Neural adaption in midbrain GABAergic cells contributes to high-fat diet-induced obesity

Overeating disorders largely contribute to worldwide incidences of obesity. Available treatments are limited. Here, we discovered that long-term chemogenetic activation of ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) GABAergic cells rescue obesity of high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. This was associated with the recovery of enhanced mIPSCs, decreased food intake, increased energy expenditure, and inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) browning. In vivo calcium imaging confirmed vlPAG GABAergic suppression for DIO mice, with corresponding reduction in intrinsic excitability. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing identified transcriptional expression changes in GABAergic cell subtypes in DIO mice, highlighting Cacna2d1 as of potential importance. Overexpressing CACNA2D1 in vlPAG GABAergic cells of DIO mice rescued enhanced mIPSCs and calcium response, reversed obesity, and therefore presented here as a potential target for obesity treatment.

Increasing the Excitatory Drive Rescues Excitatory/Inhibitory Imbalance and Mismatch Negativity Deficit Caused by Parvalbumin Specific GluA1 Deletion

Disturbance in synaptic excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) transmission in the prefrontal cortex is considered a critical factor for cognitive dysfunction, a core symptom in schizophrenia. However, the cortical network pathophysiology induced by E/I imbalance is not well characterized, and an effective therapeutic strategy is lacking. In this study, we simulated imbalanced cortical network by using mice with parvalbumin neuron (PV) specific knockout of GluA1 (AMPA receptor subunit 1) (Gria1-PV KO) as an experimental model. Applying high-content confocal imaging and electrophysiological recordings in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), we found structural and functional alterations in the local network of Gria1-PV KO mice. Additionally, we applied electroencephalography (EEG) to assess potential deficits in mismatch negativity (MMN), the standard readout in the clinic for measuring deviance detection and sensory information processing. Gria1-PV KO animals exhibited abnormal theta oscillation and MMN, which is consistent with clinical findings in cognitively impaired patients. Remarkably, we demonstrated that the glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitor, Bitopertin, ameliorates E/I imbalance, hyperexcitability, and sensory processing malfunction in Gria1-PV KO mice. Our results suggest that PV-specific deletion of GluA1 might be an experimental approach for back translating the E/I imbalance observed in schizophrenic patients. Our work offers a systematic workflow to understand the effect of GlyT1 inhibition in restoring cortical network activity from single cells to local brain circuitry. This study highlights that selectively boosting NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory drive to enhance the network inhibitory transmission from interneurons to pyramidal neurons (PYs) is a potential therapeutic strategy for restoring E/I imbalance-associated cognitive-related abnormality.

Noelin1 Affects Lateral Mobility of Synaptic AMPA Receptors

Lateral diffusion on the neuronal plasma membrane of the AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR) serves an important role in synaptic plasticity. We investigated the role of the secreted glycoprotein Noelin1 (Olfactomedin-1 or Pancortin) in AMPAR lateral mobility and its dependence on the extracellular matrix (ECM). We found that Noelin1 interacts with the AMPAR with high affinity, however, without affecting rise- and decay time and desensitization properties. Noelin1 co-localizes with synaptic and extra-synaptic AMPARs and is expressed at synapses in an activity-dependent manner. Single-particle tracking shows that Noelin1 reduces lateral mobility of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GluA1-containing receptors and affects short-term plasticity. While the ECM does not constrain the synaptic pool of AMPARs and acts only extrasynaptically, Noelin1 contributes to synaptic potentiation by limiting AMPAR mobility at synaptic sites. This is the first evidence for the role of a secreted AMPAR-interacting protein on mobility of GluA1-containing receptors and synaptic plasticity.

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Noelin1 interacts with high affinity to AMPA receptors (AMPARs)

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Noelin1 is secreted upon cellular stimulation

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(Extra)synaptic AMPAR mobility, but not channel properties, are affected by Noelin1

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Reducing synaptic AMPAR lateral mobility by Noelin1 limits synaptic plasticity

Allosteric Activation of Striatal-Enriched Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (STEP, PTPN5) by a Fragment-like Molecule

Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 5 (PTPN5, STEP) is a brain specific phosphatase that regulates synaptic function and plasticity by modulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) trafficking. Dysregulation of STEP has been linked to neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, highlighting this enzyme as an attractive therapeutic target for drug discovery. Selective targeting of STEP with small molecules has been hampered by high conservation of the active site among protein tyrosine phosphatases. We report the discovery of the first small molecule allosteric activator for STEP that binds to the phosphatase domain. Allosteric binding is confirmed by both X-ray and ¹⁵N NMR experiments, and specificity has been demonstrated by an enzymatic test cascade. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate stimulation of enzymatic activity by a long-range allosteric mechanism. To allow the scientific community to make use of this tool, we offer to provide the compound in the course of an open innovation initiative.

Characterization of HTT inclusion size, location, and timing in the zQ175 mouse model of Huntington's disease: an in vivo high-content imaging study

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. Major pathological hallmarks of HD include inclusions of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein, loss of neurons predominantly in the caudate nucleus, and atrophy of multiple brain regions. However, the early sequence of histological events that manifest in region- and cell-specific manner has not been well characterized. Here we use a high-content histological approach to precisely monitor changes in HTT expression and characterize deposition dynamics of mHTT protein inclusion bodies in the recently characterized zQ175 knock-in mouse line. We carried out an automated multi-parameter quantitative analysis of individual cortical and striatal cells in tissue slices from mice aged 2-12 months and confirmed biochemical reports of an age-associated increase in mHTT inclusions in this model. We also found distinct regional and subregional dynamics for inclusion number, size and distribution with subcellular resolution. We used viral-mediated suppression of total HTT in the striatum of zQ175 mice as an example of a therapeutically-relevant but heterogeneously transducing strategy to demonstrate successful application of this platform to quantitatively assess target engagement and outcome on a cellular basis.

The structure of mammalian serine racemase: evidence for conformational changes upon inhibitor binding

Serine racemase is responsible for the synthesis of D-serine, an endogenous co-agonist for N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs). This pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme is involved both in the reversible conversion of L- to D-serine and serine catabolism by alpha,beta-elimination of water, thereby regulating D-serine levels. Because D-serine affects NMDAR signaling throughout the brain, serine racemase is a promising target for the treatment of disorders related to NMDAR dysfunction. To provide a molecular basis for rational drug design the x-ray crystal structures of human and rat serine racemase were determined at 1.5- and 2.1-A resolution, respectively, and in the presence and absence of the orthosteric inhibitor malonate. The structures revealed a fold typical of beta-family pyridoxal 5'-phosphate enzymes, with both a large domain and a flexible small domain associated into a symmetric dimer, and indicated a ligand-induced rearrangement of the small domain that organizes the active site for specific turnover of the substrate.

Molecular imaging of carcinogenesis with immuno-targeted nanoparticles

Molecular characterization of cancer could have important clinical benefits such as earlier cancer detection based on molecular characterization, the ability to predict the risk of cancer progression, real time margin detection, the ability to rationally select molecular therapy and to monitor response to the therapy. We present a new class of molecular specific contrast agents for optical imaging of carcinogenesis in vivo - gold nanoparticles conjugated with monoclonal antibodies specific for cancer biomarkers.

Forebrain-specific glutamate receptor B deletion impairs spatial memory but not hippocampal field long-term potentiation

We demonstrate the fundamental importance of glutamate receptor B (GluR-B) containing AMPA receptors in hippocampal function by analyzing mice with conditional GluR-B deficiency in postnatal forebrain principal neurons (GluR-B(deltaFb)). These mice are as adults sufficiently robust to permit comparative cellular, physiological, and behavioral studies. GluR-B loss induced moderate long-term changes in the hippocampus of GluR-B(deltaFb) mice. Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in the dentate gyrus and the pyramidal cells in CA3 were decreased in number, and neurogenesis in the subgranular zone was diminished. Excitatory synaptic CA3-to-CA1 transmission was reduced, although synaptic excitability, as quantified by the lowered threshold for population spike initiation, was increased compared with control mice. These changes did not alter CA3-to-CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP), which in magnitude was similar to LTP in control mice. The altered hippocampal circuitry, however, affected spatial learning in GluR-B(deltaFb) mice. The primary source for the observed changes is most likely the AMPA receptor-mediated Ca2+ signaling that appears after GluR-B depletion, because we observed similar alterations in GluR-B(QFb) mice in which the expression of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors in principal neurons was induced by postnatal activation of a Q/R-site editing-deficient GluR-B allele.

Enhanced odor discrimination and impaired olfactory memory by spatially controlled switch of AMPA receptors

Genetic perturbations of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs) are widely used to dissect molecular mechanisms of sensory coding, learning, and memory. In this study, we investigated the role of Ca2+-permeable AMPARs in olfactory behavior. AMPAR modification was obtained by depletion of the GluR-B subunit or expression of unedited GluR-B(Q), both leading to increased Ca2+ permeability of AMPARs. Mice with this functional AMPAR switch, specifically in forebrain, showed enhanced olfactory discrimination and more rapid learning in a go/no-go operant conditioning task. Olfactory memory, however, was dramatically impaired. GluR-B depletion in forebrain was ectopically variable ("mosaic") among individuals and strongly correlated with decreased olfactory memory in hippocampus and cortex. Accordingly, memory was rescued by transgenic GluR-B expression restricted to piriform cortex and hippocampus, while enhanced odor discrimination was independent of both GluR-B variability and transgenic GluR-B expression. Thus, correlated differences in behavior and levels of GluR-B expression allowed a mechanistic and spatial dissection of olfactory learning, discrimination, and memory capabilities.

State-dependent Ras signaling and AMPA receptor trafficking

Synaptic trafficking of AMPA-Rs, controlled by small GTPase Ras signaling, plays a key role in synaptic plasticity. However, how Ras signals synaptic AMPA-R trafficking is unknown. Here we show that low levels of Ras activity stimulate extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK)-p42/44 MAPK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK]) signaling, whereas high levels of Ras activity stimulate additional Pi3 kinase (Pi3K)-protein kinase B (PKB) signaling, each accounting for approximately 50% of the potentiation during long-term potentiation (LTP). Spontaneous neural activity stimulates the Ras-MEK-ERK pathway that drives GluR2L into synapses. In the presence of neuromodulator agonists, neural activity also stimulates the Ras-Pi3K-PKB pathway that drives GluR1 into synapses. Neuromodulator release increases with increases of vigilance. Correspondingly, Ras-MEK-ERK activity in sleeping animals is sufficient to deliver GluR2L into synapses, while additional increased Ras-Pi3K-PKB activity in awake animals delivers GluR1 into synapses. Thus, state-dependent Ras signaling, which specifies downstream MEK-ERK and Pi3K-PKB pathways, differentially control GluR2L- and GluR1-dependent synaptic plasticity.

Impaired reproductive behavior by lack of GluR-B containing AMPA receptors but not of NMDA receptors in hypothalamic and septal neurons

The roles of ionotropic glutamate receptors in mammalian reproduction are unknown. We therefore generated mice lacking a major subtype of (S)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors or all N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in GnRH neurons and other mainly limbic system neurons, primarily in hypothalamic and septal areas. Male mice without NMDA receptors in these neurons were not impaired in breeding and exhibited similar GnRH secretion as control littermates. However, male mice lacking GluR-B containing AMPA receptors in these neurons were poor breeders and severely impaired in reproductive behaviors such as aggression and mounting. Testis and sperm morphology, testis weight, and serum testosterone levels, as well as GnRH secretion, were unchanged. Contact with female cage bedding failed to elicit male sexual behavior in these mice, unlike in control male littermates. Their female counterparts had unchanged ovarian morphology, had bred successfully, and had normal litter sizes but exhibited pronounced impairments in maternal behaviors such as pup retrieval and maternal aggression. Our results suggest that NMDA receptors and GluR-B containing AMPA receptors are not essential for fertility, but that GluR-B containing AMPA receptors are essential for male and female reproduction-related behaviors, perhaps by mediating responses to pheromones or odorants.

Differential GABAA receptor clustering determines GABA synapse plasticity in rat oxytocin neurons around parturition and the onset of lactation

Expression, functional properties, and clustering of alpha 1-, alpha 2-, and alpha 3-subunit containing GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)Rs) were studied in dorsomedial SON neurons of the adult female rat supraoptic nucleus (SON) around parturition. We show that, although the decay time constant (tau(decay)) of GABAergic postsynaptic currents between and within individual recordings was very diverse, ranging from fast (i.e., alpha 1-like) to significantly slower (i.e., non-alpha 1-like), there was an overall shift towards slower decaying synaptic currents during the onset of lactation. This shift is not due to changes in mRNA expression levels, because real-time quantitative PCR assays indicated that the relative contribution of alpha 1, alpha 2, and alpha 3 remained the same before and after parturition. Also, changes in phosphorylation levels are not likely to affect the tau(decay) of postsynaptic currents. In alpha-latrotoxin (alpha-LTX)-induced bursts of synaptic currents from individual synapses, the tau(decay) of consecutive synaptic events within bursts was very similar, but between bursts there were large differences in tau(decay). This suggested that different synapses within individual SON neurons contain distinct GABA(A)R subtypes. Using multilabeling confocal microscopy, we examined the distribution of postsynaptic alpha 1-, alpha 2-, and alpha 3-GABA(A)Rs, based on colocalization with gephyrin. We show that the three GABA(A)R subtypes occurred either in segregated clusters of one subtype as well as in mixed clusters of two or possibly even three receptor subtypes. After parturition, the density and proportion of clusters containing alpha 2- (or alpha 3-), but not alpha1-GABA(A)Rs, was significantly increased. Thus, the functional synaptic diversity at the postsynaptic level in dorsomedial SON neurons is correlated with a differential clustering of distinct GABA(A)R subtypes at individual synapses.

Restoration of spatial working memory by genetic rescue of GluR-A–deficient mice

Gene-targeted mice lacking the AMPA receptor subunit GluR-A (also called GluR1 encoded by the gene Gria1,) have deficits in hippocampal CA3-CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP) and have profoundly impaired hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory (SWM) tasks, although their spatial reference memory remains normal. Here we show that forebrain-localized expression of GFP-tagged GluR-A subunits in GluR-A-deficient mice rescues SWM, paralleling its rescue of CA3-CA1 LTP. This provides powerful new evidence linking hippocampal GluR-A-dependent synaptic plasticity to rapid, flexible memory processing.

Glutamatergic plasticity by synaptic delivery of GluR-B(long)-containing AMPA receptors

Activity-driven delivery of AMPA receptors is proposed to mediate glutamatergic synaptic plasticity, both during development and learning. In hippocampal CA1 principal neurons, such trafficking is primarily mediated by the abundant GluR-A subunit. We now report a study of GluR-B(long), a C-terminal splice variant of the GluR-B subunit. GluR-B(long) synaptic delivery is regulated by two forms of activity. Spontaneous synaptic activity-driven GluR-B(long) transport maintains one-third of the steady-state AMPA receptor-mediated responses, while GluR-B(long) delivery following the induction of LTP is responsible for approximately 50% of the resulting potentiation at the hippocampal CA3 to CA1 synapses at the time of GluR-B(long) peak expression-the second postnatal week. Trafficking of GluR-B(long)-containing receptors thus mediates a GluR-A-independent form of glutamatergic synaptic plasticity in the juvenile hippocampus.

Dominance of the lurcher mutation in heteromeric kainate and AMPA receptor channels

Homomeric glutamate receptor (GluR) channels become spontaneously active when the last alanine residue within the invariant SYTANLAAF-motif in the third membrane segment is substituted by threonine. The same mutation in the orphan GluRdelta2 channel is responsible for neurodegeneration in "Lurcher" (Lc) mice. Since most native GluRs are composed of different subunits, we investigated the effect of an Lc-mutated subunit in heteromeric kainate and AMPA receptors expressed in HEK293 cells. Kainate receptor KA2 subunits, either wild type or carrying the Lc mutation (KA2(Lc)), are retained inside the cell but are surface-expressed when assembled with GluR6 subunits. Importantly, KA2(Lc) dominates the gating of KA2(Lc)/GluR6(WT) channels, as revealed by spontaneous activation and by slowed desensitization and deactivation kinetics of ligand-activated whole-cell currents. Moreover, the AMPA receptor subunit GluR-B(Lc)(Q) which forms spontaneously active homomeric channels with rectifying current-voltage relationships, dominates the gating of heteromeric GluR-B(Lc)(Q)/GluR-A(R) channels. The spontaneous currents of these heteromeric AMPAR channels show linear current-voltage relationships, and the ligand-activated whole-cell currents display slower deactivation and desensitization kinetics than the respective wild-type channels. For heteromeric Lc-mutated kainate and AMPA receptors, the effects on kinetics were reduced relative to the homomeric Lc-mutated forms. Thus, an Lc-mutated subunit can potentially influence heteromeric channel function in vivo, and the severity of the phenotype will critically depend on the levels of homomeric GluR(Lc) and heteromeric GluR(Lc)/GluR(WT) channels.

Conditional restoration of hippocampal synaptic potentiation in Glur-A-deficient mice

Plasticity of mature hippocampal CA1 synapses is dependent on l-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptors containing the glutamate receptor A (GluR-A) subunit. In GluR-A-deficient mice, plasticity could be restored by controlled expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged GluR-A, which contributes to channel formation and displayed the developmental redistribution of AMPA receptors in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by pairing or tetanic stimulation was rescued in adult GluR-A(-/-) mice when (GFP)GluR-A expression was constitutive or induced in already fully developed pyramidal cells. This shows that GluR-A-independent forms of synaptic plasticity can mediate the establishment of mature hippocampal circuits that are prebuilt to express GluR-A-dependent LTP.

Invasion and metastasis of a mammary tumor involves TGF-beta signaling

Several studies have correlated escape from TGF-beta-mediated cell cycle arrest with the tumorigenic phenotype. Most often, this escape from growth control has been linked to dysfunctional TGF-beta receptors or defects in the TGF-beta-mediated SMAD signaling pathway. In this report, we found that highly metastatic 4T1 mammary carcinoma cells express functional TGF-beta receptors capable of initiating SMAD-mediated transcription, yet are not growth inhibited by TGF-beta1. We further observed that TGF-beta directly contributes to the metastatic behavior of this cell line. Exposure to TGF-beta caused 4T1 cells to undergo morphological changes associated with the metastatic phenotype and invade more readily through collagen coated matrices. Furthermore, expression of a dominant negative truncated type II receptor diminished TGF-beta signaling and significantly restricted the ability of 4T1 cells to establish distant metastases. Our results suggest that regardless of 4T1 resistance to TGF-beta-mediated growth inhibition, TGF-beta signaling is required for tumor invasion and metastases formation.

Invasion and metastasis of a mammary tumor involves TGF-beta signaling

Several studies have correlated escape from TGF-beta-mediated cell cycle arrest with the tumorigenic phenotype. Most often, this escape from growth control has been linked to dysfunctional TGF-beta receptors or defects in the TGF-beta-mediated SMAD signaling pathway. In this report, we found that highly metastatic 4T1 mammary carcinoma cells express functional TGF-beta receptors capable of initiating SMAD-mediated transcription, yet are not growth inhibited by TGF-beta1. We further observed that TGF-beta directly contributes to the metastatic behavior of this cell line. Exposure to TGF-beta caused 4T1 cells to undergo morphological changes associated with the metastatic phenotype and invade more readily through collagen coated matrices. Furthermore, expression of a dominant negative truncated type II receptor diminished TGF-beta signaling and significantly restricted the ability of 4T1 cells to establish distant metastases. Our results suggest that regardless of 4T1 resistance to TGF-beta-mediated growth inhibition, TGF-beta signaling is required for tumor invasion and metastases formation.