Events with features overlapping with slow inward currents (excitatory, N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor mediated currents with astrocytic contribution) as ischemic currents and spreading depolarization also have a well-known pathophysiological role in worsening consequences of stroke, traumatic brain injury, or epilepsy. One might assume that slow inward currents occurring with low frequency under physiological conditions might contribute to synaptic plasticity and memory formation. However, to state this, more experimental evidence from greater neuronal networks or the level of the individual is needed. In this review, I aimed to summarize findings on slow inward currents and to speculate on the potential functions of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Pál
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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2
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Berki P, Cserép C, Környei Z, Pósfai B, Szabadits E, Domonkos A, Kellermayer A, Nyerges M, Wei X, Mody I, Kunihiko A, Beck H, Kaikai H, Ya W, Lénárt N, Wu Z, Jing M, Li Y, Gulyás AI, Dénes Á. Microglia contribute to neuronal synchrony despite endogenous ATP-related phenotypic transformation in acute mouse brain slices. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5402. [PMID: 38926390 PMCID: PMC11208608 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49773-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute brain slices represent a workhorse model for studying the central nervous system (CNS) from nanoscale events to complex circuits. While slice preparation inherently involves tissue damage, it is unclear how microglia, the main immune cells and damage sensors of the CNS react to this injury and shape neuronal activity ex vivo. To this end, we investigated microglial phenotypes and contribution to network organization and functioning in acute brain slices. We reveal time-dependent microglial phenotype changes influenced by complex extracellular ATP dynamics through P2Y12R and CX3CR1 signalling, which is sustained for hours in ex vivo mouse brain slices. Downregulation of P2Y12R and changes of microglia-neuron interactions occur in line with alterations in the number of excitatory and inhibitory synapses over time. Importantly, functional microglia modulate synapse sprouting, while microglial dysfunction results in markedly impaired ripple activity both ex vivo and in vivo. Collectively, our data suggest that microglia are modulators of complex neuronal networks with important roles to maintain neuronal network integrity and activity. We suggest that slice preparation can be used to model time-dependent changes of microglia-neuron interactions to reveal how microglia shape neuronal circuits in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Berki
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neuroscience, Semmelweis University, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
- Laboratory of Neuronal Network and Behaviour, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Csaba Cserép
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Környei
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Balázs Pósfai
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Eszter Szabadits
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Andor Domonkos
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
- Laboratory of Thalamus Research, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Anna Kellermayer
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Miklós Nyerges
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Xiaofei Wei
- Department of Neurology, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Istvan Mody
- Department of Neurology, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Araki Kunihiko
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical University of Bonn, Bonn, 53127, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Heinz Beck
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical University of Bonn, Bonn, 53127, Germany
- University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - He Kaikai
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Ya
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 102206, Beijing, China
| | - Nikolett Lénárt
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Zhaofa Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Jing
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 102206, Beijing, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Attila I Gulyás
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary
| | - Ádám Dénes
- Momentum Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, H-1083, Hungary.
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3
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Südkamp N, Shchyglo O, Manahan-Vaughan D. GluN2A or GluN2B subunits of the NMDA receptor contribute to changes in neuronal excitability and impairments in LTP in the hippocampus of aging mice but do not mediate detrimental effects of oligomeric Aβ (1-42). Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1377085. [PMID: 38832073 PMCID: PMC11144909 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1377085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies in rodent models have revealed that oligomeric beta-amyloid protein [Aβ (1-42)] plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Early elevations in hippocampal neuronal excitability caused by Aβ (1-42) have been proposed to be mediated via enhanced activation of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR). To what extent GluN2A or GluN2B-containing NMDAR contribute to Aβ (1-42)-mediated impairments of hippocampal function in advanced rodent age is unclear. Here, we assessed hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and neuronal responses 4-5 weeks after bilateral intracerebral inoculation of 8-15 month old GluN2A+/- or GluN2B+/- transgenic mice with oligomeric Aβ (1-42), or control peptide. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in CA1 pyramidal neurons revealed a more positive resting membrane potential and increased total spike time in GluN2A+/-, but not GluN2B+/--hippocampi following treatment with Aβ (1-42) compared to controls. Action potential 20%-width was increased, and the descending slope was reduced, in Aβ-treated GluN2A+/-, but not GluN2B+/- hippocampi. Sag ratio was increased in Aβ-treated GluN2B+/--mice. Firing frequency was unchanged in wt, GluN2A+/-, and GluN2B+/-hippocampi after Aβ-treatment. Effects were not significantly different from responses detected under the same conditions in wt littermates, however. LTP that lasted for over 2 h in wt hippocampal slices was significantly reduced in GluN2A+/- and was impaired for 15 min in GluN2B+/--hippocampi compared to wt littermates. Furthermore, LTP (>2 h) was significantly impaired in Aβ-treated hippocampi of wt littermates compared to wt treated with control peptide. LTP induced in Aβ-treated GluN2A+/- and GluN2B+/--hippocampi was equivalent to LTP in control peptide-treated transgenic and Aβ-treated wt animals. Taken together, our data indicate that knockdown of GluN2A subunits subtly alters membrane properties of hippocampal neurons and reduces the magnitude of LTP. GluN2B knockdown reduces the early phase of LTP but leaves later phases intact. Aβ (1-42)-treatment slightly exacerbates changes in action potential properties in GluN2A+/--mice. However, the vulnerability of the aging hippocampus to Aβ-mediated impairments of LTP is not mediated by GluN2A or GluN2B-containing NMDAR.
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Gong L, Pasqualetti F, Papouin T, Ching S. Astrocytes as a mechanism for contextually-guided network dynamics and function. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012186. [PMID: 38820533 PMCID: PMC11168681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are a ubiquitous and enigmatic type of non-neuronal cell and are found in the brain of all vertebrates. While traditionally viewed as being supportive of neurons, it is increasingly recognized that astrocytes play a more direct and active role in brain function and neural computation. On account of their sensitivity to a host of physiological covariates and ability to modulate neuronal activity and connectivity on slower time scales, astrocytes may be particularly well poised to modulate the dynamics of neural circuits in functionally salient ways. In the current paper, we seek to capture these features via actionable abstractions within computational models of neuron-astrocyte interaction. Specifically, we engage how nested feedback loops of neuron-astrocyte interaction, acting over separated time-scales, may endow astrocytes with the capability to enable learning in context-dependent settings, where fluctuations in task parameters may occur much more slowly than within-task requirements. We pose a general model of neuron-synapse-astrocyte interaction and use formal analysis to characterize how astrocytic modulation may constitute a form of meta-plasticity, altering the ways in which synapses and neurons adapt as a function of time. We then embed this model in a bandit-based reinforcement learning task environment, and show how the presence of time-scale separated astrocytic modulation enables learning over multiple fluctuating contexts. Indeed, these networks learn far more reliably compared to dynamically homogeneous networks and conventional non-network-based bandit algorithms. Our results fuel the notion that neuron-astrocyte interactions in the brain benefit learning over different time-scales and the conveyance of task-relevant contextual information onto circuit dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Gong
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Fabio Pasqualetti
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas Papouin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - ShiNung Ching
- Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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5
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Martínez-Gallego I, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Adenosine and Cortical Plasticity. Neuroscientist 2024:10738584241236773. [PMID: 38497585 DOI: 10.1177/10738584241236773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Brain plasticity is the ability of the nervous system to change its structure and functioning in response to experiences. These changes occur mainly at synaptic connections, and this plasticity is named synaptic plasticity. During postnatal development, environmental influences trigger changes in synaptic plasticity that will play a crucial role in the formation and refinement of brain circuits and their functions in adulthood. One of the greatest challenges of present neuroscience is to try to explain how synaptic connections change and cortical maps are formed and modified to generate the most suitable adaptive behavior after different external stimuli. Adenosine is emerging as a key player in these plastic changes at different brain areas. Here, we review the current knowledge of the mechanisms responsible for the induction and duration of synaptic plasticity at different postnatal brain development stages in which adenosine, probably released by astrocytes, directly participates in the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity and in the control of the duration of plasticity windows at different cortical synapses. In addition, we comment on the role of the different adenosine receptors in brain diseases and on the potential therapeutic effects of acting via adenosine receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Martínez-Gallego
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
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6
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Rozo JA, Martínez-Gallego I, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Cajal, the neuronal theory and the idea of brain plasticity. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1331666. [PMID: 38440067 PMCID: PMC10910026 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1331666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews the importance of Cajal's neuronal theory (the Neuron Doctrine) and the origin and importance of the idea of brain plasticity that emerges from this theory. We first comment on the main Cajal's discoveries that gave rise and confirmed his Neuron Doctrine: the improvement of staining techniques, his approach to morphological laws, the concepts of dynamic polarisation, neurogenesis and neurotrophic theory, his first discoveries of the nerve cell as an independent cell, his research on degeneration and regeneration and his fight against reticularism. Second, we review Cajal's ideas on brain plasticity and the years in which they were published, to finally focus on the debate on the origin of the term plasticity and its conceptual meaning, and the originality of Cajal's proposal compared to those of other authors of the time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jairo A. Rozo
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Iván Pávlov Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology, Los Libertadores University Foundation, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Irene Martínez-Gallego
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
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7
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Escalada P, Ezkurdia A, Ramírez MJ, Solas M. Essential Role of Astrocytes in Learning and Memory. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1899. [PMID: 38339177 PMCID: PMC10856373 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031899] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the most biologically relevant functions of astrocytes within the CNS is the regulation of synaptic transmission, i.e., the physiological basis for information transmission between neurons. Changes in the strength of synaptic connections are indeed thought to be the cellular basis of learning and memory. Importantly, astrocytes have been demonstrated to tightly regulate these processes via the release of several gliotransmitters linked to astrocytic calcium activity as well as astrocyte-neuron metabolic coupling. Therefore, astrocytes seem to be integrators of and actors upon learning- and memory-relevant information. In this review, we focus on the role of astrocytes in learning and memory processes. We delineate the recognized inputs and outputs of astrocytes and explore the influence of manipulating astrocytes on behaviour across diverse learning paradigms. We conclude that astrocytes influence learning and memory in various manners. Appropriate astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics are being increasingly identified as central contributors to memory formation and retrieval. In addition, astrocytes regulate brain rhythms essential for cognition, and astrocyte-neuron metabolic cooperation is required for memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Escalada
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (P.E.); (A.E.); (M.J.R.)
| | - Amaia Ezkurdia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (P.E.); (A.E.); (M.J.R.)
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Javier Ramírez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (P.E.); (A.E.); (M.J.R.)
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Solas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (P.E.); (A.E.); (M.J.R.)
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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8
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Martínez-Gallego I, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Adenosine and Astrocytes Control Critical Periods of Neural Plasticity. Neuroscientist 2023; 29:532-537. [PMID: 36245418 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221126632] [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] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Windows of plasticity are fundamental for the correct formation of definitive brain circuits; these periods drive sensory and motor learning during development and ultimately learning and memory in adults. However, establishing windows of plasticity also imposes limitations on the central nervous system in terms of its capacity to recover from injury. Recent evidence highlights the important role that astrocytes and adenosine seem to play in controlling the duration of these critical periods of plasticity.
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9
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Napier M, Reynolds K, Scott AL. Glial-mediated dysregulation of neurodevelopment in Fragile X Syndrome. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 173:187-215. [PMID: 37993178 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are highly involved in a multitude of developmental processes that are known to be dysregulated in Fragile X Syndrome. Here, we examine these processes individually and review the roles astrocytes play in contributing to the pathology of this syndrome. As a growing area of interest in the field, new and exciting insight is continually emerging. Understanding these glial-mediated roles is imperative for elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms at play, not only in Fragile X Syndrome, but also other ASD-related disorders. Understanding these roles will be central to the future development of effective, clinically-relevant treatments of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Napier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - K Reynolds
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, United States
| | - A L Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
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10
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Watanabe A, Guo C, Sjöström PJ. The developmental profile of visual cortex astrocytes. iScience 2023; 26:106828. [PMID: 37250801 PMCID: PMC10212985 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated how astrocytes in layer 5 mouse visual cortex mature over postnatal days (P) 3-50. Across this age range, resting membrane potential increased, input resistance decreased, and membrane responses became more passive with age. Two-photon (2p) and confocal imaging of dye-loaded cells revealed that gap-junction coupling increased starting ∼P7. Morphological reconstructions revealed increased branch density but shorter branches after P20, suggesting that astrocyte branches may get pruned as tiling is established. Finally, we visualized spontaneous Ca2+ transients with 2p microscopy and found that Ca2+ events decorrelated, became more frequent and briefer with age. As astrocytes mature, spontaneous Ca2+ activity thus changes from relatively cell-wide, synchronous waves to local transients. Several astrocyte properties were stably mature from ∼P15, coinciding with eye opening, although morphology continued to develop. Our findings provide a descriptive foundation of astrocyte maturation, useful for the study of astrocytic impact on visual cortex critical period plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Watanabe
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, Irving Ludmer Building, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Connie Guo
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building, 3640 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Per Jesper Sjöström
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
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11
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Arias-Aragón F, Tristán-Clavijo E, Martínez-Gallego I, Robles-Lanuza E, Coatl-Cuaya H, Martín-Cuevas C, Sánchez-Hidalgo AC, Rodríguez-Moreno A, Martinez-Mir A, Scholl FG. A Neuroligin-1 mutation associated with Alzheimer's disease produces memory and age-dependent impairments in hippocampal plasticity. iScience 2023; 26:106868. [PMID: 37260747 PMCID: PMC10227424 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by memory impairments and age-dependent synapse loss. Experimental and clinical studies have shown decreased expression of the glutamatergic protein Neuroligin-1 (Nlgn1) in AD. However, the consequences of a sustained reduction of Nlgn1 are unknown. Here, we generated a knockin mouse that reproduces the NLGN1 Thr271fs mutation, identified in heterozygosis in a familial case of AD. We found that Nlgn1 Thr271fs mutation abolishes Nlgn1 expression in mouse brain. Importantly, heterozygous Nlgn1 Thr271fs mice showed delay-dependent amnesia for recognition memory. Electrophysiological recordings uncovered age-dependent impairments in basal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA1 hippocampal neurons of heterozygous Nlgn1 Thr271fs mice. In contrast, homozygous Nlgn1 Thr271fs mice showed impaired fear-conditioning memory and normal basal synaptic transmission, suggesting unshared mechanisms for a partial or total loss of Nlgn1. These data suggest that decreased Nlgn1 may contribute to the synaptic and memory deficits in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Arias-Aragón
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Enriqueta Tristán-Clavijo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Irene Martínez-Gallego
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Estefanía Robles-Lanuza
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Heriberto Coatl-Cuaya
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Celia Martín-Cuevas
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Ana C. Sánchez-Hidalgo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Amalia Martinez-Mir
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Francisco G. Scholl
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41009 Seville, Spain
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12
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Letellier M, Goda Y. Astrocyte calcium signaling shifts the polarity of presynaptic plasticity. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00252-X. [PMID: 37295597 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes have been increasingly acknowledged to play active roles in regulating synaptic transmission and plasticity. Through a variety of metabotropic and ionotropic receptors expressed on their surface, astrocytes detect extracellular neurotransmitters, and in turn, release gliotransmitters to modify synaptic strength, while they can also alter neuronal membrane excitability by modulating extracellular ionic milieu. Given the seemingly large repertoire of synaptic modulation, when, where and how astrocytes interact with synapses remain to be fully understood. Previously, we have identified a role for astrocyte NMDA receptor and L-VGCC signaling in heterosynaptic presynaptic plasticity and promoting the heterogeneity of presynaptic strengths at hippocampal synapses. Here, we have sought to further clarify the mode by which astrocytes regulate presynaptic plasticity by exploiting a reduced culture system to globally evoke NMDA receptor-dependent presynaptic plasticity. Recording from a postsynaptic neuron intracellularly loaded with BAPTA, briefly bath applying NMDA and glycine induces a stable decrease in the rate of spontaneous glutamate release, which requires the presence of astrocytes and the activation of A1 adenosine receptors. Upon preventing astrocyte calcium signaling or blocking L-type VGCCs, NMDA+glycine application triggers an increase, rather than a decrease, in the rate of spontaneous glutamate release, thereby shifting the presynaptic plasticity to promote an increase in strength. Our findings point to a crucial and surprising role of astrocytes in controlling the polarity of NMDA receptor and adenosine-dependent presynaptic plasticity. Such a pivotal mechanism unveils the power of astrocytes in regulating computations performed by neural circuits and is expected to profoundly impact cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Letellier
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Yukiko Goda
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan.
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13
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Choopani S, Kiani B, Aliakbari S, Babaie J, Golkar M, Pourbadie HG, Sayyah M. Latent toxoplasmosis impairs learning and memory yet strengthens short-term and long-term hippocampal synaptic plasticity at perforant pathway-dentate gyrus, and Schaffer collatterals-CA1 synapses. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8959. [PMID: 37268701 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35971-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating long-term potentiation (LTP) in disease models provides essential mechanistic insight into synaptic dysfunction and relevant behavioral changes in many neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. Toxoplasma (T) gondii is an intracellular parasite causing bizarre changes in host's mind including losing inherent fear of life-threatening situations. We examined hippocampal-dependent behavior as well as in vivo short- and long-term synaptic plasticity (STP and LTP) in rats with latent toxoplasmosis. Rats were infected by T. gondii cysts. Existence of REP-529 genomic sequence of the parasite in the brain was detected by RT-qPCR. Four and eight weeks after infection, spatial, and inhibitory memories of rats were assessed by Morris water maze and shuttle box tests, respectively. Eight weeks after infection, STP was assessed in dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 by double pulse stimulation of perforant pathway and Shaffer collaterals, respectively. High frequency stimulation (HFS) was applied to induce LTP in entorhinal cortex-DG (400 Hz), and CA3-CA1 (200 Hz) synapses. T. gondii infection retarded spatial learning and memory performance at eight weeks post-infection period, whereas inhibitory memory was not changed. Unlike uninfected rats that normally showed paired-pulse depression, the infected rats developed paired-pulse facilitation, indicating an inhibitory synaptic network disruption. T. gondii-infected rats displayed strengthened LTP of both CA1-pyramidal and DG-granule cell population spikes. These data indicate that T. gondii disrupts inhibition/excitation balance and causes bizarre changes to the post-synaptic neuronal excitability, which may ultimately contribute to the abnormal behavior of the infected host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Choopani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahereh Kiani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
| | - Shayan Aliakbari
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalal Babaie
- Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Golkar
- Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Sayyah
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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14
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Purushotham SS, Buskila Y. Astrocytic modulation of neuronal signalling. FRONTIERS IN NETWORK PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 3:1205544. [PMID: 37332623 PMCID: PMC10269688 DOI: 10.3389/fnetp.2023.1205544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal signalling is a key element in neuronal communication and is essential for the proper functioning of the CNS. Astrocytes, the most prominent glia in the brain play a key role in modulating neuronal signalling at the molecular, synaptic, cellular, and network levels. Over the past few decades, our knowledge about astrocytes and their functioning has evolved from considering them as merely a brain glue that provides structural support to neurons, to key communication elements. Astrocytes can regulate the activity of neurons by controlling the concentrations of ions and neurotransmitters in the extracellular milieu, as well as releasing chemicals and gliotransmitters that modulate neuronal activity. The aim of this review is to summarise the main processes through which astrocytes are modulating brain function. We will systematically distinguish between direct and indirect pathways in which astrocytes affect neuronal signalling at all levels. Lastly, we will summarize pathological conditions that arise once these signalling pathways are impaired focusing on neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yossi Buskila
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
- The MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
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15
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Andrade-Talavera Y, Fisahn A, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Timing to be precise? An overview of spike timing-dependent plasticity, brain rhythmicity, and glial cells interplay within neuronal circuits. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2177-2188. [PMID: 36991134 PMCID: PMC10611582 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02027-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
In the mammalian brain information processing and storage rely on the complex coding and decoding events performed by neuronal networks. These actions are based on the computational ability of neurons and their functional engagement in neuronal assemblies where precise timing of action potential firing is crucial. Neuronal circuits manage a myriad of spatially and temporally overlapping inputs to compute specific outputs that are proposed to underly memory traces formation, sensory perception, and cognitive behaviors. Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) and electrical brain rhythms are suggested to underlie such functions while the physiological evidence of assembly structures and mechanisms driving both processes continues to be scarce. Here, we review foundational and current evidence on timing precision and cooperative neuronal electrical activity driving STDP and brain rhythms, their interactions, and the emerging role of glial cells in such processes. We also provide an overview of their cognitive correlates and discuss current limitations and controversies, future perspectives on experimental approaches, and their application in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuniesky Andrade-Talavera
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013, Seville, Spain.
| | - André Fisahn
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition and Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013, Seville, Spain.
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16
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Andrade-Talavera Y, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Prius-Mengual J, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Neuronal and astrocyte determinants of critical periods of plasticity. Trends Neurosci 2023:S0166-2236(23)00105-4. [PMID: 37202300 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Windows of plasticity allow environmental experiences to produce intense activity-dependent changes during postnatal development. The reordering and refinement of neural connections occurs during these periods, significantly influencing the formation of brain circuits and physiological processes in adults. Recent advances have shed light on factors that determine the onset and duration of sensitive and critical periods of plasticity. Although GABAergic inhibition has classically been implicated in closing windows of plasticity, astrocytes and adenosinergic inhibition have also emerged more recently as key determinants of the duration of these periods of plasticity. Here, we review novel aspects of the involvement of GABAergic inhibition, the possible role of presynaptic NMDARs, and the emerging roles of astrocytes and adenosinergic inhibition in determining the duration of windows of plasticity in different brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuniesky Andrade-Talavera
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Mikel Pérez-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
| | - José Prius-Mengual
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain.
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17
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Stratoulias V, Ruiz R, Kanatani S, Osman AM, Keane L, Armengol JA, Rodríguez-Moreno A, Murgoci AN, García-Domínguez I, Alonso-Bellido I, González Ibáñez F, Picard K, Vázquez-Cabrera G, Posada-Pérez M, Vernoux N, Tejera D, Grabert K, Cheray M, González-Rodríguez P, Pérez-Villegas EM, Martínez-Gallego I, Lastra-Romero A, Brodin D, Avila-Cariño J, Cao Y, Airavaara M, Uhlén P, Heneka MT, Tremblay MÈ, Blomgren K, Venero JL, Joseph B. ARG1-expressing microglia show a distinct molecular signature and modulate postnatal development and function of the mouse brain. Nat Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41593-023-01326-3. [PMID: 37169859 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01326-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Molecular diversity of microglia, the resident immune cells in the CNS, is reported. Whether microglial subsets characterized by the expression of specific proteins constitute subtypes with distinct functions has not been fully elucidated. Here we describe a microglial subtype expressing the enzyme arginase-1 (ARG1; that is, ARG1+ microglia) that is found predominantly in the basal forebrain and ventral striatum during early postnatal mouse development. ARG1+ microglia are enriched in phagocytic inclusions and exhibit a distinct molecular signature, including upregulation of genes such as Apoe, Clec7a, Igf1, Lgals3 and Mgl2, compared to ARG1- microglia. Microglial-specific knockdown of Arg1 results in deficient cholinergic innervation and impaired dendritic spine maturation in the hippocampus where cholinergic neurons project, which in turn results in impaired long-term potentiation and cognitive behavioral deficiencies in female mice. Our results expand on microglia diversity and provide insights into microglia subtype-specific functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassilis Stratoulias
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Rocío Ruiz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Shigeaki Kanatani
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ahmed M Osman
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lily Keane
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jose A Armengol
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cellular Biology, University of Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cellular Biology, University of Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Adriana-Natalia Murgoci
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irene García-Domínguez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Isabel Alonso-Bellido
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Fernando González Ibáñez
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, and Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Katherine Picard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, and Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Guillermo Vázquez-Cabrera
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Mercedes Posada-Pérez
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Nathalie Vernoux
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, and Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dario Tejera
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Gerontopsychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kathleen Grabert
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathilde Cheray
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Eva M Pérez-Villegas
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cellular Biology, University of Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Irene Martínez-Gallego
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cellular Biology, University of Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | | | - David Brodin
- Bioinformatics and Expression Analysis Core Facility, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Javier Avila-Cariño
- Department of Molecular Biology and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Yang Cao
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
- Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikko Airavaara
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Drug Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Per Uhlén
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael T Heneka
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, and Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Klas Blomgren
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Paediatric Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jose L Venero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, IBiS/Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Bertrand Joseph
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Toxicology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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18
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Katauskis P, Ivanauskas F, Alaburda A. Mathematical Model of Synaptic Long-Term Potentiation as a Bistability in a Chain of Biochemical Reactions with a Positive Feedback. Acta Biotheor 2023; 71:16. [PMID: 37148358 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-023-09466-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) by multiple signaling pathways. Here, we show that LTP of synaptic transmission can be explained as a feature of signal transduction-bistable behavior in a chain of biochemical reactions with positive feedback, formed by diffusion of NO to the presynaptic site and facilitating the release of glutamate (Glu). The dynamics of Glu, calcium (Ca2+) and NO is described by a system of nonlinear reaction-diffusion equations with modified Michaelis-Menten (MM) kinetics. Numerical investigation reveals that the chain of biochemical reactions analyzed can exhibit a bistable behavior under physiological conditions when production of Glu is described by MM kinetics and decay of NO is modeled by means of two enzymatic pathways with different kinetic properties. Our finding extends understanding of the role of NO in LTP: a short high-intensity stimulus is "memorized" as a long-lasting elevation of NO concentration. The conclusions obtained by analysis of the chain of biochemical reactions describing LTP can be generalized to other chains of interactions or for creating the logical elements for biological computers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranas Katauskis
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, Vilnius University, Naugarduko st. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Feliksas Ivanauskas
- Institute of Computer Science, Vilnius University, Didlaukio st. 47, 08303, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Aidas Alaburda
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Ave 7, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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19
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Sheng L, Shields EJ, Gospocic J, Sorida M, Ju L, Byrns CN, Carranza F, Berger SL, Bonini N, Bonasio R. Ensheathing glia promote increased lifespan and healthy brain aging. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13803. [PMID: 36840361 PMCID: PMC10186613 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glia have an emergent role in brain aging and disease. In the Drosophila melanogaster brain, ensheathing glia function as phagocytic cells and respond to acute neuronal damage, analogous to mammalian microglia. We previously reported changes in glia composition over the life of ants and fruit flies, including a decline in the relative proportion of ensheathing glia with time. How these changes influence brain health and life expectancy is unknown. Here, we show that ensheathing glia but not astrocytes decrease in number during Drosophila melanogaster brain aging. The remaining ensheathing glia display dysregulated expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and apoptosis, which may lead to lipid droplet accumulation, cellular dysfunction, and death. Inhibition of apoptosis rescued the decline of ensheathing glia with age, improved the neuromotor performance of aged flies, and extended lifespan. Furthermore, an expanded ensheathing glia population prevented amyloid-beta accumulation in a fly model of Alzheimer's disease and delayed the premature death of the diseased animals. These findings suggest that ensheathing glia play a vital role in regulating brain health and animal longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain ScienceInstitutes of Brain Science, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Emily J. Shields
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Urology and Institute of NeuropathologyMedical Center–University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Janko Gospocic
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Urology and Institute of NeuropathologyMedical Center–University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Masato Sorida
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Linyang Ju
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - China N. Byrns
- Medical Scientist Training ProgramUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Neuroscience Graduate GroupUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Faith Carranza
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Shelley L. Berger
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of GeneticsUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Nancy Bonini
- Neuroscience Graduate GroupUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics InstituteUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Urology and Institute of NeuropathologyMedical Center–University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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20
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Yao J, Chen C, Guo Y, Yang Y, Liu X, Chu S, Ai Q, Zhang Z, Lin M, Yang S, Chen N. A Review of Research on the Association between Neuron-Astrocyte Signaling Processes and Depressive Symptoms. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086985. [PMID: 37108148 PMCID: PMC10139177 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a mental illness that has a serious negative impact on physical and mental health. The pathophysiology of depression is still unknown, and therapeutic medications have drawbacks, such as poor effectiveness, strong dependence, adverse drug withdrawal symptoms, and harmful side effects. Therefore, the primary purpose of contemporary research is to understand the exact pathophysiology of depression. The connection between astrocytes, neurons, and their interactions with depression has recently become the focus of great research interest. This review summarizes the pathological changes of neurons and astrocytes, and their interactions in depression, including the alterations of mid-spiny neurons and pyramidal neurons, the alterations of astrocyte-related biomarkers, and the alterations of gliotransmitters between astrocytes and neurons. In addition to providing the subjects of this research and suggestions for the pathogenesis and treatment techniques of depression, the intention of this article is to more clearly identify links between neuronal-astrocyte signaling processes and depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Yao
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Research of TCM, Education Department of Hunan Province, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Cong Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Yi Guo
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
- School of Acupuncture & Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Yantao Yang
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Xinya Liu
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Shifeng Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Qidi Ai
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Research of TCM, Education Department of Hunan Province, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Meiyu Lin
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Songwei Yang
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
- Key Laboratory of Modern Research of TCM, Education Department of Hunan Province, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Naihong Chen
- Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, College of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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21
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Khaspekov LG, Frumkina LE. Molecular Mechanisms of Astrocyte Involvement in Synaptogenesis and Brain Synaptic Plasticity. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:502-514. [PMID: 37080936 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923040065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes perform a wide range of important functions in the brain. As structural and functional components of synapses, astrocytes secrete various factors (proteins, lipids, small molecules, etc.) that bind to neuronal receptor and contribute to synaptogenesis and regulation of synaptic contacts. Astrocytic factors play a key role in the formation of neural networks undergoing short- and long-term synaptic morphological and functional rearrangements essential in the memory formation and behavior. The review summarizes the data on the molecular mechanisms mediating the involvement of astrocyte-secreted factors in synaptogenesis in the brain and provides up-to-date information on the role of astrocytes and astrocytic synaptogenic factors in the long-term plastic rearrangements of synaptic contacts.
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22
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Dainauskas JJ, Marie H, Migliore M, Saudargiene A. GluN2B-NMDAR subunit contribution on synaptic plasticity: A phenomenological model for CA3-CA1 synapses. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1113957. [PMID: 37008680 PMCID: PMC10050887 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1113957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity is believed to be a key mechanism underlying learning and memory. We developed a phenomenological N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-based voltage-dependent synaptic plasticity model for synaptic modifications at hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses on a hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuron. The model incorporates the GluN2A-NMDA and GluN2B-NMDA receptor subunit-based functions and accounts for the synaptic strength dependence on the postsynaptic NMDA receptor composition and functioning without explicitly modeling the NMDA receptor-mediated intracellular calcium, a local trigger of synaptic plasticity. We embedded the model into a two-compartmental model of a hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell and validated it against experimental data of spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP), high and low-frequency stimulation. The developed model predicts altered learning rules in synapses formed on the apical dendrites of the detailed compartmental model of CA1 pyramidal neuron in the presence of the GluN2B-NMDA receptor hypofunction and can be used in hippocampal networks to model learning in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justinas J. Dainauskas
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Bioinformatics, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
- Department of Informatics, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Hélène Marie
- Université Côte d'Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Valbonne, France
| | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Ausra Saudargiene
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Bioinformatics, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
- *Correspondence: Ausra Saudargiene
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23
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Spike timing-dependent plasticity and memory. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 80:102707. [PMID: 36924615 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) is a bidirectional form of synaptic plasticity discovered about 30 years ago and based on the relative timing of pre- and post-synaptic spiking activity with a millisecond precision. STDP is thought to be involved in the formation of memory but the millisecond-precision spike-timing required for STDP is difficult to reconcile with the much slower timescales of behavioral learning. This review therefore aims to expose and discuss recent findings about i) the multiple STDP learning rules at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses in vitro, ii) the contribution of STDP-like synaptic plasticity in the formation of memory in vivo and iii) the implementation of STDP rules in artificial neural networks and memristive devices.
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24
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Haratizadeh S, Ranjbar M, Basiri M, Nozari M. Astrocyte responses to postnatal erythropoietin and nano-erythropoietin treatments in a valproic acid-induced animal model of autism. J Chem Neuroanat 2023; 130:102257. [PMID: 36918074 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2023.102257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite ample evidence of the potential protective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) on the developing brain, no study has addressed the effects of postnatal EPO on behaviors and brain tissue of animal models of autism. In the present study, we examined the therapeutic effects of postnatal erythropoietin on stereotypic behaviors and astrocyte responses via glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) immunohistochemistry in a valproic acid (VPA) animal model of autism. Also, we compared the effects of EPO with EPO-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (NEPO) because the blood-brain barrier has limited permeability to EPO. METHODS Pregnant rats received a single dose of VPA (600mg/kg) at gestational day 12.5. EPO (2000U/kg) and EPO-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (NEPO1000 and 2000U/kg) were injected intraperitoneally from postnatal days 1-5. Repetitive behaviors in male offspring were assessed by a marble burying test. The immune-staining method was performed to evaluate S100B and GFAP-positive cells in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal CA1 region. RESULTS VPA animal models revealed more repetitive behavior and displayed higher astrogliosis in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (CA1) regions. The repetitive behaviors were ameliorated relatively in VPA groups with NEPO2000 treatment, and astrogliosis was reduced even when VPA rats were treated with a lower dosage of NEPO. CONCLUSION Our results indicate beneficial effects of postnatal NEPO exposure in the VPA animal model of autism, which proposes it as an early treatment in infants with, or at risk of, autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Haratizadeh
- Student Research Committee, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehdi Ranjbar
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohsen Basiri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Masoumeh Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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25
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Astroglial CB1 receptors, energy metabolism, and gliotransmission: an integrated signaling system? Essays Biochem 2023; 67:49-61. [PMID: 36645029 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are key players in brain homeostasis and function. During the last years, several studies have cemented this notion by showing that these cells respond to neuronal signals and, via the release of molecules that modulate and support synaptic activity (gliotransmission) participates in the functions of the so-called tripartite synapse. Thus, besides their established control of brain metabolism, astrocytes can also actively control synaptic activity and behavior. Among the signaling pathways that shape the functions of astrocyte, the cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor is emerging as a critical player in the control of both gliotransmission and the metabolic cooperation between astrocytes and neurons. In the present short review, we describe known and newly discovered properties of the astroglial CB1 receptors and their role in modulating brain function and behavior. Based on this evidence, we finally discuss how the functions and mode of actions of astrocyte CB1 receptors might represent a clear example of the inextricable relationship between energy metabolism and gliotransmission. These tight interactions will need to be taken into account for future research in astrocyte functions and call for a reinforcement of the theoretical and experimental bridges between studies on metabolic and synaptic functions of astrocytes.
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26
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Liu Y, Shen X, Zhang Y, Zheng X, Cepeda C, Wang Y, Duan S, Tong X. Interactions of glial cells with neuronal synapses, from astrocytes to microglia and oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Glia 2023; 71:1383-1401. [PMID: 36799296 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain is a complex organ comprising neurons, glia, and more than 1 × 1014 synapses. Neurons are a heterogeneous group of electrically active cells, which form the framework of the complex circuitry of the brain. However, glial cells, which are primarily divided into astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes (OLs), and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), constitute approximately half of all neural cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and mainly provide nutrition and tropic support to neurons in the brain. In the last two decades, the concept of "tripartite synapses" has drawn great attention, which emphasizes that astrocytes are an integral part of the synapse and regulate neuronal activity in a feedback manner after receiving neuronal signals. Since then, synaptic modulation by glial cells has been extensively studied and substantially revised. In this review, we summarize the latest significant findings on how glial cells, in particular, microglia and OL lineage cells, impact and remodel the structure and function of synapses in the brain. Our review highlights the cellular and molecular aspects of neuron-glia crosstalk and provides additional information on how aberrant synaptic communication between neurons and glia may contribute to neural pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Liu
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Shen
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhan Zhang
- College of Basic Medical Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Zheng
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, The Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Tong
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China
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27
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KASAI H. Unraveling the mysteries of dendritic spine dynamics: Five key principles shaping memory and cognition. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2023; 99:254-305. [PMID: 37821392 PMCID: PMC10749395 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.99.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent research extends our understanding of brain processes beyond just action potentials and chemical transmissions within neural circuits, emphasizing the mechanical forces generated by excitatory synapses on dendritic spines to modulate presynaptic function. From in vivo and in vitro studies, we outline five central principles of synaptic mechanics in brain function: P1: Stability - Underpinning the integral relationship between the structure and function of the spine synapses. P2: Extrinsic dynamics - Highlighting synapse-selective structural plasticity which plays a crucial role in Hebbian associative learning, distinct from pathway-selective long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD). P3: Neuromodulation - Analyzing the role of G-protein-coupled receptors, particularly dopamine receptors, in time-sensitive modulation of associative learning frameworks such as Pavlovian classical conditioning and Thorndike's reinforcement learning (RL). P4: Instability - Addressing the intrinsic dynamics crucial to memory management during continual learning, spotlighting their role in "spine dysgenesis" associated with mental disorders. P5: Mechanics - Exploring how synaptic mechanics influence both sides of synapses to establish structural traces of short- and long-term memory, thereby aiding the integration of mental functions. We also delve into the historical background and foresee impending challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruo KASAI
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory of Structural Physiology, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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28
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Noriega‐Prieto JA, Kofuji P, Araque A. Endocannabinoid signaling in synaptic function. Glia 2023; 71:36-43. [PMID: 36408881 PMCID: PMC9679333 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In the last decades, astrocytes have emerged as important regulatory cells actively involved in brain function by exchanging signaling with neurons. The endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling is widely present in many brain areas, being crucially involved in multiple brain functions and animal behaviors. The present review presents and discusses current evidence demonstrating that astrocytes sense eCBs released during neuronal activity and subsequently release gliotransmitters that regulate synaptic transmission and plasticity. The eCB signaling to astrocytes and the synaptic regulation mediated by astrocytes activated by eCBs are complex phenomena that exhibit exquisite spatial and temporal properties, a wide variety of downstream signaling mechanisms, and a large diversity of functional synaptic outcomes. Studies investigating this topic have revealed novel regulatory processes of synaptic function, like the lateral regulation of synaptic transmission and the active involvement of astrocytes in the spike-timing dependent plasticity, originally thought to be exclusively mediated by the coincident activity of pre- and postsynaptic neurons, following Hebbian rules for associative learning. Finally, the critical influence of astrocyte-mediated eCB signaling on animal behavior is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulo Kofuji
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
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29
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5-HT-dependent synaptic plasticity of the prefrontal cortex in postnatal development. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21015. [PMID: 36470912 PMCID: PMC9723183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23767-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Important functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are established during early life, when neurons exhibit enhanced synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis. This developmental stage drives the organization of cortical connectivity, responsible for establishing behavioral patterns. Serotonin (5-HT) emerges among the most significant factors that modulate brain activity during postnatal development. In the PFC, activated 5-HT receptors modify neuronal excitability and interact with intracellular signaling involved in synaptic modifications, thus suggesting that 5-HT might participate in early postnatal plasticity. To test this hypothesis, we employed intracellular electrophysiological recordings of PFC layer 5 neurons to study the modulatory effects of 5-HT on plasticity induced by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) in two postnatal periods of rats. Our results indicate that 5-HT is essential for TBS to result in synaptic changes during the third postnatal week, but not later. TBS coupled with 5-HT2A or 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptors stimulation leads to long-term depression (LTD). On the other hand, TBS and synergic activation of 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT7 receptors lead to long-term potentiation (LTP). Finally, we also show that 5-HT dependent synaptic plasticity of the PFC is impaired in animals that are exposed to early-life chronic stress.
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30
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Ratas I, Pyragas K. Interplay of different synchronization modes and synaptic plasticity in a system of class I neurons. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19631. [PMID: 36385488 PMCID: PMC9668974 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24001-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyze the effect of spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) on a system of pulse-coupled class I neurons. Our research begins with a system of two mutually connected quadratic integrate-and-fire (QIF) neurons, which are canonical representatives of class I neurons. Along with various asymptotic modes previously observed in other neuronal models with plastic synapses, we found a stable synchronous mode characterized by unidirectional link from a slower neuron to a faster neuron. In this frequency-locked mode, the faster neuron emits multiple spikes per cycle of the slower neuron. We analytically obtain the Arnold tongues for this mode without STDP and with STDP. We also consider larger plastic networks of QIF neurons and show that the detected mode can manifest itself in such a way that slow neurons become pacemakers. As a result, slow and fast neurons can form large synchronous clusters that generate low-frequency oscillations. We demonstrate the generality of the results obtained with two connected QIF neurons using Wang-Buzsáki and Morris-Lecar biophysically plausible class I neuron models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irmantas Ratas
- grid.425985.7Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Kestutis Pyragas
- grid.425985.7Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
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31
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Chauhan K, Khaledi-Nasab A, Neiman AB, Tass PA. Dynamics of phase oscillator networks with synaptic weight and structural plasticity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15003. [PMID: 36056151 PMCID: PMC9440105 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19417-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We study the dynamics of Kuramoto oscillator networks with two distinct adaptation processes, one varying the coupling strengths and the other altering the network structure. Such systems model certain networks of oscillatory neurons where the neuronal dynamics, synaptic weights, and network structure interact with and shape each other. We model synaptic weight adaptation with spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) that runs on a longer time scale than neuronal spiking. Structural changes that include addition and elimination of contacts occur at yet a longer time scale than the weight adaptations. First, we study the steady-state dynamics of Kuramoto networks that are bistable and can settle in synchronized or desynchronized states. To compare the impact of adding structural plasticity, we contrast the network with only STDP to one with a combination of STDP and structural plasticity. We show that the inclusion of structural plasticity optimizes the synchronized state of a network by allowing for synchronization with fewer links than a network with STDP alone. With non-identical units in the network, the addition of structural plasticity leads to the emergence of correlations between the oscillators' natural frequencies and node degrees. In the desynchronized regime, the structural plasticity decreases the number of contacts, leading to a sparse network. In this way, adding structural plasticity strengthens both synchronized and desynchronized states of a network. Second, we use desynchronizing coordinated reset stimulation and synchronizing periodic stimulation to induce desynchronized and synchronized states, respectively. Our findings indicate that a network with a combination of STDP and structural plasticity may require stronger and longer stimulation to switch between the states than a network with STDP only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanishk Chauhan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
- Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
| | - Ali Khaledi-Nasab
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Alexander B Neiman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
| | - Peter A Tass
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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32
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Martínez-Gallego I, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Coatl-Cuaya H, Flores G, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Adenosine and Astrocytes Determine the Developmental Dynamics of Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity in the Somatosensory Cortex. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6038-6052. [PMID: 35768208 PMCID: PMC9351642 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0115-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During development, critical periods of synaptic plasticity facilitate the reordering and refinement of neural connections, allowing the definitive synaptic circuits responsible for correct adult physiology to be established. The L4-L2/3 synapses in the somatosensory cortex (S1) exhibit a presynaptic form of spike timing-dependent long-term depression (t-LTD) that probably fulfills a role in synaptic refinement. This t-LTD persists until the fourth postnatal week in mice, disappearing thereafter. When we investigated the mechanisms underlying this maturation-related loss of t-LTD in either sex mouse slices, we found that it could be completely recovered by antagonizing adenosine type 1 receptors. By contrast, an agonist of A1R impeded the induction of t-LTD at P13-27. Furthermore, we found that the adenosine that mediated the loss of t-LTD at the end of the fourth week of development is most probably supplied by astrocytes. At more mature stages (P38-60), we found that the protocol used to induce t-LTD provokes t-LTP. We characterized the mechanisms underlying the induction of this form of LTP, and we found it to be expressed presynaptically, as witnessed by paired-pulse and coefficient of variation analysis. In addition, this form of presynaptic t-LTP requires the activation of NMDARs and mGlu1Rs, and the entry of Ca2+ into the postsynaptic neuron through L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Nitric oxide is also required for t-LTP as a messenger in the postsynaptic neuron as are the adenosine and glutamate that are released in association with astrocyte signaling. These results provide direct evidence of the mechanisms that close the window of plasticity associated with t-LTD and that drive the switch in synaptic transmission from t-LTD to t-LTP at L4-L2/3 synapses, in which astrocytes play a central role.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During development, critical periods of plasticity facilitate the reordering and refining of neural connections, allowing correct adult physiology to be established. The L4-L2/3 synapses in the somatosensory cortex exhibit a presynaptic form plasticity (LTD) that probably fulfills a role in synaptic refinement. It is present until the fourth postnatal week in mice, disappearing thereafter. The mechanisms that are responsible for this loss of plasticity are not clear. We describe here these mechanisms and those involved in the switch from LTD to LTP observed as the brain matures. Defining these events responsible for closing (and opening) plasticity windows may be important for brain repair, sensorial recovery, the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, and for educational policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Martínez-Gallego
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Mikel Pérez-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Heriberto Coatl-Cuaya
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla CP 72570, México
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, ES-41013 Seville, Spain
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33
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Role of Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147807. [PMID: 35887155 PMCID: PMC9317389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G-protein-coupled receptors that exhibit enormous diversity in their expression patterns, sequence homology, pharmacology, biophysical properties and signaling pathways in the brain. In general, mGluRs modulate different traits of neuronal physiology, including excitability and plasticity processes. Particularly, group I mGluRs located at the pre- or postsynaptic compartments are involved in spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) at hippocampal and neocortical synapses. Their roles of participating in the underlying mechanisms for detection of activity coincidence in STDP induction are debated, and diverse findings support models involving mGluRs in STDP forms in which NMDARs do not operate as classical postsynaptic coincidence detectors. Here, we briefly review the involvement of group I mGluRs in STDP and their possible role as coincidence detectors.
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34
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Fuchsberger T, Paulsen O. Modulation of hippocampal plasticity in learning and memory. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 75:102558. [PMID: 35660989 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity plays a central role in the study of neural mechanisms of learning and memory. Plasticity rules are not invariant over time but are under neuromodulatory control, enabling behavioral states to influence memory formation. Neuromodulation controls synaptic plasticity at network level by directing information flow, at circuit level through changes in excitation/inhibition balance, and at synaptic level through modulation of intracellular signaling cascades. Although most research has focused on modulation of principal neurons, recent progress has uncovered important roles for interneurons in not only routing information, but also setting conditions for synaptic plasticity. Moreover, astrocytes have been shown to both gate and mediate plasticity. These additional mechanisms must be considered for a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Fuchsberger
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ole Paulsen
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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35
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Li Y, Cheng X, Liu X, Wang L, Ha J, Gao Z, He X, Wu Z, Chen A, Jewell LL, Sun Y. Treatment of Cerebral Ischemia Through NMDA Receptors: Metabotropic Signaling and Future Directions. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:831181. [PMID: 35264964 PMCID: PMC8900870 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.831181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive activation of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors after cerebral ischemia is a key cause of ischemic injury. For a long time, it was generally accepted that calcium influx is a necessary condition for ischemic injury mediated by NMDA receptors. However, recent studies have shown that NMDA receptor signaling, independent of ion flow, plays an important role in the regulation of ischemic brain injury. The purpose of this review is to better understand the roles of metabotropic NMDA receptor signaling in cerebral ischemia and to discuss the research and development directions of NMDA receptor antagonists against cerebral ischemia. This mini review provides a discussion on how metabotropic transduction is mediated by the NMDA receptor, related signaling molecules, and roles of metabotropic NMDA receptor signaling in cerebral ischemia. In view of the important roles of metabotropic signaling in cerebral ischemia, NMDA receptor antagonists, such as GluN2B-selective antagonists, which can effectively block both pro-death metabotropic and pro-death ionotropic signaling, may have better application prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaokun Cheng
- Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa.,Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei Chemical & Pharmaceutical College, Shijiazhuang, China.,New Drug Research & Development Co., Ltd., North China Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xinying Liu
- Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Le Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei Chemical & Pharmaceutical College, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Technological Innovation Center of Chiral Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jing Ha
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Research Center of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base-Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry for Drug, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zibin Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Research Center of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base-Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry for Drug, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaoliang He
- College of Food Science and Biology, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zhuo Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aibing Chen
- College of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Linda L Jewell
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Yongjun Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,Hebei Research Center of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base-Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry for Drug, Shijiazhuang, China
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Lopes CR, Amaral IM, Pereira MF, Lopes JP, Madeira D, Canas PM, Cunha RA, Agostinho P. Impact of blunting astrocyte activity on hippocampal synaptic plasticity in a mouse model of early Alzheimer's disease based on amyloid-β peptide exposure. J Neurochem 2022; 160:556-567. [PMID: 35043392 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) accumulate in the brain since early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dysregulate hippocampal synaptic plasticity, the neurophysiological basis of memory. Although the relationship between long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory processes is well established, there is also evidence that long-term depression (LTD) may be crucial for learning and memory. Alterations in synaptic plasticity, namely in LTP, can be due to communication failures between astrocytes and neurons; however, little is known about astrocytes´ ability to control hippocampal LTD, particularly in AD-like conditions. We now aimed to test the involvement of astrocytes in changes of hippocampal LTP and LTD triggered by Aβ1-42 , taking advantage of L-α-aminoadipate (L-AA), a gliotoxin that blunts astrocytic function. The effects of Aβ1-42 exposure was tested in two different experimental paradigms: ex vivo (hippocampal slices superfusion) and in vivo (intracerebroventricular injection), which were previously validated to impair memory and hippocampal synaptic plasticity, two features of early AD. Blunting astrocytic function with L-AA reduced LTP and LTD amplitude in hippocampal slices from control mice but the effect on LTD was less evident, suggesting that astrocytes have a greater influence on LTP than on LTD under non-pathological conditions. However, under AD conditions, blunting astrocytes did not consistently alter the reduction of LTP magnitude and reverted the LTD-to-LTP shift caused by both ex vivo and in vivo Aβ1-42 exposure. This shows that astrocytes were responsible for the hippocampal LTD-to-LTP shift observed in early AD conditions, reinforcing the interest of strategies targeting astrocytes to restore memory and synaptic plasticity deficits present in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia R Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, FMUC, Portugal
| | - Inês M Amaral
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - João P Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela Madeira
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, FMUC, Portugal
| | - Paula M Canas
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, FMUC, Portugal
| | - Paula Agostinho
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CNC, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, FMUC, Portugal
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37
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Quilgars C, Cazalets JR, Bertrand SS. Developmentally Regulated Modulation of Lumbar Motoneurons by Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors: A Cellular and Behavioral Analysis in Newborn Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:770250. [PMID: 34955751 PMCID: PMC8699010 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.770250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study explores the impact of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation on activity-dependent synaptic plasticity (ADSP) and the intrinsic membrane properties of lumbar motoneurons (MNs) using a combination of biochemical, pharmacological, electrophysiological and behavioral techniques. Using spinal cord slices from C57BL/6JRJ mice at two developmental stages, 1-3 and 8-12 postnatal days (P1-P3; P8-P12, respectively), we found that ADSP expressed at glutamatergic synapses between axons conveyed in the ventrolateral funiculus (VLF) and MNs, involved mGluR activation. Using specific agonists of the three groups of mGluRs, we observed that mGluR stimulation causes subtype-specific and developmentally regulated modulation of the ADSP and synaptic transmission at VLF-MN synapses as well as the intrinsic membrane properties of MNs. RT-qPCR analysis revealed a downregulation of mGluR gene expression with age in the ventral part of the lumbar spinal cord. Interestingly, the selective harvest by laser microdissection of MNs innervating the Gastrocnemius and Tibialis anterior muscles unraveled that the level of Grm2 expression is higher in Tibialis MNs compared to Gastrocnemius MNs suggesting a specific mGluR gene expression profile in these two MN pools. Finally, we assessed the functional impact of mGluR modulation on electrically induced bouts of fictive locomotion in the isolated spinal cord preparation of P1-P3 mice, and in vivo during spontaneous episodes of swimming activity in both P1-P3 and P8-P12 mouse pups. We observed that the mGluR agonists induced distinct and specific effects on the motor burst amplitudes and period of the locomotor rhythms tested and that their actions are function of the developmental stage of the animals. Altogether our data show that the metabotropic glutamatergic system exerts a complex neuromodulation in the developing spinal lumbar motor networks and provide new insights into the expression and modulation of ADSP in MNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Quilgars
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (INCIA), CNRS UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Paris Sciences et Lettres University, Paris, France
| | - Jean-René Cazalets
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (INCIA), CNRS UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Paris Sciences et Lettres University, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine S Bertrand
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine (INCIA), CNRS UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Paris Sciences et Lettres University, Paris, France
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38
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Long-term effect of neonatal antagonism of ionotropic glutamate receptors on dendritic spines and cognitive function in rats. J Chem Neuroanat 2021; 119:102054. [PMID: 34839003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2021.102054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the hippocampus where mediates its actions by activating glutamate receptors. The activation of these receptors is essential for the maintenance and dynamics of dendritic spines and plasticity that correlate with learning and memory processes during neurodevelopment and adulthood. We studied in adults the effect of blocking ionotropic glutamate receptors (NMDAR, AMPAR, and KAR) functions at neonatal age (PD1-PD15) with their respective antagonists D-AP5, GYKI-53655 and UBP-302. We first evaluated memory using a new object recognition test in adults. Second, we evaluated the levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein, synaptophysin and actin with immunohistochemistry in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus and, finally, the number of dendritic spines and their dynamics using Golgi-Cox staining. We found that ionotropic glutamate receptor function blockade at neonatal age causes a reduction in short and long-term memory in adulthood and a reduction in the expression of synaptophysin and actin protein levels in the hippocampus regions studied. This blockade also reduced the number of dendritic spines and modified dendritic dynamics in the CA1 region. The antagonism of the three types of ionotropic glutamate receptors reduced the mushrooms and bifurcated types of spines and increased the thin spines. The number of stubby spines was reduced by D-AP5, increased by UPB-302, and not affected by GYKI-53655. Our results indicate that the blockade of neonatal ionotropic glutamate receptors produces alterations that persist until adulthood.
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Martins-Macedo J, Salgado AJ, Gomes ED, Pinto L. Adult brain cytogenesis in the context of mood disorders: From neurogenesis to the emergent role of gliogenesis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:411-428. [PMID: 34555383 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders severely impact patients' lives. Motivational, cognitive and emotional deficits are the most common symptoms observed in these patients and no effective treatment is still available, either due to the adverse side effects or the low rate of efficacy of currently available drugs. Neurogenesis recovery has been one important focus in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, which undeniably contributes to the therapeutic action of antidepressants. However, glial plasticity is emerging as a new strategy to explore the deficits observed in mood disorders and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Thus, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind glio- and neurogenesis to better define treatments and preventive therapies, once adult cytogenesis is of pivotal importance to cognitive and emotional components of behavior, both in healthy and pathological contexts, including in psychiatric disorders. Here, we review the concepts and history of neuro- and gliogenesis, providing as well a reflection on the functional importance of cytogenesis in the context of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Martins-Macedo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - António J Salgado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Eduardo D Gomes
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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40
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Extracellular Metalloproteinases in the Plasticity of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapses. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082055. [PMID: 34440823 PMCID: PMC8391609 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-term synaptic plasticity is shaped by the controlled reorganization of the synaptic proteome. A key component of this process is local proteolysis performed by the family of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In recent years, considerable progress was achieved in identifying extracellular proteases involved in neuroplasticity phenomena and their protein substrates. Perisynaptic metalloproteinases regulate plastic changes at synapses through the processing of extracellular and membrane proteins. MMP9 was found to play a crucial role in excitatory synapses by controlling the NMDA-dependent LTP component. In addition, MMP3 regulates the L-type calcium channel-dependent form of LTP as well as the plasticity of neuronal excitability. Both MMP9 and MMP3 were implicated in memory and learning. Moreover, altered expression or mutations of different MMPs are associated with learning deficits and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, addiction, or stress response. Contrary to excitatory drive, the investigation into the role of extracellular proteolysis in inhibitory synapses is only just beginning. Herein, we review the principal mechanisms of MMP involvement in the plasticity of excitatory transmission and the recently discovered role of proteolysis in inhibitory synapses. We discuss how different matrix metalloproteinases shape dynamics and turnover of synaptic adhesome and signal transduction pathways in neurons. Finally, we discuss future challenges in exploring synapse- and plasticity-specific functions of different metalloproteinases.
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41
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Watkins JC, Evans RH, Bayés À, Booker SA, Gibb A, Mabb AM, Mayer M, Mellor JR, Molnár E, Niu L, Ortega A, Pankratov Y, Ramos-Vicente D, Rodríguez-Campuzano A, Rodríguez-Moreno A, Wang LY, Wang YT, Wollmuth L, Wyllie DJA, Zhuo M, Frenguelli BG. 21st century excitatory amino acid research: A Q & A with Jeff Watkins and Dick Evans. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108743. [PMID: 34363811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In 1981 Jeff Watkins and Dick Evans wrote what was to become a seminal review on excitatory amino acids (EAAs) and their receptors (Watkins and Evans, 1981). Bringing together various lines of evidence dating back over several decades on: the distribution in the nervous system of putative amino acid neurotransmitters; enzymes involved in their production and metabolism; the uptake and release of amino acids; binding of EAAs to membranes; the pharmacological action of endogenous excitatory amino acids and their synthetic analogues, and notably the actions of antagonists for the excitations caused by both nerve stimulation and exogenous agonists, often using pharmacological tools developed by Jeff and his colleagues, they provided a compelling account for EAAs, especially l-glutamate, as a bona fide neurotransmitter in the nervous system. The rest, as they say, is history, but far from being consigned to history, EAA research is in rude health well into the 21st Century as this series of Special Issues of Neuropharmacology exemplifies. With EAAs and their receptors flourishing across a wide range of disciplines and clinical conditions, we enter into a dialogue with two of the most prominent and influential figures in the early days of EAA research: Jeff Watkins and Dick Evans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Àlex Bayés
- Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sam A Booker
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Alasdair Gibb
- Research Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Angela M Mabb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mark Mayer
- Bldg 35A, Room 3D-904, 35A Convent Drive, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jack R Mellor
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Elek Molnár
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Li Niu
- Chemistry Department, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Arturo Ortega
- Department of Toxicology, Cinvestav, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Yuriy Pankratov
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - David Ramos-Vicente
- Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Lu-Yang Wang
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute and Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 555 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Yu Tian Wang
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Lonnie Wollmuth
- Depts. of Neurobiology & Behavior and Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Center for Nervous System Disorders, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5230, USA
| | - David J A Wyllie
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Min Zhuo
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, 266000, China
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42
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Durkee C, Kofuji P, Navarrete M, Araque A. Astrocyte and neuron cooperation in long-term depression. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:837-848. [PMID: 34334233 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Activity-dependent long-term changes in synaptic transmission known as synaptic plasticity are fundamental processes in brain function and are recognized as the cellular basis of learning and memory. While the neuronal mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity have been largely identified, the involvement of astrocytes in these processes has been less recognized. However, astrocytes are emerging as important cells that regulate synaptic function by interacting with neurons at tripartite synapses. In this review, we discuss recent evidence suggesting that astrocytes are necessary elements in long-term synaptic depression (LTD). We highlight the mechanistic heterogeneity of astrocyte contribution to this form of synaptic plasticity and propose that astrocytes are integral participants in LTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Durkee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paulo Kofuji
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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43
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Falcón-Moya R, Martínez-Gallego I, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Kainate receptor modulation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the CA2 region of the hippocampus. J Neurochem 2021; 158:1083-1093. [PMID: 34293825 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Kainate (KA) receptors (KARs) are important modulators of synaptic transmission. We studied here the role of KARs on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the CA2 region of the hippocampus where the actions of these receptors are unknown. We observed that KA depresses glutamatergic synaptic transmission at Schaffer collateral-CA2 synapses; an effect that was antagonized by NBQX (a KA/AMPA receptors antagonist) under condition where AMPA receptors were previously blocked. The study of paired-pulse facilitation ratio, miniature responses, and fluctuation analysis indicated a presynaptic locus of action for KAR. Additionally, we determined the action mechanism for this depression of glutamate release mediated by the activation of KARs. We found that inhibition of protein kinase A suppressed the effect of KAR activation on evoked excitatory post-synaptic current, an effect that was not suppressed by protein kinase C inhibitors. Furthermore, in the presence of Pertussis toxin, the depression of glutamate release mediated by KAR activation was not present, invoking the participation of a Gi/o protein in this modulation. Finally, the KAR-mediated depression of glutamate release was not suppressed by treatments that affect calcium entry trough voltage-dependent calcium channels or calcium release from intracellular stores. We conclude that KARs present at these synapses mediate a depression of glutamate release through a mechanism that involves the activation of G protein and protein kinase A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Falcón-Moya
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Celular y Plasticidad, Departamento de Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Irene Martínez-Gallego
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Celular y Plasticidad, Departamento de Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Celular y Plasticidad, Departamento de Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
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44
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Metabotropic actions of kainate receptors modulating glutamate release. Neuropharmacology 2021; 197:108696. [PMID: 34274351 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
Presynaptic kainate (KA) receptors (KARs) modulate GABA and glutamate release in the central nervous system of mammals. While some of the actions of KARs are ionotropic, metabotropic actions for these receptors have also been seen to modulate both GABA and glutamate release. In general, presynaptic KARs modulate glutamate release through their metabotropic actions in a biphasic manner, with low KA concentrations producing an increase in glutamate release and higher concentrations of KA driving weaker release of this neurotransmitter. Different molecular mechanisms are involved in this modulation of glutamate release, with a G-protein independent, Ca2+-calmodulin adenylate cyclase (AC) and protein kinase A (PKA) dependent mechanism facilitating glutamate release, and a G-protein, AC and PKA dependent mechanism mediating the decrease in neurotransmitter release. Here, we describe the events underlying the KAR modulation of glutamatergic transmission in different brain regions, addressing the possible functions of this modulation and proposing future research lines in this field.
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45
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Andrade-Talavera Y, Rodríguez-Moreno A. Synaptic Plasticity and Oscillations in Alzheimer's Disease: A Complex Picture of a Multifaceted Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:696476. [PMID: 34220451 PMCID: PMC8248350 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.696476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain plasticity is widely accepted as the core neurophysiological basis of memory and is generally defined by activity-dependent changes in synaptic efficacy, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). By using diverse induction protocols like high-frequency stimulation (HFS) or spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP), such crucial cognition-relevant plastic processes are shown to be impaired in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In AD, the severity of the cognitive impairment also correlates with the level of disruption of neuronal network dynamics. Currently under debate, the named amyloid hypothesis points to amyloid-beta peptide 1–42 (Aβ42) as the trigger of the functional deviations underlying cognitive impairment in AD. However, there are missing functional mechanistic data that comprehensively dissect the early subtle changes that lead to synaptic dysfunction and subsequent neuronal network collapse in AD. The convergence of the study of both, mechanisms underlying brain plasticity, and neuronal network dynamics, may represent the most efficient approach to address the early triggering and aberrant mechanisms underlying the progressive clinical cognitive impairment in AD. Here we comment on the emerging integrative roles of brain plasticity and network oscillations in AD research and on the future perspectives of research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuniesky Andrade-Talavera
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuroscience and Plasticity, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
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46
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Louth EL, Jørgensen RL, Korshoej AR, Sørensen JCH, Capogna M. Dopaminergic Neuromodulation of Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity in Mature Adult Rodent and Human Cortical Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:668980. [PMID: 33967700 PMCID: PMC8102156 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.668980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses in the cerebral cortex constantly change and this dynamic property regulated by the action of neuromodulators such as dopamine (DA), is essential for reward learning and memory. DA modulates spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), a cellular model of learning and memory, in juvenile rodent cortical neurons. However, it is unknown whether this neuromodulation also occurs at excitatory synapses of cortical neurons in mature adult mice or in humans. Cortical layer V pyramidal neurons were recorded with whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology and an extracellular stimulating electrode was used to induce STDP. DA was either bath-applied or optogenetically released in slices from mice. Classical STDP induction protocols triggered non-hebbian excitatory synaptic depression in the mouse or no plasticity at human cortical synapses. DA reverted long term synaptic depression to baseline in mouse via dopamine 2 type receptors or elicited long term synaptic potentiation in human cortical synapses. Furthermore, when DA was applied during an STDP protocol it depressed presynaptic inhibition in the mouse but not in the human cortex. Thus, DA modulates excitatory synaptic plasticity differently in human vs. mouse cortex. The data strengthens the importance of DA in gating cognition in humans, and may inform on therapeutic interventions to recover brain function from diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Louise Louth
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Marco Capogna
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Proteins in Memory-PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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47
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New insights on nitric oxide: Focus on animal models of schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2021; 409:113304. [PMID: 33865887 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a devastating complex disorder characterised by a constellation of behavioral deficits with the underlying mechanisms not fully known. Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a key signaling molecule implicated in schizophrenia. Three nitric oxide sinthases (NOS), endothelial, neuronal, and inducible, release NO within the cell. Animal models of schizophrenia are grouped in four groups, neurovedelopmental, glutamatergic, dopaminergic and genetic. In this review, we aim to evaluate changes in NO levels in animal models of schizophrenia and the resulting long-lasting behavioral and neural consequences. In particular, NO levels are substantially modified, region-specific, in various neurodevelopmental models, e.g. bilateral excitotoxic lesion of the ventral hippocampus (nVHL), maternal immune activation and direct NO manipulations early in development, among others. In regards to glutamatergic models of schizophrenia, phencyclidine (PCP) administration increases NO levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and ventral hippocampus. As far as genetic models are concerned, neuronal NOS knock-out mice display schizophrenia-related behaviors. Administration of NO donors can reverse schizophrenia-related behavioral deficits. While most modifications in NO are derived from neuronal NOS, recent evidence indicates that PCP treatment increases NO from the inducible NOS isoform. From a pharmacological perspective, treatment with various antipsychotics including clozapine, haloperidol and risperidone normalize NO levels in the PFC as well as improve behavioral deficits in nVHL rats. NO induced from the neuronal and inducible NOS is relevant to schizophrenia and warrants further research.
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Sensing and Regulating Synaptic Activity by Astrocytes at Tripartite Synapse. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:2580-2585. [PMID: 33837868 PMCID: PMC10159683 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03317-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are recognized as more important cells than historically thought in synaptic function through the reciprocal exchange of signaling with the neuronal synaptic elements. The idea that astrocytes are active elements in synaptic physiology is conceptualized in the Tripartite Synapse concept. This review article presents and discusses recent representative examples that highlight the heterogeneity of signaling in tripartite synapse function and its consequences on neural network function and animal behavior.
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Input-selective adenosine A 1 receptor-mediated synaptic depression of excitatory transmission in dorsal striatum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6345. [PMID: 33737568 PMCID: PMC7973535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85513-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The medial (DMS) and lateral (DLS) dorsal striatum differentially drive goal-directed and habitual/compulsive behaviors, respectively, and are implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. These subregions receive distinct inputs from cortical and thalamic regions which uniquely determine dorsal striatal activity and function. Adenosine A1 receptors (A1Rs) are prolific within striatum and regulate excitatory glutamate transmission. Thus, A1Rs may have regionally-specific effects on neuroadaptive processes which may ultimately influence striatally-mediated behaviors. The occurrence of A1R-driven plasticity at specific excitatory inputs to dorsal striatum is currently unknown. To better understand how A1Rs may influence these behaviors, we first sought to understand how A1Rs modulate these distinct inputs. We evaluated A1R-mediated inhibition of cortico- and thalamostriatal transmission using in vitro whole-cell, patch clamp slice electrophysiology recordings in medium spiny neurons from both the DLS and DMS of C57BL/6J mice in conjunction with optogenetic approaches. In addition, conditional A1R KO mice lacking A1Rs at specific striatal inputs to DMS and DLS were generated to directly determine the role of these presynaptic A1Rs on the measured electrophysiological responses. Activation of presynaptic A1Rs produced significant and prolonged synaptic depression (A1R-SD) of excitatory transmission in the both the DLS and DMS of male and female animals. Our findings indicate that A1R-SD at corticostriatal and thalamostriatal inputs to DLS can be additive and that A1R-SD in DMS occurs primarily at thalamostriatal inputs. These findings advance the field's understanding of the functional roles of A1Rs in striatum and implicate their potential contribution to neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Perez-Catalan NA, Doe CQ, Ackerman SD. The role of astrocyte-mediated plasticity in neural circuit development and function. Neural Dev 2021; 16:1. [PMID: 33413602 PMCID: PMC7789420 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-020-00151-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal networks are capable of undergoing rapid structural and functional changes called plasticity, which are essential for shaping circuit function during nervous system development. These changes range from short-term modifications on the order of milliseconds, to long-term rearrangement of neural architecture that could last for the lifetime of the organism. Neural plasticity is most prominent during development, yet also plays a critical role during memory formation, behavior, and disease. Therefore, it is essential to define and characterize the mechanisms underlying the onset, duration, and form of plasticity. Astrocytes, the most numerous glial cell type in the human nervous system, are integral elements of synapses and are components of a glial network that can coordinate neural activity at a circuit-wide level. Moreover, their arrival to the CNS during late embryogenesis correlates to the onset of sensory-evoked activity, making them an interesting target for circuit plasticity studies. Technological advancements in the last decade have uncovered astrocytes as prominent regulators of circuit assembly and function. Here, we provide a brief historical perspective on our understanding of astrocytes in the nervous system, and review the latest advances on the role of astroglia in regulating circuit plasticity and function during nervous system development and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson A Perez-Catalan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Kennedy Center, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Sarah D Ackerman
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
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