αßγ-Synuclein triple knockout mice reveal age-dependent neuronal dysfunction.

Synucleins are a vertebrate-specific family of abundant neuronal proteins. They comprise three closely related members, α-, ß-, and γ-synuclein. α-Synuclein has been the focus of intense attention since mutations in it were identified as a cause for familial Parkinson's disease. Despite their disease relevance, the normal physiological function of synucleins has remained elusive. To address this, we generated and characterized αßγ-synuclein knockout mice, which lack all members of this protein family. Deletion of synucleins causes alterations in synaptic structure and transmission, age-dependent neuronal dysfunction, as well as diminished survival. Abrogation of synuclein expression decreased excitatory synapse size by ∼30% both in vivo and in vitro, revealing that synucleins are important determinants of presynaptic terminal size. Young synuclein null mice show improved basic transmission, whereas older mice show a pronounced decrement. The late onset phenotypes in synuclein null mice were not due to a loss of synapses or neurons but rather reflect specific changes in synaptic protein composition and axonal structure. Our results demonstrate that synucleins contribute importantly to the long-term operation of the nervous system and that alterations in their physiological function could contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease.

Chemogenetic regulation of the TARP-lipid interaction mimics LTP and reversibly modifies behavior.

Long-term potentiation (LTP), a well-characterized form of synaptic plasticity, is believed to underlie memory formation. Hebbian, postsynaptically expressed LTP requires TARPγ-8 phosphorylation for synaptic insertion of AMPA receptors (AMPARs). However, it is unknown whether TARP-mediated AMPAR insertion alone is sufficient to modify behavior. Here, we report the development of a chemogenetic tool, ExSYTE (Excitatory SYnaptic Transmission modulator by Engineered TARPγ-8), to mimic the cytoplasmic interaction of TARP with the plasma membrane in a doxycycline-dependent manner. We use this tool to examine the specific role of synaptic AMPAR potentiation in amygdala neurons that are activated by fear conditioning. Selective expression of active ExSYTE in these neurons potentiates AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission in a doxycycline-dependent manner, occludes synaptically induced LTP, and mimics freezing triggered by cued fear conditioning. Thus, chemogenetic controlling of the TARP-membrane interaction is sufficient for LTP-like synaptic AMPAR insertion, which mimics fear conditioning.

Excitatory and inhibitory receptors utilize distinct post- and trans-synaptic mechanisms in vivo.

Ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors at postsynapses mediate fast synaptic transmission upon binding of the neurotransmitter. Post- and trans-synaptic mechanisms through cytosolic, membrane, and secreted proteins have been proposed to localize neurotransmitter receptors at postsynapses. However, it remains unknown which mechanism is crucial to maintain neurotransmitter receptors at postsynapses. In this study, we ablated excitatory or inhibitory neurons in adult mouse brains in a cell-autonomous manner. Unexpectedly, we found that excitatory AMPA receptors remain at the postsynaptic density upon ablation of excitatory presynaptic terminals. In contrast, inhibitory GABAA receptors required inhibitory presynaptic terminals for their postsynaptic localization. Consistent with this finding, ectopic expression at excitatory presynapses of neurexin-3 alpha, a putative trans-synaptic interactor with the native GABAA receptor complex, could recruit GABAA receptors to contacted postsynaptic sites. These results establish distinct mechanisms for the maintenance of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic receptors in the mature mammalian brain.

Loss of UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 and reduced O-glycosylation in colon carcinoma cells selected for hepatic metastasis.

O-glycosylation of mucin is initiated by the attachment of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc) to serine or threonine residues in mucin core polypeptides by UDPGalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases (ppGalNAc-Ts). It is not well understood how GalNAc attachment is regulated by multiple ppGalNAc-Ts in each cell. In the present study, the expression levels of murine ppGalNAc-Ts (mGalNAc-Ts), T1, T2, T3, T4, T6, and T7 were compared between mouse colon carcinoma colon 38 cells and variant SL4 cells, selected for their metastatic potentials, by using the competitive RT-PCR method. The expression levels of mGalNAc-T1, T2, and T7 were slightly higher in the SL4 cells than in the colon 38 cells, whereas the expression level of mGalNAc-T3 in the SL4 cells was 1.5% of that in the colon 38 cells. Products of enzymatic incorporations of GalNAc residues into FITCPTTTPITTTTK peptide by the use of microsome fractions of these cells as the enzyme source were separated and characterized for the number of attached GalNAc residues and their positions. The maximum number of attached GalNAc residues was 6 and 4 when the microsome fractions of the colon 38 cells and SL4 cells were used, respectively. When the microsome fractions of the colon 38 cells were treated with a polyclonal antibody raised against mGalNAc-T3, the maximum number of incorporated GalNAc residues was 4. These results strongly suggest that mGalNAc-T3 in colon 38 cells is involved in additional transfer of GalNAc residues to this peptide.

TMEM163 Regulates ATP-Gated P2X Receptor and Behavior.

Fast purinergic signaling is mediated by ATP and ATP-gated ionotropic P2X receptors (P2XRs), and it is implicated in pain-related behaviors. The properties exhibited by P2XRs vary between those expressed in heterologous cells and in vivo. Several modulators of ligand-gated ion channels have recently been identified, suggesting that there are P2XR functional modulators in vivo. Here, we establish a genome-wide open reading frame (ORF) collection and perform functional screening to identify modulators of P2XR activity. We identify TMEM163, which specifically modulates the channel properties and pharmacology of P2XRs. We also find that TMEM163 is required for full function of the neuronal P2XR and a pain-related ATP-evoked behavior. These results establish TMEM163 as a critical modulator of P2XRs in vivo and a potential target for the discovery of drugs for treating pain.

GARLH Family Proteins Stabilize GABAA Receptors at Synapses.

Ionotropic neurotransmitter receptors mediate fast synaptic transmission by functioning as ligand-gated ion channels. Fast inhibitory transmission in the brain is mediated mostly by ionotropic GABAA receptors (GABAARs), but their essential components for synaptic localization remain unknown. Here, we identify putative auxiliary subunits of GABAARs, which we term GARLHs, consisting of LH4 and LH3 proteins. LH4 forms a stable tripartite complex with GABAARs and neuroligin-2 in the brain. Moreover, LH4 is required for the synaptic localization of GABAARs and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Our findings propose GARLHs as the first identified auxiliary subunits for anion channels. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of inhibitory transmission and the molecular constituents of native anion channels in vivo.

Measuring the activities of the Sulfs: two novel heparin/heparan sulfate endosulfatases.

Sulfatases hydrolyze sulfate esters on a variety of molecules including glycosaminoglycans, sulfoglycolipids, and cytosolic steroids. These enzymes are found in a wide range of organisms with their basic enzymatic mechanisms broadly conserved. In mammals, many of the sulfatases localize in the lysosome and exhibit enzymatic activity on a small aryl substrate such as 4-methylumbelliferyl sulfate (4-MUS). They are known as arylsulfatases. Sulf-1 and Sulf-2 have been cloned and identified as sulfatases that release sulfate groups on the C-6 position of GlcNAc residue from an internal subdomain in intact heparin. Hence, these enzymes are endosulfatases. The Sulfs are secreted in an active form into conditioned medium of transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. In this chapter, arylsulfatase and endoglucosamine-6-sulfatase assays for the Sulfs are described. A solid-phase binding assay is also detailed, which allows investigation of the ability of the Sulfs to modulate the interaction of heparin-binding proteins with immobilized heparin. The example illustrated is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This assay is projected to be very useful in the investigation of the biological functions of the Sulfs.

HSulf-2, an extracellular endoglucosamine-6-sulfatase, selectively mobilizes heparin-bound growth factors and chemokines: effects on VEGF, FGF-1, and SDF-1.

BACKGROUND: Heparin/heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans are found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and on the cell surface. A considerable body of evidence has established that heparin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) interact with numerous protein ligands including fibroblast growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cytokines, and chemokines. These interactions are highly dependent upon the pattern of sulfation modifications within the glycosaminoglycan chains. We previously cloned a cDNA encoding a novel human endosulfatase, HSulf-2, which removes 6-O-sulfate groups on glucosamine from subregions of intact heparin. Here, we have employed both recombinant HSulf-2 and the native enzyme from conditioned medium of the MCF-7-breast carcinoma cell line. To determine whether HSulf-2 modulates the interactions between heparin-binding factors and heparin, we developed an ELISA, in which soluble factors were allowed to bind to immobilized heparin. RESULTS: Our results show that the binding of VEGF, FGF-1, and certain chemokines (SDF-1 and SLC) to immobilized heparin was abolished or greatly diminished by pre-treating the heparin with HSulf-2. Furthermore, HSulf-2 released these soluble proteins from their association with heparin. Native Sulf-2 from MCF-7 cells reproduced all of these activities. CONCLUSION: Our results validate Sulf-2 as a new tool for deciphering the sulfation requirements in the interaction of protein ligands with heparin/HSPGs and expand the range of potential biological activities of this enzyme.

CaMKII Phosphorylation of TARPγ-8 Is a Mediator of LTP and Learning and Memory.

Protein phosphorylation is an essential step for the expression of long-term potentiation (LTP), a long-lasting, activity-dependent strengthening of synaptic transmission widely regarded as a cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory. At the core of LTP is the synaptic insertion of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) triggered by the NMDA receptor-dependent activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). However, the CaMKII substrate that increases AMPAR-mediated transmission during LTP remains elusive. Here, we identify the hippocampus-enriched TARPγ-8, but not TARPγ-2/3/4, as a critical CaMKII substrate for LTP. We found that LTP induction increases TARPγ-8 phosphorylation, and that CaMKII-dependent enhancement of AMPAR-mediated transmission requires CaMKII phosphorylation sites of TARPγ-8. Moreover, LTP and memory formation, but not basal transmission, are significantly impaired in mice lacking CaMKII phosphorylation sites of TARPγ-8. Together, these findings demonstrate that TARPγ-8 is a crucial mediator of CaMKII-dependent LTP and therefore a molecular target that controls synaptic plasticity and associated cognitive functions.

Sulf-2, a proangiogenic heparan sulfate endosulfatase, is upregulated in breast cancer.

Sulf-2 is an endosulfatase with activity against glucosamine-6-sulfate modifications within subregions of intact heparin. The enzyme has the potential to modify the sulfation status of extracellular heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) glycosaminoglycan chains and thereby to regulate interactions with HSPG-binding proteins. In the present investigation, data mining from published studies was employed to establish Sulf-2 mRNA upregulation in human breast cancer. We further found that cultured breast carcinoma cells expressed Sulf-2 mRNA and released enzymatically active proteins into conditioned medium. In two mouse models of mammary carcinoma, Sulf-2 mRNA was upregulated in comparison to its expression in normal mammary gland. Although mRNA was present in normal tissues, Sulf-2 protein was undetectable; it was, however, detected in some premalignant lesions and in tumors. The protein was localized to the epithelial cells of the tumors. In support of the possible mechanistic relevance of Sulf-2 upregulation in tumors, purified recombinant Sulf-2 promoted angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay.

Mouse colon carcinoma cells established for high incidence of experimental hepatic metastasis exhibit accelerated and anchorage-independent growth.

Highly metastatic variants of mouse colon 38 colon carcinoma cells were established by repeated selection in vivo for liver metastasis and designated as SL4 cells. The SL4 cells formed colonies in the liver of 100% of syngenic mice when injected intrasplenically, while the incidence of liver metastasis was 27% of mice injected with parental cells. The weight of livers, which is an indicator of experimental hepatic metastasis formation, was significantly higher after intrasplenic injection and subsequent splenoctomy with SL4 cells than colon 38 cells. The incidence of hepatic metastasis after intracecal injection of SL4 cells was significantly higher than that of colon 38 cells. The SL4 cells were tested in vitro for their properties. Differences were not detected in the motility and invasive behavior between colon 38 cells and SL4 cells. SL4 cells showed a higher proliferation rate than colon 38 cells under adherent conditions. SL4 cells maintained a capacity to proliferate under non-adherent conditions whereas parental cells did not. SL4 cells should be a useful tool to study the mechanism of hepatic metastasis of colon carcinoma cells and to develop methods to prevent hepatic metastasis.

Redistribution of fibroblasts and macrophages as micrometastases develop into established liver metastases.

Fibroblastic tissue is an important component of malignant tumors, involved in the establishment of metastatic foci from micrometastases, and thought to prevent invasion of metastatic tumor cells into surrounding tissue. However, experimental models of fibrosis during the growth of micrometastasis into established metastases were not previously available. In the present paper, we performed immunohistochemical studies on experimental hepatic metastasis with colon 38 mouse colon carcinoma cells injected into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. Early and late stages of metastatic nodules were examined for the distribution of endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages by the use of markers of these cells. One week after intrasplenic injection of colon 38 cells, micrometastases mainly appeared in the region of sinusoids accompanied with invasion of F4/80-positive Kupffer cells. Transitional metastases can be defined based on the histological appearance and intensive infiltration of both macrophages and fibroblasts. These transitional metastases were connected by protrusions of fibroblast-rich tissues co-localized with collagen-rich matrix and CD31-positive cells. This protrusion preceded fibrosis formation characteristics to established metastases associated with angiogenesis and segregation of tumor cells from host cells. Three stages can thus be classified during the development of hepatic metastasis in this syngeneic experimental system: micrometastasis, transitional metastasis, and established metastasis.

Autoinactivation of neuronal AMPA receptors via glutamate-regulated TARP interaction.

Neuronal AMPA receptors autoinactivate at high concentrations of glutamate, i.e., the current declines at glutamate concentrations above 10-100 microM. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are unclear. Stargazin-like TARPs are AMPA receptor auxiliary subunits that modulate receptor trafficking and channel properties. Here, we found that neuronal AMPA receptors and recombinant AMPA receptors coexpressed with stargazin autoinactivate at high concentrations of glutamate, whereas recombinant AMPA receptors expressed alone do not. The reduction of currents at high glutamate concentrations is not associated with a reduction of AMPA receptor number, but rather with the loss of stargazin-associated allosteric modulation of channel gating. We show that receptor desensitization promotes the dissociation of TARP-AMPA receptor complexes in a few milliseconds. This dissociation mechanism contributes to synaptic short-term modulation. The results demonstrate a mechanism for dynamic regulation of AMPA receptor activity to tune synaptic strength.

A transmembrane accessory subunit that modulates kainate-type glutamate receptors.

Glutamate receptors play major roles in excitatory transmission in the vertebrate brain. Among ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPA, kainate, NMDA), AMPA receptors mediate fast synaptic transmission and require TARP auxiliary subunits. NMDA receptors and kainate receptors play roles in synaptic transmission, but it remains uncertain whether these ionotropic glutamate receptors also have essential subunits. Using a proteomic screen, we have identified NETO2, a brain-specific protein of unknown function, as an interactor with kainate-type glutamate receptors. NETO2 modulates the channel properties of recombinant and native kainate receptors without affecting trafficking of the receptors and also modulates kainate-receptor-mediated mEPSCs. Furthermore, we found that kainate receptors regulate the surface expression of NETO2 and that NETO2 protein levels and surface expression are decreased in mice lacking the kainate receptor GluR6. The results show that NETO2 is a kainate receptor subunit with significant effects on glutamate signaling mechanisms in brain.

Cloning and characterization of two extracellular heparin-degrading endosulfatases in mice and humans.

Here we report the cloning of a full-length cDNA encoding the human ortholog (HSulf-1) of the developmentally regulated putative sulfatases QSulf-1 (Dhoot, G. K., Gustafsson, M. K., Ai, X., Sun, W., Standiford, D. M., and Emerson, C. P., Jr. (2001) Science 293, 1663-1666) and RSulfFP1 (Ohto, T., Uchida, H., Yamazaki, H., Keino-Masu, K., Matsui, A., and Masu, M. (2002) Genes Cells 7, 173-185) as well as a cDNA encoding a closely related protein, designated HSulf-2. We have also obtained cDNAs for the mouse orthologs of both Sulfs. We demonstrate that the proteins encoded by both classes of cDNAs are endoproteolytically processed in the secretory pathway and are released into conditioned medium of transfected CHO cells. We demonstrate that the mammalian Sulfs exhibit arylsulfatase activity with a pH optimum in the neutral range; moreover, they can remove sulfate from the C-6 position of glucosamine within specific subregions of intact heparin. Taken together, our results establish that the mammalian Sulfs are extracellular endosulfatases with strong potential for modulating the interactions of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the extracellular microenvironment.