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Nigri M, Bramati G, Steiner AC, Wolfer DP. Appetitively motivated tasks in the IntelliCage reveal a higher motivational cost of spatial learning in male than female mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1270159. [PMID: 38487348 PMCID: PMC10938600 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1270159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The IntelliCage (IC) permits the assessment of the behavior and learning abilities of mice in a social home cage context. To overcome water deprivation as an aversive driver of learning, we developed protocols in which spatial learning is motivated appetitively by the preference of mice for sweetened over plain water. While plain water is available at all times, only correct task responses give access to sweetened water rewards. Under these conditions, C57BL/6J mice successfully mastered a corner preference task with the reversal and also learned a more difficult time-place task with reversal. However, the rate of responding to sweetened water decreased strongly with increasing task difficulty, indicating that learning challenges and reduced success in obtaining rewards decreased the motivation of the animals to seek sweetened water. While C57BL/6J mice of both sexes showed similar initial taste preferences and learned similarly well in simple learning tasks, the rate of responding to sweetened water and performance dropped more rapidly in male than in female mice in response to increasing learning challenges. Taken together, our data indicate that male mice can have a disadvantage relative to females in mastering difficult, appetitively motivated learning tasks, likely due to sex differences in value-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nigri
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Bramati
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adrian C. Steiner
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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2
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Jaric I, Voelkl B, Amrein I, Wolfer DP, Novak J, Detotto C, Weber-Stadlbauer U, Meyer U, Manuella F, Mansuy IM, Würbel H. Using mice from different breeding sites fails to improve replicability of results from single-laboratory studies. Lab Anim (NY) 2024; 53:18-22. [PMID: 38151528 PMCID: PMC10766513 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-023-01307-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical and empirical evidence indicates that low external validity due to rigorous standardization of study populations is a cause of poor replicability in animal research. Here we report a multi-laboratory study aimed at investigating whether heterogenization of study populations by using animals from different breeding sites increases the replicability of results from single-laboratory studies. We used male C57BL/6J mice from six different breeding sites to test a standardized against a heterogenized (HET) study design in six independent replicate test laboratories. For the standardized design, each laboratory ordered mice from a single breeding site (each laboratory from a different one), while for the HET design, each laboratory ordered proportionate numbers of mice from the five remaining breeding sites. To test our hypothesis, we assessed 14 outcome variables, including body weight, behavioral measures obtained from a single session on an elevated plus maze, and clinical blood parameters. Both breeding site and test laboratory affected variation in outcome variables, but the effect of test laboratory was more pronounced for most outcome variables. Moreover, heterogenization of study populations by breeding site (HET) did not reduce variation in outcome variables between test laboratories, which was most likely due to the fact that breeding site had only little effect on variation in outcome variables, thereby limiting the scope for HET to reduce between-lab variation. We conclude that heterogenization of study populations by breeding site has limited capacity for improving the replicability of results from single-laboratory animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Jaric
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy, Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Janja Novak
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carlotta Detotto
- Central Animal Facilities, Experimental Animal Center, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Vetsuisse Faculty and Center of Neuroscience Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Vetsuisse Faculty and Center of Neuroscience Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Manuella
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ), Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroscience Zürich, University Zürich and ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ), Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroscience Zürich, University Zürich and ETHZ, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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3
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Santhosh Kumar H, Moore J, Steiner AC, Sotirakis E, Schärli B, Isnard-Petit P, Thiam K, Wolfer DP, Böttger EC. Mistranslation-associated perturbations of proteostasis do not promote accumulation of amyloid beta and plaque deposition in aged mouse brain. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:378. [PMID: 38010524 PMCID: PMC10682081 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05031-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
A common perception in age-related neurodegenerative diseases posits that a decline in proteostasis is key to the accumulation of neuropathogenic proteins, such as amyloid beta (Aβ), and the development of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). To experimentally challenge the role of protein homeostasis in the accumulation of Alzheimer's associated protein Aβ and levels of associated Tau phosphorylation, we disturbed proteostasis in single APP knock-in mouse models of AD building upon Rps9 D95N, a recently identified mammalian ram mutation which confers heightened levels of error-prone translation together with an increased propensity for random protein aggregation and which is associated with accelerated aging. We crossed the Rps9 D95N mutation into knock-in mice expressing humanized Aβ with different combinations of pathogenic mutations (wild-type, NL, NL-F, NL-G-F) causing a stepwise and quantifiable allele-dependent increase in the development of Aβ accumulation, levels of phosphorylated Tau, and neuropathology. Surprisingly, the misfolding-prone environment of the Rps9 D95N ram mutation did not affect Aβ accumulation and plaque formation, nor the level of phosphorylated Tau in any of the humanized APP knock-in lines. Our findings indicate that a misfolding-prone environment induced by error-prone translation with its inherent perturbations in protein homeostasis has little impact on the accumulation of pathogenic Aβ, plaque formation and associated phosphorylated Tau.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Moore
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Benjamin Schärli
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Erik C Böttger
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Ma X, Schildknecht B, Steiner AC, Amrein I, Nigri M, Bramati G, Wolfer DP. Refinement of IntelliCage protocols for complex cognitive tasks through replacement of drinking restrictions by incentive-disincentive paradigms. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1232546. [PMID: 38033480 PMCID: PMC10687469 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1232546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The IntelliCage allows automated testing of cognitive abilities of mice in a social home cage environment without handling by human experimenters. Restricted water access in combination with protocols in which only correct responses give access to water is a reliable learning motivator for hippocampus-dependent tasks assessing spatial memory and executive function. However, water restriction may negatively impact on animal welfare, especially in poor learners. To better comply with the 3R principles, we previously tested protocols in which water was freely available but additional access to sweetened water could be obtained by learning a task rule. While this purely appetitive motivation worked for simple tasks, too many mice lost interest in the sweet reward during more difficult hippocampus-dependent tasks. In the present study, we tested a battery of increasingly difficult spatial tasks in which water was still available without learning the task rule, but rendered less attractive either by adding bitter tasting quinine or by increasing the amount of work to obtain it. As in previous protocols, learning of the task rule provided access to water sweetened with saccharin. The two approaches of dual motivation were tested in two cohorts of female C57BL/6 N mice. Compared to purely appetitive motivation, both novel protocols strongly improved task engagement and increased task performance. Importantly, neither of the added disincentives had an adverse impact on liquid consumption, health status or body weight of the animals. Our results show that it is possible to refine test protocols in the IntelliCage so that they challenge cognitive functions without restricting access to water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqian Ma
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Schildknecht
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adrian C. Steiner
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Nigri
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Bramati
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Bramati G, Stauffer P, Nigri M, Wolfer DP, Amrein I. Environmental enrichment improves hippocampus-dependent spatial learning in female C57BL/6 mice in novel IntelliCage sweet reward-based behavioral tests. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1256744. [PMID: 37791111 PMCID: PMC10543696 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1256744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The IntelliCage is an automated home-cage system that allows researchers to investigate the spontaneous behavior and learning abilities of group-housed mice. The IntelliCage enables us to increase the standardization and reproducibility of behavioral outcomes by the omission of experimenter-mouse interactions. Although the IntelliCage provides a less stressful environment for animals, standard IntelliCage protocols use controlled water access as the motivational driver for learning. To overcome possible water restrictions in slow learners, we developed a series of novel protocols based on appetitive learning, in which mice had permanent access to plain water but were additionally rewarded with sweetened water upon solving the task. C57BL/6NCrl female mice were used to assess the efficacy of these sweet reward-based protocols in a series of learning tasks. Compared to control mice tested with standard protocols, mice motivated with a sweet reward did equal to or better in operant performance and place learning tasks. Learning of temporal rules was slower than that in controls. When faced with a combined temporal x spatial working memory task, sweet-rewarded mice learned little and chose plain water. In a second set of experiments, the impact of environmental enrichment on appetitive learning was tested. Mice kept under enriched environment (EE) or standard housing (SH) conditions prior to the IntelliCage experiments performed similarly in the sweet-rewarded place learning task. EE mice performed better in the hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory task. The improved performance of EE mice in the hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory task might be explained by the observed larger volume of their mossy fibers. Our results confirm that environmental enrichment increases complex spatial learning abilities and leads to long-lasting morphological changes in the hippocampus. Furthermore, simple standard IntelliCage protocols could easily be adapted to sweet rewards, which improve animal welfare by removing the possibility of water restriction. However, complex behavioral tasks motivated by sweet reward-based learning need further adjustments to reach the same efficacy as standard protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Bramati
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pia Stauffer
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Nigri
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
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Jörimann M, Maliković J, Wolfer DP, Pryce CR, Endo T, Benner S, Amrein I. Bank Voles Show More Impulsivity in IntelliCage Learning Tasks than Wood Mice. Neuroscience 2023; 510:157-170. [PMID: 36403688 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Impulsivity is a personality trait of healthy individuals, but in extreme forms common in mental disorders. Previous behavioral testing of wild-caught bank voles and wood mice suggested impulsiveness in bank voles. Here, we compared behavioral performance of bank voles and wood mice in tests for response control in the IntelliCage. In the reaction time task, a test similar to the five-choice serial-reaction time task (5CSRTT), bank voles made more premature responses. Impulsivity in the reaction time task was associated with smaller medial habenular nucleus in bank voles. Additional tests revealed reduced behavioral flexibility in the self-paced flexibility task in bank voles, but equal spatial and reversal learning in the chaining/reversal task in both species. Expression of immediate early gene Arc after behavioral testing was low in medial prefrontal cortex, but high in hypothalamic supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus in bank voles. Wood mice showed the opposite pattern. Numbers of Arc-positive cells in the dorsal hippocampus were higher in bank voles than wood mice. Due to continuous behavioral testing (24/7), associations between behavioral performance and Arc were rare. Corticosterone measurements at the end of experiments suggested that IntelliCage testing did not elicit a stress response in these wild rodents. In summary, habenular size differences and altered activation of brain areas after testing might indicate differently balanced activations of cortico-limbic and cortico-hypothalamic circuits in bank voles compared to wood mice. Behavioral performance of bank voles suggest that these rodents could be a natural animal model for investigating impulsive and perseverative behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marielle Jörimann
- Institute of Anatomy, Division Functional Neuroanatomy, University Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jovana Maliković
- Institute of Anatomy, Division Functional Neuroanatomy, University Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, Division Functional Neuroanatomy, University Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher R Pryce
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital and University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Seico Benner
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu, Japan; Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy, Division Functional Neuroanatomy, University Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland.
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7
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Maliković J, Amrein I, Vinciguerra L, Lalošević D, Wolfer DP, Slomianka L. Cell numbers in the reflected blade of CA3 and their relation to other hippocampal principal cell populations across seven species. Front Neuroanat 2023; 16:1070035. [PMID: 36686574 PMCID: PMC9846821 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.1070035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus of many mammals contains a histoarchitectural region that is not present in laboratory mice and rats-the reflected blade of the CA3 pyramidal cell layer. Pyramidal cells of the reflected blade do not extend dendrites into the hippocampal molecular layer, and recent evidence indicates that they, like the proximal CA3 pyramids in laboratory rats and mice, partially integrate functionally with the dentate circuitry in pattern separation. Quantitative assessments of phylogenetic or disease-related changes in the hippocampal structure and function treat the reflected blade heterogeneously. Depending on the ease with which it can be differentiated, it is either assigned to the dentate hilus or to the remainder of CA3. Here, we investigate the impact that the differential assignment of reflected blade neurons may have on the outcomes of quantitative comparisons. We find it to be massive. If reflected blade neurons are treated as a separate entity or pooled with dentate hilar cells, the quantitative makeup of hippocampal cell populations can differentiate between species in a taxonomically sensible way. Assigning reflected blade neurons to CA3 greatly diminishes the differentiating power of all hippocampal principal cell populations, which may point towards a quantitative hippocampal archetype. A heterogeneous assignment results in a differentiation pattern with little taxonomic semblance. The outcomes point towards the reflected blade as either a major potential player in hippocampal functional and structural differentiation or a region that may have cloaked that hippocampi are more similarly organized across species than generally believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Maliković
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - David P. Wolfer
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Slomianka
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland,*Correspondence: Lutz Slomianka
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Erdinger S, Amrein I, Back M, Ludewig S, Korte M, von Engelhardt J, Wolfer DP, Müller UC. Lack of APLP1 leads to subtle alterations in neuronal morphology but does not affect learning and memory. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1028836. [DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1028836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid precursor protein APP plays a crucial role in Alzheimer pathogenesis. Its physiological functions, however, are only beginning to be unraveled. APP belongs to a small gene family, including besides APP the closely related amyloid precursor-like proteins APLP1 and APLP2, that all constitute synaptic adhesion proteins. While APP and APLP2 are ubiquitously expressed, APLP1 is specific for the nervous system. Previous genetic studies, including combined knockouts of several family members, pointed towards a unique role for APLP1, as only APP/APLP1 double knockouts were viable. We now examined brain and neuronal morphology in APLP1 single knockout (KO) animals, that have to date not been studied in detail. Here, we report that APLP1-KO mice show normal spine density in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells and subtle alterations in dendritic complexity. Extracellular field recordings revealed normal basal synaptic transmission and no alterations in synaptic plasticity (LTP). Further, behavioral studies revealed in APLP1-KO mice a small deficit in motor function and reduced diurnal locomotor activity, while learning and memory were not affected by the loss of APLP1. In summary, our study indicates that APP family members serve both distinct and overlapping functions that need to be considered for therapeutic treatments of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Jaric I, Voelkl B, Clerc M, Schmid MW, Novak J, Rosso M, Rufener R, von Kortzfleisch VT, Richter SH, Buettner M, Bleich A, Amrein I, Wolfer DP, Touma C, Sunagawa S, Würbel H. The rearing environment persistently modulates mouse phenotypes from the molecular to the behavioural level. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001837. [PMID: 36269766 PMCID: PMC9629646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenotype of an organism results from its genotype and the influence of the environment throughout development. Even when using animals of the same genotype, independent studies may test animals of different phenotypes, resulting in poor replicability due to genotype-by-environment interactions. Thus, genetically defined strains of mice may respond differently to experimental treatments depending on their rearing environment. However, the extent of such phenotypic plasticity and its implications for the replicability of research findings have remained unknown. Here, we examined the extent to which common environmental differences between animal facilities modulate the phenotype of genetically homogeneous (inbred) mice. We conducted a comprehensive multicentre study, whereby inbred C57BL/6J mice from a single breeding cohort were allocated to and reared in 5 different animal facilities throughout early life and adolescence, before being transported to a single test laboratory. We found persistent effects of the rearing facility on the composition and heterogeneity of the gut microbial community. These effects were paralleled by persistent differences in body weight and in the behavioural phenotype of the mice. Furthermore, we show that environmental variation among animal facilities is strong enough to influence epigenetic patterns in neurons at the level of chromatin organisation. We detected changes in chromatin organisation in the regulatory regions of genes involved in nucleosome assembly, neuronal differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of behaviour. Our findings demonstrate that common environmental differences between animal facilities may produce facility-specific phenotypes, from the molecular to the behavioural level. Furthermore, they highlight an important limitation of inferences from single-laboratory studies and thus argue that study designs should take environmental background into account to increase the robustness and replicability of findings. The phenotype of an organism results not only from its genotype but also the influence of its environment throughout development. This study shows that common environmental differences between animal facilities can induce substantial variation in the phenotype of mice, thereby highlighting an important limitation of inferences from single-laboratory studies in animal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Jaric
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (IJ); (HW)
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Clerc
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Janja Novak
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marianna Rosso
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Reto Rufener
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | | | - S. Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Manuela Buettner
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Facility, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy, Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Chadi Touma
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (IJ); (HW)
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Lipp HP, Wolfer DP. Behavior is movement only but how to interpret it? Problems and pitfalls in translational neuroscience-a 40-year experience. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:958067. [PMID: 36330050 PMCID: PMC9623569 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.958067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational research in behavioral neuroscience seeks causes and remedies for human mental health problems in animals, following leads imposed by clinical research in psychiatry. This endeavor faces several problems because scientists must read and interpret animal movements to represent human perceptions, mood, and memory processes. Yet, it is still not known how mammalian brains bundle all these processes into a highly compressed motor output in the brain stem and spinal cord, but without that knowledge, translational research remains aimless. Based on some four decades of experience in the field, the article identifies sources of interpretation problems and illustrates typical translational pitfalls. (1) The sensory world of mice is different. Smell, hearing, and tactile whisker sensations dominate in rodents, while visual input is comparatively small. In humans, the relations are reversed. (2) Mouse and human brains are equated inappropriately: the association cortex makes up a large portion of the human neocortex, while it is relatively small in rodents. The predominant associative cortex in rodents is the hippocampus itself, orchestrating chiefly inputs from secondary sensorimotor areas and generating species-typical motor patterns that are not easily reconciled with putative human hippocampal functions. (3) Translational interpretation of studies of memory or emotionality often neglects the ecology of mice, an extremely small species surviving by freezing or flight reactions that do not need much cognitive processing. (4) Further misinterpretations arise from confounding neuronal properties with system properties, and from rigid mechanistic thinking unaware that many experimentally induced changes in the brain do partially reflect unpredictable compensatory plasticity. (5) Based on observing hippocampal lesion effects in mice indoors and outdoors, the article offers a simplistic general model of hippocampal functions in relation to hypothalamic input and output, placing hypothalamus and the supraspinal motor system at the top of a cerebral hierarchy. (6) Many translational problems could be avoided by inclusion of simple species-typical behaviors as end-points comparable to human cognitive or executive processing, and to rely more on artificial intelligence for recognizing patterns not classifiable by traditional psychological concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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11
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Bold CS, Baltissen D, Ludewig S, Back MK, Just J, Kilian L, Erdinger S, Banicevic M, Rehra L, Almouhanna F, Nigri M, Wolfer DP, Spilger R, Rohr K, Kann O, Buchholz CJ, von Engelhardt J, Korte M, Müller UC. APPsα Rescues Tau-Induced Synaptic Pathology. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5782-5802. [PMID: 35667850 PMCID: PMC9302470 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2200-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is histopathologically characterized by Aβ plaques and the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated Tau species, the latter also constituting key hallmarks of primary tauopathies. Whereas Aβ is produced by amyloidogenic APP processing, APP processing along the competing nonamyloidogenic pathway results in the secretion of neurotrophic and synaptotrophic APPsα. Recently, we demonstrated that APPsα has therapeutic effects in transgenic AD model mice and rescues Aβ-dependent impairments. Here, we examined the potential of APPsα to mitigate Tau-induced synaptic deficits in P301S mice (both sexes), a widely used mouse model of tauopathy. Analysis of synaptic plasticity revealed an aberrantly increased LTP in P301S mice that could be normalized by acute application of nanomolar amounts of APPsα to hippocampal slices, indicating a homeostatic function of APPsα on a rapid time scale. Further, AAV-mediated in vivo expression of APPsα restored normal spine density of CA1 neurons even at stages of advanced Tau pathology not only in P301S mice, but also in independent THY-Tau22 mice. Strikingly, when searching for the mechanism underlying aberrantly increased LTP in P301S mice, we identified an early and progressive loss of major GABAergic interneuron subtypes in the hippocampus of P301S mice, which may lead to reduced GABAergic inhibition of principal cells. Interneuron loss was paralleled by deficits in nest building, an innate behavior highly sensitive to hippocampal impairments. Together, our findings indicate that APPsα has therapeutic potential for Tau-mediated synaptic dysfunction and suggest that loss of interneurons leads to disturbed neuronal circuits that compromise synaptic plasticity as well as behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our findings indicate, for the first time, that APPsα has the potential to rescue Tau-induced spine loss and abnormal synaptic plasticity. Thus, APPsα might have therapeutic potential not only because of its synaptotrophic functions, but also its homeostatic capacity for neuronal network activity. Hence, APPsα is one of the few molecules which has proven therapeutic effects in mice, both for Aβ- and Tau-dependent synaptic impairments and might therefore have therapeutic potential for patients suffering from AD or primary tauopathies. Furthermore, we found in P301S mice a pronounced reduction of inhibitory interneurons as the earliest pathologic event preceding the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated Tau species. This loss of interneurons most likely disturbs neuronal circuits that are important for synaptic plasticity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte S Bold
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Danny Baltissen
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Susann Ludewig
- TU Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Group, Braunschweig, 38124, Germany
| | - Michaela K Back
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Jennifer Just
- TU Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
| | - Lara Kilian
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Susanne Erdinger
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Marija Banicevic
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Lena Rehra
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Fadi Almouhanna
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Martina Nigri
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roman Spilger
- BioQuant Center, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg and DKFZ, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Karl Rohr
- BioQuant Center, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg and DKFZ, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Oliver Kann
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | | | - Jakob von Engelhardt
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Martin Korte
- TU Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Group, Braunschweig, 38124, Germany
| | - Ulrike C Müller
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
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12
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Shcherbakov D, Nigri M, Akbergenov R, Brilkova M, Mantovani M, Petit PI, Grimm A, Karol AA, Teo Y, Sanchón AC, Kumar Y, Eckert A, Thiam K, Seebeck P, Wolfer DP, Böttger EC. Premature aging in mice with error-prone protein synthesis. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabl9051. [PMID: 35235349 PMCID: PMC8890705 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl9051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The main source of error in gene expression is messenger RNA decoding by the ribosome. Translational accuracy has been suggested on a purely correlative basis to positively coincide with maximum possible life span among different rodent species, but causal evidence that translation errors accelerate aging in vivo and limit life span is lacking. We have now addressed this question experimentally by creating heterozygous knock-in mice that express the ribosomal ambiguity mutation RPS9 D95N, resulting in genome-wide error-prone translation. Here, we show that Rps9 D95N knock-in mice exhibit reduced life span and a premature onset of numerous aging-related phenotypes, such as reduced weight, chest deformation, hunchback posture, poor fur condition, and urinary syndrome, together with lymphopenia, increased levels of reactive oxygen species-inflicted damage, accelerated age-related changes in DNA methylation, and telomere attrition. Our results provide an experimental link between translational accuracy, life span, and aging-related phenotypes in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Shcherbakov
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Nigri
- Anatomisches Institut, Universität Zürich, and Institut für Bewegungswissenschaften und Sport, ETH Zürich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rashid Akbergenov
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Margarita Brilkova
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matilde Mantovani
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Amandine Grimm
- Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Agnieszka A. Karol
- Musculoskeletal Research Unit (MSRU), Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Youjin Teo
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adrián Cortés Sanchón
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yadhu Kumar
- Eurofins Genomics Europe Sequencing GmbH, D-78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anne Eckert
- Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Petra Seebeck
- Zurich Integrative Rodent Physiology (ZIRP), University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Anatomisches Institut, Universität Zürich, and Institut für Bewegungswissenschaften und Sport, ETH Zürich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erik C. Böttger
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Zürich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
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13
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Nigri M, Åhlgren J, Wolfer DP, Voikar V. Role of Environment and Experimenter in Reproducibility of Behavioral Studies With Laboratory Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:835444. [PMID: 35250504 PMCID: PMC8895324 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.835444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral phenotyping of mice has received a great deal of attention during the past three decades. However, there is still a pressing need to understand the variability caused by environmental and biological factors, human interference, and poorly standardized experimental protocols. The inconsistency of results is often attributed to the inter-individual difference between the experimenters and environmental conditions. The present work aims to dissect the combined influence of the experimenter and the environment on the detection of behavioral traits in two inbred strains most commonly used in behavioral genetics due to their contrasting phenotypes, the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. To this purpose, the elevated O-maze, the open field with object, the accelerating rotarod and the Barnes maze tests were performed by two experimenters in two diverse laboratory environments. Our findings confirm the well-characterized behavioral differences between these strains in exploratory behavior, motor performance, learning and memory. Moreover, the results demonstrate how the experimenter and the environment influence the behavioral tests with a variable-dependent effect, often with mutually exclusive contributions. In this context, our study highlights how both the experimenter and the environment can have an impact on the strain effect size without altering the direction of the conclusions. Importantly, the general agreement on the results is reached by converging evidence from multiple measures addressing the same trait. In conclusion, the present work elucidates the contribution of both the experimenter and the laboratory environment in the intricate field of reproducibility in mouse behavioral phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nigri
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Martina Nigri,
| | - Johanna Åhlgren
- Laboratory Animal Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Laboratory Animal Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Vootele Voikar,
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14
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Steubler V, Erdinger S, Back MK, Ludewig S, Fässler D, Richter M, Han K, Slomianka L, Amrein I, von Engelhardt J, Wolfer DP, Korte M, Müller UC. Loss of all three APP family members during development impairs synaptic function and plasticity, disrupts learning, and causes an autism-like phenotype. EMBO J 2021; 40:e107471. [PMID: 34008862 PMCID: PMC8204861 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020107471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The key role of APP for Alzheimer pathogenesis is well established. However, perinatal lethality of germline knockout mice lacking the entire APP family has so far precluded the analysis of its physiological functions for the developing and adult brain. Here, we generated conditional APP/APLP1/APLP2 triple KO (cTKO) mice lacking the APP family in excitatory forebrain neurons from embryonic day 11.5 onwards. NexCre cTKO mice showed altered brain morphology with agenesis of the corpus callosum and disrupted hippocampal lamination. Further, NexCre cTKOs revealed reduced basal synaptic transmission and drastically reduced long-term potentiation that was associated with reduced dendritic length and reduced spine density of pyramidal cells. With regard to behavior, lack of the APP family leads not only to severe impairments in a panel of tests for learning and memory, but also to an autism-like phenotype including repetitive rearing and climbing, impaired social communication, and deficits in social interaction. Together, our study identifies essential functions of the APP family during development, for normal hippocampal function and circuits important for learning and social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky Steubler
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Susanne Erdinger
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Michaela K Back
- Institute of PathophysiologyFocus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN)University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Susann Ludewig
- Division of Cellular NeurobiologyZoological Institute, TU BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration GroupBraunschweigGermany
| | - Dominique Fässler
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Max Richter
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Kang Han
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Lutz Slomianka
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human PhysiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human PhysiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jakob von Engelhardt
- Institute of PathophysiologyFocus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN)University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University MainzMainzGermany
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human PhysiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Institute of Human Movement SciencesETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Martin Korte
- Division of Cellular NeurobiologyZoological Institute, TU BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration GroupBraunschweigGermany
| | - Ulrike C Müller
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
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15
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Mehr A, Hick M, Ludewig S, Müller M, Herrmann U, von Engelhardt J, Wolfer DP, Korte M, Müller UC. Lack of APP and APLP2 in GABAergic Forebrain Neurons Impairs Synaptic Plasticity and Cognition. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4044-4063. [PMID: 32219307 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) is central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, yet its physiological functions remain incompletely understood. Previous studies had indicated important synaptic functions of APP and the closely related homologue APLP2 in excitatory forebrain neurons for spine density, synaptic plasticity, and behavior. Here, we show that APP is also widely expressed in several interneuron subtypes, both in hippocampus and cortex. To address the functional role of APP in inhibitory neurons, we generated mice with a conditional APP/APLP2 double knockout (cDKO) in GABAergic forebrain neurons using DlxCre mice. These DlxCre cDKO mice exhibit cognitive deficits in hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and memory tasks, as well as impairments in species-typic nesting and burrowing behaviors. Deficits at the behavioral level were associated with altered neuronal morphology and synaptic plasticity Long-Term Potentiation (LTP). Impaired basal synaptic transmission at the Schafer collateral/CA1 pathway, which was associated with altered compound excitatory/inhibitory synaptic currents and reduced action potential firing of CA1 pyramidal cells, points to a disrupted excitation/inhibition balance in DlxCre cDKOs. Together, these impairments may lead to hippocampal dysfunction. Collectively, our data reveal a crucial role of APP family proteins in inhibitory interneurons to maintain functional network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Mehr
- Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Meike Hick
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe-University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susann Ludewig
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michaela Müller
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ulrike Herrmann
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jakob von Engelhardt
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Korte
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.,AG Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrike C Müller
- Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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16
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van Dijk RM, Wiget F, Wolfer DP, Slomianka L, Amrein I. Consistent within-group covariance of septal and temporal hippocampal neurogenesis with behavioral phenotypes for exploration and memory retention across wild and laboratory small rodents. Behav Brain Res 2019; 372:112034. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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17
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Schelle J, Wegenast-Braun BM, Fritschi SK, Kaeser SA, Jährling N, Eicke D, Skodras A, Beschorner N, Obermueller U, Häsler LM, Wolfer DP, Mueggler T, Shimshek DR, Neumann U, Dodt HU, Staufenbiel M, Jucker M. Early Aβ reduction prevents progression of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Ann Neurol 2019; 86:561-571. [PMID: 31359452 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Clinical trials targeting β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) for Alzheimer disease (AD) failed for arguable reasons that include selecting the wrong stages of AD pathophysiology or Aβ being the wrong target. Targeting Aβ to prevent cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) has not been rigorously followed, although the causal role of Aβ for CAA and related hemorrhages is undisputed. CAA occurs with normal aging and to various degrees in AD, where its impact and treatment is confounded by the presence of parenchymal Aβ deposition. METHODS APPDutch mice develop CAA in the absence of parenchymal amyloid, mimicking hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis Dutch type (HCHWA-D). Mice were treated with a β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) inhibitor. We used 3-dimensional ultramicroscopy and immunoassays for visualizing CAA and assessing Aβ in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain. RESULTS CAA onset in mice was at 22 to 24 months, first in frontal leptomeningeal and superficial cortical vessels followed by vessels penetrating the cortical layers. CSF Aβ increased with aging followed by a decrease of both Aβ40 and Aβ42 upon CAA onset, supporting the idea that combined reduction of CSF Aβ40 and Aβ42 is a specific biomarker for vascular amyloid. BACE1 inhibitor treatment starting at CAA onset and continuing for 4 months revealed a 90% Aβ reduction in CSF and largely prevented CAA progression and associated pathologies. INTERPRETATION This is the first study showing that Aβ reduction at early disease time points largely prevents CAA in the absence of parenchymal amyloid. Our observation provides a preclinical basis for Aβ-reducing treatments in patients at risk of CAA and in presymptomatic HCHWA-D. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:561-571.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Schelle
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bettina M Wegenast-Braun
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah K Fritschi
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan A Kaeser
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nina Jährling
- TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Eicke
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Angelos Skodras
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Natalie Beschorner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Obermueller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa M Häsler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Mueggler
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and Swiss Federal Institute for Technology, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Ulf Neumann
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Ulrich Dodt
- TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.,Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Staufenbiel
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Jucker
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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18
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Roccaro-Waldmeyer DM, Girard F, Milani D, Vannoni E, Prétôt L, Wolfer DP, Celio MR. Eliminating the VGlut2-Dependent Glutamatergic Transmission of Parvalbumin-Expressing Neurons Leads to Deficits in Locomotion and Vocalization, Decreased Pain Sensitivity, and Increased Dominance. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:146. [PMID: 30072881 PMCID: PMC6058961 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) is a recognized marker of short-axon GABA-ergic neurons in the cortex and the hippocampus. However in addition, PV is expressed by excitatory, glutamatergic neurons in various areas of the brain and spinal cord. Depending on the location of these neurons, loading of their synaptic vesicles with glutamate is mediated by either of three vesicular glutamate transporters (VGlut): VGlut1, VGlut2, or VGlut3. Driven by our interest in one of these glutamatergic/PV-expressing cell clusters-the lateral hypothalamic parvafox nucleus-we investigated the functions of this population of neurons by the selective deletion of VGlut2 expression in PV-expressing cells according to the Cre/Lox-approach. PV-Cre;VGlut2-Lox mutant mice are phenotypically characterized by deficits in locomotion and vocalization, by a decreased thermal nociception, and by an increased social dominance. We conducted a search of the Allen Brain Atlas for regions that might co-express the genes encoding PV and VGlut2, and that might thus contribute to the manifestation of the observed phenotypes. Our survey revealed several structures that could contribute to the deficits in locomotion and vocalization, such as the red, the subthalamic and the deep cerebellar nuclei. It also disclosed that a shift in the balance of afferental glutamatergic neurotransmission to the periaqueductal gray matter might be accountable for the decrease in sensitivity to pain and for the increase in social dominance. As a whole, this study broadens the state of knowledge about PV-expressing excitatory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Roccaro-Waldmeyer
- Anatomy and Programme in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Franck Girard
- Anatomy and Programme in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Milani
- Anatomy and Programme in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Elisabetta Vannoni
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Prétôt
- Anatomy and Programme in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco R Celio
- Anatomy and Programme in Neuroscience, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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19
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Richter MC, Ludewig S, Winschel A, Abel T, Bold C, Salzburger LR, Klein S, Han K, Weyer SW, Fritz AK, Laube B, Wolfer DP, Buchholz CJ, Korte M, Müller UC. Distinct in vivo roles of secreted APP ectodomain variants APPsα and APPsβ in regulation of spine density, synaptic plasticity, and cognition. EMBO J 2018; 37:embj.201798335. [PMID: 29661886 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201798335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that synaptic functions of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is key to Alzheimer pathogenesis, may be carried out by its secreted ectodomain (APPs). The specific roles of APPsα and APPsβ fragments, generated by non-amyloidogenic or amyloidogenic APP processing, respectively, remain however unclear. Here, we expressed APPsα or APPsβ in the adult brain of conditional double knockout mice (cDKO) lacking APP and the related APLP2. APPsα efficiently rescued deficits in spine density, synaptic plasticity (LTP and PPF), and spatial reference memory of cDKO mice. In contrast, APPsβ failed to show any detectable effects on synaptic plasticity and spine density. The C-terminal 16 amino acids of APPsα (lacking in APPsβ) proved sufficient to facilitate LTP in a mechanism that depends on functional nicotinic α7-nAChRs. Further, APPsα showed high-affinity, allosteric potentiation of heterologously expressed α7-nAChRs in oocytes. Collectively, we identified α7-nAChRs as a crucial physiological receptor specific for APPsα and show distinct in vivo roles for APPsα versus APPsβ. This implies that reduced levels of APPsα that might occur during Alzheimer pathogenesis cannot be compensated by APPsβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max C Richter
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susann Ludewig
- Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Alex Winschel
- Department of Biology, Neurophysiology und Neurosensory Systems, TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tobias Abel
- Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), Langen, Germany
| | - Charlotte Bold
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leonie R Salzburger
- Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Susanne Klein
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kang Han
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sascha W Weyer
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristina Fritz
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movements Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bodo Laube
- Department of Biology, Neurophysiology und Neurosensory Systems, TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movements Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Martin Korte
- Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ulrike C Müller
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Stieglitz MS, Fenske S, Hammelmann V, Becirovic E, Schöttle V, Delorme JE, Schöll-Weidinger M, Mader R, Deussing J, Wolfer DP, Seeliger MW, Albrecht U, Wotjak CT, Biel M, Michalakis S, Wahl-Schott C. Disturbed Processing of Contextual Information in HCN3 Channel Deficient Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 10:436. [PMID: 29375299 PMCID: PMC5767300 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCNs) in the nervous system are implicated in a variety of neuronal functions including learning and memory, regulation of vigilance states and pain. Dysfunctions or genetic loss of these channels have been shown to cause human diseases such as epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. The physiological functions of HCN1 and HCN2 channels in the nervous system have been analyzed using genetic knockout mouse models. By contrast, there are no such genetic studies for HCN3 channels so far. Here, we use a HCN3-deficient (HCN3−/−) mouse line, which has been previously generated in our group to examine the expression and function of this channel in the CNS. Specifically, we investigate the role of HCN3 channels for the regulation of circadian rhythm and for the determination of behavior. Contrary to previous suggestions we find that HCN3−/− mice show normal visual, photic, and non-photic circadian function. In addition, HCN3−/− mice are impaired in processing contextual information, which is characterized by attenuated long-term extinction of contextual fear and increased fear to a neutral context upon repeated exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc S Stieglitz
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Fenske
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Hammelmann
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Elvir Becirovic
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Verena Schöttle
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - James E Delorme
- Neurobiochemistry of Circadian Rhythms, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Martha Schöll-Weidinger
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Robert Mader
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mathias W Seeliger
- Ocular Neurodegeneration Research Group, Centre for Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Urs Albrecht
- Neurobiochemistry of Circadian Rhythms, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Biel
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Stylianos Michalakis
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Wahl-Schott
- Center for Integrated Protein Science and Center for Drug Research, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
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21
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Abstract
Sampling is a critical step in procedures that generate quantitative morphological data in the neurosciences. Samples need to be representative to allow statistical evaluations, and samples need to deliver a precision that makes statistical evaluations not only possible but also meaningful. Sampling generated variability should, e.g., not be able to hide significant group differences from statistical detection if they are present. Estimators of the coefficient of error (CE) have been developed to provide tentative answers to the question if sampling has been “good enough” to provide meaningful statistical outcomes. We tested the performance of the commonly used Gundersen-Jensen CE estimator, using the layers of the mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus as an example (molecular layer, granule cell layer and hilus). We found that this estimator provided useful estimates of the precision that can be expected from samples of different sizes. For all layers, we found that a smoothness factor (m) of 0 generally provided better estimates than an m of 1. Only for the combined layers, i.e., the entire dentate gyrus, better CE estimates could be obtained using an m of 1. The orientation of the sections impacted on CE sizes. Frontal (coronal) sections are typically most efficient by providing the smallest CEs for a given amount of work. Applying the estimator to 3D-reconstructed layers and using very intense sampling, we observed CE size plots with m = 0 to m = 1 transitions that should also be expected but are not often observed in real section series. The data we present also allows the reader to approximate the sampling intervals in frontal, horizontal or sagittal sections that provide CEs of specified sizes for the layers of the mouse dentate gyrus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Basler
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Gerdes
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zürich, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Slomianka
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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22
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Voikar V, Krackow S, Lipp HP, Rau A, Colacicco G, Wolfer DP. Automated dissection of permanent effects of hippocampal or prefrontal lesions on performance at spatial, working memory and circadian timing tasks of C57BL/6 mice in IntelliCage. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:8-22. [PMID: 28927717 PMCID: PMC6102415 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate permanent effects of hippocampal and prefrontal cortex lesion on spatial tasks, lesioned and sham-operated female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a series of conditioning schemes in IntelliCages housing 8–10 transponder-tagged mice from each treatment group. Sequential testing started at 51–172 days after bilateral lesions and lasted for 154 and 218 days in two batches of mice, respectively. Spontaneous undisturbed behavioral patterns clearly separated the three groups, hippocampals being characterized by more erratic hyperactivity, and strongly impaired circadian synchronization ability. Hippocampal lesions led to deficits in spatial passive avoidance, as well as in spatial reference and working memory tasks. Impairment was minimal in rewarded preference/reversal schemes, but prominent if behavioral responses required precise circadian timing or included punishment of wrong spatial choices. No differences between sham-operated and prefrontally lesioned subjects in conditioning success were discernible. These results corroborate the view that hippocampal dysfunction spares simple spatial learning tasks but impairs the ability to cope with conflicting task-inherent spatial, temporal or emotional cues. Methodologically, the results show that automated testing and data analysis of socially kept mice is a powerful, efficient and animal-friendly tool for dissecting complex features and behavioral profiles of hippocampal dysfunction characterizing many transgenic or pharmacological mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vootele Voikar
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sven Krackow
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; XBehavior GmbH, Bänk, Dägerlen, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland; School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Anton Rau
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Chair of Entrepreneurial Risks, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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23
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Fritz AK, Amrein I, Wolfer DP. Similar reliability and equivalent performance of female and male mice in the open field and water-maze place navigation task. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet 2017; 175:380-391. [PMID: 28654717 PMCID: PMC5638061 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Although most nervous system diseases affect women and men differentially, most behavioral studies using mouse models do not include subjects of both sexes. Many researchers worry that data of female mice may be unreliable due to the estrous cycle. Here, we retrospectively evaluated sex effects on coefficient of variation (CV) in 5,311 mice which had performed the same place navigation protocol in the water‐maze and in 4,554 mice tested in the same open field arena. Confidence intervals for Cohen's d as measure of effect size were computed and tested for equivalence with 0.2 as equivalence margin. Despite the large sample size, only few behavioral parameters showed a significant sex effect on CV. Confidence intervals of effect size indicated that CV was either equivalent or showed a small sex difference at most, accounting for less than 2% of total group to group variation of CV. While female mice were potentially slightly more variable in water‐maze acquisition and in the open field, males tended to perform less reliably in the water‐maze probe trial. In addition to evaluating variability, we also directly compared mean performance of female and male mice and found them to be equivalent in both water‐maze place navigation and open field exploration. Our data confirm and extend other large scale studies in demonstrating that including female mice in experiments does not cause a relevant increase of data variability. Our results make a strong case for including mice of both sexes whenever open field or water‐maze are used in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kristina Fritz
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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24
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Alboni S, van Dijk RM, Poggini S, Milior G, Perrotta M, Drenth T, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Amrein I, Cirulli F, Maggi L, Branchi I. Fluoxetine effects on molecular, cellular and behavioral endophenotypes of depression are driven by the living environment. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:552-561. [PMID: 26645631 PMCID: PMC5378807 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) represent the most common treatment for major depression. However, their efficacy is variable and incomplete. In order to elucidate the cause of such incomplete efficacy, we explored the hypothesis positing that SSRIs may not affect mood per se but, by enhancing neural plasticity, render the individual more susceptible to the influence of the environment. Consequently, SSRI administration in a favorable environment promotes a reduction of symptoms, whereas in a stressful environment leads to a worse prognosis. To test such hypothesis, we exposed C57BL/6 mice to chronic stress in order to induce a depression-like phenotype and, subsequently, to fluoxetine treatment (21 days), while being exposed to either an enriched or a stressful condition. We measured the most commonly investigated molecular, cellular and behavioral endophenotypes of depression and SSRI outcome, including depression-like behavior, neurogenesis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and long-term potentiation. Results showed that, in line with our hypothesis, the endophenotypes investigated were affected by the treatment according to the quality of the living environment. In particular, mice treated with fluoxetine in an enriched condition overall improved their depression-like phenotype compared with controls, whereas those treated in a stressful condition showed a distinct worsening. Our findings suggest that the effects of SSRI on the depression- like phenotype is not determined by the drug per se but is induced by the drug and driven by the environment. These findings may be helpful to explain variable effects of SSRI found in clinical practice and to device strategies aimed at enhancing their efficacy by means of controlling environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Alboni
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - R M van Dijk
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - S Poggini
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - G Milior
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - T Drenth
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - N Brunello
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - D P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - C Limatola
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy,IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli IS, Italy
| | - I Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F Cirulli
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - L Maggi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - I Branchi
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy,Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Roma 00161, Italy. E-mail:
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25
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Alboni S, van Dijk RM, Poggini S, Milior G, Perrotta M, Drenth T, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Amrein I, Cirulli F, Maggi L, Branchi I. Fluoxetine effects on molecular, cellular and behavioral endophenotypes of depression are driven by the living environment. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:635. [PMID: 26598067 PMCID: PMC7608288 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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26
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Alboni S, Poggini S, Garofalo S, Milior G, El Hajj H, Lecours C, Girard I, Gagnon S, Boisjoly-Villeneuve S, Brunello N, Wolfer DP, Limatola C, Tremblay MÈ, Maggi L, Branchi I. Fluoxetine treatment affects the inflammatory response and microglial function according to the quality of the living environment. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 58:261-271. [PMID: 27474084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.07.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most common treatment for major depression, affect mood through changes in immune function. However, the effects of SSRIs on inflammatory response are contradictory since these act either as anti- or pro-inflammatory drugs. Previous experimental and clinical studies showed that the quality of the living environment moderates the outcome of antidepressant treatment. Therefore, we hypothesized that the interplay between SSRIs and the environment may, at least partially, explain the apparent incongruence regarding the effects of SSRI treatment on the inflammatory response. In order to investigate such interplay, we exposed C57BL/6 mice to chronic stress to induce a depression-like phenotype and, subsequently, to fluoxetine treatment or vehicle (21days) while being exposed to either an enriched or a stressful condition. At the end of treatment, we measured the expression levels of several anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators in the whole hippocampus and in isolated microglia. We also determined microglial density, distribution, and morphology to investigate their surveillance state. Results show that the effects of fluoxetine treatment on inflammation and microglial function, as compared to vehicle, were dependent on the quality of the living environment. In particular, fluoxetine administered in the enriched condition increased the expression of pro-inflammatory markers compared to vehicle, while treatment in a stressful condition produced anti-inflammatory effects. These findings provide new insights regarding the effects of SSRIs on inflammation, which may be crucial to devise pharmacological strategies aimed at enhancing antidepressant efficacy by means of controlling environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Alboni
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Poggini
- Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Garofalo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Milior
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC UMR S1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Hassan El Hajj
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, Canada
| | - Cynthia Lecours
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Girard
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, Canada
| | - Steven Gagnon
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Nicoletta Brunello
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Limatola
- Pasteur Institute Rome-Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, Canada
| | - Laura Maggi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Igor Branchi
- Section of Behavioural Neurosciences, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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27
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van Dijk RM, Lazic SE, Slomianka L, Wolfer DP, Amrein I. Large-scale phenotyping links adult hippocampal neurogenesis to the reaction to novelty. Hippocampus 2015; 26:646-57. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Maarten van Dijk
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Zürich; Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich; University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport; Department of Health Sciences and Technology; ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
| | - Stanley E. Lazic
- In Silico Lead Discovery, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research; Basel Switzerland
| | | | - David P. Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Zürich; Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich; University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport; Department of Health Sciences and Technology; ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy; University of Zürich; Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich; University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
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28
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Mircsof D, Langouët M, Rio M, Moutton S, Siquier-Pernet K, Bole-Feysot C, Cagnard N, Nitschke P, Gaspar L, Žnidarič M, Alibeu O, Fritz AK, Wolfer DP, Schröter A, Bosshard G, Rudin M, Koester C, Crestani F, Seebeck P, Boddaert N, Prescott K, Hines R, Moss SJ, Fritschy JM, Munnich A, Amiel J, Brown SA, Tyagarajan SK, Colleaux L. Mutations in NONO lead to syndromic intellectual disability and inhibitory synaptic defects. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1731-6. [PMID: 26571461 PMCID: PMC5392243 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The NONO protein has been characterized as an important transcriptional regulator in diverse cellular contexts. Here we show that loss of NONO function is a likely cause of human intellectual disability and that NONO-deficient mice have cognitive and affective deficits. Correspondingly, we find specific defects at inhibitory synapses, where NONO regulates synaptic transcription and gephyrin scaffold structure. Our data identify NONO as a possible neurodevelopmental disease gene and highlight the key role of the DBHS protein family in functional organization of GABAergic synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Mircsof
- Chronobiology and Sleep Research Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Neuromorphology Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Maéva Langouët
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Marlène Rio
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France.,Service de Génétique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Moutton
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Karine Siquier-Pernet
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Christine Bole-Feysot
- Genomic Platform, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Cagnard
- Bioinformatic Platform, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Nitschke
- Bioinformatic Platform, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Ludmila Gaspar
- Chronobiology and Sleep Research Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Matej Žnidarič
- Chronobiology and Sleep Research Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Alibeu
- Genomic Platform, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Ann-Kristina Fritz
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich and Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich and Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Aileen Schröter
- Molecular Imaging and Functional Pharmacology Group, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna Bosshard
- Neuromorphology Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Rudin
- Molecular Imaging and Functional Pharmacology Group, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christina Koester
- Neuromorphology Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Florence Crestani
- Neuromorphology Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Seebeck
- Center for Integrative Rodent Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Boddaert
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France.,Service de radiologie pédiatrique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Katrina Prescott
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Department of Clinical Genetics, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Chapeltown Road, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Rochelle Hines
- Tufts University, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Steven J Moss
- Tufts University, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Fritschy
- Neuromorphology Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Arnold Munnich
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Jeanne Amiel
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France.,Service de Génétique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Steven A Brown
- Chronobiology and Sleep Research Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Shiva K Tyagarajan
- Neuromorphology Group, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Laurence Colleaux
- INSERM UMR 1163, Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University, Imagine Institute, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
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Blaser N, Guskov SI, Entin VA, Wolfer DP, Kanevskyi VA, Lipp HP. Gravity anomalies without geomagnetic disturbances interfere with pigeon homing--a GPS tracking study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 217:4057-67. [PMID: 25392461 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.108670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The gravity vector theory postulates that birds determine their position to set a home course by comparing the memorized gravity vector at the home loft with the local gravity vector at the release site, and that they should adjust their flight course to the gravity anomalies encountered. As gravity anomalies are often intermingled with geomagnetic anomalies, we released experienced pigeons from the center of a strong circular gravity anomaly (25 km diameter) not associated with magnetic anomalies and from a geophysical control site, equidistant from the home loft (91 km). After crossing the border zone of the anomaly--expected to be most critical for pigeon navigation--they dispersed significantly more than control birds, except for those having met a gravity anomaly en route. These data increase the credibility of the gravity vector hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Blaser
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, 8053 Zurich, Switzerland Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | | | | | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, 8053 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, 8053 Zurich, Switzerland Department of Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, KwaZulu-Natal University, Durban 4000, South Africa
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30
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Huang S, Slomianka L, Farmer AJ, Kharlamova AV, Gulevich RG, Herbeck YE, Trut LN, Wolfer DP, Amrein I. Selection for tameness, a key behavioral trait of domestication, increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis in foxes. Hippocampus 2015; 25:963-75. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shihhui Huang
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport; ETH Zurich Zürich Switzerland
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy; Institute of Anatomy, Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
| | - Lutz Slomianka
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy; Institute of Anatomy, Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - Anastasiya V. Kharlamova
- Division of Siberian; Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Rimma G. Gulevich
- Division of Siberian; Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Yury E. Herbeck
- Division of Siberian; Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk Russia
| | - Lyudmila N. Trut
- Division of Siberian; Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Novosibirsk Russia
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport; ETH Zurich Zürich Switzerland
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy; Institute of Anatomy, Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology ZIHP; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy; Institute of Anatomy, Functional Neuroanatomy, University of Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zürich Switzerland
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31
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Wöhr M, Orduz D, Gregory P, Moreno H, Khan U, Vörckel KJ, Wolfer DP, Welzl H, Gall D, Schiffmann SN, Schwaller B. Lack of parvalbumin in mice leads to behavioral deficits relevant to all human autism core symptoms and related neural morphofunctional abnormalities. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e525. [PMID: 25756808 PMCID: PMC4354349 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene mutations and gene copy number variants are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Affected gene products are often part of signaling networks implicated in synapse formation and/or function leading to alterations in the excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance. Although the network of parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons has gained particular attention in ASD, little is known on PV's putative role with respect to ASD. Genetic mouse models represent powerful translational tools for studying the role of genetic and neurobiological factors underlying ASD. Here, we report that PV knockout mice (PV(-/-)) display behavioral phenotypes with relevance to all three core symptoms present in human ASD patients: abnormal reciprocal social interactions, impairments in communication and repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior. PV-depleted mice also showed several signs of ASD-associated comorbidities, such as reduced pain sensitivity and startle responses yet increased seizure susceptibility, whereas no evidence for behavioral phenotypes with relevance to anxiety, depression and schizophrenia was obtained. Reduced social interactions and communication were also observed in heterozygous (PV(+/-)) mice characterized by lower PV expression levels, indicating that merely a decrease in PV levels might be sufficient to elicit core ASD-like deficits. Structural magnetic resonance imaging measurements in PV(-/-) and PV(+/-) mice further revealed ASD-associated developmental neuroanatomical changes, including transient cortical hypertrophy and cerebellar hypoplasia. Electrophysiological experiments finally demonstrated that the E/I balance in these mice is altered by modification of both inhibitory and excitatory synaptic transmission. On the basis of the reported changes in PV expression patterns in several, mostly genetic rodent models of ASD, we propose that in these models downregulation of PV might represent one of the points of convergence, thus providing a common link between apparently unrelated ASD-associated synapse structure/function phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Wöhr
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - D Orduz
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - P Gregory
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - H Moreno
- Department of Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, The Robert F Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - U Khan
- Department of Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, The Robert F Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - K J Vörckel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - D P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland,Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, D-HEST, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - H Welzl
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - D Gall
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - S N Schiffmann
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - B Schwaller
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland,Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, Fribourg CH 1700, Switzerland. E-mail:
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32
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Hick M, Herrmann U, Weyer SW, Mallm JP, Tschäpe JA, Borgers M, Mercken M, Roth FC, Draguhn A, Slomianka L, Wolfer DP, Korte M, Müller UC. Acute function of secreted amyloid precursor protein fragment APPsα in synaptic plasticity. Acta Neuropathol 2015; 129:21-37. [PMID: 25432317 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-014-1368-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The key role of APP in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease is well established. However, postnatal lethality of double knockout mice has so far precluded the analysis of the physiological functions of APP and the APLPs in the brain. Previously, APP family proteins have been implicated in synaptic adhesion, and analysis of the neuromuscular junction of constitutive APP/APLP2 mutant mice showed deficits in synaptic morphology and neuromuscular transmission. Here, we generated animals with a conditional APP/APLP2 double knockout (cDKO) in excitatory forebrain neurons using NexCre mice. Electrophysiological recordings of adult NexCre cDKOs indicated a strong synaptic phenotype with pronounced deficits in the induction and maintenance of hippocampal LTP and impairments in paired pulse facilitation, indicating a possible presynaptic deficit. These deficits were also reflected in impairments in nesting behavior and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory tasks, including deficits in Morris water maze and radial maze performance. Moreover, while no gross alterations of brain morphology were detectable in NexCre cDKO mice, quantitative analysis of adult hippocampal CA1 neurons revealed prominent reductions in total neurite length, dendritic branching, reduced spine density and reduced spine head volume. Strikingly, the impairment of LTP could be selectively rescued by acute application of exogenous recombinant APPsα, but not APPsβ, indicating a crucial role for APPsα to support synaptic plasticity of mature hippocampal synapses on a rapid time scale. Collectively, our analysis reveals an essential role of APP family proteins in excitatory principal neurons for mediating normal dendritic architecture, spine density and morphology, synaptic plasticity and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Hick
- Department of Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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33
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Vannoni E, Voikar V, Colacicco G, Sánchez MA, Lipp HP, Wolfer DP. Spontaneous behavior in the social homecage discriminates strains, lesions and mutations in mice. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 234:26-37. [PMID: 24792526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 04/20/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern molecular genetics create a rapidly growing number of mutant mouse lines, many of which need to be phenotyped behaviorally. Poor reliability and low efficiency of traditional behavioral tests have prompted the development of new approaches to behavioral phenotyping, such as fully automated analysis of behavior in the homecage. NEW METHOD We asked whether the analysis of spontaneous behavior during the first week in the social homecage system IntelliCage could provide useful prescreening information before specialized and time consuming test batteries are run. To determine how much behavioral variation is captured in this data, we performed principal component analysis on free adaptation data of 1552 mice tested in the IntelliCage during the past years. We then computed individual component scores to characterize and compare groups of mice. RESULT We found 11 uncorrelated components which accounted for 82% of total variance. They characterize frequency and properties of corner visits and nosepokes, drinking activity, spatial distribution, as well as diurnal time course of activity. Behavioral profiles created using individual component scores were highly characteristic for different inbred strains or different lesion models of the nervous system. They were also remarkably stable across labs and experiments. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Monitoring of mutant mice with known deficits in hippocampus-dependent tests produced profiles very similar to those of hippocampally lesioned mice. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results suggest that already the monitoring of spontaneous behavior during a week of free adaptation in the IntelliCage can contribute significantly to high throughput prescreening of mutant mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - María Alvarez Sánchez
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; School of Laboratory Medicine, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
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34
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Albuquerque B, Häussler A, Vannoni E, Wolfer DP, Tegeder I. Learning and memory with neuropathic pain: impact of old age and progranulin deficiency. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:174. [PMID: 24319417 PMCID: PMC3837228 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistent neuropathic pain is a frequent consequence of peripheral nerve injuries, particularly in the elderly. Using the IntelliCage we studied if sciatic nerve injury obstructed learning and memory in young and aged mice, each in wild type and progranulin deficient mice, which develop premature signs of brain aging. Both young and aged mice developed long-term nerve injury-evoked hyperalgesia and allodynia. In both genotypes, aged mice with neuropathic pain showed high error rates in place avoidance acquisition tasks. However, once learnt, these aged mice with neuropathic pain showed a significantly stronger maintenance of the aversive memory. Nerve injury did not affect place preference behavior in neither genotype, neither in young nor aged mice. However, nerve injury in progranulin deficient mice impaired the learning of spatial sequences of awarded places, particularly in the aged mice. This task required a discrimination of clockwise and anti-clockwise sequences. The chaining failure occurred only in progranulin deficient mice after nerve injury, but not in sham operated or wildtype mice, suggesting that progranulin was particularly important for compensatory adaptations after nerve injury. In contrast, all aged mice with neuropathic pain, irrespective of the genotype, had a long maintenance of aversive memory suggesting a negative alliance and possibly mutual aggravation of chronic neuropathic pain and aversive memory at old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Albuquerque
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, pharmazentrum frankfurt, Goethe-University Hospital Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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35
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Kobayashi Y, Sano Y, Vannoni E, Goto H, Suzuki H, Oba A, Kawasaki H, Kanba S, Lipp HP, Murphy NP, Wolfer DP, Itohara S. Genetic dissection of medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus pathway function in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:17. [PMID: 23487260 PMCID: PMC3594921 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The habenular complex linking forebrain and midbrain structures is subdivided into the medial (mHb) and the lateral nuclei (lHb). The mHb is characterized by the expression of specific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor isoforms and the release of acetylcholine to the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN), the sole output region of the mHb. The specific function of this circuit, however, is poorly understood. Here we generated transgenic mice in which mHb cells were selectively ablated postnatally. These lesions led to large reductions in acetylcholine levels within the IPN. The mutant mice exhibited abnormalities in a wide range of behavioral domains. They tended to be hyperactive during the early night period and were maladapted when repeatedly exposed to new environments. Mutant mice also showed a high rate of premature responses in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), indicating impulsive and compulsive behavior. Additionally, mice also exhibited delay and effort aversion in a decision-making test, deficits in spatial memory, a subtle increase in anxiety levels, and attenuated sensorimotor gating. IntelliCage studies under social housing conditions confirmed hyperactivity, environmental maladaptation, and impulsive/compulsive behavior, delay discounting, deficits in long-term spatial memory, and reduced flexibility in complex learning paradigms. In 5-CSRTT and adaptation tasks, systemic administration of nicotine slowed down nose-poke reaction and enhanced adaptation in control but not mutant mice. These findings demonstrate that the mHb–IPN pathway plays a crucial role in inhibitory control and cognition-dependent executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kobayashi
- Laboratory for Behavioral Genetics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute Saitama, Japan
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36
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d'Isa R, Clapcote SJ, Voikar V, Wolfer DP, Giese KP, Brambilla R, Fasano S. Mice Lacking Ras-GRF1 Show Contextual Fear Conditioning but not Spatial Memory Impairments: Convergent Evidence from Two Independently Generated Mouse Mutant Lines. Front Behav Neurosci 2011; 5:78. [PMID: 22164138 PMCID: PMC3230787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras-GRF1 is a neuronal specific guanine exchange factor that, once activated by both ionotropic and metabotropic neurotransmitter receptors, can stimulate Ras proteins, leading to long-term phosphorylation of downstream signaling. The two available reports on the behavior of two independently generated Ras-GRF1 deficient mouse lines provide contrasting evidence on the role of Ras-GRF1 in spatial memory and contextual fear conditioning. These discrepancies may be due to the distinct alterations introduced in the mouse genome by gene targeting in the two lines that could differentially affect expression of nearby genes located in the imprinted region containing the Ras-grf1 locus. In order to determine the real contribution of Ras-GRF1 to spatial memory we compared in Morris Water Maze learning Brambilla’s mice with a third mouse line (GENA53) in which a non-sense mutation was introduced in the Ras-GRF1 coding region without additional changes in the genome and we found that memory in this task is normal. Also, we measured both contextual and cued fear conditioning, which were previously reported to be affected in Brambilla’s mice, and we confirmed that contextual learning but not cued conditioning is impaired in both mouse lines. In addition, we also tested both lines for the first time in conditioned place aversion in the Intellicage, an ecological and remotely controlled behavioral test, and we observed normal learning. Finally, based on previous reports of other mutant lines suggesting that Ras-GRF1 may control body weight, we also measured this non-cognitive phenotype and we confirmed that both Ras-GRF1 deficient mutants are smaller than their control littermates. In conclusion, we demonstrate that Ras-GRF1 has no unique role in spatial memory while its function in contextual fear conditioning is likely to be due not only to its involvement in amygdala functions but possibly to some distinct hippocampal connections specific to contextual learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele d'Isa
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University Milano, Italy
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37
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Slomianka L, Amrein I, Knuesel I, Sørensen JC, Wolfer DP. Hippocampal pyramidal cells: the reemergence of cortical lamination. Brain Struct Funct 2011; 216:301-17. [PMID: 21597968 PMCID: PMC3197924 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-011-0322-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The increasing resolution of tract-tracing studies has led to the definition of segments along the transverse axis of the hippocampal pyramidal cell layer, which may represent functionally defined elements. This review will summarize evidence for a morphological and functional differentiation of pyramidal cells along the radial (deep to superficial) axis of the cell layer. In many species, deep and superficial sublayers can be identified histologically throughout large parts of the septotemporal extent of the hippocampus. Neurons in these sublayers are generated during different periods of development. During development, deep and superficial cells express genes (Sox5, SatB2) that also specify the phenotypes of superficial and deep cells in the neocortex. Deep and superficial cells differ neurochemically (e.g. calbindin and zinc) and in their adult gene expression patterns. These markers also distinguish sublayers in the septal hippocampus, where they are not readily apparent histologically in rat or mouse. Deep and superficial pyramidal cells differ in septal, striatal, and neocortical efferent connections. Distributions of deep and superficial pyramidal cell dendrites and studies in reeler or sparsely GFP-expressing mice indicate that this also applies to afferent pathways. Histological, neurochemical, and connective differences between deep and superficial neurons may correlate with (patho-) physiological phenomena specific to pyramidal cells at different radial locations. We feel that an appreciation of radial subdivisions in the pyramidal cell layer reminiscent of lamination in other cortical areas may be critical in the interpretation of studies of hippocampal anatomy and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Slomianka
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
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38
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Weyer SW, Klevanski M, Delekate A, Voikar V, Aydin D, Hick M, Filippov M, Drost N, Schaller KL, Saar M, Vogt MA, Gass P, Samanta A, Jäschke A, Korte M, Wolfer DP, Caldwell JH, Müller UC. APP and APLP2 are essential at PNS and CNS synapses for transmission, spatial learning and LTP. EMBO J 2011; 30:2266-80. [PMID: 21522131 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2011.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its key role in Alzheimer pathogenesis, the physiological function(s) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its proteolytic fragments are still poorly understood. Previously, we generated APPsα knock-in (KI) mice expressing solely the secreted ectodomain APPsα. Here, we generated double mutants (APPsα-DM) by crossing APPsα-KI mice onto an APLP2-deficient background and show that APPsα rescues the postnatal lethality of the majority of APP/APLP2 double knockout mice. Surviving APPsα-DM mice exhibited impaired neuromuscular transmission, with reductions in quantal content, readily releasable pool, and ability to sustain vesicle release that resulted in muscular weakness. We show that these defects may be due to loss of an APP/Mint2/Munc18 complex. Moreover, APPsα-DM muscle showed fragmented post-synaptic specializations, suggesting impaired postnatal synaptic maturation and/or maintenance. Despite normal CNS morphology and unaltered basal synaptic transmission, young APPsα-DM mice already showed pronounced hippocampal dysfunction, impaired spatial learning and a deficit in LTP that could be rescued by GABA(A) receptor inhibition. Collectively, our data show that APLP2 and APP are synergistically required to mediate neuromuscular transmission, spatial learning and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha W Weyer
- Department of Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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39
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Richter SH, Garner JP, Zipser B, Lewejohann L, Sachser N, Touma C, Schindler B, Chourbaji S, Brandwein C, Gass P, van Stipdonk N, van der Harst J, Spruijt B, Võikar V, Wolfer DP, Würbel H. Effect of population heterogenization on the reproducibility of mouse behavior: a multi-laboratory study. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16461. [PMID: 21305027 PMCID: PMC3031565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 12/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In animal experiments, animals, husbandry and test procedures are traditionally standardized to maximize test sensitivity and minimize animal use, assuming that this will also guarantee reproducibility. However, by reducing within-experiment variation, standardization may limit inference to the specific experimental conditions. Indeed, we have recently shown in mice that standardization may generate spurious results in behavioral tests, accounting for poor reproducibility, and that this can be avoided by population heterogenization through systematic variation of experimental conditions. Here, we examined whether a simple form of heterogenization effectively improves reproducibility of test results in a multi-laboratory situation. Each of six laboratories independently ordered 64 female mice of two inbred strains (C57BL/6NCrl, DBA/2NCrl) and examined them for strain differences in five commonly used behavioral tests under two different experimental designs. In the standardized design, experimental conditions were standardized as much as possible in each laboratory, while they were systematically varied with respect to the animals' test age and cage enrichment in the heterogenized design. Although heterogenization tended to improve reproducibility by increasing within-experiment variation relative to between-experiment variation, the effect was too weak to account for the large variation between laboratories. However, our findings confirm the potential of systematic heterogenization for improving reproducibility of animal experiments and highlight the need for effective and practicable heterogenization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Helene Richter
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany
- Animal Welfare and Ethology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Joseph P. Garner
- Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Zipser
- Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Chadi Touma
- Psychoneuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Britta Schindler
- Psychoneuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Chourbaji
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Brandwein
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Vootele Võikar
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Animal Welfare and Ethology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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40
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Krackow S, Vannoni E, Codita A, Mohammed AH, Cirulli F, Branchi I, Alleva E, Reichelt A, Willuweit A, Voikar V, Colacicco G, Wolfer DP, Buschmann JUF, Safi K, Lipp HP. Consistent behavioral phenotype differences between inbred mouse strains in the IntelliCage. Genes Brain Behav 2010; 9:722-31. [PMID: 20528956 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2010.00606.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The between-laboratory effects on behavioral phenotypes and spatial learning performance of three strains of laboratory mice known for divergent behavioral phenotypes were evaluated in a fully balanced and synchronized study using a completely automated behavioral phenotyping device (IntelliCage). Activity pattern and spatial conditioning performance differed consistently between strains, i.e. exhibited no interaction with the between-laboratory factor, whereas the gross laboratory effect showed up significantly in the majority of measures. It is argued that overall differences between laboratories may not realistically be preventable, as subtle differences in animal housing and treatment will not be controllable, in practice. However, consistency of strain (or treatment) effects appears to be far more important in behavioral and brain sciences than the absolute overall level of such measures. In this respect, basic behavioral and learning measures proved to be highly consistent in the IntelliCage, therefore providing a valid basis for meaningful research hypothesis testing. Also, potential heterogeneity of behavioral status because of environmental and social enrichment has no detectable negative effect on the consistency of strain effects. We suggest that the absence of human interference during behavioral testing is the most prominent advantage of the IntelliCage and suspect that this is likely responsible for the between-laboratory consistency of findings, although we are aware that this ultimately needs direct testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Krackow
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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41
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Coomaraswamy J, Kilger E, Woelfing H, Schaefer C, Kaeser SA, Wegenast-Braun B, Hefendehl JK, Wolburg H, Mazzella M, Ghiso J, Goedert M, Akiyama H, Garcia-Sierra F, Wolfer DP, Mathews PM, Jucker M. O4‐05‐05: Modeling familial danish dementia: Implications for the amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ellen Kilger
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchTuebingen Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hartwig Wolburg
- Department of Pathology University of TuebingenTuebingen Germany
| | | | - Jorge Ghiso
- New York University School of MedicineNew York NY USA
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridge United Kingdom
| | | | - Francisco Garcia-Sierra
- Center of Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic InstituteMexico City Mexico
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of ZurichZurich Switzerland
| | | | - Mathias Jucker
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchTuebingen Germany
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42
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Althoff GEM, Wolfer DP, Timmesfeld N, Kanzler B, Schrewe H, Pagenstecher A. Long-term expression of tissue-inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 in the murine central nervous system does not alter the morphological and behavioral phenotype but alleviates the course of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Am J Pathol 2010; 177:840-53. [PMID: 20558576 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are a family of closely related proteins that inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In the central nervous system (CNS), TIMPs 2, 3, and 4 are constitutively expressed at high levels, whereas TIMP1 can be induced by various stimuli. Here, we studied the effects of constitutive expression of TIMP1 in the CNS in transgenic mice. Transgene expression started prenatally and persisted throughout lifetime at high levels. Since MMP activity has been implicated in CNS development, in proper function of the adult CNS, and in inflammatory disorders, we investigated Timp1-induced CNS alterations. Despite sufficient MMP inhibition, high expressor transgenic mice had a normal phenotype. The absence of compensatory up-regulation of MMP genes in the CNS of Timp1 transgenic mice indicates that development, learning, and memory functions do not require the entire MMP arsenal. To elucidate the effects of strong Timp1 expression in CNS inflammation, we induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. We observed a Timp1 dose-dependent mitigation of both experimental allergic encephalomyelitis symptoms and histological lesions in the CNS of transgenic mice. All in all, our data demonstrate that (1) long-term CNS expression of TIMP1 with complete suppression of gelatinolytic activity does not interfere with physiological brain function and (2) TIMP1 might constitute a promising candidate for long-term therapeutic treatment of inflammatory CNS diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioia E M Althoff
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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43
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Shimokawa N, Haglund K, Hölter SM, Grabbe C, Kirkin V, Koibuchi N, Schultz C, Rozman J, Hoeller D, Qiu CH, Londoño MB, Ikezawa J, Jedlicka P, Stein B, Schwarzacher SW, Wolfer DP, Ehrhardt N, Heuchel R, Nezis I, Brech A, Schmidt MHH, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Klingenspor M, Bogler O, Wurst W, Deller T, de Angelis MH, Dikic I. CIN85 regulates dopamine receptor endocytosis and governs behaviour in mice. EMBO J 2010; 29:2421-32. [PMID: 20551902 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2009] [Accepted: 05/17/2010] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive investigations of Cbl-interacting protein of 85 kDa (CIN85) in receptor trafficking and cytoskeletal dynamics, little is known about its functions in vivo. Here, we report the study of a mouse deficient of the two CIN85 isoforms expressed in the central nervous system, exposing a function of CIN85 in dopamine receptor endocytosis. Mice lacking CIN85 exon 2 (CIN85(Deltaex2)) show hyperactivity phenotypes, characterized by increased physical activity and exploratory behaviour. Interestingly, CIN85(Deltaex2) animals display abnormally high levels of dopamine and D2 dopamine receptors (D2DRs) in the striatum, an important centre for the coordination of animal behaviour. Importantly, CIN85 localizes to the post-synaptic compartment of striatal neurons in which it co-clusters with D2DRs. Moreover, it interacts with endocytic regulators such as dynamin and endophilins in the striatum. Absence of striatal CIN85 causes insufficient complex formation of endophilins with D2DRs in the striatum and ultimately decreased D2DR endocytosis in striatal neurons in response to dopamine stimulation. These findings indicate an important function of CIN85 in the regulation of dopamine receptor functions and provide a molecular explanation for the hyperactive behaviour of CIN85(Deltaex2) mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriaki Shimokawa
- Institute of Biochemistry II and Cluster of Excellence Macromolecular Complexes, Goethe University, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
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44
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Voikar V, Colacicco G, Gruber O, Vannoni E, Lipp HP, Wolfer DP. Conditioned response suppression in the IntelliCage: assessment of mouse strain differences and effects of hippocampal and striatal lesions on acquisition and retention of memory. Behav Brain Res 2010; 213:304-12. [PMID: 20493907 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2010] [Revised: 05/09/2010] [Accepted: 05/12/2010] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The IntelliCage allows fully automated continuous testing of various behaviours in the home cage environment without handling the mice. Here we tested whether conditioned avoidance is retained after a time period delay spent outside the IntelliCage. During the training, nosepokes in one of the four learning corners were punished with an air-puff. After 24h of training, the mice were placed in regular cages for 24h. During the last 18h of this interval, the mice were water deprived and then returned to the IntelliCage for a probe trial where drinking was allowed in all corners. The C57BL/6 mice developed a significant suppression of nosepoking in the punished corner during training, and the avoidance was carried over to the following probe trial. Repetition of the experiment by delivering punishment in a different corner assigned to individual mice revealed a similar performance pattern. Comparison between the different strains revealed a reduced nosepoke suppression in DBA/2 and B6D2F1 mice as compared to C57BL/6 mice in the probe trial, despite similar error rates during the training with short (1-s) air-puffs. However, the performance of the three strains in the probe trial were equalised when the air-puffs were prolonged until the end of the corner visit. Significant extinction of the nosepoke suppression occurred after 6 days. A prolonged interval (7 days) between the training and the probe trial resulted in a loss of suppression in DBA/2 mice, but not in C57BL/6 and B6D2F1 mice. Additional experiments revealed that performance in the probe trial was dependent on a complex set of intramaze cues. Testing of mice with bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the hippocampus or dorso-lateral striatum revealed that learning this task was dependent on an intact hippocampus, but not on an intact striatum. In summary, the conditioned nosepoke suppression test presented here is sensitive to both genetic differences and hippocampal lesions. This test could be applied to the screening of mutant mice with impaired hippocampal functions more efficiently than those of the standard memory tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vootele Voikar
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland.
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45
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease, responsible for the vast majority of dementia cases in the elderly population, is caused by accumulation of toxic levels of amyloid beta peptide (A beta) in the brain. Neprilysin is a major enzyme responsible for the degradation of A beta in vivo. We have previously shown that elevation of neprilysin levels in the brain delays the deposition of A beta-plaques in a mouse model of amyloidosis and that lack of neprilysin leads to increased A beta generation and to signs of incipient neurodegeneration in mouse brains. This study was designed to test whether low brain levels of neprilysin affect the amyloid pathology or perturb the learning and memory performance of mice. Double-mutated mice carrying a targeted depletion of one allele of Mme, the gene encoding neprilysin, and over-expressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP), exhibited a reinforced amyloid pathology in comparison with their APP transgenic littermates. Moreover, in contrast to their parental lines, these mice were impaired in the Morris water maze learning and memory paradigm and showed facilitated extinction in the conditioned taste aversion test. These data suggest that even a partial neprilysin deficiency, as is found during aging, exacerbates amyloid pathology and may impair cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hasan Mohajeri
- Division of Psychiatry Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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46
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Ackermann TF, Hörtnagl H, Wolfer DP, Colacicco G, Sohr R, Lang F, Hellweg R, Lang UE. Phosphatidylinositide Dependent Kinase Deficiency Increases Anxiety and Decreases GABA and Serotonin Abundance in the Amygdala. Cell Physiol Biochem 2008; 22:735-44. [DOI: 10.1159/000185557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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47
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Dell'Ariccia G, Dell'Omo G, Wolfer DP, Lipp HP. Flock flying improves pigeons' homing: GPS track analysis of individual flyers versus small groups. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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48
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Kilic E, Kilic U, Bacigaluppi M, Guo Z, Abdallah NB, Wolfer DP, Reiter RJ, Hermann DM, Bassetti CL. Delayed melatonin administration promotes neuronal survival, neurogenesis and motor recovery, and attenuates hyperactivity and anxiety after mild focal cerebral ischemia in mice. J Pineal Res 2008; 45:142-8. [PMID: 18284547 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-079x.2008.00568.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin is a potent antioxidant with neuroprotective activity in animal models of ischemic stroke, which based on its lack of serious toxicity has raised hopes that it might be used for human stroke treatment in the future. This study investigated how subacute delivery of melatonin, starting at 24 hr after stroke onset, and continuing for 29 days (4 mg/kg/day; via drinking water), influences neuronal survival, endogenous neurogenesis, motor recovery and locomotor activity in C57Bl6/j mice submitted to 30-min middle cerebral artery occlusion. Histologic studies showed that melatonin improved neuronal survival and enhanced neurogenesis, even when applied 1 day after stroke. Cell survival was associated with a long-lasting improvement of motor and coordination deficits, evaluated by the grip strength and RotaRod tests, as well as with attenuation of hyperactivity and anxiety of the animals as revealed in open field tests. The robust functional neurologic improvements encourage proof-of-concept studies with melatonin in human stroke patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ertugrul Kilic
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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49
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Ring S, Weyer SW, Kilian SB, Waldron E, Pietrzik CU, Filippov MA, Herms J, Buchholz C, Eckman CB, Korte M, Wolfer DP, Müller UC. The secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein ectodomain APPs alpha is sufficient to rescue the anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological abnormalities of APP-deficient mice. J Neurosci 2007; 27:7817-26. [PMID: 17634375 PMCID: PMC6672885 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1026-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 298] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that the proteolytic processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates beta-amyloid (Abeta), which plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In contrast, the physiological role of APP and of its numerous proteolytic fragments and the question of whether a loss of these functions contributes to AD are still unknown. To address this question, we replaced the endogenous APP locus by gene-targeted alleles and generated two lines of knock-in mice that exclusively express APP deletion variants corresponding either to the secreted APP ectodomain (APPs alpha) or to a C-terminal (CT) truncation lacking the YENPTY interaction motif (APPdeltaCT15). Interestingly, the deltaCT15 deletion resulted in reduced turnover of holoAPP, increased cell surface expression, and strongly reduced Abeta levels in brain, likely because of reduced processing in the endocytic pathway. Most importantly, we demonstrate that in both APP knock-in lines the expression of APP N-terminal domains either grossly attenuated or completely rescued the prominent deficits of APP knock-out mice, such as reductions in brain and body weight, grip strength deficits, alterations in circadian locomotor activity, exploratory activity, and the impairment in spatial learning and long-term potentiation. Together, our data suggest that the APP C terminus is dispensable and that APPs alpha is sufficient to mediate the physiological functions of APP assessed by these tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Ring
- Department of Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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50
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Madani R, Poirier R, Wolfer DP, Welzl H, Groscurth P, Lipp HP, Lu B, El Mouedden M, Mercken M, Nitsch RM, Mohajeri MH. Lack of neprilysin suffices to generate murine amyloid-like deposits in the brain and behavioral deficit in vivo. J Neurosci Res 2007; 84:1871-8. [PMID: 16998901 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.21074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Accumulation of the beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) in the brain is a major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), leading to synaptic dysfunction, neuronal death, and memory impairment. The levels of neprilysin, a major Abeta-degrading enzyme, are decreased in AD brains and during aging. Because neprilysin cleaves Abeta in vivo, its down-regulation may contribute to the pathophysiology of AD. The aim of this study was to assess the consequences of neprilysin deficiency on accumulation of murine Abeta in brains and associated pathologies in vivo by investigating neprilysin-deficient mice on biochemical, morphological, and behavioral levels. Aged neprilysin-deficient mice expressed physiological amyloid precursor protein (APP) levels and exhibited elevated brain Abeta concentrations and amyloid-like deposits in addition to signs of neuronal degeneration in their brains. Behaviorally, neprilysin-deficient mice acquired a significantly weaker conditioned taste aversion that extinguished faster than the aversion of age-matched controls. Our data establish that, under physiological APP expression levels, neprilysin deficiency is associated with increased Abeta accumulation in the brain and leads to deposition of amyloid-like structures in vivo as well as with signs of AD-like pathology and with behavioral deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rime Madani
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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