RESUMO
To understand biological processes, it is necessary to reveal the molecular heterogeneity of cells by gaining access to the location and interaction of all biomolecules. Significant advances were achieved by super-resolution microscopy, but such methods are still far from reaching the multiplexing capacity of proteomics. Here, we introduce secondary label-based unlimited multiplexed DNA-PAINT (SUM-PAINT), a high-throughput imaging method that is capable of achieving virtually unlimited multiplexing at better than 15 nm resolution. Using SUM-PAINT, we generated 30-plex single-molecule resolved datasets in neurons and adapted omics-inspired analysis for data exploration. This allowed us to reveal the complexity of synaptic heterogeneity, leading to the discovery of a distinct synapse type. We not only provide a resource for researchers, but also an integrated acquisition and analysis workflow for comprehensive spatial proteomics at single-protein resolution.
Assuntos
Proteômica , Imagem Individual de Molécula , DNA , Microscopia de Fluorescência/métodos , Neurônios , ProteínasRESUMO
Neurons build synaptic contacts using different protein combinations that define the specificity, function, and plasticity potential of synapses; however, the diversity of synaptic proteomes remains largely unexplored. We prepared synaptosomes from 7 different transgenic mouse lines with fluorescently labeled presynaptic terminals. Combining microdissection of 5 different brain regions with fluorescent-activated synaptosome sorting (FASS), we isolated and analyzed the proteomes of 18 different synapse types. We discovered â¼1,800 unique synapse-type-enriched proteins and allocated thousands of proteins to different types of synapses (https://syndive.org/). We identify shared synaptic protein modules and highlight the proteomic hotspots for synapse specialization. We reveal unique and common features of the striatal dopaminergic proteome and discover the proteome signatures that relate to the functional properties of different interneuron classes. This study provides a molecular systems-biology analysis of synapses and a framework to integrate proteomic information for synapse subtypes of interest with cellular or circuit-level experiments.
Assuntos
Encéfalo , Proteoma , Sinapses , Animais , Camundongos , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteoma/metabolismo , Proteômica , Sinapses/metabolismo , Sinaptossomos/metabolismoRESUMO
Cortical circuits are composed predominantly of pyramidal-to-pyramidal neuron connections, yet their assembly during embryonic development is not well understood. We show that mouse embryonic Rbp4-Cre cortical neurons, transcriptomically closest to layer 5 pyramidal neurons, display two phases of circuit assembly in vivo. At E14.5, they form a multi-layered circuit motif, composed of only embryonic near-projecting-type neurons. By E17.5, this transitions to a second motif involving all three embryonic types, analogous to the three adult layer 5 types. In vivo patch clamp recordings and two-photon calcium imaging of embryonic Rbp4-Cre neurons reveal active somas and neurites, tetrodotoxin-sensitive voltage-gated conductances, and functional glutamatergic synapses, from E14.5 onwards. Embryonic Rbp4-Cre neurons strongly express autism-associated genes and perturbing these genes interferes with the switch between the two motifs. Hence, pyramidal neurons form active, transient, multi-layered pyramidal-to-pyramidal circuits at the inception of neocortex, and studying these circuits could yield insights into the etiology of autism.
Assuntos
Transtorno Autístico , Neocórtex , Células Piramidais , Animais , Feminino , Camundongos , Gravidez , Transtorno Autístico/genética , Transtorno Autístico/patologia , Mutação , Neocórtex/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Células Piramidais/fisiologiaRESUMO
Glioblastomas are incurable tumors infiltrating the brain. A subpopulation of glioblastoma cells forms a functional and therapy-resistant tumor cell network interconnected by tumor microtubes (TMs). Other subpopulations appear unconnected, and their biological role remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that whole-brain colonization is fueled by glioblastoma cells that lack connections with other tumor cells and astrocytes yet receive synaptic input from neurons. This subpopulation corresponds to neuronal and neural-progenitor-like tumor cell states, as defined by single-cell transcriptomics, both in mouse models and in the human disease. Tumor cell invasion resembled neuronal migration mechanisms and adopted a Lévy-like movement pattern of probing the environment. Neuronal activity induced complex calcium signals in glioblastoma cells followed by the de novo formation of TMs and increased invasion speed. Collectively, superimposing molecular and functional single-cell data revealed that neuronal mechanisms govern glioblastoma cell invasion on multiple levels. This explains how glioblastoma's dissemination and cellular heterogeneity are closely interlinked.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Encefálicas , Glioblastoma , Animais , Astrócitos/patologia , Encéfalo/patologia , Neoplasias Encefálicas/patologia , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioblastoma/patologia , Humanos , Camundongos , Invasividade Neoplásica , Neurônios/fisiologiaRESUMO
The role of postnatal experience in sculpting cortical circuitry, while long appreciated, is poorly understood at the level of cell types. We explore this in the mouse primary visual cortex (V1) using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, visual deprivation, genetics, and functional imaging. We find that vision selectively drives the specification of glutamatergic cell types in upper layers (L) (L2/3/4), while deeper-layer glutamatergic, GABAergic, and non-neuronal cell types are established prior to eye opening. L2/3 cell types form an experience-dependent spatial continuum defined by the graded expression of â¼200 genes, including regulators of cell adhesion and synapse formation. One of these genes, Igsf9b, a vision-dependent gene encoding an inhibitory synaptic cell adhesion molecule, is required for the normal development of binocular responses in L2/3. In summary, vision preferentially regulates the development of upper-layer glutamatergic cell types through the regulation of cell-type-specific gene expression programs.
Assuntos
Visão Ocular , Córtex Visual/citologia , Córtex Visual/embriologia , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Ácido Glutâmico/metabolismo , Masculino , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/genética , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Neurônios/citologia , RNA-Seq , Transcriptoma/genética , Visão Binocular/genética , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismoRESUMO
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, have emerged as crucial regulators of synaptic refinement and brain wiring. However, whether the remodeling of distinct synapse types during development is mediated by specialized microglia is unknown. Here, we show that GABA-receptive microglia selectively interact with inhibitory cortical synapses during a critical window of mouse postnatal development. GABA initiates a transcriptional synapse remodeling program within these specialized microglia, which in turn sculpt inhibitory connectivity without impacting excitatory synapses. Ablation of GABAB receptors within microglia impairs this process and leads to behavioral abnormalities. These findings demonstrate that brain wiring relies on the selective communication between matched neuronal and glial cell types.
Assuntos
Microglia/metabolismo , Inibição Neural/fisiologia , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/metabolismo , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Comportamento Animal , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Camundongos , Parvalbuminas/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Receptores de GABA-B/metabolismo , Sinapses/fisiologia , Transcrição GênicaRESUMO
Recent advances in genomics have revealed a wide spectrum of genetic variants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders at an unprecedented scale. An increasing number of studies have consistently identified mutations-both inherited and de novo-impacting the function of specific brain circuits. This suggests that, during brain development, alterations in distinct neural circuits, cell types, or broad regulatory pathways ultimately shaping synapses might be a dysfunctional process underlying these disorders. Here, we review findings from human studies and animal model research to provide a comprehensive description of synaptic and circuit mechanisms implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. We discuss how specific synaptic connections might be commonly disrupted in different disorders and the alterations in cognition and behaviors emerging from imbalances in neuronal circuits. Moreover, we review new approaches that have been shown to restore or mitigate dysfunctional processes during specific critical windows of brain development. Considering the heterogeneity of neurodevelopmental disorders, we also highlight the recent progress in developing improved clinical biomarkers and strategies that will help to identify novel therapeutic compounds and opportunities for early intervention.
Assuntos
Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento , Animais , Humanos , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genética , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Genômica , Mutação , Sinapses/genéticaRESUMO
Tinnitus is a pervasive public health issue that affects â¼15% of the United States population. Similar estimates have also been shown on a global scale, with similar prevalence found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The severity of tinnitus is heterogeneous, ranging from mildly bothersome to extremely disruptive. In the United States, â¼10-20% of individuals who experience tinnitus report symptoms that severely reduce their quality of life. Due to the huge personal and societal burden, in the last 20 yr a concerted effort on basic and clinical research has significantly advanced our understanding and treatment of this disorder. Yet, neither full understanding, nor cure exists. We know that tinnitus is the persistent involuntary phantom percept of internally generated nonverbal indistinct noises and tones, which in most cases is initiated by acquired hearing loss and maintained only when this loss is coupled with distinct neuronal changes in auditory and extra-auditory brain networks. Yet, the exact mechanisms and patterns of neural activity that are necessary and sufficient for the perceptual generation and maintenance of tinnitus remain incompletely understood. Combinations of animal model and human research will be essential in filling these gaps. Nevertheless, the existing progress in investigating the neurophysiological mechanisms has improved current treatment and highlighted novel targets for drug development and clinical trials. The aim of this review is to thoroughly discuss the current state of human and animal tinnitus research, outline current challenges, and highlight new and exciting research opportunities.
Assuntos
Neurociências , Zumbido/fisiopatologia , Zumbido/terapia , Animais , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Perda Auditiva/etiologia , Perda Auditiva/fisiopatologia , Humanos , Qualidade de Vida , Zumbido/complicaçõesRESUMO
Synaptic plasticity, the activity-dependent change in neuronal connection strength, has long been considered an important component of learning and memory. Computational and engineering work corroborate the power of learning through the directed adjustment of connection weights. Here we review the fundamental elements of four broadly categorized forms of synaptic plasticity and discuss their functional capabilities and limitations. Although standard, correlation-based, Hebbian synaptic plasticity has been the primary focus of neuroscientists for decades, it is inherently limited. Three-factor plasticity rules supplement Hebbian forms with neuromodulation and eligibility traces, while true supervised types go even further by adding objectives and instructive signals. Finally, a recently discovered hippocampal form of synaptic plasticity combines the above elements, while leaving behind the primary Hebbian requirement. We suggest that the effort to determine the neural basis of adaptive behavior could benefit from renewed experimental and theoretical investigation of more powerful directed types of synaptic plasticity.
Assuntos
Aprendizagem/fisiologia , Memória/fisiologia , Plasticidade Neuronal/fisiologia , Sinapses/fisiologia , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Animais , Humanos , Neurônios/fisiologiaRESUMO
Neuronal hyperactivity is a key feature of early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Genetic studies in AD support that microglia act as potential cellular drivers of disease risk, but the molecular determinants of microglia-synapse engulfment associated with neuronal hyperactivity in AD are unclear. Here, using super-resolution microscopy, 3D-live imaging of co-cultures, and in vivo imaging of lipids in genetic models, we found that spines become hyperactive upon Aß oligomer stimulation and externalize phosphatidylserine (ePtdSer), a canonical "eat-me" signal. These apoptotic-like spines are targeted by microglia for engulfment via TREM2 leading to amelioration of Aß oligomer-induced synaptic hyperactivity. We also show the in vivo relevance of ePtdSer-TREM2 signaling in microglia-synapse engulfment in the hAPP NL-F knock-in mouse model of AD. Higher levels of apoptotic-like synapses in mice as well as humans that carry TREM2 loss-of-function variants were also observed. Our work supports that microglia remove hyperactive ePtdSer+ synapses in Aß-relevant context and suggest a potential beneficial role for microglia in the earliest stages of AD.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer , Humanos , Camundongos , Animais , Doença de Alzheimer/genética , Microglia , Sinapses , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/genética , Glicoproteínas de Membrana/genética , Receptores Imunológicos/genéticaRESUMO
Glia are abundant components of animal nervous systems. Recognized 170 years ago, concerted attempts to understand these cells began only recently. From these investigations glia, once considered passive filler material in the brain, have emerged as active players in neuron development and activity. Glia are essential for nervous system function, and their disruption leads to disease. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possesses glial types similar to vertebrate glia, based on molecular, morphological, and functional criteria, and has become a powerful model in which to study glia and their neuronal interactions. Facile genetic and transgenic methods in this animal allow the discovery of genes required for glial functions, and effects of glia at single synapses can be monitored by tracking neuron shape, physiology, or animal behavior. Here, we review recent progress in understanding glia-neuron interactions in C. elegans. We highlight similarities with glia in other animals, and suggest conserved emerging principles of glial function.
Assuntos
Caenorhabditis elegans/citologia , Neuroglia/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Envelhecimento/fisiologia , Animais , Animais Geneticamente Modificados , Orientação de Axônios , Caenorhabditis elegans/fisiologia , Proteínas de Transporte/fisiologia , Comunicação Celular , Canais Iônicos/fisiologia , Degeneração Neural/fisiopatologia , Terminações Nervosas/fisiologia , Terminações Nervosas/ultraestrutura , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/fisiologia , Neurogênese , Plasticidade Neuronal , Neurópilo/fisiologia , Neurotransmissores/fisiologia , Sono/fisiologia , Especificidade da Espécie , Transmissão Sináptica , Vertebrados/embriologia , Vertebrados/fisiologiaRESUMO
Current treatments of anxiety and depressive disorders are plagued by considerable side effects and limited efficacies, underscoring the need for additional molecular targets that can be leveraged to improve medications. Here, we have identified a molecular cascade triggered by chronic stress that exacerbates anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Specifically, chronic stress enhances Src kinase activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of calmodulin, which diminishes MyosinVa (MyoVa) interaction with Neuroligin2 (NL2), resulting in decreased inhibitory transmission and heightened anxiety-like behaviors. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of Src reinstates inhibitory synaptic deficits and effectively reverses heightened anxiety-like behaviors in chronically stressed mice, a process requiring the MyoVa-NL2 interaction. These data demonstrate the reversibility of anxiety- and depressive-like phenotypes at both molecular and behavioral levels and uncover a therapeutic target for anxiety and depressive disorders.
Assuntos
Ansiedade , Calmodulina , Transdução de Sinais , Estresse Psicológico , Animais , Camundongos , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacos , Ansiedade/tratamento farmacológico , Ansiedade/metabolismo , Estresse Psicológico/metabolismo , Calmodulina/metabolismo , Quinases da Família src/metabolismo , Fosforilação , Miosinas/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Depressão/tratamento farmacológico , Depressão/metabolismo , HumanosRESUMO
Ribbon synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the inner ear are damaged by noise trauma and with aging, causing "synaptopathy" and hearing loss. Cocultures of neonatal denervated organs of Corti and newly introduced SGNs have been developed to find strategies for improving IHC synapse regeneration, but evidence of the physiological normality of regenerated synapses is missing. This study utilizes IHC optogenetic stimulation and SGN recordings, showing that, when P3-5 denervated organs of Corti are cocultured with SGNs, newly formed IHC/SGN synapses are indeed functional, exhibiting glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents. When using older organs of Corti at P10-11, synaptic activity probed by deconvolution showed more mature release properties, closer to the specialized mode of IHC synaptic transmission crucial for coding the sound signal. This functional assessment of newly formed IHC synapses developed here, provides a powerful tool for testing approaches to improve synapse regeneration.
Assuntos
Gânglio Espiral da Cóclea , Sinapses , Animais , Gânglio Espiral da Cóclea/citologia , Gânglio Espiral da Cóclea/fisiologia , Sinapses/fisiologia , Camundongos , Células Ciliadas Auditivas Internas/fisiologia , Células Ciliadas Auditivas Internas/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Neurônios/metabolismo , Regeneração/fisiologia , Células Ciliadas Auditivas/fisiologia , Técnicas de Cocultura/métodos , Optogenética/métodos , Regeneração Nervosa/fisiologia , Potenciais Pós-Sinápticos Excitadores/fisiologia , Órgão Espiral/fisiologia , Órgão Espiral/citologia , Órgão Espiral/metabolismoRESUMO
Microglia sculpt developing neural circuits by eliminating excess synapses in a process called synaptic pruning, by removing apoptotic neurons, and by promoting neuronal survival. To elucidate the role of microglia during embryonic and postnatal brain development, we used a mouse model deficient in microglia throughout life by deletion of the fms-intronic regulatory element (FIRE) in the Csf1r locus. Surprisingly, young adult Csf1rΔFIRE/ΔFIRE mice display no changes in excitatory and inhibitory synapse number and spine density of CA1 hippocampal neurons compared with Csf1r+/+ littermates. However, CA1 neurons are less excitable, receive less CA3 excitatory input and show altered synaptic properties, but this does not affect novel object recognition. Cytokine profiling indicates an anti-inflammatory state along with increases in ApoE levels and reactive astrocytes containing synaptic markers in Csf1rΔFIRE/ΔFIRE mice. Notably, these changes in Csf1rΔFIRE/ΔFIRE mice closely resemble the effects of acute microglial depletion in adult mice after normal development. Our findings suggest that microglia are not mandatory for synaptic pruning, and that in their absence pruning can be achieved by other mechanisms.
Assuntos
Hipocampo , Microglia , Sinapses , Animais , Microglia/metabolismo , Sinapses/metabolismo , Camundongos , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Hipocampo/citologia , Espinhas Dendríticas/metabolismo , Receptores de Fator Estimulador das Colônias de Granulócitos e Macrófagos/metabolismo , Receptores de Fator Estimulador das Colônias de Granulócitos e Macrófagos/genética , Plasticidade Neuronal , Neurônios/metabolismo , Ácido Glutâmico/metabolismoRESUMO
Neurons are characterized by elaborate tree-like dendritic structures that support local computations by integrating multiple inputs from upstream presynaptic neurons. It is less clear whether simple neurons, consisting of a few or even a single neurite, may perform local computations as well. To address this question, we focused on the compact neural network of Caenorhabditis elegans animals for which the full wiring diagram is available, including the coordinates of individual synapses. We find that the positions of the chemical synapses along the neurites are not randomly distributed nor can they be explained by anatomical constraints. Instead, synapses tend to form clusters, an organization that supports local compartmentalized computations. In mutually synapsing neurons, connections of opposite polarity cluster separately, suggesting that positive and negative feedback dynamics may be implemented in discrete compartmentalized regions along neurites. In triple-neuron circuits, the nonrandom synaptic organization may facilitate local functional roles, such as signal integration and coordinated activation of functionally related downstream neurons. These clustered synaptic topologies emerge as a guiding principle in the network, presumably to facilitate distinct parallel functions along a single neurite, which effectively increase the computational capacity of the neural network.
Assuntos
Caenorhabditis elegans , Neurônios , Animais , Caenorhabditis elegans/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Sinapses/fisiologia , Neuritos , Redes Neurais de ComputaçãoRESUMO
Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived retinal organoids (ROs) can efficiently and reproducibly generate retinal neurons that have potential for use in cell replacement strategies [Capowski et al., Development 146, dev171686 (2019)]. The ability of these lab-grown retinal neurons to form new synaptic connections after dissociation from ROs is key to building confidence in their capacity to restore visual function. However, direct evidence of reestablishment of retinal neuron connectivity via synaptic tracing has not been reported to date. The present study employs an in vitro, rabies virus-based, monosynaptic retrograde tracing assay [Wickersham et al., Neuron 53, 639-647 (2007); Sun et al., Mol. Neurodegener. 14, 8 (2019)] to identify de novo synaptic connections among early retinal cell types following RO dissociation. A reproducible, high-throughput approach for labeling and quantifying traced retinal cell types was developed. Photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells-the primary neurons of interest for retinal cell replacement-were the two major contributing populations among the traced presynaptic cells. This system provides a platform for assessing synaptic connections in cultured retinal neurons and sets the stage for future cell replacement studies aimed at characterizing or enhancing synaptogenesis. Used in this manner, in vitro synaptic tracing is envisioned to complement traditional preclinical animal model testing, which is limited by evolutionary incompatibilities in synaptic machinery inherent to human xenografts.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Pluripotentes , Retina , Animais , Humanos , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio , Retina/fisiologia , Células Ganglionares da Retina , Organoides , Diferenciação CelularRESUMO
Previously, we found that age-dependent accumulation of beta-amyloid is not sufficient to cause synaptic decline. Late-endocytic organelles (LEOs) may be driving synaptic decline as lysosomes (Lys) are a target of cellular aging and relevant for synapses. We found that LAMP1-positive LEOs increased in size and number and accumulated near synapses in aged neurons and brains. LEOs' distal accumulation might relate to the increased anterograde movement in aged neurons. Dissecting the LEOs, we found that late-endosomes accumulated while there are fewer terminal Lys in aged neurites, but not in the cell body. The most abundant LEOs were degradative Lys or endolysosomes (ELys), especially in neurites. ELys activity was reduced because of acidification defects, supported by the reduction in v-ATPase subunit V0a1 with aging. Increasing the acidification of aged ELys recovered degradation and reverted synaptic decline, while alkalinization or v-ATPase inhibition, mimicked age-dependent Lys and synapse dysfunction. We identify ELys deacidification as a neuronal mechanism of age-dependent synapse loss. Our findings suggest that future therapeutic strategies to address endolysosomal defects might be able to delay age-related synaptic decline.
Assuntos
Neurônios , Sinapses , Neurônios/metabolismo , Endossomos/metabolismo , Lisossomos/metabolismo , Adenosina Trifosfatases/metabolismoRESUMO
Selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors are only 30% effective for remission in subjects with major depression, and the best treatments for SSRI-resistant patients remain unclear. To model SSRI resistance, we used cF1ko mice with conditional deletion of the repressor Freud-1/CC2D1A in adult 5-HT neurons. Within weeks, this deletion leads to overexpression of 5-HT1A autoreceptors, reduced serotonergic activity, and fluoxetine-resistant anxiety-depression phenotype. We hypothesized that desipramine (DES), which targets norepinephrine (NE), may be effective in cF1ko mice. The actions of chronic DES treatment on behavior, chronic cellular activation, and NE projections were examined in both sexes of cF1ko and WT mice. In contrast to fluoxetine, chronic DES reversed the behavioral phenotypes in cF1ko mice, while in WT littermates DES slightly increased anxiety and depression-like behaviors. Deficits in FosB+ cell counts were seen in the entorhinal cortex, hippocampal CA2/3 layer, and BLA of cF1ko mice and were reversed by chronic DES treatment, especially in GABAergic neurons. In cF1ko mice, widespread reductions were seen in NE axons, varicosities, and especially 30-60% reductions in NE synaptic and triadic contacts, particularly to inhibitory gephyrin-positive sites. DES treatment also reversed these reductions in NE innervation. These results indicate the dynamic plasticity of the adult noradrenergic system within weeks of altering serotonergic function that can be normalized by DES treatment. Accompanying these changes, DES but not fluoxetine reversed the behavioral alterations in cF1ko mice, suggesting a key role for noradrenergic plasticity in antidepressant response in this model of reduced serotonin activity.
Assuntos
Depressão , Fluoxetina , Masculino , Feminino , Humanos , Camundongos , Animais , Fluoxetina/farmacologia , Fluoxetina/uso terapêutico , Depressão/tratamento farmacológico , Desipramina/farmacologia , Desipramina/uso terapêutico , Norepinefrina , Serotonina , Ansiedade/tratamento farmacológico , FenótipoRESUMO
It is well established that, during neural circuit development, glutamatergic synapses become strengthened via NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent upregulation of AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated currents. In addition, however, it is known that the neuromodulator serotonin is present throughout most regions of the vertebrate brain while synapses are forming and being shaped by activity-dependent processes. This suggests that serotonin may modulate or contribute to these processes. Here, we investigate the role of serotonin in the developing retinotectal projection of the Xenopus tadpole. We altered endogenous serotonin transmission in stage 48/49 (â¼10-21â days postfertilization) Xenopus tadpoles and then carried out a set of whole-cell electrophysiological recordings from tectal neurons to assess retinotectal synaptic transmission. Because tadpole sex is indeterminate at these early stages of development, experimental groups were composed of randomly chosen tadpoles. We found that pharmacologically enhancing and reducing serotonin transmission for 24â h up- and downregulates, respectively, AMPAR-mediated currents at individual retinotectal synapses. Inhibiting 5-HT2 receptors also significantly weakened AMPAR-mediated currents and abolished the synapse strengthening effect seen with enhanced serotonin transmission, indicating a 5-HT2 receptor-dependent effect. We also determine that the serotonin-dependent upregulation of synaptic AMPAR currents was mediated via an NMDAR-independent, PI3K-dependent mechanism. Altogether, these findings indicate that serotonin regulates AMPAR currents at developing synapses independent of NMDA transmission, which may explain its role as an enabler of activity-dependent plasticity.
Assuntos
Fosfatidilinositol 3-Quinases , Serotonina , Sinapses/fisiologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/metabolismo , Receptores de AMPA/metabolismo , Ácido alfa-Amino-3-hidroxi-5-metil-4-isoxazol PropiônicoRESUMO
Latrophilin-1 (Lphn1, aka CIRL1 and CL1; gene symbol Adgrl1) is an adhesion GPCR that has been implicated in excitatory synaptic transmission as a candidate receptor for α-latrotoxin. Here we analyzed conditional knock-in/knock-out mice for Lphn1 that contain an extracellular myc epitope tag. Mice of both sexes were used in all experiments. Surprisingly, we found that Lphn1 is localized in cultured neurons to synaptic nanoclusters that are present in both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Conditional deletion of Lphn1 in cultured neurons failed to elicit a detectable impairment in excitatory synapses but produced a decrease in inhibitory synapse numbers and synaptic transmission that was most pronounced for synapses close to the neuronal soma. No changes in axonal or dendritic outgrowth or branching were observed. Our data indicate that Lphn1 is among the few postsynaptic adhesion molecules that are present in both excitatory and inhibitory synapses and that Lphn1 by itself is not essential for excitatory synaptic transmission but is required for some inhibitory synaptic connections.