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Wang X, Lin D, Jiang J, Liu Y, Dong X, Fan J, Gong L, Shen W, Zeng L, Xu T, Jiang K, Connor SA, Xie Y. MDGA2 Constrains Glutamatergic Inputs Selectively onto CA1 Pyramidal Neurons to Optimize Neural Circuits for Plasticity, Memory, and Social Behavior. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:887-904. [PMID: 38321347 PMCID: PMC11250762 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01171-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Synapse organizers are essential for the development, transmission, and plasticity of synapses. Acting as rare synapse suppressors, the MAM domain containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor (MDGA) proteins contributes to synapse organization by inhibiting the formation of the synaptogenic neuroligin-neurexin complex. A previous analysis of MDGA2 mice lacking a single copy of Mdga2 revealed upregulated glutamatergic synapses and behaviors consistent with autism. However, MDGA2 is expressed in diverse cell types and is localized to both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Differentiating the network versus cell-specific effects of MDGA2 loss-of-function requires a cell-type and brain region-selective strategy. To address this, we generated mice harboring a conditional knockout of Mdga2 restricted to CA1 pyramidal neurons. Here we report that MDGA2 suppresses the density and function of excitatory synapses selectively on pyramidal neurons in the mature hippocampus. Conditional deletion of Mdga2 in CA1 pyramidal neurons of adult mice upregulated miniature and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials, vesicular glutamate transporter 1 intensity, and neuronal excitability. These effects were limited to glutamatergic synapses as no changes were detected in miniature and spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic potential properties or vesicular GABA transporter intensity. Functionally, evoked basal synaptic transmission and AMPAR receptor currents were enhanced at glutamatergic inputs. At a behavioral level, memory appeared to be compromised in Mdga2 cKO mice as both novel object recognition and contextual fear conditioning performance were impaired, consistent with deficits in long-term potentiation in the CA3-CA1 pathway. Social affiliation, a behavioral analog of social deficits in autism, was similarly compromised. These results demonstrate that MDGA2 confines the properties of excitatory synapses to CA1 neurons in mature hippocampal circuits, thereby optimizing this network for plasticity, cognition, and social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehui Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China
| | - Donghui Lin
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Yuhua Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China
| | - Xinyan Dong
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China
| | - Jianchen Fan
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, 310015, China
| | - Lifen Gong
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China
| | - Weida Shen
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, 310015, China
| | - Linghui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, 310015, China
| | - Tonghui Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Kewen Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China.
| | - Steven A Connor
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
| | - Yicheng Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310052, China.
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