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Yuan Y, Patel RK, Banik S, Reta TB, Bisht RS, Fong DD, Sankaranarayanan SKRS, Ramanathan S. Proton Conducting Neuromorphic Materials and Devices. Chem Rev 2024; 124:9733-9784. [PMID: 39038231 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Neuromorphic computing and artificial intelligence hardware generally aims to emulate features found in biological neural circuit components and to enable the development of energy-efficient machines. In the biological brain, ionic currents and temporal concentration gradients control information flow and storage. It is therefore of interest to examine materials and devices for neuromorphic computing wherein ionic and electronic currents can propagate. Protons being mobile under an external electric field offers a compelling avenue for facilitating biological functionalities in artificial synapses and neurons. In this review, we first highlight the interesting biological analog of protons as neurotransmitters in various animals. We then discuss the experimental approaches and mechanisms of proton doping in various classes of inorganic and organic proton-conducting materials for the advancement of neuromorphic architectures. Since hydrogen is among the lightest of elements, characterization in a solid matrix requires advanced techniques. We review powerful synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques for characterizing hydrogen doping in various materials as well as complementary scattering techniques to detect hydrogen. First-principles calculations are then discussed as they help provide an understanding of proton migration and electronic structure modification. Outstanding scientific challenges to further our understanding of proton doping and its use in emerging neuromorphic electronics are pointed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Yuan
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Ranjan Kumar Patel
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Suvo Banik
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Tadesse Billo Reta
- Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Ravindra Singh Bisht
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Dillon D Fong
- Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Subramanian K R S Sankaranarayanan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Shriram Ramanathan
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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Mohamed NMM, Meredith FL, Rennie KJ. Inhibition of Ionic Currents by Fluoxetine in Vestibular Calyces in Different Epithelial Loci. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8801. [PMID: 39201487 PMCID: PMC11354711 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested a role for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac®) in the treatment of dizziness and inner ear vestibular dysfunction. The potential mechanism of action within the vestibular system remains unclear; however, fluoxetine has been reported to block certain types of K+ channel in other systems. Here, we investigated the direct actions of fluoxetine on membrane currents in presynaptic hair cells and postsynaptic calyx afferents of the gerbil peripheral vestibular system using whole cell patch clamp recordings in crista slices. We explored differences in K+ currents in peripheral zone (PZ) and central zone (CZ) calyces of the crista and their response to fluoxetine application. Outward K+ currents in PZ calyces showed greater inactivation at depolarized membrane potentials compared to CZ calyces. The application of 100 μM fluoxetine notably reduced K+ currents in calyx terminals within both zones of the crista, and the remaining currents exhibited distinct traits. In PZ cells, fluoxetine inhibited a non-inactivating K+ current and revealed a rapidly activating and inactivating K+ current, which was sensitive to blocking by 4-aminopyridine. This was in contrast to CZ calyces, where low-voltage-activated and non-inactivating K+ currents persisted following application of 100 μM fluoxetine. Additionally, marked inhibition of transient inward Na+ currents by fluoxetine was observed in calyces from both crista zones. Different concentrations of fluoxetine were tested, and the EC50 values were found to be 40 µM and 32 µM for K+ and Na+ currents, respectively. In contrast, 100 μM fluoxetine had no impact on voltage-dependent K+ currents in mechanosensory type I and type II vestibular hair cells. In summary, micromolar concentrations of fluoxetine are expected to strongly reduce both Na+ and K+ conductance in afferent neurons of the peripheral vestibular system in vivo. This would lead to inhibition of action potential firing in vestibular sensory neurons and has therapeutic implications for disorders of balance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katherine J. Rennie
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (N.M.M.M.); (F.L.M.)
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Núñez KR, Bronson D, Chang R, Kalluri R. Vestibular afferent neurons develop normally in the absence of quantal/glutamatergic input. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.597464. [PMID: 38915604 PMCID: PMC11195208 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.597464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The vestibular nerve is comprised of neuron sub-groups with diverse functions related to their intrinsic biophysical properties. This diversity is partly due to differences in the types and numbers of low-voltage-gated potassium channels found in the neurons' membranes. Expression for some low-voltage gated ion channels like KCNQ4 is upregulated during early post-natal development; suggesting that ion channel composition and neuronal diversity may be shaped by hair cell activity. This idea is consistent with recent work showing that glutamatergic input from hair cells is necessary for the normal diversification auditory neurons. To test if biophysical diversity is similarly dependent on glutamatergic input in vestibular neurons, we examined the maturation of the vestibular epithelium and ganglion neurons in Vglut3-ko mice whose hair cell synapses lack glutamate. Despite lacking glutamatergic input, the knockout mice showed no notable balance deficits and crossed challenging balance beams with little difficulty. Immunolabeling of the Vglut3-ko vestibular epithelia showed normal development as indicated by an identifiable striolar zone with calyceal terminals labeled by molecular marker calretinin, and normal expression of KCNQ4 by the end of the second post-natal week. We found similar numbers of Type I and Type II hair cells in the knockout and wildtype animals, regardless of epithelial zone. Thus, the presumably quiescent Type II hair cells are not cleared from the epithelium. Patch-clamp recordings showed that biophysical diversity of vestibular ganglion neurons in the Vglut3-ko mice is comparable to that found in wildtype controls, with a similar range firing patterns at both immature and juvenile ages. However, our results suggest a subtle biophysical alteration to the largest ganglion cells (putative somata of central zone afferents); those in the knockout had smaller net conductance and were more excitable than those in the wild type. Thus, unlike in the auditory nerve, glutamatergic signaling is unnecessary for producing biophysical diversity in vestibular ganglion neurons. And yet, because the input signals from vestibular hair cells are complex and not solely reliant on quantal release of glutamate, whether diversity of vestibular ganglion neurons is simply hardwired or regulated by a more complex set of input signals remains to be determined.
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Sinha AK, Lee C, Holt JC. KCNQ2/3 regulates efferent mediated slow excitation of vestibular afferents in mammals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.30.573731. [PMID: 38260489 PMCID: PMC10802244 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.30.573731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Primary vestibular afferents transmit information from hair cells about head position and movement to the CNS, which is critical for maintaining balance, gaze stability and spatial navigation. The CNS, in turn, modulates hair cells and afferents via the efferent vestibular system (EVS) and its activation of several cholinergic signaling mechanisms. Electrical stimulation of EVS neurons gives rise to three kinetically- and mechanistically-distinct afferent responses including a slow excitation, a fast excitation, and a fast inhibition. EVS-mediated slow excitation is attributed to odd-numbered muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) on the afferent whose activation leads to the closure of a potassium conductance and increased afferent discharge. Likely effector candidates include low-threshold, voltage-gated potassium channels belonging to the KCNQ (Kv7.X) family, which are involved in neuronal excitability across the nervous system and are subject to mAChR modulation. Specifically, KCNQ2/3 heteromeric channels may be the molecular correlates for the M-current, a potassium current that is blocked following the activation of odd-numbered mAChRs. To this end, multiple members of the KCNQ channel family, including KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, are localized to several microdomains within vestibular afferent endings, where they influence afferent excitability and could be targeted by EVS neurons. Additionally, the relative expression of KCNQ subunits appears to vary across the sensory epithelia and among different afferent types. However, it is unclear which KCNQ channel subunits are targeted by mAChR activation and whether that also varies among different afferent classes. Here we show that EVS-mediated slow excitation is blocked and enhanced by the non-selective KCNQ channel blocker XE991 and opener retigabine, respectively. Using KCNQ subunit-selective drugs, we observed that a KCNQ2 blocker blocks the slow response in irregular afferents, while a KCNQ2/3 opener enhances slow responses in regular afferents. The KCNQ2 blockers did not appear to affect resting afferent discharge rates, while KCNQ2/3 or KCNQ2/4 openers decreased afferent excitability. Here, we show pharmacological evidence that KCNQ2/3 subunits are likely targeted by mAChR activation in mammalian vestibular afferents. Additionally, we show that KCNQ3 KO mice have altered resting discharge rate as well as EVS-mediated slow response. These data together suggest that KCNQ channels play a role in slow response and discharge rate of vestibular afferents, which can be modulated by EVS in mammals.
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Pastras CJ, Curthoys IS, Asadnia M, McAlpine D, Rabbitt RD, Brown DJ. Evidence That Ultrafast Nonquantal Transmission Underlies Synchronized Vestibular Action Potential Generation. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7149-7157. [PMID: 37775302 PMCID: PMC10601366 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1417-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amniotes evolved a unique postsynaptic terminal in the inner ear vestibular organs called the calyx that receives both quantal and nonquantal (NQ) synaptic inputs from Type I sensory hair cells. The nonquantal synaptic current includes an ultrafast component that has been hypothesized to underlie the exceptionally high synchronization index (vector strength) of vestibular afferent neurons in response to sound and vibration. Here, we present three lines of evidence supporting the hypothesis that nonquantal transmission is responsible for synchronized vestibular action potentials of short latency in the guinea pig utricle of either sex. First, synchronized vestibular nerve responses are unchanged after administration of the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX, while auditory nerve responses are completely abolished. Second, stimulus evoked vestibular nerve compound action potentials (vCAP) are shown to occur without measurable synaptic delay and three times shorter than the latency of auditory nerve compound action potentials (cCAP), relative to the generation of extracellular receptor potentials. Third, paired-pulse stimuli designed to deplete the readily releasable pool (RRP) of synaptic vesicles in hair cells reveal forward masking in guinea pig auditory cCAPs, but a complete lack of forward masking in vestibular vCAPs. Results support the conclusion that the fast component of nonquantal transmission at calyceal synapses is indefatigable and responsible for ultrafast responses of vestibular organs evoked by transient stimuli.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mammalian vestibular system drives some of the fastest reflex pathways in the nervous system, ensuring stable gaze and postural control for locomotion on land. To achieve this, terrestrial amniotes evolved a large, unique calyx afferent terminal which completely envelopes one or more presynaptic vestibular hair cells, which transmits mechanosensory signals mediated by quantal and nonquantal (NQ) synaptic transmission. We present several lines of evidence in the guinea pig which reveals the most sensitive vestibular afferents are remarkably fast, much faster than their auditory nerve counterparts. Here, we present neurophysiological and pharmacological evidence that demonstrates this vestibular speed advantage arises from ultrafast NQ electrical synaptic transmission from Type I hair cells to their calyx partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Pastras
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Ian S Curthoys
- School of Psychology, Vestibular Research Laboratory, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2050, Australia
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Mohsen Asadnia
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - David McAlpine
- Department of Linguistics, The Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Richard D Rabbitt
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Otolaryngology, and Neuroscience Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - Daniel J Brown
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
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Leclère JC, Dulon D. Otoferlin as a multirole Ca 2+ signaling protein: from inner ear synapses to cancer pathways. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1197611. [PMID: 37538852 PMCID: PMC10394277 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1197611] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans have six members of the ferlin protein family: dysferlin, myoferlin, otoferlin, fer1L4, fer1L5, and fer1L6. These proteins share common features such as multiple Ca2+-binding C2 domains, FerA domains, and membrane anchoring through their single C-terminal transmembrane domain, and are believed to play a key role in calcium-triggered membrane fusion and vesicle trafficking. Otoferlin plays a crucial role in hearing and vestibular function. In this review, we will discuss how we see otoferlin working as a Ca2+-dependent mechanical sensor regulating synaptic vesicle fusion at the hair cell ribbon synapses. Although otoferlin is also present in the central nervous system, particularly in the cortex and amygdala, its role in brain tissues remains unknown. Mutations in the OTOF gene cause one of the most frequent genetic forms of congenital deafness, DFNB9. These mutations produce severe to profound hearing loss due to a defect in synaptic excitatory glutamatergic transmission between the inner hair cells and the nerve fibers of the auditory nerve. Gene therapy protocols that allow normal rescue expression of otoferlin in hair cells have just started and are currently in pre-clinical phase. In parallel, studies have linked ferlins to cancer through their effect on cell signaling and development, allowing tumors to form and cancer cells to adapt to a hostile environment. Modulation by mechanical forces and Ca2+ signaling are key determinants of the metastatic process. Although ferlins importance in cancer has not been extensively studied, data show that otoferlin expression is significantly associated with survival in specific cancer types, including clear cell and papillary cell renal carcinoma, and urothelial bladder cancer. These findings indicate a role for otoferlin in the carcinogenesis of these tumors, which requires further investigation to confirm and understand its exact role, particularly as it varies by tumor site. Targeting this protein may lead to new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Leclère
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
- Laboratory of Neurophysiologie de la Synapse Auditive, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Didier Dulon
- Laboratory of Neurophysiologie de la Synapse Auditive, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur & INSERM UA06, Paris, France
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Meredith FL, Vu TA, Gehrke B, Benke TA, Dondzillo A, Rennie KJ. Expression of hyperpolarization-activated current ( Ih) in zonally defined vestibular calyx terminals of the crista. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:1468-1481. [PMID: 37198134 PMCID: PMC10259860 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00135.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Calyx terminals make afferent synapses with type I hair cells in vestibular epithelia and express diverse ionic conductances that influence action potential generation and discharge regularity in vestibular afferent neurons. Here we investigated the expression of hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) in calyx terminals in central and peripheral zones of mature gerbil crista slices, using whole cell patch-clamp recordings. Slowly activating Ih was present in >80% calyces tested in both zones. Peak Ih and half-activation voltages were not significantly different; however, Ih activated with a faster time course in peripheral compared with central zone calyces. Calyx Ih in both zones was blocked by 4-(N-ethyl-N-phenylamino)-1,2-dimethyl-6-(methylamino) pyrimidinium chloride (ZD7288; 100 µM), and the resting membrane potential became more hyperpolarized. In the presence of dibutyryl-cAMP (dB-cAMP), peak Ih was increased, activation kinetics became faster, and the voltage of half-activation was more depolarized compared with control calyces. In current clamp, calyces from both zones showed three different categories of firing: spontaneous firing, phasic firing where a single action potential was evoked after a hyperpolarizing pulse, or a single evoked action potential followed by membrane potential oscillations. In the absence of Ih, the latency to peak of the action potential increased; Ih produces a small depolarizing current that facilitates firing by driving the membrane potential closer to threshold. Immunostaining showed the expression of HCN2 subunits in calyx terminals. We conclude that Ih is found in calyx terminals across the crista and could influence conventional and novel forms of synaptic transmission at the type I hair cell-calyx synapse.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Calyx afferent terminals make synapses with vestibular hair cells and express diverse conductances that impact action potential firing in vestibular primary afferents. Conventional and nonconventional synaptic transmission modes are influenced by hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih), but regional differences were previously unexplored. We show that Ih is present in both central and peripheral calyces of the mammalian crista. Ih produces a small depolarizing resting current that facilitates firing by driving the membrane potential closer to threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances L Meredith
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Tiffany A Vu
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Brandon Gehrke
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Timothy A Benke
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Anna Dondzillo
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
| | - Katherine J Rennie
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, United States
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Chafaï M, Delrocq A, Inquimbert P, Pidoux L, Delanoe K, Toft M, Brau F, Lingueglia E, Veltz R, Deval E. Dual contribution of ASIC1a channels in the spinal processing of pain information by deep projection neurons revealed by computational modeling. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010993. [PMID: 37068087 PMCID: PMC10109503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Dorsal horn of the spinal cord is an important crossroad of pain neuraxis, especially for the neuronal plasticity mechanisms that can lead to chronic pain states. Windup is a well-known spinal pain facilitation process initially described several decades ago, but its exact mechanism is still not fully understood. Here, we combine both ex vivo and in vivo electrophysiological recordings of rat spinal neurons with computational modeling to demonstrate a role for ASIC1a-containing channels in the windup process. Spinal application of the ASIC1a inhibitory venom peptides mambalgin-1 and psalmotoxin-1 (PcTx1) significantly reduces the ability of deep wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons to develop windup in vivo. All deep WDR-like neurons recorded from spinal slices exhibit an ASIC current with biophysical and pharmacological characteristics consistent with functional expression of ASIC1a homomeric channels. A computational model of WDR neuron supplemented with different ASIC1a channel parameters accurately reproduces the experimental data, further supporting a positive contribution of these channels to windup. It also predicts a calcium-dependent windup decrease for elevated ASIC conductances, a phenomenon that was experimentally validated using the Texas coral snake ASIC-activating toxin (MitTx) and calcium-activated potassium channel inhibitory peptides (apamin and iberiotoxin). This study supports a dual contribution to windup of calcium permeable ASIC1a channels in deep laminae projecting neurons, promoting it upon moderate channel activity, but ultimately leading to calcium-dependent windup inhibition associated to potassium channels when activity increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Chafaï
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
| | - Ariane Delrocq
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
- Inria Center of University Côte d'Azur, France, Valbonne, France
| | - Perrine Inquimbert
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ludivine Pidoux
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
| | - Kevin Delanoe
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
| | - Maurizio Toft
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
| | - Frederic Brau
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
| | - Eric Lingueglia
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
| | - Romain Veltz
- Inria Center of University Côte d'Azur, France, Valbonne, France
| | - Emmanuel Deval
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, LabEx ICST, FHU InovPain, France
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Bronson D, Kalluri R. Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors Modulate HCN Channel Properties in Vestibular Ganglion Neurons. J Neurosci 2023; 43:902-917. [PMID: 36604171 PMCID: PMC9908319 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2552-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Efferent modulation of vestibular afferent excitability is linked to muscarinic signaling cascades that close low-voltage-gated potassium channels (i.e., KCNQ). Here, we show that muscarinic signaling cascades also depolarize the activation range of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide gated (HCN) channels. We compared the voltage activation range and kinetics of HCN channels and induced firing patterns before and after administering the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonist oxotremorine-M (Oxo-M) in dissociated vestibular ganglion neurons (VGNs) from rats of either sex using perforated whole-cell patch-clamp methods. Oxo-M depolarized HCN channels' half-activation voltage (V 1/2) and sped up the rate of activation near resting potential twofold. HCN channels in large-diameter and/or transient firing VGN (putative cell bodies of irregular firing neuron from central epithelial zones) had relatively depolarized V 1/2 in control solution and were less sensitive to mAChR activation than those found in small-diameter VGN with sustained firing patterns (putatively belonging to regular firing afferents). The impact of mAChR on HCN channels is not a direct consequence of closing KCNQ channels since pretreating the cells with Linopirdine, a KCNQ channel blocker, did not prevent HCN channel depolarization by Oxo-M. Efferent signaling promoted ion channel configurations that were favorable to highly regular spiking in some VGN, but not others. This is consistent with previous observations that low-voltage gated potassium currents in VGN are conducted by mAChR agonist-sensitive and -insensitive channels. Connecting efferent signaling to HCN channels is significant because of the channel's impact on spike-timing regularity and nonchemical transmission between Type I hair cells and vestibular afferents.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Vestibular afferents express a diverse complement of ion channels. In vitro studies identified low-voltage activated potassium channels and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide gated (HCN) channels as crucial for shaping the timing and sensitivity of afferent responses. Moreover, a network of acetylcholine-releasing efferent neurons controls afferent excitability by closing a subgroup of low-voltage activated potassium channels on the afferent neuron. This work shows that these efferent signaling cascades also enhance the activation of HCN channels by depolarizing their voltage activation range. The size of this effect varies depending on the endogenous properties of the HCN channel and on cell type (as determined by discharge patterns and cell size). Simultaneously controlling two ion-channel groups gives the vestibular efferent system exquisite control over afferent neuron activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bronson
- Hearing and Communications Neuroscience Training Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90057
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90057
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90057
| | - Radha Kalluri
- Hearing and Communications Neuroscience Training Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90057
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90057
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90057
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Govindaraju AC, Quraishi IH, Lysakowski A, Eatock RA, Raphael RM. Nonquantal transmission at the vestibular hair cell-calyx synapse: K LV currents modulate fast electrical and slow K + potentials. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2207466120. [PMID: 36595693 PMCID: PMC9926171 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207466120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vestibular hair cells transmit information about head position and motion across synapses to primary afferent neurons. At some of these synapses, the afferent neuron envelopes the hair cell, forming an enlarged synaptic terminal called a calyx. The vestibular hair cell-calyx synapse supports a mysterious form of electrical transmission that does not involve gap junctions, termed nonquantal transmission (NQT). The NQT mechanism is thought to involve the flow of ions from the presynaptic hair cell to the postsynaptic calyx through low-voltage-activated channels driven by changes in cleft [K+] as K+ exits the hair cell. However, this hypothesis has not been tested with a quantitative model and the possible role of an electrical potential in the cleft has remained speculative. Here, we present a computational model that captures experimental observations of NQT and identifies features that support the existence of an electrical potential (ϕ) in the synaptic cleft. We show that changes in cleft ϕ reduce transmission latency and illustrate the relative contributions of both cleft [K+] and ϕ to the gain and phase of NQT. We further demonstrate that the magnitude and speed of NQT depend on calyx morphology and that increasing calyx height reduces action potential latency in the calyx afferent. These predictions are consistent with the idea that the calyx evolved to enhance NQT and speed up vestibular signals that drive neural circuits controlling gaze, balance, and orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aravind Chenrayan Govindaraju
- aApplied Physics Graduate Program, Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- bDepartment of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
| | - Imran H. Quraishi
- cDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06510
| | - Anna Lysakowski
- dDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL60612
| | - Ruth Anne Eatock
- eDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL60637
| | - Robert M. Raphael
- bDepartment of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX77005
- 1To whom correspondence may be addressed.
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11
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Contini D, Holstein GR, Art JJ. Simultaneous Dual Recordings From Vestibular Hair Cells and Their Calyx Afferents Demonstrate Multiple Modes of Transmission at These Specialized Endings. Front Neurol 2022; 13:891536. [PMID: 35899268 PMCID: PMC9310783 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.891536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the vestibular periphery, transmission via conventional synaptic boutons is supplemented by post-synaptic calyceal endings surrounding Type I hair cells. This review focusses on the multiple modes of communication between these receptors and their enveloping calyces as revealed by simultaneous dual-electrode recordings. Classic orthodromic transmission is accompanied by two forms of bidirectional communication enabled by the extensive cleft between the Type I hair cell and its calyx. The slowest cellular communication low-pass filters the transduction current with a time constant of 10–100 ms: potassium ions accumulate in the synaptic cleft, depolarizing both the hair cell and afferent to potentials greater than necessary for rapid vesicle fusion in the receptor and potentially triggering action potentials in the afferent. On the millisecond timescale, conventional glutamatergic quantal transmission occurs when hair cells are depolarized to potentials sufficient for calcium influx and vesicle fusion. Depolarization also permits a third form of transmission that occurs over tens of microseconds, resulting from the large voltage- and ion-sensitive cleft-facing conductances in both the hair cell and the calyx that are open at their resting potentials. Current flowing out of either the hair cell or the afferent divides into the fraction flowing across the cleft into its cellular partner, and the remainder flowing out of the cleft and into the surrounding fluid compartment. These findings suggest multiple biophysical bases for the extensive repertoire of response dynamics seen in the population of primary vestibular afferent fibers. The results further suggest that evolutionary pressures drive selection for the calyx afferent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Contini
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Gay R. Holstein
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jonathan J. Art
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: Jonathan J. Art
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12
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Qian F, Wei G, Gao Y, Wang X, Gong J, Guo C, Wang X, Zhang X, Zhao J, Wang C, Xu M, Hu Y, Yin G, Kang J, Chai R, Xie G, Liu D. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of zebrafish hair cells reveals novel genes potentially involved in hearing loss. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:385. [PMID: 35753015 PMCID: PMC11072488 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04410-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Hair cells play key roles in hearing and balance, and hair cell loss would result in hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction. Cellular and molecular research in hair cell biology provides us a better understanding of hearing and deafness. Zebrafish, owing to their hair cell-enriched organs, have been widely applied in hair cell-related research worldwide. Similar to mammals, zebrafish have inner ear hair cells. In addition, they also have lateral line neuromast hair cells. These different types of hair cells vary in morphology and function. However, systematic analysis of their molecular characteristics remains lacking. In this study, we analyzed the GFP+ cells isolated from Tg(Brn3c:mGFP) larvae with GFP expression in all hair cells using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). Three subtypes of hair cells, namely macula hair cell (MHC), crista hair cell (CHC), and neuromast hair cell (NHC), were characterized and validated by whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of marker genes. The hair cell scRNA-seq data revealed hair cell-specific genes, including hearing loss genes that have been identified in humans and novel genes potentially involved in hair cell formation and function. Two novel genes were discovered to specifically function in NHCs and MHCs, corresponding to their specific expression in NHCs and MHCs. This study allows us to understand the specific genes in hair cell subpopulations of zebrafish, which will shed light on the genetics of both human vestibular and cochlear hair cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuping Qian
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Guanyun Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Yajing Gao
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Jie Gong
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Chao Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Jinxiang Zhao
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Mengting Xu
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Yuebo Hu
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Guoli Yin
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Jiahui Kang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Renjie Chai
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100864, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Gangcai Xie
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Dong Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, School of Life SciencesKey Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.
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13
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Mukhopadhyay M, Pangrsic T. Synaptic transmission at the vestibular hair cells of amniotes. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 121:103749. [PMID: 35667549 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A harmonized interplay between the central nervous system and the five peripheral end organs is how the vestibular system helps organisms feel a sense of balance and motion in three-dimensional space. The receptor cells of this system, much like their cochlear equivalents, are the specialized hair cells. However, research over the years has shown that the vestibular endorgans and hair cells evolved very differently from their cochlear counterparts. The structurally unique calyceal synapse, which appeared much later in the evolutionary time scale, and continues to intrigue researchers, is now known to support several forms of synaptic neurotransmission. The conventional quantal transmission is believed to employ the ribbon structures, which carry several tethered vesicles filled with neurotransmitters. However, the field of vestibular hair cell synaptic molecular anatomy is still at a nascent stage and needs further work. In this review, we will touch upon the basic structure and function of the peripheral vestibular system, with the focus on the various modes of neurotransmission at the type I vestibular hair cells. We will also shed light on the current knowledge about the molecular anatomy of the vestibular hair cell synapses and vestibular synaptopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohona Mukhopadhyay
- Experimental Otology Group, InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tina Pangrsic
- Experimental Otology Group, InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, and Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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14
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Koffman EE, Kruse CM, Singh K, Naghavi FS, Curtis MA, Egbo J, Houdi M, Lin B, Lu H, Debiec J, Du J. Acid-sensing ion channel 1a regulates the specificity of reconsolidation of conditioned threat responses. JCI Insight 2022; 7:155341. [PMID: 35025766 PMCID: PMC8876458 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155341] [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: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research on altering threat memory has focused on a reconsolidation window. During reconsolidation, threat memories are retrieved and become labile. Reconsolidation of distinct threat memories is synapse dependent, whereas the underlying regulatory mechanism of the specificity of reconsolidation is poorly understood. We designed a unique behavioral paradigm in which a distinct threat memory can be retrieved through the associated conditioned stimulus. In addition, we proposed a regulatory mechanism by which the activation of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) strengthens the distinct memory trace associated with the memory reconsolidation to determine its specificity. The activation of ASICs by CO2 inhalation, when paired with memory retrieval, triggers the reactivation of the distinct memory trace, resulting in greater memory lability. ASICs potentiate the memory trace by altering the amygdala-dependent synaptic transmission and plasticity at selectively targeted synapses. Our results suggest that inhaling CO2 during the retrieval event increases the lability of a threat memory through a synapse-specific reconsolidation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Koffman
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Charles M Kruse
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Kritika Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Farzaneh Sadat Naghavi
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Melissa A Curtis
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Egbo
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Mark Houdi
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Boren Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, United States of America
| | - Hui Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jacek Debiec
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, United States of America
| | - Jianyang Du
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, United States of America
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15
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Osmakov DI, Korolkova YV, Lubova KI, Maleeva EE, Andreev YA, Kozlov SA. The Role of the C-terminal Intracellular
Domain in Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 3 Functioning. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021020204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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16
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Zhou G, Wang T, Zha XM. RNA-Seq analysis of knocking out the neuroprotective proton-sensitive GPR68 on basal and acute ischemia-induced transcriptome changes and signaling in mouse brain. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21461. [PMID: 33724568 PMCID: PMC7970445 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002511r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Brain acid signaling plays important roles in both physiological and disease conditions. One key neuronal metabotropic proton receptor in the brain is GPR68, which contributes to hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and mediates neuroprotection in acidotic and ischemic conditions. Here, to gain greater understanding of GPR68 function in the brain, we performed mRNA-Seq analysis in mice. First, we studied sham-operated animals to determine baseline expression. Compared to wild type (WT), GPR68-/- (KO) brain downregulated genes that are enriched in Gene Ontology (GO) terms of misfolding protein binding, response to organic cyclic compounds, and endoplasmic reticulum chaperone complex. Next, we examined the expression profile following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). tMCAO-upregulated genes cluster to cytokine/chemokine-related functions and immune responses, while tMCAO-downregulated genes cluster to channel activities and synaptic signaling. For proton-sensitive receptors, tMCAO downregulated ASIC1a and upregulated GPR4 and GPR65, but had no effect on ASIC2, PAC, or GPR68. GPR68 deletion did not alter the expression of these proton receptors, either at baseline or after ischemia. Lastly, we performed GeneVenn analysis of differential genes at baseline and post-tMCAO. Ischemia upregulated the expression of three hemoglobin genes, along with H2-Aa, Ppbp, Siglece, and Tagln, in WT but not in KO. Immunostaining showed that tMCAO-induced hemoglobin localized to neurons. Western blot analysis further showed that hemoglobin induction is GPR68-dependent. Together, these data suggest that GPR68 deletion at baseline disrupts chaperone functions and cellular signaling responses and imply a contribution of hemoglobin-mediated antioxidant mechanism to GPR68-dependent neuroprotection in ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guokun Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Xiang-Ming Zha
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL, USA
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17
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Ramakrishna Y, Manca M, Glowatzki E, Sadeghi SG. Cholinergic Modulation of Membrane Properties of Calyx Terminals in the Vestibular Periphery. Neuroscience 2020; 452:98-110. [PMID: 33197502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Vestibular nerve afferents are divided into regular and irregular groups based on the variability of interspike intervals in their resting discharge. Most afferents receive inputs from bouton terminals that contact type II hair cells as well as from calyx terminals that cover the basolateral walls of type I hair cells. Calyces have an abundance of different subtypes of KCNQ (Kv7) potassium channels and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and receive cholinergic efferent inputs from neurons in the brainstem. We investigated whether mAChRs affected membrane properties and firing patterns of calyx terminals through modulation of KCNQ channel activity. Patch clamp recordings were performed from calyx terminals in central regions of the cristae of the horizontal and anterior canals in 13-26 day old Sprague-Dawley rats. KCNQ mediated currents were observed as voltage sensitive currents with slow kinetics (activation and deactivation), resulting in spike frequency adaptation so that calyces at best fired a single action potential at the beginning of a depolarizing step. Activation of mAChRs by application of oxotremorine methiodide or inhibition of KCNQ channels by linopirdine dihydrochloride decreased voltage activated currents by ∼30%, decreased first spike latencies by ∼40%, resulted in action potential generation in response to smaller current injections and at lower (i.e., more hyperpolarized) membrane potentials, and increased the number of spikes fired during depolarizing steps. Interestingly, some of the calyces showed spontaneous discharge in the presence of these drugs. Together, these findings suggest that cholinergic efferents can modulate the response properties and encoding of head movements by afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugandhar Ramakrishna
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States; Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Marco Manca
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Elisabeth Glowatzki
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Soroush G Sadeghi
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States; Neuroscience Program, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States.
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18
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Xu Y, Lin MT, Zha XM. GPR68 deletion impairs hippocampal long-term potentiation and passive avoidance behavior. Mol Brain 2020; 13:132. [PMID: 32993733 PMCID: PMC7526169 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00672-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased neural activities reduced pH at the synaptic cleft and interstitial spaces. Recent studies have shown that protons function as a neurotransmitter. However, it remains unclear whether protons signal through a metabotropic receptor to regulate synaptic function. Here, we showed that GPR68, a proton-sensitive GPCR, exhibited wide expression in the hippocampus, with higher expression observed in CA3 pyramidal neurons and dentate granule cells. In organotypic hippocampal slice neurons, ectopically expressed GPR68-GFP was present in dendrites, dendritic spines, and axons. Recordings in hippocampal slices isolated from GPR68−/− mice showed a reduced fiber volley at the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses, a reduced long-term potentiation (LTP), but unaltered paired-pulse ratio. In a step-through passive avoidance test, GPR68−/− mice exhibited reduced avoidance to the dark chamber. These findings showed that GPR68 contributes to hippocampal LTP and aversive fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xu
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr. N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA
| | - Mike T Lin
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr. N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA
| | - Xiang-Ming Zha
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr. N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA.
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19
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Yu Z, McIntosh JM, Sadeghi SG, Glowatzki E. Efferent synaptic transmission at the vestibular type II hair cell synapse. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:360-374. [PMID: 32609559 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00143.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the vestibular peripheral organs, type I and type II hair cells (HCs) transmit incoming signals via glutamatergic quantal transmission onto afferent nerve fibers. Additionally, type I HCs transmit via "non-quantal" transmission to calyx afferent fibers, by accumulation of glutamate and potassium in the synaptic cleft. Vestibular efferent inputs originating in the brainstem contact type II HCs and vestibular afferents. Here, synaptic inputs to type II HCs were characterized by using electrical and optogenetic stimulation of efferent fibers combined with in vitro whole cell patch-clamp recording from type II HCs in the rodent vestibular crista. Properties of efferent synaptic currents in type II HCs were similar to those found in cochlear HCs and mediated by activation of α9-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels. While efferents showed a low probability of release at low frequencies of stimulation, repetitive stimulation resulted in facilitation and increased probability of release. Notably, the membrane potential of type II HCs during optogenetic stimulation of efferents showed a strong hyperpolarization in response to single pulses and was further enhanced by repetitive stimulation. Such efferent-mediated inhibition of type II HCs can provide a mechanism to adjust the contribution of signals from type I and type II HCs to vestibular nerve fibers, with a shift of the response to be more like that of calyx-only afferents with faster non-quantal responses.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Type II vestibular hair cells (HCs) receive inputs from efferent neurons in the brain stem. We used in vitro optogenetic and electrical stimulation of vestibular efferent fibers to study their synaptic inputs to type II HCs. Stimulation of efferents inhibited type II HCs, similar to efferent effects on cochlear HCs. We propose that efferent inputs adjust the contribution of signals from type I and II HCs to vestibular nerve fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Yu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Center for Hearing and Balance, and The Center for Sensory Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Soroush G Sadeghi
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, and Center for Hearing and Deafness, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.,Neuroscience Program, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Elisabeth Glowatzki
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Center for Hearing and Balance, and The Center for Sensory Biology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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20
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Prins TJ, Myers ZA, Saldate JJ, Hoffman LF. Calbindin expression in adult vestibular epithelia. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2020; 206:623-637. [PMID: 32350587 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-020-01418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian vestibular epithelia exhibit a remarkably stereotyped organization featuring cellular characteristics under planar cell polarity (PCP) control. PCP mechanisms are responsible for the organization of hair cell morphologic polarization vectors, and are thought to be responsible for the postsynaptic expression of the calcium-binding protein calretinin that defines the utricular striola and cristae central zone. However, recent analyses revealed that subtle differences in the topographic expression of oncomodulin, another calcium-binding protein, reflects heterogeneous factors driving the subtle variations in expression. Calbindin represents a third calcium-binding protein that has been previously described to be expressed in both hair cells and afferent calyces in proximity to the utricular striola and crista central zone. The objective of the present investigation was to determine calbindin's topographic pattern of expression to further elucidate the extent to which PCP mechanisms might exert control over the organization of vestibular neuroepithelia. The findings revealed that calbindin exhibited an expression pattern strikingly similar to oncomodulin. However, within calyces of the central zone calbindin was colocalized with calretinin. These results indicate that organizational features of vestibular epithelia are governed by a suite of factors that include PCP mechanisms as well others yet to be defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J Prins
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Box 951624, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1624, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Zachary A Myers
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Box 951624, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1624, USA
| | - Johnny J Saldate
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Box 951624, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1624, USA
| | - Larry F Hoffman
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Box 951624, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1624, USA. .,Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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21
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Spaiardi P, Tavazzani E, Manca M, Russo G, Prigioni I, Biella G, Giunta R, Johnson SL, Marcotti W, Masetto S. K + Accumulation and Clearance in the Calyx Synaptic Cleft of Type I Mouse Vestibular Hair Cells. Neuroscience 2020; 426:69-86. [PMID: 31846752 PMCID: PMC6985899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Vestibular organs of Amniotes contain two types of sensory cells, named Type I and Type II hair cells. While Type II hair cells are contacted by several small bouton nerve terminals, Type I hair cells receive a giant terminal, called a calyx, which encloses their basolateral membrane almost completely. Both hair cell types release glutamate, which depolarizes the afferent terminal by binding to AMPA post-synaptic receptors. However, there is evidence that non-vesicular signal transmission also occurs at the Type I hair cell-calyx synapse, possibly involving direct depolarization of the calyx by K+ exiting the hair cell. To better investigate this aspect, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from mouse Type I hair cells or their associated calyx. We found that [K+] in the calyceal synaptic cleft is elevated at rest relative to the interstitial (extracellular) solution and can increase or decrease during hair cell depolarization or repolarization, respectively. The change in [K+] was primarily driven by GK,L, the low-voltage-activated, non-inactivating K+ conductance specifically expressed by Type I hair cells. Simple diffusion of K+ between the cleft and the extracellular compartment appeared substantially restricted by the calyx inner membrane, with the ion channels and active transporters playing a crucial role in regulating intercellular [K+]. Calyx recordings were consistent with K+ leaving the synaptic cleft through postsynaptic voltage-gated K+ channels involving KV1 and KV7 subunits. The above scenario is consistent with direct depolarization and hyperpolarization of the calyx membrane potential by intercellular K+.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Spaiardi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - E Tavazzani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - M Manca
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - G Russo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - I Prigioni
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - G Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - R Giunta
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - S L Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - W Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - S Masetto
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy.
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Neuronal Glutamatergic Synaptic Clefts Alkalinize Rather Than Acidify during Neurotransmission. J Neurosci 2020; 40:1611-1624. [PMID: 31964719 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1774-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The dogma that the synaptic cleft acidifies during neurotransmission is based on the corelease of neurotransmitters and protons from synaptic vesicles, and is supported by direct data from sensory ribbon-type synapses. However, it is unclear whether acidification occurs at non-ribbon-type synapses. Here we used genetically encoded fluorescent pH indicators to examine cleft pH at conventional neuronal synapses. At the neuromuscular junction of female Drosophila larvae, we observed alkaline spikes of over 1 log unit during fictive locomotion in vivo. Ex vivo, single action potentials evoked alkalinizing pH transients of only ∼0.01 log unit, but these transients summated rapidly during burst firing. A chemical pH indicator targeted to the cleft corroborated these findings. Cleft pH transients were dependent on Ca2+ movement across the postsynaptic membrane, rather than neurotransmitter release per se, a result consistent with cleft alkalinization being driven by the Ca2+/H+ antiporting activity of the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase at the postsynaptic membrane. Targeting the pH indicators to the microenvironment of the presynaptic voltage gated Ca2+ channels revealed that alkalinization also occurred within the cleft proper at the active zone and not just within extrasynaptic regions. Application of the pH indicators at the mouse calyx of Held, a mammalian central synapse, similarly revealed cleft alkalinization during burst firing in both males and females. These findings, made at two quite different non-ribbon type synapses, suggest that cleft alkalinization during neurotransmission, rather than acidification, is a generalizable phenomenon across conventional neuronal synapses.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurotransmission is highly sensitive to the pH of the extracellular milieu. This is readily evident in the neurological symptoms that accompany systemic acid/base imbalances. Imaging data from sensory ribbon-type synapses show that neurotransmission itself can acidify the synaptic cleft, likely due to the corelease of protons and glutamate. It is not clear whether the same phenomenon occurs at conventional neuronal synapses due to the difficulties in collecting such data. If it does occur, it would provide for an additional layer of activity-dependent modulation of neurotransmission. Our findings of alkalinization, rather than acidification, within the cleft of two different neuronal synapses encourages a reassessment of the scope of activity-dependent pH influences on neurotransmission and short-term synaptic plasticity.
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Contini D, Holstein GR, Art JJ. Synaptic cleft microenvironment influences potassium permeation and synaptic transmission in hair cells surrounded by calyx afferents in the turtle. J Physiol 2019; 598:853-889. [PMID: 31623011 DOI: 10.1113/jp278680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS In central regions of vestibular semicircular canal epithelia, the [K+ ] in the synaptic cleft ([K+ ]c ) contributes to setting the hair cell and afferent membrane potentials; the potassium efflux from type I hair cells results from the interdependent gating of three conductances. Elevation of [K+ ]c occurs through a calcium-activated potassium conductance, GBK , and a low-voltage-activating delayed rectifier, GK(LV) , that activates upon elevation of [K+ ]c . Calcium influx that enables quantal transmission also activates IBK , an effect that can be blocked internally by BAPTA, and externally by a CaV 1.3 antagonist or iberiotoxin. Elevation of [K+ ]c or chelation of [Ca2+ ]c linearizes the GK(LV) steady-state I-V curve, suggesting that the outward rectification observed for GK(LV) may result largely from a potassium-sensitive relief of Ca2+ inactivation of the channel pore selectivity filter. Potassium sensitivity of hair cell and afferent conductances allows three modes of transmission: quantal, ion accumulation and resistive coupling to be multiplexed across the synapse. ABSTRACT In the vertebrate nervous system, ions accumulate in diffusion-limited synaptic clefts during ongoing activity. Such accumulation can be demonstrated at large appositions such as the hair cell-calyx afferent synapses present in central regions of the turtle vestibular semicircular canal epithelia. Type I hair cells influence discharge rates in their calyx afferents by modulating the potassium concentration in the synaptic cleft, [K+ ]c , which regulates potassium-sensitive conductances in both hair cell and afferent. Dual recordings from synaptic pairs have demonstrated that, despite a decreased driving force due to potassium accumulation, hair cell depolarization elicits sustained outward currents in the hair cell, and a maintained inward current in the afferent. We used kinetic and pharmacological dissection of the hair cell conductances to understand the interdependence of channel gating and permeation in the context of such restricted extracellular spaces. Hair cell depolarization leads to calcium influx and activation of a large calcium-activated potassium conductance, GBK , that can be blocked by agents that disrupt calcium influx or buffer the elevation of [Ca2+ ]i , as well as by the specific KCa 1.1 blocker iberiotoxin. Efflux of K+ through GBK can rapidly elevate [K+ ]c , which speeds the activation and slows the inactivation and deactivation of a second potassium conductance, GK(LV) . Elevation of [K+ ]c or chelation of [Ca2+ ]c linearizes the GK(LV) steady-state I-V curve, consistent with a K+ -dependent relief of Ca2+ inactivation of GK(LV) . As a result, this potassium-sensitive hair cell conductance pairs with the potassium-sensitive hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (HCN) conductance in the afferent and creates resistive coupling at the synaptic cleft.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Contini
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, 808 S. Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Gay R Holstein
- Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Jonathan J Art
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, 808 S. Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
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24
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Uchitel OD, González Inchauspe C, Weissmann C. Synaptic signals mediated by protons and acid-sensing ion channels. Synapse 2019; 73:e22120. [PMID: 31180161 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular pH changes may constitute significant signals for neuronal communication. During synaptic transmission, changes in pH in the synaptic cleft take place. Its role in the regulation of presynaptic Ca2+ currents through multivesicular release in ribbon-type synapses is a proven phenomenon. In recent years, protons have been recognized as neurotransmitters that participate in neuronal communication in synapses of several regions of the CNS such as amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and brainstem. Protons are released by nerve stimulation and activate postsynaptic acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). Several types of ASIC channels are expressed in the peripheral and central nervous system. The influx of Ca2+ through some subtypes of ASICs, as a result of synaptic transmission, agrees with the participation of ASICs in synaptic plasticity. Pharmacological and genetical inhibition of ASIC1a results in alterations in learning, memory, and phenomena like fear and cocaine-seeking behavior. The recognition of endogenous molecules, such as arachidonic acid, cytokines, histamine, spermine, lactate, and neuropeptides, capable of inhibiting or potentiating ASICs suggests the existence of mechanisms of synaptic modulation that have not yet been fully identified and that could be tuned by new emerging pharmacological compounds with potential therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvaldo D Uchitel
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular "Dr. Héctor Maldonado", Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE) CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, (C1428EGA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlota González Inchauspe
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular "Dr. Héctor Maldonado", Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE) CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, (C1428EGA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carina Weissmann
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular "Dr. Héctor Maldonado", Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE) CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, (C1428EGA), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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25
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Wan G, Ji L, Schrepfer T, Gong S, Wang GP, Corfas G. Synaptopathy as a Mechanism for Age-Related Vestibular Dysfunction in Mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:156. [PMID: 31293415 PMCID: PMC6606700 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related decline of inner ear function contributes to both hearing loss and balance disorders, which lead to impaired quality of life and falls that can result in injury and even death. The cellular mechanisms responsible for the ear's functional decline have been controversial, but hair cell loss has been considered the key cause for a long time. However, recent studies showed that in the cochlea, loss of inner hair cell (IHC) synapses precedes hair cell or neuronal loss, and this synaptopathy is an early step in the functional decline. Whether a similar process occurs in the vestibular organ, its timing and its relationship to organ dysfunction remained unknown. We compared the time course of age-related deterioration in vestibular and cochlear functions in mice as well as characterized the age-associated changes in their utricles at the histological level. We found that in the mouse, as in humans, age-related decline in vestibular evoked potentials (VsEPs) occurs later than hearing loss. As in the cochlea, deterioration of VsEPs correlates with the loss of utricular ribbon synapses but not hair cells or neuronal cell bodies. Furthermore, the age-related synaptic loss is restricted to calyceal innervations in the utricular extrastriolar region. Hence, our findings suggest that loss of extrastriolar calyceal synapses has a key role in age-related vestibular dysfunction (ARVD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Wan
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingchao Ji
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Thomas Schrepfer
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Sihao Gong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guo-Peng Wang
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Gabriel Corfas
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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26
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Efferent Inputs Are Required for Normal Function of Vestibular Nerve Afferents. J Neurosci 2019; 39:6922-6935. [PMID: 31285300 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0237-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A group of vestibular afferent nerve fibers with irregular-firing resting discharges are thought to play a prominent role in responses to fast head movements and vestibular plasticity. We show that, in C57BL/6 mice (either sex, 4-5 weeks old), normal activity in the efferent vestibular pathway is required for function of these irregular afferents. Thermal inhibition of efferent fibers results in a profound inhibition of irregular afferents' resting discharges, rendering them inadequate for signaling head movements. In this way, efferent inputs adjust the contribution of the peripheral irregular afferent pathway that plays a critical role in peripheral vestibular signaling and plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Vestibular end organs in the inner ear receive efferent inputs from the brainstem. Previously, electrical stimulation of efferents was linked to an increase in resting discharges of afferents and a decrease in their sensitivities. Here, we show that localized thermal inhibition of unmyelinated efferents results in a significant decrease in the activity of afferent nerve fibers, particularly those with irregular resting discharges implicated in responses to fast head movements and vestibular compensation. Thus, by upregulating and downregulating of afferent firing, particularly irregular afferents, efferents adjust neural activity sensitive to rapid head movements. These findings support the notion that peripheral vestibular end organs are not passive transducers of head movements and their sensory signal transmission is modulated by efferent inputs.
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27
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Mango D, Nisticò R. Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 1a Is Involved in N-Methyl D-Aspartate Receptor-Dependent Long-Term Depression in the Hippocampus. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:555. [PMID: 31178731 PMCID: PMC6537656 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), members of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel superfamily, are largely expressed in the mammalian nervous system. ASIC1a is highly permeable to Ca2+ and are involved in many physiological processes, including synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. To clarify the role of ASIC1a in synaptic transmission and plasticity, we investigated N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent long-term depression (LTD) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. We found that: (1) ASIC1a mediates a component of ASIC1a excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs); (2) ASIC1a plays a role in electrical LTD induced by LFS protocol both in P13-18 and P30-40 animals; (3) ASIC1a is involved in chemical LTD induced by brief bath application of NMDA both in P13-18 and P30-40 animals; and finally (4) a functional interaction between ASIC1a and NMDA receptors occurs during LTD. These findings suggest a new role for ASIC1a in specific forms of synaptic plasticity in the mouse hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mango
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - R Nisticò
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology, School of Pharmacy, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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28
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Rabbitt RD. Semicircular canal biomechanics in health and disease. J Neurophysiol 2019; 121:732-755. [PMID: 30565972 PMCID: PMC6520623 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00708.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The semicircular canals are responsible for sensing angular head motion in three-dimensional space and for providing neural inputs to the central nervous system (CNS) essential for agile mobility, stable vision, and autonomic control of the cardiovascular and other gravity-sensitive systems. Sensation relies on fluid mechanics within the labyrinth to selectively convert angular head acceleration into sensory hair bundle displacements in each of three inner ear sensory organs. Canal afferent neurons encode the direction and time course of head movements over a broad range of movement frequencies and amplitudes. Disorders altering canal mechanics result in pathological inputs to the CNS, often leading to debilitating symptoms. Vestibular disorders and conditions with mechanical substrates include benign paroxysmal positional nystagmus, direction-changing positional nystagmus, alcohol positional nystagmus, caloric nystagmus, Tullio phenomena, and others. Here, the mechanics of angular motion transduction and how it contributes to neural encoding by the semicircular canals is reviewed in both health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. D. Rabbitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Neuroscience Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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29
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Eatock RA. Specializations for Fast Signaling in the Amniote Vestibular Inner Ear. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 58:341-350. [PMID: 29920589 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During rapid locomotion, the vestibular inner ear provides head-motion signals that stabilize posture, gaze, and heading. Afferent nerve fibers from central and peripheral zones of vestibular sensory epithelia use temporal and rate encoding, respectively, to emphasize different aspects of head motion: central afferents adapt faster to sustained head position and favor higher stimulus frequencies, reflecting specializations at each stage from motion of the accessory structure to spike propagation to the brain. One specialization in amniotes is an unusual nonquantal synaptic mechanism by which type I hair cells transmit to large calyceal terminals of afferent neurons. The reduced synaptic delay of this mechanism may have evolved to serve reliable and fast input to reflex pathways that ensure stable locomotion on land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Anne Eatock
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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30
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Pangrsic T, Singer JH, Koschak A. Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels: Key Players in Sensory Coding in the Retina and the Inner Ear. Physiol Rev 2019; 98:2063-2096. [PMID: 30067155 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00030.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium influx through voltage-gated Ca (CaV) channels is the first step in synaptic transmission. This review concerns CaV channels at ribbon synapses in primary sense organs and their specialization for efficient coding of stimuli in the physical environment. Specifically, we describe molecular, biochemical, and biophysical properties of the CaV channels in sensory receptor cells of the retina, cochlea, and vestibular apparatus, and we consider how such properties might change over the course of development and contribute to synaptic plasticity. We pay particular attention to factors affecting the spatial arrangement of CaV channels at presynaptic, ribbon-type active zones, because the spatial relationship between CaV channels and release sites has been shown to affect synapse function critically in a number of systems. Finally, we review identified synaptopathies affecting sensory systems and arising from dysfunction of L-type, CaV1.3, and CaV1.4 channels or their protein modulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Pangrsic
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Joshua H Singer
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Alexandra Koschak
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Albert Fuchs
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Ross Research 818, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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32
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Calyx junction dismantlement and synaptic uncoupling precede hair cell extrusion in the vestibular sensory epithelium during sub-chronic 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile ototoxicity in the mouse. Arch Toxicol 2018; 93:417-434. [PMID: 30377733 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-018-2339-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The cellular and molecular events that precede hair cell (HC) loss in the vestibular epithelium during chronic ototoxic exposure have not been widely studied. To select a study model, we compared the effects of sub-chronic exposure to different concentrations of 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) in the drinking water of two strains of mice and of both sexes. In subsequent experiments, male 129S1/SvImJ mice were exposed to 30 mM IDPN for 5 or 8 weeks; animals were euthanized at the end of the exposure or after a washout period of 13 weeks. In behavioral tests, IDPN mice showed progressive vestibular dysfunction followed by recovery during washout. In severely affected animals, light and electron microscopy observations of the vestibular epithelia revealed HC extrusion towards the endolymphatic cavity. Comparison of functional and ultrastructural data indicated that animals with fully reversible dysfunction did not have significant HC loss or stereociliary damage, but reversible dismantlement of the calyceal junctions that characterize the contact between type I HCs (HCI) and their calyx afferents. Immunofluorescent analysis revealed the loss of calyx junction proteins, Caspr1 and Tenascin-C, during exposure and their recovery during washout. Synaptic uncoupling was also recorded, with loss of pre-synaptic Ribeye and post-synaptic GluA2 puncta, and differential reversibility among the three different kinds of synaptic contacts existing in the epithelium. qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that some of these changes are at least in part explained by gene expression modifications. We concluded that calyx junction dismantlement and synaptic uncoupling are early events in the mouse vestibular sensory epithelium during sub-chronic IDPN ototoxicity.
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33
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Soto E, Ortega-Ramírez A, Vega R. Protons as Messengers of Intercellular Communication in the Nervous System. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:342. [PMID: 30364044 PMCID: PMC6191491 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, evidence demonstrating that protons (H+) constitute a complex, regulated intercellular signaling mechanisms are presented. Given that pH is a strictly regulated variable in multicellular organisms, localized extracellular pH changes may constitute significant signals of cellular processes that occur in a cell or a group of cells. Several studies have demonstrated that the low pH of synaptic vesicles implies that neurotransmitter release is always accompanied by the co-release of H+ into the synaptic cleft, leading to transient extracellular pH shifts. Also, evidence has accumulated indicating that extracellular H+ concentration regulation is complex and implies a source of protons in a network of transporters, ion exchangers, and buffer capacity of the media that may finally establish the extracellular proton concentration. The activation of membrane transporters, increased production of CO2 and of metabolites, such as lactate, produce significant extracellular pH shifts in nano- and micro-domains in the central nervous system (CNS), constituting a reliable signal for intercellular communication. The acid sensing ion channels (ASIC) function as specific signal sensors of proton signaling mechanism, detecting subtle variations of extracellular H+ in a range varying from pH 5 to 8. The main question in relation to this signaling system is whether it is only synaptically restricted, or a volume modulator of neuron excitability. This signaling system may have evolved from a metabolic activity detection mechanism to a highly localized extracellular proton dependent communication mechanism. In this study, evidence showing the mechanisms of regulation of extracellular pH shifts and of the ASICs and its function in modulating the excitability in various systems is reviewed, including data and its role in synaptic neurotransmission, volume transmission and even segregated neurotransmission, leading to a reliable extracellular signaling mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Soto
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | | | - Rosario Vega
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
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34
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Du J, Price MP, Taugher RJ, Grigsby D, Ash JJ, Stark AC, Hossain Saad MZ, Singh K, Mandal J, Wemmie JA, Welsh MJ. Transient acidosis while retrieving a fear-related memory enhances its lability. eLife 2017; 6:e22564. [PMID: 28650315 PMCID: PMC5484615 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Attenuating the strength of fearful memories could benefit people disabled by memories of past trauma. Pavlovian conditioning experiments indicate that a retrieval cue can return a conditioned aversive memory to a labile state. However, means to enhance retrieval and render a memory more labile are unknown. We hypothesized that augmenting synaptic signaling during retrieval would increase memory lability. To enhance synaptic transmission, mice inhaled CO2 to induce an acidosis and activate acid sensing ion channels. Transient acidification increased the retrieval-induced lability of an aversive memory. The labile memory could then be weakened by an extinction protocol or strengthened by reconditioning. Coupling CO2 inhalation to retrieval increased activation of amygdala neurons bearing the memory trace and increased the synaptic exchange from Ca2+-impermeable to Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors. The results suggest that transient acidosis during retrieval renders the memory of an aversive event more labile and suggest a strategy to modify debilitating memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyang Du
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, United States
| | - Margaret P Price
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Rebecca J Taugher
- Department of Psychiatry, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Daniel Grigsby
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Jamison J Ash
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Austin C Stark
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | | | - Kritika Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, United States
| | - Juthika Mandal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, United States
| | - John A Wemmie
- Department of Psychiatry, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Michael J Welsh
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Roy J and Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
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35
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Kirk ME, Meredith FL, Benke TA, Rennie KJ. AMPA receptor-mediated rapid EPSCs in vestibular calyx afferents. J Neurophysiol 2017; 117:2312-2323. [PMID: 28298303 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00394.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the vestibular periphery neurotransmission between hair cells and primary afferent nerves occurs via specialized ribbon synapses. Type I vestibular hair cells (HCIs) make synaptic contacts with calyx terminals, which enclose most of the HCI basolateral surface. To probe synaptic transmission, whole cell patch-clamp recordings were made from calyx afferent terminals isolated together with their mature HCIs from gerbil crista. Neurotransmitter release was measured as excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in voltage clamp. Spontaneous EPSCs were classified as simple or complex. Simple events exhibited a rapid rise time and a fast monoexponential decay (time constant < 1 ms). The remaining events, constituting ~40% of EPSCs, showed more complex characteristics. Extracellular Sr2+ greatly increased EPSC frequency, and EPSCs were blocked by the AMPA receptor blocker NBQX. The role of presynaptic Ca2+ channels was assessed by application of the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine (20 µM), which reduced EPSC frequency. In contrast, the L-type Ca2+ channel opener BAY K 8644 increased EPSC frequency. Cyclothiazide increased the decay time constant of averaged simple EPSCs by approximately twofold. The low-affinity AMPA receptor antagonist γ-d-glutamylglycine (2 mM) reduced the proportion of simple EPSCs relative to complex events, indicating glutamate accumulation in the restricted cleft between HCI and calyx. In crista slices EPSC frequency was greater in central compared with peripheral calyces, which may be due to greater numbers of presynaptic ribbons in central hair cells. Our data support a role for L-type Ca2+ channels in spontaneous release and demonstrate regional variations in AMPA-mediated quantal transmission at the calyx synapse.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In vestibular calyx terminals of mature cristae we find that the majority of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) are rapid monophasic events mediated by AMPA receptors. Spontaneous EPSCs are reduced by an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker and notably enhanced in extracellular Sr2+ EPSC frequency is greater in central areas of the crista compared with peripheral areas and may be associated with more numerous presynaptic ribbons in central hair cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Kirk
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Frances L Meredith
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Timothy A Benke
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado.,Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Katherine J Rennie
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; .,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; and
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Chiacchiaretta M, Latifi S, Bramini M, Fadda M, Fassio A, Benfenati F, Cesca F. Neuronal hyperactivity causes Na +/H + exchanger-induced extracellular acidification at active synapses. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:1435-1449. [PMID: 28254883 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.198564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular pH impacts on neuronal activity, which is in turn an important determinant of extracellular H+ concentration. The aim of this study was to describe the spatio-temporal dynamics of extracellular pH at synaptic sites during neuronal hyperexcitability. To address this issue we created ex.E2GFP, a membrane-targeted extracellular ratiometric pH indicator that is exquisitely sensitive to acidic shifts. By monitoring ex.E2GFP fluorescence in real time in primary cortical neurons, we were able to quantify pH fluctuations during network hyperexcitability induced by convulsant drugs or high-frequency electrical stimulation. Sustained hyperactivity caused a pH decrease that was reversible upon silencing of neuronal activity and located at active synapses. This acidic shift was not attributable to the outflow of synaptic vesicle H+ into the cleft nor to the activity of membrane-exposed H+ V-ATPase, but rather to the activity of the Na+/H+-exchanger. Our data demonstrate that extracellular synaptic pH shifts take place during epileptic-like activity of neural cultures, emphasizing the strict links existing between synaptic activity and synaptic pH. This evidence may contribute to the understanding of the physio-pathological mechanisms associated with hyperexcitability in the epileptic brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Chiacchiaretta
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Shahrzad Latifi
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Mattia Bramini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Manuela Fadda
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Anna Fassio
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Fabrizia Cesca
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy
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37
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Holmes WR, Huwe JA, Williams B, Rowe MH, Peterson EH. Models of utricular bouton afferents: role of afferent-hair cell connectivity in determining spike train regularity. J Neurophysiol 2017; 117:1969-1986. [PMID: 28202575 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00895.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Vestibular bouton afferent terminals in turtle utricle can be categorized into four types depending on their location and terminal arbor structure: lateral extrastriolar (LES), striolar, juxtastriolar, and medial extrastriolar (MES). The terminal arbors of these afferents differ in surface area, total length, collecting area, number of boutons, number of bouton contacts per hair cell, and axon diameter (Huwe JA, Logan CJ, Williams B, Rowe MH, Peterson EH. J Neurophysiol 113: 2420-2433, 2015). To understand how differences in terminal morphology and the resulting hair cell inputs might affect afferent response properties, we modeled representative afferents from each region, using reconstructed bouton afferents. Collecting area and hair cell density were used to estimate hair cell-to-afferent convergence. Nonmorphological features were held constant to isolate effects of afferent structure and connectivity. The models suggest that all four bouton afferent types are electrotonically compact and that excitatory postsynaptic potentials are two to four times larger in MES afferents than in other afferents, making MES afferents more responsive to low input levels. The models also predict that MES and LES terminal structures permit higher spontaneous firing rates than those in striola and juxtastriola. We found that differences in spike train regularity are not a consequence of differences in peripheral terminal structure, per se, but that a higher proportion of multiple contacts between afferents and individual hair cells increases afferent firing irregularity. The prediction that afferents having primarily one bouton contact per hair cell will fire more regularly than afferents making multiple bouton contacts per hair cell has implications for spike train regularity in dimorphic and calyx afferents.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Bouton afferents in different regions of turtle utricle have very different morphologies and afferent-hair cell connectivities. Highly detailed computational modeling provides insights into how morphology impacts excitability and also reveals a new explanation for spike train irregularity based on relative numbers of multiple bouton contacts per hair cell. This mechanism is independent of other proposed mechanisms for spike train irregularity based on ionic conductances and can explain irregularity in dimorphic units and calyx endings.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Holmes
- Department of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Janice A Huwe
- Department of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Barbara Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Michael H Rowe
- Department of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
| | - Ellengene H Peterson
- Department of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
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Mango D, Braksator E, Battaglia G, Marcelli S, Mercuri NB, Feligioni M, Nicoletti F, Bashir ZI, Nisticò R. Acid-sensing ion channel 1a is required for mGlu receptor dependent long-term depression in the hippocampus. Pharmacol Res 2017; 119:12-19. [PMID: 28137639 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), members of the degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel superfamily, are widely distributed in the mammalian nervous system. ASIC1a is highly permeable to Ca2+ and are thought to be important in a variety of physiological processes, including synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. To further understand the role of ASIC1a in synaptic transmission and plasticity, we investigated metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor-dependent long-term depression (LTD) in the hippocampus. We found that ASIC1a channels mediate a component of LTD in P30-40 animals, since the ASIC1a selective blocker psalmotoxin-1 (PcTx1) reduced the magnitude of LTD induced by application of the group I mGlu receptor agonist (S)-3,5-Dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) or induced by paired-pulse low frequency stimulation (PP-LFS). Conversely, PcTx1 did not affect LTD in P13-18 animals. We also provide evidence that ASIC1a is involved in group I mGlu receptor-induced increase in action potential firing. However, blockade of ASIC1a did not affect DHPG-induced polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis, suggesting the involvement of some other molecular partners in the functional crosstalk between ASIC1a and group I mGlu receptors. Notably, PcTx1 was able to prevent the increase in GluA1 S845 phosphorylation at the post-synaptic membrane induced by group I mGlu receptor activation. These findings suggest a novel function of ASIC1a channels in the regulation of group I mGlu receptor synaptic plasticity and intrinsic excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mango
- European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome, Italy.
| | - E Braksator
- University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | | | - S Marcelli
- European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome, Italy; Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - N B Mercuri
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; I.R.C.C.S. Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - M Feligioni
- European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome, Italy; Casa Cura Policlinico (CCP), Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Milan, Italy
| | - F Nicoletti
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy; Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Z I Bashir
- University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - R Nisticò
- European Brain Research Institute, Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, Rome, Italy; University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
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Contini D, Price SD, Art JJ. Accumulation of K + in the synaptic cleft modulates activity by influencing both vestibular hair cell and calyx afferent in the turtle. J Physiol 2016; 595:777-803. [PMID: 27633787 DOI: 10.1113/jp273060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS In the synaptic cleft between type I hair cells and calyceal afferents, K+ ions accumulate as a function of activity, dynamically altering the driving force and permeation through ion channels facing the synaptic cleft. High-fidelity synaptic transmission is possible due to large conductances that minimize hair cell and afferent time constants in the presence of significant membrane capacitance. Elevated potassium maintains hair cells near a potential where transduction currents are sufficient to depolarize them to voltages necessary for calcium influx and synaptic vesicle fusion. Elevated potassium depolarizes the postsynaptic afferent by altering ion permeation through hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, and contributes to depolarizing the afferent to potentials where a single EPSP (quantum) can generate an action potential. With increased stimulation, hair cell depolarization increases the frequency of quanta released, elevates [K+ ]cleft and depolarizes the afferent to potentials at which smaller and smaller EPSPs would be sufficient to trigger APs. ABSTRACT Fast neurotransmitters act in conjunction with slower modulatory effectors that accumulate in restricted synaptic spaces found at giant synapses such as the calyceal endings in the auditory and vestibular systems. Here, we used dual patch-clamp recordings from turtle vestibular hair cells and their afferent neurons to show that potassium ions accumulating in the synaptic cleft modulated membrane potentials and extended the range of information transfer. High-fidelity synaptic transmission was possible due to large conductances that minimized hair cell and afferent time constants in the presence of significant membrane capacitance. Increased potassium concentration in the cleft maintained the hair cell near potentials that promoted the influx of calcium necessary for synaptic vesicle fusion. The elevated potassium concentration also depolarized the postsynaptic neuron by altering ion permeation through hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. This depolarization enabled the afferent to reliably generate action potentials evoked by single AMPA-dependent EPSPs. Depolarization of the postsynaptic afferent could also elevate potassium in the synaptic cleft, and would depolarize other hair cells enveloped by the same neuritic process increasing the fidelity of neurotransmission at those synapses as well. Collectively, these data demonstrate that neuronal activity gives rise to potassium accumulation, and suggest that potassium ion action on HCN channels can modulate neurotransmission, preserving the fidelity of high-speed synaptic transmission by dynamically shifting the resting potentials of both presynaptic and postsynaptic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Contini
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Steven D Price
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Jonathan J Art
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
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40
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Boscardin E, Alijevic O, Hummler E, Frateschi S, Kellenberger S. The function and regulation of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC): IUPHAR Review 19. Br J Pharmacol 2016; 173:2671-701. [PMID: 27278329 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC) are both members of the ENaC/degenerin family of amiloride-sensitive Na(+) channels. ASICs act as proton sensors in the nervous system where they contribute, besides other roles, to fear behaviour, learning and pain sensation. ENaC mediates Na(+) reabsorption across epithelia of the distal kidney and colon and of the airways. ENaC is a clinically used drug target in the context of hypertension and cystic fibrosis, while ASIC is an interesting potential target. Following a brief introduction, here we will review selected aspects of ASIC and ENaC function. We discuss the origin and nature of pH changes in the brain and the involvement of ASICs in synaptic signalling. We expose how in the peripheral nervous system, ASICs cover together with other ion channels a wide pH range as proton sensors. We introduce the mechanisms of aldosterone-dependent ENaC regulation and the evidence for an aldosterone-independent control of ENaC activity, such as regulation by dietary K(+) . We then provide an overview of the regulation of ENaC by proteases, a topic of increasing interest over the past few years. In spite of the profound differences in the physiological and pathological roles of ASICs and ENaC, these channels share many basic functional and structural properties. It is likely that further research will identify physiological contexts in which ASICs and ENaC have similar or overlapping roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Boscardin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Omar Alijevic
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Edith Hummler
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Channeling your inner ear potassium: K+ channels in vestibular hair cells. Hear Res 2016; 338:40-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Warren TJ, Van Hook MJ, Supuran CT, Thoreson WB. Sources of protons and a role for bicarbonate in inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells to cones in Ambystoma tigrinum retina. J Physiol 2016; 594:6661-6677. [PMID: 27345444 DOI: 10.1113/jp272533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS In the vertebrate retina, photoreceptors influence the signalling of neighbouring photoreceptors through lateral-inhibitory interactions mediated by horizontal cells (HCs). These interactions create antagonistic centre-surround receptive fields important for detecting edges and generating chromatically opponent responses in colour vision. The mechanisms responsible for inhibitory feedback from HCs involve changes in synaptic cleft pH that modulate photoreceptor calcium currents. However, the sources of synaptic protons involved in feedback and the mechanisms for their removal from the cleft when HCs hyperpolarize to light remain unknown. Our results indicate that Na+ -H+ exchangers are the principal source of synaptic cleft protons involved in HC feedback but that synaptic cleft alkalization during light-evoked hyperpolarization of HCs also involves changes in bicarbonate transport across the HC membrane. In addition to delineating processes that establish lateral inhibition in the retina, these results contribute to other evidence showing the key role for pH in regulating synaptic signalling throughout the nervous system. ABSTRACT Lateral-inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells (HCs) to photoreceptors involves changes in synaptic cleft pH accompanying light-evoked changes in HC membrane potential. We analysed HC to cone feedback by studying surround-evoked light responses of cones and by obtaining paired whole cell recordings from cones and HCs in salamander retina. We tested three potential sources for synaptic cleft protons: (1) generation by extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA), (2) release from acidic synaptic vesicles and (3) Na+ /H+ exchangers (NHEs). Neither antagonizing extracellular CA nor blocking loading of protons into synaptic vesicles eliminated feedback. However, feedback was eliminated when extracellular Na+ was replaced with choline and significantly reduced by an NHE inhibitor, cariporide. Depriving NHEs of intracellular protons by buffering HC cytosol with a pH 9.2 pipette solution eliminated feedback, whereas alkalinizing the cone cytosol did not, suggesting that HCs are a major source for protons in feedback. We also examined mechanisms for changing synaptic cleft pH in response to changes in HC membrane potential. Increasing the trans-membrane proton gradient by lowering the extracellular pH from 7.8 to 7.4 to 7.1 strengthened feedback. While maintaining constant extracellular pH with 1 mm HEPES, removal of bicarbonate abolished feedback. Elevating intracellular bicarbonate levels within HCs prevented this loss of feedback. A bicarbonate transport inhibitor, 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid (DIDS), also blocked feedback. Together, these results suggest that NHEs are the primary source of extracellular protons in HC feedback but that changes in cleft pH accompanying changes in HC membrane voltage also require bicarbonate flux across the HC membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted J Warren
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- University of Florence, Neurofarba Department, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
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Hight AE, Kalluri R. A biophysical model examining the role of low-voltage-activated potassium currents in shaping the responses of vestibular ganglion neurons. J Neurophysiol 2016; 116:503-21. [PMID: 27121577 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00107.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The vestibular nerve is characterized by two broad groups of neurons that differ in the timing of their interspike intervals; some fire at highly regular intervals, whereas others fire at highly irregular intervals. Heterogeneity in ion channel properties has been proposed as shaping these firing patterns (Highstein SM, Politoff AL. Brain Res 150: 182-187, 1978; Smith CE, Goldberg JM. Biol Cybern 54: 41-51, 1986). Kalluri et al. (J Neurophysiol 104: 2034-2051, 2010) proposed that regularity is controlled by the density of low-voltage-activated potassium currents (IKL). To examine the impact of IKL on spike timing regularity, we implemented a single-compartment model with three conductances known to be present in the vestibular ganglion: transient sodium (gNa), low-voltage-activated potassium (gKL), and high-voltage-activated potassium (gKH). Consistent with in vitro observations, removing gKL depolarized resting potential, increased input resistance and membrane time constant, and converted current step-evoked firing patterns from transient (1 spike at current onset) to sustained (many spikes). Modeled neurons were driven with a time-varying synaptic conductance that captured the random arrival times and amplitudes of glutamate-driven synaptic events. In the presence of gKL, spiking occurred only in response to large events with fast onsets. Models without gKL exhibited greater integration by responding to the superposition of rapidly arriving events. Three synaptic conductance were modeled, each with different kinetics to represent a variety of different synaptic processes. In response to all three types of synaptic conductance, models containing gKL produced spike trains with irregular interspike intervals. Only models lacking gKL when driven by rapidly arriving small excitatory postsynaptic currents were capable of generating regular spiking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel E Hight
- Division of Communications Auditory Neuroscience, House Research Institute, Los Angeles, California; and
| | - Radha Kalluri
- Division of Communications Auditory Neuroscience, House Research Institute, Los Angeles, California; and Department of Otolaryngology, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Murugan NJ, Karbowski LM, Mekers WF, Persinger MA. Group planarian sudden mortality: Is the threshold around global geomagnetic activity ≥K6? Commun Integr Biol 2016; 8:e1095413. [PMID: 27066174 PMCID: PMC4802799 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2015.1095413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sudden deaths in groups of animals have been observed by field and laboratory biologists. We have measured mortalities in large group-housed planarian during the infrequent periods of very intense geomagnetic activity. In 13 separate episodes over the last 5 y we have observed the sudden death in our laboratory of hundreds of planarian if their density was about 1 worm per cc and the global geomagnetic activity was K≥6 the day before or the day of the observation of the mortality. Such mortality never occurred in other conditions or days. Both estimates of the "magnetic moment" of a planarian in magnetic fields above this threshold of sustained magnetic flux density as well as the magnetic energy within the planarian volume predict values that could affect phenomenon associated with the total numbers of pH-dependent charges within each worm. These conditions could affect the Levin-Burr bioelectrical signals and networks that affect patterning information and sustainability in whole living systems. The establishment of a central reservoir for the report of these transient events might allow Life Scientists to more fully appreciate the impact of these pervasive global stimuli upon dense groups of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirosha J Murugan
- Department of Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program; Quantum Molecular Biology Laboratory; Laurentian University ; Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lukasz M Karbowski
- Department of Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program; Quantum Molecular Biology Laboratory; Laurentian University ; Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - William Ft Mekers
- Department of Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program; Quantum Molecular Biology Laboratory; Laurentian University ; Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael A Persinger
- Department of Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program; Quantum Molecular Biology Laboratory; Laurentian University ; Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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Wu J, Xu Y, Jiang YQ, Xu J, Hu Y, Zha XM. ASIC subunit ratio and differential surface trafficking in the brain. Mol Brain 2016; 9:4. [PMID: 26746198 PMCID: PMC4706662 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-016-0185-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are key mediators of acidosis-induced responses in neurons. However, little is known about the relative abundance of different ASIC subunits in the brain. Such data are fundamental for interpreting the relative contribution of ASIC1a homomers and 1a/2 heteromers to acid signaling, and essential for designing therapeutic interventions to target these channels. We used a simple biochemical approach and semi-quantitatively determined the molar ratio of ASIC1a and 2 subunits in mouse brain. Further, we investigated differential surface trafficking of ASIC1a, ASIC2a, and ASIC2b. Results and conclusions ASIC1a subunits outnumber the sum of ASIC2a and ASIC2b. There is a region-specific variation in ASIC2a and 2b expression, with cerebellum and striatum expressing predominantly 2b and 2a, respectively. Further, we performed surface biotinylation and found that surface ASIC1a and ASIC2a ratio correlates with their total expression. In contrast, ASIC2b exhibits little surface presence in the brain. This result is consistent with increased co-localization of ASIC2b with an ER marker in 3T3 cells. Our data are the first semi-quantitative determination of relative subunit ratio of various ASICs in the brain. The differential surface trafficking of ASICs suggests that the main functional ASICs in the brain are ASIC1a homomers and 1a/2a heteromers. This finding provides important insights into the relative contribution of various ASIC complexes to acid signaling in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Wu
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA. .,China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebaini Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Xu
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA. .,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yu-Qing Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA. .,Department of Urology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, HeBei, China.
| | - Jiangping Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Youjia Hu
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 285 Gebaini Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Xiang-ming Zha
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, 5851 USA Dr N, MSB3074, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA.
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Abstract
Neuronal networks that are linked to the peripheral vestibular system contribute to gravitoinertial sensation, balance control, eye movement control, and autonomic function. Ascending connections to the limbic system and cerebral cortex are also important for motion perception and threat recognition, and play a role in comorbid balance and anxiety disorders. The vestibular system also shows remarkable plasticity, termed vestibular compensation. Activity in these networks is regulated by an interaction between: (1) intrinsic neurotransmitters of the inner ear, vestibular nerve, and vestibular nuclei; (2) neurotransmitters associated with thalamocortical and limbic pathways that receive projections originating in the vestibular nuclei; and (3) locus coeruleus and raphe (serotonergic and nonserotonergic) projections that influence the latter components. Because the ascending vestibular interoceptive and thalamocortical pathways include networks that influence a broad range of stress responses (endocrine and autonomic), memory consolidation, and cognitive functions, common transmitter substrates provide a basis for understanding features of acute and chronic vestibular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D Balaban
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neurobiology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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47
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González-Garrido A, Vega R, Mercado F, López IA, Soto E. Acid-Sensing Ion Channels Expression, Identity and Role in the Excitability of the Cochlear Afferent Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:483. [PMID: 26733809 PMCID: PMC4686812 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are activated by an increase in the extracellular proton concentration. There are four genes (ASIC1-4) that encode six subunits, and they are involved in diverse neuronal functions, such as mechanosensation, learning and memory, nociception, and modulation of retinal function. In this study, we characterize the ASIC currents of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). These ASIC currents are primarily carried by Na(+), exhibit fast activation and desensitization, display a pH50 of 6.2 and are blocked by amiloride, indicating that these are ASIC currents. The ASIC currents were further characterized using several pharmacological tools. Gadolinium and acetylsalicylic acid reduced these currents, and FMRFamide, zinc (at high concentrations) and N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(2-piridilmetil)-ethylenediamine increased them, indicating that functional ASICs are composed of the subunits ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3. Neomycin and streptomycin reduced the desensitization rate of the ASIC current in SGNs, indicating that ASICs may contribute to the ototoxic action of aminoglycosides. RT-PCR of the spiral ganglion revealed significant expression of all ASIC subunits. By immunohistochemistry the expression of the ASIC1a, ASIC2a, ASIC2b, and ASIC3 subunits was detected in SGNs. Although only a few SGNs exhibited action potential firing in response to an acidic stimulus, protons in the extracellular solution modulated SGN activity during sinusoidal stimulation. Our results show that protons modulate the excitability of SGNs via ASICs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosario Vega
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla, Mexico
| | - Francisco Mercado
- Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz México D.F., Mexico
| | - Iván A López
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Enrique Soto
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla, Mexico
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48
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Zeng WZ, Liu DS, Liu L, She L, Wu LJ, Xu TL. Activation of acid-sensing ion channels by localized proton transient reveals their role in proton signaling. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14125. [PMID: 26370138 PMCID: PMC4569896 DOI: 10.1038/srep14125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular transients of pH alterations likely mediate signal transduction in the nervous system. Neuronal acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) act as sensors for extracellular protons, but the mechanism underlying ASIC activation remains largely unknown. Here, we show that, following activation of a light-activated proton pump, Archaerhodopsin-3 (Arch), proton transients induced ASIC currents in both neurons and HEK293T cells co-expressing ASIC1a channels. Using chimera proteins that bridge Arch and ASIC1a by a glycine/serine linker, we found that successful coupling occurred within 15 nm distance. Furthermore, two-cell sniffer patch recording revealed that regulated release of protons through either Arch or voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 activated neighbouring cells expressing ASIC1a channels. Finally, computational modelling predicted the peak proton concentration at the intercellular interface to be at pH 6.7, which is acidic enough to activate ASICs in vivo. Our results highlight the pathophysiological role of proton signalling in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Zheng Zeng
- Discipline of Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Di-Shi Liu
- Discipline of Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Liang She
- Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Long-Jun Wu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Discipline of Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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49
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Highstein SM, Mann MA, Holstein GR, Rabbitt RD. The quantal component of synaptic transmission from sensory hair cells to the vestibular calyx. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:3827-35. [PMID: 25878150 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00055.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous and stimulus-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were recorded in calyx nerve terminals from the turtle vestibular lagena to quantify key attributes of quantal transmission at this synapse. On average, EPSC events had a magnitude of ∼ 42 pA, a rise time constant of τ(0) ∼ 229 μs, decayed to baseline with a time constant of τ(R) ∼ 690 μs, and carried ∼ 46 fC of charge. Individual EPSCs varied in magnitude and decay time constant. Variability in the EPSC decay time constant was hair cell dependent and due in part to a slow protraction of the EPSC in some cases. Variability in EPSC size was well described by an integer summation of unitary quanta, with each quanta of glutamate gating a unitary postsynaptic current of ∼ 23 pA. The unitary charge was ∼ 26 fC for EPSCs with a simple exponential decay and increased to ∼ 48 fC for EPSCs exhibiting a slow protraction. The EPSC magnitude and the number of simultaneous unitary quanta within each event increased with presynaptic stimulus intensity. During tonic hair cell depolarization, both the EPSC magnitude and event rate exhibited adaptive run down over time. Present data from a reptilian calyx are remarkably similar to noncalyceal vestibular synaptic terminals in diverse species, indicating that the skewed EPSC size distribution and multiquantal release might be an ancestral property of inner ear ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gay R Holstein
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and
| | - Richard D Rabbitt
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts; University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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50
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Tozzi A. Information processing in the CNS: a supramolecular chemistry? Cogn Neurodyn 2015; 9:463-77. [PMID: 26379797 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-015-9337-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How does central nervous system process information? Current theories are based on two tenets: (a) information is transmitted by action potentials, the language by which neurons communicate with each other-and (b) homogeneous neuronal assemblies of cortical circuits operate on these neuronal messages where the operations are characterized by the intrinsic connectivity among neuronal populations. In this view, the size and time course of any spike is stereotypic and the information is restricted to the temporal sequence of the spikes; namely, the "neural code". However, an increasing amount of novel data point towards an alternative hypothesis: (a) the role of neural code in information processing is overemphasized. Instead of simply passing messages, action potentials play a role in dynamic coordination at multiple spatial and temporal scales, establishing network interactions across several levels of a hierarchical modular architecture, modulating and regulating the propagation of neuronal messages. (b) Information is processed at all levels of neuronal infrastructure from macromolecules to population dynamics. For example, intra-neuronal (changes in protein conformation, concentration and synthesis) and extra-neuronal factors (extracellular proteolysis, substrate patterning, myelin plasticity, microbes, metabolic status) can have a profound effect on neuronal computations. This means molecular message passing may have cognitive connotations. This essay introduces the concept of "supramolecular chemistry", involving the storage of information at the molecular level and its retrieval, transfer and processing at the supramolecular level, through transitory non-covalent molecular processes that are self-organized, self-assembled and dynamic. Finally, we note that the cortex comprises extremely heterogeneous cells, with distinct regional variations, macromolecular assembly, receptor repertoire and intrinsic microcircuitry. This suggests that every neuron (or group of neurons) embodies different molecular information that hands an operational effect on neuronal computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Tozzi
- ASL Napoli 2 Nord, Distretto 45, Via Santa Chiara, 80023 Caivano, Naples, Italy
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