Munc13- and SNAP25-dependent molecular bridges play a key role in synaptic vesicle priming.

Synaptic vesicle tethering, priming, and neurotransmitter release require a coordinated action of multiple protein complexes. While physiological experiments, interaction data, and structural studies of purified systems were essential for our understanding of the function of the individual complexes involved, they cannot resolve how the actions of individual complexes integrate. We used cryo-electron tomography to simultaneously image multiple presynaptic protein complexes and lipids at molecular resolution in their native composition, conformation, and environment. Our detailed morphological characterization suggests that sequential synaptic vesicle states precede neurotransmitter release, where Munc13-comprising bridges localize vesicles <10 nanometers and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein 25-comprising bridges <5 nanometers from the plasma membrane, the latter constituting a molecularly primed state. Munc13 activation supports the transition to the primed state via vesicle bridges to plasma membrane (tethers), while protein kinase C promotes the same transition by reducing vesicle interlinking. These findings exemplify a cellular function performed by an extended assembly comprising multiple molecularly diverse complexes.

Trans-synaptic assemblies link synaptic vesicles and neuroreceptors.

Synaptic transmission is characterized by fast, tightly coupled processes and complex signaling pathways that require a precise protein organization, such as the previously reported nanodomain colocalization of pre- and postsynaptic proteins. Here, we used cryo-electron tomography to visualize synaptic complexes together with their native environment comprising interacting proteins and lipids on a 2- to 4-nm scale. Using template-free detection and classification, we showed that tripartite trans-synaptic assemblies (subcolumns) link synaptic vesicles to postsynaptic receptors and established that a particular displacement between directly interacting complexes characterizes subcolumns. Furthermore, we obtained de novo average structures of ionotropic glutamate receptors in their physiological composition, embedded in plasma membrane. These data support the hypothesis that synaptic function is carried by precisely organized trans-synaptic units. It provides a framework for further exploration of synaptic and other large molecular assemblies that link different cells or cellular regions and may require weak or transient interactions to exert their function.

Neither the SCN nor the adrenals are required for circadian time-place learning in mice.

During Time-Place Learning (TPL), animals link biological significant events (e.g. encountering predators, food, mates) with the location and time of occurrence in the environment. This allows animals to anticipate which locations to visit or avoid based on previous experience and knowledge of the current time of day. The TPL task applied in this study consists of three daily sessions in a three-arm maze, with a food reward at the end of each arm. During each session, mice should avoid one specific arm to avoid a foot-shock. We previously demonstrated that, rather than using external cue-based strategies, mice use an internal clock (circadian strategy) for TPL, referred to as circadian TPL (cTPL). It is unknown in which brain region(s) or peripheral organ(s) the consulted clock underlying cTPL resides. Three candidates were examined in this study: (a) the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a light entrainable oscillator (LEO) and considered the master circadian clock in the brain, (b) the food entrainable oscillator (FEO), entrained by restricted food availability, and (c) the adrenal glands, harboring an important peripheral oscillator. cTPL performance should be affected if the underlying oscillator system is abruptly phase-shifted. Therefore, we first investigated cTPL sensitivity to abrupt light and food shifts. Next we investigated cTPL in SCN-lesioned- and adrenalectomized mice. Abrupt FEO phase-shifts (induced by advancing and delaying feeding time) affected TPL performance in specific test sessions while a LEO phase-shift (induced by a light pulse) more severely affected TPL performance in all three daily test sessions. SCN-lesioned mice showed no TPL deficiencies compared to SHAM-lesioned mice. Moreover, both SHAM- and SCN-lesioned mice showed unaffected cTPL performance when re-tested after bilateral adrenalectomy. We conclude that, although cTPL is sensitive to timing manipulations with light as well as food, neither the SCN nor the adrenals are required for cTPL in mice.

Comparison of Brachionus calyciflorus 2-d and microtox® chronic 22-h tests with Daphnia magna 21-d test for the chronic toxicity assessment of chemicals.

The Daphnia magna 21-d test may be required by European authorities as a criterion for the assessment of aquatic chronic toxicity for the notification of new substances. However, this test has several drawbacks. It is labor-intensive, relatively expensive, and requires the breeding of test organisms. The Brachionous calyciflorus 2-d test and Microtoxr̀ chronic 22-h test do not suffer from these disadvantages and could be used as substitutes for the Daphnia 21-d test for screening assays. During this study, the toxicity of 25 chemicals was measured using both the Microtox chronic toxicity and B. calyciflorus 2-d tests, and the no-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs) were compared to the D. magna 21-d test. The Brachionus test was slightly less sensitive than the Daphnia test, but the correlation between the two tests was relatively good (r2 = 0.88). On average, the Microtox chronic test presented the same sensitivity as the Daphnia test, but the results did not correlate as well (r2 = 0.54). The B. calyciflorus 2-d test, and to a lesser extent the Microtox chronic 22-h test, were able to predict the chronic toxicity values of the Daphnia 21-d test. They constitute promising cost-effective tools for chronic toxicity screening.