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Nordengen K, Morland C. From Synaptic Physiology to Synaptic Pathology: The Enigma of α-Synuclein. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:986. [PMID: 38256059 PMCID: PMC10815905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) has gained significant attention due to its involvement in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease. However, its normal function in the human brain is equally fascinating. The α-syn protein is highly dynamic and can adapt to various conformational stages, which differ in their interaction with synaptic elements, their propensity to drive pathological aggregation, and their toxicity. This review will delve into the multifaceted role of α-syn in different types of synapses, shedding light on contributions to neurotransmission and overall brain function. We describe the physiological role of α-syn at central synapses, including the bidirectional interaction between α-syn and neurotransmitter systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Nordengen
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Cecilie Morland
- Section for Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, 1068 Oslo, Norway
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Williams VM, Bhagwandin A, Swiegers J, Bertelsen MF, Hård T, Sherwood CC, Manger PR. Distribution of cholinergic neurons in the brains of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1516-1535. [PMID: 34837339 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Using choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry, we describe the nuclear parcellation of the cholinergic system in the brains of two apes, a lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). The cholinergic nuclei observed in both apes studied are virtually identical to that observed in humans and show very strong similarity to the cholinergic nuclei observed in other primates and mammals more generally. One specific difference between humans and the two apes studied is that, with the specific choline acetyltransferase antibody used, the cholinergic pyramidal neurons observed in human cerebral cortex were not labeled. When comparing the two apes studied and humans to other primates, the presence of a greatly expanded cholinergic medullary tegmental field, and the presence of cholinergic neurons in the intermediate and dorsal horns of the cervical spinal cord are notable variations of the distribution of cholinergic neurons in apes compared to other primates. These neurons may play an important role in the modulation of ascending and descending neural transmissions through the spinal cord and caudal medulla, potentially related to the differing modes of locomotion in apes compared to other primates. Our observations also indicate that the average soma volume of the neurons forming the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) is larger than those of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPT) in both the lar gibbon and chimpanzee. This variability in soma volume appears to be related to the size of the adult derivatives of the alar and basal plate across mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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3
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Pasquini J, Brooks DJ, Pavese N. The Cholinergic Brain in Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2021; 8:1012-1026. [PMID: 34631936 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.13319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The central cholinergic system includes the basal forebrain nuclei, mainly projecting to the cortex, the mesopontine tegmental nuclei, mainly projecting to the thalamus and subcortical structures, and other groups of projecting neurons and interneurons. This system regulates many functions of human behavior such as cognition, locomotion, and sleep. In Parkinson's disease (PD), disruption of central cholinergic transmission has been associated with cognitive decline, gait problems, freezing of gait (FOG), falls, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), neuropsychiatric manifestations, and olfactory dysfunction. Neuropathological and neuroimaging evidence suggests that basal forebrain pathology occurs simultaneously with nigrostriatal denervation, whereas pathology in the pontine nuclei may occur before the onset of motor symptoms. These studies have also detailed the clinical implications of cholinergic dysfunction in PD. Degeneration of basal forebrain nuclei and consequential cortical cholinergic denervation are associated with and may predict the subsequent development of cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Gait problems, FOG, and falls are associated with a complex dysfunction of both pontine and basal forebrain nuclei. Olfactory impairment is associated with cholinergic denervation of the limbic archicortex, specifically hippocampus and amygdala. Available evidence suggests that cholinergic dysfunction, alongside failure of the dopaminergic and other neurotransmitters systems, contributes to the generation of a specific set of clinical manifestations. Therefore, a "cholinergic phenotype" can be identified in people presenting with cognitive decline, falls, and RBD. In this review, we will summarize the organization of the central cholinergic system and the clinical correlates of cholinergic dysfunction in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Pasquini
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation University of Milan Milan Italy.,Clinical Ageing Research Unit Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom
| | - David J Brooks
- Positron Emission Tomography Centre Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom.,Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Centre Aarhus University Hospital Aarhus Denmark
| | - Nicola Pavese
- Clinical Ageing Research Unit Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom.,Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Centre Aarhus University Hospital Aarhus Denmark
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The Cholinergic Profile as a Target for Rational Therapy of Central Nervous System Diseases and Injuries. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11055-020-01012-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Litvinenko IV, Zhivolupov SA, Samartsev IN, Kravchuk AY, Vorobyova MN, Yakovlev EV, Butakova YS. [Cholinergic profile as a target of rational therapy of central nervous system diseases and injuries]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2020; 120:31-38. [PMID: 32307408 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202012002131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
AIM A comparative analysis of the clinical efficacy of cholinergic drugs and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (IHE), as well as their combination, in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease and consequences of intracranial injury according to clinical, instrumental and laboratory dynamic observations. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ninety patients with cerebrovascular pathology, including 45 with chronic brain ischemia stage 2 (ICD-10 I67) and 45 with sequelae of intracranial injury (ICD-10 T90.5), were enrolled in the study. Complex treatment of patients included basic and specific therapy. The groups were divided into 3 subgroups of 15 people: the neuromidin group, the gliatilin group and the neuromidin + gliatilin group. The duration of treatment was 2 months. All patients underwent a comprehensive clinical, neurophysiological and laboratory examination prior to therapy, after 1 month and 2 month from the beginning of therapy: a study of cholinesterase activity in the blood, testing on MMSE and Hamilton scales, transcranial magnetic stimulation with determination of Central motor conduction time and somatosensory evoked potentials with calculation of Central afferent conduction time. RESULTS Prior to treatment, a significant positive strong correlation was found between the age of patients and the level of CE activity in serum (Rs=0.77; p=0.0001). The treatment resulted in a significant (p<0.05) improvement of all parameters (except for MMSE that showed a trend towards improvement) in the neuromidin and the neuromidin + gliatilin subgroups of each group compared to those in the gliatilin subgroups. In addition, after 2 months from the beginning of treatment, there was a significant decrease in the activity of CE in serum in the neuromidin and the neuromidin + gliatilin subgroups. CONCLUSION The study of deviations of the 'cholinergic profile' (the level of CE activity in the blood) in patients with cerebral pathology and the strategy using cholinergic drugs, IHE and their combination for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, is one of the important directions in the optimization of combined therapy of patients of this profile.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - I N Samartsev
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A Yu Kravchuk
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - M N Vorobyova
- Kirov Military Medical Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - E V Yakovlev
- Admiralty Shipyards Medical Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yu S Butakova
- Novodvinsk Central City Hospital, Novodvinsk, Russia
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Mahady LJ, Perez SE, Emerich DF, Wahlberg LU, Mufson EJ. Cholinergic profiles in the Goettingen miniature pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) brain. J Comp Neurol 2016; 525:553-573. [PMID: 27490949 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Central cholinergic structures within the brain of the even-toed hoofed Goettingen miniature domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) were evaluated by immunohistochemical visualization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the low-affinity neurotrophin receptor, p75NTR . ChAT-immunoreactive (-ir) perikarya were seen in the olfactory tubercle, striatum, medial septal nucleus, vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band of Broca, and the nucleus basalis of Meynert, medial habenular nucleus, zona incerta, neurosecretory arcuate nucleus, cranial motor nuclei III and IV, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, parabigeminal nucleus, pedunculopontine nucleus, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. Cholinergic ChAT-ir neurons were also found within transitional cortical areas (insular, cingulate, and piriform cortices) and hippocampus proper. ChAT-ir fibers were seen throughout the dentate gyrus and hippocampus, in the mediodorsal, laterodorsal, anteroventral, and parateanial thalamic nuclei, the fasciculus retroflexus of Meynert, basolateral and basomedial amygdaloid nuclei, anterior pretectal and interpeduncular nuclei, as well as select laminae of the superior colliculus. Double immunofluorescence demonstrated that virtually all ChAT-ir basal forebrain neurons were also p75NTR -positive. The present findings indicate that the central cholinergic system in the miniature pig is similar to other mammalian species. Therefore, the miniature pig may be an appropriate animal model for preclinical studies of neurodegenerative diseases where the cholinergic system is compromised. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:553-573, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Mahady
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Sylvia E Perez
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
| | | | | | - Elliott J Mufson
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
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Dupré DA, Tomycz N, Oh MY, Whiting D. Deep brain stimulation for obesity: past, present, and future targets. Neurosurg Focus 2016; 38:E7. [PMID: 26030707 DOI: 10.3171/2015.3.focus1542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The authors review the history of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients for treating obesity, describe current DBS targets in the brain, and discuss potential DBS targets and nontraditional stimulation parameters that may improve the effectiveness of DBS for ameliorating obesity. Deep brain stimulation for treating obesity has been performed both in animals and in humans with intriguing preliminary results. The brain is an attractive target for addressing obesity because modulating brain activity may permit influencing both sides of the energy equation--caloric intake and energy expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick A Dupré
- Department of Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Nestor Tomycz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael Y Oh
- Department of Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Donald Whiting
- Department of Neurosurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Higley MJ, Picciotto MR. Neuromodulation by acetylcholine: examples from schizophrenia and depression. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 29:88-95. [PMID: 24983212 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of acetylcholine to psychiatric illnesses remains an area of active research. For example, increased understanding of mechanisms underlying cholinergic modulation of cortical function has provided insight into attentional dysfunction in schizophrenia. Acetylcholine normally enhances cortical sensitivity to external stimuli and decreases corticocortical communication, increasing focused attention; however, increases in ACh signaling can lead to symptoms related to anxiety and depression. For example, while stress-induced ACh release can result in adaptive responses to environmental stimuli, chronic elevations in cholinergic signaling may produce maladaptive behaviors. Here, we review several innovations in human imaging, molecular genetics and physiological control of circuits that have begun to identify mechanisms linking altered cholinergic neuromodulation to schizophrenia and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Higley
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Dept. of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
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Acetylcholine as a neuromodulator: cholinergic signaling shapes nervous system function and behavior. Neuron 2012; 76:116-29. [PMID: 23040810 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 795] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholine in the brain alters neuronal excitability, influences synaptic transmission, induces synaptic plasticity, and coordinates firing of groups of neurons. As a result, it changes the state of neuronal networks throughout the brain and modifies their response to internal and external inputs: the classical role of a neuromodulator. Here, we identify actions of cholinergic signaling on cellular and synaptic properties of neurons in several brain areas and discuss consequences of this signaling on behaviors related to drug abuse, attention, food intake, and affect. The diverse effects of acetylcholine depend on site of release, receptor subtypes, and target neuronal population; however, a common theme is that acetylcholine potentiates behaviors that are adaptive to environmental stimuli and decreases responses to ongoing stimuli that do not require immediate action. The ability of acetylcholine to coordinate the response of neuronal networks in many brain areas makes cholinergic modulation an essential mechanism underlying complex behaviors.
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Consonni S, Leone S, Becchetti A, Amadeo A. Developmental and neurochemical features of cholinergic neurons in the murine cerebral cortex. BMC Neurosci 2009; 10:18. [PMID: 19272148 PMCID: PMC2660337 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-10-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Accepted: 03/09/2009] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The existence and role of intrinsic cholinergic cells in the cerebral cortex is controversial, because of their variable localization and morphology in different mammalian species. We have applied choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemistry to study the distribution of cholinergic neurons in the murine cerebral cortex, in the adult and during postnatal development. For more precise neurochemical identification of these neurons, the possible colocalization of ChAT with different markers of cortical neuronal populations has been analyzed by confocal microscopy. This method was also used to verify the relationship between cholinergic cells and cortical microvessels. Results ChAT positive cells appeared at the end of the first postnatal week. Their density dramatically increased at the beginning of the second postnatal week, during which it remained higher than in perinatal and adult stages. In the adult neocortex, cholinergic neurons were particularly expressed in the somatosensory area, although their density was also significant in visual and auditory areas. ChAT positive cells tended to be scarce in other regions. They were mainly localized in the supragranular layers and displayed a fusiform/bipolar morphology. The colocalization of ChAT with pyramidal neuron markers was negligible. On the other hand, more than half of the cholinergic neurons contained calretinin, but none of them expressed parvalbumin or calbindin. However, only a fraction of the ChAT positive cells during development and very few in adulthood turned out to be GABAergic, as judged from expression of GABA and its biosynthetic enzymes GAD67/65. Consistently, ChAT showed no localization with interneurons expressing green fluorescent protein under control of the GAD67 promoter in the adult neocortex. Finally, the cortical cholinergic cells often showed close association with the microvessel walls, as identified with the gliovascular marker aquaporin 4, supporting previous hypotheses on the role of cholinergic cells in modulating the cortical microcirculation. Conclusion Our results show that the development of the intracortical cholinergic system accompanies the cortical rearrangements during the second postnatal week, a crucial stage for the establishment of cortical cytoarchitecture and for synaptogenesis. Although intrinsic ChAT positive cells usually expressed calretinin, they displayed a variable GABAergic phenotype depending on marker and on cortical developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Consonni
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Payette DJ, Xie J, Guo Q. Reduction in CHT1-mediated choline uptake in primary neurons from presenilin-1 M146V mutant knock-in mice. Brain Res 2006; 1135:12-21. [PMID: 17196556 PMCID: PMC1805819 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Revised: 11/20/2006] [Accepted: 12/02/2006] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The memory loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been linked to cholinergic hypoactivity. Mutations in presenilin-1 (PS-1) may regulate cholinergic signaling, although their precise roles in cholinergic neurotransmission in AD are unsettled. Neuronal uptake of choline via the high affinity choline transporter (CHT1) is essential for cholinergic neurotransmission. CHT1 is a Na+-dependent, hemicholinium-3 (HC-3)-sensitive choline transporter. Although cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert are a major source of cholinergic projections for the cerebral cortex, it is unclear whether cortical neurons exhibit intrinsic CHT1 activity that is altered in AD. We now report that primary cortical neurons express intrinsic and biologically active CHT1, and that, in these neurons, CHT1-mediated choline uptake activity is significantly reduced in PS-1 M146V mutant knock-in mice. Further kinetic studies using HC-3 binding and cell surface biotinylation assays showed that the PS-1 mutation inhibits CHT1 mediated choline uptake by reducing the ligand binding affinity of CHT1 without significantly altering levels of CHT1 expression in the plasma membrane. Since human neocortex has recently been shown to possess intrinsic cholinergic innervation, our results indicate that alterations in CHT1-mediated high affinity choline uptake in cortical neurons may contribute to Alzheimer's dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qing Guo
- Correspondence: Qing Guo, Ph.D., Department of Physiology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, Phone: (405) 271-2226 ext. 56268., FAX: (405) 271-3181., E-mail:
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