scholarly journals Exo-endocytotic recycling of synaptic vesicles in developing processes of cultured hippocampal neurons

1992 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 849-861 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Matteoli ◽  
K Takei ◽  
MS Perin ◽  
TC Südhof ◽  
P De Camilli

In mature neurons synaptic vesicles (SVs) undergo cycles of exo-endocytosis at synapses. It is currently unknown whether SV exocytosis and recycling occurs also in developing axons prior to synapse formation. To address this question, we have developed an immunocytochemical assay to reveal SV exo-endocytosis in hippocampal neurons developing in culture. In this assay antibodies directed against the lumenal domain of synaptotagmin I (Syt I), an intrinsic membrane protein of SVs, are used to reveal exposure of SV membranes at the cell surface. Addition of antibodies to the culture medium of living neurons for 1 hr at 37 degrees C resulted in their rapid and specific internalization by all neuronal processes and, particularly, by axons. Double immunofluorescence and electron microscopy immunocytochemistry indicated that the antibodies were retained within SVs in cell processes and underwent cycles of exo-endocytosis in parallel with SV membranes. In contrast, another endocytotic marker, wheat germ agglutinin, was rapidly cleared from the processes and transported to the cell body. Antibody-labeled SVs were still present in axons several days after antibody loading and became clustered at presynaptic sites in parallel with synaptogenesis. These results demonstrate that SVs undergo multiple cycles of exo-endocytosis in developing neuronal processes irrespective of the presence of synaptic contacts.

2006 ◽  
Vol 174 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shernaz X. Bamji ◽  
Beatriz Rico ◽  
Nikole Kimes ◽  
Louis F. Reichardt

Neurons of the vertebrate central nervous system have the capacity to modify synapse number, morphology, and efficacy in response to activity. Some of these functions can be attributed to activity-induced synthesis and secretion of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); however, the molecular mechanisms by which BDNF mediates these events are still not well understood. Using time-lapse confocal analysis, we show that BDNF mobilizes synaptic vesicles at existing synapses, resulting in small clusters of synaptic vesicles “splitting” away from synaptic sites. We demonstrate that BDNF's ability to mobilize synaptic vesicle clusters depends on the dissociation of cadherin–β-catenin adhesion complexes that occurs after tyrosine phosphorylation of β-catenin. Artificially maintaining cadherin–β-catenin complexes in the presence of BDNF abolishes the BDNF-mediated enhancement of synaptic vesicle mobility, as well as the longer-term BDNF-mediated increase in synapse number. Together, this data demonstrates that the disruption of cadherin–β-catenin complexes is an important molecular event through which BDNF increases synapse density in cultured hippocampal neurons.


2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 948-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane M. Sullivan

Paired-pulse depression (PPD) is a form of short-term plasticity that plays a central role in processing of synaptic activity and is manifest as a decrease in the size of the response to the second of two closely timed stimuli. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, PPD is still commonly thought to reflect depletion of the pool of synaptic vesicles available for release in response to the second stimulus. Here it is shown that PPD cannot be accounted for by depletion at excitatory synapses made by hippocampal neurons because PPD is unaffected by changes in the fraction of the readily releasable pool (RRP) released by the first of a pair of pulses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Reichova ◽  
Fabienne Schaller ◽  
Stanislava Bukatova ◽  
Zuzana Bacova ◽  
Françoise Muscatelli ◽  
...  

AbstractOxytocin contributes to the regulation of cytoskeletal and synaptic proteins and could therefore affect the mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Both the Prader-Willi syndrome and Schaaf-Yang syndrome exhibit autistic symptoms involving the MAGEL2 gene. Magel2-deficient mice show a deficit in social behavior that is rescued following postnatal administration of oxytocin. Here, in Magel2-deficient mice, we showed that the neurite outgrowth of primary cultures of immature hippocampal neurons is reduced. Treatment with oxytocin, but not retinoic acid, reversed this abnormality. In the hippocampus of Magel2-deficient pups, we further demonstrated that several transcripts of neurite outgrowth-associated proteins, synaptic vesicle proteins, and cell-adhesion molecules are decreased. In the juvenile stage, when neurons are mature, normalization or even overexpression of most of these markers was observed, suggesting a delay in the neuronal maturation of Magel2-deficient pups. Moreover, we found reduced transcripts of the excitatory postsynaptic marker, Psd95 in the hippocampus and we observed a decrease of PSD95/VGLUT2 colocalization in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions in Magel2-deficient mice, indicating a defect in glutamatergic synapses. Postnatal administration of oxytocin upregulated postsynaptic transcripts in pups; however, it did not restore the level of markers of glutamatergic synapses in Magel2-deficient mice. Overall, Magel2 deficiency leads to abnormal neurite outgrowth and reduced glutamatergic synapses during development, suggesting abnormal neuronal maturation. Oxytocin stimulates the expression of numerous genes involved in neurite outgrowth and synapse formation in early development stages. Postnatal oxytocin administration has a strong effect in development that should be considered for certain neuropsychiatric conditions in infancy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina K. Latcheva ◽  
Taylor L. Delaney ◽  
Jennifer M. Viveiros ◽  
Rachel A. Smith ◽  
Kelsey M. Bernard ◽  
...  

AbstractChromatin remodeling proteins of the chromodomain DNA-binding protein family, CHD7 and CHD8, mediate early neurodevelopmental events including neural migration and differentiation. As such, mutations in either protein can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. How chromatin remodeling proteins influence the activity of mature synapses, however, is relatively unexplored. A critical feature of mature neurons is well-regulated endocytosis, which is vital for synaptic function to recycle membrane and synaptic proteins enabling the continued release of synaptic vesicles. Here we show that Kismet, the Drosophila homolog of CHD7 and CHD8, regulates endocytosis. Kismet positively influenced transcript levels and bound to dap160 and endophilin B transcription start sites and promoters in whole nervous systems and influenced the synaptic localization of Dynamin/Shibire. In addition, kismet mutants exhibit reduced VGLUT, a synaptic vesicle marker, at stimulated but not resting synapses and reduced levels of synaptic Rab11. Endocytosis is restored at kismet mutant synapses by pharmacologically inhibiting the function of histone deacetyltransferases (HDACs). These data suggest that HDAC activity may oppose Kismet to promote synaptic vesicle endocytosis. A deeper understanding of how CHD proteins regulate the function of mature neurons will help better understand neurodevelopmental disorders.


1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1020-1021
Author(s):  
Timothy A. Ryan

The nervous system has evolved to make use of a variety of mechanisms that allow information to flow and be processed among a large collection of individual cells. The communication between individual brain cells occurs largely at chemical synapses. In these compartments, chemical messengers are packaged into small vesicles that fuse with the cell membrane upon stimulation, releasing neurotransmitter.. The average total number of synaptic vesicles in a typical central nervous system synapse is only a few hundred and as a result an efficient local recycling mechanism operates in order to replenish this pool during periods of even modest neuronal activity. Without this membrane recycling, synapses quickly become depleted of vesicles, and soon fail to communicate information between cells.We make use of optical techniques to follow the trafficking of synaptic vesicles at synapses formed between hippocampal neurons grown in culture. Recycling synaptic vesicles can be readily labeled using the fluorescent amphipathic membrane dye FM 1-43.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 856
Author(s):  
David Wegrzyn ◽  
Christine Wegrzyn ◽  
Kerry Tedford ◽  
Klaus-Dieter Fischer ◽  
Andreas Faissner

Vav proteins activate GTPases of the RhoA subfamily that regulate the cytoskeleton and are involved in adhesion, migration, differentiation, polarity and the cell cycle. While the importance of RhoA GTPases for neuronal morphology is undisputed, their regulation is less well understood. In this perspective, we studied the consequences of the deletion of Vav2, Vav3 and Vav2 and 3 (Vav2−/−, Vav3−/−, Vav2−/−/3−/−) for the development of embryonic hippocampal neurons in vitro. Using an indirect co-culture system of hippocampal neurons with primary wild-type (WT) cortical astrocytes, we analysed axonal and dendritic parameters, structural synapse numbers and the spontaneous network activity via immunocytochemistry and multielectrode array analysis (MEA). Here, we observed a higher process complexity in Vav3−/−, but not in Vav2−/− neurons after three and five days in vitro (DIV). Furthermore, an enhanced synapse formation was observed in Vav3−/− after 14 days in culture. Remarkably, Vav2−/−/3−/− double knockout neurons did not display synergistic effects. Interestingly, these differences were transient and compensated after a cultivation period of 21 days. Network analysis revealed a diminished number of spontaneously occurring action potentials in Vav3−/− neurons after 21 DIV. Based on these results, it appears that Vav3 participates in key events of neuronal differentiation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1213-1224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Kaether ◽  
Paul Skehel ◽  
Carlos G. Dotti

Neurons transport newly synthesized membrane proteins along axons by microtubule-mediated fast axonal transport. Membrane proteins destined for different axonal subdomains are thought to be transported in different transport carriers. To analyze this differential transport in living neurons, we tagged the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and synaptophysin (p38) with green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants. The resulting fusion proteins, APP-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), p38-enhanced GFP, and p38-enhanced cyan fluorescent protein, were expressed in hippocampal neurons, and the cells were imaged by video microscopy. APP-YFP was transported in elongated tubules that moved extremely fast (on average 4.5 μm/s) and over long distances. In contrast, p38-enhanced GFP-transporting structures were more vesicular and moved four times slower (0.9 μm/s) and over shorter distances only. Two-color video microscopy showed that the two proteins were sorted to different carriers that moved with different characteristics along axons of doubly transfected neurons. Antisense treatment using oligonucleotides against the kinesin heavy chain slowed down the long, continuous movement of APP-YFP tubules and increased frequency of directional changes. These results demonstrate for the first time directly the sorting and transport of two axonal membrane proteins into different carriers. Moreover, the extremely fast-moving tubules represent a previously unidentified type of axonal carrier.


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