Transiently increased colocalization of vesicular glutamate transporters 1 and 2 at single axon terminals during postnatal development of mouse neocortex: a quantitative analysis with correlation coefficient

Functional Connectivity Favors Aberrant Visual Network c-Fos Expression Accompanied by Cortical Synapse Loss in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Background

While Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been extensively studied with a focus on cognitive networks, visual network dysfunction has received less attention despite compelling evidence of its significance in AD patients and mouse models. We recently reported c-Fos and synaptic dysregulation in the primary visual cortex of a pre-amyloid plaque AD-model.

Objective

We test whether c-Fos expression and presynaptic density/dynamics differ in cortical and subcortical visual areas in an AD-model. We also examine whether aberrant c-Fos expression is inherited through functional connectivity and shaped by light experience.

Methods

c-Fos+ cell density, functional connectivity, and their experience-dependent modulation were assessed for visual and whole-brain networks in both sexes of 4-6-month-old J20 (AD-model) and wildtype (WT) mice. Cortical and subcortical differences in presynaptic vulnerability in the AD-model were compared using ex vivo and in vivo imaging.

Results

Visual cortical, but not subcortical, networks show aberrant c-Fos expression and impaired experience-dependent modulation. The average functional connectivity of a brain region in WT mice significantly predicts aberrant c-Fos expression, which correlates with impaired experience-dependent modulation in the AD-model. We observed a subtle yet selective weakening of excitatory visual cortical synapses. The size distribution of cortical boutons in the AD-model is downscaled relative to those in WT mice, suggesting a synaptic scaling-like adaptation of bouton size.

Conclusions

Visual network structural and functional disruptions are biased toward cortical regions in pre-plaque J20 mice, and the cellular and synaptic dysregulation in the AD-model represents a maladaptive modification of the baseline physiology seen in WT conditions.

Multifaceted Changes in Synaptic Composition and Astrocytic Involvement in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), a common inheritable form of intellectual disability, is known to alter neocortical circuits. However, its impact on the diverse synapse types comprising these circuits, or on the involvement of astrocytes, is not well known. We used immunofluorescent array tomography to quantify different synaptic populations and their association with astrocytes in layers 1 through 4 of the adult somatosensory cortex of a FXS mouse model, the FMR1 knockout mouse. The collected multi-channel data contained approximately 1.6 million synapses which were analyzed using a probabilistic synapse detector. Our study reveals complex, synapse-type and layer specific changes in the neocortical circuitry of FMR1 knockout mice. We report an increase of small glutamatergic VGluT1 synapses in layer 4 accompanied by a decrease in large VGluT1 synapses in layers 1 and 4. VGluT2 synapses show a rather consistent decrease in density in layers 1 and 2/3. In all layers, we observe the loss of large inhibitory synapses. Lastly, astrocytic association of excitatory synapses decreases. The ability to dissect the circuit deficits by synapse type and astrocytic involvement will be crucial for understanding how these changes affect circuit function, and ultimately defining targets for therapeutic intervention.

Astrocytes refine cortical connectivity at dendritic spines

During cortical synaptic development, thalamic axons must establish synaptic connections despite the presence of the more abundant intracortical projections. How thalamocortical synapses are formed and maintained in this competitive environment is unknown. Here, we show that astrocyte-secreted protein hevin is required for normal thalamocortical synaptic connectivity in the mouse cortex. Absence of hevin results in a profound, long-lasting reduction in thalamocortical synapses accompanied by a transient increase in intracortical excitatory connections. Three-dimensional reconstructions of cortical neurons from serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) revealed that, during early postnatal development, dendritic spines often receive multiple excitatory inputs. Immuno-EM and confocal analyses revealed that majority of the spines with multiple excitatory contacts (SMECs) receive simultaneous thalamic and cortical inputs. Proportion of SMECs diminishes as the brain develops, but SMECs remain abundant in Hevin-null mice. These findings reveal that, through secretion of hevin, astrocytes control an important developmental synaptic refinement process at dendritic spines.

Inhibitory and excitatory subtypes of cochlear nucleus neurons are defined by distinct bHLH transcription factors, Ptf1a and Atoh1

The cochlear nucleus (CN), which consists of dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei (DCN and VCN), plays pivotal roles in processing and relaying auditory information to the brain. Although it contains various types of neurons, the origins of the distinct subtypes and their developmental molecular machinery are still elusive. Here we reveal that two basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors play crucial roles in specifying neuron subtypes in the CN. Pancreatic transcription factor 1a (Ptf1a) and atonal homolog 1 (Atoh1) were found to be expressed in discrete dorsolateral regions of the embryonic neuroepithelia of the middle hindbrain (rhombomeres 2-5). Genetic lineage tracing using mice that express Cre recombinase from the Ptf1a locus or under the control of the Atoh1 promoter revealed that inhibitory (GABAergic and glycinergic) or excitatory (glutamatergic) neurons of both DCN and VCN are derived from the Ptf1a- and Atoh1-expressing neuroepithelial regions, respectively. In the Ptf1a or Atoh1 null embryos, production of inhibitory or excitatory neurons, respectively, was severely inhibited in the CN. These findings suggest that inhibitory and excitatory subtypes of CN neurons are defined by Ptf1a and Atoh1, respectively and, furthermore, provide important insights into understanding the machinery of neuron subtype specification in the dorsal hindbrain.