Activity-induced Nr4a1 regulates spine density and distribution pattern of excitatory synapses in pyramidal neurons
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE76805 | GEO | 2016/01/13
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA308606
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Excitatory synapses occur mainly on dendritic spines, and spine density is usually correlated with the strength of excitatory synaptic transmission. We report that Nr4a1, an activity-inducible gene encoding a nuclear receptor, regulates the density and distribution of dendritic spines in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Nr4a1 overexpression resulted in elimination of the majority of spines; however, postsynaptic densities were preserved on dendritic shafts, and the strength of excitatory synaptic transmission was unaffected, showing that excitatory synapses can be dissociated from spines. mRNA expression profiling studies suggest that Nr4a1-mediated transcriptional regulation of the actin cytoskeleton contributes to this effect. Under conditions of chronically elevated activity, when Nr4a1 was induced, Nr4a1 knockdown increased the density of spines and PSDs specifically at the distal ends of dendrites. Thus, Nr4a1 is a key component of an activity-induced transcriptional program that regulates the density and distribution of spines and synapses. After 10 days in culture, dissociated mouse hippocampal neurons in 6-well plates were infected with lentivirus expressing either Flag-Nr4a1 or GFP and incubated for 6 days to allow for transgene expression. Total RNA was then isolated using RNeasy Plus kit (QIAGEN). Samples passing an mRNA quality check proceeded to quantitative analysis on Agilent-026655 4x44 Mouse Microarrays.
2016-01-13 | E-GEOD-76805 | biostudies-arrayexpress
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Project description:Excitatory synapses of principal hippocampal neurons are frequently located on dendritic spines. The dynamic strengthening or weakening of individual inputs results in a great structural and molecular diversity of dendritic spines. Active spines with large Ca2+-transients are frequently invaded by a single protrusion from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which is dynamically transported into spines by the actin-based motor myosin V. An increase in synaptic strength often correlates with stable anchoring of the ER, followed by the formation of the spine apparatus organelle. Here we characterize the newly identified interaction of myosin V with the Ca2+-sensor caldendrin, a brain-specific homolog of the well-known myosin V interactor calmodulin. While calmodulin is an essential activator of myosin V motor function, we found that caldendrin acts as an inhibitor of processive myosin V movement. We propose that caldendrin transforms myosin into a stationary F actin tether, and show that in mouse and rat hippocampal neurons, caldendrin regulates spine apparatus localization to a subset of dendritic spines through a myosin V-dependent pathway.
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Project description:Many forms of synaptic plasticity are critically dependent upon production of cGMP to trigger activity-dependent increases in synaptic size and strength. Phosphodiesterase 9A (PDE9A) is a high affinity, cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase with widespread distribution in the central nervous system. Inhibition of PDE9A results in significant accumulation of cGMP in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of rodents, and increases CSF cGMP in human volunteers. We hypothesized that chronic exposure to a PDE9A inhibitor, and the associated elevations in brain cGMP could provide a therapeutic benefit to vulnerable synapses chronically exposed to Aβ in transgenic mice over-expressing human mutant amyloid precursor protein (Tg2576 mice). A total of N=20 animals per group of 4 month old Tg2576 mice and non-transgenic littermates (WT) were implanted with Alzet osmotic minipumps to deliver vehicle or the PDE9A inhibitor PF-04447943. Neurobehavioral outcomes were measured as conditioned fear response after 28 days of treatment and subsequently brains were harvested for measurement of Aβ, gene expression profiling or synaptic density as assessed by Golgi staining of dendrites. Dendritic spine density on apical dendrites of CA1 neurons exhibited a small but significant deficit in the density of dendritic spines in vehicle treated Tg2576 mice as compared to WT mice. This deficit was ameliorated by 30 days of exposure to PF-04447943. No significant drug effect was observed in WT mice. No significant effects of drug treatment were observed on Aβ levels in Tg2576 mice. Behavioral analysis of Tg2576 mice showed deficits in fear conditioning as early as 2 months old, and therefore were considered unlikely to be due to the accumulation of oligomeric Aβ. These deficits were not affected by drug treatment. Transcriptional profiles of Tg2576 mice treated with drug compared to vehicle showed evidence of regulation of pathways related to synaptic plasticity and remodeling of the dendritic cytoskeleton, consistent with stabilization of vulnerable spine structure. These data supports the hypothesis that PDE9A inhibition can stabilize vulnerable synapses early in the Alzheimer’s disease process. 4-month old Tg2576 mice and non-transgenic (WT) littermates were implanted with minipumps to deliver vehicle or the PDE9A-inhibitor, PF-04447943, for 28 days. At the end of the study, hippocampus and frontal cortex were dissected from n=8 mice per group, RNA was isolated, and hybridized to Affymetrix 430 2.0 mouse whole genome microarray.
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Project description:Tbr1 is a high confidence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gene encoding a transcription factor with distinct pre- and postnatal functions. Postnatally, Tbr1 conditional mutants (CKOs) and constitutive heterozygotes have immature dendritic spines and reduced synaptic density. Tbr1 regulates expression of several genes that underlie synaptic defects, including a kinesin (Kif1a) and a WNT signaling ligand (Wnt7b). Furthermore, Tbr1 mutant corticothalamic neurons have reduced thalamic axonal arborization. LiCl and a GSK3b-inhibitor, two WNT-signaling agonists, robustly rescue the dendritic spines, synaptic and axonal defects, suggesting that this could have relevance for therapeutic approaches in some forms of ASD.
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