RESUMO
The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type 2 (CAMK2) family consists of four different isozymes, encoded by four different genes-CAMK2A, CAMK2B, CAMK2G, and CAMK2D-of which the first three have been associated recently with neurodevelopmental disorders. CAMK2D is one of the major CAMK2 proteins expressed in the heart and has been associated with cardiac anomalies. Although this CAMK2 isoform is also known to be one of the major CAMK2 subtypes expressed during early brain development, it has never been linked with neurodevelopmental disorders until now. Here we show that CAMK2D plays an important role in neurodevelopment not only in mice but also in humans. We identified eight individuals harboring heterozygous variants in CAMK2D who display symptoms of intellectual disability, delayed speech, behavioral problems, and dilated cardiomyopathy. The majority of the variants tested lead to a gain of function (GoF), which appears to cause both neurological problems and dilated cardiomyopathy. In contrast, loss-of-function (LoF) variants appear to induce only neurological symptoms. Together, we describe a cohort of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and cardiac anomalies, harboring pathogenic variants in CAMK2D, confirming an important role for the CAMK2D isozyme in both heart and brain function.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina , Cardiomiopatia Dilatada , Deficiência Intelectual , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/metabolismo , Coração , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genéticaRESUMO
Hyperactivation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway can cause malformation of cortical development (MCD) with associated epilepsy and intellectual disability (ID) through a yet unknown mechanism. Here, we made use of the recently identified dominant-active mutation in Ras Homolog Enriched in Brain 1 (RHEB), RHEBp.P37L, to gain insight in the mechanism underlying the epilepsy caused by hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway. Focal expression of RHEBp.P37L in mouse somatosensory cortex (SScx) results in an MCD-like phenotype, with increased mTOR signaling, ectopic localization of neurons, and reliable generalized seizures. We show that in this model, the mTOR-dependent seizures are caused by enhanced axonal connectivity, causing hyperexcitability of distally connected neurons. Indeed, blocking axonal vesicle release from the RHEBp.P37L neurons alone completely stopped the seizures and normalized the hyperexcitability of the distally connected neurons. These results provide new evidence of the extent of anatomical and physiological abnormalities caused by mTOR hyperactivity, beyond local malformations, which can lead to generalized epilepsy.
Assuntos
Proteína Enriquecida em Homólogo de Ras do Encéfalo/metabolismo , Convulsões/metabolismo , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/metabolismo , Animais , Axônios/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Epilepsia/metabolismo , Epilepsia/fisiopatologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neurônios/metabolismo , Convulsões/fisiopatologia , Transdução de Sinais , Córtex Somatossensorial/metabolismoRESUMO
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha subunit (CaMKIIα) is a key neuronal signaling protein and an emerging drug target. The central hub domain regulates the activity of CaMKIIα by organizing the holoenzyme complex into functional oligomers, yet pharmacological modulation of the hub domain has never been demonstrated. Here, using a combination of photoaffinity labeling and chemical proteomics, we show that compounds related to the natural substance γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) bind selectively to CaMKIIα. By means of a 2.2-Å x-ray crystal structure of ligand-bound CaMKIIα hub, we reveal the molecular details of the binding site deep within the hub. Furthermore, we show that binding of GHB and related analogs to this site promotes concentration-dependent increases in hub thermal stability believed to alter holoenzyme functionality. Selectively under states of pathological CaMKIIα activation, hub ligands provide a significant and sustained neuroprotection, which is both time and dose dependent. This is demonstrated in neurons exposed to excitotoxicity and in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia with the selective GHB analog, HOCPCA (3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid). Together, our results indicate a hitherto unknown mechanism for neuroprotection by a highly specific and unforeseen interaction between the CaMKIIα hub domain and small molecule brain-penetrant GHB analogs. This establishes GHB analogs as powerful tools for investigating CaMKII neuropharmacology in general and as potential therapeutic compounds for cerebral ischemia in particular.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/metabolismo , Oxibato de Sódio/metabolismo , Sítios de Ligação , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Ácidos Carboxílicos/farmacologia , Cristalografia por Raios X , Ciclopentanos/farmacologia , Regulação Enzimológica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Neuroproteção , Ligação Proteica , Domínios Proteicos , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
Over 50% of children with a parent with severe mental illness will develop mental illness by early adulthood. However, intergenerational transmission of risk for mental illness in one's children is insufficiently considered in clinical practice, nor is it sufficiently utilised into diagnostics and care for children of ill parents. This leads to delays in diagnosing young offspring and missed opportunities for protective actions and resilience strengthening. Prior twin, family, and adoption studies suggest that the aetiology of mental illness is governed by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, potentially mediated by changes in epigenetic programming and brain development. However, how these factors ultimately materialise into mental disorders remains unclear. Here, we present the FAMILY consortium, an interdisciplinary, multimodal (e.g., (epi)genetics, neuroimaging, environment, behaviour), multilevel (e.g., individual-level, family-level), and multisite study funded by a European Union Horizon-Staying-Healthy-2021 grant. FAMILY focuses on understanding and prediction of intergenerational transmission of mental illness, using genetically informed causal inference, multimodal normative prediction, and animal modelling. Moreover, FAMILY applies methods from social sciences to map social and ethical consequences of risk prediction to prepare clinical practice for future implementation. FAMILY aims to deliver: (i) new discoveries clarifying the aetiology of mental illness and the process of resilience, thereby providing new targets for prevention and intervention studies; (ii) a risk prediction model within a normative modelling framework to predict who is at risk for developing mental illness; and (iii) insight into social and ethical issues related to risk prediction to inform clinical guidelines.
RESUMO
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are actin-based transient tubular connections that allow direct communication between distant cells. TNTs play an important role in several physiological (development, immunity, and tissue regeneration) and pathological (cancer, neurodegeneration, and pathogens transmission) processes. Here, we report that the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, an intracellular cascade that is involved in actin cytoskeleton remodeling, has a role in TNT formation and TNT-mediated transfer of cargoes. Specifically, we found that Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), a transducer of the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, regulates TNTs in a neuronal cell line and in primary neurons. We identified the ß isoform of CaMKII as a key molecule in modulating TNT formation and transfer, showing that this depends on the actin-binding activity of the protein. Finally, we found that the transfer of vesicles and aggregated α-synuclein between primary neurons can be regulated by the activation of the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway. Our findings suggest that Wnt/Ca2+ pathway could be a novel promising target for therapies designed to impair TNT-mediated propagation of pathogens.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/fisiologia , Cálcio/metabolismo , Comunicação Celular , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Nanotubos/química , Neurônios/fisiologia , Proteínas Wnt/metabolismo , Actinas/metabolismo , Animais , Sinalização do Cálcio , Células Cultivadas , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Neurônios/citologia , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) regulates synaptic plasticity in multiple ways, supposedly including the secretion of neuromodulators like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Here, we show that neuromodulator secretion is indeed reduced in mouse α- and ßCaMKII-deficient (αßCaMKII double-knockout [DKO]) hippocampal neurons. However, this was not due to reduced secretion efficiency or neuromodulator vesicle transport but to 40% reduced neuromodulator levels at synapses and 50% reduced delivery of new neuromodulator vesicles to axons. αßCaMKII depletion drastically reduced neuromodulator expression. Blocking BDNF secretion or BDNF scavenging in wild-type neurons produced a similar reduction. Reduced neuromodulator expression in αßCaMKII DKO neurons was restored by active ßCaMKII but not inactive ßCaMKII or αCaMKII, and by CaMKII downstream effectors that promote cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation. These data indicate that CaMKII regulates neuromodulation in a feedback loop coupling neuromodulator secretion to ßCaMKII- and CREB-dependent neuromodulator expression and axonal targeting, but CaMKIIs are dispensable for the secretion process itself.
Assuntos
Astrócitos/metabolismo , Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/genética , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Cálcio/metabolismo , Neurônios/metabolismo , Subunidades Proteicas/genética , Animais , Astrócitos/citologia , Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/metabolismo , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/deficiência , Proteína de Ligação ao Elemento de Resposta ao AMP Cíclico/genética , Proteína de Ligação ao Elemento de Resposta ao AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Retroalimentação Fisiológica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Hipocampo/citologia , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Neurônios/citologia , Fosforilação , Cultura Primária de Células , Subunidades Proteicas/deficiência , Sinapses/fisiologia , Transmissão Sináptica , Imagem com Lapso de TempoRESUMO
Mitogen-activated protein 3 kinase 7 (MAP3K7) encodes the ubiquitously expressed transforming growth factor ß-activated kinase 1, which plays a crucial role in many cellular processes. Mutationsin the MAP3K7 gene have been linked to two distinct disorders: frontometaphyseal dysplasia type 2 (FMD2) and cardiospondylocarpofacial syndrome (CSCF). The fact that different mutations can induce two distinct phenotypes suggests a phenotype/genotype correlation, but no side-by-side comparison has been done thus far to confirm this. Here, we significantly expand the cohort and the description of clinical phenotypes for patients with CSCF and FMD2 who carry mutations in MAP3K7. Our findings support that in contrast to FMD2-causing mutations, CSCF-causing mutations in MAP3K7 have a loss-of-function effect. Additionally, patients with pathogenic mutations in MAP3K7 are at risk for (severe) cardiac disease, have symptoms associated with connective tissue disease, and we show overlap in clinical phenotypes of CSCF with Noonan syndrome (NS). Together, we confirm a molecular fingerprint of FMD2- versus CSCF-causing MAP3K7 mutations and conclude that mutations in MAP3K7 should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with syndromic congenital cardiac defects and/or cardiomyopathy, syndromic connective tissue disorders, and in the differential diagnosis of NS.
Assuntos
Anormalidades Múltiplas , Síndrome de Noonan , Anormalidades Múltiplas/genética , Genótipo , Perda Auditiva Bilateral , Humanos , Insuficiência da Valva Mitral , Mutação , Síndrome de Noonan/genética , Osteosclerose , FenótipoRESUMO
Thousand and one amino-acid kinase 1 (TAOK1) is a MAP3K protein kinase, regulating different mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, thereby modulating a multitude of processes in the cell. Given the recent finding of TAOK1 involvement in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), we investigated the role of TAOK1 in neuronal function and collected a cohort of 23 individuals with mostly de novo variants in TAOK1 to further define the associated NDD. Here, we provide evidence for an important role for TAOK1 in neuronal function, showing that altered TAOK1 expression levels in the embryonic mouse brain affect neural migration in vivo, as well as neuronal maturation in vitro. The molecular spectrum of the identified TAOK1 variants comprises largely truncating and nonsense variants, but also missense variants, for which we provide evidence that they can have a loss of function or dominant-negative effect on TAOK1, expanding the potential underlying causative mechanisms resulting in NDD. Taken together, our data indicate that TAOK1 activity needs to be properly controlled for normal neuronal function and that TAOK1 dysregulation leads to a neurodevelopmental disorder mainly comprising similar facial features, developmental delay/intellectual disability and/or variable learning or behavioral problems, muscular hypotonia, infant feeding difficulties, and growth problems.
Assuntos
Deficiência Intelectual , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento , Aminoácidos , Animais , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases , Camundongos , Hipotonia Muscular , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genéticaRESUMO
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMK2) is a key player in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Mutations in Camk2a or Camk2b cause intellectual disability in humans, and severe plasticity and learning deficits in mice, indicating unique functions for each isoform. However, considering the high homology between CAMK2A and CAMK2B, it is conceivable that for critical functions, one isoform compensates for the absence of the other, and that the full functional spectrum of neuronal CAMK2 remains to be revealed.Here we show that germline as well as adult deletion of both CAMK2 isoforms in male or female mice is lethal. Moreover, Ca2+-dependent activity as well as autonomous activity of CAMK2 is essential for survival. Loss of both CAMK2 isoforms abolished LTP, whereas synaptic transmission remained intact. The double-mutants showed no gross morphological changes of the brain, and in contrast to the long-considered role for CAMK2 in the structural organization of the postsynaptic density (PSD), deletion of both CAMK2 isoforms did not affect the biochemical composition of the PSD. Together, these results reveal an essential role for CAMK2 signaling in early postnatal development as well as the mature brain, and indicate that the full spectrum of CAMK2 requirements cannot be revealed in the single mutants because of partial overlapping functions of CAMK2A and CAMK2B.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT CAMK2A and CAMK2B have been studied for over 30 years for their role in neuronal functioning. However, most studies were performed using single knock-out mice. Because the two isoforms show high homology with respect to structure and function, it is likely that some redundancy exists between the two isoforms, meaning that for critical functions CAMK2B compensates for the absence of CAMK2A and vice versa, leaving these functions to uncover. In this study, we generated Camk2a/Camk2b double-mutant mice, and observed that loss of CAMK2, as well as the loss of Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent activity of CAMK2 is lethal. These results indicate that despite 30 years of research the full spectrum of CAMK2 functioning in neurons remains to be unraveled.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Neurônios/metabolismo , Animais , Encéfalo/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/fisiologia , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/metabolismo , Feminino , Deleção de Genes , Mutação em Linhagem Germinativa , Potenciação de Longa Duração , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neurogênese , Neurônios/citologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Densidade Pós-Sináptica/metabolismoRESUMO
We describe the underlying genetic cause of a novel Rett-like phenotype accompanied by areflexia in three methyl-CpG-binding protein 2-negative individuals from two unrelated families. Discovery analysis was performed using whole-exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing for validation and segregation. Functional studies using short-hairpin RNA for targeted gene knockdown were implemented by the transfection of mouse cultured primary hippocampal neurons and in vivo by in utero electroporation. All patients shared a common homozygous frameshift mutation (chr9:135073515, c.376dupT, p.(Ser126PhefsTer241)) in netrin-G2 (NTNG2, NM_032536.3) with predicted nonsense-mediated decay. The mutation fully segregated with the disease in both families. The knockdown of either NTNG2 or the related netrin-G family member NTNG1 resulted in severe neurodevelopmental defects of neuronal morphology and migration. While NTNG1 has previously been linked to a Rett syndrome (RTT)-like phenotype, this is the first description of a RTT-like phenotype caused by NTNG2 mutation. Netrin-G proteins have been shown to be required for proper axonal guidance during early brain development and involved in N-methyl- d-aspartate-mediated synaptic transmission. Our results demonstrating that knockdown of murine NTNG2 causes severe impairments of neuronal morphology and cortical migration are consistent with those of RTT animal models and the shared neurodevelopmental phenotypes between the individuals described here and typical RTT patients.
Assuntos
Doença de Charcot-Marie-Tooth/diagnóstico , Doença de Charcot-Marie-Tooth/genética , Proteínas Ligadas por GPI/genética , Estudos de Associação Genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Netrinas/genética , Síndrome de Rett/diagnóstico , Síndrome de Rett/genética , Animais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Consanguinidade , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Fácies , Feminino , Estudos de Associação Genética/métodos , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Neurônios/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Sequenciamento do ExomaRESUMO
Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMK2) is one of the first proteins shown to be essential for normal learning and synaptic plasticity in mice, but its requirement for human brain development has not yet been established. Through a multi-center collaborative study based on a whole-exome sequencing approach, we identified 19 exceedingly rare de novo CAMK2A or CAMK2B variants in 24 unrelated individuals with intellectual disability. Variants were assessed for their effect on CAMK2 function and on neuronal migration. For both CAMK2A and CAMK2B, we identified mutations that decreased or increased CAMK2 auto-phosphorylation at Thr286/Thr287. We further found that all mutations affecting auto-phosphorylation also affected neuronal migration, highlighting the importance of tightly regulated CAMK2 auto-phosphorylation in neuronal function and neurodevelopment. Our data establish the importance of CAMK2A and CAMK2B and their auto-phosphorylation in human brain function and expand the phenotypic spectrum of the disorders caused by variants in key players of the glutamatergic signaling pathway.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Mutação/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/patologia , Linhagem Celular , Exoma/genética , Feminino , Ácido Glutâmico/genética , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neurônios/patologia , Fosforilação/genética , Transdução de Sinais/genéticaRESUMO
E3 ubiquitin ligase (UBE3A) levels in the brain need to be tightly regulated, as loss of functional UBE3A protein is responsible for the severe neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome (AS), whereas increased activity of UBE3A is associated with nonsyndromic autism. Given the role of mPFC in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, we aimed to identify the functional changes resulting from loss of UBE3A in infralimbic and prelimbic mPFC areas in a mouse model of AS. Whole-cell recordings from layer 5 mPFC pyramidal neurons obtained in brain slices from adult mice of both sexes revealed that loss of UBE3A results in a strong decrease of spontaneous inhibitory transmission and increase of spontaneous excitatory transmission potentially leading to a marked excitation/inhibition imbalance. Additionally, we found that loss of UBE3A led to decreased excitability and increased threshold for action potential of layer 5 fast spiking interneurons without significantly affecting the excitability of pyramidal neurons. Because we previously showed that AS mouse behavioral phenotypes are reversible upon Ube3a gene reactivation during a restricted period of early postnatal development, we investigated whether Ube3a gene reactivation in a fully mature brain could reverse any of the identified physiological deficits. In contrast to our previously reported behavioral findings, restoring UBE3A levels in adult animals fully rescued all the identified physiological deficits of mPFC neurons. Moreover, the kinetics of reversing these synaptic deficits closely followed the reinstatement of UBE3A protein level. Together, these findings show a striking dissociation between the rescue of behavioral and physiological deficits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we describe significant physiological deficits in the mPFC of an Angelman syndrome mouse model. We found a marked change in excitatory/inhibitory balance, as well as decreased excitability of fast spiking interneurons. A promising treatment strategy for Angelman syndrome is aimed at restoring UBE3A expression by activating the paternal UBE3A gene. Here we find that the physiological changes in the mPFC are fully reversible upon gene reactivation, even when the brain is fully mature. This indicates that there is no critical developmental window for reversing the identified physiological deficits in mPFC.
Assuntos
Síndrome de Angelman/fisiopatologia , Neurônios/fisiologia , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiopatologia , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genética , Potenciais de Ação/fisiologia , Síndrome de Angelman/genética , Síndrome de Angelman/metabolismo , Animais , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Camundongos , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/metabolismoRESUMO
The abundantly expressed calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMK2), alpha (CAMK2A), and beta (CAMK2B) isoforms are essential for learning and memory formation. Recently, a de novo candidate mutation (p.Arg292Pro) in the gamma isoform of CAMK2 (CAMK2G) was identified in a patient with severe intellectual disability (ID), but the mechanism(s) by which this mutation causes ID is unknown. Here, we identified a second, unrelated individual, with a de novo CAMK2G p.Arg292Pro mutation, and used in vivo and in vitro assays to assess the impact of this mutation on CAMK2G and neuronal function. We found that knockdown of CAMK2G results in inappropriate precocious neuronal maturation. We further found that the CAMK2G p.Arg292Pro mutation acts as a highly pathogenic gain-of-function mutation, leading to increased phosphotransferase activity and impaired neuronal maturation as well as impaired targeting of the nuclear CAMK2G isoform. Silencing the catalytic site of the CAMK2G p.Arg292Pro protein reversed the pathogenic effect of the p.Arg292Pro mutation on neuronal maturation, without rescuing its nuclear targeting. Taken together, our results reveal an indispensable function of CAMK2G in neurodevelopment and indicate that the CAMK2G p.Arg292Pro protein acts as a pathogenic gain-of-function mutation, through constitutive activity toward cytosolic targets, rather than impaired targeting to the nucleus.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/metabolismo , Mutação com Ganho de Função , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Substituição de Aminoácidos , Animais , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/química , Domínio Catalítico , Células Cultivadas , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/metabolismo , Masculino , CamundongosRESUMO
UBE2A deficiency syndrome (also known as X-linked intellectual disability type Nascimento) is an intellectual disability syndrome characterized by prominent dysmorphic features, impaired speech and often epilepsy. The syndrome is caused by Xq24 deletions encompassing the UBE2A (HR6A) gene or by intragenic UBE2A mutations. UBE2A encodes an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme involved in DNA repair and female fertility. A recent study in Drosophila showed that dUBE2A binds to the E3 ligase Parkin, which is required for mitochondrial function and responsible for juvenile Parkinson's disease. In addition, these studies showed impairments in synaptic transmission in dUBE2A mutant flies. However, a causal role of UBE2A in of cognitive deficits has not yet been established. Here, we show that Ube2a knockout mice have a major deficit in spatial learning tasks, whereas other tested phenotypes, including epilepsy and motor coordination, were normal. Results from electrophysiological measurements in the hippocampus showed no deficits in synaptic transmission nor in the ability to induce long-term synaptic potentiation. However, a small but significant deficit was observed in mGLUR-dependent long-term depression, a pathway previously implied in several other mouse models for neurodevelopmental disorders. Our results indicate a causal role of UBE2A in learning and mGLUR-dependent long-term depression, and further indicate that the Ube2a knockout mouse is a good model to study the molecular mechanisms underlying UBE2A deficiency syndrome.
Assuntos
Aprendizagem/fisiologia , Depressão Sináptica de Longo Prazo/fisiologia , Memória/fisiologia , Plasticidade Neuronal/fisiologia , Enzimas de Conjugação de Ubiquitina/fisiologia , Animais , Doenças Genéticas Ligadas ao Cromossomo X/genética , Hipocampo/fisiologia , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Potenciação de Longa Duração , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Mutação , Receptores de Glutamato Metabotrópico/metabolismo , Comportamento Social , Transmissão Sináptica/fisiologia , Enzimas de Conjugação de Ubiquitina/deficiência , Enzimas de Conjugação de Ubiquitina/genéticaRESUMO
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss of the maternally inherited allele of UBE3AUbe3aSTOP/p+ mice recapitulate major features of AS in humans and allow conditional reinstatement of maternal Ube3a with the expression of Cre recombinase. We have recently shown that AS model mice exhibit reduced inhibitory drive onto layer (L)2/3 pyramidal neurons of visual cortex, which contributes to a synaptic excitatory/inhibitory imbalance. However, it remains unclear how this loss of inhibitory drive affects neural circuits in vivo. Here we examined visual cortical response properties in individual neurons to explore the consequences of Ube3a loss on intact cortical circuits and processing. Using in vivo patch-clamp electrophysiology, we measured the visually evoked responses to square-wave drifting gratings in L2/3 regular-spiking (RS) neurons in control mice, Ube3a-deficient mice, and mice in which Ube3a was conditionally reinstated in GABAergic neurons. We found that Ube3a-deficient mice exhibited enhanced pyramidal neuron excitability in vivo as well as weaker orientation tuning. These observations are the first to show alterations in cortical computation in an AS model, and they suggest a basis for cortical dysfunction in AS.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the loss of the gene UBE3A Using electrophysiological recording in vivo, we describe visual cortical dysfunctions in a mouse model of AS. Aberrant cellular properties in AS model mice could be improved by reinstating Ube3a in inhibitory neurons. These findings suggest that inhibitory neurons play a substantial role in the pathogenesis of AS.
Assuntos
Síndrome de Angelman/metabolismo , Neurônios GABAérgicos/metabolismo , Células Piramidais/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/deficiência , Córtex Visual/metabolismo , Percepção Visual/fisiologia , Potenciais de Ação/fisiologia , Síndrome de Angelman/patologia , Animais , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Neurônios GABAérgicos/patologia , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Camundongos da Linhagem 129 , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Orientação Espacial/fisiologia , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Estimulação Luminosa , Células Piramidais/patologia , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genética , Córtex Visual/patologiaRESUMO
Target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) is an important regulator of neuronal function. However, whereas a modest activation of the TORC1 signaling pathway has been shown to affect synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, the effect of TORC1 hypo-activation is less clear. This knowledge is particularly important since TORC1 inhibitors may hold great promise for treating a variety of disorders, including developmental disorders, aging-related disorders, epilepsy and cancer. Such treatments are likely to be long lasting and could involve treating young children. Hence, it is pivotal that the effects of sustained TORC1 inhibition on brain development and cognitive function are determined. Here, we made use of constitutive and conditional Rheb1 mutant mice to study the effect of prolonged and specific reduction in the TORC1 pathway. We show that Rheb1 mutant mice show up to 75% reduction in TORC1 signaling, but develop normally and show intact synaptic plasticity and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. We discuss our findings in light of current literature in which the effect of pharmacological inhibition of TORC1 is studied in the context of synaptic plasticity and learning. We conclude that in contrast to TORC1 hyper-activity, cognitive function is not very sensitive to sustained and specific down-regulation of TORC1 activity.
Assuntos
Proteínas Monoméricas de Ligação ao GTP/genética , Mutação , Neuropeptídeos/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Ativação Enzimática , Expressão Gênica , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Aprendizagem , Potenciação de Longa Duração/genética , Aprendizagem em Labirinto , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina , Memória , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Proteínas Monoméricas de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Complexos Multiproteicos/metabolismo , Plasticidade Neuronal/genética , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neuropeptídeos/metabolismo , Fosforilação , Proteína Enriquecida em Homólogo de Ras do Encéfalo , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/metabolismoRESUMO
In the neocortex, the coexistence of temporally locked excitation and inhibition governs complex network activity underlying cognitive functions, and is believed to be altered in several brain diseases. Here we show that this equilibrium can be unlocked by increased activity of layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the mouse neocortex. Somatic depolarization or short bursts of action potentials of layer 5 pyramidal neurons induced a selective long-term potentiation of GABAergic synapses (LTPi) without affecting glutamatergic inputs. Remarkably, LTPi was selective for perisomatic inhibition from parvalbumin basket cells, leaving dendritic inhibition intact. It relied on retrograde signaling of nitric oxide, which persistently altered presynaptic GABA release and diffused to inhibitory synapses impinging on adjacent pyramidal neurons. LTPi reduced the time window of synaptic summation and increased the temporal precision of spike generation. Thus, increases in single cortical pyramidal neuron activity can induce an interneuron-selective GABAergic plasticity effectively altering the computation of temporally coded information.
Assuntos
Células Piramidais/fisiologia , Potenciais de Ação/fisiologia , Animais , Canais de Cálcio Tipo L/fisiologia , Potenciação de Longa Duração/fisiologia , Depressão Sináptica de Longo Prazo/fisiologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Neocórtex/citologia , Plasticidade Neuronal/fisiologia , Neurônios , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/fisiologiaRESUMO
The α isoform of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) has been implicated extensively in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying spatial and contextual learning in a wide variety of species. Germline deletion of Camk2a leads to severe deficits in spatial and contextual learning in mice. However, the temporal and region-specific requirements for αCaMKII have remained largely unexplored. Here, we generated conditional Camk2a mutants to examine the influence of spatially restricted and temporally controlled expression of αCaMKII. Forebrain-specific deletion of the Camk2a gene resulted in severe deficits in water maze and contextual fear learning, whereas mice with deletion restricted to the cerebellum learned normally. Furthermore, we found that temporally controlled deletion of the Camk2a gene in adult mice is as detrimental as germline deletion for learning and synaptic plasticity. Together, we confirm the requirement for αCaMKII in the forebrain, but not the cerebellum, in spatial and contextual learning. Moreover, we highlight the absolute requirement for intact αCaMKII expression at the time of learning.
Assuntos
Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/metabolismo , Condicionamento Clássico/fisiologia , Medo/fisiologia , Aprendizagem em Labirinto/fisiologia , Comportamento Espacial/fisiologia , Animais , Proteína Quinase Tipo 2 Dependente de Cálcio-Calmodulina/genética , Condicionamento Clássico/efeitos dos fármacos , Antagonistas de Estrogênios/farmacologia , Potenciais Pós-Sinápticos Excitadores/genética , Medo/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/genética , Hipocampo/citologia , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/metabolismo , Integrases/genética , Integrases/metabolismo , Potenciação de Longa Duração/genética , Aprendizagem em Labirinto/efeitos dos fármacos , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/genética , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Neurônios/efeitos dos fármacos , Neurônios/fisiologia , Técnicas de Patch-Clamp , Comportamento Espacial/efeitos dos fármacos , Tamoxifeno/farmacologia , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway is a ubiquitous cellular pathway. mTORopathies, a group of disorders characterized by hyperactivity of the mTORC1 pathway, illustrate the prominent role of the mTOR pathway in disease pathology, often profoundly affecting the central nervous system. One of the most debilitating symptoms of mTORopathies is drug-resistant epilepsy, emphasizing the urgent need for a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms to develop novel anti-epileptic drugs. In this study, we explored the multiwell Multi-electrode array (MEA) system as a tool to identify robust network activity parameters in an approach to model mTORopathy-related epilepsy in vitro. To this extent, we cultured mouse primary hippocampal neurons on the multiwell MEA to identify robust network activity phenotypes in mTORC1-hyperactive neuronal networks. mTOR-hyperactivity was induced either through deletion of Tsc1 or overexpression of a constitutively active RHEB variant identified in patients, RHEBp.P37L. mTORC1 dependency of the phenotypes was assessed using rapamycin, and vigabatrin was applied to treat epilepsy-like phenotypes. We show that hyperactivity of the mTORC1 pathway leads to aberrant network activity. In both the Tsc1-KO and RHEB-p.P37L models, we identified changes in network synchronicity, rhythmicity, and burst characteristics. The presence of these phenotypes is prevented upon early treatment with the mTORC1-inhibitor rapamycin. Application of rapamycin in mature neuronal cultures could only partially rescue the network activity phenotypes. Additionally, treatment with the anti-epileptic drug vigabatrin reduced network activity and restored burst characteristics. Taken together, we showed that mTORC1-hyperactive neuronal cultures on the multiwell MEA system present reliable network activity phenotypes that can be used as an assay to explore the potency of new drug treatments targeting epilepsy in mTORopathy patients and may give more insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying epilepsy in these patients.
Assuntos
Epilepsia , Hipocampo , Neurônios , Proteína 1 do Complexo Esclerose Tuberosa , Animais , Camundongos , Neurônios/efeitos dos fármacos , Neurônios/metabolismo , Epilepsia/patologia , Células Cultivadas , Proteína 1 do Complexo Esclerose Tuberosa/genética , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/metabolismo , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Proteína Enriquecida em Homólogo de Ras do Encéfalo/genética , Camundongos Knockout , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BLRESUMO
Neurodevelopmental proteasomopathies represent a distinctive category of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) characterized by genetic variations within the 26S proteasome, a protein complex governing eukaryotic cellular protein homeostasis. In our comprehensive study, we identified 23 unique variants in PSMC5 , which encodes the AAA-ATPase proteasome subunit PSMC5/Rpt6, causing syndromic NDD in 38 unrelated individuals. Overexpression of PSMC5 variants altered human hippocampal neuron morphology, while PSMC5 knockdown led to impaired reversal learning in flies and loss of excitatory synapses in rat hippocampal neurons. PSMC5 loss-of-function resulted in abnormal protein aggregation, profoundly impacting innate immune signaling, mitophagy rates, and lipid metabolism in affected individuals. Importantly, targeting key components of the integrated stress response, such as PKR and GCN2 kinases, ameliorated immune dysregulations in cells from affected individuals. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental proteasomopathies, provide links to research in neurodegenerative diseases, and open up potential therapeutic avenues.