Analytical approaches to examine gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate vesicular co-packaging

Prevalent co-release of glutamate and GABA throughout the mouse brain

Several neuronal populations in the brain transmit both the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, glutamate, and GABA, to downstream neurons. However, it remains largely unknown whether these opposing neurotransmitters are co-released onto the same postsynaptic neuron simultaneously or are independently transmitted at different time and locations (called co-transmission). Here, using whole-cell patch-clamp recording on acute mouse brain slices, we observed biphasic miniature postsynaptic currents, i.e., minis with time-locked excitatory and inhibitory currents, in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). This observation cannot be explained by accidental coincidence of monophasic miniature excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs and mIPSCs, respectively), arguing for the co-release of glutamate and GABA. Interestingly, these biphasic minis could either be an mEPSC leading an mIPSC or vice versa. Although dopaminergic axons release both glutamate and GABA in the striatum, deletion of dopamine neurons did not eliminate biphasic minis, indicating that the co-release originates from another neuronal type. Importantly, we found that both types of biphasic minis were detected in other neuronal subtypes in the striatum as well as in nine out of ten additionally tested brain regions. Our results suggest that co-release of glutamate and GABA is a prevalent mode of neurotransmission in the brain.

Interactions between Glycine and Glutamate through Activation of Their Transporters in Hippocampal Nerve Terminals

Evidence supports the pathophysiological relevance of crosstalk between the neurotransmitters Glycine and Glutamate and their close interactions; some reports even support the possibility of Glycine-Glutamate cotransmission in central nervous system (CNS) areas, including the hippocampus. Functional studies with isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes) permit us to study transporter-mediated interactions between neurotransmitters that lead to the regulation of transmitter release. Our main aims here were: (i) to investigate release-regulating, transporter-mediated interactions between Glycine and Glutamate in hippocampal nerve terminals and (ii) to determine the coexistence of transporters for Glycine and Glutamate in these terminals. Purified synaptosomes, analyzed at the ultrastructural level via electron microscopy, were used as the experimental model. Mouse hippocampal synaptosomes were prelabeled with [3H]D-Aspartate or [3H]Glycine; the release of radiolabeled tracers was monitored with the superfusion technique. The main findings were that (i) exogenous Glycine stimulated [3H]D-Aspartate release, partly by activation of GlyT1 and in part, unusually, through GlyT2 transporters and that (ii) D-Aspartate stimulated [3H]glycine release by a process that was sensitive to Glutamate transporter blockers. Based on the features of the experimental model used, it is suggested that functional transporters for Glutamate and Glycine coexist in a small subset of hippocampal nerve terminals, a condition that may also be compatible with cotransmission; glycinergic and glutamatergic transporters exhibit different functions and mediate interactions between the neurotransmitters. It is hoped that increased information on Glutamate-Glycine interactions in different areas, including the hippocampus, will contribute to a better knowledge of drugs acting at "glycinergic" targets, currently under study in relation with different CNS pathologies.

Synaptic and circuit functions of multitransmitter neurons in the mammalian brain

Neurons in the mammalian brain are not limited to releasing a single neurotransmitter but often release multiple neurotransmitters onto postsynaptic cells. Here, we review recent findings of multitransmitter neurons found throughout the mammalian central nervous system. We highlight recent technological innovations that have made the identification of new multitransmitter neurons and the study of their synaptic properties possible. We also focus on mechanisms and molecular constituents required for neurotransmitter corelease at the axon terminal and synaptic vesicle, as well as some possible functions of multitransmitter neurons in diverse brain circuits. We expect that these approaches will lead to new insights into the mechanism and function of multitransmitter neurons, their role in circuits, and their contribution to normal and pathological brain function.

Brain Structure and Function: Insights from Chemical Neuroanatomy

We present a brief historical and epistemological outline of investigations on the brain’s structure and functions. These investigations have mainly been based on the intermingling of chemical anatomy, new techniques in the field of microscopy and computer-assisted morphometric methods. This intermingling has enabled extraordinary investigations to be carried out on brain circuits, leading to the development of a new discipline: “brain connectomics”. This new approach has led to the characterization of the brain’s structure and function in physiological and pathological conditions, and to the development of new therapeutic strategies. In this context, the conceptual model of the brain as a hyper-network with a hierarchical, nested architecture, arranged in a “Russian doll” pattern, has been proposed. Our investigations focused on the main characteristics of the modes of communication between nodes at the various miniaturization levels, in order to describe the brain’s integrative actions. Special attention was paid to the nano-level, i.e., to the allosteric interactions among G protein-coupled receptors organized in receptor mosaics, as a promising field in which to obtain a new view of synaptic plasticity and to develop new, more selective drugs. The brain’s multi-level organization and the multi-faceted aspects of communication modes point to an emerging picture of the brain as a very peculiar system, in which continuous self-organization and remodeling take place under the action of external stimuli from the environment, from peripheral organs and from ongoing integrative actions.