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Regele-Blasco E, Palmer LM. The plasticity of pyramidal neurons in the behaving brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230231. [PMID: 38853566 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurons are plastic. That is, they change their activity according to different behavioural conditions. This endows pyramidal neurons with an incredible computational power for the integration and processing of synaptic inputs. Plasticity can be investigated at different levels of investigation within a single neuron, from spines to dendrites, to synaptic input. Although most of our knowledge stems from the in vitro brain slice preparation, plasticity plays a vital role during behaviour by providing a flexible substrate for the execution of appropriate actions in our ever-changing environment. Owing to advances in recording techniques, the plasticity of neurons and the neural networks in which they are embedded is now beginning to be realized in the in vivo intact brain. This review focuses on the structural and functional synaptic plasticity of pyramidal neurons, with a specific focus on the latest developments from in vivo studies. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Long-term potentiation: 50 years on'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Regele-Blasco
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne , Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Lucy M Palmer
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne , Victoria 3052, Australia
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2
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Furukawa K, Inoshita T, Kawaguchi SY. Graded control of Purkinje cell outputs by cAMP through opposing actions on axonal action potential and transmitter release. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 39052311 DOI: 10.1113/jp286668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
All-or-none signalling by action potentials (APs) in neuronal axons is pivotal for the precisely timed and identical size of outputs to multiple distant targets. However, technical limitations with respect to measuring the signalling in small intact axons have hindered the evaluation of high-fidelity signal propagation. Here, using direct recordings from axonal trunks and/or terminals of cerebellar Purkinje cells in slice and culture, we demonstrate that the timing and amplitude of axonal outputs are gradually modulated by cAMP depending on the length of axon. During the propagation in long axon, APs were attenuated and slowed in conduction by cAMP via specifically decreasing axonal Na+ currents. Consequently, the Ca2+ influx and transmitter release at distal boutons are reduced by cAMP, counteracting its direct facilitating effect on release machinery as observed at various CNS synapses. Together, our tour de force functional dissection has unveiled the axonal distance-dependent graded control of output timing and strength by intracellular signalling. KEY POINTS: The information processing in the nervous system has been classically thought to rely on the axonal faithful and high-speed conduction of action potentials (APs). We demonstrate that the strength and timing of axonal outputs are weakened and delayed, respectively, by cytoplasmic cAMP depending on the axonal length in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). Direct axonal patch clamp recordings uncovered axon-specific attenuation of APs by cAMP through reduction of axonal Na+ currents. cAMP directly augments transmitter release at PC terminals without changing presynaptic Ca2+ influx or readily releasable pool of vesicles, although the extent is weaker compared to other CNS synapses. Two opposite actions of cAMP on PC axons, AP attenuation and release augmentation, together give rise to graded control of synaptic outputs in a manner dependent on the axonal length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Furukawa
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takuma Inoshita
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shin-Ya Kawaguchi
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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3
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Bullmann T, Kaas T, Ritzau-Jost A, Wöhner A, Kirmann T, Rizalar FS, Holzer M, Nerlich J, Puchkov D, Geis C, Eilers J, Kittel RJ, Arendt T, Haucke V, Hallermann S. Human iPSC-Derived Neurons with Reliable Synapses and Large Presynaptic Action Potentials. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0971232024. [PMID: 38724283 PMCID: PMC11170674 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0971-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the function of the human brain requires determining basic properties of synaptic transmission in human neurons. One of the most fundamental parameters controlling neurotransmitter release is the presynaptic action potential, but its amplitude and duration remain controversial. Presynaptic action potentials have so far been measured with high temporal resolution only in a limited number of vertebrate but not in human neurons. To uncover properties of human presynaptic action potentials, we exploited recently developed tools to generate human glutamatergic neurons by transient expression of Neurogenin 2 (Ngn2) in pluripotent stem cells. During maturation for 3 to 9 weeks of culturing in different established media, the proportion of cells with multiple axon initial segments decreased, while the amount of axonal tau protein and neuronal excitability increased. Super-resolution microscopy revealed the alignment of the pre- and postsynaptic proteins, Bassoon and Homer. Synaptic transmission was surprisingly reliable at frequencies of 20, 50, and 100 Hz. The synchronicity of synaptic transmission during high-frequency transmission increased during 9 weeks of neuronal maturation. To analyze the mechanisms of synchronous high-frequency glutamate release, we developed direct presynaptic patch-clamp recordings from human neurons. The presynaptic action potentials had large overshoots to ∼25 mV and short durations of ∼0.5 ms. Our findings show that Ngn2-induced neurons represent an elegant model system allowing for functional, structural, and molecular analyses of glutamatergic synaptic transmission with high spatiotemporal resolution in human neurons. Furthermore, our data predict that glutamatergic transmission is mediated by large and rapid presynaptic action potentials in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Bullmann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Thomas Kaas
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Andreas Ritzau-Jost
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Anne Wöhner
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Toni Kirmann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Filiz Sila Rizalar
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Max Holzer
- Paul-Flechsig-Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Jana Nerlich
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Dmytro Puchkov
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Christian Geis
- Section Translational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Jens Eilers
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Robert J Kittel
- Institute of Biology, Department of Animal Physiology, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Thomas Arendt
- Paul-Flechsig-Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Volker Haucke
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin 13125, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Stefan Hallermann
- Carl-Ludwig-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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4
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Sun X, Yazejian B, Peskoff A, Grinnell AD. Experimentally monitored calcium dynamics at synaptic active zones during neurotransmitter release in neuron-muscle cell cultures. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2293-2319. [PMID: 38483240 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16289] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Ca2+-dependent K+ (BK) channels at varicosities in Xenopus nerve-muscle cell cultures were used to quantify experimentally the instantaneous active zone [Ca2+]AZ resulting from different rates and durations of Ca2+ entry in the absence of extrinsic buffers and correlate this with neurotransmitter release. Ca2+ tail currents produce mean peak [Ca2+]AZ ~ 30 μM; with continued influx, [Ca2+]AZ reaches ~45-60 μM at different rates depending on Ca2+ driving force and duration of influx. Both IBK and release are dependent on Ca2+ microdomains composed of both N- and L-type Ca channels. Domains collapse with a time constant of ~0.6 ms. We have constructed an active zone (AZ) model that approximately fits this data, and depends on incorporation of the high-capacity, low-affinity fixed buffer represented by phospholipid charges in the plasma membrane. Our observations suggest that in this preparation, (1) some BK channels, but few if any of the Ca2+ sensors that trigger release, are located within Ca2+ nanodomains while a large fraction of both are located far enough from Ca channels to be blockable by EGTA, (2) the IBK is more sensitive than the excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) to [Ca2+]AZ (K1/2-26 μM vs. ~36 μM [Ca2+]AZ); (3) with increasing [Ca2+]AZ, the IBK grows with a Hill coefficient of 2.5, the EPSC with a coefficient of 3.9; (4) release is dependent on the highest [Ca2+] achieved, independent of the time to reach it; (5) the varicosity synapses differ from mature frog nmjs in significant ways; and (6) BK channels are useful reporters of local [Ca2+]AZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Sun
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bruce Yazejian
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arthur Peskoff
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alan D Grinnell
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Chen JJ, Kaufmann WA, Chen C, Arai I, Kim O, Shigemoto R, Jonas P. Developmental transformation of Ca 2+ channel-vesicle nanotopography at a central GABAergic synapse. Neuron 2024; 112:755-771.e9. [PMID: 38215739 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
The coupling between Ca2+ channels and release sensors is a key factor defining the signaling properties of a synapse. However, the coupling nanotopography at many synapses remains unknown, and it is unclear how it changes during development. To address these questions, we examined coupling at the cerebellar inhibitory basket cell (BC)-Purkinje cell (PC) synapse. Biophysical analysis of transmission by paired recording and intracellular pipette perfusion revealed that the effects of exogenous Ca2+ chelators decreased during development, despite constant reliance of release on P/Q-type Ca2+ channels. Structural analysis by freeze-fracture replica labeling (FRL) and transmission electron microscopy (EM) indicated that presynaptic P/Q-type Ca2+ channels formed nanoclusters throughout development, whereas docked vesicles were only clustered at later developmental stages. Modeling suggested a developmental transformation from a more random to a more clustered coupling nanotopography. Thus, presynaptic signaling developmentally approaches a point-to-point configuration, optimizing speed, reliability, and energy efficiency of synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Chen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Walter A Kaufmann
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Chong Chen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Itaru Arai
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Olena Kim
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Ryuichi Shigemoto
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Jonas
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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6
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Gebicke-Haerter PJ. The computational power of the human brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1220030. [PMID: 37608987 PMCID: PMC10441807 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1220030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
At the end of the 20th century, analog systems in computer science have been widely replaced by digital systems due to their higher computing power. Nevertheless, the question keeps being intriguing until now: is the brain analog or digital? Initially, the latter has been favored, considering it as a Turing machine that works like a digital computer. However, more recently, digital and analog processes have been combined to implant human behavior in robots, endowing them with artificial intelligence (AI). Therefore, we think it is timely to compare mathematical models with the biology of computation in the brain. To this end, digital and analog processes clearly identified in cellular and molecular interactions in the Central Nervous System are highlighted. But above that, we try to pinpoint reasons distinguishing in silico computation from salient features of biological computation. First, genuinely analog information processing has been observed in electrical synapses and through gap junctions, the latter both in neurons and astrocytes. Apparently opposed to that, neuronal action potentials (APs) or spikes represent clearly digital events, like the yes/no or 1/0 of a Turing machine. However, spikes are rarely uniform, but can vary in amplitude and widths, which has significant, differential effects on transmitter release at the presynaptic terminal, where notwithstanding the quantal (vesicular) release itself is digital. Conversely, at the dendritic site of the postsynaptic neuron, there are numerous analog events of computation. Moreover, synaptic transmission of information is not only neuronal, but heavily influenced by astrocytes tightly ensheathing the majority of synapses in brain (tripartite synapse). At least at this point, LTP and LTD modifying synaptic plasticity and believed to induce short and long-term memory processes including consolidation (equivalent to RAM and ROM in electronic devices) have to be discussed. The present knowledge of how the brain stores and retrieves memories includes a variety of options (e.g., neuronal network oscillations, engram cells, astrocytic syncytium). Also epigenetic features play crucial roles in memory formation and its consolidation, which necessarily guides to molecular events like gene transcription and translation. In conclusion, brain computation is not only digital or analog, or a combination of both, but encompasses features in parallel, and of higher orders of complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Gebicke-Haerter
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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7
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Vyleta NP, Snyder JS. Enhanced excitability but mature action potential waveforms at mossy fiber terminals of young, adult-born hippocampal neurons in mice. Commun Biol 2023; 6:290. [PMID: 36934174 PMCID: PMC10024705 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04678-5] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult-born granule neurons pass through immature critical periods where they display enhanced somatic excitability and afferent plasticity, which is believed to endow them with unique roles in hippocampal learning and memory. Using patch clamp recordings in mouse hippocampal slices, here we show that young neuron hyper-excitability is also observed at presynaptic mossy fiber terminals onto CA3 pyramidal neurons. However, action potential waveforms mature faster in the bouton than in the soma, suggesting rapid efferent functionality during immature stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Vyleta
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jason S Snyder
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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8
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Marosi EL, Arszovszki A, Brunner J, Szabadics J. Similar Presynaptic Action Potential-Calcium Influx Coupling in Two Types of Large Mossy Fiber Terminals Innervating CA3 Pyramidal Cells and Hilar Mossy Cells. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0017-23.2023. [PMID: 36697256 PMCID: PMC9907395 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0017-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphologically similar axon boutons form synaptic contacts with diverse types of postsynaptic cells. However, it is less known to what extent the local axonal excitability, presynaptic action potentials (APs), and AP-evoked calcium influx contribute to the functional diversity of synapses and neuronal activity. This is particularly interesting in synapses that contact cell types that show only subtle cellular differences but fulfill completely different physiological functions. Here, we tested these questions in two synapses that are formed by rat hippocampal granule cells (GCs) onto hilar mossy cells (MCs) and CA3 pyramidal cells, which albeit share several morphologic and synaptic properties but contribute to distinct physiological functions. We were interested in the deterministic steps of the action potential-calcium ion influx coupling as these complex modules may underlie the functional segregation between and within the two cell types. Our systematic comparison using direct axonal recordings showed that AP shapes, Ca2+ currents and their plasticity are indistinguishable in synapses onto these two cell types. These suggest that the complete module that couples granule cell activity to synaptic release is shared by hilar mossy cells and CA3 pyramidal cells. Thus, our findings present an outstanding example for the modular composition of distinct cell types, by which cells employ different components only for those functions that are deterministic for their specialized functions, while many of their main properties are shared.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - János Brunner
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, 1083, Hungary
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9
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Kamiya H. Modeling analysis of subthreshold voltage signaling along hippocampal mossy fiber axons. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:966636. [PMID: 36072566 PMCID: PMC9441593 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.966636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Axons are classically thought of as electrically well isolated from other parts of the neurons due to the shape of a long cable-like structure. In contrast to this classical view on axonal compartmentalization, recent studies revealed that subthreshold depolarization of soma and dendrite passively propagates to the axons for a substantial distance, as demonstrated in some experimentally accessible axons including hippocampal mossy fibers and cortical pyramidal cell axons. Passive propagation of subthreshold dendritic EPSPs to the axons, defined as EPreSPs (excitatory presynaptic potentials), has been demonstrated to affect transmitter release from the axon terminals. To further characterize and explore the functional significance of passive subthreshold voltage signaling along the axons, the model of EPreSPs along hippocampal mossy fibers, proposed by Alle and Geiger, was reconstructed on the NEURON simulator. To test the effect of EPreSPs on action potentials and transmitter release from the axon terminals, additional conductances were incorporated into the previous passive propagation model. These include the axonal sodium, potassium, and leak channels as well as presynaptic calcium channels composed of P/Q-, N-, and R-types, which are reconstructed from the properties of those recorded from mossy fiber boutons experimentally. In this revised model, the preceding subthreshold EPreSPs slightly reduced the action potential-evoked presynaptic calcium currents by a decrease in the amplitude of action potentials due to the slow depolarization. It should be mentioned that EPreSPs by themselves elicited small calcium currents during subthreshold depolarization through these high-voltage activated calcium channels. Since the previous experimental study by simultaneous pre and postsynaptic recordings demonstrated that EPreSPs enhanced action potential-evoked transmitter release from the mossy fiber terminals, it has been suggested that different mechanisms from the enhancement of action potential-evoked presynaptic calcium entry may involve enhanced transmitter release by EPreSP. Small calcium entry by subthreshold EPreSPs may enhance transmitter release from the mossy fiber terminals by acting as high-affinity calcium sensors for enhancing transmitter release. Another form of axonal subthreshold voltage signaling, GABA-EPreSPs elicited by a spillover of GABA from surrounding interneurons, was also explored. Functional consequences of the two modes of axonal subthreshold voltage signaling were discussed with the simulation results.
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10
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Adeoye T, Shah SI, Demuro A, Rabson DA, Ullah G. Upregulated Ca 2+ Release from the Endoplasmic Reticulum Leads to Impaired Presynaptic Function in Familial Alzheimer's Disease. Cells 2022; 11:2167. [PMID: 35883609 PMCID: PMC9315668 DOI: 10.3390/cells11142167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter release from presynaptic terminals is primarily regulated by rapid Ca2+ influx through membrane-resident voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs). Moreover, accumulating evidence indicates that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is extensively present in axonal terminals of neurons and plays a modulatory role in synaptic transmission by regulating Ca2+ levels. Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is marked by enhanced Ca2+ release from the ER and downregulation of Ca2+ buffering proteins. However, the precise consequence of impaired Ca2+ signaling within the vicinity of VGCCs (active zone (AZ)) on exocytosis is poorly understood. Here, we perform in silico experiments of intracellular Ca2+ signaling and exocytosis in a detailed biophysical model of hippocampal synapses to investigate the effect of aberrant Ca2+ signaling on neurotransmitter release in FAD. Our model predicts that enhanced Ca2+ release from the ER increases the probability of neurotransmitter release in FAD. Moreover, over very short timescales (30-60 ms), the model exhibits activity-dependent and enhanced short-term plasticity in FAD, indicating neuronal hyperactivity-a hallmark of the disease. Similar to previous observations in AD animal models, our model reveals that during prolonged stimulation (~450 ms), pathological Ca2+ signaling increases depression and desynchronization with stimulus, causing affected synapses to operate unreliably. Overall, our work provides direct evidence in support of a crucial role played by altered Ca2+ homeostasis mediated by intracellular stores in FAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temitope Adeoye
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (T.A.); (S.I.S.); (D.A.R.)
| | - Syed I. Shah
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (T.A.); (S.I.S.); (D.A.R.)
| | - Angelo Demuro
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
| | - David A. Rabson
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (T.A.); (S.I.S.); (D.A.R.)
| | - Ghanim Ullah
- Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA; (T.A.); (S.I.S.); (D.A.R.)
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11
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Multiscale modeling of presynaptic dynamics from molecular to mesoscale. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010068. [PMID: 35533198 PMCID: PMC9119629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010068] [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: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical synapses exhibit a diverse array of internal mechanisms that affect the dynamics of transmission efficacy. Many of these processes, such as release of neurotransmitter and vesicle recycling, depend strongly on activity-dependent influx and accumulation of Ca2+. To model how each of these processes may affect the processing of information in neural circuits, and how their dysfunction may lead to disease states, requires a computationally efficient modelling framework, capable of generating accurate phenomenology without incurring a heavy computational cost per synapse. Constructing a phenomenologically realistic model requires the precise characterization of the timing and probability of neurotransmitter release. Difficulties arise in that functional forms of instantaneous release rate can be difficult to extract from noisy data without running many thousands of trials, and in biophysical synapses, facilitation of per-vesicle release probability is confounded by depletion. To overcome this, we obtained traces of free Ca2+ concentration in response to various action potential stimulus trains from a molecular MCell model of a hippocampal Schaffer collateral axon. Ca2+ sensors were placed at varying distance from a voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) cluster, and Ca2+ was buffered by calbindin. Then, using the calcium traces to drive deterministic state vector models of synaptotagmin 1 and 7 (Syt-1/7), which respectively mediate synchronous and asynchronous release in excitatory hippocampal synapses, we obtained high-resolution profiles of instantaneous release rate, to which we applied functional fits. Synchronous vesicle release occurred predominantly within half a micron of the source of spike-evoked Ca2+ influx, while asynchronous release occurred more consistently at all distances. Both fast and slow mechanisms exhibited multi-exponential release rate curves, whose magnitudes decayed exponentially with distance from the Ca2+ source. Profile parameters facilitate on different time scales according to a single, general facilitation function. These functional descriptions lay the groundwork for efficient mesoscale modelling of vesicular release dynamics. Most information transmission between neurons in the brain occurs via release of neurotransmitter from synaptic vesicles. In response to a presynaptic spike, calcium influx at the active zone of a synapse can trigger the release of neurotransmitter with a certain probability. These stochastic release events may occur immediately after a spike or with some delay. As calcium accumulates from one spike to the next, the probability of release may increase (facilitate) for subsequent spikes. This process, known as short-term plasticity, transforms the spiking code to a release code, underlying much of the brain’s information processing. In this paper, we use an accurate, detailed model of presynaptic molecular physiology to characterize these processes at high precision in response to various spike trains. We then apply model reduction to the results to obtain a phenomenological model of release timing, probability, and facilitation, which can perform as accurately as the molecular model but with far less computational cost. This mesoscale model of spike-evoked release and facilitation helps to bridge the gap between microscale molecular dynamics and macroscale information processing in neural circuits. It can thus benefit large scale modelling of neural circuits, biologically inspired machine learning models, and the design of neuromorphic chips.
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12
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Wagner M, Bartol TM, Sejnowski TJ, Cauwenberghs G. Markov Chain Abstractions of Electrochemical Reaction-Diffusion in Synaptic Transmission for Neuromorphic Computing. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:698635. [PMID: 34912188 PMCID: PMC8667025 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.698635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in computational neuroscience toward understanding brain function is challenged both by the complexity of molecular-scale electrochemical interactions at the level of individual neurons and synapses and the dimensionality of network dynamics across the brain covering a vast range of spatial and temporal scales. Our work abstracts an existing highly detailed, biophysically realistic 3D reaction-diffusion model of a chemical synapse to a compact internal state space representation that maps onto parallel neuromorphic hardware for efficient emulation at a very large scale and offers near-equivalence in input-output dynamics while preserving biologically interpretable tunable parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Wagner
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Thomas M Bartol
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Terrence J Sejnowski
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gert Cauwenberghs
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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13
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Sierksma MC, Borst JGG. Using ephaptic coupling to estimate the synaptic cleft resistivity of the calyx of Held synapse. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009527. [PMID: 34699519 PMCID: PMC8570497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
At synapses, the pre- and postsynaptic cells get so close that currents entering the cleft do not flow exclusively along its conductance, gcl. A prominent example is found in the calyx of Held synapse in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), where the presynaptic action potential can be recorded in the postsynaptic cell in the form of a prespike. Here, we developed a theoretical framework for ephaptic coupling via the synaptic cleft, and we tested its predictions using the MNTB prespike recorded in voltage-clamp. The shape of the prespike is predicted to resemble either the first or the second derivative of the inverted presynaptic action potential if cleft currents dissipate either mostly capacitively or resistively, respectively. We found that the resistive dissipation scenario provided a better description of the prespike shape. Its size is predicted to scale with the fourth power of the radius of the synapse, explaining why intracellularly recorded prespikes are uncommon in the central nervous system. We show that presynaptic calcium currents also contribute to the prespike shape. This calcium prespike resembled the first derivative of the inverted calcium current, again as predicted by the resistive dissipation scenario. Using this calcium prespike, we obtained an estimate for gcl of ~1 μS. We demonstrate that, for a circular synapse geometry, such as in conventional boutons or the immature calyx of Held, gcl is scale-invariant and only defined by extracellular resistivity, which was ~75 Ωcm, and by cleft height. During development the calyx of Held develops fenestrations. We show that these fenestrations effectively minimize the cleft potentials generated by the adult action potential, which might otherwise interfere with calcium channel opening. We thus provide a quantitative account of the dissipation of currents by the synaptic cleft, which can be readily extrapolated to conventional, bouton-like synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn C. Sierksma
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J. Gerard G. Borst
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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14
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Vandael D, Okamoto Y, Borges-Merjane C, Vargas-Barroso V, Suter BA, Jonas P. Subcellular patch-clamp techniques for single-bouton stimulation and simultaneous pre- and postsynaptic recording at cortical synapses. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:2947-2967. [PMID: 33990799 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00526-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Rigorous investigation of synaptic transmission requires analysis of unitary synaptic events by simultaneous recording from presynaptic terminals and postsynaptic target neurons. However, this has been achieved at only a limited number of model synapses, including the squid giant synapse and the mammalian calyx of Held. Cortical presynaptic terminals have been largely inaccessible to direct presynaptic recording, due to their small size. Here, we describe a protocol for improved subcellular patch-clamp recording in rat and mouse brain slices, with the synapse in a largely intact environment. Slice preparation takes ~2 h, recording ~3 h and post hoc morphological analysis 2 d. Single presynaptic hippocampal mossy fiber terminals are stimulated minimally invasively in the bouton-attached configuration, in which the cytoplasmic content remains unperturbed, or in the whole-bouton configuration, in which the cytoplasmic composition can be precisely controlled. Paired pre-postsynaptic recordings can be integrated with biocytin labeling and morphological analysis, allowing correlative investigation of synapse structure and function. Paired recordings can be obtained from mossy fiber terminals in slices from both rats and mice, implying applicability to genetically modified synapses. Paired recordings can also be performed together with axon tract stimulation or optogenetic activation, allowing comparison of unitary and compound synaptic events in the same target cell. Finally, paired recordings can be combined with spontaneous event analysis, permitting collection of miniature events generated at a single identified synapse. In conclusion, the subcellular patch-clamp techniques detailed here should facilitate analysis of biophysics, plasticity and circuit function of cortical synapses in the mammalian central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vandael
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Yuji Okamoto
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | | | - Benjamin A Suter
- 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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15
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Presynaptic endoplasmic reticulum regulates short-term plasticity in hippocampal synapses. Commun Biol 2021; 4:241. [PMID: 33623091 PMCID: PMC7902852 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01761-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Short-term plasticity preserves a brief history of synaptic activity that is communicated to the postsynaptic neuron. This is primarily regulated by a calcium signal initiated by voltage dependent calcium channels in the presynaptic terminal. Imaging studies of CA3-CA1 synapses reveal the presence of another source of calcium, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in all presynaptic terminals. However, the precise role of the ER in modifying STP remains unexplored. We performed in-silico experiments in synaptic geometries based on reconstructions of the rat CA3-CA1 synapses to investigate the contribution of ER. Our model predicts that presynaptic ER is critical in generating the observed short-term plasticity profile of CA3-CA1 synapses and allows synapses with low release probability to operate more reliably. Blocking the ER lowers facilitation in a manner similar to what has been previously characterized in animal models of Alzheimer's disease and underscores the important role played by presynaptic stores in normal function.
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16
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Synaptic Organization of the Human Temporal Lobe Neocortex as Revealed by High-Resolution Transmission, Focused Ion Beam Scanning, and Electron Microscopic Tomography. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155558. [PMID: 32756507 PMCID: PMC7432700 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern electron microscopy (EM) such as fine-scale transmission EM, focused ion beam scanning EM, and EM tomography have enormously improved our knowledge about the synaptic organization of the normal, developmental, and pathologically altered brain. In contrast to various animal species, comparably little is known about these structures in the human brain. Non-epileptic neocortical access tissue from epilepsy surgery was used to generate quantitative 3D models of synapses. Beside the overall geometry, the number, size, and shape of active zones and of the three functionally defined pools of synaptic vesicles representing morphological correlates for synaptic transmission and plasticity were quantified. EM tomography further allowed new insights in the morphological organization and size of the functionally defined readily releasable pool. Beside similarities, human synaptic boutons, although comparably small (approximately 5 µm), differed substantially in several structural parameters, such as the shape and size of active zones, which were on average 2 to 3-fold larger than in experimental animals. The total pool of synaptic vesicles exceeded that in experimental animals by approximately 2 to 3-fold, in particular the readily releasable and recycling pool by approximately 2 to 5-fold, although these pools seemed to be layer-specifically organized. Taken together, synaptic boutons in the human temporal lobe neocortex represent unique entities perfectly adapted to the “job” they have to fulfill in the circuitry in which they are embedded. Furthermore, the quantitative 3D models of synaptic boutons are useful to explain and even predict the functional properties of synaptic connections in the human neocortex.
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17
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Yang D, Ding C, Qi G, Feldmeyer D. Cholinergic and Adenosinergic Modulation of Synaptic Release. Neuroscience 2020; 456:114-130. [PMID: 32540364 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
In this review we will discuss the effect of two neuromodulatory transmitters, acetylcholine (ACh) and adenosine, on the synaptic release probability and short-term synaptic plasticity. ACh and adenosine differ fundamentally in the way they are released into the extracellular space. ACh is released mostly from synaptic terminals and axonal bouton of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain (BF). Its mode of action on synaptic release probability is complex because it activate both ligand-gated ion channels, so-called nicotinic ACh receptors and G-protein coupled muscarinic ACh receptors. In contrast, adenosine is released from both neurons and glia via nucleoside transporters or diffusion over the cell membrane in a non-vesicular, non-synaptic fashion; its receptors are exclusively G-protein coupled receptors. We show that ACh and adenosine effects are highly specific for an identified synaptic connection and depend mostly on the presynaptic but also on the postsynaptic receptor type and discuss the functional implications of these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Yang
- Research Centre Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Leo-Brandt-Strasse, Juelich, Germany
| | - Chao Ding
- Research Centre Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Leo-Brandt-Strasse, Juelich, Germany
| | - Guanxiao Qi
- Research Centre Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Leo-Brandt-Strasse, Juelich, Germany
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Research Centre Juelich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Leo-Brandt-Strasse, Juelich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aachen, Germany; Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Brain - JARA Brain, Germany.
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18
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Li B, Suutari BS, Sun SD, Luo Z, Wei C, Chenouard N, Mandelberg NJ, Zhang G, Wamsley B, Tian G, Sanchez S, You S, Huang L, Neubert TA, Fishell G, Tsien RW. Neuronal Inactivity Co-opts LTP Machinery to Drive Potassium Channel Splicing and Homeostatic Spike Widening. Cell 2020; 181:1547-1565.e15. [PMID: 32492405 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Homeostasis of neural firing properties is important in stabilizing neuronal circuitry, but how such plasticity might depend on alternative splicing is not known. Here we report that chronic inactivity homeostatically increases action potential duration by changing alternative splicing of BK channels; this requires nuclear export of the splicing factor Nova-2. Inactivity and Nova-2 relocation were connected by a novel synapto-nuclear signaling pathway that surprisingly invoked mechanisms akin to Hebbian plasticity: Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor upregulation, L-type Ca2+ channel activation, enhanced spine Ca2+ transients, nuclear translocation of a CaM shuttle, and nuclear CaMKIV activation. These findings not only uncover commonalities between homeostatic and Hebbian plasticity but also connect homeostatic regulation of synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. The signaling cascade provides a full-loop mechanism for a classic autoregulatory feedback loop proposed ∼25 years ago. Each element of the loop has been implicated previously in neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boxing Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510810, China; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Benjamin S Suutari
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Simón(e) D. Sun
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Zhengyi Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, RNA Biomedical Institute, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Chuanchuan Wei
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Nicolas Chenouard
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nataniel J Mandelberg
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Guoan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and Skirball Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Brie Wamsley
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Guoling Tian
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sandrine Sanchez
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sikun You
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Lianyan Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510810, China
| | - Thomas A Neubert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and Skirball Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Gordon Fishell
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Richard W Tsien
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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19
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Scarnati MS, Clarke SG, Pang ZP, Paradiso KG. Presynaptic Calcium Channel Open Probability and Changes in Calcium Influx Throughout the Action Potential Determined Using AP-Waveforms. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:17. [PMID: 32425764 PMCID: PMC7212394 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Action potentials arriving at a nerve terminal activate voltage-gated calcium channels and set the electrical driving force for calcium entry which affects the amount and duration of neurotransmitter release. During propagation, the duration, amplitude, and shape of action potentials often changes. This affects calcium entry, and can cause large changes in neurotransmitter release. Here, we have used a series of amplitude and area matched stimuli to examine how the shape and amplitude of a stimulus affect calcium influx at a presynaptic nerve terminal in the mammalian brain. We identify fundamental differences in calcium entry following calcium channel activation by a standard voltage jump vs. an action potential-like stimulation. We also tested a series of action potential-like stimuli with the same amplitude, duration, and stimulus area, but differing in their rise and decay times. We find that a stimulus that matches the rise and decay times of a physiological action potential produces a calcium channel response that is optimized over a range of peak amplitudes. Next, we determined the relative number of calcium channels that are active at different times during an action potential, which is important in the context of how local calcium domains trigger neurotransmitter release. We find the depolarizing phase of an AP-like stimulus only opens ~20% of the maximum number of calcium channels that can be activated. Channels continue to activate during the falling phase of the action potential, with peak calcium channel activation occurring near 0 mV. Although less than 25% of calcium channels are active at the end of the action potential, these calcium channels will generate a larger local calcium concentration that will increase the release probability for nearby vesicles. Determining the change in open probability of presynaptic calcium channels, and taking into account how local calcium concentration also changes throughout the action potential are both necessary to fully understand how the action potential triggers neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Scarnati
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University Piscataway, Piscataway, NJ, United States.,Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Stephen G Clarke
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University Piscataway, Piscataway, NJ, United States.,Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University Piscataway, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology and Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Kenneth G Paradiso
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University Piscataway, Piscataway, NJ, United States.,Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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20
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Zbili M, Rama S, Yger P, Inglebert Y, Boumedine-Guignon N, Fronzaroli-Moliniere L, Brette R, Russier M, Debanne D. Axonal Na + channels detect and transmit levels of input synchrony in local brain circuits. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay4313. [PMID: 32494697 PMCID: PMC7202877 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay4313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sensory processing requires mechanisms of fast coincidence detection to discriminate synchronous from asynchronous inputs. Spike threshold adaptation enables such a discrimination but is ineffective in transmitting this information to the network. We show here that presynaptic axonal sodium channels read and transmit precise levels of input synchrony to the postsynaptic cell by modulating the presynaptic action potential (AP) amplitude. As a consequence, synaptic transmission is facilitated at cortical synapses when the presynaptic spike is produced by synchronous inputs. Using dual soma-axon recordings, imaging, and modeling, we show that this facilitation results from enhanced AP amplitude in the axon due to minimized inactivation of axonal sodium channels. Quantifying local circuit activity and using network modeling, we found that spikes induced by synchronous inputs produced a larger effect on network activity than spikes induced by asynchronous inputs. Therefore, this input synchrony-dependent facilitation may constitute a powerful mechanism, regulating synaptic transmission at proximal synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Zbili
- UNIS, INSERM, UMR 1072, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015, Marseille, France
| | - Sylvain Rama
- UNIS, INSERM, UMR 1072, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015, Marseille, France
| | - Pierre Yger
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Yanis Inglebert
- UNIS, INSERM, UMR 1072, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Romain Brette
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Michaël Russier
- UNIS, INSERM, UMR 1072, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015, Marseille, France
| | - Dominique Debanne
- UNIS, INSERM, UMR 1072, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015, Marseille, France
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21
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Weyrer C, Turecek J, Niday Z, Liu PW, Nanou E, Catterall WA, Bean BP, Regehr WG. The Role of Ca V2.1 Channel Facilitation in Synaptic Facilitation. Cell Rep 2020; 26:2289-2297.e3. [PMID: 30811980 PMCID: PMC6597251 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of CaV2.1 voltage-gated calcium channels is facilitated by preceding calcium entry. Such self-modulatory facilitation is thought to contribute to synaptic facilitation. Using knockin mice with mutated CaV2.1 channels that do not facilitate (Ca IM-AA mice), we surprisingly found that, under conditions of physiological calcium and near-physiological temperatures, synaptic facilitation at hippocampal CA3 to CA1 synapses was not attenuated in Ca IM-AA mice and facilitation was paradoxically more prominent at two cerebellar synapses. Enhanced facilitation at these synapses is consistent with a decrease in initial calcium entry, suggested by an action-potential-evoked CaV2.1 current reduction in Purkinje cells from Ca IM-AA mice. In wild-type mice, CaV2.1 facilitation during high-frequency action potential trains was very small. Thus, for the synapses studied, facilitation of calcium entry through CaV2.1 channels makes surprisingly little contribution to synaptic facilitation under physiological conditions. Instead, CaV2.1 facilitation offsets CaV2.1 inactivation to produce remarkably stable calcium influx during high-frequency activation. Weyrer et al. use Ca IM-AA mice in which CaV2.1 calcium channel facilitation is eliminated to study synaptic facilitation at hippocampal and cerebellar synapses. Under conditions of physiological temperature, external calcium, and presynaptic waveforms, facilitation of CaV2.1 channels is small and does not contribute to synaptic facilitation at these synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Weyrer
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Josef Turecek
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zachary Niday
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pin W Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Evanthia Nanou
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7280, USA
| | - William A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7280, USA
| | - Bruce P Bean
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wade G Regehr
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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22
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Dolphin AC, Lee A. Presynaptic calcium channels: specialized control of synaptic neurotransmitter release. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:213-229. [PMID: 32161339 PMCID: PMC7873717 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0278-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Chemical synapses are heterogeneous junctions formed between neurons that are specialized for the conversion of electrical impulses into the exocytotic release of neurotransmitters. Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels play a pivotal role in this process as they are the major conduits for the Ca2+ ions that trigger the fusion of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. Alterations in the intrinsic function of these channels and their positioning within the active zone can profoundly alter the timing and strength of synaptic output. Advances in optical and electron microscopic imaging, structural biology and molecular techniques have facilitated recent breakthroughs in our understanding of the properties of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels that support their presynaptic functions. Here we examine the nature of these channels, how they are trafficked to and anchored within presynaptic boutons, and the mechanisms that allow them to function optimally in shaping the flow of information through neural circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette C Dolphin
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Amy Lee
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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23
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Zbili M, Debanne D. Myelination Increases the Spatial Extent of Analog-Digital Modulation of Synaptic Transmission: A Modeling Study. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:40. [PMID: 32194377 PMCID: PMC7063086 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Analog-digital facilitations (ADFs) have been described in local excitatory brain circuits and correspond to a class of phenomena describing how subthreshold variations of the presynaptic membrane potential influence spike-evoked synaptic transmission. In many brain circuits, ADFs rely on the propagation of somatic membrane potential fluctuations to the presynaptic bouton where they modulate ion channels availability, inducing modifications of the presynaptic spike waveform, the spike-evoked Ca2+ entry, and the transmitter release. Therefore, one major requirement for ADFs to occur is the propagation of subthreshold membrane potential variations from the soma to the presynaptic bouton. To date, reported ADFs space constants are relatively short (250–500 μm) which limits their action to proximal synapses. However, ADFs have been studied either in unmyelinated axons or in juvenile animals in which myelination is incomplete. We examined here the potential gain of ADFs spatial extent caused by myelination using a realistic model of L5 pyramidal cell. Myelination of the axon was found to induce a 3-fold increase in the axonal length constant. As a result, the different forms of ADF were found to display a much longer spatial extent (up to 3,000 μm). In addition, while the internodal length displayed a mild effect, the number of myelin wraps ensheathing the internodes was found to play a critical role in the ADFs spatial extents. We conclude that axonal myelination induces an increase in ADFs spatial extent in our model, thus making ADFs plausible in long-distance connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Zbili
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR5292-Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon, France.,UNIS UMR 1072 INSERM, AMU, Marseille, France
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24
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Nakamura Y. EGTA Can Inhibit Vesicular Release in the Nanodomain of Single Ca 2+ Channels. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2019; 11:26. [PMID: 31632263 PMCID: PMC6779814 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2019.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The exogenous Ca2+ chelator EGTA (ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid) has been widely used to probe the coupling distance between Ca2+ channels and vesicular Ca2+ sensors for neurotransmitter release. Because of its slow forward rate for binding, EGTA is thought to not capture calcium ions in very proximity to a channel, whereas it does capture calcium ions at the remote distance. However, in this study, our reaction diffusion simulations (RDSs) of Ca2+ combined with a release calculation using vesicular sensor models indicate that a high concentration of EGTA decreases Ca2+ and vesicular release in the nanodomain of single channels. We found that a key determinant of the effect of EGTA on neurotransmitter release is the saturation of the vesicular sensor. When the sensor is saturated, the reduction in the Ca2+ concentration by EGTA is masked. By contrast, when the sensor is in a linear range, even a small reduction in Ca2+ by EGTA can decrease vesicular release. In proximity to a channel, the vesicular sensor is often saturated for a long voltage step, but not for a brief Ca2+ influx typically evoked by an action potential. Therefore, when EGTA is used as a diagnostic tool to probe the coupling distance, care must be taken regarding the presynaptic Ca2+ entry duration as well as the property of the vesicular Ca2+ sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukihiro Nakamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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25
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Kamiya H. Excitability Tuning of Axons by Afterdepolarization. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:407. [PMID: 31555100 PMCID: PMC6742905 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The axon provides a sole output of the neuron which propagates action potentials reliably to the axon terminal and transmits neuronal information to the postsynaptic neuron across the synapse. A classical view of neuronal signaling is based on these two processes, namely binary (all or none) signaling along the axon and graded (tunable) signaling at the synapse. Recent studies, however, have revealed that the excitability of the axon is subject to dynamic tuning for a short period after axonal action potentials. This was first described as post-spike hyperexcitability, as measured by the changes in stimulus threshold for a short period after an action potential. Later on, direct recordings from central nervous system (CNS) axons or axon terminals using subcellular patch-clamp recording showed that axonal spikes are often followed by afterdepolarization (ADP) lasting for several tens of milliseconds and has been suggested to mediate post-spike hyperexcitability. In this review article, I focused on the mechanisms as well as the functional significance of ADP in fine-scale modulation of axonal spike signaling in the CNS, with special reference to hippocampal mossy fibers, one of the best-studied CNS axons. As a common basic mechanism underlying axonal ADP, passive propagation by the capacitive discharge of the axonal membrane as well as voltage-dependent K+ conductance underlies the generation of ADP. Small but prolonged axonal ADP lasting for several tens of milliseconds may influence the subsequent action potential and transmitter release from the axon terminals. Both duration and amplitude of axonal spike are subject to such modulation by preceding action potential-ADP sequence, deviating from the conventional assumption of digital nature of axonal spike signaling. Impact on the transmitter release is also discussed in the context of axonal spike plasticity. Axonal spike is subject to dynamic control on a fine-scale and thereby contributes to the short-term plasticity at the synapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruyuki Kamiya
- Department of Neurobiology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
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26
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Bullmann T, Radivojevic M, Huber ST, Deligkaris K, Hierlemann A, Frey U. Large-Scale Mapping of Axonal Arbors Using High-Density Microelectrode Arrays. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:404. [PMID: 31555099 PMCID: PMC6742744 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of axons in neuronal information processing is a fundamental task in neuroscience. Over the last years, sophisticated patch-clamp investigations have provided unexpected and exciting data on axonal phenomena and functioning, but there is still a need for methods to investigate full axonal arbors at sufficient throughput. Here, we present a new method for the simultaneous mapping of the axonal arbors of a large number of individual neurons, which relies on their extracellular signals that have been recorded with high-density microelectrode arrays (HD-MEAs). The segmentation of axons was performed based on the local correlation of extracellular signals. Comparison of the results with both, ground truth and receiver operator characteristics, shows that the new segmentation method outperforms previously used methods. Using a standard HD-MEA, we mapped the axonal arbors of 68 neurons in <6 h. The fully automated method can be extended to new generations of HD-MEAs with larger data output and is estimated to provide data of axonal arbors of thousands of neurons within recording sessions of a few hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Bullmann
- RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan.,Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Carl Ludwig Institute for Physiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Milos Radivojevic
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Kosmas Deligkaris
- RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Frey
- RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland.,MaxWell Biosystems AG, Basel, Switzerland
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27
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Complementary Tuning of Na + and K + Channel Gating Underlies Fast and Energy-Efficient Action Potentials in GABAergic Interneuron Axons. Neuron 2019; 98:156-165.e6. [PMID: 29621485 PMCID: PMC5896255 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fast-spiking, parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic interneurons (PV+-BCs) express a complex machinery of rapid signaling mechanisms, including specialized voltage-gated ion channels to generate brief action potentials (APs). However, short APs are associated with overlapping Na+ and K+ fluxes and are therefore energetically expensive. How the potentially vicious combination of high AP frequency and inefficient spike generation can be reconciled with limited energy supply is presently unclear. To address this question, we performed direct recordings from the PV+-BC axon, the subcellular structure where active conductances for AP initiation and propagation are located. Surprisingly, the energy required for the AP was, on average, only ∼1.6 times the theoretical minimum. High energy efficiency emerged from the combination of fast inactivation of Na+ channels and delayed activation of Kv3-type K+ channels, which minimized ion flux overlap during APs. Thus, the complementary tuning of axonal Na+ and K+ channel gating optimizes both fast signaling properties and metabolic efficiency.
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28
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Martinello K, Giacalone E, Migliore M, Brown DA, Shah MM. The subthreshold-active K V7 current regulates neurotransmission by limiting spike-induced Ca 2+ influx in hippocampal mossy fiber synaptic terminals. Commun Biol 2019; 2:145. [PMID: 31044170 PMCID: PMC6486593 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the properties and function of ion channels that affect synaptic terminal-resting properties. One particular subthreshold-active ion channel, the Kv7 potassium channel, is highly localized to axons, but its role in regulating synaptic terminal intrinsic excitability and release is largely unexplored. Using electrophysiological recordings together with computational modeling, we found that the KV7 current was active at rest in adult hippocampal mossy fiber synaptic terminals and enhanced their membrane conductance. The current also restrained action potential-induced Ca2+ influx via N- and P/Q-type Ca2+ channels in boutons. This was associated with a substantial reduction in the spike half-width and afterdepolarization following presynaptic spikes. Further, by constraining spike-induced Ca2+ influx, the presynaptic KV7 current decreased neurotransmission onto CA3 pyramidal neurons and short-term synaptic plasticity at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. This is a distinctive mechanism by which KV7 channels influence hippocampal neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - David A. Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Mala M. Shah
- UCL School of Pharmacy University College London, London, WC1N 1AX UK
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29
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Zbili M, Debanne D. Past and Future of Analog-Digital Modulation of Synaptic Transmission. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:160. [PMID: 31105529 PMCID: PMC6492051 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Action potentials (APs) are generally produced in response to complex summation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. While it is usually considered as a digital event, both the amplitude and width of the AP are significantly impacted by the context of its emission. In particular, the analog variations in subthreshold membrane potential determine the spike waveform and subsequently affect synaptic strength, leading to the so-called analog-digital modulation of synaptic transmission. We review here the numerous evidence suggesting context-dependent modulation of spike waveform, the discovery analog-digital modulation of synaptic transmission in invertebrates and its recent validation in mammals. We discuss the potential roles of analog-digital transmission in the physiology of neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Zbili
- UNIS, UMR 1072, INSERM AMU, Marseille, France.,CRNL, INSERM U1028-CNRS UMR5292-Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon, France
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30
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Timing constraints of action potential evoked Ca 2+ current and transmitter release at a central nerve terminal. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4448. [PMID: 30872753 PMCID: PMC6418091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The waveform of presynaptic action potentials (APs) regulates the magnitude of Ca2+ currents (ICa) and neurotransmitter release. However, how APs control the timing of synaptic transmission remains unclear. Using the calyx of Held synapse, we find that Na+ and K+ channels affect the timing by changing the AP waveform. Specifically, the onset of ICa depends on the repolarization but not depolarization rate of APs, being near the end of repolarization phase for narrow APs and advancing to the early repolarization phase for wide APs. Increasing AP amplitude has little effect on the activation but delays the peak time of ICa. Raising extracellular Ca2+ concentration increases the amplitude of ICa yet does not alter their onset timing. Developmental shortening of APs ensures ICa as a tail current and faithful synaptic delay, which is particularly important at the physiological temperature (35 °C) as ICa evoked by broad pseudo-APs can occur in the depolarization phase. The early onset of ICa is more prominent at 35 °C than at 22 °C, likely resulting from a temperature-dependent shift in the activation threshold and accelerated gating kinetics of Ca2+ channels. These results suggest that the timing of Ca2+ influx depends on the AP waveform dictated by voltage-gated channels and temperature.
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31
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Panzera LC, Hoppa MB. Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators Are Illuminating Subcellular Physiology of the Axon. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:52. [PMID: 30881287 PMCID: PMC6406964 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Everything we see and do is regulated by electrical signals in our nerves and muscle. Ion channels are crucial for sensing and generating electrical signals. Two voltage-dependent conductances, Na+ and K+, form the bedrock of the electrical impulse in the brain known as the action potential. Several classes of mammalian neurons express combinations of nearly 100 different varieties of these two voltage-dependent channels and their subunits. Not surprisingly, this variability orchestrates a diversity of action potential shapes and firing patterns that have been studied in detail at neural somata. A remarkably understudied phenomena exists in subcellular compartments of the axon, where action potentials initiate synaptic transmission. Ion channel research was catalyzed by the invention of glass electrodes to measure electrical signals in cell membranes, however, progress in the field of neurobiology has been stymied by the fact that most axons in the mammalian CNS are far too small and delicate for measuring ion channel function with electrodes. These quantitative measurements of membrane voltage can be achieved within the axon using light. A revolution of optical voltage sensors has enabled exploring important questions of how ion channels regulate axon physiology and synaptic transmission. In this review we will consider advantages and disadvantages of different fluorescent voltage indicators and discuss particularly relevant questions that these indicators can elucidate for understanding the crucial relationship between action potentials and synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael B. Hoppa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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32
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Two-component latency distributions indicate two-step vesicular release at simple glutamatergic synapses. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3943. [PMID: 30258069 PMCID: PMC6158186 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06336-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
It is often assumed that only stably docked synaptic vesicles can fuse following presynaptic action potential stimulation. However, during action potential trains docking sites are increasingly depleted, raising the question of the source of synaptic vesicles during sustained release. We have recently developed methods to reliably measure release latencies during high frequency trains at single synapses between parallel fibers and molecular layer interneurons. The latency distribution exhibits a single fast component at train onset but contains both a fast and a slow component later in the train. The contribution of the slow component increases with stimulation frequency and with release probability and decreases when blocking the docking step with latrunculin. These results suggest that the slow component reflects sequential docking and release in immediate succession. The transition from fast to slow component, as well as a later transition to asynchronous release, appear as successive adaptations of the synapse to maintain fidelity at the expense of time accuracy.
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33
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Tran V, Stricker C. Diffusion of Ca 2+ from Small Boutons en Passant into the Axon Shapes AP-Evoked Ca 2+ Transients. Biophys J 2018; 115:1344-1356. [PMID: 30103908 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Not only the amplitude but also the time course of a presynaptic Ca2+ transient determine multiple aspects of synaptic transmission. In small bouton-type synapses, the mechanisms underlying the Ca2+ decay kinetics have not been fully investigated. Here, factors that shape an action-potential-evoked Ca2+ transient were quantitatively studied in synaptic boutons of neocortical layer 5 pyramidal neurons. Ca2+ transients were measured with different concentrations of fluorescent Ca2+ indicators and analyzed based on a single-compartment model. We found a small endogenous Ca2+-binding ratio (7 ± 2) and a high activity of Ca2+ transporters (0.64 ± 0.03 ms-1), both of which enable rapid clearance of Ca2+ from the boutons. However, contrary to predictions of the single-compartment model, the decay time course of the measured Ca2+ transients was biexponential and became prolonged during repetitive stimulation. Measurements of [Ca2+]i along the adjoining axon, together with an experimentally constrained model, showed that the initial fast decay of the Ca2+ transients predominantly arose from the diffusion of Ca2+ from the boutons into the axon. Therefore, for small boutons en passant, factors like terminal volume, axon diameter, and the concentration of mobile Ca2+-binding molecules are critical determinants of Ca2+ dynamics and thus Ca2+-dependent processes, including short-term synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Van Tran
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, JCSMR.
| | - Christian Stricker
- Eccles Institute of Neuroscience, JCSMR; ANU Medical School, ANU, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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34
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Action potential counting at giant mossy fiber terminals gates information transfer in the hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:7434-7439. [PMID: 29946034 PMCID: PMC6048548 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1720659115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons fire action potentials to transfer information through synaptic release of neurotransmitter. At presynaptic terminals, the pattern of action potential discharge is integrated through dynamic Ca2+ signaling by the presynaptic machinery which triggers the release of neurotransmitter. It is generally accepted that the rate and the temporal precision of action potential firing support information transfer between neurons. Here, we show that in contrast to rate and temporal coding, giant mossy fiber terminals count the number of action potentials during trains to trigger CA3 pyramidal cell firing. Our results shed light on the synaptic signal transfer mechanisms supporting an additional information coding strategy in the brain. Neuronal communication relies on action potential discharge, with the frequency and the temporal precision of action potentials encoding information. Hippocampal mossy fibers have long been recognized as conditional detonators owing to prominent short-term facilitation of glutamate release displayed during granule cell burst firing. However, the spiking patterns required to trigger action potential firing in CA3 pyramidal neurons remain poorly understood. Here, we show that glutamate release from mossy fiber terminals triggers action potential firing of the target CA3 pyramidal neurons independently of the average granule cell burst frequency, a phenomenon we term action potential counting. We find that action potential counting in mossy fibers gates glutamate release over a broad physiological range of frequencies and action potential numbers. Using rapid Ca2+ imaging we also show that the magnitude of evoked Ca2+ influx stays constant during action potential trains and that accumulated residual Ca2+ is gradually extruded on a time scale of several hundred milliseconds. Using experimentally constrained 3D model of presynaptic Ca2+ influx, buffering, and diffusion, and a Monte Carlo model of Ca2+-activated vesicle fusion, we argue that action potential counting at mossy fiber boutons can be explained by a unique interplay between Ca2+ dynamics and buffering at release sites. This is largely determined by the differential contribution of major endogenous Ca2+ buffers calbindin-D28K and calmodulin and by the loose coupling between presynaptic voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and release sensors and the relatively slow Ca2+ extrusion rate. Taken together, our results identify a previously unexplored information-coding mechanism in the brain.
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35
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Abstract
Axons link distant brain regions and are usually considered as simple transmission cables in which reliable propagation occurs once an action potential has been generated. Safe propagation of action potentials relies on specific ion channel expression at strategic points of the axon such as nodes of Ranvier or axonal branch points. However, while action potentials are generally considered as the quantum of neuronal information, their signaling is not entirely digital. In fact, both their shape and their conduction speed have been shown to be modulated by activity, leading to regulations of synaptic latency and synaptic strength. We report here newly identified mechanisms of (1) safe spike propagation along the axon, (2) compartmentalization of action potential shape in the axon, (3) analog modulation of spike-evoked synaptic transmission and (4) alteration in conduction time after persistent regulation of axon morphology in central neurons. We discuss the contribution of these regulations in information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Rama
- UNIS, UMR_S 1072, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015 Marseille, France; Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Mickaël Zbili
- UNIS, UMR_S 1072, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015 Marseille, France
| | - Dominique Debanne
- UNIS, UMR_S 1072, INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université, 13015 Marseille, France.
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36
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Rowan MJM, Christie JM. Rapid State-Dependent Alteration in K v3 Channel Availability Drives Flexible Synaptic Signaling Dependent on Somatic Subthreshold Depolarization. Cell Rep 2017; 18:2018-2029. [PMID: 28228266 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In many neurons, subthreshold depolarization in the soma can transiently increase action-potential (AP)-evoked neurotransmission via analog-to-digital facilitation. The mechanisms underlying this form of short-term synaptic plasticity are unclear, in part, due to the relative inaccessibility of the axon to direct physiological interrogation. Using voltage imaging and patch-clamp recording from presynaptic boutons of cerebellar stellate interneurons, we observed that depolarizing somatic potentials readily spread into the axon, resulting in AP broadening, increased spike-evoked Ca2+ entry, and enhanced neurotransmission strength. Kv3 channels, which drive AP repolarization, rapidly inactivated upon incorporation of Kv3.4 subunits. This leads to fast susceptibility to depolarization-induced spike broadening and analog facilitation independent of Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C signaling. The spread of depolarization into the axon was attenuated by hyperpolarization-activated currents (Ih currents) in the maturing cerebellum, precluding analog facilitation. These results suggest that analog-to-digital facilitation is tempered by development or experience in stellate cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J M Rowan
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Jason M Christie
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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37
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Zorrilla de San Martin J, Trigo FF, Kawaguchi SY. Axonal GABA A receptors depolarize presynaptic terminals and facilitate transmitter release in cerebellar Purkinje cells. J Physiol 2017; 595:7477-7493. [PMID: 29072780 DOI: 10.1113/jp275369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS GABAA receptors have been described in the axonal compartment of neurons; contrary to dendritic GABAA receptors, axonal GABAA receptors usually induce depolarizing responses. In this study we describe the presence of functional axonal GABAA receptors in cerebellar Purkinje cells by using a combination of direct patch-clamp recordings from the axon terminals and laser GABA photolysis. In Purkinje cells, axonal GABAA receptors are depolarizing and induce an increase in neurotransmitter release that results in a change of short-term synaptic plasticity. These results contribute to our understanding of the cellular mechanisms of action of axonal GABAA receptors and highlight the importance of the presynaptic compartment in neuronal computation. ABSTRACT In neurons of the adult brain, somatodendritic GABAA receptors (GABAA Rs) mediate fast synaptic inhibition and play a crucial role in synaptic integration. GABAA Rs are not only present in the somatodendritic compartment, but also in the axonal compartment where they modulate action potential (AP) propagation and transmitter release. Although presynaptic GABAA Rs have been reported in various brain regions, their mechanisms of action and physiological roles remain obscure, particularly at GABAergic boutons. Here, using a combination of direct whole-bouton or perforated patch-clamp recordings and local GABA photolysis in single axonal varicosities of cerebellar Purkinje cells, we investigate the subcellular localization and functional role of axonal GABAA Rs both in primary cultures and acute slices. Our results indicate that presynaptic terminals of PCs carry GABAA Rs that behave as auto-receptors; their activation leads to a depolarization of the terminal membrane after an AP due to the relatively high cytoplasmic Cl- concentration in the axon, but they do not modulate the AP itself. Paired recordings from different terminals of the same axon show that the GABAA R-mediated local depolarizations propagate substantially to neighbouring varicosities. Finally, the depolarization mediated by presynaptic GABAA R activation augmented Ca2+ influx and transmitter release, resulting in a marked effect on short-term plasticity. Altogether, our results reveal a mechanism by which presynaptic GABAA Rs influence neuronal computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Zorrilla de San Martin
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, Université Paris Descartes and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR8118, Paris, France.,Current affiliation: INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMRS 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Federico F Trigo
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cérébrale, Université Paris Descartes and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS UMR8118, Paris, France
| | - Shin-Ya Kawaguchi
- Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, Japan.,Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.,Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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38
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Numbers of presynaptic Ca 2+ channel clusters match those of functionally defined vesicular docking sites in single central synapses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E5246-E5255. [PMID: 28607047 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1704470114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many central synapses contain a single presynaptic active zone and a single postsynaptic density. Vesicular release statistics at such "simple synapses" indicate that they contain a small complement of docking sites where vesicles repetitively dock and fuse. In this work, we investigate functional and morphological aspects of docking sites at simple synapses made between cerebellar parallel fibers and molecular layer interneurons. Using immunogold labeling of SDS-treated freeze-fracture replicas, we find that Cav2.1 channels form several clusters per active zone with about nine channels per cluster. The mean value and range of intersynaptic variation are similar for Cav2.1 cluster numbers and for functional estimates of docking-site numbers obtained from the maximum numbers of released vesicles per action potential. Both numbers grow in relation with synaptic size and decrease by a similar extent with age between 2 wk and 4 wk postnatal. Thus, the mean docking-site numbers were 3.15 at 2 wk (range: 1-10) and 2.03 at 4 wk (range: 1-4), whereas the mean numbers of Cav2.1 clusters were 2.84 at 2 wk (range: 1-8) and 2.37 at 4 wk (range: 1-5). These changes were accompanied by decreases of miniature current amplitude (from 93 pA to 56 pA), active-zone surface area (from 0.0427 μm2 to 0.0234 μm2), and initial success rate (from 0.609 to 0.353), indicating a tightening of synaptic transmission with development. Altogether, these results suggest a close correspondence between the number of functionally defined vesicular docking sites and that of clusters of voltage-gated calcium channels.
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39
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Bilirubin augments Ca 2+ load of developing bushy neurons by targeting specific subtype of voltage-gated calcium channels. Sci Rep 2017; 7:431. [PMID: 28348377 PMCID: PMC5427978 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00275-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal brain is particularly vulnerable to pathological levels of bilirubin which elevates and overloads intracellular Ca2+, leading to neurotoxicity. However, how voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are functionally involved in excess calcium influx remains unknown. By performing voltage-clamp recordings from bushy cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) in postnatal rat pups (P4-17), we found the total calcium current density was more than doubled over P4-17, but the relative weight of VGCC subtypes changed dramatically, being relatively equal among T, L, N, P/Q and R-type at P4-6 to predominantly L, N, R over T and P/Q at P15-17. Surprisingly, acute administration of bilirubin augmented the VGCC currents specifically mediated by high voltage-activated (HVA) P/Q-type calcium currents. This augment was attenuated by intracellular loading of Ca2+ buffer EGTA or calmodulin inhibitory peptide. Our findings indicate that acute exposure to bilirubin increases VGCC currents, primarily by targeting P/Q-type calcium channels via Ca2+ and calmodulin dependent mechanisms to overwhelm neurons with excessive Ca2+. Since P/Q-subtype calcium channels are more prominent in neonatal neurons (e.g. P4-6) than later stages, we suggest this subtype-specific enhancement of P/Q-type Ca2+ currents likely contributes to the early neuronal vulnerability to hyperbilirubinemia in auditory and other brain regions.
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40
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Delvendahl I, Hallermann S. The Cerebellar Mossy Fiber Synapse as a Model for High-Frequency Transmission in the Mammalian CNS. Trends Neurosci 2016; 39:722-737. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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41
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Brunner J, Szabadics J. Analogue modulation of back-propagating action potentials enables dendritic hybrid signalling. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13033. [PMID: 27703164 PMCID: PMC5059477 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We report that back-propagating action potentials (bAPs) are not simply digital feedback signals in dendrites but also carry analogue information about the overall state of neurons. Analogue information about the somatic membrane potential within a physiological range (from -78 to -64 mV) is retained by bAPs of dentate gyrus granule cells as different repolarization speeds in proximal dendrites and as different peak amplitudes in distal regions. These location-dependent waveform changes are reflected by local calcium influx, leading to proximal enhancement and distal attenuation during somatic hyperpolarization. The functional link between these retention and readout mechanisms of the analogue content of bAPs critically depends on high-voltage-activated, inactivating calcium channels. The hybrid bAP and calcium mechanisms report the phase of physiological somatic voltage fluctuations and modulate long-term synaptic plasticity in distal dendrites. Thus, bAPs are hybrid signals that relay somatic analogue information, which is detected by the dendrites in a location-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Brunner
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 43 Szigony Street, Budapest 1083, Hungary
| | - János Szabadics
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 43 Szigony Street, Budapest 1083, Hungary
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42
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Begum R, Bakiri Y, Volynski KE, Kullmann DM. Action potential broadening in a presynaptic channelopathy. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12102. [PMID: 27381274 PMCID: PMC4935806 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain development and interictal function are unaffected in many paroxysmal neurological channelopathies, possibly explained by homoeostatic plasticity of synaptic transmission. Episodic ataxia type 1 is caused by missense mutations of the potassium channel Kv1.1, which is abundantly expressed in the terminals of cerebellar basket cells. Presynaptic action potentials of small inhibitory terminals have not been characterized, and it is not known whether developmental plasticity compensates for the effects of Kv1.1 dysfunction. Here we use visually targeted patch-clamp recordings from basket cell terminals of mice harbouring an ataxia-associated mutation and their wild-type littermates. Presynaptic spikes are followed by a pronounced afterdepolarization, and are broadened by pharmacological blockade of Kv1.1 or by a dominant ataxia-associated mutation. Somatic recordings fail to detect such changes. Spike broadening leads to increased Ca2+ influx and GABA release, and decreased spontaneous Purkinje cell firing. We find no evidence for developmental compensation for inherited Kv1.1 dysfunction. Episodic ataxia type 1 is caused by mutations in the potassium channel Kv1.1, which is found in cerebellar basket cells. Here, the authors use electrophysiology techniques to characterize these mutant channels, and observe that the changes result in decreased spontaneous Purkinje cell firing with no evidence for developmental compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahima Begum
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Yamina Bakiri
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Kirill E Volynski
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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43
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Mercer AA, Palarz KJ, Tabatadze N, Woolley CS, Raman IM. Sex differences in cerebellar synaptic transmission and sex-specific responses to autism-linked Gabrb3 mutations in mice. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27077953 PMCID: PMC4878876 DOI: 10.7554/elife.07596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei (CbN) transmit cerebellar signals to premotor areas. The cerebellum expresses several autism-linked genes, including GABRB3, which encodes GABAA receptor β3 subunits and is among the maternal alleles deleted in Angelman syndrome. We tested how this Gabrb3 m-/p+ mutation affects CbN physiology in mice, separating responses of males and females. Wild-type mice showed sex differences in synaptic excitation, inhibition, and intrinsic properties. Relative to females, CbN cells of males had smaller synaptically evoked mGluR1/5-dependent currents, slower Purkinje-mediated IPSCs, and lower spontaneous firing rates, but rotarod performances were indistinguishable. In mutant CbN cells, IPSC kinetics were unchanged, but mutant males, unlike females, showed enlarged mGluR1/5 responses and accelerated spontaneous firing. These changes appear compensatory, since mutant males but not females performed indistinguishably from wild-type siblings on the rotarod task. Thus, sex differences in cerebellar physiology produce similar behavioral output, but provide distinct baselines for responses to mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey A Mercer
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Kristin J Palarz
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States.,Integrated Science Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Nino Tabatadze
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Catherine S Woolley
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
| | - Indira M Raman
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States.,Integrated Science Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, United States
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44
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Lewandowska MK, Radivojević M, Jäckel D, Müller J, Hierlemann AR. Cortical Axons, Isolated in Channels, Display Activity-Dependent Signal Modulation as a Result of Targeted Stimulation. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:83. [PMID: 27013945 PMCID: PMC4779934 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian cortical axons are extremely thin processes that are difficult to study as a result of their small diameter: they are too narrow to patch while intact, and super-resolution microscopy is needed to resolve single axons. We present a method for studying axonal physiology by pairing a high-density microelectrode array with a microfluidic axonal isolation device, and use it to study activity-dependent modulation of axonal signal propagation evoked by stimulation near the soma. Up to three axonal branches from a single neuron, isolated in different channels, were recorded from simultaneously using 10-20 electrodes per channel. The axonal channels amplified spikes such that propagations of individual signals along tens of electrodes could easily be discerned with high signal to noise. Stimulation from 10 up to 160 Hz demonstrated similar qualitative results from all of the cells studied: extracellular action potential characteristics changed drastically in response to stimulation. Spike height decreased, spike width increased, and latency increased, as a result of reduced propagation velocity, as the number of stimulations and the stimulation frequencies increased. Quantitatively, the strength of these changes manifested itself differently in cells at different frequencies of stimulation. Some cells' signal fidelity fell to 80% already at 10 Hz, while others maintained 80% signal fidelity at 80 Hz. Differences in modulation by axonal branches of the same cell were also seen for different stimulation frequencies, starting at 10 Hz. Potassium ion concentration changes altered the behavior of the cells causing propagation failures at lower concentrations and improving signal fidelity at higher concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta K Lewandowska
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich Basel, Switzerland
| | - Miloš Radivojević
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Jäckel
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Müller
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas R Hierlemann
- Bio Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich Basel, Switzerland
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45
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Presynaptic hyperpolarization induces a fast analogue modulation of spike-evoked transmission mediated by axonal sodium channels. Nat Commun 2015; 6:10163. [PMID: 26657943 PMCID: PMC4682119 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, synaptic transmission usually depends on presynaptic action potentials (APs) in an all-or-none (or digital) manner. Recent studies suggest, however, that subthreshold depolarization in the presynaptic cell facilitates spike-evoked transmission, thus creating an analogue modulation of a digital process (or analogue–digital (AD) modulation). At most synapses, this process is slow and not ideally suited for the fast dynamics of neural networks. We show here that transmission at CA3–CA3 and L5–L5 synapses can be enhanced by brief presynaptic hyperpolarization such as an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP). Using dual soma–axon patch recordings and live imaging, we find that this hyperpolarization-induced AD facilitation (h-ADF) is due to the recovery from inactivation of Nav channels controlling AP amplitude in the axon. Incorporated in a network model, h-ADF promotes both pyramidal cell synchrony and gamma oscillations. In conclusion, cortical excitatory synapses in local circuits display hyperpolarization-induced facilitation of spike-evoked synaptic transmission that promotes network synchrony. 'Digital' spike-evoked transmission can be facilitated by slow subthreshold 'analogue' depolarisation of the presynaptic neuron. Here, the authors identify a novel, rapid form of digital-analogue facilitation in mammalian neurons whereby presynaptic hyperpolarisation enables de-inactivation of axonal Nav channels.
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46
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Bartol TM, Keller DX, Kinney JP, Bajaj CL, Harris KM, Sejnowski TJ, Kennedy MB. Computational reconstitution of spine calcium transients from individual proteins. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2015; 7:17. [PMID: 26500546 PMCID: PMC4595661 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2015.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We have built a stochastic model in the program MCell that simulates Ca(2+) transients in spines from the principal molecular components believed to control Ca(2+) entry and exit. Proteins, with their kinetic models, are located within two segments of dendrites containing 88 intact spines, centered in a fully reconstructed 6 × 6 × 5 μm(3) cube of hippocampal neuropil. Protein components include AMPA- and NMDA-type glutamate receptors, L- and R-type voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels, Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers, plasma membrane Ca(2+) ATPases, smooth endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPases, immobile Ca(2+) buffers, and calbindin. Kinetic models for each protein were taken from published studies of the isolated proteins in vitro. For simulation of electrical stimuli, the time course of voltage changes in the dendritic spine was generated with the desired stimulus in the program NEURON. Voltage-dependent parameters were then continuously re-adjusted during simulations in MCell to reproduce the effects of the stimulus. Nine parameters of the model were optimized within realistic experimental limits by a process that compared results of simulations to published data. We find that simulations in the optimized model reproduce the timing and amplitude of Ca(2+) transients measured experimentally in intact neurons. Thus, we demonstrate that the characteristics of individual isolated proteins determined in vitro can accurately reproduce the dynamics of experimentally measured Ca(2+) transients in spines. The model will provide a test bed for exploring the roles of additional proteins that regulate Ca(2+) influx into spines and for studying the behavior of protein targets in the spine that are regulated by Ca(2+) influx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Bartol
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel X. Keller
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neurosciences Department, University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Justin P. Kinney
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chandrajit L. Bajaj
- Department of Computer Science, Center for Computational Visualization, University of TexasAustin, TX, USA
| | - Kristen M. Harris
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Learning and Memory, University of TexasAustin, TX, USA
| | - Terrence J. Sejnowski
- Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological StudiesLa Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mary B. Kennedy
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA, USA
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47
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Abstract
Based on extrapolation from excitatory synapses, it is often assumed that depletion of the releasable pool of synaptic vesicles is the main factor underlying depression at inhibitory synapses. In this issue of Neuron, using subcellular patch-clamp recording from inhibitory presynaptic terminals, Kawaguchi and Sakaba (2015) show that at Purkinje cell-deep cerebellar nuclei neuron synapses, changes in presynaptic action potential waveform substantially contribute to synaptic depression.
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48
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Schneider J, Lewen A, Ta TT, Galow LV, Isola R, Papageorgiou IE, Kann O. A reliable model for gamma oscillations in hippocampal tissue. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:1067-78. [PMID: 25808046 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gamma oscillations (30-100 Hz) reflect a fast brain rhythm that provides a fundamental mechanism of complex neuronal information processing in the hippocampus and in the neocortex in vivo. Gamma oscillations have been implicated in higher brain functions, such as sensory perception, motor activity, and memory formation. Experimental studies on synaptic transmission and bioenergetics underlying gamma oscillations have primarily used acute slices of the hippocampus. This study tests whether organotypic hippocampal slice cultures of the rat provide an alternative model for cortical gamma oscillations in vitro. Our findings are that 1) slice cultures feature well-preserved laminated architecture and neuronal morphology; 2) slice cultures of different maturation stages (7-28 days in vitro) reliably express gamma oscillations at about 40 Hz as induced by cholinergic (acetylcholine) or glutamatergic (kainate) receptor agonists; 3) the peak frequency of gamma oscillations depends on the temperature, with an increase of ∼ 3.5 Hz per degree Celsius for the range of 28-36 °C; 4) most slice cultures show persistent gamma oscillations for ∼ 1 hr during electrophysiological local field potential recordings, and later alterations may occur; and 5) in slice cultures, glucose at a concentration of 5 mM in the recording solution is sufficient to power gamma oscillations, and additional energy substrate supply with monocarboxylate metabolite lactate (2 mM) exclusively increases the peak frequency by ∼ 4 Hz. This study shows that organotypic hippocampal slice cultures provide a reliable model to study agonist-induced gamma oscillations at glucose levels near the physiological range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Schneider
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Lewen
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thuy-Truc Ta
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lukas V Galow
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Raffaella Isola
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ismini E Papageorgiou
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Kann
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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49
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Modulation of spike-evoked synaptic transmission: The role of presynaptic calcium and potassium channels. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2014; 1853:1933-9. [PMID: 25461842 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Action potentials are usually considered as the smallest unit of neuronal information conveyed by presynaptic neurons to their postsynaptic target. Thus, neuronal signaling in brain circuits is all-or-none or digital. However, recent studies indicate that subthreshold analog variation in presynaptic membrane potential modulates spike-evoked transmission. The informational content of each presynaptic action potential is therefore greater than initially expected. This property constitutes a form of fast activity-dependent modulation of functional coupling. Therefore, it could have important consequences on information processing in neural networks in parallel with more classical forms of presynaptic short-term facilitation based on repetitive stimulation, modulation of presynaptic calcium or modifications of the release machinery. We discuss here how analog voltage shift in the presynaptic neuron may regulate spike-evoked release of neurotransmitter through the modulation of voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels in the axon and presynaptic terminal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 13th European Symposium on Calcium.
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50
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Bialowas A, Rama S, Zbili M, Marra V, Fronzaroli-Molinieres L, Ankri N, Carlier E, Debanne D. Analog modulation of spike-evoked transmission in CA3 circuits is determined by axonal Kv1.1 channels in a time-dependent manner. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 41:293-304. [PMID: 25394682 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic transmission usually depends on action potentials (APs) in an all-or-none (digital) fashion. Recent studies indicate, however, that subthreshold presynaptic depolarization may facilitate spike-evoked transmission, thus creating an analog modulation of spike-evoked synaptic transmission, also called analog-digital (AD) synaptic facilitation. Yet, the underlying mechanisms behind this facilitation remain unclear. We show here that AD facilitation at rat CA3-CA3 synapses is time-dependent and requires long presynaptic depolarization (5-10 s) for its induction. This depolarization-induced AD facilitation (d-ADF) is blocked by the specific Kv1.1 channel blocker dendrotoxin-K. Using fast voltage-imaging of the axon, we show that somatic depolarization used for induction of d-ADF broadened the AP in the axon through inactivation of Kv1.1 channels. Somatic depolarization enhanced spike-evoked calcium signals in presynaptic terminals, but not basal calcium. In conclusion, axonal Kv1.1 channels determine glutamate release in CA3 neurons in a time-dependent manner through the control of the presynaptic spike waveform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Bialowas
- INSERM, UMR_S 1072, Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille Université, UNIS, Marseille, France
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