Long-Term Plasticity of Neurotransmitter Release: Emerging Mechanisms and Contributions to Brain Function and Disease.

Long-lasting changes of brain function in response to experience rely on diverse forms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Chief among them are long-term potentiation and long-term depression of neurotransmitter release, which are widely expressed by excitatory and inhibitory synapses throughout the central nervous system and can dynamically regulate information flow in neural circuits. This review article explores recent advances in presynaptic long-term plasticity mechanisms and contributions to circuit function. Growing evidence indicates that presynaptic plasticity may involve structural changes, presynaptic protein synthesis, and transsynaptic signaling. Presynaptic long-term plasticity can alter the short-term dynamics of neurotransmitter release, thereby contributing to circuit computations such as novelty detection, modifications of the excitatory/inhibitory balance, and sensory adaptation. In addition, presynaptic long-term plasticity underlies forms of learning and its dysregulation participates in several neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, autism, intellectual disabilities, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug abuse.

Real-time 3D movement correction for two-photon imaging in behaving animals.

Two-photon microscopy is widely used to investigate brain function across multiple spatial scales. However, measurements of neural activity are compromised by brain movement in behaving animals. Brain motion-induced artifacts are typically corrected using post hoc processing of two-dimensional images, but this approach is slow and does not correct for axial movements. Moreover, the deleterious effects of brain movement on high-speed imaging of small regions of interest and photostimulation cannot be corrected post hoc. To address this problem, we combined random-access three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning using an acousto-optic lens and rapid closed-loop field programmable gate array processing to track 3D brain movement and correct motion artifacts in real time at up to 1 kHz. Our recordings from synapses, dendrites and large neuronal populations in behaving mice and zebrafish demonstrate real-time movement-corrected 3D two-photon imaging with submicrometer precision.

RNA-binding protein Sam68 controls synapse number and local ß-actin mRNA metabolism in dendrites.

Proper synaptic function requires the spatial and temporal compartmentalization of RNA metabolism via transacting RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Loss of RBP activity leads to abnormal posttranscriptional regulation and results in diverse neurological disorders with underlying deficits in synaptic morphology and transmission. Functional loss of the 68-kDa RBP Src associated in mitosis (Sam68) is associated with the pathogenesis of the neurological disorder fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome. Sam68 binds to the mRNA of ß-actin (actb), an integral cytoskeletal component of dendritic spines. We show that Sam68 knockdown or disruption of the binding between Sam68 and its actb mRNA cargo in primary hippocampal cultures decreases the amount of actb mRNA in the synaptodendritic compartment and results in fewer dendritic spines. Consistent with these observations, we find that Sam68-KO mice have reduced levels of actb mRNA associated with synaptic polysomes and diminished levels of synaptic actb protein, suggesting that Sam68 promotes the translation of actb mRNA at synapses in vivo. Moreover, genetic knockout of Sam68 or acute knockdown in vivo results in fewer excitatory synapses in the hippocampal formation as assessed morphologically and functionally. Therefore, we propose that Sam68 regulates synapse number in a cell-autonomous manner through control of postsynaptic actb mRNA metabolism. Our research identifies a role for Sam68 in synaptodendritic posttranscriptional regulation of actb and may provide insight into the pathophysiology of fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome.

CA1 pyramidal cell theta-burst firing triggers endocannabinoid-mediated long-term depression at both somatic and dendritic inhibitory synapses.

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are retrograde lipid messengers that, by targeting presynaptic type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs), mediate short- and long-term synaptic depression of neurotransmitter release throughout the brain. Short-term depression is typically triggered by postsynaptic, depolarization-induced calcium rises, whereas long-term depression is induced by synaptic activation of Gq/11 protein-coupled receptors. Here we report that a physiologically relevant pattern of postsynaptic activity, in the form of theta-burst firing (TBF) of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, can trigger long-term depression of inhibitory transmission (iLTD) in rat hippocampal slices. Paired recordings between CA1 interneurons and pyramidal cells, followed by post hoc morphological reconstructions of the interneurons' axon, revealed that somatic and dendritic inhibitory synaptic inputs equally expressed TBF-induced iLTD. Simultaneous recordings from neighboring pyramidal cells demonstrated that eCB signaling triggered by TBF was highly restricted to only a single, active cell. Furthermore, pairing submaximal endogenous activation of metabotropic glutamate or muscarinic acetylcholine receptors with submaximal TBF unmasked associative iLTD. Although CB1Rs are also expressed at Schaffer-collateral excitatory terminals, long-term plasticity under various recording conditions was spared at these synapses. Consistent with this observation, TBF also shifted the balance of excitation and inhibition in favor of excitatory throughput, thereby altering information flow through the CA1 circuit. Given the near ubiquity of burst-firing activity patterns and CB1R expression in the brain, the properties described here may be a general means by which neurons fine tune the strength of their inputs in a cell-wide and cell-specific manner.

Synaptotagmin-12 phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase is essential for hippocampal mossy fiber LTP.

Synaptotagmin-12 (Syt12) is an abundant synaptic vesicle protein that--different from other synaptic vesicle-associated synaptotagmins--does not bind Ca(2+). Syt12 is phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase-A at serine-97 in an activity-dependent manner, suggesting a function for Syt12 in cAMP-dependent synaptic plasticity. To test this hypothesis, we here generated (1) Syt12 knock-out mice and (2) Syt12 knockin mice carrying a single amino-acid substitution [the serine-97-to-alanine- (S97A)-substitution]. Both Syt12 knock-out mice and Syt12 S97A-knockin mice were viable and fertile, and exhibited no measurable change in basal synaptic strength or short-term plasticity as analyzed in cultured cortical neurons or in acute hippocampal slices. However, both Syt12 knock-out and Syt12 S97A-knockin mice displayed a major impairment in cAMP-dependent mossy-fiber long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. This impairment was observed using different experimental configurations for inducing and monitoring mossy-fiber LTP. Moreover, although the Syt12 knock-out had no effect on the short-term potentiation of synaptic transmission induced by the adenylate-cyclase activator forskolin in cultured cortical neurons and in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, both the Syt12 knock-out and the Syt12 S97A-knockin impaired the long-term increase in mossy-fiber synaptic transmission induced by forskolin. Thus, Syt12 is essential for cAMP-dependent presynaptic LTP at mossy-fiber synapses, and a single amino-acid substitution that blocks the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of Syt12 is sufficient to impair the function of Syt12 in mossy-fiber LTP, suggesting that cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of Syt12 on serine-97 contributes to the induction of mossy-fiber LTP.

Aggregation kinetics of single-walled carbon nanotubes investigated using mechanically wrapped multinuclear complexes: probing the tube-tube repulsive barrier.

The rational design of supraparticle assemblies requires a detailed understanding of directed assembly processes. The stability of dispersions of nanoscale materials, like single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), is still not fully understood, nor are the mechanisms of aggregation and assembly. A detailed balance of attractive van der Waals type interactions with various repulsive barrier mechanisms is needed to control the assembly of industrially viable and functional hybrid-nanoscale supraparticles. We report a detailed study of SWCNT dispersion stability and aggregation kinetics as a function of the nature of the coagulant used in various solvent systems. We explore three classes of coagulants that vary in charge, size, shape, solvation energy, and the ability to bind to the SWCNTs. We use these kinetic data to assess the tube-solvent-coagulant-tube interactions. We compare the relative contributions from two types of repulsive barriers. We find that tube-mediated structured solvent around the SWCNTs does not sufficiently describe our measured kinetic data. A DLVO type, electrical double layer repulsion is used to rationalize our observations. The data presented in this paper require a more detailed theoretical understanding of the physico-chemical environment near nanoparticle surfaces such as aggregating SWCNTs.

Rab3B protein is required for long-term depression of hippocampal inhibitory synapses and for normal reversal learning.

Rab3B, similar to other Rab3 isoforms, is a synaptic vesicle protein that interacts with the Rab3-interacting molecule (RIM) isoforms RIM1α and RIM2α as effector proteins in a GTP-dependent manner. Previous studies showed that at excitatory synapses, Rab3A and RIM1α are essential for presynaptically expressed long-term potentiation (LTP), whereas at inhibitory synapses RIM1α is required for endocannabinoid-dependent long-term depression (referred to as "i-LTD"). However, it remained unknown whether i-LTD also involves a Rab3 isoform and whether i-LTD, similar to other forms of long-term plasticity, is important for learning and memory. Here we show that Rab3B is highly enriched in inhibitory synapses in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Using electrophysiological recordings in acute slices, we demonstrate that knockout (KO) of Rab3B does not alter the strength or short-term plasticity of excitatory or inhibitory synapses but does impair i-LTD significantly without changing classical NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. Behaviorally, we found that Rab3B KO mice exhibit no detectable changes in all basic parameters tested, including the initial phase of learning and memory. However, Rab3B KO mice did display a selective enhancement in reversal learning, as measured using Morris water-maze and fear-conditioning assays. Our data support the notion that presynaptic forms of long-term plasticity at excitatory and inhibitory synapses generally are mediated by a common Rab3/RIM-dependent pathway, with various types of synapses using distinct Rab3 isoforms. Moreover, our results suggest that i-LTD contributes to learning and memory, presumably by stabilizing circuits established in previous learning processes.

Neuronal integration and the depolarizing effects of axonal GABA(A) receptors.

Despite their presence throughout the central nervous system, the impact of axonally expressed gamma-amino-butyric acid type-A receptors (GABA(A)Rs) on neuronal signaling is just beginning to be understood. A recently published article (Pugh JR and Jahr CE, J Neurosci 31: 565-574, 2011) tackled this important issue by investigating GABA(A)R-mediated function in axons of cerebellar granule cells. The results of Pugh and Jahr indicate parallel fiber GABA(A)Rs enhance neurotransmitter release probability and boost axonal and somatic excitability.

Sam68 Enables Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor-Dependent LTD in Distal Dendritic Regions of CA1 Hippocampal Neurons.

The transport and translation of dendritic mRNAs by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) allows for spatially restricted gene expression in neuronal processes. Although local translation in neuronal dendrites is now well documented, there is little evidence for corresponding effects on local synaptic function. Here, we report that the RBP Sam68 promotes the localization and translation of Arc mRNA preferentially in distal dendrites of rodent hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Consistent with Arc function in translation-dependent synaptic plasticity, we find that Sam68 knockout (KO) mice display impaired metabotropic glutamate-receptor-dependent long-term depression (mGluR-LTD) and impaired structural plasticity exclusively at distal Schaffer-collateral synapses. Moreover, by using quantitative proteomics, we find that the Sam68 interactome contains numerous regulators of mRNA translation and synaptic function. This work identifies an important player in Arc expression, provides a general framework for Sam68 regulation of protein synthesis, and uncovers a mechanism that enables the precise spatiotemporal expression of long-term plasticity throughout neurons.

Presynaptic Protein Synthesis Is Required for Long-Term Plasticity of GABA Release.

Long-term changes of neurotransmitter release are critical for proper brain function. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood. While protein synthesis is crucial for the consolidation of postsynaptic plasticity, whether and how protein synthesis regulates presynaptic plasticity in the mature mammalian brain remain unclear. Here, using paired whole-cell recordings in rodent hippocampal slices, we report that presynaptic protein synthesis is required for long-term, but not short-term, plasticity of GABA release from type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1)-expressing axons. This long-term depression of inhibitory transmission (iLTD) involves cap-dependent protein synthesis in presynaptic interneuron axons, but not somata. Translation is required during the induction, but not maintenance, of iLTD. Mechanistically, CB1 activation enhances protein synthesis via the mTOR pathway. Furthermore, using super-resolution STORM microscopy, we revealed eukaryotic ribosomes in CB1-expressing axon terminals. These findings suggest that presynaptic local protein synthesis controls neurotransmitter release during long-term plasticity in the mature mammalian brain.

Targeted deletion of AKAP7 in dentate granule cells impairs spatial discrimination.

Protein Kinase A (PKA) mediates synaptic plasticity and is widely implicated in learning and memory. The hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is thought to be responsible for processing and encoding distinct contextual associations in response to highly similar inputs. The mossy fiber (MF) axons of the dentate granule cells convey strong excitatory drive to CA3 pyramidal neurons and express presynaptic, PKA-dependent forms of plasticity. Here, we demonstrate an essential role for the PKA anchoring protein, AKAP7, in mouse MF axons and terminals. Genetic ablation of AKAP7 specifically from dentate granule cells results in disruption of MF-CA3 LTP directly initiated by cAMP, and the AKAP7 mutant mice are selectively deficient in pattern separation behaviors. Our results suggest that the AKAP7/PKA complex in the MF projections plays an essential role in synaptic plasticity and contextual memory formation.

Endogenous cannabinoid signaling at inhibitory interneurons.

Significant progress has been made in our understanding of how endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs) signal at excitatory and inhibitory synapses in the central nervous system (CNS). This review discusses how eCBs regulate inhibitory interneurons, their synapses, and the networks in which they are embedded. eCB signaling plays a pivotal role in brain physiology by means of their synaptic signal transduction, spatiotemporal signaling profile, routing of information through inhibitory microcircuits, and experience-dependent plasticity. Understanding the normal processes underlying eCB signaling is beginning to shed light on how their dysregulation contributes to disease.

Endocannabinoid signaling and synaptic function.

Endocannabinoids are key modulators of synaptic function. By activating cannabinoid receptors expressed in the central nervous system, these lipid messengers can regulate several neural functions and behaviors. As experimental tools advance, the repertoire of known endocannabinoid-mediated effects at the synapse, and their underlying mechanism, continues to expand. Retrograde signaling is the principal mode by which endocannabinoids mediate short- and long-term forms of plasticity at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. However, growing evidence suggests that endocannabinoids can also signal in a nonretrograde manner. In addition to mediating synaptic plasticity, the endocannabinoid system is itself subject to plastic changes. Multiple points of interaction with other neuromodulatory and signaling systems have now been identified. In this Review, we focus on new advances in synaptic endocannabinoid signaling in the mammalian brain. The emerging picture not only reinforces endocannabinoids as potent regulators of synaptic function but also reveals that endocannabinoid signaling is mechanistically more complex and diverse than originally thought.

The battle over inhibitory synaptic plasticity in satiety brain circuits.

The synaptic basis underlying food intake is poorly understood. New research shows that an animal's satiety state dictates the polarity of long-term inhibitory synaptic plasticity in the hypothalamus, which is mediated by an activity-dependent competition between endocannabinoid and nitric oxide signaling.