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Kim MH, Strazza P, Puthussery T, Gross OP, Taylor WR, von Gersdorff H. Functional maturation of the rod bipolar to AII-amacrine cell ribbon synapse in the mouse retina. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113440. [PMID: 37976158 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ribbon synapses undergo functional changes after eye opening that remain uncharacterized. Using light-flash stimulation and paired patch-clamp recordings, we examined the maturation of the ribbon synapse between rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and AII-amacrine cells (AII-ACs) after eye opening (postnatal day 14) in the mouse retina at near physiological temperatures. We find that light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in AII-ACs exhibit a slow sustained component that increases in magnitude with advancing age, whereas a fast transient component remains unchanged. Similarly, paired recordings reveal a dual-component EPSC with a slower sustained component that increases during development, even though the miniature EPSC (mEPSC) amplitude and kinetics do not change significantly. We thus propose that the readily releasable pool of vesicles from RBCs increases after eye opening, and we estimate that a short light flash can evoke the release of ∼4,000 vesicles onto a single mature AII-AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mean-Hwan Kim
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Paulo Strazza
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Owen P Gross
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Physics, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - W Rowland Taylor
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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2
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Fukaya R, Hirai H, Sakamoto H, Hashimotodani Y, Hirose K, Sakaba T. Increased vesicle fusion competence underlies long-term potentiation at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd3616. [PMID: 36812326 PMCID: PMC9946361 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add3616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Presynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) is thought to play an important role in learning and memory. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive because of the difficulty of direct recording during LTP. Hippocampal mossy fiber synapses exhibit pronounced LTP of transmitter release after tetanic stimulation and have been used as a model of presynaptic LTP. Here, we induced LTP by optogenetic tools and applied direct presynaptic patch-clamp recordings. The action potential waveform and evoked presynaptic Ca2+ currents remained unchanged after LTP induction. Membrane capacitance measurements suggested higher release probability of synaptic vesicles without changing the number of release-ready vesicles after LTP induction. Synaptic vesicle replenishment was also enhanced. Furthermore, stimulated emission depletion microscopy suggested an increase in the numbers of Munc13-1 and RIM1 molecules within active zones. We propose that dynamic changes in the active zone components may be relevant for the increased fusion competence and synaptic vesicle replenishment during LTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Fukaya
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
- Institute of Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Himawari Hirai
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Sakamoto
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuki Hashimotodani
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Kenzo Hirose
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sakaba
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
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3
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Kobbersmed JRL, Berns MMM, Ditlevsen S, Sørensen JB, Walter AM. Allosteric stabilization of calcium and phosphoinositide dual binding engages several synaptotagmins in fast exocytosis. eLife 2022; 11:74810. [PMID: 35929728 PMCID: PMC9489213 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic communication relies on the fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane, which leads to neurotransmitter release. This exocytosis is triggered by brief and local elevations of intracellular Ca2+ with remarkably high sensitivity. How this is molecularly achieved is unknown. While synaptotagmins confer the Ca2+ sensitivity of neurotransmitter exocytosis, biochemical measurements reported Ca2+ affinities too low to account for synaptic function. However, synaptotagmin’s Ca2+ affinity increases upon binding the plasma membrane phospholipid PI(4,5)P2 and, vice versa, Ca2+ binding increases synaptotagmin’s PI(4,5)P2 affinity, indicating a stabilization of the Ca2+/PI(4,5)P2 dual-bound state. Here, we devise a molecular exocytosis model based on this positive allosteric stabilization and the assumptions that (1.) synaptotagmin Ca2+/PI(4,5)P2 dual binding lowers the energy barrier for vesicle fusion and that (2.) the effect of multiple synaptotagmins on the energy barrier is additive. The model, which relies on biochemically measured Ca2+/PI(4,5)P2 affinities and protein copy numbers, reproduced the steep Ca2+ dependency of neurotransmitter release. Our results indicate that each synaptotagmin engaging in Ca2+/PI(4,5)P2 dual-binding lowers the energy barrier for vesicle fusion by ~5 kBT and that allosteric stabilization of this state enables the synchronized engagement of several (typically three) synaptotagmins for fast exocytosis. Furthermore, we show that mutations altering synaptotagmin’s allosteric properties may show dominant-negative effects, even though synaptotagmins act independently on the energy barrier, and that dynamic changes of local PI(4,5)P2 (e.g. upon vesicle movement) dramatically impact synaptic responses. We conclude that allosterically stabilized Ca2+/PI(4,5)P2 dual binding enables synaptotagmins to exert their coordinated function in neurotransmission. For our brains and nervous systems to work properly, the nerve cells within them must be able to ‘talk’ to each other. They do this by releasing chemical signals called neurotransmitters which other cells can detect and respond to. Neurotransmitters are packaged in tiny membrane-bound spheres called vesicles. When a cell of the nervous system needs to send a signal to its neighbours, the vesicles fuse with the outer membrane of the cell, discharging their chemical contents for other cells to detect. The initial trigger for neurotransmitter release is a short, fast increase in the amount of calcium ions inside the signalling cell. One of the main proteins that helps regulate this process is synaptotagmin which binds to calcium and gives vesicles the signal to start unloading their chemicals. Despite acting as a calcium sensor, synaptotagmin actually has a very low affinity for calcium ions by itself, meaning that it would not be efficient for the protein to respond alone. Synpatotagmin is more likely to bind to calcium if it is attached to a molecule called PIP2, which is found in the membranes of cells The effect also occurs in reverse, as the binding of calcium to synaptotagmin increases the protein’s affinity for PIP2. However, how these three molecules – synaptotagmin, PIP2, and calcium – work together to achieve the physiological release of neurotransmitters is poorly understood. To help answer this question, Kobbersmed, Berns et al. set up a computer simulation of ‘virtual vesicles’ using available experimental data on synaptotagmin’s affinity with calcium and PIP2. In this simulation, synaptotagmin could only trigger the release of neurotransmitters when bound to both calcium and PIP2. The model also showed that each ‘complex’ of synaptotagmin/calcium/PIP2 made the vesicles more likely to fuse with the outer membrane of the cell – to the extent that only a handful of synaptotagmin molecules were needed to start neurotransmitter release from a single vesicle. These results shed new light on a biological process central to the way nerve cells communicate with each other. In the future, Kobbersmed, Berns et al. hope that this insight will help us to understand the cause of diseases where communication in the nervous system is impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janus R L Kobbersmed
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Manon M M Berns
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Susanne Ditlevsen
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Alexander M Walter
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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4
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Knodel MM, Dutta Roy R, Wittum G. Influence of T-Bar on Calcium Concentration Impacting Release Probability. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 16:855746. [PMID: 35586479 PMCID: PMC9108211 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.855746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The relation of form and function, namely the impact of the synaptic anatomy on calcium dynamics in the presynaptic bouton, is a major challenge of present (computational) neuroscience at a cellular level. The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a simple model system, which allows studying basic effects in a rather simple way. This synapse harbors several special structures. In particular, in opposite to standard vertebrate synapses, the presynaptic boutons are rather large, and they have several presynaptic zones. In these zones, different types of anatomical structures are present. Some of the zones bear a so-called T-bar, a particular anatomical structure. The geometric form of the T-bar resembles the shape of the letter “T” or a table with one leg. When an action potential arises, calcium influx is triggered. The probability of vesicle docking and neurotransmitter release is superlinearly proportional to the concentration of calcium close to the vesicular release site. It is tempting to assume that the T-bar causes some sort of calcium accumulation and hence triggers a higher release probability and thus enhances neurotransmitter exocytosis. In order to study this influence in a quantitative manner, we constructed a typical T-bar geometry and compared the calcium concentration close to the active zones (AZs). We compared the case of synapses with and without T-bars. Indeed, we found a substantial influence of the T-bar structure on the presynaptic calcium concentrations close to the AZs, indicating that this anatomical structure increases vesicle release probability. Therefore, our study reveals how the T-bar zone implies a strong relation between form and function. Our study answers the question of experimental studies (namely “Wichmann and Sigrist, Journal of neurogenetics 2010”) concerning the sense of the anatomical structure of the T-bar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus M. Knodel
- Goethe Center for Scientific Computing (GCSC), Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Markus M. Knodel ; orcid.org/0000-0001-8739-0803
| | | | - Gabriel Wittum
- Goethe Center for Scientific Computing (GCSC), Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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5
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Midorikawa M. Pathway-specific maturation of presynaptic functions of the somatosensory thalamus. Neurosci Res 2022; 181:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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6
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Lipstein N, Chang S, Lin KH, López-Murcia FJ, Neher E, Taschenberger H, Brose N. Munc13-1 is a Ca 2+-phospholipid-dependent vesicle priming hub that shapes synaptic short-term plasticity and enables sustained neurotransmission. Neuron 2021; 109:3980-4000.e7. [PMID: 34706220 PMCID: PMC8691950 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
During ongoing presynaptic action potential (AP) firing, transmitter release is limited by the availability of release-ready synaptic vesicles (SVs). The rate of SV recruitment (SVR) to release sites is strongly upregulated at high AP frequencies to balance SV consumption. We show that Munc13-1-an essential SV priming protein-regulates SVR via a Ca2+-phospholipid-dependent mechanism. Using knockin mouse lines with point mutations in the Ca2+-phospholipid-binding C2B domain of Munc13-1, we demonstrate that abolishing Ca2+-phospholipid binding increases synaptic depression, slows recovery of synaptic strength after SV pool depletion, and reduces temporal fidelity of synaptic transmission, while increased Ca2+-phospholipid binding has the opposite effects. Thus, Ca2+-phospholipid binding to the Munc13-1-C2B domain accelerates SVR, reduces short-term synaptic depression, and increases the endurance and temporal fidelity of neurotransmission, demonstrating that Munc13-1 is a core vesicle priming hub that adjusts SV re-supply to demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Lipstein
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Shuwen Chang
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kun-Han Lin
- Emeritus Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Erwin Neher
- Emeritus Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging," Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Holger Taschenberger
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Nils Brose
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging," Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany.
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7
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Rapid Ca 2+ channel accumulation contributes to cAMP-mediated increase in transmission at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016754118. [PMID: 33622791 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016754118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent potentiation of neurotransmitter release is important for higher brain functions such as learning and memory. To reveal the underlying mechanisms, we applied paired pre- and postsynaptic recordings from hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 synapses. Ca2+ uncaging experiments did not reveal changes in the intracellular Ca2+ sensitivity for transmitter release by cAMP, but suggested an increase in the local Ca2+ concentration at the release site, which was much lower than that of other synapses before potentiation. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy indicated a clear increase in the local Ca2+ concentration at the release site within 5 to 10 min, suggesting that the increase in local Ca2+ is explained by the simple mechanism of rapid Ca2+ channel accumulation. Consistently, two-dimensional time-gated stimulated emission depletion microscopy (gSTED) microscopy showed an increase in the P/Q-type Ca2+ channel cluster size near the release sites. Taken together, this study suggests a potential mechanism for the cAMP-dependent increase in transmission at hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 synapses, namely an accumulation of active zone Ca2+ channels.
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8
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Yang CH, Ho WK, Lee SH. Postnatal maturation of glutamate clearance and release kinetics at the rat and mouse calyx of Held synapses. Synapse 2021; 75:e22215. [PMID: 34057239 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although calyx of Held synapses undergo dramatic changes around the hearing onset, previous in vivo studies suggest that the calyx synapses undergo further post-hearing maturation process. While developmental changes over the hearing onset have been extensively studied, this post-hearing maturation process remained relatively little investigated. Because of post-hearing maturation, previous results from studies around hearing onset and studies of post-hearing calyx synapses are somewhat inconsistent. Here, we characterized the post-hearing maturation of calyx synapses with regard to in vitro electrophysiological properties in rats and mice. We found that parameters for residual glutamate in the cleft during a train, EPSC kinetics, and vesicle pool size became close to a full mature level by P14, but they further matured until P16 in the rats. Consistently, the phasic and slow EPSCs evoked by action potential trains at P16 calyx synapses were not different from those at P18 or P25 under physiological extracellular [Ca2+ ]o (1.2 mM). In contrast, the parameters for residual current and EPSC kinetics displayed drastic changes until P16 in mice, and slow EPSCs during the train further decreased between P16 and P18, suggesting that maturation of calyx synapses progresses at least up to P16 in rats and P18 in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che Ho Yang
- Cell Physiology Lab, Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Kyung Ho
- Cell Physiology Lab, Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Suk-Ho Lee
- Cell Physiology Lab, Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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9
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Nakakubo Y, Abe S, Yoshida T, Takami C, Isa M, Wojcik SM, Brose N, Takamori S, Hori T. Vesicular Glutamate Transporter Expression Ensures High-Fidelity Synaptic Transmission at the Calyx of Held Synapses. Cell Rep 2021; 32:108040. [PMID: 32814044 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recycling of synaptic vesicles (SVs) at presynaptic terminals is required for sustained neurotransmitter release. Although SV endocytosis is a rate-limiting step for synaptic transmission, it is unclear whether the rate of the subsequent SV refilling with neurotransmitter also influences synaptic transmission. By analyzing vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1)-deficient calyx of Held synapses, in which both VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 are co-expressed in wild-type situation, we found that VGLUT1 loss causes a drastic reduction in SV refilling rate down to ∼25% of wild-type values, with only subtle changes in basic synaptic parameters. Strikingly, VGLUT1-deficient synapses exhibited abnormal synaptic failures within a few seconds during high-frequency repetitive firing, which was recapitulated by manipulating presynaptic Cl- concentrations to retard SV refilling. Our data show that the speed of SV refilling can be rate limiting for synaptic transmission under certain conditions that entail reduced VGLUT levels during development as well as various neuropathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaro Nakakubo
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Saeka Abe
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Tomofumi Yoshida
- Laboratory of Neural Membrane Biology, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Chihiro Takami
- Laboratory of Neural Membrane Biology, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Masayuki Isa
- Laboratory of Neural Membrane Biology, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
| | - Sonja M Wojcik
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Nils Brose
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Shigeo Takamori
- Laboratory of Neural Membrane Biology, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan.
| | - Tetsuya Hori
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan.
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10
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Dolzer J. Patch Clamp Technology in the Twenty-First Century. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2188:21-49. [PMID: 33119845 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0818-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
In the almost four decades since its inception, the patch clamp technique has transitioned from a specialist skill to a method commonly used among many others in a lab. Development of patch clamp instrumentation has not been steady: A boost of product releases in rapid succession by multiple manufacturers in the 1990s had slowed to a trickle by the mid-2000s. In 2016, Sutter Instrument's entry into the market of turnkey patch clamp amplifier systems, defined as an amplifier with matching data acquisition hardware and software, caused a fresh breeze in a field in danger of going stale. Sutter has meanwhile completed the product line, culminating in the flagship dPatch® Ultra-fast, Low-noise Digital Amplifier. The dPatch System constitutes a contemporary, digital design that features many firsts, including digital signal compensation, an extremely high bandwidth and fully integrated dynamic clamp capability, paired with the increasingly popular SutterPatch® Software.This chapter compares feature sets of the new Sutter instrumentation with the established platforms by the other two providers of turnkey systems, Axon Instruments by Molecular Devices and HEKA Elektronik by Harvard Bioscience. A variety of products from other manufacturers, who rely on combination with components from other sources rather than offering turnkey systems, are listed, but for their conceptual diversity not compared at a great level of detail. The chapter further covers architectural considerations for patch clamp systems, headstage design, data acquisition strategies and efficient structuring of the recorded data, controlling and monitoring periphery, advanced technologies, such as software lock-in amplifier capability and dynamic clamp features, and application modules for efficient analysis of action potentials and postsynaptic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Dolzer
- Sutter Instrument Company, Novato, CA, USA.
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11
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Distinct functional developments of surviving and eliminated presynaptic terminals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022423118. [PMID: 33688051 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022423118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
For neuronal circuits in the brain to mature, necessary synapses must be maintained and redundant synapses eliminated through experience-dependent mechanisms. However, the functional differentiation of these synapse types during the refinement process remains elusive. Here, we addressed this issue by distinct labeling and direct recordings of presynaptic terminals fated for survival and for elimination in the somatosensory thalamus. At surviving terminals, the number of total releasable vesicles was first enlarged, and then calcium channels and fast-releasing synaptic vesicles were tightly coupled in an experience-dependent manner. By contrast, transmitter release mechanisms did not mature at terminals fated for elimination, irrespective of sensory experience. Nonetheless, terminals fated for survival and for elimination both exhibited developmental shortening of action potential waveforms that was experience independent. Thus, we dissected experience-dependent and -independent developmental maturation processes of surviving and eliminated presynaptic terminals during neuronal circuit refinement.
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12
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Neher E, Taschenberger H. Non-negative Matrix Factorization as a Tool to Distinguish Between Synaptic Vesicles in Different Functional States. Neuroscience 2021; 458:182-202. [PMID: 33454165 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic vesicles (SVs) undergo multiple steps of functional maturation (priming) before being fusion competent. We present an analysis technique, which decomposes the time course of quantal release during repetitive stimulation as a sum of contributions of SVs, which existed in distinct functional states prior to stimulation. Such states may represent different degrees of maturation in priming or relate to different molecular composition of the release apparatus. We apply the method to rat calyx of Held synapses. These synapses display a high degree of variability, both with respect to synaptic strength and short-term plasticity during high-frequency stimulus trains. The method successfully describes time courses of quantal release at individual synapses as linear combinations of three components, representing contributions from functionally distinct SV subpools, with variability among synapses largely covered by differences in subpool sizes. Assuming that SVs transit in sequence through at least two priming steps before being released by an action potential (AP) we interpret the components as representing SVs which had been 'fully primed', 'incompletely primed' or undocked prior to stimulation. Given these assumptions, the analysis reports an initial release probability of 0.43 for SVs that were fully primed prior to stimulation. Release probability of that component was found to increase during high-frequency stimulation, leading to rapid depletion of that subpool. SVs that were incompletely primed at rest rapidly obtain fusion-competence during repetitive stimulation and contribute the majority of release after 3-5 stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin Neher
- Emeritus Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Holger Taschenberger
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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13
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Pelkey KA, Calvigioni D, Fang C, Vargish G, Ekins T, Auville K, Wester JC, Lai M, Mackenzie-Gray Scott C, Yuan X, Hunt S, Abebe D, Xu Q, Dimidschstein J, Fishell G, Chittajallu R, McBain CJ. Paradoxical network excitation by glutamate release from VGluT3 + GABAergic interneurons. eLife 2020; 9:e51996. [PMID: 32053107 PMCID: PMC7039679 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In violation of Dale's principle several neuronal subtypes utilize more than one classical neurotransmitter. Molecular identification of vesicular glutamate transporter three and cholecystokinin expressing cortical interneurons (CCK+VGluT3+INTs) has prompted speculation of GABA/glutamate corelease from these cells for almost two decades despite a lack of direct evidence. We unequivocally demonstrate CCK+VGluT3+INT-mediated GABA/glutamate cotransmission onto principal cells in adult mice using paired recording and optogenetic approaches. Although under normal conditions, GABAergic inhibition dominates CCK+VGluT3+INT signaling, glutamatergic signaling becomes predominant when glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) function is compromised. CCK+VGluT3+INTs exhibit surprising anatomical diversity comprising subsets of all known dendrite targeting CCK+ interneurons in addition to the expected basket cells, and their extensive circuit innervation profoundly dampens circuit excitability under normal conditions. However, in contexts where the glutamatergic phenotype of CCK+VGluT3+INTs is amplified, they promote paradoxical network hyperexcitability which may be relevant to disorders involving GAD dysfunction such as schizophrenia or vitamin B6 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Pelkey
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Daniela Calvigioni
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Calvin Fang
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Geoffrey Vargish
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Tyler Ekins
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Kurt Auville
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jason C Wester
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Mandy Lai
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Connie Mackenzie-Gray Scott
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Xiaoqing Yuan
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Steven Hunt
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Daniel Abebe
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Qing Xu
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, NYUAbu-DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Jordane Dimidschstein
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Gordon Fishell
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Ramesh Chittajallu
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Chris J McBain
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
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14
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Dobson KL, Howe CL, Nishimura Y, Marra V. Dedicated Setup for the Photoconversion of Fluorescent Dyes for Functional Electron Microscopy. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:312. [PMID: 31417358 PMCID: PMC6681119 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe a cost-effective setup for targeted photoconversion of fluorescent signals into electron dense ones. This approach has offered invaluable insights in the morphology and function of fine neuronal structures. The technique relies on the localized oxidation of diaminobenzidine (DAB) mediated by excited fluorophores. This paper includes a detailed description of how to build a simple photoconversion setup that can increase reliability and throughput of this well-established technique. The system described here, is particularly well-suited for thick neuronal tissue, where light penetration and oxygen diffusion may be limiting DAB oxidation. To demonstrate the system, we use Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM) to visualize functionally-labeled individual synaptic vesicles released onto an identified layer 5 neuron in an acute cortical slice. The setup significantly simplifies the photoconversion workflow, increasing the depth of photoillumination, improving the targeting of the region of interest and reducing the time required to process each individual sample. We have tested this setup extensively for the photoconversion of FM 1-43FX and Lucifer Yellow both excited at 473 nm. In principle, the system can be adapted to any dye or nanoparticle able to oxidize DAB when excited by a specific wavelength of light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine L. Dobson
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel L. Howe
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yuri Nishimura
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Vincenzo Marra
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
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15
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Miki T. What We Can Learn From Cumulative Numbers of Vesicular Release Events. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:257. [PMID: 31293386 PMCID: PMC6598442 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Following action potential invasion in presynaptic terminals, synaptic vesicles are released in a stochastic manner at release sites (docking sites). Since neurotransmission occurs at frequencies up to 1 kHz, the mechanisms underlying consecutive vesicle releases at a docking site during high frequency bursts is a key factor for understanding the role and strength of the synapse. Particularly new vesicle recruitment at the docking site during neuronal activity is thought to be crucial for short-term plasticity. However current studies have not reached a unified docking site model for central synapses. Here I review newly developed analyses that can provide insight into docking site models. Quantal analysis using counts of vesicular release events provide a wealth of information not only to monitor the number of docking sites, but also to distinguish among docking site models. The stochastic properties of cumulative release number during bursts allow us to estimate the total number of releasable vesicles and to deduce the features of vesicle recruitment at docking sites and the change of release probability during bursts. This analytical method may contribute to a comprehensive understanding of release/replenishment mechanisms at a docking site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takafumi Miki
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
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16
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Raja MK, Preobraschenski J, Del Olmo-Cabrera S, Martinez-Turrillas R, Jahn R, Perez-Otano I, Wesseling JF. Elevated synaptic vesicle release probability in synaptophysin/gyrin family quadruple knockouts. eLife 2019; 8:40744. [PMID: 31090538 PMCID: PMC6519982 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptophysins 1 and 2 and synaptogyrins 1 and 3 constitute a major family of synaptic vesicle membrane proteins. Unlike other widely expressed synaptic vesicle proteins such as vSNAREs and synaptotagmins, the primary function has not been resolved. Here, we report robust elevation in the probability of release of readily releasable vesicles with both high and low release probabilities at a variety of synapse types from knockout mice missing all four family members. Neither the number of readily releasable vesicles, nor the timing of recruitment to the readily releasable pool was affected. The results suggest that family members serve as negative regulators of neurotransmission, acting directly at the level of exocytosis to dampen connection strength selectively when presynaptic action potentials fire at low frequency. The widespread expression suggests that chemical synapses may play a frequency filtering role in biological computation that is more elemental than presently envisioned. Editorial note This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathan K Raja
- Department of Neuroscience, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Julia Preobraschenski
- Department of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Reinhard Jahn
- Department of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Isabel Perez-Otano
- Department of Neuroscience, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - John F Wesseling
- Department of Neuroscience, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Institute for Neurosciences CSIC-UMH, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
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17
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Bornschein G, Schmidt H. Synaptotagmin Ca 2+ Sensors and Their Spatial Coupling to Presynaptic Ca v Channels in Central Cortical Synapses. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 11:494. [PMID: 30697148 PMCID: PMC6341215 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+ concentrations drop rapidly over a distance of a few tens of nanometers from an open voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (Cav), thereby, generating a spatially steep and temporally short-lived Ca2+ gradient that triggers exocytosis of a neurotransmitter filled synaptic vesicle. These non-steady state conditions make the Ca2+-binding kinetics of the Ca2+ sensors for release and their spatial coupling to the Cavs important parameters of synaptic efficacy. In the mammalian central nervous system, the main release sensors linking action potential mediated Ca2+ influx to synchronous release are Synaptotagmin (Syt) 1 and 2. We review here quantitative work focusing on the Ca2+ kinetics of Syt2-mediated release. At present similar quantitative detail is lacking for Syt1-mediated release. In addition to triggering release, Ca2+ remaining bound to Syt after the first of two successive high-frequency activations was found to be capable of facilitating release during the second activation. More recently, the Ca2+ sensor Syt7 was identified as additional facilitation sensor. We further review how several recent functional studies provided quantitative insights into the spatial topographical relationships between Syts and Cavs and identified mechanisms regulating the sensor-to-channel coupling distances at presynaptic active zones. Most synapses analyzed in matured cortical structures were found to operate at tight, nanodomain coupling. For fast signaling synapses a developmental switch from loose, microdomain to tight, nanodomain coupling was found. The protein Septin5 has been known for some time as a developmentally down-regulated “inhibitor” of tight coupling, while Munc13-3 was found only recently to function as a developmentally up-regulated mediator of tight coupling. On the other hand, a highly plastic synapse was found to operate at loose coupling in the matured hippocampus. Together these findings suggest that the coupling topography and its regulation is a specificity of the type of synapse. However, to definitely draw such conclusion our knowledge of functional active zone topographies of different types of synapses in different areas of the mammalian brain is too incomplete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grit Bornschein
- Carl-Ludwig Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schmidt
- Carl-Ludwig Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Midorikawa M. Real-time imaging of synaptic vesicle exocytosis by total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. Neurosci Res 2018; 136:1-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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19
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Ritzau-Jost A, Jablonski L, Viotti J, Lipstein N, Eilers J, Hallermann S. Apparent calcium dependence of vesicle recruitment. J Physiol 2018; 596:4693-4707. [PMID: 29928766 DOI: 10.1113/jp275911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Synaptic transmission relies on the recruitment of neurotransmitter-filled vesicles to presynaptic release sites. Increased intracellular calcium buffering slows the recovery from synaptic depression, suggesting that vesicle recruitment is a calcium-dependent process. However, the molecular mechanisms of vesicle recruitment have only been investigated at some synapses. We investigate the role of calcium in vesicle recruitment at the cerebellar mossy fibre to granule cell synapse. We find that increased intracellular calcium buffering slows the recovery from depression following physiological stimulation. However, the recovery is largely resistant to perturbation of the molecular pathways previously shown to mediate calcium-dependent vesicle recruitment. Furthermore, we find two pools of vesicles with different recruitment speeds and show that models incorporating two pools of vesicles with different calcium-independent recruitment rates can explain our data. In this framework, increased calcium buffering prevents the release of intrinsically fast-recruited vesicles but does not change the vesicle recruitment rates themselves. ABSTRACT During sustained synaptic transmission, recruitment of new transmitter-filled vesicles to the release site counteracts vesicle depletion and thus synaptic depression. An elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration has been proposed to accelerate the rate of vesicle recruitment at many synapses. This conclusion is often based on the finding that increased intracellular Ca2+ buffering slows the recovery from synaptic depression. However, the molecular mechanisms of the activity-dependent acceleration of vesicle recruitment have only been analysed at some synapses. Using physiological stimulation patterns in postsynaptic recordings and step depolarizations in presynaptic bouton recordings, we investigate vesicle recruitment at cerebellar mossy fibre boutons. We show that increased intracellular Ca2+ buffering slows recovery from depression dramatically. However, pharmacological and genetic interference with calmodulin or the calmodulin-Munc13 pathway, which has been proposed to mediate Ca2+ -dependence of vesicle recruitment, barely affects vesicle recovery from depression. Furthermore, we show that cerebellar mossy fibre boutons have two pools of vesicles: rapidly fusing vesicles that recover slowly and slowly fusing vesicles that recover rapidly. Finally, models adopting such two pools of vesicles with Ca2+ -independent recruitment rates can explain the slowed recovery from depression upon increased Ca2+ buffering. Our data do not rule out the involvement of the calmodulin-Munc13 pathway during stronger stimuli or other molecular pathways mediating Ca2+ -dependent vesicle recruitment at cerebellar mossy fibre boutons. However, we show that well-established two-pool models predict an apparent Ca2+ -dependence of vesicle recruitment. Thus, previous conclusions of Ca2+ -dependent vesicle recruitment based solely on increased intracellular Ca2+ buffering should be considered with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Ritzau-Jost
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lukasz Jablonski
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julio Viotti
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Center of Anatomy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Noa Lipstein
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Eilers
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Hallermann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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20
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Pre- and postsynaptic ionotropic glutamate receptors in the auditory system of mammals. Hear Res 2018; 362:1-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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21
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SAKABA T. Kinetics of transmitter release at the calyx of Held synapse. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2018; 94:139-152. [PMID: 29526973 PMCID: PMC5909059 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.94.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic contacts mediate information transfer between neurons. The calyx of Held, a large synapse in the mammalian auditory brainstem, has been used as a model system for the mechanism of transmitter release from the presynaptic terminal for the last 20 years. By applying simultaneous recordings from pre- and postsynaptic compartments, the calcium-dependence of the kinetics of transmitter release has been quantified. A single pool of readily releasable vesicles cannot explain the time course of release during repetitive activity. Rather, multiple pools of vesicles have to be postulated that are replenished with distinct kinetics after depletion. The physical identity of vesicle replenishment has been unknown. Recently, it has become possible to apply total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy to the calyx terminal. This technique allowed the visualization of the dynamics of individual synaptic vesicles. Rather than recruitment of vesicles to the transmitter release sites, priming of tethered vesicles in the total internal reflection fluorescent field limited the number of readily releasable vesicles during sustained activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi SAKABA
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
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22
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Walter AM, Böhme MA, Sigrist SJ. Vesicle release site organization at synaptic active zones. Neurosci Res 2017; 127:3-13. [PMID: 29275162 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2017.12.006] [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: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Information transfer between nerve cells (neurons) forms the basis of behavior, emotion, and survival. Signal transduction from one neuron to another occurs at synapses, and relies on both electrical and chemical signal propagation. At chemical synapses, incoming electrical action potentials trigger the release of chemical neurotransmitters that are sensed by the connected cell and here reconverted to an electrical signal. The presynaptic conversion of an electrical to a chemical signal is an energy demanding, highly regulated process that relies on a complex, evolutionarily conserved molecular machinery. Here, we review the biophysical characteristics of this process, the current knowledge of the molecules operating in this reaction and genetic specializations that may have evolved to shape inter-neuronal signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Walter
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Roessle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany.
| | - Mathias A Böhme
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Robert-Roessle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology/Genetics, Takustraße 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure, Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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23
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Midorikawa M, Sakaba T. Kinetics of Releasable Synaptic Vesicles and Their Plastic Changes at Hippocampal Mossy Fiber Synapses. Neuron 2017; 96:1033-1040.e3. [PMID: 29103807 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal mossy fiber boutons (hMFBs) are presynaptic terminals displaying various forms of synaptic plasticity. The presynaptic mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity still remain poorly understood. Here, we have combined high temporal resolution measurements of presynaptic capacitance and excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) to measure the kinetics of exocytosis. In addition, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy was employed to directly visualize dynamics of single synaptic vesicles adjacent to the plasma membrane at high spatial resolution. Readily releasable vesicles mostly consisted of already-tethered vesicles in the TIRF field. Vesicle replenishment had fast and slow phases, and TIRF imaging suggests that the fast phase depends on vesicle priming from already-tethered vesicles. Application of cyclic AMP (cAMP), a molecule crucial for LTP, mainly increases the vesicular release probability rather than the number of readily releasable vesicles or their replenishment rate, likely by changing the coupling between Ca2+ channels and synaptic vesicles. Thus, we revealed dynamic properties of synaptic vesicles at hMFBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuharu Midorikawa
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto 6100394, Japan; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 1628666, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Sakaba
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyoto 6100394, Japan.
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24
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Mechanisms of synaptic depression at the hair cell ribbon synapse that support auditory nerve function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:9719-9724. [PMID: 28827351 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706160114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inner hair cells (IHCs) in the cochlea are the mammalian phono-receptors, transducing sound energy into graded changes in membrane potentials, the so called "receptor potentials." Ribbon synapses between IHCs and auditory nerve neurons are responsible for converting receptor potentials into spike rates. The characteristics of auditory nerve responses to sound have been described extensively. For instance, persistent acoustic stimulation produces sensory adaptation, which is revealed as a reduction in neuronal spike rate with time constants in the range of milliseconds to seconds. Since the amplitude of IHC receptor potentials is invariant during this period, the classic hypothesis pointed to vesicle depletion at the IHC as responsible for auditory adaptation. In this study, we observed that fast synaptic depression occurred in responses to stimuli of varying intensities. Nevertheless, release continued after this initial depression, via synaptic vesicles with slower exocytotic kinetics. Heterogeneity in kinetic elements, therefore, favored synaptic responses with an early peak and a sustained phase. The application of cyclothiazide (CTZ) revealed that desensitization of postsynaptic receptors contributed to synaptic depression, which was more pronounced during stronger stimulation. Thus, desensitization had a twofold effect: It abbreviated signaling between IHC and the auditory nerve and also balanced differences in decay kinetics between responses to different stimulation strengths. We therefore propose that both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms at the IHC ribbon synapse contribute to synaptic depression at the IHC ribbon synapse and spike rate adaptation in the auditory nerve.
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25
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Lübbert M, Goral RO, Satterfield R, Putzke T, van den Maagdenberg AM, Kamasawa N, Young SM. A novel region in the Ca V2.1 α 1 subunit C-terminus regulates fast synaptic vesicle fusion and vesicle docking at the mammalian presynaptic active zone. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28786379 PMCID: PMC5548488 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In central nervous system (CNS) synapses, action potential-evoked neurotransmitter release is principally mediated by CaV2.1 calcium channels (CaV2.1) and is highly dependent on the physical distance between CaV2.1 and synaptic vesicles (coupling). Although various active zone proteins are proposed to control coupling and abundance of CaV2.1 through direct interactions with the CaV2.1 α1 subunit C-terminus at the active zone, the role of these interaction partners is controversial. To define the intrinsic motifs that regulate coupling, we expressed mutant CaV2.1 α1 subunits on a CaV2.1 null background at the calyx of Held presynaptic terminal. Our results identified a region that directly controlled fast synaptic vesicle release and vesicle docking at the active zone independent of CaV2.1 abundance. In addition, proposed individual direct interactions with active zone proteins are insufficient for CaV2.1 abundance and coupling. Therefore, our work advances our molecular understanding of CaV2.1 regulation of neurotransmitter release in mammalian CNS synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Lübbert
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States
| | - R Oliver Goral
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Rachel Satterfield
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States
| | - Travis Putzke
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States
| | | | - Naomi Kamasawa
- Max Planck Florida Electron Microscopy Core, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States
| | - Samuel M Young
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States.,Department of Otolaryngology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States.,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States.,Aging Mind Brain Initiative, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
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26
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Chang AY, Marshall WF. Organelles - understanding noise and heterogeneity in cell biology at an intermediate scale. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:819-826. [PMID: 28183729 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.181024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies over the years have shown that non-genetic mechanisms for producing cell-to-cell variation can lead to highly variable behaviors across genetically identical populations of cells. Most work to date has focused on gene expression noise as the primary source of phenotypic heterogeneity, yet other sources may also contribute. In this Commentary, we explore organelle-level heterogeneity as a potential secondary source of cellular 'noise' that contributes to phenotypic heterogeneity. We explore mechanisms for generating organelle heterogeneity and present evidence of functional links between organelle morphology and cellular behavior. Given the many instances in which molecular-level heterogeneity has been linked to phenotypic heterogeneity, we posit that organelle heterogeneity may similarly contribute to overall phenotypic heterogeneity and underline the importance of studying organelle heterogeneity to develop a more comprehensive understanding of phenotypic heterogeneity. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the medical challenges associated with phenotypic heterogeneity and outline how improved methods for characterizing and controlling this heterogeneity may lead to improved therapeutic strategies and outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Y Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Cellular Construction, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Wallace F Marshall
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Cellular Construction, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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27
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Xu-Friedman MA. Measuring the Basic Physiological Properties of Synapses. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2017; 2017:2017/1/pdb.top089680. [PMID: 28049811 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top089680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Studying synaptic physiology remains an important endeavor for understanding the mechanisms that underlie neurotransmitter release as well as synaptic development and refinement. It is also critical to understanding brain function. The basic conceptual framework for synaptic physiology was worked out by Katz and colleagues and has coalesced around three factors: the number of releasable vesicles (N), the probability of release (P), and quantal size (Q). Here, I discuss a few key experiments related to these quantities and how they are assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Xu-Friedman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260
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28
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Turecek J, Jackman SL, Regehr WG. Synaptic Specializations Support Frequency-Independent Purkinje Cell Output from the Cerebellar Cortex. Cell Rep 2016; 17:3256-3268. [PMID: 28009294 PMCID: PMC5870134 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The output of the cerebellar cortex is conveyed to the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) by Purkinje cells (PCs). Here, we characterize the properties of the PC-DCN synapse in juvenile and adult mice and find that prolonged high-frequency stimulation leads to steady-state responses that become increasingly frequency independent within the physiological firing range of PCs in older animals, resulting in a linear relationship between charge transfer and activation frequency. We used a low-affinity antagonist to show that GABAA-receptor saturation occurs at this synapse but does not underlie frequency-invariant transmission. We propose that PC-DCN synapses have two components of release: one prominent early in trains and another specialized to maintain transmission during prolonged activation. Short-term facilitation offsets partial vesicle depletion to produce frequency-independent transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Turecek
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Skyler L Jackman
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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29
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Böhme MA, Beis C, Reddy-Alla S, Reynolds E, Mampell MM, Grasskamp AT, Lützkendorf J, Bergeron DD, Driller JH, Babikir H, Göttfert F, Robinson IM, O'Kane CJ, Hell SW, Wahl MC, Stelzl U, Loll B, Walter AM, Sigrist SJ. Active zone scaffolds differentially accumulate Unc13 isoforms to tune Ca2+ channel–vesicle coupling. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19:1311-20. [DOI: 10.1038/nn.4364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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30
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Grabner CP, Ratliff CP, Light AC, DeVries SH. Mechanism of High-Frequency Signaling at a Depressing Ribbon Synapse. Neuron 2016; 91:133-45. [PMID: 27292536 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ribbon synapses mediate continuous release in neurons that have graded voltage responses. While mammalian retinas can signal visual flicker at 80-100 Hz, the time constant, τ, for the refilling of a depleted vesicle release pool at cone photoreceptor ribbons is 0.7-1.1 s. Due to this prolonged depression, the mechanism for encoding high temporal frequencies is unclear. To determine the mechanism of high-frequency signaling, we focused on an "Off" cone bipolar cell type in the ground squirrel, the cb2, whose transient postsynaptic responses recovered following presynaptic depletion with a τ of ∼0.1 s, or 7- to 10-fold faster than the τ for presynaptic pool refilling. The difference in recovery time course is caused by AMPA receptor saturation, where partial refilling of the presynaptic pool is sufficient for a full postsynaptic response. By limiting the dynamic range of the synapse, receptor saturation counteracts ribbon depression to produce rapid recovery and facilitate high-frequency signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad P Grabner
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Charles P Ratliff
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Adam C Light
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Steven H DeVries
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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31
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Kochubey O, Babai N, Schneggenburger R. A Synaptotagmin Isoform Switch during the Development of an Identified CNS Synapse. Neuron 2016; 90:984-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Thanawala MS, Regehr WG. Determining synaptic parameters using high-frequency activation. J Neurosci Methods 2016; 264:136-152. [PMID: 26972952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The specific properties of a synapse determine how neuronal activity evokes neurotransmitter release. Evaluating changes in synaptic properties during sustained activity is essential to understanding how genetic manipulations and neuromodulators regulate neurotransmitter release. Analyses of postsynaptic responses to high-frequency stimulation have provided estimates of the size of the readily-releasable pool (RRP) of vesicles (N0) and the probability of vesicular release (p) at multiple synapses. NEW METHOD Here, we introduce a model-based approach at the calyx of Held synapse in which depletion and the rate of replenishment (R) determine the number of available vesicles, and facilitation leads to a use-dependent increase in p when initial p is low. RESULTS When p is high and R is low, we find excellent agreement between estimates based on all three methods and the model. However, when p is low or when significant replenishment occurs between stimuli, estimates of different methods diverge, and model estimates are between the extreme estimates provided by the other approaches. COMPARISON WITH OTHER METHODS We compare our model-based approach to three other approaches that rely on different simplifying assumptions. Our findings suggest that our model provides a better estimate of N0 and p than previously-established methods, likely due to inaccurate assumptions about replenishment. More generally, our findings suggest that approaches commonly used to estimate N0 and p at other synapses are often applied under experimental conditions that yield inaccurate estimates. CONCLUSIONS Careful application of appropriate methods can greatly improve estimates of synaptic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica S Thanawala
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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Acuna C, Liu X, Gonzalez A, Südhof TC. RIM-BPs Mediate Tight Coupling of Action Potentials to Ca(2+)-Triggered Neurotransmitter Release. Neuron 2015; 87:1234-1247. [PMID: 26402606 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Ultrafast neurotransmitter release requires tight colocalization of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels with primed, release-ready synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic active zone. RIM-binding proteins (RIM-BPs) are multidomain active zone proteins that bind to RIMs and to Ca(2+) channels. In Drosophila, deletion of RIM-BPs dramatically reduces neurotransmitter release, but little is known about RIM-BP function in mammalian synapses. Here, we generated double conditional knockout mice for RIM-BP1 and RIM-BP2, and analyzed RIM-BP-deficient synapses in cultured hippocampal neurons and the calyx of Held. Surprisingly, we find that in murine synapses, RIM-BPs are not essential for neurotransmitter release as such, but are selectively required for high-fidelity coupling of action potential-induced Ca(2+) influx to Ca(2+)-stimulated synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Deletion of RIM-BPs decelerated action-potential-triggered neurotransmitter release and rendered it unreliable, thereby impairing the fidelity of synaptic transmission. Thus, RIM-BPs ensure optimal organization of the machinery for fast release in mammalian synapses without being a central component of the machinery itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Acuna
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Xinran Liu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Aneysis Gonzalez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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34
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Kochubey O, Schneggenburger R. Ca2+ Uncaging in Nerve Terminals: A Three-Point Calibration Procedure. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2015; 2015:761-8. [PMID: 26240411 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot087650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ca(2+) uncaging can be used to create a spatially homogenous elevation of the intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration, [Ca(2+)]i, in cells. When applied to nerve terminals or secretory cells, this technique allows one to elicit transmitter release with a [Ca(2+)]i signal of measurable amplitude, and therefore to directly relate the rate of transmitter release to the measured [Ca(2+)]i. When combined with patch-clamp measurements, Ca(2+) uncaging is done by introducing a Ca(2+)-loaded photolyzable Ca(2+) chelator (like DM-nitrophen) into the cell via the whole-cell patch-pipette. A brief light pulse from a flash lamp or a pulsed laser is used to photolyze the DM-nitrophen. The resulting increase in [Ca(2+)]i is measured with ratiometric fluorescent indicators of suitable Ca(2+) affinity, such as Fura-2, Fura-4F, Fura-2FF, or Fura-6F, depending on the postflash [Ca(2+)]i values. To quantitatively measure [Ca(2+)]i, an accurate calibration of the fluorescent indicator in the presence of the photolyzable Ca(2+) chelator is necessary, which will be described here. Ca(2+) uncaging in nerve terminals has proven useful for investigating Ca(2+)-dependent functions like transmitter release, short-term plasticity, and exocytosis-endocytosis coupling in the presynaptic compartment of neurons.
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35
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Körber C, Horstmann H, Venkataramani V, Herrmannsdörfer F, Kremer T, Kaiser M, Schwenger DB, Ahmed S, Dean C, Dresbach T, Kuner T. Modulation of Presynaptic Release Probability by the Vertebrate-Specific Protein Mover. Neuron 2015. [PMID: 26212709 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Mover, a member of the exquisitely small group of vertebrate-specific presynaptic proteins, has been discovered as an interaction partner of the scaffolding protein Bassoon, yet its function has not been elucidated. We used adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated shRNA expression to knock down Mover in the calyx of Held in vivo. Although spontaneous synaptic transmission remained unaffected, we found a strong increase of the evoked EPSC amplitude. The size of the readily releasable pool was unaltered, but short-term depression was accelerated and enhanced, consistent with an increase in release probability after Mover knockdown. This increase in release probability was not caused by alterations in Ca(2+) influx but rather by a higher Ca(2+) sensitivity of the release machinery, as demonstrated by presynaptic Ca(2+) uncaging. We therefore conclude that Mover expression in certain subsets of synapses negatively regulates synaptic release probability, constituting a novel mechanism to tune synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Körber
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Heinz Horstmann
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Varun Venkataramani
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Herrmannsdörfer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kremer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Kaiser
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Darius B Schwenger
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Saheeb Ahmed
- European Neuroscience Institute, Grisebachstrasse 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Camin Dean
- European Neuroscience Institute, Grisebachstrasse 5, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Dresbach
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Centre of Anatomy, University of Göttingen, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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36
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TAKAHASHI T. Strength and precision of neurotransmission at mammalian presynaptic terminals. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2015; 91:305-320. [PMID: 26194855 PMCID: PMC4631896 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.91.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Classically, the basic concept of chemical synaptic transmission was established at the frog neuromuscular junction, and direct intracellular recordings from presynaptic terminals at the squid giant presynaptic terminal have further clarified principles of neurotransmitter release. More recently, whole-cell patch-camp recordings from the calyx of Held in rodent brainstem slices have extended the classical concept to mammalian synapses providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying strength and precision of neurotransmission and developmental changes therein. This review summarizes findings from our laboratory and others on these subjects, mainly at the calyx of Held, with a particular focus on precise, high-fidelity, fast neurotransmission. The mechanisms by which presynaptic terminals acquire strong, precise neurotransmission during postnatal development are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyuki TAKAHASHI
- Cellular and Molecular Synaptic Function Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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37
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Arai I, Jonas P. Nanodomain coupling explains Ca²⁺ independence of transmitter release time course at a fast central synapse. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25487988 PMCID: PMC4270082 DOI: 10.7554/elife.04057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A puzzling property of synaptic transmission, originally established at the neuromuscular junction, is that the time course of transmitter release is independent of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o), whereas the rate of release is highly [Ca2+]o-dependent. Here, we examine the time course of release at inhibitory basket cell-Purkinje cell synapses and show that it is independent of [Ca2+]o. Modeling of Ca2+-dependent transmitter release suggests that the invariant time course of release critically depends on tight coupling between Ca2+ channels and release sensors. Experiments with exogenous Ca2+ chelators reveal that channel-sensor coupling at basket cell-Purkinje cell synapses is very tight, with a mean distance of 10–20 nm. Thus, tight channel-sensor coupling provides a mechanistic explanation for the apparent [Ca2+]o independence of the time course of release. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04057.001 The nervous system sends information around the body in the form of electrical signals that travel through cells called neurons. However, these electrical signals cannot cross the synapses between neurons. Instead, the information is carried across the synapse by molecules called neurotransmitters. Calcium ions control the release of neurotransmitters. There is a high concentration of calcium ions outside the neuron but they are not able to pass through the cell membrane under normal conditions. However, when an electrical impulse reaches the synapse, ion channels in the membrane open and allow calcium ions to enter the cell. Once inside, the ions activate the release of neurotransmitters by binding to proteins called release sensors. Several experiments on the release of neurotransmitters have studied the synapses between neurons and muscle fibers. These studies found that the higher the concentration of ions outside the neuron, the higher the rate at which the neurotransmitters were released. However, the timing of release—the length of time over which the neurotransmitters were released—did not depend on the concentration of calcium ions. Arai and Jonas have now studied neurotransmitter release at a synapse in a region of the brain called the cerebellum. These experiments also found that the timing of the release did not depend on the ion concentration, suggesting that this may be a general property of neurotransmitter release. To find out more, Arai and Jonas created a mathematical model of neurotransmitter release. This model suggests that for the timing of release to remain the same, the ion channel and the release sensor must be located close together in the presynaptic terminal. If they are not close together, the timing of release becomes blurred and more dependent on the external calcium concentration. Further experiments confirm the prediction of the model by showing that the calcium channels and the release sensors in these synapses are very close together. The next challenge will be to find out whether the conclusions are also valid for other synapses where the calcium channels and release sensors are further apart. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04057.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Itaru Arai
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Jonas
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
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38
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Inchauspe CG, Pilati N, Di Guilmi MN, Urbano FJ, Ferrari MD, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Forsythe ID, Uchitel OD. Familial hemiplegic migraine type-1 mutated cav2.1 calcium channels alter inhibitory and excitatory synaptic transmission in the lateral superior olive of mice. Hear Res 2014; 319:56-68. [PMID: 25481823 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2014.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
CaV2.1 Ca(2+) channels play a key role in triggering neurotransmitter release and mediating synaptic transmission. Familial hemiplegic migraine type-1 (FHM-1) is caused by missense mutations in the CACNA1A gene that encodes the α1A pore-forming subunit of CaV2.1 Ca(2+) channels. We used knock-in (KI) transgenic mice harbouring the pathogenic FHM-1 mutation R192Q to study inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission in the principle neurons of the lateral superior olive (LSO) in the auditory brainstem. We tested if the R192Q FHM-1 mutation differentially affects excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, disturbing the normal balance between excitation and inhibition in this nucleus. Whole cell patch-clamp was used to measure neurotransmitter elicited excitatory (EPSCs) and inhibitory (IPSCs) postsynaptic currents in wild-type (WT) and R192Q KI mice. Our results showed that the FHM-1 mutation in CaV2.1 channels has multiple effects. Evoked EPSC amplitudes were smaller whereas evoked and miniature IPSC amplitudes were larger in R192Q KI compared to WT mice. In addition, in R192Q KI mice, the release probability was enhanced compared to WT, at both inhibitory (0.53 ± 0.02 vs. 0.44 ± 0.01, P = 2.10(-5), Student's t-test) and excitatory synapses (0.60 ± 0.03 vs. 0.45 ± 0.02, P = 4 10(-6), Student's t-test). Vesicle pool size was diminished in R192Q KI mice compared to WT mice (68 ± 6 vs 91 ± 7, P = 0.008, inhibitory; 104 ± 13 vs 335 ± 30, P = 10(-6), excitatory, Student's t-test). R192Q KI mice present enhanced short-term plasticity. Repetitive stimulation of the afferent axons caused short-term depression (STD) of E/IPSCs that recovered significantly faster in R192Q KI mice compared to WT. This supports the hypothesis of a gain-of-function of the CaV2.1 channels in R192Q KI mice, which alters the balance of excitatory/inhibitory inputs and could also have implications in the altered cortical excitability responsible for FHM pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlota González Inchauspe
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Nadia Pilati
- Dept Cell Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK.
| | - Mariano N Di Guilmi
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco J Urbano
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Michel D Ferrari
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Arn M J M van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ian D Forsythe
- Dept Cell Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Osvaldo D Uchitel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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39
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Han Y, Babai N, Kaeser P, Südhof TC, Schneggenburger R. RIM1 and RIM2 redundantly determine Ca2+ channel density and readily releasable pool size at a large hindbrain synapse. J Neurophysiol 2014; 113:255-63. [PMID: 25343783 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00488.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The localization and density of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels at active zones are essential for the amount and kinetics of transmitter release at synapses. RIM proteins are scaffolding proteins at the active zone that bind to several other presynaptic proteins, including voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel α-subunits. The long isoforms of RIM proteins, which contain NH2-terminal Rab3- and Munc13-interacting domains, as well as a central PDZ domain and two COOH-terminal C2 domains, are encoded by two genes, Rim1 and Rim2. Here, we used the ideal accessibility of the large calyx of Held synapse for direct presynaptic electrophysiology to investigate whether the two Rim genes have redundant, or separate, functions in determining the presynaptic Ca(2+) channel density, and the size of a readily releasable vesicle pool (RRP). Quantitative PCR showed that cochlear nucleus neurons, which include calyx of Held generating neurons, express both RIM1 and RIM2. Conditional genetic inactivation of RIM2 at the calyx of Held led to a subtle reduction in presynaptic Ca(2+) current density, whereas deletion of RIM1 was ineffective. The release efficiency of brief presynaptic Ca(2+) "tail" currents and the RRP were unaffected in conditional single RIM1 and RIM2 knockout (KO) mice, whereas both parameters were strongly reduced in RIM1/2 double KO mice. Thus, despite a somewhat more decisive role for RIM2 in determining presynaptic Ca(2+) channel density, RIM1 and RIM2 can overall replace each other's presynaptic functions at a large relay synapse in the hindbrain, the calyx of Held.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Han
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; and
| | - Norbert Babai
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; and
| | - Pascal Kaeser
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Ralf Schneggenburger
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain-Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; and
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40
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Acuna C, Guo Q, Burré J, Sharma M, Sun J, Südhof TC. Microsecond dissection of neurotransmitter release: SNARE-complex assembly dictates speed and Ca²⁺ sensitivity. Neuron 2014; 82:1088-100. [PMID: 24908488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
SNARE-complex assembly mediates synaptic vesicle fusion during neurotransmitter release and requires that the target-SNARE protein syntaxin-1 switches from a closed to an open conformation. Although many SNARE proteins are available per vesicle, only one to three SNARE complexes are minimally needed for a fusion reaction. Here, we use high-resolution measurements of synaptic transmission in the calyx-of-Held synapse from mutant mice in which syntaxin-1 is rendered constitutively open and SNARE-complex assembly is enhanced to examine the relation between SNARE-complex assembly and neurotransmitter release. We show that enhancing SNARE-complex assembly dramatically increases the speed of evoked release, potentiates the Ca(2+)-affinity of release, and accelerates fusion-pore expansion during individual vesicle fusion events. Our data indicate that the number of assembled SNARE complexes per vesicle during fusion determines the presynaptic release probability and fusion kinetics and suggest a mechanism whereby proteins (Munc13 or RIM) may control presynaptic plasticity by regulating SNARE-complex assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Acuna
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA.
| | - Qingchen Guo
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jacqueline Burré
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Manu Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Jianyuan Sun
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China; Center of Parkinson's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA.
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Liu H, Bai H, Hui E, Yang L, Evans CS, Wang Z, Kwon SE, Chapman ER. Synaptotagmin 7 functions as a Ca2+-sensor for synaptic vesicle replenishment. eLife 2014; 3:e01524. [PMID: 24569478 PMCID: PMC3930910 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptotagmin (syt) 7 is one of three syt isoforms found in all metazoans; it is ubiquitously expressed, yet its function in neurons remains obscure. Here, we resolved Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent synaptic vesicle (SV) replenishment pathways, and found that syt 7 plays a selective and critical role in the Ca(2+)-dependent pathway. Mutations that disrupt Ca(2+)-binding to syt 7 abolish this function, suggesting that syt 7 functions as a Ca(2+)-sensor for replenishment. The Ca(2+)-binding protein calmodulin (CaM) has also been implicated in SV replenishment, and we found that loss of syt 7 was phenocopied by a CaM antagonist. Moreover, we discovered that syt 7 binds to CaM in a highly specific and Ca(2+)-dependent manner; this interaction requires intact Ca(2+)-binding sites within syt 7. Together, these data indicate that a complex of two conserved Ca(2+)-binding proteins, syt 7 and CaM, serve as a key regulator of SV replenishment in presynaptic nerve terminals. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01524.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huisheng Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States
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42
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Superpriming of synaptic vesicles after their recruitment to the readily releasable pool. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:15079-84. [PMID: 23980146 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1314427110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recruitment of release-competent vesicles during sustained synaptic activity is one of the major factors governing short-term plasticity. During bursts of synaptic activity, vesicles are recruited to a fast-releasing pool from a reluctant vesicle pool through an actin-dependent mechanism. We now show that newly recruited vesicles in the fast-releasing pool do not respond at full speed to a strong Ca(2+) stimulus, but require approximately 4 s to mature to a "superprimed" state. Superpriming was found to be altered by agents that modulate the function of unc13 homolog proteins (Munc13s), but not by calmodulin inhibitors or actin-disrupting agents. These findings indicate that recruitment and superpriming of vesicles are regulated by separate mechanisms, which require integrity of the cytoskeleton and activation of Munc13s, respectively. We propose that refilling of the fast-releasing vesicle pool proceeds in two steps, rapid actin-dependent "positional priming," which brings vesicles closer to Ca(2+) sources, followed by slower superpriming, which enhances the Ca(2+) sensitivity of primed vesicles.
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43
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Sun T, Qiao H, Pan PY, Chen Y, Sheng ZH. Motile axonal mitochondria contribute to the variability of presynaptic strength. Cell Rep 2013; 4:413-419. [PMID: 23891000 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2012] [Revised: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most notable characteristics of synaptic transmission is the wide variation in synaptic strength in response to identical stimulation. In hippocampal neurons, approximately one-third of axonal mitochondria are highly motile, and some dynamically pass through presynaptic boutons. This raises a fundamental question: can motile mitochondria contribute to the pulse-to-pulse variability of presynaptic strength? Recently, we identified syntaphilin as an axonal mitochondrial-docking protein. Using hippocampal neurons and slices of syntaphilin knockout mice, we demonstrate that the motility of axonal mitochondria correlates with presynaptic variability. Enhancing mitochondrial motility increases the pulse-to-pulse variability, whereas immobilizing mitochondria reduces the variability. By dual-color live imaging at single-bouton levels, we further show that motile mitochondria passing through boutons dynamically influence synaptic vesicle release, mainly by altering ATP homeostasis in axons. Thus, our study provides insight into the fundamental properties of the CNS to ensure the plasticity and reliability of synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Sun
- Synaptic Functions Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Room 2B-215, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3706, USA
| | - Haifa Qiao
- Synaptic Functions Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Room 2B-215, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3706, USA
| | - Ping-Yue Pan
- Synaptic Functions Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Room 2B-215, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3706, USA
| | - Yanmin Chen
- Synaptic Functions Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Room 2B-215, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3706, USA
| | - Zu-Hang Sheng
- Synaptic Functions Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Room 2B-215, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3706, USA
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Dynamic Control of Synaptic Vesicle Replenishment and Short-Term Plasticity by Ca2+-Calmodulin-Munc13-1 Signaling. Neuron 2013; 79:82-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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45
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Michalski N, Babai N, Renier N, Perkel D, Chédotal A, Schneggenburger R. Robo3-Driven Axon Midline Crossing Conditions Functional Maturation of a Large Commissural Synapse. Neuron 2013; 78:855-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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46
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Fast neurotransmitter release regulated by the endocytic scaffold intersectin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:8266-71. [PMID: 23633571 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219234110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained fast neurotransmission requires the rapid replenishment of release-ready synaptic vesicles (SVs) at presynaptic active zones. Although the machineries for exocytic fusion and for subsequent endocytic membrane retrieval have been well characterized, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the rapid recruitment of SVs to release sites. Here we show that the Down syndrome-associated endocytic scaffold protein intersectin 1 is a crucial factor for the recruitment of release-ready SVs. Genetic deletion of intersectin 1 expression or acute interference with intersectin function inhibited the replenishment of release-ready vesicles, resulting in short-term depression, without significantly affecting the rate of endocytic membrane retrieval. Acute perturbation experiments suggest that intersectin-mediated vesicle replenishment involves the association of intersectin with the fissioning enzyme dynamin and with the actin regulatory GTPase CDC42. Our data indicate a role for the endocytic scaffold intersectin in fast neurotransmitter release, which may be of prime importance for information processing in the brain.
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Cano R, Torres-Benito L, Tejero R, Biea AI, Ruiz R, Betz WJ, Tabares L. Structural and functional maturation of active zones in large synapses. Mol Neurobiol 2012; 47:209-19. [PMID: 22992975 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-012-8347-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Virtually all functions of the nervous system rely upon synapses, the sites of communication between neurons and between neurons and other cells. Synapses are complex structures, each one comprising hundreds of different types of molecules working in concert. They are organized by adhesive and scaffolding molecules that align presynaptic vesicular release sites, namely, active zones, with postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors, thereby allowing rapid and reliable intercellular communication. Most synapses are relatively small, and acting alone exerts little effect on their postsynaptic partners. Some, however, are much larger and stronger, reliably driving the postsynaptic cell to its action potential threshold, acting essentially as electrical relays of excitation. These large synapses are among the best understood, and two of these are the subject of this review, namely, the vertebrate neuromuscular junction and the calyx of Held synapse in the mammalian auditory pathway of the brain stem. Both synapses undergo through a complex and well-coordinated maturation process, during which time the molecular elements and the biophysical properties of the secretory machinery are continuously adjusted to the synapse size and to the functional requirements. We here review the morphological and functional changes occurring during postnatal maturation, noting particular similarities and differences between these two large synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cano
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Avda. Sanchez Pizjuan 4, 41009, Seville, Spain
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48
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Inchauspe CG, Urbano FJ, Di Guilmi MN, Ferrari MD, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Forsythe ID, Uchitel OD. Presynaptic CaV2.1 calcium channels carrying familial hemiplegic migraine mutation R192Q allow faster recovery from synaptic depression in mouse calyx of Held. J Neurophysiol 2012; 108:2967-76. [PMID: 22956801 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01183.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ca(V)2.1 Ca(2+) channels have a dominant and specific role in initiating fast synaptic transmission at central excitatory synapses, through a close association between release sites and calcium sensors. Familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM-1) is an autosomal-dominant subtype of migraine with aura, caused by missense mutations in the CACNA1A gene that encodes the α(1A) pore-forming subunit of Ca(V)2.1 channel. We used knock-in (KI) transgenic mice harboring the FHM-1 mutation R192Q to study the consequences of this mutation in neurotransmission at the giant synapse of the auditory system formed by the presynaptic calyx of Held terminal and the postsynaptic neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB). Although synaptic transmission seems unaffected by low-frequency stimulation in physiological Ca(2+) concentration, we observed that with low Ca(2+) concentrations (<1 mM) excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) showed increased amplitudes in R192Q KI mice compared with wild type (WT), meaning significant differences in the nonlinear calcium dependence of nerve-evoked transmitter release. In addition, when EPSCs were evoked by broadened presynaptic action potentials (achieved by inhibition of K(+) channels) via Ca(v)2.1-triggered exocytosis, R192Q KI mice exhibited further enhancement of EPSC amplitude and charge compared with WT mice. Repetitive stimulation of afferent axons to the MNTB at different frequencies caused short-term depression of EPSCs that recovered significantly faster in R192Q KI mice than in WT mice. Faster recovery in R192Q KI mice was prevented by the calcium chelator EGTA-AM, pointing to enlarged residual calcium as a key factor in accelerating the replenishment of synaptic vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlota González Inchauspe
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología molecular y Neurociencias, CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Andor-Ardó D, Keen EC, Hudspeth AJ, Magnasco MO. Fast, automated implementation of temporally precise blind deconvolution of multiphasic excitatory postsynaptic currents. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38198. [PMID: 22761670 PMCID: PMC3383690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Records of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) are often complex, with overlapping signals that display a large range of amplitudes. Statistical analysis of the kinetics and amplitudes of such complex EPSCs is nonetheless essential to the understanding of transmitter release. We therefore developed a maximum-likelihood blind deconvolution algorithm to detect exocytotic events in complex EPSC records. The algorithm is capable of characterizing the kinetics of the prototypical EPSC as well as delineating individual release events at higher temporal resolution than other extant methods. The approach also accommodates data with low signal-to-noise ratios and those with substantial overlaps between events. We demonstrated the algorithm's efficacy on paired whole-cell electrode recordings and synthetic data of high complexity. Using the algorithm to align EPSCs, we characterized their kinetics in a parameter-free way. Combining this approach with maximum-entropy deconvolution, we were able to identify independent release events in complex records at a temporal resolution of less than 250 µs. We determined that the increase in total postsynaptic current associated with depolarization of the presynaptic cell stems primarily from an increase in the rate of EPSCs rather than an increase in their amplitude. Finally, we found that fluctuations owing to postsynaptic receptor kinetics and experimental noise, as well as the model dependence of the deconvolution process, explain our inability to observe quantized peaks in histograms of EPSC amplitudes from physiological recordings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Andor-Ardó
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America.
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50
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Calcium-channel number critically influences synaptic strength and plasticity at the active zone. Nat Neurosci 2012; 15:998-1006. [PMID: 22683682 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2011] [Accepted: 05/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
How synaptic-vesicle release is controlled at the basic release structure, the active zone, is poorly understood. By performing cell-attached current and capacitance recordings predominantly at single active zones in rat calyces, we found that single active zones contained 5-218 (mean, 42) calcium channels and 1-10 (mean, 5) readily releasable vesicles (RRVs) and released 0-5 vesicles during a 2-ms depolarization. Large variation in the number of calcium channels caused wide variation in release strength (measured during a 2-ms depolarization) by regulating the RRV release probability (P(RRV)) and the RRV number. Consequently, an action potential opened ∼1-35 (mean, ∼7) channels, resulting in different release probabilities at different active zones. As the number of calcium-channels determined P(RRV), it critically influenced whether subsequent release would be facilitated or depressed. Regulating calcium channel density at active zones may thus be a major mechanism to yield synapses with different release properties and plasticity. These findings may explain large differences reported at synapses regarding release strength (release of 0, 1 or multiple vesicles), P(RRV), short-term plasticity, calcium transients and the requisite calcium-channel number for triggering release.
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