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Munoz B, Fritz BM, Yin F, Atwood BK. HCN1 channels mediate mu opioid receptor long-term depression at insular cortex inputs to the dorsal striatum. J Physiol 2022; 600:4917-4938. [PMID: 36181477 DOI: 10.1113/jp283513] [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: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mu opioid receptors (MORs) are expressed in the dorsal striatum, a brain region that mediates goal-directed (via the dorsomedial striatum) and habitual (via the dorsolateral striatum, DLS) behaviours. Our previous work indicates that glutamate transmission is depressed when MORs are activated in the dorsal striatum, inducing MOR-mediated long-term synaptic depression (MOR-LTD) or short-term depression (MOR-STD), depending on the input. In the DLS, MOR-LTD is produced by MORs on anterior insular cortex (AIC) inputs and MOR-STD occurs at thalamic inputs, suggesting input-specific MOR plasticity mechanisms. Here, we evaluated the mechanisms of induction of MOR-LTD and MOR-STD in the DLS using pharmacology and optogenetics combined with patch-clamp electrophysiology. We found that cAMP/PKA signalling and protein synthesis are necessary for MOR-LTD expression, similar to previous studies of cannabinoid-mediated LTD in DLS. MOR-STD does not utilize these same mechanisms. We also demonstrated that cannabinoid-LTD occurs at AIC inputs to DLS. However, while cannabinoid-LTD requires mTOR signalling in DLS, MOR-LTD does not. We characterized the role of presynaptic HCN1 channels in MOR-LTD induction as HCN1 channels expressed in AIC are necessary for MOR-LTD expression in the DLS. These results suggest a mechanism in which MOR activation requires HCN1 to induce MOR-LTD, suggesting a new target for pharmacological modulation of synaptic plasticity, providing new opportunities to develop novel drugs to treat alcohol and opioid use disorders. KEY POINTS: Mu opioid receptor-mediated long-term depression at anterior insular cortex inputs to dorsolateral striatum involves presynaptic cAMP/PKA signalling and protein translation, similar to known mechanisms of cannabinoid long-term depression. Dorsal striatal cannabinoid long-term depression also occurs at anterior insular cortex inputs to the dorsolateral striatum. Dorsal striatal cannabinoid long-term depression requires mTOR signalling, similar to hippocampal cannabinoid long-term depression, but dorsal striatal mu opioid long-term depression does not require mTOR signalling. Mu opioid long-term depression requires presynaptic HCN1 channels at anterior insular cortex inputs to dorsolateral striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braulio Munoz
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Brandon M Fritz
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Fuqin Yin
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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2
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Limoges A, Yarur HE, Tejeda HA. Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:963691. [PMID: 36276608 PMCID: PMC9579273 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amygdaloid circuits are involved in a variety of emotional and motivation-related behaviors and are impacted by stress. The amygdala expresses several neuromodulatory systems, including opioid peptides and their receptors. The Dynorphin (Dyn)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of emotional and stress-related information and is expressed in brain areas involved in stress and motivation. Dysregulation of the Dyn/KOR system has also been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is limited information about the role of the Dyn/KOR system in regulating amygdala circuitry. Here, we review the literature on the (1) basic anatomy of the amygdala, (2) functional regulation of synaptic transmission by the Dyn/KOR system, (3) anatomical architecture and function of the Dyn/KOR system in the amygdala, (4) regulation of amygdala-dependent behaviors by the Dyn/KOR system, and (5) future directions for the field. Future work investigating how the Dyn/KOR system shapes a wide range of amygdala-related behaviors will be required to increase our understanding of underlying circuitry modulation by the Dyn/KOR system. We anticipate that continued focus on the amygdala Dyn/KOR system will also elucidate novel ways to target the Dyn/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Limoges
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- NIH-Columbia University Individual Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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3
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Reeves KC, Shah N, Muñoz B, Atwood BK. Opioid Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Neurotransmission in the Brain. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:919773. [PMID: 35782382 PMCID: PMC9242007 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.919773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids mediate their effects via opioid receptors: mu, delta, and kappa. At the neuronal level, opioid receptors are generally inhibitory, presynaptically reducing neurotransmitter release and postsynaptically hyperpolarizing neurons. However, opioid receptor-mediated regulation of neuronal function and synaptic transmission is not uniform in expression pattern and mechanism across the brain. The localization of receptors within specific cell types and neurocircuits determine the effects that endogenous and exogenous opioids have on brain function. In this review we will explore the similarities and differences in opioid receptor-mediated regulation of neurotransmission across different brain regions. We discuss how future studies can consider potential cell-type, regional, and neural pathway-specific effects of opioid receptors in order to better understand how opioid receptors modulate brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin C. Reeves
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Nikhil Shah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Braulio Muñoz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Brady K. Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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4
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Yeo XY, Cunliffe G, Ho RC, Lee SS, Jung S. Potentials of Neuropeptides as Therapeutic Agents for Neurological Diseases. Biomedicines 2022; 10:343. [PMID: 35203552 PMCID: PMC8961788 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent leaps in modern medicine, progress in the treatment of neurological diseases remains slow. The near impermeable blood-brain barrier (BBB) that prevents the entry of therapeutics into the brain, and the complexity of neurological processes, limits the specificity of potential therapeutics. Moreover, a lack of etiological understanding and the irreversible nature of neurological conditions have resulted in low tolerability and high failure rates towards existing small molecule-based treatments. Neuropeptides, which are small proteinaceous molecules produced by the body, either in the nervous system or the peripheral organs, modulate neurological function. Although peptide-based therapeutics originated from the treatment of metabolic diseases in the 1920s, the adoption and development of peptide drugs for neurological conditions are relatively recent. In this review, we examine the natural roles of neuropeptides in the modulation of neurological function and the development of neurological disorders. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of these proteinaceous molecules in filling gaps in current therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yi Yeo
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore; (X.Y.Y.); (G.C.)
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore;
| | - Grace Cunliffe
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore; (X.Y.Y.); (G.C.)
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Roger C. Ho
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore;
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Su Seong Lee
- NanoBio Lab, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore
| | - Sangyong Jung
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138667, Singapore; (X.Y.Y.); (G.C.)
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117593, Singapore
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5
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Davis S, Zhu J. Substance abuse and neurotransmission. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2022; 93:403-441. [PMID: 35341573 PMCID: PMC9759822 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The number of people who suffer from a substance abuse disorder has continued to rise over the last decade; particularly, the number of drug-related overdose deaths has sharply increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Converging lines of clinical observations, supported by imaging and neuropsychological performance testing, have demonstrated that substance abuse-induced dysregulation of neurotransmissions in the brain is critical for development and expression of the addictive properties of abused substances. Recent scientific advances have allowed for better understanding of the neurobiological processes that mediates drugs of abuse and addiction. This chapter presents the past classic concepts and the recent advances in our knowledge about how cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, alcohol, and nicotine alter multiple neurotransmitter systems, which contribute to the behaviors associated with each drug. Additionally, we discuss the interactive effects of HIV-1 or COVID-19 and substance abuse on neurotransmission and neurobiological pathways. Finally, we introduce therapeutic strategies for development of pharmacotherapies for substance abuse disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Davis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.
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Sex-Specific Vasopressin Signaling Buffers Stress-Dependent Synaptic Changes in Female Mice. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8842-8852. [PMID: 33051356 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1026-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In many species, social networks provide benefit for both the individual and the collective. In addition to transmitting information to others, social networks provide an emotional buffer for distressed individuals. Our understanding about the cellular mechanisms that contribute to buffering is poor. Stress has consequences for the entire organism, including a robust change in synaptic plasticity at glutamate synapses onto corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). In females, however, this stress-induced metaplasticity is buffered by the presence of a naive partner. This buffering may be because of discrete behavioral interactions, signals in the context in which the interaction occurs (i.e., olfactory cues), or it may be influenced by local signaling events in the PVN. Here, we show that local vasopressin (VP) signaling in PVN buffers the short-term potentiation (STP) at glutamate synapses after stress. This social buffering of metaplasticity, which requires the presence of another individual, was prevented by pharmacological inhibition of the VP 1a receptor (V1aR) in female mice. Exogenous VP mimicked the effects of social buffering and reduced STP in CRHPVN neurons from females but not males. These findings implicate VP as a potential mediator of social buffering in female mice.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In many organisms, including rodents and humans, social groups are beneficial to overall health and well-being. Moreover, it is through these social interactions that the harmful effects of stress can be mitigated, a phenomenon known as social buffering. In the present study, we describe a critical role for the neuropeptide vasopressin (VP) in social buffering of synaptic metaplasticity in stress-responsive corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in female mice. These effects of VP do not extend to social buffering of stress behaviors, suggesting this is a very precise and local form of sex-specific neuropeptide signaling.
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Pomrenze MB, Giovanetti SM, Maiya R, Gordon AG, Kreeger LJ, Messing RO. Dissecting the Roles of GABA and Neuropeptides from Rat Central Amygdala CRF Neurons in Anxiety and Fear Learning. Cell Rep 2020; 29:13-21.e4. [PMID: 31577943 PMCID: PMC6879108 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Central amygdala (CeA) neurons that produce corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) regulate anxiety and fear learning. These CeACRF neurons release GABA and several neuropeptides predicted to play important yet opposing roles in these behaviors. We dissected the relative roles of GABA, CRF, dynorphin, and neurotensin in CeACRF neurons in anxiety and fear learning by disrupting their expression using RNAi in male rats. GABA, but not CRF, dynorphin, or neurotensin, regulates baseline anxiety-like behavior. In contrast, chemogenetic stimulation of CeACRF neurons evokes anxiety-like behavior dependent on CRF and dynorphin, but not neurotensin. Finally, knockdown of CRF and dynorphin impairs fear learning, whereas knockdown of neurotensin enhances it. Our results demonstrate distinct behavioral roles for GABA, CRF, dynorphin, and neurotensin in a subpopulation of CeA neurons. These results highlight the importance of considering the repertoire of signaling molecules released from a given neuronal population when studying the circuit basis of behavior. Pomrenze et al. demonstrate that CRF neurons of the central amygdala differentially regulate fear and anxiety through the release of GABA and different neuropeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Pomrenze
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Simone M Giovanetti
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rajani Maiya
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Adam G Gordon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lauren J Kreeger
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Robert O Messing
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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8
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Mu-Opioids Suppress GABAergic Synaptic Transmission onto Orbitofrontal Cortex Pyramidal Neurons with Subregional Selectivity. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5894-5907. [PMID: 32601247 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2049-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a critical role in evaluating outcomes in a changing environment. Administering opioids to the OFC can alter the hedonic reaction to food rewards and increase their consumption in a subregion-specific manner. However, it is unknown how mu-opioid signaling influences synaptic transmission in the OFC. Thus, we investigated the cellular actions of mu-opioids within distinct subregions of the OFC. Using in vitro patch-clamp electrophysiology in brain slices containing the OFC, we found that the mu-opioid agonist DAMGO produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of GABAergic synaptic transmission onto medial OFC (mOFC), but not lateral OFC (lOFC) neurons. This effect was mediated by presynaptic mu-opioid receptor activation of local parvalbumin (PV+)-expressing interneurons. The DAMGO-induced suppression of inhibition was long lasting and not reversed on washout of DAMGO or by application of the mu-opioid receptor antagonist CTAP, suggesting an inhibitory long-term depression (LTD) induced by an exogenous mu-opioid. We show that LTD at inhibitory synapses is dependent on downstream cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling, which differs between the mOFC and lOFC. Finally, we demonstrate that endogenous opioid release triggered via moderate physiological stimulation can induce LTD. Together, these results suggest that presynaptic mu-opioid stimulation of local PV+ interneurons induces a long-lasting suppression of GABAergic synaptic transmission, which depends on subregional differences in mu-opioid receptor coupling to the downstream cAMP/PKA intracellular cascade. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the opposing functional effects produced by mu-opioids within the OFC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Considering that both the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the opioid system regulate reward, motivation, and food intake, understanding the role of opioid signaling within the OFC is fundamental for a mechanistic understanding of the sequelae for several psychiatric disorders. This study makes several novel observations. First, mu-opioids induce a long-lasting suppression of inhibitory synaptic transmission onto OFC pyramidal neurons in a regionally selective manner. Second, mu-opioids recruit parvalbumin inputs to suppress inhibitory synaptic transmission in the mOFC. Third, the regional selectivity of mu-opioid action of endogenous opioids is due to the efficacy of mu-opioid receptor coupling to the downstream cAMP/PKA intracellular cascades. These experiments are the first to reveal a cellular mechanism of opioid action within the OFC.
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9
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Brown CH, Ludwig M, Tasker JG, Stern JE. Somato-dendritic vasopressin and oxytocin secretion in endocrine and autonomic regulation. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12856. [PMID: 32406599 PMCID: PMC9134751 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Somato-dendritic secretion was first demonstrated over 30 years ago. However, although its existence has become widely accepted, the function of somato-dendritic secretion is still not completely understood. Hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory cells were among the first neuronal phenotypes in which somato-dendritic secretion was demonstrated and are among the neurones for which the functions of somato-dendritic secretion are best characterised. These neurones secrete the neuropeptides, vasopressin and oxytocin, in an orthograde manner from their axons in the posterior pituitary gland into the blood circulation to regulate body fluid balance and reproductive physiology. Retrograde somato-dendritic secretion of vasopressin and oxytocin modulates the activity of the neurones from which they are secreted, as well as the activity of neighbouring populations of neurones, to provide intra- and inter-population signals that coordinate the endocrine and autonomic responses for the control of peripheral physiology. Somato-dendritic vasopressin and oxytocin have also been proposed to act as hormone-like signals in the brain. There is some evidence that somato-dendritic secretion from magnocellular neurosecretory cells modulates the activity of neurones beyond their local environment where there are no vasopressin- or oxytocin-containing axons but, to date, there is no conclusive evidence for, or against, hormone-like signalling throughout the brain, although it is difficult to imagine that the levels of vasopressin found throughout the brain could be underpinned by release from relatively sparse axon terminal fields. The generation of data to resolve this issue remains a priority for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin H. Brown
- Department of Physiology, Brain Health Research Centre, Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Mike Ludwig
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Immunology, Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jeffrey G. Tasker
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Javier E. Stern
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Bagley EE, Ingram SL. Endogenous opioid peptides in the descending pain modulatory circuit. Neuropharmacology 2020; 173:108131. [PMID: 32422213 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The opioid epidemic has led to a serious examination of the use of opioids for the treatment of pain. Opioid drugs are effective due to the expression of opioid receptors throughout the body. These receptors respond to endogenous opioid peptides that are expressed as polypeptide hormones that are processed by proteolytic cleavage. Endogenous opioids are expressed throughout the peripheral and central nervous system and regulate many different neuronal circuits and functions. One of the key functions of endogenous opioid peptides is to modulate our responses to pain. This review will focus on the descending pain modulatory circuit which consists of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG) projections to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM). RVM projections modulate incoming nociceptive afferents at the level of the spinal cord. Stimulation within either the PAG or RVM results in analgesia and this circuit has been studied in detail in terms of the actions of exogenous opioids, such as morphine and fentanyl. Further emphasis on understanding the complex regulation of endogenous opioids will help to make rational decisions with regard to the use of opioids for pain. We also include a discussion of the actions of endogenous opioids in the amygdala, an upstream brain structure that has reciprocal connections to the PAG that contribute to the brain's response to pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena E Bagley
- Discipline of Pharmacology and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Susan L Ingram
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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11
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In major depression, increased kappa and mu opioid receptor levels are associated with immune activation. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2020; 32:99-108. [PMID: 31753054 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2019.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was carried out to delineate differences between major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls in dynorphin and kappa opioid receptor (KOR) levels in association with changes in the β-endorphin - mu opioid receptor (MOR) and immune-inflammatory system. METHODS The present study examines dynorphin, KOR, β-endorphin, MOR, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 in 60 drug-free male participants with MDD and 30 age-matched healthy males. RESULTS Serum dynorphin, KOR, β-endorphin and MOR are significantly higher in MDD as compared to controls. The increases in the dynorphin/KOR system and β-endorphin/MOR system are significantly intercorrelated and are both strongly associated with increased IL-6 and IL-10 levels. Dynorphin, β-endorphin, KOR and both cytokines showed a good diagnostic performance for MDD versus controls with a bootstrapped (n = 2000) area under the receiver operating curve of 0.972. The dynorphin/KOR system is significantly decreased in depression with comorbid nicotine dependence. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that, in MDD, immune activation is associated with a simultaneous activation of dynorphin/KOR and β-endorphin/MOR signaling and that these opioid systems may participate in the pathophysiology of depression by (a) exerting immune-regulatory activities attenuating the primary immune response and (b) modulating reward responses and mood as well as emotional and behavioural responses to stress.
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12
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Heterosynaptic GABA B Receptor Function within Feedforward Microcircuits Gates Glutamatergic Transmission in the Nucleus Accumbens Core. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9277-9293. [PMID: 31578230 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1395-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex circuit interactions within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) facilitate goal-directed behavior. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) mediate NAc output by projecting to functionally divergent brain regions, a property conferred, in part, by the differential projection patterns of D1- and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing MSNs. Glutamatergic afferents to the NAc direct MSN output by recruiting feedforward inhibitory microcircuits comprised of parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons (INs). Furthermore, the GABAB heteroreceptor (GABABR), a Gi/o-coupled G-protein-coupled receptor, is expressed at glutamatergic synapses throughout the mesolimbic network, yet its physiological context and synaptic mechanism within the NAc remains unknown. Here, we explored GABABR function at glutamatergic synapses within PV-IN-embedded microcircuits in the NAc core of male mice. We found that GABABR is expressed presynaptically and recruits a noncanonical signaling mechanism to reduce glutamatergic synaptic efficacy at D1(+) and D1(-) (putative D2) MSN subtypes. Furthermore, PV-INs, a robust source of neuronal GABA in the NAc, heterosynaptically target GABABR to selectively modulate glutamatergic transmission onto D1(+) MSNs. These findings elucidate a new mechanism of feedforward inhibition and refine mechanisms by which GABAB heteroreceptors modulate mesolimbic circuit function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) critically contributes to goal-directed behaviors. However, intrinsic microcircuit mechanisms governing the integration of these synapses remain largely unknown. Here, we show that parvalbumin-expressing interneurons within feedforward microcircuits heterosynaptically target GABAB heteroreceptors (GABABR) on glutamate terminals. Activation of presynaptically-expressed GABABR decreases glutamatergic synaptic strength by engaging a non-canonical signaling pathway that interferes with vesicular exocytotic release machinery. These findings offer mechanistic insight into the role of GABAB heteroreceptors within reward circuitry, elucidate a novel arm to feedforward inhibitory networks, and inform the growing use of GABABR-selective pharmacotherapy for various motivational disorders, including addiction, major depressive disorder, and autism (Cousins et al., 2002; Kahn et al., 2009; Jacobson et al., 2018; Stoppel et al., 2018; Pisansky et al., 2019).
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13
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Dynorphin/kappa-opioid receptor control of dopamine dynamics: Implications for negative affective states and psychiatric disorders. Brain Res 2019; 1713:91-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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14
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Li C, Kash TL. κ-Opioid Receptor Modulation of GABAergic Inputs onto Ventrolateral Periaqueductal Gray Dopamine Neurons. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2019; 5:190-199. [PMID: 31768372 DOI: 10.1159/000496974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The κ-opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the regulation of many behaviors including pain. While there are numerous studies suggesting KOR regulation of pain being mediated spinally, there have been reports of pain-like behaviors regulated by central KOR signaling. In particular, oxytocin-induced analgesia appears to be mediated by KOR receptors within the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). We recently found that activation of dopamine (DA) neurons within the vlPAG is antinociceptive. In this study, we sought to determine the impact of KOR signaling on -GABAergic inputs onto vlPAG DA neurons, and the mechanism through which KOR impacts these inputs. We found that activation of KOR reduced GABAergic transmission onto vlPAG DA neurons. In addition, our data suggest this effect is mediated presynaptically via the G protein βγ-subunit. They raise the possibility that KOR activation disinhibits -vlPAG DA neurons, which could lead to altered regulation of pain-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia Li
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Zurawski Z, Thompson Gray AD, Brady LJ, Page B, Church E, Harris NA, Dohn MR, Yim YY, Hyde K, Mortlock DP, Jones CK, Winder DG, Alford S, Hamm HE. Disabling the Gβγ-SNARE interaction disrupts GPCR-mediated presynaptic inhibition, leading to physiological and behavioral phenotypes. Sci Signal 2019; 12:12/569/eaat8595. [PMID: 30783011 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aat8595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that couple to Gi/o proteins modulate neurotransmission presynaptically by inhibiting exocytosis. Release of Gβγ subunits from activated G proteins decreases the activity of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs), decreasing excitability. A less understood Gβγ-mediated mechanism downstream of Ca2+ entry is the binding of Gβγ to SNARE complexes, which facilitate the fusion of vesicles with the cell plasma membrane in exocytosis. Here, we generated mice expressing a form of the SNARE protein SNAP25 with premature truncation of the C terminus and that were therefore partially deficient in this interaction. SNAP25Δ3 homozygote mice exhibited normal presynaptic inhibition by GABAB receptors, which inhibit VGCCs, but defective presynaptic inhibition by receptors that work directly on the SNARE complex, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 5-HT1b receptors and adrenergic α2a receptors. Simultaneously stimulating receptors that act through both mechanisms showed synergistic inhibitory effects. SNAP25Δ3 homozygote mice had various behavioral phenotypes, including increased stress-induced hyperthermia, defective spatial learning, impaired gait, and supraspinal nociception. These data suggest that the inhibition of exocytosis by Gi/o-coupled GPCRs through the Gβγ-SNARE interaction is a crucial component of numerous physiological and behavioral processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zack Zurawski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | | | - Lillian J Brady
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brian Page
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Emily Church
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Nicholas A Harris
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael R Dohn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Yun Young Yim
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Karren Hyde
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Douglas P Mortlock
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Carrie K Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Simon Alford
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Heidi E Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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16
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Zurawski Z, Yim YY, Alford S, Hamm HE. The expanding roles and mechanisms of G protein-mediated presynaptic inhibition. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:1661-1670. [PMID: 30710014 PMCID: PMC6364771 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.tm118.004163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout the past five decades, tremendous advancements have been made in our understanding of G protein signaling and presynaptic inhibition, many of which were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry under the tenure of Herb Tabor as Editor-in-Chief. Here, we identify these critical advances, including the formulation of the ternary complex model of G protein-coupled receptor signaling and the discovery of Gβγ as a critical signaling component of the heterotrimeric G protein, along with the nature of presynaptic inhibition and its physiological role. We provide an overview for the discovery and physiological relevance of the two known Gβγ-mediated mechanisms for presynaptic inhibition: first, the action of Gβγ on voltage-gated calcium channels to inhibit calcium influx to the presynaptic active zone and, second, the direct binding of Gβγ to the SNARE complex to displace synaptotagmin downstream of calcium entry, which has been demonstrated to be important in neurons and secretory cells. These two mechanisms act in tandem with each other in a synergistic manner to provide more complete spatiotemporal control over neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zack Zurawski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7308
| | - Yun Young Yim
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Simon Alford
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7308
| | - Heidi E Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600.
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17
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Abstract
Modulation of neurotransmitter exocytosis by activated Gi/o coupled G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is a universal regulatory mechanism used both to avoid overstimulation and to influence circuitry. One of the known modulation mechanisms is the interaction between Gβγ and the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNAREs). There are 5 Gβ and 12 Gγ subunits, but specific Gβγs activated by a given GPCR and the specificity to effectors, such as SNARE, in vivo are not known. Although less studied, Gβγ binding to the exocytic fusion machinery (i.e. SNARE) provides a more direct regulatory mechanism for neurotransmitter release. Here, we review some recent insights in the architecture of the synaptic terminal, modulation of synaptic transmission, and implications of G protein modulation of synaptic transmission in diseases. Numerous presynaptic proteins are involved in the architecture of synaptic terminals, particularly the active zone, and their importance in the regulation of exocytosis is still not completely understood. Further understanding of the Gβγ-SNARE interaction and the architecture and mechanisms of exocytosis may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets to help patients with various disorders such as hypertension, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and acute/chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Young Yim
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville 37232-6600, TN, United States
| | - Zack Zurawski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville 37232-6600, TN, United States
| | - Heidi Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville 37232-6600, TN, United States.
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18
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Pourzitaki C, Tsaousi G, Papazisis G, Kyrgidis A, Zacharis C, Kritis A, Malliou F, Kouvelas D. Fentanyl and naloxone effects on glutamate and GABA release rates from anterior hypothalamus in freely moving rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 834:169-175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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19
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Muñoz B, Fritz BM, Yin F, Atwood BK. Alcohol exposure disrupts mu opioid receptor-mediated long-term depression at insular cortex inputs to dorsolateral striatum. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1318. [PMID: 29615610 PMCID: PMC5882774 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03683-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs of abuse, including alcohol, ablate the expression of specific forms of long-term synaptic depression (LTD) at glutamatergic synapses in dorsal striatum (DS), a brain region involved in goal-directed and habitual behaviors. This loss of LTD is associated with altered DS-dependent behavior. Given the role of the µ-opioid receptor (MOR) in behavioral responding for alcohol, we explored the impact of alcohol on various forms of MOR-mediated synaptic depression that we find are differentially expressed at specific DS synapses. Corticostriatal MOR-mediated LTD (mOP-LTD) in the dorsolateral striatum occurs exclusively at inputs from anterior insular cortex and is selectively disrupted by in vivo alcohol exposure. Alcohol has no effect on corticostriatal mOP-LTD in dorsomedial striatum, thalamostriatal MOR-mediated short-term depression, or mOP-LTD of cholinergic interneuron-driven glutamate release. Disrupted mOP-LTD at anterior insular cortex-dorsolateral striatum synapses may therefore be a key mechanism of alcohol-induced neuroadaptations involved in the development of alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braulio Muñoz
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Brandon M Fritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Fuqin Yin
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. .,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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20
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Caref K, Nicola SM. Endogenous opioids in the nucleus accumbens promote approach to high-fat food in the absence of caloric need. eLife 2018; 7:34955. [PMID: 29582754 PMCID: PMC5903865 DOI: 10.7554/elife.34955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
When relatively sated, people (and rodents) are still easily tempted to consume calorie-dense foods, particularly those containing fat and sugar. Consumption of such foods while calorically replete likely contributes to obesity. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) opioid system has long been viewed as a critical substrate for this behavior, mainly via contributions to the neural control of consumption and palatability. Here, we test the hypothesis that endogenous NAc opioids also promote appetitive approach to calorie-dense food in states of relatively high satiety. We simultaneously recorded NAc neuronal firing and infused a µ-opioid receptor antagonist into the NAc while rats performed a cued approach task in which appetitive and consummatory phases were well separated. The results reveal elements of a neural mechanism by which NAc opioids promote approach to high-fat food despite the lack of caloric need, demonstrating a potential means by which the brain is biased towards overconsumption of palatable food. Imagine that you have just finished Thanksgiving dinner. You are completely full, having eaten large portions of turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes. Yet, despite feeling full, you still find yourself tempted by a slice of pie for dessert, maybe even with ice cream on top. Why is it that in such a state of fullness, you desire a slice of pie but not, say, another helping of green beans? The answer may lie in the way the brain responds to food when we do not need any more calories. At such times, your brain drives you to continue eating only those foods that are tasty and calorie-dense. This preference for fatty and sweet foods may have been helpful in the past when we could not be certain where our next meal would come from. But in modern times, the widespread availability of food makes this preference potentially harmful. For example, the drive to consume fatty and sweet foods even when not hungry may now be contributing to soaring levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes. What exactly is happening inside the brain to produce this behavior? Previous work has implicated a structure called the nucleus accumbens. When scientists activated proteins called mu opioid receptors within the nucleus accumbens, animals ate more of the foods that they find tasty. However, they were not as interested in eating more of the foods that they are more ambivalent towards. Caref and Nicola now show that preventing opioid binding makes rats unwilling to respond to a cue to obtain cream, an appetizing, high-fat reward. It also abolishes the brain activity that drives the rats to respond the cue. Crucially, however, this effect only occurs in rats that are not hungry. It therefore appears that opioid binding in the nucleus accumbens drives animals to approach and eat high-fat foods, but only when they do not need the calories. That is, it increases fat consumption in animals that are not actually hungry. A drug that selectively blocks mu opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens may reduce this behavior. Such a drug could potentially help to prevent obesity and the health problems associated with it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Caref
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States
| | - Saleem M Nicola
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States
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21
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Wang L, Burger LL, Greenwald-Yarnell ML, Myers MG, Moenter SM. Glutamatergic Transmission to Hypothalamic Kisspeptin Neurons Is Differentially Regulated by Estradiol through Estrogen Receptor α in Adult Female Mice. J Neurosci 2018; 38:1061-1072. [PMID: 29114074 PMCID: PMC5792470 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2428-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Estradiol feedback regulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and subsequent luteinizing hormone (LH) release. Estradiol acts via estrogen receptor α (ERα)-expressing afferents of GnRH neurons, including kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) and arcuate nuclei, providing homeostatic feedback on episodic GnRH/LH release as well as positive feedback to control ovulation. Ionotropic glutamate receptors are important for estradiol feedback, but it is not known where they fit in the circuitry. Estradiol-negative feedback decreased glutamatergic transmission to AVPV and increased it to arcuate kisspeptin neurons; positive feedback had the opposite effect. Deletion of ERα in kisspeptin cells decreased glutamate transmission to AVPV neurons and markedly increased it to arcuate kisspeptin neurons, which also exhibited increased spontaneous firing rate. KERKO mice had increased LH pulse frequency, indicating loss of negative feedback. These observations indicate that ERα in kisspeptin cells is required for appropriate differential regulation of these neurons and neuroendocrine output by estradiol.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The brain regulates fertility through gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Ovarian estradiol regulates the pattern of GnRH (negative feedback) and initiates a surge of release that triggers ovulation (positive feedback). GnRH neurons do not express the estrogen receptor needed for feedback (estrogen receptor α [ERα]); kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate and anteroventral periventricular nuclei are postulated to mediate negative and positive feedback, respectively. Here we extend the network through which feedback is mediated by demonstrating that glutamatergic transmission to these kisspeptin populations is differentially regulated during the reproductive cycle and by estradiol. Electrophysiological and in vivo hormone profile experiments on kisspeptin-specific ERα knock-out mice demonstrate that ERα in kisspeptin cells is required for appropriate differential regulation of these neurons and for neuroendocrine output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luhong Wang
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
| | | | | | - Martin G Myers
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
- Internal Medicine
- Michigan Diabetes Research & Training Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology,
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Internal Medicine
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22
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Local Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Signaling in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus. J Neurosci 2018; 38:1874-1890. [PMID: 29352046 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1492-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) initiate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity through the release of CRF into the portal system as part of a coordinated neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral response to stress. The recent discovery of neurons expressing CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1), the primary receptor for CRF, adjacent to CRF neurons within the PVN, suggests that CRF also signals within the hypothalamus to coordinate aspects of the stress response. Here, we characterize the electrophysiological and molecular properties of PVN-CRFR1 neurons and interrogate their monosynaptic connectivity using rabies virus-based tracing and optogenetic circuit mapping in male and female mice. We provide evidence that CRF neurons in the PVN form synapses on neighboring CRFR1 neurons and activate them by releasing CRF. CRFR1 neurons receive the majority of monosynaptic input from within the hypothalamus, mainly from the PVN itself. Locally, CRFR1 neurons make GABAergic synapses on parvocellular and magnocellular cells within the PVN. CRFR1 neurons resident in the PVN also make long-range glutamatergic synapses in autonomic nuclei such as the nucleus of the solitary tract. Selective ablation of PVN-CRFR1 neurons in male mice elevates corticosterone release during a stress response and slows the decrease in circulating corticosterone levels after the cessation of stress. Our experiments provide evidence for a novel intra-PVN neural circuit that is activated by local CRF release and coordinates autonomic and endocrine function during stress responses.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) coordinates concomitant changes in autonomic and neuroendocrine function to organize the response to stress. This manuscript maps intra-PVN circuitry that signals via CRF, delineates CRF receptor type 1 neuron synaptic targets both within the PVN and at distal targets, and establishes the role of this microcircuit in regulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity.
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23
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Abstract
Chronic stress is a major cause of anxiety disorders that can be reliably modeled preclinically, providing insight into alternative therapeutic targets for this mental health illness. Neuropeptides have been targeted in the past to no avail possibly due to our lack of understanding of their role in pathological models. In this study we use a rat model of chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors and hypothesized that neuropeptidergic modulation of synaptic transmission would be altered in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region suspected to contribute to anxiety disorders. We use brain slice neurophysiology and behavioral pharmacology to compare the role of locally released endogenous neuropeptides on synaptic transmission in the oval (ov) BNST of non-stressed (NS) or chronic unpredictably stressed (CUS) rats. We found that in NS rats, post-synaptic depolarization induced the release of vesicular neurotensin (NT) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) that co-acted to increase ovBNST inhibitory synaptic transmission in 59% of recorded neurons. CUS bolstered this potentiation (100% of recorded neurons) through an enhanced contribution of NT over CRF. In contrast, locally released opioid neuropeptides decreased ovBNST excitatory synaptic transmission in all recorded neurons, regardless of stress. Consistent with CUS-induced enhanced modulatory effects of NT, blockade of ovBNST NT receptors completely abolished stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze paradigm. The role of NT has been largely unexplored in stress and our findings highlight its potential contribution to an important behavioral consequence of chronic stress, that is, exaggerated avoidance of open space in rats.
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24
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Barbacci DC, Roux A, Muller L, Jackson SN, Post J, Baldwin K, Hoffer B, Balaban CD, Schultz JA, Gouty S, Cox BM, Woods AS. Mass Spectrometric Imaging of Ceramide Biomarkers Tracks Therapeutic Response in Traumatic Brain Injury. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:2266-2274. [PMID: 28745861 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem and the leading cause of death in children and young adults. It also contributes to a substantial number of cases of permanent disability. As lipids make up over 50% of the brain mass and play a key role in both membrane structure and cell signaling, their profile is of particular interest. In this study, we show that advanced mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has sufficient technical accuracy and reproducibility to demonstrate the anatomical distribution of 50 μm diameter microdomains that show changes in brain ceramide levels in a rat model of controlled cortical impact (CCI) 3 days post injury with and without treatment. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received one strike and were euthanized 3 days post trauma. Brain MS images showed increase in ceramides in CCI animals compared to control as well as significant reduction in ceramides in CCI treated animals, demonstrating therapeutic effect of a peptide agonist. The data also suggests the presence of diffuse changes outside of the injured area. These results shed light on the extent of biochemical and structural changes in the brain after traumatic brain injury and could help to evaluate the efficacy of treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aurelie Roux
- Structural
Biology Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, NIH/NIDA-IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Ludovic Muller
- Structural
Biology Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, NIH/NIDA-IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Shelley N. Jackson
- Structural
Biology Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, NIH/NIDA-IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Jeremy Post
- Structural
Biology Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, NIH/NIDA-IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Kathrine Baldwin
- Structural
Biology Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, NIH/NIDA-IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Barry Hoffer
- University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Carey D. Balaban
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neurobiology, Communication Sciences & Disorders, and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | | | - Shawn Gouty
- Center
for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Brian M. Cox
- Center
for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Amina S. Woods
- Structural
Biology Unit, Integrative Neuroscience Branch, NIH/NIDA-IRP, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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25
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Abstract
Colocalization of small-molecule and neuropeptide transmitters is common throughout the nervous system of all animals. The resulting co-transmission, which provides conjoint ionotropic ('classical') and metabotropic ('modulatory') actions, includes neuropeptide- specific aspects that are qualitatively different from those that result from metabotropic actions of small-molecule transmitter release. Here, we focus on the flexibility afforded to microcircuits by such co-transmission, using examples from various nervous systems. Insights from such studies indicate that co-transmission mediated even by a single neuron can configure microcircuit activity via an array of contributing mechanisms, operating on multiple timescales, to enhance both behavioural flexibility and robustness.
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26
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Zurawski Z, Page B, Chicka MC, Brindley RL, Wells CA, Preininger AM, Hyde K, Gilbert JA, Cruz-Rodriguez O, Currie KPM, Chapman ER, Alford S, Hamm HE. Gβγ directly modulates vesicle fusion by competing with synaptotagmin for binding to neuronal SNARE proteins embedded in membranes. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:12165-12177. [PMID: 28515322 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.773523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Gi/o-coupled G protein-coupled receptors can inhibit neurotransmitter release at synapses via multiple mechanisms. In addition to Gβγ-mediated modulation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC), inhibition can also be mediated through the direct interaction of Gβγ subunits with the soluble N-ethylmaleimide attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex of the vesicle fusion apparatus. Binding studies with soluble SNARE complexes have shown that Gβγ binds to both ternary SNARE complexes, t-SNARE heterodimers, and monomeric SNAREs, competing with synaptotagmin 1(syt1) for binding sites on t-SNARE. However, in secretory cells, Gβγ, SNAREs, and synaptotagmin interact in the lipid environment of a vesicle at the plasma membrane. To approximate this environment, we show that fluorescently labeled Gβγ interacts specifically with lipid-embedded t-SNAREs consisting of full-length syntaxin 1 and SNAP-25B at the membrane, as measured by fluorescence polarization. Fluorescently labeled syt1 undergoes competition with Gβγ for SNARE-binding sites in lipid environments. Mutant Gβγ subunits that were previously shown to be more efficacious at inhibiting Ca2+-triggered exocytotic release than wild-type Gβγ were also shown to bind SNAREs at a higher affinity than wild type in a lipid environment. These mutant Gβγ subunits were unable to inhibit VGCC currents. Specific peptides corresponding to regions on Gβ and Gγ shown to be important for the interaction disrupt the interaction in a concentration-dependent manner. In in vitro fusion assays using full-length t- and v-SNAREs embedded in liposomes, Gβγ inhibited Ca2+/synaptotagmin-dependent fusion. Together, these studies demonstrate the importance of these regions for the Gβγ-SNARE interaction and show that the target of Gβγ, downstream of VGCC, is the membrane-embedded SNARE complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zack Zurawski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Brian Page
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7308
| | - Michael C Chicka
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Rebecca L Brindley
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Christopher A Wells
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Anita M Preininger
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Karren Hyde
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - James A Gilbert
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Osvaldo Cruz-Rodriguez
- Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Kevin P M Currie
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600
| | - Edwin R Chapman
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Simon Alford
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7308
| | - Heidi E Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6600.
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27
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Endogenous opioids regulate moment-to-moment neuronal communication and excitability. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14611. [PMID: 28327612 PMCID: PMC5364458 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear and emotional learning are modulated by endogenous opioids but the cellular basis for this is unknown. The intercalated cells (ITCs) gate amygdala output and thus regulate the fear response. Here we find endogenous opioids are released by synaptic stimulation to act via two distinct mechanisms within the main ITC cluster. Endogenously released opioids inhibit glutamate release through the δ-opioid receptor (DOR), an effect potentiated by a DOR-positive allosteric modulator. Postsynaptically, the opioids activate a potassium conductance through the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), suggesting for the first time that endogenously released opioids directly regulate neuronal excitability. Ultrastructural localization of endogenous ligands support these functional findings. This study demonstrates a new role for endogenously released opioids as neuromodulators engaged by synaptic activity to regulate moment-to-moment neuronal communication and excitability. These distinct actions through MOR and DOR may underlie the opposing effect of these receptor systems on anxiety and fear. The endogenous opioid system regulates fear and anxiety, but the underlying cellular mechanism is unclear. Winters et al. shows that in the intercalated cells (ITC) of the amygdala, endogenous opioids suppress glutamatergic inputs via the δ-opioid receptor presynaptically, and reduce the excitability of ITCs via the μ-opioid receptor postsynaptically.
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Abstract
The posterior pituitary gland secretes oxytocin and vasopressin (the antidiuretic hormone) into the blood system. Oxytocin is required for normal delivery of the young and for delivery of milk to the young during lactation. Vasopressin increases water reabsorption in the kidney to maintain body fluid balance and causes vasoconstriction to increase blood pressure. Oxytocin and vasopressin secretion occurs from the axon terminals of magnocellular neurons whose cell bodies are principally found in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus. The physiological functions of oxytocin and vasopressin depend on their secretion, which is principally determined by the pattern of action potentials initiated at the cell bodies. Appropriate secretion of oxytocin and vasopressin to meet the challenges of changing physiological conditions relies mainly on integration of afferent information on reproductive, osmotic, and cardiovascular status with local regulation of magnocellular neurons by glia as well as intrinsic regulation by the magnocellular neurons themselves. This review focuses on the control of magnocellular neuron activity with a particular emphasis on their regulation by reproductive function, body fluid balance, and cardiovascular status. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1701-1741, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin H Brown
- Brain Health Research Centre, Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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29
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Qiu J, Nestor CC, Zhang C, Padilla SL, Palmiter RD, Kelly MJ, Rønnekleiv OK. High-frequency stimulation-induced peptide release synchronizes arcuate kisspeptin neurons and excites GnRH neurons. eLife 2016; 5:e16246. [PMID: 27549338 PMCID: PMC4995096 DOI: 10.7554/elife.16246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Kisspeptin (Kiss1) and neurokinin B (NKB) neurocircuits are essential for pubertal development and fertility. Kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Kiss1(ARH)) co-express Kiss1, NKB, dynorphin and glutamate and are postulated to provide an episodic, excitatory drive to gonadotropin-releasing hormone 1 (GnRH) neurons, the synaptic mechanisms of which are unknown. We characterized the cellular basis for synchronized Kiss1(ARH) neuronal activity using optogenetics, whole-cell electrophysiology, molecular pharmacology and single cell RT-PCR in mice. High-frequency photostimulation of Kiss1(ARH) neurons evoked local release of excitatory (NKB) and inhibitory (dynorphin) neuropeptides, which were found to synchronize the Kiss1(ARH) neuronal firing. The light-evoked synchronous activity caused robust excitation of GnRH neurons by a synaptic mechanism that also involved glutamatergic input to preoptic Kiss1 neurons from Kiss1(ARH) neurons. We propose that Kiss1(ARH) neurons play a dual role of driving episodic secretion of GnRH through the differential release of peptide and amino acid neurotransmitters to coordinate reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Qiu
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Casey C Nestor
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Chunguang Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Stephanie L Padilla
- Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Richard D Palmiter
- Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Martin J Kelly
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, United States
| | - Oline K Rønnekleiv
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, United States
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Patton MH, Roberts BM, Lovinger DM, Mathur BN. Ethanol Disinhibits Dorsolateral Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons Through Activation of A Presynaptic Delta Opioid Receptor. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:1831-40. [PMID: 26758662 PMCID: PMC4869052 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The dorsolateral striatum mediates habit formation, which is expedited by exposure to alcohol. Across species, alcohol exposure disinhibits the DLS by dampening GABAergic transmission onto this structure's principal medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs), providing a potential mechanistic basis for habitual alcohol drinking. However, the molecular and circuit components underlying this disinhibition remain unknown. To examine this, we used a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and optogenetics to demonstrate that ethanol potently depresses both MSN- and fast-spiking interneuron (FSI)-MSN GABAergic synaptic transmission in the DLS. Concentrating on the powerfully inhibitory FSI-MSN synapse, we further show that acute exposure of ethanol (50 mM) to striatal slices activates delta opioid receptors that reside on FSI axon terminals and negatively couple to adenylyl cyclase to induce a long-term depression of GABA release onto both direct and indirect pathway MSNs. These findings elucidate a mechanism through which ethanol may globally disinhibit the DLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H Patton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bradley M Roberts
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, BRB RM 4011, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA, Tel: +410 706 8239, Fax: +410 706 8341, E-mail:
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31
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Mukhin VN, Abdurasulova IN, Pavlov KI, Kozlov AP, Klimenko VM. Effects of Activation of κ-Opioid Receptors on Behavior during Postnatal Formation of the Stress Reactivity Systems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11055-016-0288-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Edwards A, Abizaid A. Driving the need to feed: Insight into the collaborative interaction between ghrelin and endocannabinoid systems in modulating brain reward systems. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 66:33-53. [PMID: 27136126 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Independent stimulation of either the ghrelin or endocannabinoid system promotes food intake and increases adiposity. Given the similar distribution of their receptors in feeding associated brain regions and organs involved in metabolism, it is not surprising that evidence of their interaction and its importance in modulating energy balance has emerged. This review documents the relationship between ghrelin and endocannabinoid systems within the periphery and hypothalamus (HYP) before presenting evidence suggesting that these two systems likewise work collaboratively within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to modulate non-homeostatic feeding. Mechanisms, consistent with current evidence and local infrastructure within the VTA, will be proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Edwards
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
| | - Alfonso Abizaid
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
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33
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Choe KY, Trudel E, Bourque CW. Effects of Salt Loading on the Regulation of Rat Hypothalamic Magnocellular Neurosecretory Cells by Ionotropic GABA and Glycine Receptors. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26833894 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic and extrasynaptic transmission mediated by ionotropic GABA and glycine receptors plays a critical role in shaping the action potential firing (spiking) activity of hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory cells and therefore determines the rate at which vasopressin and oxytocin are released from the neurohypophysis. The inhibitory effect of these transmitters relies on the maintenance of a low concentration of intracellular chloride ions such that, when activated by GABA or glycine, a hyperpolarisation of the neuronal membrane potential results. In this review, we highlight the various ways by which the two types of inhibitory receptors contribute to homeostasis by fine-tuning the spiking rate of vasopressin-releasing magnocellular neurosecretory cells in a manner dependent on the hydration state of the animal. In addition, we review the currently available evidence on how the strength of these inhibitory pathways can be regulated during chronic hypernatraemia via a form of activity-dependent depolarisation of the chloride reversal potential, leading to an abolition of these inhibitory pathways potentially causing sodium-dependent elevations in blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Y Choe
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - E Trudel
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - C W Bourque
- Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
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34
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Dynorphin Controls the Gain of an Amygdalar Anxiety Circuit. Cell Rep 2016; 14:2774-83. [PMID: 26997280 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) are involved in a variety of aversive behavioral states, including anxiety. To date, a circuit-based mechanism for KOR-driven anxiety has not been described. Here, we show that activation of KORs inhibits glutamate release from basolateral amygdala (BLA) inputs to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and occludes the anxiolytic phenotype seen with optogenetic activation of BLA-BNST projections. In addition, deletion of KORs from amygdala neurons results in an anxiolytic phenotype. Furthermore, we identify a frequency-dependent, optically evoked local dynorphin-induced heterosynaptic plasticity of glutamate inputs in the BNST. We also find that there is cell type specificity to the KOR modulation of the BLA-BNST input with greater KOR-mediated inhibition of BLA dynorphin-expressing neurons. Collectively, these results provide support for a model in which local dynorphin release can inhibit an anxiolytic pathway, providing a discrete therapeutic target for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
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35
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Iremonger KJ, Bains JS. Asynchronous presynaptic glutamate release enhances neuronal excitability during the post-spike refractory period. J Physiol 2016; 594:1005-15. [PMID: 26662615 DOI: 10.1113/jp271485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Many excitatory synapses in the brain release glutamate with both synchronous and asynchronous components. Immediately following an action potential, neurons display a reduced excitability due to the post-spike afterhyperpolarization (AHP). This gives rise to a relative refractory period. When an action potential is evoked by glutamate synaptic input possessing asynchronous release, the delayed glutamate release events act to depolarize the neuron during the AHP and overcome the relative refractory period. These results demonstrate a new role for asynchronous release in regulating post-spike excitability and the relative refractory period in central neurons. ABSTRACT Post-spike afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) functionally inhibit neuronal excitability for tens to hundreds of milliseconds following each action potential. This imposes a relative refractory period during which synaptic excitation is less effective at evoking spikes. Here we asked whether some synapses have mechanisms in place that allow them to overcome the AHP and drive spiking in target cells during this period of reduced excitability. We examined glutamate synapses onto oxytocin and vasopressin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These synapses can display pronounced asynchronous glutamate release following a single presynaptic spike, with the time course of release being similar to that of the post-spike AHP. To test whether asynchronous release is more effective at overcoming the relative refractory period, we evoked a single action potential with either a brief synchronous depolarization or an asynchronous potential and then assessed excitability at multiple time points following the spike. Neurons receiving asynchronous depolarizing synaptic inputs had a shorter relative refractory period than those receiving synchronous depolarizations. Our data demonstrate that synapses releasing glutamate in an asynchronous and delayed manner are ideally adapted to counter the AHP. By effectively overcoming the relative refractory period, the kinetics of excitatory synaptic input can play an important role in controlling post-spike excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J Iremonger
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Physiology, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
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Postsynaptic Depolarization Enhances GABA Drive to Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Neurons through Somatodendritic Cholecystokinin Release. J Neurosci 2015; 35:13160-70. [PMID: 26400945 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3123-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatodendritically released peptides alter synaptic function through a variety of mechanisms, including autocrine actions that liberate retrograde transmitters. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a neuropeptide expressed in neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), a region implicated in satiety and stress. There are clear demonstrations that exogenous CCK modulates food intake and neuropeptide expression in the DMH, but there is no information on how endogenous CCK alters synaptic properties. Here, we provide the first report of somatodendritic release of CCK in the brain in male Sprague Dawley rats. CCK is released from DMH neurons in response to repeated postsynaptic depolarizations, and acts in an autocrine fashion on CCK2 receptors to enhance postsynaptic NMDA receptor function and liberate the retrograde transmitter, nitric oxide (NO). NO subsequently acts presynaptically to enhance GABA release through a soluble guanylate cyclase-mediated pathway. These data provide the first demonstration of synaptic actions of somatodendritically released CCK in the hypothalamus and reveal a new form of retrograde plasticity, depolarization-induced potentiation of inhibition. Significance statement: Somatodendritic signaling using endocannabinoids or nitric oxide to alter the efficacy of afferent transmission is well established. Despite early convincing evidence for somatodendritic release of neurohypophysial peptides in the hypothalamus, there is only limited evidence for this mode of release for other peptides. Here, we provide the first evidence for somatodendritic release of the satiety peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) in the brain. We also reveal a new form of synaptic plasticity in which postsynaptic depolarization results in enhancement of inhibition through the somatodendritic release of CCK.
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37
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Zurawski Z, Rodriguez S, Hyde K, Alford S, Hamm HE. Gβγ Binds to the Extreme C Terminus of SNAP25 to Mediate the Action of Gi/o-Coupled G Protein-Coupled Receptors. Mol Pharmacol 2015; 89:75-83. [PMID: 26519224 DOI: 10.1124/mol.115.101600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gi/o-coupled G protein-coupled receptors can exert an inhibitory effect on vesicle release through several G protein-driven mechanisms, more than one of which may be concurrently present in individual presynaptic terminals. The synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP25) is a key downstream effector of Gβγ subunits. It has previously been shown that proteolytic cleavage of SNAP25 by botulinum toxin A reduces the ability of Gβγ to compete with the calcium sensor synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) for binding to SNAP25 in a calcium-dependent manner. These truncated SNAP25 proteins sustain a low level of exocytosis but are unable to support serotonin-mediated inhibition of exocytosis in lamprey spinal neurons. Here, we generate a SNAP25 extreme C-terminal mutant that is deficient in its ability to bind Gβγ while retaining normal calcium-dependent Syt1 binding to soluble N-ethylmaleimide attachment protein receptor (SNARE) and vesicle release. The SNAP25Δ3 mutant, in which residue G204 is replaced by a stop codon, features a partial reduction in Gβ1γ2 binding in vitro as well as a partial reduction in the ability of the lamprey 5-hydroxytryptamine1b-type serotonin receptor to reduce excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes, an effect previously shown to be mediated through the interaction of Gβγ with SNAP25. Syt1 calcium-dependent binding to SNAP25Δ3 was reduced by a small extent compared with the wild type. We conclude that the extreme C terminus of SNAP25 is a critical region for the Gβγ-SNARE interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zack Zurawski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee (Z.Z., K.H., H.E.H.); and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois (S.R., S.A.)
| | - Shelagh Rodriguez
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee (Z.Z., K.H., H.E.H.); and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois (S.R., S.A.)
| | - Karren Hyde
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee (Z.Z., K.H., H.E.H.); and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois (S.R., S.A.)
| | - Simon Alford
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee (Z.Z., K.H., H.E.H.); and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois (S.R., S.A.)
| | - Heidi E Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee (Z.Z., K.H., H.E.H.); and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois (S.R., S.A.)
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38
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Wamsteeker Cusulin JI, Bains JS. Embedded synaptic feedback in the neuroendocrine stress axis. J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:481-6. [PMID: 25612538 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Neural regulation of blood glucocorticoid levels is critical for defence of homeostasis during physiological or psychoemotional challenges. In mammals, this function is carried out by the neuroendocrine stress axis, coordinated by parvocellular neuroendocrine cells (PNCs) of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. Feedback regulation of PNCs by glucocorticoids provides complex experience-dependent shaping of neuroendocrine responses. We review recent evidence for metaplastic actions of glucocorticoids as 'circuit breakers' at synapses directly regulating PNC excitability and explore how such mechanisms may serve as substrates for stress adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Wamsteeker Cusulin
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - J S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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39
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Cachope R, Pereda AE. Opioids potentiate electrical transmission at mixed synapses on the Mauthner cell. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:689-97. [PMID: 26019311 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00165.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid receptors were shown to modulate a variety of cellular processes in the vertebrate central nervous system, including synaptic transmission. While the effects of opioid receptors on chemically mediated transmission have been extensively investigated, little is known of their actions on gap junction-mediated electrical synapses. Here we report that pharmacological activation of mu-opioid receptors led to a long-term enhancement of electrical (and glutamatergic) transmission at identifiable mixed synapses on the goldfish Mauthner cells. The effect also required activation of both dopamine D1/5 receptors and postsynaptic cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, suggesting that opioid-evoked actions are mediated indirectly via the release of dopamine from varicosities known to be located in the vicinity of the synaptic contacts. Moreover, inhibitory inputs situated in the immediate vicinity of these excitatory synapses on the lateral dendrite of the Mauthner cell were not affected by activation of mu-opioid receptors, indicating that their actions are restricted to electrical and glutamatergic transmissions co-existing at mixed contacts. Thus, as their chemical counterparts, electrical synapses can be a target for the modulatory actions of the opioid system. Because gap junctions at these mixed synapses are formed by fish homologs of the neuronal connexin 36, which is widespread in mammalian brain, it is likely that this regulatory property applies to electrical synapses elsewhere as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Cachope
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; and
| | - Alberto E Pereda
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; and Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
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40
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Abstract
Drug withdrawal is often conceptualized as an aversive state that motivates drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviors in humans. Stress is more difficult to define, but is also frequently associated with aversive states. Here we describe evidence for the simple theory that drug withdrawal is a stress-like state, on the basis of common effects on behavioral, neurochemical, and molecular endpoints. We also describe data suggesting a more complex relationship between drug withdrawal and stress. As one example, we will highlight evidence that, depending on drug class, components of withdrawal can produce effects that have characteristics consistent with mood elevation. In addition, some stressors can act as positive reinforcers, defined as having the ability to increase the probability of a behavior that produces it. As such, accumulating evidence supports the general principles of opponent process theory, whereby processes that have an affective valence are followed in time by an opponent process that has the opposite valence. Throughout, we identify gaps in knowledge and propose future directions for research. A better understanding of the similarities, differences, and overlaps between drug withdrawal and stress will lead to the development of improved treatments for addiction, as well as for a vast array of neuropsychiatric conditions that are triggered or exacerbated by stress.
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41
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Atwood BK, Lovinger DM, Mathur BN. Presynaptic long-term depression mediated by Gi/o-coupled receptors. Trends Neurosci 2014; 37:663-73. [PMID: 25160683 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Revised: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Long-term depression (LTD) of the efficacy of synaptic transmission is now recognized as an important mechanism for the regulation of information storage and the control of actions, as well as for synapse, neuron, and circuit development. Studies of LTD mechanisms have focused mainly on postsynaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptor trafficking. However, the focus has now expanded to include presynaptically expressed plasticity, the predominant form being initiated by presynaptically expressed Gi/o-coupled metabotropic receptor (Gi/o-GPCR) activation. Several forms of LTD involving activation of different presynaptic Gi/o-GPCRs as a 'common pathway' are described. We review here the literature on presynaptic Gi/o-GPCR-mediated LTD, discuss known mechanisms, gaps in our knowledge, and evaluate whether all Gi/o-GPCRs are capable of inducing presynaptic LTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady K Atwood
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, MSC 9411, Bethesda, MD 20852-9411, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, MSC 9411, Bethesda, MD 20852-9411, USA
| | - Brian N Mathur
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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42
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What optogenetic stimulation is telling us (and failing to tell us) about fast neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in brain circuits for wake-sleep regulation. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 29:165-71. [PMID: 25064179 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the last eight years optogenetic tools have been widely used to identify functional synaptic connectivity between specific neuronal populations. Most of our knowledge comes from the photo-activation of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expressing inputs that release glutamate and GABA. More recent studies have been reporting releases of acetylcholine and biogenic amines but direct evidence for photo-evoked released of neuropeptides is still limited particularly in brain slice studies. The high fidelity in the responses with photo-evoked amino-acid transmission is ideal for ChR2-assisted circuit mapping and this approach has been successfully used in different fields of neuroscience. Conversely, neuropeptides employ a slow mode of communication and might require higher frequency and prolonged stimulations to be released. These factors may have contributed to the apparent lack of success for optogenetic release of neuropeptides. In addition, once released, neuropeptides often act on multiple sites and at various distances from the site of release resulting in a greater complexity of postsynaptic responses. Here, we focus on what optogenetics is telling us-and failing to tell us-about fast neurotransmitters and neuropeptides.
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43
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Toshinai K, Saito T, Yamaguchi H, Sasaki K, Tsuchimochi W, Minamino N, Ueta Y, Nakazato M. Neuroendocrine regulatory peptide-1 and -2 (NERPs) inhibit the excitability of magnocellular neurosecretory cells in the hypothalamus. Brain Res 2014; 1563:52-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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44
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Atwood BK, Kupferschmidt DA, Lovinger DM. Opioids induce dissociable forms of long-term depression of excitatory inputs to the dorsal striatum. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:540-8. [PMID: 24561996 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
As prescription opioid analgesic abuse rates rise, so does the need to understand the long-term effects of opioid exposure on brain function. The dorsal striatum is an important site for drug-induced neuronal plasticity. We found that exogenously applied and endogenously released opioids induced long-term depression (OP-LTD) of excitatory inputs to the dorsal striatum in mice and rats. Mu and delta OP-LTD, although both being presynaptically expressed, were dissociable in that they summated, differentially occluded endocannabinoid-LTD and inhibited different striatal inputs. Kappa OP-LTD showed a unique subregional expression in striatum. A single in vivo exposure to the opioid analgesic oxycodone disrupted mu OP-LTD and endocannabinoid-LTD, but not delta or kappa OP-LTD. These data reveal previously unknown opioid-mediated forms of long-term striatal plasticity that are differentially affected by opioid analgesic exposure and are likely important mediators of striatum-dependent learning and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady K Atwood
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David A Kupferschmidt
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Okamura H, Tsukamura H, Ohkura S, Uenoyama Y, Wakabayashi Y, Maeda KI. Kisspeptin and GnRH pulse generation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:297-323. [PMID: 23550012 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The reproductive neuropeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has two modes of secretion. Besides the surge mode, which induces ovulation in females, the pulse mode of GnRH release is essential to cause various reproductive events in both sexes, such as spermatogenesis, follicular development, and sex steroid synthesis. Some environmental cues control gonadal activities through modulating GnRH pulse frequency. Researchers have looked for the anatomical location of the mechanism generating GnRH pulses, the GnRH pulse generator, in the brain, because an artificial manipulation of GnRH pulse frequency is of therapeutic importance to stimulate or suppress gonadal activity. Discoveries of kisspeptin and, consequently, KNDy (kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin) neurons in the hypothalamus have provided a clue to the possible location of the GnRH pulse generator. Our analyses of hypothalamic multiple-unit activity revealed that KNDy neurons located in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus might play a central role in the generation of GnRH pulses in goats, and perhaps other mammalian species. This chapter further discusses the possible mechanisms for GnRH pulse generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Okamura
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
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Brown CH, Bains JS, Ludwig M, Stern JE. Physiological regulation of magnocellular neurosecretory cell activity: integration of intrinsic, local and afferent mechanisms. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:678-710. [PMID: 23701531 PMCID: PMC3852704 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei contain magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) that project to the posterior pituitary gland where they secrete either oxytocin or vasopressin (the antidiuretic hormone) into the circulation. Oxytocin is important for delivery at birth and is essential for milk ejection during suckling. Vasopressin primarily promotes water reabsorption in the kidney to maintain body fluid balance, but also increases vasoconstriction. The profile of oxytocin and vasopressin secretion is principally determined by the pattern of action potentials initiated at the cell bodies. Although it has long been known that the activity of MNCs depends upon afferent inputs that relay information on reproductive, osmotic and cardiovascular status, it has recently become clear that activity depends critically on local regulation by glial cells, as well as intrinsic regulation by the MNCs themselves. Here, we provide an overview of recent advances in our understanding of how intrinsic and local extrinsic mechanisms integrate with afferent inputs to generate appropriate physiological regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin MNC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Brown
- Department of Physiology and Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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Prefrontal cortical kappa-opioid receptor modulation of local neurotransmission and conditioned place aversion. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:1770-9. [PMID: 23542927 PMCID: PMC3717537 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Revised: 03/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Kappa-opioid receptors (KORs) are important for motivation and other medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-dependent behaviors. Although KORs are present in the mPFC, their role in regulating transmission in this brain region and their contribution to KOR-mediated aversion are not known. Using in vivo microdialysis in rats and mice, we demonstrate that intra-mPFC administration of the selective KOR agonist U69,593 decreased local dopamine (DA) overflow, while reverse dialysis of the KOR antagonist nor-Binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) enhanced mPFC DA overflow. Extracellular amino-acid levels were also affected by KORs, as U69,593 reduced glutamate and GABA levels driven by the glutamate reuptake blocker, l-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate. Whole-cell recordings from mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons revealed that U69,593 decreased the frequency, but not amplitude, of glutamatergic mini EPSPs. To determine whether KOR regulation of mPFC DA overflow was mediated by KOR on DA terminals, we utilized a Cre recombinase-driven mouse line lacking KOR in DA neurons. In these mice, basal DA release or uptake was unaltered relative to controls, but attenuation of mPFC DA overflow by local U69,593 was not observed, indicating KOR acts directly on mPFC DA terminals to locally inhibit DA levels. Conditioning procedures were then used to determine whether mPFC KOR signaling was necessary for KOR-mediated aversion. U69,593-mediated conditioned place aversion was blocked by intra-mPFC nor-BNI microinjection. These findings demonstrate that mPFC KORs negatively regulate DA and amino-acid neurotransmission, and are necessary for KOR-mediated aversion.
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Iremonger KJ, Wamsteeker Cusulin JI, Bains JS. Changing the tune: plasticity and adaptation of retrograde signals. Trends Neurosci 2013; 36:471-9. [PMID: 23706151 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2013.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Retrograde signaling is a fundamental means by which neurons communicate. The acceptance of this statement has required a revision of how we view transmission and storage of information at the synapse. Although there is a substantial body of literature on the diverse molecules that serve as retrograde signals, less is known about how retrograde signal capacity can be modified. Is retrograde signaling plastic? How does this plasticity manifest? Are there behavioral correlates that may bias a neuron towards 'changing its tune', retrogradely speaking, of course? Here, we review recent findings that retrograde signaling is a highly labile process that adds additional layers of complexity that must be untangled to understand information processing in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J Iremonger
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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Wamsteeker Cusulin JI, Füzesi T, Inoue W, Bains JS. Glucocorticoid feedback uncovers retrograde opioid signaling at hypothalamic synapses. Nat Neurosci 2013; 16:596-604. [PMID: 23563581 PMCID: PMC4844536 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Stressful experience initiates a neuroendocrine response culminating in the release of glucocorticoid hormones into the blood. Glucocorticoids feed back to the brain causing adaptations that prevent excessive hormone responses to subsequent challenges. How these changes occur remains unknown. We report that glucocorticoid receptor activation in rodent hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurons following in vivo stress is a metaplastic signal that allows GABA synapses to undergo activity–dependent long–term depression (LTDGABA). LTDGABA is unmasked through glucocorticoid receptor inhibition of Regulator of G–protein Signaling 4 (RGS4), which amplifies signaling through postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). This drives somatodendritic opioid release, resulting in a persistent retrograde suppression of synaptic transmission through presynaptic μ–receptors. Together our data provide new evidence for retrograde opioid signaling at synapses in neuroendocrine circuits and represent a potential mechanism underlying GC contributions to stress adaptation.
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Trifilieff P, Martinez D. Kappa-opioid receptor signaling in the striatum as a potential modulator of dopamine transmission in cocaine dependence. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:44. [PMID: 23760592 PMCID: PMC3669800 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is accompanied by a decrease in striatal dopamine signaling, measured as a decrease in dopamine D2 receptor binding as well as blunted dopamine release in the striatum. These alterations in dopamine transmission have clinical relevance, and have been shown to correlate with cocaine-seeking behavior and response to treatment for cocaine dependence. However, the mechanisms contributing to the hypodopaminergic state in cocaine addiction remain unknown. Here we review the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies showing alterations in D2 receptor binding potential and dopamine transmission in cocaine abusers and their significance in cocaine-seeking behavior. Based on animal and human studies, we propose that the kappa receptor/dynorphin system, because of its impact on dopamine transmission and upregulation following cocaine exposure, could contribute to the hypodopaminergic state reported in cocaine addiction, and could thus be a relevant target for treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Trifilieff
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University , New York, NY , USA ; NutriNeuro, UMR 1286 INRA, University Bordeaux 2 , Bordeaux , France
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