1
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Wang L, Mirabella VR, Dai R, Su X, Xu R, Jadali A, Bernabucci M, Singh I, Chen Y, Tian J, Jiang P, Kwan KY, Pak C, Liu C, Comoletti D, Hart RP, Chen C, Südhof TC, Pang ZP. Analyses of the autism-associated neuroligin-3 R451C mutation in human neurons reveal a gain-of-function synaptic mechanism. Mol Psychiatry 2022:10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x. [PMID: 36280753 PMCID: PMC10123180 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in many synaptic genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting that synaptic dysfunction is a key driver of ASD pathogenesis. Among these mutations, the R451C substitution in the NLGN3 gene that encodes the postsynaptic adhesion molecule Neuroligin-3 is noteworthy because it was the first specific mutation linked to ASDs. In mice, the corresponding Nlgn3 R451C-knockin mutation recapitulates social interaction deficits of ASD patients and produces synaptic abnormalities, but the impact of the NLGN3 R451C mutation on human neurons has not been investigated. Here, we generated human knockin neurons with the NLGN3 R451C and NLGN3 null mutations. Strikingly, analyses of NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons revealed that the R451C mutation decreased NLGN3 protein levels but enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses without affecting inhibitory synapses; meanwhile NLGN3 knockout neurons showed reduction in excitatory synaptic strengths. Moreover, overexpression of NLGN3 R451C recapitulated the synaptic enhancement in human neurons. Notably, the augmentation of excitatory transmission was confirmed in vivo with human neurons transplanted into mouse forebrain. Using single-cell RNA-seq experiments with co-cultured excitatory and inhibitory NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons, we identified differentially expressed genes in relatively mature human neurons corresponding to synaptic gene expression networks. Moreover, gene ontology and enrichment analyses revealed convergent gene networks associated with ASDs and other mental disorders. Our findings suggest that the NLGN3 R451C mutation induces a gain-of-function enhancement in excitatory synaptic transmission that may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Vincent R Mirabella
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Rujia Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Xiao Su
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ranjie Xu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Azadeh Jadali
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Matteo Bernabucci
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ishnoor Singh
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Jianghua Tian
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Kevin Y Kwan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, 710000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Davide Comoletti
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | - Ronald P Hart
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
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2
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Proteins related to ictogenesis and seizure clustering in chronic epilepsy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21508. [PMID: 34728717 PMCID: PMC8563854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00956-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Seizure clustering is a common phenomenon in epilepsy. Protein expression profiles during a seizure cluster might reflect the pathomechanism underlying ictogenesis. We performed proteomic analyses to identify proteins with a specific temporal expression pattern in cluster phases and to demonstrate their potential pathomechanistic role. Pilocarpine epilepsy model mice with confirmed cluster pattern of spontaneous recurrent seizures by long-term video-electroencpehalography were sacrificed at the onset, peak, or end of a seizure cluster or in the seizure-free period. Proteomic analysis was performed in the hippocampus and the cortex. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified and classified according to their temporal expression pattern. Among the five hippocampal (HC)-DEP classes, HC-class 1 (66 DEPs) represented disrupted cell homeostasis due to clustered seizures, HC-class 2 (63 DEPs) cluster-onset downregulated processes, HC-class 3 (42 DEPs) cluster-onset upregulated processes, and HC-class 4 (103 DEPs) consequences of clustered seizures. Especially, DEPs in HC-class 3 were hippocampus-specific and involved in axonogenesis, synaptic vesicle assembly, and neuronal projection, indicating their pathomechanistic roles in ictogenesis. Key proteins in HC-class 3 were highly interconnected and abundantly involved in those biological processes. This study described the seizure cluster-associated spatiotemporal regulation of protein expression. HC-class 3 provides insights regarding ictogenesis-related processes.
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3
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Xue R, Meng H, Yin J, Xia J, Hu Z, Liu H. The Role of Calmodulin vs. Synaptotagmin in Exocytosis. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:691363. [PMID: 34421537 PMCID: PMC8375295 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.691363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Exocytosis is a Ca2+-regulated process that requires the participation of Ca2+ sensors. In the 1980s, two classes of Ca2+-binding proteins were proposed as putative Ca2+ sensors: EF-hand protein calmodulin, and the C2 domain protein synaptotagmin. In the next few decades, numerous studies determined that in the final stage of membrane fusion triggered by a micromolar boost in the level of Ca2+, the low affinity Ca2+-binding protein synaptotagmin, especially synaptotagmin 1 and 2, acts as the primary Ca2+ sensor, whereas calmodulin is unlikely to be functional due to its high Ca2+ affinity. However, in the meantime emerging evidence has revealed that calmodulin is involved in the earlier exocytotic steps prior to fusion, such as vesicle trafficking, docking and priming by acting as a high affinity Ca2+ sensor activated at submicromolar level of Ca2+. Calmodulin directly interacts with multiple regulatory proteins involved in the regulation of exocytosis, including VAMP, myosin V, Munc13, synapsin, GAP43 and Rab3, and switches on key kinases, such as type II Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, to phosphorylate a series of exocytosis regulators, including syntaxin, synapsin, RIM and Ca2+ channels. Moreover, calmodulin interacts with synaptotagmin through either direct binding or indirect phosphorylation. In summary, calmodulin and synaptotagmin are Ca2+ sensors that play complementary roles throughout the process of exocytosis. In this review, we discuss the complementary roles that calmodulin and synaptotagmin play as Ca2+ sensors during exocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renhao Xue
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity & Infant Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Meng
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxiang Yin
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingyao Xia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Zhitao Hu
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Huisheng Liu
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
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4
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Park J, Park SJ, Kim S. Inositol polyphosphate multikinase deficiency leads to aberrant induction of synaptotagmin-2 in the forebrain. Mol Brain 2019; 12:58. [PMID: 31221192 PMCID: PMC6584979 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0480-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK), the key enzyme responsible for the synthesis of higher inositol polyphosphates and phosphatidylinositol 3, 4, 5-trisphosphate, is known to mediate various biological events, such as cellular growth and metabolism. Conditional deletion of IPMK in excitatory neurons of the mouse postnatal forebrain results in enhanced extinction of fear memory accompanied by activation of p85 S6 kinase 1 signaling in the amygdala; it also facilitates hippocampal long-term potentiation. However, the molecular changes triggered by IPMK deletion in the brain have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we investigated gene expression changes in the hippocampal region of IPMK conditional knockout (cKO) mice by performing genome-wide transcriptome analyses. Here we show that expression of synaptotagmin 2 (Syt2), a synaptic vesicle protein essential for Ca2+-dependent neurotransmitter release, is robustly upregulated in the forebrain of IPMKcKO mice. Compared to wild-type mice, in which weak Syt2 expression was detected in the forebrain, IPMKcKO mice showed marked increases in both Syt2 mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus as well as the amygdala. Collectively, our results suggest a physiological role for IPMK in regulating expression of Syt2, providing a potential underlying molecular mechanism to explain IPMK-mediated neural functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jina Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Seung Ju Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Seyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea. .,KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
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5
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Wrackmeyer U, Kaldrack J, Jüttner R, Pannasch U, Gimber N, Freiberg F, Purfürst B, Kainmueller D, Schmitz D, Haucke V, Rathjen FG, Gotthardt M. The cell adhesion protein CAR is a negative regulator of synaptic transmission. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6768. [PMID: 31043663 PMCID: PMC6494904 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43150-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is essential for normal electrical conductance in the heart, but its role in the postnatal brain is largely unknown. Using brain specific CAR knockout mice (KO), we discovered an unexpected role of CAR in neuronal communication. This includes increased basic synaptic transmission at hippocampal Schaffer collaterals, resistance to fatigue, and enhanced long-term potentiation. Spontaneous neurotransmitter release and speed of endocytosis are increased in KOs, accompanied by increased expression of the exocytosis associated calcium sensor synaptotagmin 2. Using proximity proteomics and binding studies, we link CAR to the exocytosis machinery as it associates with syntenin and synaptobrevin/VAMP2 at the synapse. Increased synaptic function does not cause adverse effects in KO mice, as behavior and learning are unaffected. Thus, unlike the connexin-dependent suppression of atrioventricular conduction in the cardiac knockout, communication in the CAR deficient brain is improved, suggesting a role for CAR in presynaptic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Wrackmeyer
- Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Cell Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joanna Kaldrack
- Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Cell Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - René Jüttner
- Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Cell Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.,Developmental Neurobiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Pannasch
- Neuroscience Research Center, Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Niclas Gimber
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabian Freiberg
- Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Cell Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Purfürst
- Core Facility Electron Microscopy, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dagmar Kainmueller
- Biomedical Image Analysis, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Berlin Institute of Health, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- Neuroscience Research Center, Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Volker Haucke
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz G Rathjen
- Developmental Neurobiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Gotthardt
- Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Cell Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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McGowan H, Mirabella VR, Hamod A, Karakhanyan A, Mlynaryk N, Moore JC, Tischfield JA, Hart RP, Pang ZP. hsa-let-7c miRNA Regulates Synaptic and Neuronal Function in Human Neurons. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2018; 10:19. [PMID: 30065644 PMCID: PMC6056636 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2018.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNA, including microRNA (miRNA) serves critical regulatory functions in the developing brain. The let-7 family of miRNAs has been shown to regulate neuronal differentiation, neural subtype specification, and synapse formation in animal models. However, the regulatory role of human let-7c (hsa-let-7c) in human neuronal development has yet to be examined. Let-7c is encoded on chromosome 21 in humans and therefore may be overexpressed in human brains in Trisomy 21 (T21), a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Here, we employ recent developments in stem cell biology to show that hsa-let-7c mediates important regulatory epigenetic functions that control the development and functional activity of human induced neuronal cells (iNs). We show that overexpression of hsa-let-7c in human iNs derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS), as well as embryonic stem (ES), cells leads to morphological as well as functional deficits including impaired neuronal morphologic development, synapse formation and synaptic strength, as well as a marked reduction of neuronal excitability. Importantly, we have assessed these findings over three independent genetic backgrounds, showing that some of these effects are subject to influence by background genetic variability with the most robust and reproducible effect being a striking reduction in spontaneous neural firing. Collectively, these results suggest an important function for let-7 family miRNAs in regulation of human neuronal development and raise implications for understanding the complex molecular etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as T21, where let-7c gene dosage is increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather McGowan
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Vincent R. Mirabella
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Aula Hamod
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Aziz Karakhanyan
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Nicole Mlynaryk
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jennifer C. Moore
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jay A. Tischfield
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Ronald P. Hart
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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7
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Yang Y, Liu N, He Y, Liu Y, Ge L, Zou L, Song S, Xiong W, Liu X. Improved calcium sensor GCaMP-X overcomes the calcium channel perturbations induced by the calmodulin in GCaMP. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1504. [PMID: 29666364 PMCID: PMC5904127 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03719-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
GCaMP, one popular type of genetically-encoded Ca2+ indicator, has been associated with various side-effects. Here we unveil the intrinsic problem prevailing over different versions and applications, showing that GCaMP containing CaM (calmodulin) interferes with both gating and signaling of L-type calcium channels (CaV1). GCaMP acts as an impaired apoCaM and Ca2+/CaM, both critical to CaV1, which disrupts Ca2+ dynamics and gene expression. We then design and implement GCaMP-X, by incorporating an extra apoCaM-binding motif, effectively protecting CaV1-dependent excitation–transcription coupling from perturbations. GCaMP-X resolves the problems of detrimental nuclear accumulation, acute and chronic Ca2+ dysregulation, and aberrant transcription signaling and cell morphogenesis, while still demonstrating excellent Ca2+-sensing characteristics partly inherited from GCaMP. In summary, CaM/CaV1 gating and signaling mechanisms are elucidated for GCaMP side-effects, while allowing the development of GCaMP-X to appropriately monitor cytosolic, submembrane or nuclear Ca2+, which is also expected to guide the future design of CaM-based molecular tools. The popular genetically-encoded Ca2+ indicator, GCaMP, has several side-effects. Here the authors show that GCaMP containing CaM interferes with gating and signaling of L-type calcium channels, which disrupts Ca2+ dynamics and gene expression, and develop GCaMP-X to overcome these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxiong Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 102402, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Nan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Life Sciences, Yunan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Yuanyuan He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yuxia Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Lin Ge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Linzhi Zou
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Sen Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, X-Lab for Transmembrane Signaling Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. .,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 102402, China. .,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. .,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. .,Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Education Ministry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
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8
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Chemin J, Taiakina V, Monteil A, Piazza M, Guan W, Stephens RF, Kitmitto A, Pang ZP, Dolphin AC, Perez-Reyes E, Dieckmann T, Guillemette JG, Spafford JD. Calmodulin regulates Ca v3 T-type channels at their gating brake. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:20010-20031. [PMID: 28972185 PMCID: PMC5723990 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.807925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Cav1 and Cav2) and sodium channels possess homologous CaM-binding motifs, known as IQ motifs in their C termini, which associate with calmodulin (CaM), a universal calcium sensor. Cav3 T-type channels, which serve as pacemakers of the mammalian brain and heart, lack a C-terminal IQ motif. We illustrate that T-type channels associate with CaM using co-immunoprecipitation experiments and single particle cryo-electron microscopy. We demonstrate that protostome invertebrate (LCav3) and human Cav3.1, Cav3.2, and Cav3.3 T-type channels specifically associate with CaM at helix 2 of the gating brake in the I-II linker of the channels. Isothermal titration calorimetry results revealed that the gating brake and CaM bind each other with high-nanomolar affinity. We show that the gating brake assumes a helical conformation upon binding CaM, with associated conformational changes to both CaM lobes as indicated by amide chemical shifts of the amino acids of CaM in 1H-15N HSQC NMR spectra. Intact Ca2+-binding sites on CaM and an intact gating brake sequence (first 39 amino acids of the I-II linker) were required in Cav3.2 channels to prevent the runaway gating phenotype, a hyperpolarizing shift in voltage sensitivities and faster gating kinetics. We conclude that the presence of high-nanomolar affinity binding sites for CaM at its universal gating brake and its unique form of regulation via the tuning of the voltage range of activity could influence the participation of Cav3 T-type channels in heart and brain rhythms. Our findings may have implications for arrhythmia disorders arising from mutations in the gating brake or CaM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Chemin
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | | | - Arnaud Monteil
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Michael Piazza
- Departments of Chemistry, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Wendy Guan
- Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Ashraf Kitmitto
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, United Kingdom
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
| | - Annette C Dolphin
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Perez-Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
| | | | | | - J David Spafford
- Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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9
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Zhang S, Wang X, Wang X, Shen X, Sun J, Hu X, Chen P. Sr2+has low efficiency in regulating spontaneous release at the Calyx of Held synapses. Synapse 2017; 71. [DOI: 10.1002/syn.21983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province; Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming Yunnan 650223 China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100101 China
- Kunming College of Life Science; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650204 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department of General Surgery; Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing 100053 China
| | - Xuefeng Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100101 China
| | - Jianyuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100101 China
- Center of Parkinson?s Disease; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders; Beijing 100053 China
| | - Xintian Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province; Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming Yunnan 650223 China
- Kunming College of Life Science; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650204 China
| | - Peihua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100101 China
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Synaptotagmin2 (Syt2) Drives Fast Release Redundantly with Syt1 at the Output Synapses of Parvalbumin-Expressing Inhibitory Neurons. J Neurosci 2017; 37:4604-4617. [PMID: 28363983 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3736-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons in the mammalian CNS are specialized for fast transmitter release at their output synapses. However, the Ca2+ sensor(s) used by identified inhibitory synapses, including the output synapses of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons, have only recently started to be addressed. Here, we investigated the roles of Syt1 and Syt2 at two types of fast-releasing inhibitory connections in the mammalian CNS: the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body to lateral superior olive glycinergic synapse, and the basket/stellate cell-Purkinje GABAergic synapse in the cerebellum. We used conditional and conventional knock-out (KO) mouse lines, with viral expression of Cre-recombinase and a light-activated ion channel for optical stimulation of the transduced fibers, to produce Syt1-Syt2 double KO synapses in vivo Surprisingly, we found that KO of Syt2 alone had only minor effects on evoked transmitter release, despite the clear presence of the protein in inhibitory nerve terminals revealed by immunohistochemistry. We show that Syt1 is weakly coexpressed at these inhibitory synapses and must be genetically inactivated together with Syt2 to achieve a significant reduction and desynchronization of fast release. Thus, our work identifies the functionally relevant Ca2+ sensor(s) at fast-releasing inhibitory synapses and shows that two major Syt isoforms can cooperate to mediate release at a given synaptic connection.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During synaptic transmission, the influx of Ca2+ into the presynaptic nerve terminal activates a Ca2+ sensor for vesicle fusion, a crucial step in the activity-dependent release of neurotransmitter. Synaptotagmin (Syt) proteins, and especially Syt1 and Syt2, have been identified as the Ca2+ sensor at excitatory synapses, but the Ca2+ sensor(s) at inhibitory synapses in native brain tissue are not well known. We found that both Syt1 and Syt2 need to be genetically inactivated to cause a significant reduction of activity-evoked release at two types of fast inhibitory synapses in mouse brain. Thus, we identify Syt2 as a functionally important Ca2+ sensor at fast-releasing inhibitory synapses, and show that Syt1 and Syt2 can redundantly control transmitter release at specific brain synapses.
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11
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Lipstein N, Göth M, Piotrowski C, Pagel K, Sinz A, Jahn O. Presynaptic Calmodulin targets: lessons from structural proteomics. Expert Rev Proteomics 2017; 14:223-242. [DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2017.1275966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noa Lipstein
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Melanie Göth
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Free University Berlin, Berlin & Fritz Haber Institute of the Max-Planck-Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Piotrowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Bioanalytics, Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Kevin Pagel
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Free University Berlin, Berlin & Fritz Haber Institute of the Max-Planck-Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Sinz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Bioanalytics, Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Olaf Jahn
- Proteomics Group, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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12
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Zhou X, Zhuang F, Li H, Zheng K, Hong Z, Feng W, Zhou W, Chen J. Calmodulin regulates KCNQ2 function in epilepsy. Am J Transl Res 2016; 8:5610-5618. [PMID: 28078031 PMCID: PMC5209511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is linked to mutations in KCNQ channels. KCNQ channels including KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 are enriched in neurons, regulating action potential generation and modulation. Here, we showed that properties of KCNQ2 channel in rat hippocampal cultured neurons are regulated by ubiquitous calcium sensor calmodulin. We analyzed calmodulin function on the KCNQ2 channel in both HEK293 cells and neurons. We used shRNAs to suppress expression of calmodulin protein. On the other hand, we used cDNA to over-express calmodulin in HEK293 and neuron cells. In wild type and mis-sense mutations of KCNQ2 proteins, calmodulin over-expression enhanced outward K+ current and decreased neuronal activity. Meanwhile, calmodulin knockdown reduced KCNQ2 current and increased neuronal activity, showing that hippocampal neuronal excitability is regulated by expression level of calmodulin protein. Our data suggest that calmodulin performs a major function in regulating KCNQ2 properties via direct binding to KCNQ2 protein, indicating that calmodulin could be a target of as gene therapy in epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhong Zhou
- The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’anHuai’an, China
| | - Fei Zhuang
- Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
| | - Hong Li
- Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
| | - Kun Zheng
- Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
| | - Ze Hong
- Department of Pediatrics, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
| | - Weijing Feng
- Department of Pediatrics, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
| | - Wendi Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical UniversityHuai’an, China
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13
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Sclip A, Bacaj T, Giam LR, Südhof TC. Extended Synaptotagmin (ESyt) Triple Knock-Out Mice Are Viable and Fertile without Obvious Endoplasmic Reticulum Dysfunction. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158295. [PMID: 27348751 PMCID: PMC4922586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Extended synaptotagmins (ESyts) are endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins composed of an N-terminal transmembrane region, a central SMP-domain, and five (ESyt1) or three C-terminal cytoplasmic C2-domains (ESyt2 and ESyt3). ESyts bind phospholipids in a Ca2+-dependent manner via their C2-domains, are localized to ER-plasma membrane contact sites, and may catalyze lipid exchange between the plasma membrane and the ER via their SMP-domains. However, the overall function of ESyts has remained enigmatic. Here, we generated triple constitutive and conditional knock-out mice that lack all three ESyt isoforms; in addition, we produced knock-in mice that express mutant ESyt1 or ESyt2 carrying inactivating substitutions in the Ca2+-binding sites of their C2A-domains. Strikingly, all ESyt mutant mice, even those lacking all ESyts, were apparently normal and survived and bred in a manner indistinguishable from control mice. ESyt mutant mice displayed no major changes in brain morphology or synaptic protein composition, and exhibited no large alterations in stress responses. Thus, in mice ESyts do not perform an essential role in basic cellular functions, suggesting that these highly conserved proteins may perform a specialized role that may manifest only during specific, as yet untested challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Sclip
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305–5453, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Taulant Bacaj
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305–5453, United States of America
| | - Louise R. Giam
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305–5453, United States of America
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305–5453, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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14
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Kochubey O, Babai N, Schneggenburger R. A Synaptotagmin Isoform Switch during the Development of an Identified CNS Synapse. Neuron 2016; 90:984-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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15
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Pak C, Danko T, Zhang Y, Aoto J, Anderson G, Maxeiner S, Yi F, Wernig M, Südhof TC. Human Neuropsychiatric Disease Modeling using Conditional Deletion Reveals Synaptic Transmission Defects Caused by Heterozygous Mutations in NRXN1. Cell Stem Cell 2015; 17:316-28. [PMID: 26279266 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2015.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Heterozygous mutations of the NRXN1 gene, which encodes the presynaptic cell-adhesion molecule neurexin-1, were repeatedly associated with autism and schizophrenia. However, diverse clinical presentations of NRXN1 mutations in patients raise the question of whether heterozygous NRXN1 mutations alone directly impair synaptic function. To address this question under conditions that precisely control for genetic background, we generated human ESCs with different heterozygous conditional NRXN1 mutations and analyzed two different types of isogenic control and NRXN1 mutant neurons derived from these ESCs. Both heterozygous NRXN1 mutations selectively impaired neurotransmitter release in human neurons without changing neuronal differentiation or synapse formation. Moreover, both NRXN1 mutations increased the levels of CASK, a critical synaptic scaffolding protein that binds to neurexin-1. Our results show that, unexpectedly, heterozygous inactivation of NRXN1 directly impairs synaptic function in human neurons, and they illustrate the value of this conditional deletion approach for studying the functional effects of disease-associated mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- ChangHui Pak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tamas Danko
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yingsha Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jason Aoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Garret Anderson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Fei Yi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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16
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Abstract
Synaptic vesicles release their vesicular contents to the extracellular space by Ca(2+)-triggered exocytosis. The Ca(2+)-triggered exocytotic process is regulated by synaptotagmin (Syt), a vesicular Ca(2+)-binding C2 domain protein. Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1), the most studied major isoform among 16 Syt isoforms, mediates Ca(2+)-triggered synaptic vesicle exocytosis by interacting with the target membranes and SNARE/complexin complex. In synapses of the central nervous system, synaptobrevin 2, a major vesicular SNARE protein, forms a ternary SNARE complex with the plasma membrane SNARE proteins, syntaxin 1 and SNAP25. The affinities of Ca(2+)-dependent interactions between Syt1 and its targets (i.e., SNARE complexes and membranes) are well correlated with the efficacies of the corresponding exocytotic processes. Therefore, different SNARE protein isoforms and membrane lipids, which interact with Syt1 with various affinities, are capable of regulating the efficacy of Syt1-mediated exocytosis. Otoferlin, another type of vesicular C2 domain protein that binds to the membrane in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, is also involved in the Ca(2+)-triggered synaptic vesicle exocytosis in auditory hair cells. However, the functions of otoferlin in the exocytotic process are not well understood. In addition, at least five different types of synaptic vesicle proteins such as synaptic vesicle protein 2, cysteine string protein α, rab3, synapsin, and a group of proteins containing four transmembrane regions, which includes synaptophysin, synaptogyrin, and secretory carrier membrane protein, are involved in modulating the exocytotic process by regulating the formation and trafficking of synaptic vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ok-Ho Shin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
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17
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de Jong APH, Fioravante D. Translating neuronal activity at the synapse: presynaptic calcium sensors in short-term plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:356. [PMID: 25400547 PMCID: PMC4212674 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex manner in which patterns of presynaptic neural activity are translated into short-term plasticity (STP) suggests the existence of multiple presynaptic calcium (Ca(2+)) sensors, which regulate the amplitude and time-course of STP and are the focus of this review. We describe two canonical Ca(2+)-binding protein domains (C2 domains and EF-hands) and define criteria that need to be met for a protein to qualify as a Ca(2+) sensor mediating STP. With these criteria in mind, we discuss various forms of STP and identify established and putative Ca(2+) sensors. We find that despite the multitude of proposed sensors, only three are well established in STP: Munc13, protein kinase C (PKC) and synaptotagmin-7. For putative sensors, we pinpoint open questions and potential pitfalls. Finally, we discuss how the molecular properties and modes of action of Ca(2+) sensors can explain their differential involvement in STP and shape net synaptic output.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diasynou Fioravante
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis Davis, CA, USA
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18
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Rothwell PE, Fuccillo MV, Maxeiner S, Hayton SJ, Gokce O, Lim BK, Fowler SC, Malenka RC, Südhof TC. Autism-associated neuroligin-3 mutations commonly impair striatal circuits to boost repetitive behaviors. Cell 2014; 158:198-212. [PMID: 24995986 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 332] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2013] [Revised: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In humans, neuroligin-3 mutations are associated with autism, whereas in mice, the corresponding mutations produce robust synaptic and behavioral changes. However, different neuroligin-3 mutations cause largely distinct phenotypes in mice, and no causal relationship links a specific synaptic dysfunction to a behavioral change. Using rotarod motor learning as a proxy for acquired repetitive behaviors in mice, we found that different neuroligin-3 mutations uniformly enhanced formation of repetitive motor routines. Surprisingly, neuroligin-3 mutations caused this phenotype not via changes in the cerebellum or dorsal striatum but via a selective synaptic impairment in the nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum. Here, neuroligin-3 mutations increased rotarod learning by specifically impeding synaptic inhibition onto D1-dopamine receptor-expressing but not D2-dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons. Our data thus suggest that different autism-associated neuroligin-3 mutations cause a common increase in acquired repetitive behaviors by impairing a specific striatal synapse and thereby provide a plausible circuit substrate for autism pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Rothwell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marc V Fuccillo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott J Hayton
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ozgun Gokce
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Byung Kook Lim
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stephen C Fowler
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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19
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Zhou P, Bacaj T, Yang X, Pang ZP, Südhof TC. Lipid-anchored SNAREs lacking transmembrane regions fully support membrane fusion during neurotransmitter release. Neuron 2013; 80:470-83. [PMID: 24120845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic vesicle fusion during neurotransmitter release is mediated by assembly of SNARE- and SM-protein complexes composed of syntaxin-1, SNAP-25, synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2, and Munc18-1. Current models suggest that SNARE-complex assembly catalyzes membrane fusion by pulling the transmembrane regions (TMRs) of SNARE proteins together, thus allowing their TMRs to form a fusion pore. These models are consistent with the requirement for TMRs in viral fusion proteins. However, the role of the SNARE TMRs in synaptic vesicle fusion has not yet been tested physiologically. Here, we examined whether synaptic SNAREs require TMRs for catalysis of synaptic vesicle fusion, which was monitored electrophysiologically at millisecond time resolution. Surprisingly, we find that both lipid-anchored syntaxin-1 and lipid-anchored synaptobrevin-2 lacking TMRs efficiently promoted spontaneous and Ca(2+)-triggered membrane fusion. Our data suggest that SNARE proteins function during fusion primarily as force generators, consistent with the notion that forcing lipid membranes close together suffices to induce membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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20
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Gokce O, Südhof TC. Membrane-tethered monomeric neurexin LNS-domain triggers synapse formation. J Neurosci 2013; 33:14617-28. [PMID: 24005312 PMCID: PMC3761060 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1232-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurexins are presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that bind to postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules such as neuroligins and leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins (LRRTMs). When neuroligins or LRRTMs are expressed in a nonneuronal cell, cocultured neurons avidly form heterologous synapses onto that cell. Here we show that knockdown of all neurexins in cultured hippocampal mouse neurons did not impair synapse formation between neurons, but blocked heterologous synapse formation induced by neuroligin-1 or LRRTM2. Rescue experiments demonstrated that all neurexins tested restored heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons. Neurexin-deficient neurons exhibited a decrease in the levels of the PDZ-domain protein CASK (a calcium/calmodulin-activated serine/threonine kinase), which binds to neurexins, and mutation of the PDZ-domain binding sequence of neurexin-3β blocked its transport to the neuronal surface and impaired heterologous synapse formation. However, replacement of the C-terminal neurexin sequence with an unrelated PDZ-domain binding sequence that does not bind to CASK fully restored surface transport and heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons, suggesting that no particular PDZ-domain protein is essential for neurexin surface transport or heterologous synapse formation. Further mutagenesis revealed, moreover, that the entire neurexin cytoplasmic tail was dispensable for heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons, as long as the neurexin protein was transported to the neuronal cell surface. Furthermore, the single LNS-domain (for laminin/neurexin/sex hormone-binding globulin-domain) of neurexin-1β or neurexin-3β, when tethered to the presynaptic plasma membrane by a glycosylinositolphosphate anchor, was sufficient for rescuing heterologous synapse formation in neurexin-deficient neurons. Our data suggest that neurexins mediate heterologous synapse formation via an extracellular interaction with presynaptic and postsynaptic ligands without the need for signal transduction by the neurexin cytoplasmic tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozgun Gokce
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305-5453
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California 94305-5453
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21
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Complexin activates exocytosis of distinct secretory vesicles controlled by different synaptotagmins. J Neurosci 2013; 33:1714-27. [PMID: 23345244 PMCID: PMC3711587 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4087-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Complexins are SNARE-complex binding proteins essential for the Ca(2+)-triggered exocytosis mediated by synaptotagmin-1, -2, -7, or -9, but the possible role of complexins in other types of exocytosis controlled by other synaptotagmin isoforms remains unclear. Here we show that, in mouse olfactory bulb neurons, synaptotagmin-1 localizes to synaptic vesicles and to large dense-core secretory vesicles as reported previously, whereas synaptotagmin-10 localizes to a distinct class of peptidergic secretory vesicles containing IGF-1. Both synaptotagmin-1-dependent synaptic vesicle exocytosis and synaptotagmin-10-dependent IGF-1 exocytosis were severely impaired by knockdown of complexins, demonstrating that complexin acts as a cofactor for both synaptotagmin-1 and synaptotagmin-10 despite the functional differences between these synaptotagmins. Rescue experiments revealed that only the activating but not the clamping function of complexins was required for IGF-1 exocytosis controlled by synaptotagmin-10. Thus, our data indicate that complexins are essential for activation of multiple types of Ca(2+)-induced exocytosis that are regulated by different synaptotagmin isoforms. These results suggest that different types of regulated exocytosis are mediated by similar synaptotagmin-dependent fusion mechanisms, that particular synaptotagmin isoforms confer specificity onto different types of regulated exocytosis, and that complexins serve as universal synaptotagmin adaptors for all of these types of exocytosis independent of which synaptotagmin isoform is involved.
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22
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Xu B, Chelikani P, Bhullar RP. Characterization and functional analysis of the calmodulin-binding domain of Rac1 GTPase. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42975. [PMID: 22905193 PMCID: PMC3419704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rac1, a member of the Rho family of small GTPases, has been shown to promote formation of lamellipodia at the leading edge of motile cells and affect cell migration. We previously demonstrated that calmodulin can bind to a region in the C-terminal of Rac1 and that this interaction is important in the activation of platelet Rac1. Now, we have analyzed amino acid residue(s) in the Rac1-calmodulin binding domain that are essential for the interaction and assessed their functional contribution in Rac1 activation. The results demonstrated that region 151–164 in Rac1 is essential for calmodulin binding. Within the 151–164 region, positively-charged amino acids K153 and R163 were mutated to alanine to study impact on calmodulin binding. Mutant form of Rac1 (K153A) demonstrated significantly reduced binding to calmodulin while the double mutant K153A/R163A demonstrated complete lack of binding to calmodulin. Thrombin or EGF resulted in activation of Rac1 in CHRF-288-11 or HeLa cells respectively and W7 inhibited this activation. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that higher amount of CaM was associated with Rac1 during EGF dependent activation. In cells expressing mutant forms of Rac1 (K153A or K153A/R163A), activation induced by EGF was significantly decreased in comparison to wild type or the R163A forms of Rac1. The lack of Rac1 activation in mutant forms was not due to an inability of GDP-GTP exchange or a change in subcelllular distribution. Moreover, Rac1 activation was decreased in cells where endogenous level of calmodulin was reduced using shRNA knockdown and increased in cells where calmodulin was overexpressed. Docking analysis and modeling demonstrated that K153 in Rac1 interacts with Q41 in calmodulin. These results suggest an important role for calmodulin in the activation of Rac1 and thus, in cytoskeleton reorganization and cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Xu
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Prashen Chelikani
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Rajinder P. Bhullar
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- * E-mail:
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C-terminal complexin sequence is selectively required for clamping and priming but not for Ca2+ triggering of synaptic exocytosis. J Neurosci 2012; 32:2877-85. [PMID: 22357870 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3360-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Complexins are small soluble proteins that bind to assembling SNARE complexes during synaptic vesicle exocytosis, which in turn mediates neurotransmitter release. Complexins are required for clamping of spontaneous "mini " release and for the priming and synaptotagmin-dependent Ca(2+) triggering of evoked release. Mammalian genomes encode four complexins that are composed of an N-terminal unstructured sequence that activates synaptic exocytosis, an accessory α-helix that clamps exocytosis, an essential central α-helix that binds to assembling SNARE complexes and is required for all of its functions, and a long, apparently unstructured C-terminal sequence whose function remains unclear. Here, we used cultured mouse neurons to show that the C-terminal sequence of complexin-1 is not required for its synaptotagmin-activating function but is essential for its priming and clamping functions. Wild-type complexin-3 did not clamp exocytosis but nevertheless fully primed and activated exocytosis. Strikingly, exchanging the complexin-1 C terminus for the complexin-3 C terminus abrogated clamping, whereas exchanging the complexin-3 C terminus for the complexin-1 C terminus enabled clamping. Analysis of point mutations in the complexin-1 C terminus identified two single amino-acid substitutions that impaired clamping without altering the activation function of complexin-1. Examination of release induced by stimulus trains revealed that clamping-deficient C-terminal complexin mutants produced a modest relative increase in delayed release. Overall, our results show that the relatively large C-terminal complexin-1 sequence acts in priming and clamping synaptic exocytosis and demonstrate that the clamping function is not conserved in complexin-3, presumably because of its distinct C-terminal sequences.
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Decrease in calcium concentration triggers neuronal retinoic acid synthesis during homeostatic synaptic plasticity. J Neurosci 2012; 31:17764-71. [PMID: 22159093 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3964-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Blockade of synaptic activity induces homeostatic plasticity, in part by stimulating synthesis of all-trans retinoic acid (RA), which in turn increases AMPA receptor synthesis. However, the synaptic signal that triggers RA synthesis remained unknown. Using multiple activity-blockade protocols that induce homeostatic synaptic plasticity, here we show that RA synthesis is activated whenever postsynaptic Ca(2+) entry is significantly decreased and that RA is required for upregulation of synaptic strength under these homeostatic plasticity conditions, suggesting that Ca(2+) plays an inhibitory role in RA synthesis. Consistent with this notion, we demonstrate that both transient Ca(2+) depletion by membrane-permeable Ca(2+) chelators and chronic blockage of L-type Ca(2+)-channels induces RA synthesis. Moreover, the source of dendritic Ca(2+) entry that regulates RA synthesis is not specific because mild depolarization with KCl is sufficient to reverse synaptic scaling induced by L-type Ca(2+)-channel blocker. By expression of a dihydropyridine-insensitive L-type Ca(2+) channel, we further show that RA acts cell autonomously to modulate synaptic transmission. Our findings suggest that, in synaptically active neurons, modest "basal" levels of postsynaptic Ca(2+) physiologically suppress RA synthesis, whereas in synaptically inactive neurons, decreases in the resting Ca(2+) levels induce homeostatic plasticity by stimulating synthesis of RA that then acts in a cell-autonomous manner to increase AMPA receptor function.
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Mefford HC, Yendle SC, Hsu C, Cook J, Geraghty E, McMahon JM, Eeg-Olofsson O, Sadleir LG, Gill D, Ben-Zeev B, Lerman-Sagie T, Mackay M, Freeman JL, Andermann E, Pelakanos JT, Andrews I, Wallace G, Eichler EE, Berkovic SF, Scheffer IE. Rare copy number variants are an important cause of epileptic encephalopathies. Ann Neurol 2011; 70:974-85. [PMID: 22190369 PMCID: PMC3245646 DOI: 10.1002/ana.22645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rare copy number variants (CNVs)--deletions and duplications--have recently been established as important risk factors for both generalized and focal epilepsies. A systematic assessment of the role of CNVs in epileptic encephalopathies, the most devastating and often etiologically obscure group of epilepsies, has not been performed. METHODS We evaluated 315 patients with epileptic encephalopathies characterized by epilepsy and progressive cognitive impairment for rare CNVs using a high-density, exon-focused, whole-genome oligonucleotide array. RESULTS We found that 25 of 315 (7.9%) of our patients carried rare CNVs that may contribute to their phenotype, with at least one-half being clearly or likely pathogenic. We identified 2 patients with overlapping deletions at 7q21 and 2 patients with identical duplications of 16p11.2. In our cohort, large deletions were enriched in affected individuals compared to controls, and 4 patients harbored 2 rare CNVs. We screened 2 novel candidate genes found within the rare CNVs in our cohort but found no mutations in our patients with epileptic encephalopathies. We highlight several additional novel candidate genes located in CNV regions. INTERPRETATION Our data highlight the significance of rare CNVs in the epileptic encephalopathies, and we suggest that CNV analysis should be considered in the genetic evaluation of these patients. Our findings also highlight novel candidate genes for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather C Mefford
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Ko J, Soler-Llavina GJ, Fuccillo MV, Malenka RC, Südhof TC. Neuroligins/LRRTMs prevent activity- and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent synapse elimination in cultured neurons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 194:323-34. [PMID: 21788371 PMCID: PMC3144410 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201101072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Neuroligins and leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins are necessary to prevent activity-dependent elimination of excitatory synapses in cultured neurons, with synapse elimination operating by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent pathway. Neuroligins (NLs) and leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins (LRRTMs) are postsynaptic cell adhesion molecules that bind to presynaptic neurexins. In this paper, we show that short hairpin ribonucleic acid–mediated knockdowns (KDs) of LRRTM1, LRRTM2, and/or NL-3, alone or together as double or triple KDs (TKDs) in cultured hippocampal neurons, did not decrease synapse numbers. In neurons cultured from NL-1 knockout mice, however, TKD of LRRTMs and NL-3 induced an ∼40% loss of excitatory but not inhibitory synapses. Strikingly, synapse loss triggered by the LRRTM/NL deficiency was abrogated by chronic blockade of synaptic activity as well as by chronic inhibition of Ca2+ influx or Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) kinases. Furthermore, postsynaptic KD of CaM prevented synapse loss in a cell-autonomous manner, an effect that was reversed by CaM rescue. Our results suggest that two neurexin ligands, LRRTMs and NLs, act redundantly to maintain excitatory synapses and that synapse elimination caused by the absence of NLs and LRRTMs is promoted by synaptic activity and mediated by a postsynaptic Ca2+/CaM-dependent signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewon Ko
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Walter AM, Groffen AJ, Sørensen JB, Verhage M. Multiple Ca2+ sensors in secretion: teammates, competitors or autocrats? Trends Neurosci 2011; 34:487-97. [PMID: 21831459 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2011.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2011] [Revised: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Regulated neurotransmitter secretion depends on Ca(2+) sensors, C2 domain proteins that associate with phospholipids and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes to trigger release upon Ca(2+) binding. Ca(2+) sensors are thought to prevent spontaneous fusion at rest (clamping) and to promote fusion upon Ca(2+) activation. At least eight, often coexpressed, Ca(2+) sensors have been identified in mammals. Accumulating evidence suggests that multiple Ca(2+) sensors interact, rather than work autonomously, to produce the complex secretory response observed in neurons and secretory cells. In this review, we present several working models to describe how different sensors might be arranged to mediate synchronous, asynchronous and spontaneous neurotransmitter release. We discuss the scenario that different Ca(2+) sensors typically act on one shared vesicle pool and compete for binding the multiple SNARE complexes that are likely to assemble at single vesicles, to exert both clamping and fusion-promoting functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Walter
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and VU Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Kochubey O, Lou X, Schneggenburger R. Regulation of transmitter release by Ca(2+) and synaptotagmin: insights from a large CNS synapse. Trends Neurosci 2011; 34:237-46. [PMID: 21439657 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2011.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2010] [Revised: 02/17/2011] [Accepted: 02/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Transmitter release at synapses is driven by elevated intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) near the sites of vesicle fusion. [Ca(2+)](i) signals of profoundly different amplitude and kinetics drive the phasic release component during a presynaptic action potential, and asynchronous release at later times. Studies using direct control of [Ca(2+)](i) at a large glutamatergic terminal, the calyx of Held, have provided significant insight into how intracellular Ca(2+) regulates transmitter release over a wide concentration range. Synaptotagmin-2 (Syt2), the major isoform of the Syt1/2 Ca(2+) sensors at these synapses, triggers highly Ca(2+)-cooperative release above 1μM [Ca(2+)](i), but suppresses release at low [Ca(2+)](i). Thus, neurons utilize a highly sophisticated release apparatus to maximize the dynamic range of Ca(2+)-evoked versus spontaneous release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olexiy Kochubey
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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