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Bender PTR, McCollum M, Boyd-Pratt H, Mendelson BZ, Anderson CT. Synaptic zinc potentiates AMPA receptor function in mouse auditory cortex. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112932. [PMID: 37585291 PMCID: PMC10514716 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112932] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic zinc signaling modulates synaptic activity and is present in specific populations of cortical neurons, suggesting that synaptic zinc contributes to the diversity of intracortical synaptic microcircuits and their functional specificity. To understand the role of zinc signaling in the cortex, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from intratelencephalic (IT)-type neurons and pyramidal tract (PT)-type neurons in layer 5 of the mouse auditory cortex during optogenetic stimulation of specific classes of presynaptic neurons. Our results show that synaptic zinc potentiates AMPA receptor (AMPAR) function in a synapse-specific manner. We performed in vivo 2-photon calcium imaging of the same classes of neurons in awake mice and found that changes in synaptic zinc can widen or sharpen the sound-frequency tuning bandwidth of IT-type neurons but only widen the tuning bandwidth of PT-type neurons. These results provide evidence for synapse- and cell-type-specific actions of synaptic zinc in the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip T R Bender
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Mason McCollum
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Helen Boyd-Pratt
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Benjamin Z Mendelson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Charles T Anderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
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2
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Guzman E, Cheng Z, Hansma PK, Tovar KR, Petzold LR, Kosik KS. Extracellular detection of neuronal coupling. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14733. [PMID: 34282275 PMCID: PMC8289866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94282-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a method to non-invasively detect synaptic relationships among neurons from in vitro networks. Our method uses microelectrode arrays on which neurons are cultured and from which propagation of extracellular action potentials (eAPs) in single axons are recorded at multiple electrodes. Detecting eAP propagation bypasses ambiguity introduced by spike sorting. Our methods identify short latency spiking relationships between neurons with properties expected of synaptically coupled neurons, namely they were recapitulated by direct stimulation and were sensitive to changing the number of active synaptic sites. Our methods enabled us to assemble a functional subset of neuronal connectivity in our cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmer Guzman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.,Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Zhuowei Cheng
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Paul K Hansma
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth R Tovar
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Linda R Petzold
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA. .,Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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3
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Mechanisms Underlying Long-Term Synaptic Zinc Plasticity at Mouse Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Glutamatergic Synapses. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4981-4996. [PMID: 32434779 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0175-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In many brain areas, such as the neocortex, limbic structures, and auditory brainstem, synaptic zinc is released from presynaptic terminals to modulate neurotransmission. As such, synaptic zinc signaling modulates sensory processing and enhances acuity for discrimination of different sensory stimuli. Whereas sensory experience causes long-term changes in synaptic zinc signaling, the mechanisms underlying this long-term synaptic zinc plasticity remain unknown. To study these mechanisms in male and female mice, we used in vitro and in vivo models of zinc plasticity observed at the zinc-rich glutamatergic dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) parallel fiber synapses onto cartwheel cells. High-frequency stimulation of DCN parallel fiber synapses induced LTD of synaptic zinc signaling (Z-LTD), evidenced by reduced zinc-mediated inhibition of EPSCs. Low-frequency stimulation induced LTP of synaptic zinc signaling (Z-LTP), evidenced by enhanced zinc-mediated inhibition of EPSCs. Pharmacological manipulations of Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (G1 mGluRs) demonstrated that G1 mGluR activation is necessary and sufficient for inducing Z-LTD and Z-LTP. Pharmacological manipulations of Ca2+ dynamics indicated that rises in postsynaptic Ca2+ are necessary and sufficient for Z-LTD induction. Electrophysiological measurements assessing postsynaptic expression mechanisms, and imaging studies with a ratiometric extracellular zinc sensor probing zinc release, supported that Z-LTD is expressed, at least in part, via reductions in presynaptic zinc release. Finally, exposure of mice to loud sound caused G1 mGluR-dependent Z-LTD at DCN parallel fiber synapses, thus validating our in vitro results. Together, our results reveal a novel mechanism underlying activity- and experience-dependent plasticity of synaptic zinc signaling.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the neocortex, limbic structures, and auditory brainstem, glutamatergic nerve terminals corelease zinc to modulate excitatory neurotransmission and sensory responses. Moreover, sensory experience causes bidirectional, long-term changes in synaptic zinc signaling. However, the mechanisms of this long-term synaptic zinc plasticity remain unknown. Here, we identified a novel Group 1 mGluR-dependent mechanism that causes bidirectional, long-term changes in synaptic zinc signaling. Our results highlight new mechanisms of brain adaptation during sensory processing, and potentially point to mechanisms of disorders associated with pathologic adaptation, such as tinnitus.
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4
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Shin W, Kim K, Serraz B, Cho YS, Kim D, Kang M, Lee EJ, Lee H, Bae YC, Paoletti P, Kim E. Early correction of synaptic long-term depression improves abnormal anxiety-like behavior in adult GluN2B-C456Y-mutant mice. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000717. [PMID: 32353004 PMCID: PMC7217483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive evidence links Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, NMDA2B (GRIN2B), encoding the GluN2B/NR2B subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), with various neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In addition, it remains unknown whether mutations in GluN2B, which starts to be expressed early in development, induces early pathophysiology that can be corrected by early treatments for long-lasting effects. We generated and characterized Grin2b-mutant mice that carry a heterozygous, ASD-risk C456Y mutation (Grin2b+/C456Y). In Grin2b+/C456Y mice, GluN2B protein levels were strongly reduced in association with decreased hippocampal NMDAR currents and NMDAR-dependent long-term depression (LTD) but unaltered long-term potentiation, indicative of mutation-induced protein degradation and LTD sensitivity. Behaviorally, Grin2b+/C456Y mice showed normal social interaction but exhibited abnormal anxiolytic-like behavior. Importantly, early, but not late, treatment of young Grin2b+/C456Y mice with the NMDAR agonist D-cycloserine rescued NMDAR currents and LTD in juvenile mice and improved anxiolytic-like behavior in adult mice. Therefore, GluN2B-C456Y haploinsufficiency decreases GluN2B protein levels, NMDAR-dependent LTD, and anxiety-like behavior, and early activation of NMDAR function has long-lasting effects on adult mouse behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangyong Shin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Kyungdeok Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Benjamin Serraz
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Yi Sul Cho
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Doyoun Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Muwon Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Eun-Jae Lee
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyejin Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Yong Chul Bae
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
| | - Pierre Paoletti
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
- * E-mail:
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5
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Cellular and Molecular Changes in Hippocampal Glutamate Signaling and Alterations in Learning, Attention, and Impulsivity Following Prenatal Nicotine Exposure. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 57:2002-2020. [PMID: 31916029 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01854-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Over 70 million European pregnant women are smokers during their child-bearing years. Consumption of tobacco-containing products during pregnancy is associated with several negative behavioral outcomes for the offspring, including a higher susceptibility for the development of attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD). In efforts to minimize fetal exposure to tobacco smoke, many women around the world switch to nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) during the gestational period; however, prenatal nicotine exposure (PNE) in any form has been associated with alterations in cognitive processes, including learning, memory, and attention. These processes are controlled by glutamatergic signaling of hippocampal pyramidal neurons within the CA1 region, suggesting actions of nicotine on glutamatergic transmission in this region if present prenatally. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate hippocampal glutamatergic function following PNE treatment in NMRI mice employing molecular, cellular electrophysiology, and pharmacological approaches, as well as to evaluate cognition in the rodent continuous performance task (rCPT), a recently developed mouse task allowing assessment of learning, attention, and impulsivity. PNE induced increases in the expression levels of mRNA coding for different glutamate receptors and subunits within the hippocampus. Functional alterations in AMPA and NMDA receptors on CA1 pyramidal neurons of PNE mice were suggestive of higher GluA2-lacking and lower GluN2A-containing receptors, respectively. Finally, PNE was associated with reduced learning, attention, and enhanced impulsivity in the rCPT. Alterations in glutamatergic functioning in CA1 neurons parallel changes seen in the spontaneously hypertensive rat ADHD model and likely contribute to the lower cognitive performance in the rCPT.
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6
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Liu H, Bridges D, Randall C, Solla SA, Wu B, Hansma P, Yan X, Kosik KS, Bouchard K. In vitro validation of in silico identified inhibitory interactions. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 321:39-48. [PMID: 30965073 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding how neuronal signals propagate in local network is an important step in understanding information processing. As a result, spike trains recorded with multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) have been widely used to study the function of neural networks. Studying the dynamics of neuronal networks requires the identification of both excitatory and inhibitory connections. The detection of excitatory relationships can robustly be inferred by characterizing the statistical relationships of neural spike trains. However, the identification of inhibitory relationships is more difficult: distinguishing endogenous low firing rates from active inhibition is not obvious. NEW METHOD In this paper, we propose an in silico interventional procedure that makes predictions about the effect of stimulating or inhibiting single neurons on other neurons, and thereby gives the ability to accurately identify inhibitory effects. COMPARISON To experimentally test these predictions, we have developed a Neural Circuit Probe (NCP) that delivers drugs transiently and reversibly on individually identified neurons to assess their contributions to the neural circuit behavior. RESULTS Using the NCP, putative inhibitory connections identified by the in silico procedure were validated through in vitro interventional experiments. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results demonstrate how detailed microcircuitry can be inferred from statistical models derived from neurophysiology data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglei Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Bridges
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Connor Randall
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Sara A Solla
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bian Wu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Paul Hansma
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Xifeng Yan
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Kristofer Bouchard
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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7
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Tovar KR, Bridges DC, Wu B, Randall C, Audouard M, Jang J, Hansma PK, Kosik KS. Action potential propagation recorded from single axonal arbors using multielectrode arrays. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:306-320. [PMID: 29641308 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00659.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the presence of co-occurring extracellular action potentials (eAPs) from cultured mouse hippocampal neurons among groups of planar electrodes on multielectrode arrays (MEAs). The invariant sequences of eAPs among coactive electrode groups, repeated co-occurrences, and short interelectrode latencies are consistent with action potential propagation in unmyelinated axons. Repeated eAP codetection by multiple electrodes was widespread in all our data records. Codetection of eAPs confirms they result from the same neuron and allows these eAPs to be isolated from all other spikes independently of spike sorting algorithms. We averaged co-occurring events and revealed additional electrodes with eAPs that would otherwise be below detection threshold. We used these eAP cohorts to explore the temperature sensitivity of action potential propagation and the relationship between voltage-gated sodium channel density and propagation velocity. The sequence of eAPs among coactive electrodes "fingerprints" neurons giving rise to these events and identifies them within neuronal ensembles. We used this property and the noninvasive nature of extracellular recording to monitor changes in excitability at multiple points in single axonal arbors simultaneously over several hours, demonstrating independence of axonal segments. Over several weeks, we recorded changes in interelectrode propagation latencies and ongoing changes in excitability in different regions of single axonal arbors. Our work illustrates how repeated eAP co-occurrences can be used to extract physiological data from single axons with low-density MEAs. However, repeated eAP co-occurrences lead to oversampling spikes from single neurons and thus can confound traditional spike-train analysis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied action potential propagation in single axons using low-density multielectrode arrays. We unambiguously identified the neuronal sources of propagating action potentials and recorded extracellular action potentials from several positions within single axonal arbors. We found a surprisingly high density of axonal voltage-gated sodium channels responsible for a high propagation safety factor. Our experiments also demonstrate that excitability in different segments of single axons is regulated independently on timescales from hours to weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R Tovar
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Daniel C Bridges
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Bian Wu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Connor Randall
- Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Morgane Audouard
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Jiwon Jang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Paul K Hansma
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California , Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California , Santa Barbara, California
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8
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Long-Term Depression Is Independent of GluN2 Subunit Composition. J Neurosci 2018; 38:4462-4470. [PMID: 29593052 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0394-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) mediate both long-term potentiation and long-term depression (LTD) and understanding how a single receptor can initiate both phenomena remains a major question in neuroscience. A prominent hypothesis implicates the NMDAR subunit composition, specifically GluN2A and GluN2B, in dictating the rules of synaptic plasticity. However, studies testing this hypothesis have yielded inconsistent and often contradictory results, especially for LTD. These inconsistent results may be due to challenges in the interpretation of subunit-selective pharmacology and in dissecting out the contributions of differential channel properties versus the interacting proteins unique to GluN2A or GluN2B. In this study, we address the pharmacological and biochemical challenges by using a single-neuron genetic approach to delete NMDAR subunits in conditional knock-out mice. In addition, the recently discovered non-ionotropic nature of NMDAR-dependent LTD allowed the rigorous assessment of unique subunit contributions to NMDAR-dependent LTD while eliminating the variable of differential charge transfer. Here we find that neither the GluN2A nor the GluN2B subunit is strictly necessary for either non-ionotropic or ionotropic LTD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT NMDA receptors are key regulators of bidirectional synaptic plasticity. Understanding the mechanisms regulating bidirectional plasticity will guide development of therapeutic strategies to treat the dysfunctional synaptic plasticity in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. Because of the unique properties of the NMDA receptor GluN2 subunits, they have been postulated to differentially affect synaptic plasticity. However, there has been significant controversy regarding the roles of the GluN2 subunits in synaptic long term depression (LTD). Using single-neuron knock-out of the GluN2 subunits, we show that LTD requires neither GluN2A nor GluN2B.
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9
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Structural mechanisms of activation and desensitization in neurotransmitter-gated ion channels. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2017; 23:494-502. [PMID: 27273633 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.3214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels gated by neurotransmitters are present across metazoans, in which they are essential for brain function, sensation and locomotion; closely related homologs are also found in bacteria. Structures of eukaryotic pentameric cysteine-loop (Cys-loop) receptors and tetrameric ionotropic glutamate receptors in multiple functional states have recently become available. Here, I describe how these studies relate to established ideas regarding receptor activation and how they have enabled decades' worth of functional work to be pieced together, thus allowing previously puzzling aspects of receptor activity to be understood.
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10
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Tovar KR, Westbrook GL. Modulating synaptic NMDA receptors. Neuropharmacology 2016; 112:29-33. [PMID: 27565459 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent structural information on ligand-gated glutamate receptors and newly-discovered clinical uses for NMDA receptor antagonists has renewed interest in understanding the mechanisms of drug action at these receptors. Although the voltage-dependence and calcium permeability of NMDA receptors are well-studied, the mechanisms affecting the time course of synaptic NMDA receptor activation may be of more therapeutic value by serving as a rheostat for the total synaptic response. The NMDA receptor-mediated EPSC time course has been thought of as a fixed parameter based simply on receptor subunit composition as variably constrained by anatomical and developmental expression patterns, albeit subject to modification by kinetic behaviors such as modal gating. However, the EPSC time course also can be manipulated by endogenous and exogenous ligands. In this commentary we discuss insights into the in situ composition and kinetic behavior of synaptic NMDA receptors and propose new opportunities to target modulatory sites on NMDA receptors and to develop useful therapeutics. The emerging data on the atomic structure of NMDA receptors and knowledge of the kinetics of native receptors in neurons provide a roadmap in this regard. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Ionotropic glutamate receptors'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R Tovar
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Gary L Westbrook
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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11
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Sirrieh RE, MacLean DM, Jayaraman V. A conserved structural mechanism of NMDA receptor inhibition: A comparison of ifenprodil and zinc. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 146:173-81. [PMID: 26170175 PMCID: PMC4516779 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.201511422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Zinc and ifenprodil induce similar conformational changes in the NMDA receptor, suggesting a conserved mechanism of inhibition independent of receptor subtype and the site at which the inhibitor binds. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, one of the three main types of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, and their dysfunction is implicated in various neurological disorders. NMDA receptors, heterotetramers typically composed of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits, are the only members of the iGluR family that bind allosteric modulators at their amino-terminal domains (ATDs). We used luminescence resonance energy transfer to characterize the conformational changes the receptor undergoes upon binding ifenprodil, a synthetic compound that specifically inhibits activation of NMDA receptors containing GluN2B. We found that ifenprodil induced an overall closure of the GluN2B ATD without affecting conformation of the GluN1 ATD or the upper lobes of the ATDs, the same mechanism whereby zinc inhibits GluN2A. These data demonstrate that the conformational changes induced by zinc and ifenprodil represent a conserved mechanism of NMDA receptor inhibition. Additionally, we compared the structural mechanism of zinc inhibition of GluN1–GluN2A receptors to that of ifenprodil inhibition of GluN1–GluN2B. The similarities in the conformational changes induced by inhibitor binding suggest a conserved structural mechanism of inhibition independent of the binding site of the modulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita E Sirrieh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Membrane Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - David M MacLean
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Membrane Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Vasanthi Jayaraman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Membrane Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030
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12
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Kunda S, Yuan Y, Balsara RD, Zajicek J, Castellino FJ. Hydroxyproline-induced Helical Disruption in Conantokin Rl-B Affects Subunit-selective Antagonistic Activities toward Ion Channels of N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptors. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:18156-18172. [PMID: 26048991 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.650341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Conantokins are ~20-amino acid peptides present in predatory marine snail venoms that function as allosteric antagonists of ion channels of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). These peptides possess a high percentage of post-/co-translationally modified amino acids, particularly γ-carboxyglutamate (Gla). Appropriately spaced Gla residues allow binding of functional divalent cations, which induces end-to-end α-helices in many conantokins. A smaller number of these peptides additionally contain 4-hydroxyproline (Hyp). Hyp should prevent adoption of the metal ion-induced full α-helix, with unknown functional consequences. To address this disparity, as well as the role of Hyp in conantokins, we have solved the high resolution three-dimensional solution structure of a Gla/Hyp-containing 18-residue conantokin, conRl-B, by high field NMR spectroscopy. We show that Hyp(10) disrupts only a small region of the α-helix of the Mn(2+)·peptide complex, which displays cation-induced α-helices on each terminus of the peptide. The function of conRl-B was examined by measuring its inhibition of NMDA/Gly-mediated current through NMDAR ion channels in mouse cortical neurons. The conRl-B displays high inhibitory selectivity for subclasses of NMDARs that contain the functionally important GluN2B subunit. Replacement of Hyp(10) with N(8)Q results in a Mg(2+)-complexed end-to-end α-helix, accompanied by attenuation of NMDAR inhibitory activity. However, replacement of Hyp(10) with Pro(10) allowed the resulting peptide to retain its inhibitory property but diminished its GluN2B specificity. Thus, these modified amino acids, in specific peptide backbones, play critical roles in their subunit-selective inhibition of NMDAR ion channels, a finding that can be employed to design NMDAR antagonists that function at ion channels of distinct NMDAR subclasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailaja Kunda
- W. M. Keck Center for Transgene Research and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Yue Yuan
- W. M. Keck Center for Transgene Research and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Rashna D Balsara
- W. M. Keck Center for Transgene Research and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Jaroslav Zajicek
- W. M. Keck Center for Transgene Research and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Francis J Castellino
- W. M. Keck Center for Transgene Research and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.
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13
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Anderson CT, Radford RJ, Zastrow ML, Zhang DY, Apfel UP, Lippard SJ, Tzounopoulos T. Modulation of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors by synaptic and tonic zinc. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E2705-14. [PMID: 25947151 PMCID: PMC4443361 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1503348112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many excitatory synapses contain high levels of mobile zinc within glutamatergic vesicles. Although synaptic zinc and glutamate are coreleased, it is controversial whether zinc diffuses away from the release site or whether it remains bound to presynaptic membranes or proteins after its release. To study zinc transmission and quantify zinc levels, we required a high-affinity rapid zinc chelator as well as an extracellular ratiometric fluorescent zinc sensor. We demonstrate that tricine, considered a preferred chelator for studying the role of synaptic zinc, is unable to efficiently prevent zinc from binding low-nanomolar zinc-binding sites, such as the high-affinity zinc-binding site found in NMDA receptors (NMDARs). Here, we used ZX1, which has a 1 nM zinc dissociation constant and second-order rate constant for binding zinc that is 200-fold higher than those for tricine and CaEDTA. We find that synaptic zinc is phasically released during action potentials. In response to short trains of presynaptic stimulation, synaptic zinc diffuses beyond the synaptic cleft where it inhibits extrasynaptic NMDARs. During higher rates of presynaptic stimulation, released glutamate activates additional extrasynaptic NMDARs that are not reached by synaptically released zinc, but which are inhibited by ambient, tonic levels of nonsynaptic zinc. By performing a ratiometric evaluation of extracellular zinc levels in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, we determined the tonic zinc levels to be low nanomolar. These results demonstrate a physiological role for endogenous synaptic as well as tonic zinc in inhibiting extrasynaptic NMDARs and thereby fine tuning neuronal excitability and signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles T Anderson
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Robert J Radford
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Melissa L Zastrow
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Daniel Y Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Ulf-Peter Apfel
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Stephen J Lippard
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139; and
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261; Whitman Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
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Vaaga CE, Borisovska M, Westbrook GL. Dual-transmitter neurons: functional implications of co-release and co-transmission. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 29:25-32. [PMID: 24816154 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Co-transmission, the ability of a neuron to release multiple transmitters, has long been recognized in selected circuits. However, the release of multiple primary neurotransmitters from a single neuron is only beginning to be appreciated. Here we consider recent examples of co-transmission as well as co-release-the packaging of multiple neurotransmitters into a single vesicle. The properties associated with each mode of release greatly enhance the possible action of such neurons within circuits. The functional importance of dual- (or multi-) transmitter neurons extends beyond actions on postsynaptic receptors, due in part to differential spatial and temporal profiles of each neurotransmitter. Recent evidence also suggests that the dual-transmitter phenotype can be dynamically regulated during development and following injury or disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Vaaga
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Maria Borisovska
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Gary L Westbrook
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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Hansen KB, Ogden KK, Yuan H, Traynelis SF. Distinct functional and pharmacological properties of Triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDA receptors. Neuron 2014; 81:1084-1096. [PMID: 24607230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
NMDA receptors are tetrameric ligand-gated ion channels comprised of GluN1, GluN2, and GluN3 subunits. Two different GluN2 subunits have been identified in most NMDA receptor-expressing cells, and the majority of native receptors are triheteromers containing two GluN1 and two different GluN2. In contrast to diheteromeric NMDA receptors, little is known about the function of triheteromers. We developed a method to provide selective cell-surface expression of recombinant GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers and compared properties of these receptors with those of GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B diheteromers. We show that glutamate deactivation of triheteromers is distinct from those of GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B and reveal modulation of triheteromers by subunit-selective antagonists ifenprodil, CP-101,606, TCN-201, and extracellular Zn(2+). Furthermore, kinetic measurements suggest variation in the ifenprodil binding site of triheteromers compared to GluN1/GluN2B diheteromers. This work provides insight into the distinct properties of GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers, which are presumably the most abundant NMDA receptors in the adult forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasper B Hansen
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Kevin K Ogden
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hongjie Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Stephen F Traynelis
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Hansen KB, Ogden KK, Yuan H, Traynelis SF. Distinct functional and pharmacological properties of Triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDA receptors. Neuron 2014. [PMID: 24607230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.035+[doi]] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2022]
Abstract
NMDA receptors are tetrameric ligand-gated ion channels comprised of GluN1, GluN2, and GluN3 subunits. Two different GluN2 subunits have been identified in most NMDA receptor-expressing cells, and the majority of native receptors are triheteromers containing two GluN1 and two different GluN2. In contrast to diheteromeric NMDA receptors, little is known about the function of triheteromers. We developed a method to provide selective cell-surface expression of recombinant GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers and compared properties of these receptors with those of GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B diheteromers. We show that glutamate deactivation of triheteromers is distinct from those of GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B and reveal modulation of triheteromers by subunit-selective antagonists ifenprodil, CP-101,606, TCN-201, and extracellular Zn(2+). Furthermore, kinetic measurements suggest variation in the ifenprodil binding site of triheteromers compared to GluN1/GluN2B diheteromers. This work provides insight into the distinct properties of GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers, which are presumably the most abundant NMDA receptors in the adult forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasper B Hansen
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Kevin K Ogden
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hongjie Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Stephen F Traynelis
- Department of Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Hansen K, Ogden K, Yuan H, Traynelis S. Distinct Functional and Pharmacological Properties of Triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDA Receptors. Neuron 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.035 [doi]] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hansen K, Ogden K, Yuan H, Traynelis S. Distinct Functional and Pharmacological Properties of Triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDA Receptors. Neuron 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.01.035 [doi].] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
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Abstract
NMDA receptors are composed of two GluN1 (N1) and two GluN2 (N2) subunits. Constituent N2 subunits control the pharmacological and kinetic characteristics of the receptor. NMDA receptors in hippocampal or cortical neurons are often thought of as diheteromeric, meaning that they contain only one type of N2 subunit. However, triheteromeric receptors with more than one type of N2 subunit also have been reported, and the relative contribution of diheteromeric and triheteromeric NMDA receptors at synapses has been difficult to assess. Because wild-type hippocampal principal neurons express N1, N2A, and N2B, we used cultured hippocampal principal neurons from N2A and N2B knock-out mice as templates for diheteromeric synaptic receptors. However, summation of N1/N2B and N1/N2A EPSCs could not account for the deactivation kinetics of wild-type EPSCs. To make a quantitative estimate of NMDA receptor subtypes at wild-type synapses, we used the deactivation kinetics and the effects of the competitive antagonist NVP-AAM077. Our results indicate that three types of NMDA receptors contribute to wild-type EPSCs, with at least two-thirds being triheteromeric receptors. Functional isolation of synaptic triheteromeric receptors revealed deactivation kinetics and pharmacology that were distinct from either diheteromeric receptor subtype. Because of differences in open probability, synaptic triheteromeric receptors outnumbered N1/N2A receptors by 5.8 to 1 and N1/N2B receptors by 3.2 to 1. Our results suggest that triheteromeric NMDA receptors must either be preferentially assembled or preferentially localized at synapses.
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