scholarly journals Loss of the glial glutamate transporter eaat2a leads to a combined developmental and epileptic encephalopathy in zebrafish

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana L. Hotz ◽  
Ahmed Jamali ◽  
Nicolas N. Rieser ◽  
Stephanie Niklaus ◽  
Ecem Aydin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Synaptic Cleft ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTAstroglial excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2, GLT-1, SLC1A2) regulates the duration and extent of neuronal excitation by removing glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Human patients with altered EAAT2 function exhibit epileptic seizures, suggesting an important role for astroglial glutamate transporters in balancing neuronal excitability. To study the impact of EAAT2 function at the neural network levels, we generated eaat2a mutant zebrafish. We observed that eaat2a-/- mutant zebrafish larvae display recurrent spontaneous and light-induced seizures in neurons and astroglia, which coincide with an abrupt increase in extracellular glutamate levels. In stark contrast to this hyperexcitability, basal brain activity was surprisingly reduced in eaat2a-/- mutant animals, which manifested in decreased locomotion, neuronal and astroglial calcium signals. Our results reveal an unexpected key role of the astroglial EAAT2a in balancing brain excitability, affecting both neuronal and astroglial network activity.

scholarly journals The Conformationally Sensitive Spatial Distance Between the TM3-4 Loop and Transmembrane Segment 7 in the Glutamate Transporter Revealed by Paired-Cysteine Mutagenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Qu ◽  
Ji Wang ◽  
Guiping Li ◽  
Rongqing Chen ◽  
Shaogang Qu
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Synaptic Cleft ◽  
Spatial Distance ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Amino Acid Transporters ◽  
Transport Activity ◽  
Transmembrane Segment ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter

Excitatory amino acid transporters can maintain extracellular glutamate concentrations lower than neurotoxic levels by transferring neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft into surrounding glial cells and neurons. Previous work regarding the structural studies of GltPh, GltTK, excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1), EAAT3 and alanine serine cysteine transporter 2 described the transport mechanism of the glutamate transporter in depth. However, much remains unknown about the role of the loop between transmembrane segment 3 and 4 during transport. To probe the function of this loop in the transport cycle, we engineered a pair of cysteine residues between the TM3-TM4 loop and TM7 in cysteine-less EAAT2. Here, we show that the oxidative cross-linking reagent CuPh inhibits transport activity of the paired mutant L149C/M414C, whereas DTT inhibits the effect of CuPh on transport activity of L149C/M414C. Additionally, we show that the effect of cross-linking in the mutant is due to the formation of the disulfide bond within the molecules of EAAT2. Further, L-glutamate or KCl protect, and D,L-threo-β-benzyloxy-aspartate (TBOA) increases, CuPh-induced inhibition in the L149C/M414 mutant, suggesting that the L149C and M414C cysteines are closer or farther away in the outward- or inward-facing conformations, respectively. Together, our findings provide evidence that the distance between TM3-TM4 loop and TM7 alter when substrates are transported.

scholarly journals Protective Effect of Memantine on Bergmann Glia and Purkinje Cells Morphology in Optogenetic Model of Neurodegeneration in Mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7822
Author(s):  
Anton N. Shuvaev ◽  
Olga S. Belozor ◽  
Oleg I. Mozhei ◽  
Elena D. Khilazheva ◽  
Andrey N. Shuvaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Bergmann Glia ◽  
Spinocerebellar Ataxias ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter ◽  
Glial Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Gfap Immunoreactivity ◽  
Cerebellar Ataxias ◽  
Receptor Blockers

Spinocerebellar ataxias are a family of fatal inherited diseases affecting the brain. Although specific mutated proteins are different, they may have a common pathogenetic mechanism, such as insufficient glutamate clearance. This function fails in reactive glia, leading to excitotoxicity and overactivation of NMDA receptors. Therefore, NMDA receptor blockers could be considered for the management of excitotoxicity. One such drug, memantine, currently used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, could potentially be used for the treatment of other forms of neurodegeneration, for example, spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA). We previously demonstrated close parallels between optogenetically induced cerebellar degeneration and SCA1. Here we induced reactive transformation of cerebellar Bergmann glia (BG) using this novel optogenetic approach and tested whether memantine could counteract changes in BG and Purkinje cell (PC) morphology and expression of the main glial glutamate transporter—excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1). Reactive BG induced by chronic optogenetic stimulation presented increased GFAP immunoreactivity, increased thickness and decreased length of its processes. Oral memantine (~90 mg/kg/day for 4 days) prevented thickening of the processes (1.57 to 1.81 vs. 1.62 μm) and strongly antagonized light-induced reduction in their average length (186.0 to 150.8 vs. 171.9 μm). Memantine also prevented the loss of the key glial glutamate transporter EAAT1 on BG. Finally, memantine reduced the loss of PC (4.2 ± 0.2 to 3.2 ± 0.2 vs. 4.1 ± 0.3 cells per 100 μm of the PC layer). These results identify memantine as potential neuroprotective therapeutics for cerebellar ataxias.

scholarly journals Light-evoked glutamate transporter EAAT5 activation coordinates with conventional feedback inhibition to control rod bipolar cell output

2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 1828-1837
Author(s):  
Gregory W. Bligard ◽  
James DeBrecht ◽  
Robert G. Smith ◽  
Peter D. Lukasiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Feedback Inhibition ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Major Contributor ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter ◽  
Control Rod ◽  
Neuronal Output ◽  
Rod Bipolar Cells

Excitatory amino acid transporter 5 (EAAT5) glutamate transporters have a chloride channel that is strongly activated by glutamate, which modulates excitatory signaling. We found that EAAT5 is a major contributor to feedback inhibition on rod bipolar cells. Inhibition to rod bipolar cells is also mediated by GABA and glycine. GABA and glycine mediate the early phase of feedback inhibition, and EAAT5 mediates a more delayed inhibition. Together, inhibitory transmitters and EAAT5 coordinate to mediate feedback inhibition, controlling neuronal output.

scholarly journals Expression of Glutamate Transporters in Mouse Liver, Kidney, and Intestine

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiu Xiang Hu ◽  
Sigrid Ottestad-Hansen ◽  
Silvia Holmseth ◽  
Bjørnar Hassel ◽  
Niels Christian Danbolt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Liver ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Splice Variants ◽  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Current View ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter ◽  
Distal Small Intestine ◽  
Protein Levels

Glutamate transport activities have been identified not only in the brain, but also in the liver, kidney, and intestine. Although glutamate transporter distributions in the central nervous system are fairly well known, there are still uncertainties with respect to the distribution of these transporters in peripheral organs. Quantitative information is mostly lacking, and few of the studies have included genetically modified animals as specificity controls. The present study provides validated qualitative and semi-quantitative data on the excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT)1–3 subtypes in the mouse liver, kidney, and intestine. In agreement with the current view, we found high EAAT3 protein levels in the brush borders of both the distal small intestine and the renal proximal tubules. Neither EAAT1 nor EAAT2 was detected at significant levels in murine kidney or intestine. In contrast, the liver only expressed EAAT2 (but 2 C-terminal splice variants). EAAT2 was detected in the plasma membranes of perivenous hepatocytes. These cells also expressed glutamine synthetase. Conditional deletion of hepatic EAAT2 did neither lead to overt neurological disturbances nor development of fatty liver.

scholarly journals Modeling of excitatory amino acid transporters and clearance of synaptic cleft on millisecond time scale

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Denis Shchepakin ◽  
Leonid Kalachev ◽  
Michael Kavanaugh
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Time Scale ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Synaptic Cleft ◽  
Amino Acid Transporters ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters ◽  
Millisecond Time Scale ◽  
The Impact

Excitatory Amino Acid Transporters (EAATs) operate over wide time scales in the brain. They maintain low ambient concentrations of the primary excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter glutamate, but they also seem to play a significant role in clearing glutamate from the synaptic cleft in the millisecond time-scale process of chemical communication that occurs between neurons. The detailed kinetic mechanisms underlying glutamate uptake and clearance remain incompletely understood. In this work we used a combination of methods to model EAAT kinetics and gain insight into the impact of transport on glutamate dynamics in a general sense. We derive reliable estimates of the turnover rates of the three major EAAT subtypes expressed in the mammalian cerebral cortex. Previous studies have provided transporter kinetic estimates that vary over an order of magnitude. The values obtained in this study are consistent with estimates that suggest the unitary transporter rates are approximately 20-fold slower than the time course of glutamate in the synapse. A combined diffusion/transport model provides a possible mechanism for the apparent discrepancy.

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