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Sullivan D, Vaglio BJ, Cararo-Lopes MM, Wong RDP, Graudejus O, Firestein BL. Stretch-Induced Injury Affects Cortical Neuronal Networks in a Time- and Severity-Dependent Manner. Ann Biomed Eng 2024; 52:1021-1038. [PMID: 38294641 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-023-03438-0] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of accident-related death and disability in the world and can lead to long-term neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as a decline in cognitive function and neurodegeneration. TBI includes primary and secondary injury, with head trauma and deformation of the brain caused by the physical force of the impact as primary injury, and cellular and molecular cascades that lead to cell death as secondary injury. Currently, there is no treatment for TBI-induced cell damage and neural circuit dysfunction in the brain, and thus, it is important to understand the underlying cellular mechanisms that lead to cell damage. In the current study, we use stretchable microelectrode arrays (sMEAs) to model the primary injury of TBI to study the electrophysiological effects of physically injuring cortical cells. We recorded electrophysiological activity before injury and then stretched the flexible membrane of the sMEAs to injure the cells to varying degrees. At 1, 24, and 72 h post-stretch, we recorded activity to analyze differences in spike rate, Fano factor, burstlet rate, burstlet width, synchrony of firing, local network efficiency, and Q statistic. Our results demonstrate that mechanical injury changes the firing properties of cortical neuron networks in culture in a time- and severity-dependent manner. Our results suggest that changes to electrophysiological properties after stretch are dependent on the strength of synchronization between neurons prior to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Sullivan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Brandon J Vaglio
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Marina M Cararo-Lopes
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Ruben D Ponce Wong
- BioMedical Sustainable Elastic Electronic Devices (BMSEED), Mesa, AZ, USA
| | - Oliver Graudejus
- BioMedical Sustainable Elastic Electronic Devices (BMSEED), Mesa, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Bonnie L Firestein
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8082, USA.
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2
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Singh NK, Gandu SR, Li L, Ni L, Acioglu C, Mirabelli E, Hiester LL, Elkabes S, Firestein BL. Cypin Inhibition as a Therapeutic Approach to Treat Spinal Cord Injury-Induced Mechanical Pain. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0451-23.2024. [PMID: 38302457 PMCID: PMC10875717 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0451-23.2024] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cypin (cytosolic postsynaptic density protein 95 interactor) is the primary guanine deaminase in the central nervous system (CNS), promoting the metabolism of guanine to xanthine, an important reaction in the purine salvage pathway. Activation of the purine salvage pathway leads to the production of uric acid (UA). UA has paradoxical effects, specifically in the context of CNS injury as it confers neuroprotection, but it also promotes pain. Since neuropathic pain is a comorbidity associated with spinal cord injury (SCI), we postulated that small molecule cypin inhibitor B9 treatment could attenuate SCI-induced neuropathic pain, potentially by interfering with UA production. However, we also considered that this treatment could hinder the neuroprotective effects of UA and, in doing so, exacerbate SCI outcomes. To address our hypothesis, we induced a moderate midthoracic contusion SCI in female mice and assessed whether transient intrathecal administration of B9, starting at 1 d postinjury (dpi) until 7 dpi, attenuates mechanical pain in hindlimbs at 3 weeks pi. We also evaluated the effects of B9 on the spontaneous recovery of locomotor function. We found that B9 alleviates mechanical pain but does not affect locomotor function. Importantly, B9 does not exacerbate lesion volume at the epicenter. In accordance with these findings, B9 does not aggravate glutamate-induced excitotoxic death of SC neurons in vitro. Moreover, SCI-induced increased astrocyte reactivity at the glial scar is not altered by B9 treatment. Our data suggest that B9 treatment reduces mechanical pain without exerting major detrimental effects following SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha K Singh
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
- Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Srinivasa R Gandu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
- Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Lun Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07101
| | - Li Ni
- Department of Neurosurgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07101
| | - Cigdem Acioglu
- Department of Neurosurgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07101
| | - Ersilia Mirabelli
- Department of Neurosurgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07101
| | - Liam L Hiester
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Stella Elkabes
- Department of Neurosurgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07101
| | - Bonnie L Firestein
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
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3
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O'Neill KM, Anderson ED, Mukherjee S, Gandu S, McEwan SA, Omelchenko A, Rodriguez AR, Losert W, Meaney DF, Babadi B, Firestein BL. Time-dependent homeostatic mechanisms underlie brain-derived neurotrophic factor action on neural circuitry. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1278. [PMID: 38110605 PMCID: PMC10728104 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05638-9] [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: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasticity and homeostatic mechanisms allow neural networks to maintain proper function while responding to physiological challenges. Despite previous work investigating morphological and synaptic effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the most prevalent growth factor in the central nervous system, how exposure to BDNF manifests at the network level remains unknown. Here we report that BDNF treatment affects rodent hippocampal network dynamics during development and recovery from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in culture. Importantly, these effects are not obvious when traditional activity metrics are used, so we delve more deeply into network organization, functional analyses, and in silico simulations. We demonstrate that BDNF partially restores homeostasis by promoting recovery of weak and medium connections after injury. Imaging and computational analyses suggest these effects are caused by changes to inhibitory neurons and connections. From our in silico simulations, we find that BDNF remodels the network by indirectly strengthening weak excitatory synapses after injury. Ultimately, our findings may explain the difficulties encountered in preclinical and clinical trials with BDNF and also offer information for future trials to consider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M O'Neill
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Institute for Physical Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Erin D Anderson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shoutik Mukherjee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Srinivasa Gandu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Sara A McEwan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Anton Omelchenko
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Ana R Rodriguez
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Institute for Physical Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - David F Meaney
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Bonnie L Firestein
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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4
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O'Neill KM, Saracino E, Barile B, Mennona NJ, Mola MG, Pathak S, Posati T, Zamboni R, Nicchia GP, Benfenati V, Losert W. Decoding Natural Astrocyte Rhythms: Dynamic Actin Waves Result from Environmental Sensing by Primary Rodent Astrocytes. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200269. [PMID: 36709481 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are key regulators of brain homeostasis, equilibrating ion, water, and neurotransmitter concentrations and maintaining essential conditions for proper cognitive function. Recently, it has been shown that the excitability of the actin cytoskeleton manifests in second-scale dynamic fluctuations and acts as a sensor of chemophysical environmental cues. However, it is not known whether the cytoskeleton is excitable in astrocytes and how the homeostatic function of astrocytes is linked to the dynamics of the cytoskeleton. Here it is shown that homeostatic regulation involves the excitable dynamics of actin in certain subcellular regions of astrocytes, especially near the cell boundary. The results further indicate that actin dynamics concentrate into "hotspot" regions that selectively respond to certain chemophysical stimuli, specifically the homeostatic challenges of ion or water concentration increases. Substrate topography makes the actin dynamics of astrocytes weaker. Super-resolution images demonstrate that surface topography is also associated with the predominant perpendicular alignment of actin filaments near the cell boundary, whereas flat substrates result in an actin cortex mainly parallel to the cell boundary. Additionally, coculture with neurons increases both the probability of actin dynamics and the strength of hotspots. The excitable systems character of actin thus makes astrocytes direct participants in neural cell network dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M O'Neill
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Emanuela Saracino
- Institute of Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity, National Research Council of Italy, 40129, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Barile
- Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Nicholas J Mennona
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Maria Grazia Mola
- Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Spandan Pathak
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Tamara Posati
- Institute of Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity, National Research Council of Italy, 40129, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Zamboni
- Institute of Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity, National Research Council of Italy, 40129, Bologna, Italy
| | - Grazia P Nicchia
- Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Valentina Benfenati
- Institute of Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity, National Research Council of Italy, 40129, Bologna, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
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5
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Sweet ES, Lange KR, Fenner MR, Tseng CY, Akum BF, Firestein BL. Cypin binds to tubulin heterodimers and microtubule protofilaments and regulates microtubule spacing in developing hippocampal neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 123:103783. [PMID: 36208859 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytosolic PSD-95 interactor (cypin) is a multifunctional, guanine deaminase that plays a major role in shaping the morphology of the dendritic arbor of hippocampal and cortical neurons. Cypin catalyzes the Zn2+-dependent deamination of guanine to xanthine, which is then metabolized to uric acid by xanthine oxidase. Cypin binds to tubulin heterodimers via its carboxyl terminal region (amino acids (aa) 350-454), which contains a collapsin response mediator protein (CRMP) homology domain (aa 350-403). Moreover, this region alone is not sufficient to facilitate microtubule polymerization; therefore, additional cypin regions must be involved in this process. Here, we asked whether cypin binds to fully formed microtubules and how overexpression of cypin regulates the microtubule cytoskeleton in dendrites of cultured hippocampal neurons. Protein-protein docking strategies confirm that the cypin homodimer binds to tubulin heterodimers via amino acids within aa 350-454. Biochemical pull-down data suggest that aa 1-220 are necessary for cypin binding to soluble tubulin heterodimers and to taxol-stabilized microtubules. Molecular docking of the cypin homodimer to soluble tubulin heterodimers reveals a consistently observed docking pose using aa 47-71, 113-118, 174-178, and 411-418, which is consistent with our biochemical data. Additionally, overexpression of cypin in hippocampal neurons results in decreased spacing between microtubules. Our results suggest that several protein domains facilitate cypin-mediated polymerization of tubulin heterodimers into microtubules, possibly through a mechanism whereby cypin dimers bind to multiple tubulin heterodimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Sweet
- Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, United States of America
| | - Keith R Lange
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America; Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Madeleine R Fenner
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Chia-Yi Tseng
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America; Neurosciences Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Barbara F Akum
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America; Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Bonnie L Firestein
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America.
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