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Kim MH, Strazza P, Puthussery T, Gross OP, Taylor WR, von Gersdorff H. Functional maturation of the rod bipolar to AII-amacrine cell ribbon synapse in the mouse retina. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113440. [PMID: 37976158 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113440] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ribbon synapses undergo functional changes after eye opening that remain uncharacterized. Using light-flash stimulation and paired patch-clamp recordings, we examined the maturation of the ribbon synapse between rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and AII-amacrine cells (AII-ACs) after eye opening (postnatal day 14) in the mouse retina at near physiological temperatures. We find that light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in AII-ACs exhibit a slow sustained component that increases in magnitude with advancing age, whereas a fast transient component remains unchanged. Similarly, paired recordings reveal a dual-component EPSC with a slower sustained component that increases during development, even though the miniature EPSC (mEPSC) amplitude and kinetics do not change significantly. We thus propose that the readily releasable pool of vesicles from RBCs increases after eye opening, and we estimate that a short light flash can evoke the release of ∼4,000 vesicles onto a single mature AII-AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mean-Hwan Kim
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Paulo Strazza
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Owen P Gross
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Physics, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - W Rowland Taylor
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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2
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Grabner CP, Futagi D, Shi J, Bindokas V, Kitano K, Schwartz EA, DeVries SH. Mechanisms of simultaneous linear and nonlinear computations at the mammalian cone photoreceptor synapse. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3486. [PMID: 37328451 PMCID: PMC10276006 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38943-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons enhance their computational power by combining linear and nonlinear transformations in extended dendritic trees. Rich, spatially distributed processing is rarely associated with individual synapses, but the cone photoreceptor synapse may be an exception. Graded voltages temporally modulate vesicle fusion at a cone's ~20 ribbon active zones. Transmitter then flows into a common, glia-free volume where bipolar cell dendrites are organized by type in successive tiers. Using super-resolution microscopy and tracking vesicle fusion and postsynaptic responses at the quantal level in the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus, we show that certain bipolar cell types respond to individual fusion events in the vesicle stream while other types respond to degrees of locally coincident events, creating a gradient across tiers that are increasingly nonlinear. Nonlinearities emerge from a combination of factors specific to each bipolar cell type including diffusion distance, contact number, receptor affinity, and proximity to glutamate transporters. Complex computations related to feature detection begin within the first visual synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad P Grabner
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daiki Futagi
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
- Center for Systems Visual Science, Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organisation, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Jun Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Vytas Bindokas
- Dept of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Katsunori Kitano
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
- Center for Systems Visual Science, Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
| | - Eric A Schwartz
- Dept of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Steven H DeVries
- Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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3
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Cunningham KL, Littleton JT. Mechanisms controlling the trafficking, localization, and abundance of presynaptic Ca 2+ channels. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1116729. [PMID: 36710932 PMCID: PMC9880069 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1116729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) mediate Ca2+ influx to trigger neurotransmitter release at specialized presynaptic sites termed active zones (AZs). The abundance of VGCCs at AZs regulates neurotransmitter release probability (Pr ), a key presynaptic determinant of synaptic strength. Given this functional significance, defining the processes that cooperate to establish AZ VGCC abundance is critical for understanding how these mechanisms set synaptic strength and how they might be regulated to control presynaptic plasticity. VGCC abundance at AZs involves multiple steps, including channel biosynthesis (transcription, translation, and trafficking through the endomembrane system), forward axonal trafficking and delivery to synaptic terminals, incorporation and retention at presynaptic sites, and protein recycling. Here we discuss mechanisms that control VGCC abundance at synapses, highlighting findings from invertebrate and vertebrate models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Cunningham
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Davison A, Gierke K, Brandstätter JH, Babai N. Synaptic vesicle release during ribbon synapse formation of cone photoreceptors. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1022419. [PMID: 36406751 PMCID: PMC9672513 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1022419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian cone photoreceptors enable through their sophisticated synapse the high-fidelity transfer of visual information to second-order neurons in the retina. The synapse contains a proteinaceous organelle, called the synaptic ribbon, which tethers synaptic vesicles (SVs) at the active zone (AZ) close to voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. However, the exact contribution of the synaptic ribbon to neurotransmission is not fully understood, yet. In mice, precursors to synaptic ribbons appear within photoreceptor terminals shortly after birth as free-floating spherical structures, which progressively elongate and then attach to the AZ during the following days. Here, we took advantage of the process of synaptic ribbon maturation to study their contribution to SV release. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from cone photoreceptors at three postnatal (P) development stages (P8-9, P12-13, >P30) and measured evoked SV release, SV replenishment rate, recovery from synaptic depression, domain organization of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, and Ca2+-sensitivity of exocytosis. Additionally, we performed electron microscopy to determine the density of SVs at ribbon-free and ribbon-occupied AZs. Our results suggest that ribbon attachment does not organize the voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels into nanodomains or control SV release probability. However, ribbon attachment increases SV density at the AZ, increases the pool size of readily releasable SVs available for evoked SV release, facilitates SV replenishment without changing the SV pool refilling time, and increases the Ca2+- sensitivity of glutamate release.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Norbert Babai
- Division of Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Davison A, Lux UT, Brandstätter JH, Babai N. T-Type Ca 2+ Channels Boost Neurotransmission in Mammalian Cone Photoreceptors. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6325-6343. [PMID: 35803735 PMCID: PMC9398539 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1878-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is a commonly accepted view that light stimulation of mammalian photoreceptors causes a graded change in membrane potential instead of developing a spike. The presynaptic Ca2+ channels serve as a crucial link for the coding of membrane potential variations into neurotransmitter release. Cav1.4 L-type Ca2+ channels are expressed in photoreceptor terminals, but the complete pool of Ca2+ channels in cone photoreceptors appears to be more diverse. Here, we discovered, employing whole-cell patch-clamp recording from cone photoreceptor terminals in both sexes of mice, that their Ca2+ currents are composed of low- (T-type Ca2+ channels) and high- (L-type Ca2+ channels) voltage-activated components. Furthermore, Ca2+ channels exerted self-generated spike behavior in dark membrane potentials, and spikes were generated in response to light/dark transition. The application of fast and slow Ca2+ chelators revealed that T-type Ca2+ channels are located close to the release machinery. Furthermore, capacitance measurements indicated that they are involved in evoked vesicle release. Additionally, RT-PCR experiments showed the presence of Cav3.2 T-type Ca2+ channels in cone photoreceptors but not in rod photoreceptors. Altogether, we found several crucial functions of T-type Ca2+ channels, which increase the functional repertoire of cone photoreceptors. Namely, they extend cone photoreceptor light-responsive membrane potential range, amplify dark responses, generate spikes, increase intracellular Ca2+ levels, and boost synaptic transmission.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Photoreceptors provide the first synapse for coding light information. The key elements in synaptic transmission are the voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels. Here, we provide evidence that mouse cone photoreceptors express low-voltage-activated Cav3.2 T-type Ca2+ channels in addition to high-voltage-activated L-type Ca2+ channels. The presence of T-type Ca2+ channels in cone photoreceptors appears to extend their light-responsive membrane potential range, amplify dark response, generate spikes, increase intracellular Ca2+ levels, and boost synaptic transmission. By these functions, Cav3.2 T-type Ca2+ channels increase the functional repertoire of cone photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Davison
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Uwe Thorsten Lux
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johann Helmut Brandstätter
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Norbert Babai
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
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Mesnard CS, Barta CL, Sladek AL, Zenisek D, Thoreson WB. Eliminating Synaptic Ribbons from Rods and Cones Halves the Releasable Vesicle Pool and Slows Down Replenishment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126429. [PMID: 35742873 PMCID: PMC9223732 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamate release from rod and cone photoreceptor cells involves presynaptic ribbons composed largely of the protein RIBEYE. To examine roles of ribbons in rods and cones, we studied mice in which GCamP3 replaced the B-domain of RIBEYE. We discovered that ribbons were absent from rods and cones of both knock-in mice possessing GCamP3 and conditional RIBEYE knockout mice. The mice lacking ribbons showed reduced temporal resolution and contrast sensitivity assessed with optomotor reflexes. ERG recordings showed 50% reduction in scotopic and photopic b-waves. The readily releasable pool (RRP) of vesicles in rods and cones measured using glutamate transporter anion currents (IA(glu)) was also halved. We also studied the release from cones by stimulating them optogenetically with ChannelRhodopsin2 (ChR2) while recording postsynaptic currents in horizontal cells. Recovery of the release from paired pulse depression was twofold slower in the rods and cones lacking ribbons. The release from rods at -40 mV in darkness involves regularly spaced multivesicular fusion events. While the regular pattern of release remained in the rods lacking ribbons, the number of vesicles comprising each multivesicular event was halved. Our results support conclusions that synaptic ribbons in rods and cones expand the RRP, speed up vesicle replenishment, and augment some forms of multivesicular release. Slower replenishment and a smaller RRP in photoreceptors lacking ribbons may contribute to diminished temporal frequency responses and weaker contrast sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris S. Mesnard
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (C.S.M.); (C.L.B.); (A.L.S.)
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Cody L. Barta
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (C.S.M.); (C.L.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Asia L. Sladek
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (C.S.M.); (C.L.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - David Zenisek
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Wallace B. Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (C.S.M.); (C.L.B.); (A.L.S.)
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-402-559-4076
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7
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Davison A, Gierke K, Brandstätter JH, Babai N. Functional and Structural Development of Mouse Cone Photoreceptor Ribbon Synapses. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:21. [PMID: 35319739 PMCID: PMC8963661 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.3.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Cone photoreceptors of the retina use a sophisticated ribbon-containing synapse to convert light-dependent changes in membrane potential into release of synaptic vesicles (SVs). We aimed to study the functional and structural maturation of mouse cone photoreceptor ribbon synapses during postnatal development and to investigate the role of the synaptic ribbon in SV release. Methods We performed patch-clamp recordings from cone photoreceptors and their postsynaptic partners, the horizontal cells during postnatal retinal development to reveal the functional parameters of the synapses. To investigate the occurring structural changes, we applied immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. Results We found that immature cone photoreceptor terminals were smaller, they had fewer active zones (AZs) and AZ-anchored synaptic ribbons, and they produced a smaller Ca2+ current than mature photoreceptors. The number of postsynaptic horizontal cell contacts to synaptic terminals increased with age. However, tonic and spontaneous SV release at synaptic terminals stayed similar during postnatal development. Multiquantal SV release was present in all age groups, but mature synapses produced larger multiquantal events than immature ones. Remarkably, at single AZs, tonic SV release was attenuated during maturation and showed an inverse relationship with the appearance of anchored synaptic ribbons. Conclusions Our developmental study suggests that the presence of synaptic ribbons at the AZs attenuates tonic SV release and amplifies multiquantal SV release. However, spontaneous SV release may not depend on the presence of synaptic ribbons or voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels at the AZs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Davison
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kaspar Gierke
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johann Helmut Brandstätter
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Norbert Babai
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology/Neurobiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, Erlangen, Germany
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Adhesion GPCR Latrophilin 3 regulates synaptic function of cone photoreceptors in a trans-synaptic manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2106694118. [PMID: 34732574 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106694118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors mediate daylight vision in vertebrates. Changes in neurotransmitter release at cone synapses encode visual information and is subject to precise control by negative feedback from enigmatic horizontal cells. However, the mechanisms that orchestrate this modulation are poorly understood due to a virtually unknown landscape of molecular players. Here, we report a molecular player operating selectively at cone synapses that modulates effects of horizontal cells on synaptic release. Using an unbiased proteomic screen, we identified an adhesion GPCR Latrophilin3 (LPHN3) in horizontal cell dendrites that engages in transsynaptic control of cones. We detected and characterized a prominent splice isoform of LPHN3 that excludes a element with inhibitory influence on transsynaptic interactions. A gain-of-function mouse model specifically routing LPHN3 splicing to this isoform but not knockout of LPHN3 diminished CaV1.4 calcium channel activity profoundly disrupted synaptic release by cones and resulted in synaptic transmission deficits. These findings offer molecular insight into horizontal cell modulation on cone synaptic function and more broadly demonstrate the importance of alternative splicing in adhesion GPCRs for their physiological function.
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Hays CL, Sladek AL, Thoreson WB. Resting and stimulated mouse rod photoreceptors show distinct patterns of vesicle release at ribbon synapses. J Gen Physiol 2021; 152:211528. [PMID: 33175961 PMCID: PMC7664508 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate visual system can detect and transmit signals from single photons. To understand how single-photon responses are transmitted, we characterized voltage-dependent properties of glutamate release in mouse rods. We measured presynaptic glutamate transporter anion current and found that rates of synaptic vesicle release increased with voltage-dependent Ca2+ current. Ca2+ influx and release rate also rose with temperature, attaining a rate of ∼11 vesicles/s/ribbon at -40 mV (35°C). By contrast, spontaneous release events at hyperpolarized potentials (-60 to -70 mV) were univesicular and occurred at random intervals. However, when rods were voltage clamped at -40 mV for many seconds to simulate maintained darkness, release occurred in coordinated bursts of 17 ± 7 quanta (mean ± SD; n = 22). Like fast release evoked by brief depolarizing stimuli, these bursts involved vesicles in the readily releasable pool of vesicles and were triggered by the opening of nearby ribbon-associated Ca2+ channels. Spontaneous release rates were elevated and bursts were absent after genetic elimination of the Ca2+ sensor synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1). This study shows that at the resting potential in darkness, rods release glutamate-filled vesicles from a pool at the base of synaptic ribbons at low rates but in Syt1-dependent bursts. The absence of bursting in cones suggests that this behavior may have a role in transmitting scotopic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Hays
- Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Asia L Sladek
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
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10
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Koschak A, Fernandez-Quintero ML, Heigl T, Ruzza M, Seitter H, Zanetti L. Cav1.4 dysfunction and congenital stationary night blindness type 2. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1437-1454. [PMID: 34212239 PMCID: PMC8370969 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02570-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Cav1.4 L-type Ca2+ channels are predominantly expressed in retinal neurons, particularly at the photoreceptor terminals where they mediate sustained Ca2+ entry needed for continuous neurotransmitter release at their ribbon synapses. Cav1.4 channel gating properties are controlled by accessory subunits, associated regulatory proteins, and also alternative splicing. In humans, mutations in the CACNA1F gene encoding for Cav1.4 channels are associated with X-linked retinal disorders such as congenital stationary night blindness type 2. Mutations in the Cav1.4 protein result in a spectrum of altered functional channel activity. Several mouse models broadened our understanding of the role of Cav1.4 channels not only as Ca2+ source at retinal synapses but also as synaptic organizers. In this review, we highlight different structural and functional phenotypes of Cav1.4 mutations that might also occur in patients with congenital stationary night blindness type 2. A further important yet mostly neglected aspect that we discuss is the influence of alternative splicing on channel dysfunction. We conclude that currently available functional phenotyping strategies should be refined and summarize potential specific therapeutic options for patients carrying Cav1.4 mutations. Importantly, the development of new therapeutic approaches will permit a deeper understanding of not only the disease pathophysiology but also the physiological function of Cav1.4 channels in the retina.
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MESH Headings
- 3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester/pharmacology
- Animals
- Calcium Channel Agonists/pharmacology
- Calcium Channels, L-Type/genetics
- Calcium Channels, L-Type/metabolism
- Eye Diseases, Hereditary/genetics
- Eye Diseases, Hereditary/metabolism
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/genetics
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/metabolism
- Humans
- Mutation/physiology
- Myopia/genetics
- Myopia/metabolism
- Night Blindness/genetics
- Night Blindness/metabolism
- Retina/drug effects
- Retina/metabolism
- Synapses/drug effects
- Synapses/genetics
- Synapses/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Koschak
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Monica L Fernandez-Quintero
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Heigl
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Marco Ruzza
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hartwig Seitter
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lucia Zanetti
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82/III, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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11
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Thoreson WB. Transmission at rod and cone ribbon synapses in the retina. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1469-1491. [PMID: 33779813 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02548-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Light-evoked voltage responses of rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the vertebrate retina must be converted to a train of synaptic vesicle release events for transmission to downstream neurons. This review discusses the processes, proteins, and structures that shape this critical early step in vision, focusing on studies from salamander retina with comparisons to other experimental animals. Many mechanisms are conserved across species. In cones, glutamate release is confined to ribbon release sites although rods are also capable of release at non-ribbon sites. The role of non-ribbon release in rods remains unclear. Release from synaptic ribbons in rods and cones involves at least three vesicle pools: a readily releasable pool (RRP) matching the number of membrane-associated vesicles along the ribbon base, a ribbon reserve pool matching the number of additional vesicles on the ribbon, and an enormous cytoplasmic reserve. Vesicle release increases in parallel with Ca2+ channel activity. While the opening of only a few Ca2+ channels beneath each ribbon can trigger fusion of a single vesicle, sustained release rates in darkness are governed by the rate at which the RRP can be replenished. The number of vacant release sites, their functional status, and the rate of vesicle delivery in turn govern replenishment. Along with an overview of the mechanisms of exocytosis and endocytosis, we consider specific properties of ribbon-associated proteins and pose a number of remaining questions about this first synapse in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.
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12
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Dembla E, Dembla M, Maxeiner S, Schmitz F. Synaptic ribbons foster active zone stability and illumination-dependent active zone enrichment of RIM2 and Cav1.4 in photoreceptor synapses. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5957. [PMID: 32249787 PMCID: PMC7136232 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62734-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rod photoreceptor synapses use large, ribbon-type active zones for continuous synaptic transmission during light and dark. Since ribbons are physically connected to the active zones, we asked whether illumination-dependent changes of ribbons influence Cav1.4/RIM2 protein clusters at the active zone and whether these illumination-dependent effects at the active zone require the presence of the synaptic ribbon. We found that synaptic ribbon length and the length of presynaptic Cav1.4/RIM2 clusters are tightly correlated. Dark-adaptation did not change the number of ribbons and active zone puncta. However, mean ribbon length and length of presynaptic Cav1.4/RIM2 clusters increased significantly during dark-adaptation when tonic exocytosis is highest. In the present study, we identified by the analyses of synaptic ribbon-deficient RIBEYE knockout mice that synaptic ribbons are (1) needed to stabilize Cav1.4/RIM2 at rod photoreceptor active zones and (2) are required for the darkness-induced active zone enrichment of Cav1.4/RIM2. These data propose a role of the ribbon in active zone stabilization and suggest a homeostatic function of the ribbon in illumination-dependent active zone remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekta Dembla
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroanatomy, Saarland University, Medical School, 66421, Homburg, Germany.
| | - Mayur Dembla
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroanatomy, Saarland University, Medical School, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroanatomy, Saarland University, Medical School, 66421, Homburg, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, AG Krasteva-Christ, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Frank Schmitz
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroanatomy, Saarland University, Medical School, 66421, Homburg, Germany.
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13
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Wen X, Thoreson WB. Contributions of glutamate transporters and Ca 2+-activated Cl - currents to feedback from horizontal cells to cone photoreceptors. Exp Eye Res 2019; 189:107847. [PMID: 31628905 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.107847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Lateral inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells (HCs) to cones establishes center-surround receptive fields and color opponency in the retina. When HCs hyperpolarize to light, inhibitory feedback to cones increases activation of cone Ca2+ currents (ICa) that can in turn activate additional currents. We recorded simultaneously from cones and HCs to analyze cone currents activated by HC feedback in salamander retina. Depolarization-activated inward tail currents in cones were inhibited by CaCCinh-A01 that inhibits both Ano1 and Ano2 Ca2+-activated Cl- currents (ICl(Ca)). An Ano1-selective inhibitor Ani9 was less effective suggesting that Ano2 is the predominant ICl(Ca) subtype in cones. CaCCinh-A01 inhibited feedback currents more strongly when intracellular Ca2+ in cones was buffered with 0.05 mM EGTA compared to stronger buffering with 5 mM EGTA. By contrast, blocking glutamate transporter anion currents (ICl(Glu)) with TBOA had stronger inhibitory effects on cone feedback currents when Ca2+ buffering was strong. Inward feedback currents ran down at rates intermediate between rundown of glutamate release and ICl(Ca), consistent with contributions to feedback from both ICl(Ca) and ICl(Glu). These results suggest that Cl- channels coupled to glutamate transporters help to speed inward feedback currents initiated by local changes in intracellular [Ca2+] close to synaptic ribbons of cones whereas Ano2 Ca2+-activated Cl- channels contribute to slower components of feedback regulated by spatially extensive changes in intracellular [Ca2+].
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China; Department of Optometry and Visual Science, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China; Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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14
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Hays CL, Grassmeyer JJ, Wen X, Janz R, Heidelberger R, Thoreson WB. Simultaneous Release of Multiple Vesicles from Rods Involves Synaptic Ribbons and Syntaxin 3B. Biophys J 2019; 118:967-979. [PMID: 31653448 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
First proposed as a specialized mode of release at sensory neurons possessing ribbon synapses, multivesicular release has since been described throughout the central nervous system. Many aspects of multivesicular release remain poorly understood. We explored mechanisms underlying simultaneous multivesicular release at ribbon synapses in salamander retinal rod photoreceptors. We assessed spontaneous release presynaptically by recording glutamate transporter anion currents (IA(glu)) in rods. Spontaneous IA(glu) events were correlated in amplitude and kinetics with simultaneously measured miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents in horizontal cells. Both measures indicated that a significant fraction of events is multiquantal, with an analysis of IA(glu) revealing that multivesicular release constitutes ∼30% of spontaneous release events. IA(glu) charge transfer increased linearly with event amplitude showing that larger events involve greater glutamate release. The kinetics of large and small IA(glu) events were identical as were rise times of large and small miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, indicating that the release of multiple vesicles during large events is highly synchronized. Effects of exogenous Ca2+ buffers suggested that multiquantal, but not uniquantal, release occurs preferentially near Ca2+ channels clustered beneath synaptic ribbons. Photoinactivation of ribbons reduced the frequency of spontaneous multiquantal events without affecting uniquantal release frequency, showing that spontaneous multiquantal release requires functional ribbons. Although both occur at ribbon-style active zones, the absence of cross-depletion indicates that evoked and spontaneous multiquantal release from ribbons involve different vesicle pools. Introducing an inhibitory peptide into rods to interfere with the SNARE protein, syntaxin 3B, selectively reduced multiquantal event frequency. These results support the hypothesis that simultaneous multiquantal release from rods arises from homotypic fusion among neighboring vesicles on ribbons and involves syntaxin 3B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Hays
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Justin J Grassmeyer
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Xiangyi Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Roger Janz
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Ruth Heidelberger
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center University of Texas Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
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15
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Van Hook MJ, Nawy S, Thoreson WB. Voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels of neurons in the vertebrate retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2019; 72:100760. [PMID: 31078724 PMCID: PMC6739185 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize studies investigating the types and distribution of voltage- and calcium-gated ion channels in the different classes of retinal neurons: rods, cones, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, interplexiform cells, and ganglion cells. We discuss differences among cell subtypes within these major cell classes, as well as differences among species, and consider how different ion channels shape the responses of different neurons. For example, even though second-order bipolar and horizontal cells do not typically generate fast sodium-dependent action potentials, many of these cells nevertheless possess fast sodium currents that can enhance their kinetic response capabilities. Ca2+ channel activity can also shape response kinetics as well as regulating synaptic release. The L-type Ca2+ channel subtype, CaV1.4, expressed in photoreceptor cells exhibits specific properties matching the particular needs of these cells such as limited inactivation which allows sustained channel activity and maintained synaptic release in darkness. The particular properties of K+ and Cl- channels in different retinal neurons shape resting membrane potentials, response kinetics and spiking behavior. A remaining challenge is to characterize the specific distributions of ion channels in the more than 100 individual cell types that have been identified in the retina and to describe how these particular ion channels sculpt neuronal responses to assist in the processing of visual information by the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Scott Nawy
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience(2), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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16
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Grassmeyer JJ, Cahill AL, Hays CL, Barta C, Quadros RM, Gurumurthy CB, Thoreson WB. Ca 2+ sensor synaptotagmin-1 mediates exocytosis in mammalian photoreceptors. eLife 2019; 8:e45946. [PMID: 31172949 PMCID: PMC6588344 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
To encode light-dependent changes in membrane potential, rod and cone photoreceptors utilize synaptic ribbons to sustain continuous exocytosis while making rapid, fine adjustments to release rate. Release kinetics are shaped by vesicle delivery down ribbons and by properties of exocytotic Ca2+ sensors. We tested the role for synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) in photoreceptor exocytosis by using novel mouse lines in which Syt1 was conditionally removed from rods or cones. Photoreceptors lacking Syt1 exhibited marked reductions in exocytosis as measured by electroretinography and single-cell recordings. Syt1 mediated all evoked release in cones, whereas rods appeared capable of some slow Syt1-independent release. Spontaneous release frequency was unchanged in cones but increased in rods lacking Syt1. Loss of Syt1 did not alter synaptic anatomy or reduce Ca2+ currents. These results suggest that Syt1 mediates both phasic and tonic release at photoreceptor synapses, revealing unexpected flexibility in the ability of Syt1 to regulate Ca2+-dependent synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Grassmeyer
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental NeuroscienceUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Asia L Cahill
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Cassandra L Hays
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Cellular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Cody Barta
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Rolen M Quadros
- Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, Vice Chancellor for Research OfficeUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Channabasavaiah B Gurumurthy
- Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, Vice Chancellor for Research OfficeUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe Meyer Institute for Genetics and RehabilitationUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental NeuroscienceUniversity of Nebraska Medical CenterOmahaUnited States
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17
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Chakrabarti R, Wichmann C. Nanomachinery Organizing Release at Neuronal and Ribbon Synapses. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2147. [PMID: 31052288 PMCID: PMC6539712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical aim in neuroscience is to obtain a comprehensive view of how regulated neurotransmission is achieved. Our current understanding of synapses relies mainly on data from electrophysiological recordings, imaging, and molecular biology. Based on these methodologies, proteins involved in a synaptic vesicle (SV) formation, mobility, and fusion at the active zone (AZ) membrane have been identified. In the last decade, electron tomography (ET) combined with a rapid freezing immobilization of neuronal samples opened a window for understanding the structural machinery with the highest spatial resolution in situ. ET provides significant insights into the molecular architecture of the AZ and the organelles within the presynaptic nerve terminal. The specialized sensory ribbon synapses exhibit a distinct architecture from neuronal synapses due to the presence of the electron-dense synaptic ribbon. However, both synapse types share the filamentous structures, also commonly termed as tethers that are proposed to contribute to different steps of SV recruitment and exocytosis. In this review, we discuss the emerging views on the role of filamentous structures in SV exocytosis gained from ultrastructural studies of excitatory, mainly central neuronal compared to ribbon-type synapses with a focus on inner hair cell (IHC) ribbon synapses. Moreover, we will speculate on the molecular entities that may be involved in filament formation and hence play a crucial role in the SV cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rituparna Chakrabarti
- Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
- Collaborative Research Center 889 "Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing", 37099 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Carolin Wichmann
- Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
- Collaborative Research Center 889 "Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing", 37099 Göttingen, Germany.
- Collaborative Research Center 1286 "Quantitative Synaptology", 37099 Göttingen, Germany.
- Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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18
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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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19
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Wen X, Van Hook MJ, Grassmeyer JJ, Wiesman AI, Rich GM, Cork KM, Thoreson WB. Endocytosis sustains release at photoreceptor ribbon synapses by restoring fusion competence. J Gen Physiol 2018; 150:591-611. [PMID: 29555658 PMCID: PMC5881445 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201711919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocytosis is an essential process at sites of synaptic release. Not only are synaptic vesicles recycled by endocytosis, but the removal of proteins and lipids by endocytosis is needed to restore release site function at active zones after vesicle fusion. Synaptic exocytosis from vertebrate photoreceptors involves synaptic ribbons that serve to cluster vesicles near the presynaptic membrane. In this study, we hypothesize that this clustering increases the likelihood that exocytosis at one ribbon release site may disrupt release at an adjacent site and therefore that endocytosis may be particularly important for restoring release site competence at photoreceptor ribbon synapses. To test this, we combined optical and electrophysiological techniques in salamander rods. Pharmacological inhibition of dynamin-dependent endocytosis rapidly inhibits release from synaptic ribbons and slows recovery of ribbon-mediated release from paired pulse synaptic depression. Inhibiting endocytosis impairs the ability of second-order horizontal cells to follow rod light responses at frequencies as low as 2 Hz. Inhibition of endocytosis also increases lateral membrane mobility of individual Ca2+ channels, showing that it changes release site structure. Visualization of single synaptic vesicles by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy reveals that inhibition of endocytosis reduces the likelihood of fusion among vesicles docked near ribbons and increases the likelihood that they will retreat from the membrane without fusion. Vesicle advance toward the membrane is also reduced, but the number of membrane-associated vesicles is not. Endocytosis therefore appears to be more important for restoring later steps in vesicle fusion than for restoring docking. Unlike conventional synapses in which endocytic restoration of release sites is evident only at high frequencies, endocytosis is needed to maintain release from rod ribbon synapses even at modest frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Wen
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Matthew J Van Hook
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Justin J Grassmeyer
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Grace M Rich
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Karlene M Cork
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
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20
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Jean P, Lopez de la Morena D, Michanski S, Jaime Tobón LM, Chakrabarti R, Picher MM, Neef J, Jung S, Gültas M, Maxeiner S, Neef A, Wichmann C, Strenzke N, Grabner C, Moser T. The synaptic ribbon is critical for sound encoding at high rates and with temporal precision. eLife 2018; 7:29275. [PMID: 29328020 PMCID: PMC5794258 DOI: 10.7554/elife.29275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the role of the synaptic ribbon for sound encoding at the synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in mice lacking RIBEYE (RBEKO/KO). Electron and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a lack of synaptic ribbons and an assembly of several small active zones (AZs) at each synaptic contact. Spontaneous and sound-evoked firing rates of SGNs and their compound action potential were reduced, indicating impaired transmission at ribbonless IHC-SGN synapses. The temporal precision of sound encoding was impaired and the recovery of SGN-firing from adaptation indicated slowed synaptic vesicle (SV) replenishment. Activation of Ca2+-channels was shifted to more depolarized potentials and exocytosis was reduced for weak depolarizations. Presynaptic Ca2+-signals showed a broader spread, compatible with the altered Ca2+-channel clustering observed by super-resolution immunofluorescence microscopy. We postulate that RIBEYE disruption is partially compensated by multi-AZ organization. The remaining synaptic deficit indicates ribbon function in SV-replenishment and Ca2+-channel regulation. Our sense of hearing relies on our ears quickly and tirelessly processing information in a precise manner. Sounds cause vibrations in a part of the inner ear called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea, the vibrations move hair-like structures on sensory cells that translate these movements into electrical signals. These hair cells are connected to specialized nerve cells that relay the signals to the brain, which then interprets them as sounds. Hair cells communicate with the specialized nerve cells via connections known as chemical synapses. This means that the electrical signals in the hair cell activate channel proteins that allow calcium ions to flow in. This in turn triggers membrane-bound packages called vesicles inside the hair cell to fuse with its surface membrane and release their contents to the outside. The contents, namely chemicals called neurotransmitters, then travels across the space between the cells, relaying the signal to the nerve cell. The junctions between the hair cells and the nerve cells are more specifically known as ribbon synapses. This is because they have a ribbon-like structure that appears to tether a halo of vesicles close to the active zone where neurotransmitters are released. However, the exact role of this synaptic ribbon has remained mysterious despite decades of study. The ribbon is mainly composed of a protein called Ribeye, and now Jean, Lopez de la Morena, Michanski, Jaime Tobón et al. show that mutant mice that lack this protein do not have any ribbons at their “ribbon synapses”. Hair cells without synaptic ribbons are less able to timely and reliably send signals to the nerve cells, most likely because they cannot replenish the vesicles at the synapse quickly enough. Further analysis showed that the synaptic ribbon also helps to regulate the calcium channels at the synapse, which is important for linking the electrical signals in the hair cell to the release of the neurotransmitters. Jean et al. also saw that hair cells without ribbons reorganize their synapses to form multiple active zones that could transfer neurotransmitter to the nerve cells. This could partially compensate for the loss of the ribbons, meaning the impact of their loss may have been underestimated. Future studies could explore this by eliminating the Ribeye protein only after the ribbon synapses are fully formed. These findings may help scientists to better understand deafness and other hearing disorders in humans. They will also be of interest to neuroscientists who research synapses, hearing and other sensory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Jean
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David Lopez de la Morena
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Susann Michanski
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lina María Jaime Tobón
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rituparna Chakrabarti
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Magdalena Picher
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jakob Neef
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - SangYong Jung
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Neuro Modulation and Neuro Circuitry Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC), Biomedical Sciences Institutes, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mehmet Gültas
- Department of Breeding Informatics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Neef
- Bernstein Group Biophysics of Neural Computation, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carolin Wichmann
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicola Strenzke
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Systems Physiology Group, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Chad Grabner
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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21
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Grassmeyer JJ, Thoreson WB. Synaptic Ribbon Active Zones in Cone Photoreceptors Operate Independently from One Another. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:198. [PMID: 28744203 PMCID: PMC5504102 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors depolarize in darkness to release glutamate-laden synaptic vesicles. Essential to release is the synaptic ribbon, a structure that helps organize active zones by clustering vesicles near proteins that mediate exocytosis, including voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Cone terminals have many ribbon-style active zones at which second-order neurons receive input. We asked whether there are functionally significant differences in local Ca2+ influx among ribbons in individual cones. We combined confocal Ca2+ imaging to measure Ca2+ influx at individual ribbons and patch clamp recordings to record whole-cell ICa in salamander cones. We found that the voltage for half-maximal activation (V50) of whole cell ICa in cones averaged −38.1 mV ± 3.05 mV (standard deviation [SD]), close to the cone membrane potential in darkness of ca. −40 mV. Ca2+ signals at individual ribbons varied in amplitude from one another and showed greater variability in V50 values than whole-cell ICa, suggesting that Ca2+ signals can differ significantly among ribbons within cones. After accounting for potential sources of technical variability in measurements of Ca2+ signals and for contributions from cone-to-cone differences in ICa, we found that the variability in V50 values for ribbon Ca2+ signals within individual cones showed a SD of 2.5 mV. Simulating local differences in Ca2+ channel activity at two ribbons by shifting the V50 value of ICa by ±2.5 mV (1 SD) about the mean suggests that when the membrane depolarizes to −40 mV, two ribbons could experience differences in Ca2+ influx of >45%. Further evidence that local Ca2+ changes at ribbons can be regulated independently was obtained in experiments showing that activation of inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells (HCs) to cones in paired recordings changed both amplitude and V50 of Ca2+ signals at individual ribbons. By varying the strength of synaptic output, differences in voltage dependence and amplitude of Ca2+ signals at individual ribbons shape the information transmitted from cones to downstream neurons in vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Grassmeyer
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE, United States.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE, United States
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE, United States.,Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE, United States
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22
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Chapot CA, Euler T, Schubert T. How do horizontal cells 'talk' to cone photoreceptors? Different levels of complexity at the cone-horizontal cell synapse. J Physiol 2017; 595:5495-5506. [PMID: 28378516 DOI: 10.1113/jp274177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The first synapse of the retina plays a fundamental role in the visual system. Due to its importance, it is critical that it encodes information from the outside world with the greatest accuracy and precision possible. Cone photoreceptor axon terminals contain many individual synaptic sites, each represented by a presynaptic structure called a 'ribbon'. These synapses are both highly sophisticated and conserved. Each ribbon relays the light signal to one ON cone bipolar cell and several OFF cone bipolar cells, while two dendritic processes from a GABAergic interneuron, the horizontal cell, modulate the cone output via parallel feedback mechanisms. The presence of these three partners within a single synapse has raised numerous questions, and its anatomical and functional complexity is still only partially understood. However, the understanding of this synapse has recently evolved, as a consequence of progress in understanding dendritic signal processing and its role in facilitating global versus local signalling. Indeed, for the downstream retinal network, dendritic processing in horizontal cells may be essential, as they must support important functional operations such as contrast enhancement, which requires spatial averaging of the photoreceptor array, while at the same time preserving accurate spatial information. Here, we review recent progress made towards a better understanding of the cone synapse, with an emphasis on horizontal cell function, and discuss why such complexity might be necessary for early visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille A Chapot
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.,Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.,Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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23
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A Presynaptic Group III mGluR Recruits Gβγ/SNARE Interactions to Inhibit Synaptic Transmission by Cone Photoreceptors in the Vertebrate Retina. J Neurosci 2017; 37:4618-4634. [PMID: 28363980 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2948-16.2017] [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: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
G-protein βγ subunits (Gβγ) interact with presynaptic proteins and regulate neurotransmitter release downstream of Ca2+ influx. To accomplish their roles in sensory signaling, photoreceptor synapses use specialized presynaptic proteins that support neurotransmission at active zone structures known as ribbons. While several G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) influence synaptic transmission at ribbon synapses of cones and other retinal neurons, it is unknown whether Gβγ contributes to these effects. We tested whether activation of one particular GPCR, a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR), can reduce cone synaptic transmission via Gβγ in tiger salamander retinas. In recordings from horizontal cells, we found that an mGluR agonist (L-AP4) reduced cone-driven light responses and mEPSC frequency. In paired recordings of cones and horizontal cells, L-AP4 slightly reduced cone ICa (∼10%) and caused a larger reduction in cone-driven EPSCs (∼30%). Proximity ligation assay revealed direct interactions between SNAP-25 and Gβγ subunits in retinal synaptic layers. Pretreatment with the SNAP-25 cleaving protease BoNT/A inhibited L-AP4 effects on synaptic transmission, as did introduction of a peptide derived from the SNAP-25 C terminus. Introducing Gβγ subunits directly into cones reduced EPSC amplitude. This effect was inhibited by BoNT/A, supporting a role for Gβγ/SNAP-25 interactions. However, the mGluR-dependent reduction in ICa was not mimicked by Gβγ, indicating that this effect was independent of Gβγ. The finding that synaptic transmission at cone ribbon synapses is regulated by Gβγ/SNAP-25 interactions indicates that these mechanisms are shared by conventional and ribbon-type synapses. Gβγ liberated from other photoreceptor GPCRs is also likely to regulate synaptic transmission.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dynamic regulation of synaptic transmission by presynaptic G-protein coupled receptors shapes information flow through neural circuits. At the first synapse in the visual system, presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) regulate cone photoreceptor synaptic transmission, although the mechanisms and functional impact of this are unclear. We show that mGluRs regulate light response encoding across the cone synapse, accomplished in part by triggering G-protein βγ subunits (Gβγ) interactions with SNAP-25, a core component of the synaptic vesicle fusion machinery. In addition to revealing a role in visual processing, this provides the first demonstration that Gβγ/SNAP-25 interactions regulate synaptic function at a ribbon-type synapse, contributing to an emerging picture of the ubiquity of Gβγ/SNARE interactions in regulating synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system.
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24
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Cork KM, Van Hook MJ, Thoreson WB. Mechanisms, pools, and sites of spontaneous vesicle release at synapses of rod and cone photoreceptors. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2015-27. [PMID: 27255664 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Photoreceptors have depolarized resting potentials that stimulate calcium-dependent release continuously from a large vesicle pool but neurons can also release vesicles without stimulation. We characterized the Ca(2+) dependence, vesicle pools, and release sites involved in spontaneous release at photoreceptor ribbon synapses. In whole-cell recordings from light-adapted horizontal cells (HCs) of tiger salamander retina, we detected miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents (mEPSCs) when no stimulation was applied to promote exocytosis. Blocking Ca(2+) influx by lowering extracellular Ca(2+) , by application of Cd(2+) and other agents reduced the frequency of mEPSCs but did not eliminate them, indicating that mEPSCs can occur independently of Ca(2+) . We also measured release presynaptically from rods and cones by examining quantal glutamate transporter anion currents. Presynaptic quantal event frequency was reduced by Cd(2+) or by increased intracellular Ca(2+) buffering in rods, but not in cones, that were voltage clamped at -70 mV. By inhibiting the vesicle cycle with bafilomycin, we found the frequency of mEPSCs declined more rapidly than the amplitude of evoked excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) suggesting a possible separation between vesicle pools in evoked and spontaneous exocytosis. We mapped sites of Ca(2+) -independent release using total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to visualize fusion of individual vesicles loaded with dextran-conjugated pHrodo. Spontaneous release in rods occurred more frequently at non-ribbon sites than evoked release events. The function of Ca(2+) -independent spontaneous release at continuously active photoreceptor synapses remains unclear, but the low frequency of spontaneous quanta limits their impact on noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlene M Cork
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, 4050 Durham Research Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5840, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, 4050 Durham Research Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5840, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, 4050 Durham Research Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5840, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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25
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Complexin 3 Increases the Fidelity of Signaling in a Retinal Circuit by Regulating Exocytosis at Ribbon Synapses. Cell Rep 2016; 15:2239-2250. [PMID: 27239031 PMCID: PMC5134263 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Complexin (Cplx) proteins modulate the core SNARE complex to regulate exocytosis. To understand the contributions of Cplx to signaling in a well-characterized neural circuit, we investigated how Cplx3, a retina-specific paralog, shapes transmission at rod bipolar (RB) → AII amacrine cell synapses in the mouse retina. Knockout of Cplx3 strongly attenuated fast, phasic Ca2+-dependent transmission, dependent on local [Ca2+] nanodomains, but enhanced slower Ca2+-dependent transmission, dependent on global intraterminal [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]I). Surprisingly, coordinated multivesicular release persisted at Cplx3−/− synapses, although its onset was slowed. Light-dependent signaling at Cplx3−/− RB → AII synapses was sluggish, owing largely to increased asynchronous release at light offset. Consequently, propagation of RB output to retinal ganglion cells was suppressed dramatically. Our study links Cplx3 expression with synapse and circuit function in a specific retinal pathway and reveals a role for asynchronous release in circuit gain control.
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26
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Thoreson WB, Van Hook MJ, Parmelee C, Curto C. Modeling and measurement of vesicle pools at the cone ribbon synapse: Changes in release probability are solely responsible for voltage-dependent changes in release. Synapse 2015; 70:1-14. [PMID: 26541100 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21871] [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: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Postsynaptic responses are a product of quantal amplitude (Q), size of the releasable vesicle pool (N), and release probability (P). Voltage-dependent changes in presynaptic Ca(2+) entry alter postsynaptic responses primarily by changing P but have also been shown to influence N. With simultaneous whole cell recordings from cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells in tiger salamander retinal slices, we measured N and P at cone ribbon synapses by using a train of depolarizing pulses to stimulate release and deplete the pool. We developed an analytical model that calculates the total pool size contributing to release under different stimulus conditions by taking into account the prior history of release and empirically determined properties of replenishment. The model provided a formula that calculates vesicle pool size from measurements of the initial postsynaptic response and limiting rate of release evoked by a train of pulses, the fraction of release sites available for replenishment, and the time constant for replenishment. Results of the model showed that weak and strong depolarizing stimuli evoked release with differing probabilities but the same size vesicle pool. Enhancing intraterminal Ca(2+) spread by lowering Ca(2+) buffering or applying BayK8644 did not increase PSCs evoked with strong test steps, showing there is a fixed upper limit to pool size. Together, these results suggest that light-evoked changes in cone membrane potential alter synaptic release solely by changing release probability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.,Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Caitlyn Parmelee
- Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
| | - Carina Curto
- Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska.,Department of Mathematics, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania
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27
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Van Hook MJ, Thoreson WB. Weak endogenous Ca2+ buffering supports sustained synaptic transmission by distinct mechanisms in rod and cone photoreceptors in salamander retina. Physiol Rep 2015; 3:3/9/e12567. [PMID: 26416977 PMCID: PMC4600400 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in synaptic transmission between rod and cone photoreceptors contribute to different response kinetics in rod- versus cone-dominated visual pathways. We examined Ca2+ dynamics in synaptic terminals of tiger salamander photoreceptors under conditions that mimicked endogenous buffering to determine the influence on kinetically and mechanistically distinct components of synaptic transmission. Measurements of ICl(Ca) confirmed that endogenous Ca2+ buffering is equivalent to ˜0.05 mmol/L EGTA in rod and cone terminals. Confocal imaging showed that with such buffering, depolarization stimulated large, spatially unconstrained [Ca2+] increases that spread throughout photoreceptor terminals. We calculated immediately releasable pool (IRP) size and release efficiency in rods by deconvolving excitatory postsynaptic currents and presynaptic Ca2+ currents. Peak efficiency of ˜0.2 vesicles/channel was similar to that of cones (˜0.3 vesicles/channel). Efficiency in both cell types was not significantly affected by using weak endogenous Ca2+ buffering. However, weak Ca2+ buffering speeded Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent replenishment of vesicles to ribbons in both rods and cones, thereby enhancing sustained release. In rods, weak Ca2+ buffering also amplified sustained release by enhancing CICR and CICR-stimulated release of vesicles at nonribbon sites. By contrast, elevating [Ca2+] at nonribbon sites in cones with weak Ca2+ buffering and by inhibiting Ca2+ extrusion did not trigger additional release, consistent with the notion that exocytosis from cones occurs exclusively at ribbons. The presence of weak endogenous Ca2+ buffering in rods and cones facilitates slow, sustained exocytosis by enhancing Ca2+/CaM-dependent replenishment of ribbons in both rods and cones and by stimulating nonribbon release triggered by CICR in rods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
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28
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Exocytotic machineries of vestibular type I and cochlear ribbon synapses display similar intrinsic otoferlin-dependent Ca2+ sensitivity but a different coupling to Ca2+ channels. J Neurosci 2014; 34:10853-69. [PMID: 25122888 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0947-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The hair cell ribbon synapses of the mammalian auditory and vestibular systems differ greatly in their anatomical organization and firing properties. Notably, vestibular Type I hair cells (VHC-I) are surrounded by a single calyx-type afferent terminal that receives input from several ribbons, whereas cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) are contacted by several individual afferent boutons, each facing a single ribbon. The specificity of the presynaptic molecular mechanisms regulating transmitter release at these different sensory ribbon synapses is not well understood. Here, we found that exocytosis during voltage activation of Ca(2+) channels displayed higher Ca(2+) sensitivity, 10 mV more negative half-maximum activation, and a smaller dynamic range in VHC-I than in IHCs. VHC-I had a larger number of Ca(2+) channels per ribbon (158 vs 110 in IHCs), but their Ca(2+) current density was twofold smaller because of a smaller open probability and unitary conductance. Using confocal and stimulated emission depletion immunofluorescence microscopy, we showed that VHC-I had fewer synaptic ribbons (7 vs 17 in IHCs) to which Cav1.3 channels are more tightly organized than in IHCs. Gradual intracellular Ca(2+) uncaging experiments revealed that exocytosis had a similar intrinsic Ca(2+) sensitivity in both VHC-I and IHCs (KD of 3.3 ± 0.6 μM and 4.0 ± 0.7 μM, respectively). In otoferlin-deficient mice, exocytosis was largely reduced in VHC-I and IHCs. We conclude that VHC-I and IHCs use a similar micromolar-sensitive otoferlin Ca(2+) sensor and that their sensory encoding specificity is essentially determined by a different functional organization of Ca(2+) channels at their synaptic ribbons.
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29
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Van Hook MJ, Parmelee CM, Chen M, Cork KM, Curto C, Thoreson WB. Calmodulin enhances ribbon replenishment and shapes filtering of synaptic transmission by cone photoreceptors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 144:357-78. [PMID: 25311636 PMCID: PMC4210432 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201411229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
At the first synapse in the vertebrate visual pathway, light-evoked changes in photoreceptor membrane potential alter the rate of glutamate release onto second-order retinal neurons. This process depends on the synaptic ribbon, a specialized structure found at various sensory synapses, to provide a supply of primed vesicles for release. Calcium (Ca(2+)) accelerates the replenishment of vesicles at cone ribbon synapses, but the mechanisms underlying this acceleration and its functional implications for vision are unknown. We studied vesicle replenishment using paired whole-cell recordings of cones and postsynaptic neurons in tiger salamander retinas and found that it involves two kinetic mechanisms, the faster of which was diminished by calmodulin (CaM) inhibitors. We developed an analytical model that can be applied to both conventional and ribbon synapses and showed that vesicle resupply is limited by a simple time constant, τ = 1/(Dρδs), where D is the vesicle diffusion coefficient, δ is the vesicle diameter, ρ is the vesicle density, and s is the probability of vesicle attachment. The combination of electrophysiological measurements, modeling, and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of single synaptic vesicles suggested that CaM speeds replenishment by enhancing vesicle attachment to the ribbon. Using electroretinogram and whole-cell recordings of light responses, we found that enhanced replenishment improves the ability of cone synapses to signal darkness after brief flashes of light and enhances the amplitude of responses to higher-frequency stimuli. By accelerating the resupply of vesicles to the ribbon, CaM extends the temporal range of synaptic transmission, allowing cones to transmit higher-frequency visual information to downstream neurons. Thus, the ability of the visual system to encode time-varying stimuli is shaped by the dynamics of vesicle replenishment at photoreceptor synaptic ribbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198
| | - Caitlyn M Parmelee
- Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Minghui Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198
| | - Karlene M Cork
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198
| | - Carina Curto
- Department of Mathematics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198
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30
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Abstract
Synaptic ribbons are presynaptic protein structures found at many synapses that convey graded, "analog" sensory signals in the visual, auditory, and vestibular pathways. Ribbons, typically anchored to the presynaptic membrane and surrounded by tethered synaptic vesicles, are thought to regulate or facilitate vesicle delivery to the presynaptic membrane. No direct evidence exists, however, to indicate how vesicles interact with the ribbon or, once attached, move along the ribbon's surface to reach the presynaptic release sites at its base. To address these questions, we have created, validated, and tested a passive vesicle diffusion model of retinal rod bipolar cell ribbon synapses. We used axial (bright-field) electron tomography in the scanning transmission electron microscopy to obtain 3D structures of rat rod bipolar cell terminals in 1-μm-thick sections of retinal tissue at an isotropic spatial resolution of ∼3 nm. The resulting structures were then incorporated with previously published estimates of vesicle diffusion dynamics into numerical simulations that accurately reproduced electrophysiologically measured vesicle release/replenishment rates and vesicle pool sizes. The simulations suggest that, under physiologically realistic conditions, diffusion of vesicles crowded on the ribbon surface gives rise to a flow field that enhances delivery of vesicles to the presynaptic membrane without requiring an active transport mechanism. Numerical simulations of ribbon-vesicle interactions predict that transient binding and unbinding of multiple tethers to each synaptic vesicle may achieve sufficiently tight association of vesicles to the ribbon while permitting the fast diffusion along the ribbon that is required to sustain high release rates.
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31
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Van Hook MJ, Thoreson WB. Endogenous calcium buffering at photoreceptor synaptic terminals in salamander retina. Synapse 2014; 68:518-28. [PMID: 25049035 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Calcium operates by several mechanisms to regulate glutamate release at rod and cone synaptic terminals. In addition to serving as the exocytotic trigger, Ca2+ accelerates replenishment of vesicles in cones and triggers Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) in rods. Ca2+ thereby amplifies sustained exocytosis, enabling photoreceptor synapses to encode constant and changing light. A complete picture of the role of Ca2+ in regulating synaptic transmission requires an understanding of the endogenous Ca2+ handling mechanisms at the synapse. We therefore used the "added buffer" approach to measure the endogenous Ca2+ binding ratio (κendo ) and extrusion rate constant (γ) in synaptic terminals of photoreceptors in retinal slices from tiger salamander. We found that κendo was similar in both cell types-∼25 and 50 in rods and cones, respectively. Using measurements of the decay time constants of Ca2+ transients, we found that γ was also similar, with values of ∼100 s(-1) and 160 s(-1) in rods and cones, respectively. The measurements of κendo differ considerably from measurements in retinal bipolar cells, another ribbon-bearing class of retinal neurons, but are comparable to similar measurements at other conventional synapses. The values of γ are slower than at other synapses, suggesting that Ca2+ ions linger longer in photoreceptor terminals, supporting sustained exocytosis, CICR, and Ca2+ -dependent ribbon replenishment. The mechanisms of endogenous Ca2+ handling in photoreceptors are thus well-suited for supporting tonic neurotransmission. Similarities between rod and cone Ca2+ handling suggest that neither buffering nor extrusion underlie differences in synaptic transmission kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, 68198
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32
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Schmitz F. Presynaptic [Ca(2+)] and GCAPs: aspects on the structure and function of photoreceptor ribbon synapses. Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 7:3. [PMID: 24567702 PMCID: PMC3915146 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in intracellular calcium ions [Ca2+] play important roles in photoreceptor signaling. Consequently, intracellular [Ca2+] levels need to be tightly controlled. In the light-sensitive outer segments (OS) of photoreceptors, Ca2+ regulates the activity of retinal guanylate cyclases thus playing a central role in phototransduction and light-adaptation by restoring light-induced decreases in cGMP. In the synaptic terminals, changes of intracellular Ca2+ trigger various aspects of neurotransmission. Photoreceptors employ tonically active ribbon synapses that encode light-induced, graded changes of membrane potential into modulation of continuous synaptic vesicle exocytosis. The active zones of ribbon synapses contain large electron-dense structures, synaptic ribbons, that are associated with large numbers of synaptic vesicles. Synaptic coding at ribbon synapses differs from synaptic coding at conventional (phasic) synapses. Recent studies revealed new insights how synaptic ribbons are involved in this process. This review focuses on the regulation of [Ca2+] in presynaptic photoreceptor terminals and on the function of a particular Ca2+-regulated protein, the neuronal calcium sensor protein GCAP2 (guanylate cyclase-activating protein-2) in the photoreceptor ribbon synapse. GCAP2, an EF-hand-containing protein plays multiple roles in the OS and in the photoreceptor synapse. In the OS, GCAP2 works as a Ca2+-sensor within a Ca2+-regulated feedback loop that adjusts cGMP levels. In the photoreceptor synapse, GCAP2 binds to RIBEYE, a component of synaptic ribbons, and mediates Ca2+-dependent plasticity at that site. Possible mechanisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Schmitz
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical School Homburg/Saar, Saarland University Saarland, Germany
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33
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Chen M, Križaj D, Thoreson WB. Intracellular calcium stores drive slow non-ribbon vesicle release from rod photoreceptors. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:20. [PMID: 24550779 PMCID: PMC3910126 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Rods are capable of greater slow release than cones contributing to overall slower release kinetics. Slow release in rods involves Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). By impairing release from ribbons, we found that unlike cones where release occurs entirely at ribbon-style active zones, slow release from rods occurs mostly at ectopic, non-ribbon sites. To investigate the role of CICR in ribbon and non-ribbon release from rods, we used total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy as a tool for visualizing terminals of isolated rods loaded with fluorescent Ca2+ indicator dyes and synaptic vesicles loaded with dextran-conjugated pH-sensitive rhodamine. We found that rather than simply facilitating release, activation of CICR by ryanodine triggered release directly in rods, independent of plasma membrane Ca2+ channel activation. Ryanodine-evoked release occurred mostly at non-ribbon sites and release evoked by sustained depolarization at non-ribbon sites was mostly due to CICR. Unlike release at ribbon-style active zones, non-ribbon release did not occur at fixed locations. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-tracker dye in rod terminals showed that ER extends continuously from synapse to soma. Release of Ca2+ from terminal ER by lengthy depolarization did not significantly deplete Ca2+ from ER in the perikaryon. Collectively, these results indicate that CICR-triggered release at non-ribbon sites is a major mechanism for maintaining vesicle release from rods and that CICR in terminals may be sustained by diffusion of Ca2+ through ER from other parts of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE, USA ; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE, USA
| | - David Križaj
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE, USA ; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE, USA
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Freed MA, Liang Z. Synaptic noise is an information bottleneck in the inner retina during dynamic visual stimulation. J Physiol 2013; 592:635-51. [PMID: 24297850 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.265744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In daylight, noise generated by cones determines the fidelity with which visual signals are initially encoded. Subsequent stages of visual processing require synapses from bipolar cells to ganglion cells, but whether these synapses generate a significant amount of noise was unknown. To characterize noise generated by these synapses, we recorded excitatory postsynaptic currents from mammalian retinal ganglion cells and subjected them to a computational noise analysis. The release of transmitter quanta at bipolar cell synapses contributed substantially to the noise variance found in the ganglion cell, causing a significant loss of fidelity from bipolar cell array to postsynaptic ganglion cell. Virtually all the remaining noise variance originated in the presynaptic circuit. Circuit noise had a frequency content similar to noise shared by ganglion cells but a very different frequency content from noise from bipolar cell synapses, indicating that these synapses constitute a source of independent noise not shared by ganglion cells. These findings contribute a picture of daylight retinal circuits where noise from cones and noise generated by synaptic transmission of cone signals significantly limit visual fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Freed
- University of Pennsylvania, 123 Anatomy-Chemistry Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058, USA.
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Kim MH, Li GL, von Gersdorff H. Single Ca2+ channels and exocytosis at sensory synapses. J Physiol 2013; 591:3167-78. [PMID: 23459757 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.249482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hair cell synapses in the ear and photoreceptor synapses in the eye are the first synapses in the auditory and visual system. These specialized synapses transmit a large amount of sensory information in a fast and efficient manner. Moreover, both small and large signals with widely variable kinetics must be quickly encoded and reliably transmitted to allow an animal to rapidly monitor and react to its environment. Here we briefly review some aspects of these primary synapses, which are characterized by a synaptic ribbon in their active zones of transmitter release. We propose that these synapses are themselves highly specialized for the task at hand. Photoreceptor and bipolar cell ribbon synapses in the retina appear to have versatile properties that permit both tonic and phasic transmitter release. This allows them to transmit changes of both luminance and contrast within a visual field at different ambient light levels. By contrast, hair cell ribbon synapses are specialized for a highly synchronous form of multivesicular release that may be critical for phase locking to low-frequency sound-evoked signals at both low and high sound intensities. The microarchitecture of a hair cell synapse may be such that the opening of a single Ca(2+) channel evokes the simultaneous exocytosis of multiple synaptic vesicles. Thus, the differing demands of sensory encoding in the eye and ear generate diverse designs and capabilities for their ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mean-Hwan Kim
- Oregon Health Sciences University, Vollum Institute L-474, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
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36
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Thoreson WB, Mercer AJ, Cork KM, Szalewski RJ. Lateral mobility of L-type calcium channels in synaptic terminals of retinal bipolar cells. Mol Vis 2013; 19:16-24. [PMID: 23335847 PMCID: PMC3548577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Efficient and precise release of glutamate from retinal bipolar cells is ensured by the positioning of L-type Ca(2+) channels close to release sites at the base of the synaptic ribbon. We investigated whether Ca(2+) channels at bipolar cell ribbon synapses are fixed in position or capable of moving in the membrane. METHODS We tracked the movements of individual L-type Ca(2+) channels in bipolar cell terminals after labeling channels with quantum dots (QDs) attached to α(2)δ(4) accessory Ca(2+) channel subunits via intermediary antibodies. RESULTS We found that individual Ca(2+) channels moved within a confined domain of 0.13-0.15 μm(2) in bipolar cell terminals, similar to ultrastructural estimates of the surface area of the active zone beneath the ribbon. Disruption of actin expanded the confinement domain indicating that cytoskeletal interactions help to confine channels at the synapse, but the relatively large diffusion coefficients of 0.3-0.45 μm(2)/s suggest that channels are not directly anchored to actin. Unlike photoreceptor synapses, removing membrane cholesterol did not change domain size, indicating that lipid rafts are not required to confine Ca(2+) channels at bipolar cell ribbon synapses. CONCLUSIONS The ability of Ca(2+) channels to move within the presynaptic active zone suggests that regulating channel mobility may affect release from bipolar cell terminals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B. Thoreson
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE,Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Aaron J. Mercer
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Karlene M. Cork
- Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Robert J. Szalewski
- Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
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Stockner T, Koschak A. What can naturally occurring mutations tell us about Ca(v)1.x channel function? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2012; 1828:1598-607. [PMID: 23219801 PMCID: PMC3787742 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2012.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Revised: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca2 + channels allow for Ca2 +-dependent intracellular signaling by directly mediating Ca2 + ion influx, by physical coupling to intracellular Ca2 + release channels or functional coupling to other ion channels such as Ca2 + activated potassium channels. L-type Ca2 + channels that comprise the family of Cav1 channels are expressed in many electrically excitable tissues and are characterized by their unique sensitivity to dihydropyridines. In this issue, we summarize genetic defects in L-type Ca2 + channels and analyze their role in human diseases (Ca2 + channelopathies); e.g. mutations in Cav1.2 α1 cause Timothy and Brugada syndrome, mutations in Cav1.3 α1 are linked to sinoatrial node dysfunction and deafness while mutations in Cav1.4 α1 are associated with X-linked retinal disorders such as an incomplete form of congenital stationary night blindness. Herein, we also put the mutations underlying the channel's dysfunction into the structural context of the pore-forming α1 subunit. This analysis highlights the importance of combining functional data with structural analysis to gain a deeper understanding for the disease pathophysiology as well as for physiological channel function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Stockner
- Medical University Vienna, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Währingerstrasse 13A, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Tarr TB, Dittrich M, Meriney SD. Are unreliable release mechanisms conserved from NMJ to CNS? Trends Neurosci 2012; 36:14-22. [PMID: 23102681 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Revised: 05/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The frog neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a strong and reliable synapse because, during activation, sufficient neurotransmitter is released to trigger a postsynaptic action potential (AP). Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that this reliability emerges from the assembly of thousands of unreliable single vesicle release sites. The mechanisms that govern this unreliability include a paucity of voltage-gated calcium channels, a low probability of calcium channel opening during an AP, and the rare triggering of synaptic vesicle fusion even when a calcium channel does open and allows calcium flux. Here, we discuss the evidence that these unreliable single vesicle release sites may be the fundamental building blocks of many types of synapses in both the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS and CNS, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler B Tarr
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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39
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Molecular anatomy and physiology of exocytosis in sensory hair cells. Cell Calcium 2012; 52:327-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2012.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Revised: 05/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Smith SM, Chen W, Vyleta NP, Williams C, Lee CH, Phillips C, Andresen MC. Calcium regulation of spontaneous and asynchronous neurotransmitter release. Cell Calcium 2012; 52:226-33. [PMID: 22748761 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The molecular machinery underlying action potential-evoked, synchronous neurotransmitter release, has been intensely studied. It was presumed that two other forms of exocytosis, delayed (asynchronous) and spontaneous transmission, were mediated by the same voltage-activated Ca(2+) channels (VACCs), intracellular Ca(2+) sensors and vesicle pools. However, a recent explosion in the study of spontaneous and asynchronous release has shown these presumptions to be incorrect. Furthermore, the finding that different forms of synaptic transmission may mediate distinct physiological functions emphasizes the importance of identifying the mechanisms by which Ca(2+) regulates spontaneous and asynchronous release. In this article, we will briefly summarize new and published data on the role of Ca(2+) in regulating spontaneous and asynchronous release at a number of different synapses. We will discuss how an increase of extracellular [Ca(2+)] increases spontaneous and asynchronous release, show that VACCs are involved at only some synapses, and identify regulatory roles for other ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors. In particular, we will focus on two novel pathways that play important roles in the regulation of non-synchronous release at two exemplary synapses: one modulated by the Ca(2+)-sensing receptor and the other by transient receptor potential cation channel sub-family V member 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Smith
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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Mercer AJ, Szalewski RJ, Jackman SL, Van Hook MJ, Thoreson WB. Regulation of presynaptic strength by controlling Ca2+ channel mobility: effects of cholesterol depletion on release at the cone ribbon synapse. J Neurophysiol 2012; 107:3468-78. [PMID: 22442573 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00779.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic communication requires proper coupling between voltage-gated Ca(2+) (Ca(V)) channels and synaptic vesicles. In photoreceptors, L-type Ca(V) channels are clustered close to synaptic ribbon release sites. Although clustered, Ca(V) channels move continuously within a confined domain slightly larger than the base of the ribbon. We hypothesized that expanding Ca(V) channel confinement domains should increase the number of channel openings needed to trigger vesicle release. Using single-particle tracking techniques, we measured the expansion of Ca(V) channel confinement domains caused by depletion of membrane cholesterol with cholesterol oxidase or methyl-β-cyclodextrin. With paired whole cell recordings from cones and horizontal cells, we then determined the number of Ca(V) channel openings contributing to cone Ca(V) currents (I(Ca)) and the number of vesicle fusion events contributing to horizontal cell excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) following cholesterol depletion. Expansion of Ca(V) channel confinement domains reduced the peak efficiency of release, decreasing the number of vesicle fusion events accompanying opening of each Ca(V) channel. Cholesterol depletion also inhibited exocytotic capacitance increases evoked by brief depolarizing steps. Changes in efficiency were not due to changes in I(Ca) amplitude or glutamate receptor properties. Replenishing cholesterol restored Ca(V) channel domain size and release efficiency to control levels. These results indicate that cholesterol is important for organizing the cone active zone. Furthermore, the finding that cholesterol depletion impairs coupling between channel opening and vesicle release by allowing Ca(V) channels to move further from release sites shows that changes in presynaptic Ca(V) channel mobility can be a mechanism for adjusting synaptic strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Mercer
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5840, USA
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