scholarly journals Distinct roles for Cav2.1–2.3 in activity-dependent synaptic dynamics

2014 ◽  
Vol 111 (12) ◽  
pp. 2404-2413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulises M. Ricoy ◽  
Matthew E. Frerking

Synaptic transmission throughout most of the CNS is steeply dependent on presynaptic calcium influx through the voltage-gated calcium channels Cav2.1–Cav2.3. In addition to triggering exocytosis, this calcium influx also recruits short-term synaptic plasticity. During the complex patterns of presynaptic activity that occur in vivo, several forms of plasticity combine to generate a synaptic output that is dynamic, in which the size of a given excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in response to a given spike depends on the short-term history of presynaptic activity. It remains unclear whether the different Cav2 channels play distinct roles in defining these synaptic dynamics and, if so, under what conditions different Cav2 family members most effectively determine synaptic output. We examined these questions by measuring the effects of calcium channel-selective toxins on synaptic transmission at the Schaffer collateral synapse in hippocampal slices from adult mice in response to both low-frequency stimulation and complex stimulus trains derived from in vivo recordings. Blockade of Cav2.1 had a greater inhibitory effect on synaptic transmission during low-frequency components of the stimulus train than on synaptic transmission during high-frequency components of the train, indicating that Cav2.1 had a greater fractional contribution to synaptic transmission at low frequencies than at high frequencies. Relative to Cav2.1, Cav2.2 had a disproportionately reduced contribution to synaptic transmission at frequencies >20 Hz, while Cav2.3 had a disproportionately increased contribution to synaptic transmission at frequencies >1 Hz. These activity-dependent effects of different Cav2 family members shape the filtering characteristics of GABAB receptor-mediated presynaptic inhibition. Thus different Cav2 channels vary in their coupling to synaptic transmission over different frequency ranges, with consequences for the frequency tuning of both synaptic dynamics and presynaptic neuromodulation.

1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 1036-1044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Dvorak-Carbone ◽  
Erin M. Schuman

Long-term depression of temporoammonic-CA1 hippocampal synaptic transmission. The temporoammonic pathway, the direct projection from layer III of the entorhinal cortex to area CA1 of the hippocampus, includes both excitatory and inhibitory components that are positioned to be an important source of modulation of the hippocampal output. However, little is known about synaptic plasticity in this pathway. We used field recordings in hippocampal slices prepared from mature (6- to 8-wk old) rats to study long-term depression (LTD) in the temporoammonic pathway. Low-frequency (1 Hz) stimulation (LFS) for 10 min resulted in a depression of the field response that lasted for ≥1 h. This depression was saturable by multiple applications of LFS. LTD induction was unaffected by the blockade of either fast (GABAA) or slow (GABAB) inhibition. Temporoammonic LTD was inhibited by the presence of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist AP5, suggesting a dependence on calcium influx. Full recovery from depression could be induced by high-frequency (100 Hz) stimulation (HFS); in the presence of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline, HFS induced recovery above the original baseline level. Similarly, HFS or θ-burst stimulation (TBS) applied to naive slices caused little potentiation, whereas HFS or TBS applied in the presence of bicuculline resulted in significant potentiation of the temporoammonic response. Our results show that, unlike the Schaffer collateral input to CA1, the temporoammonic input in mature animals is easy to depress but difficult to potentiate.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abed Ghanbari ◽  
Naixin Ren ◽  
Christian Keine ◽  
Carl Stoelzel ◽  
Bernhard Englitz ◽  
...  

AbstractInformation transmission in neural networks is influenced by both short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) as well as non-synaptic factors, such as after-hyperpolarization currents and changes in excitability. Although these effects have been widely characterized in vitro using intracellular recordings, how they interact in vivo is unclear. Here we develop a statistical model of the short-term dynamics of spike transmission that aims to disentangle the contributions of synaptic and non-synaptic effects based only on observed pre- and postsynaptic spiking. The model includes a dynamic functional connection with short-term plasticity as well as effects due to the recent history of postsynaptic spiking and slow changes in postsynaptic excitability. Using paired spike recordings, we find that the model accurately describes the short-term dynamics of in vivo spike transmission at a diverse set of identified and putative excitatory synapses, including a thalamothalamic connection in mouse, a thalamocortical connection in a female rabbit, and an auditory brainstem synapse in a female gerbil. We illustrate the utility of this modeling approach by showing how the spike transmission patterns captured by the model may be sufficient to account for stimulus-dependent differences in spike transmission in the auditory brainstem (endbulb of Held). Finally, we apply this model to large-scale multi-electrode recordings to illustrate how such an approach has the potential to reveal cell-type specific differences in spike transmission in vivo. Although short-term synaptic plasticity parameters estimated from ongoing pre- and postsynaptic spiking are highly uncertain, our results are partially consistent with previous intracellular observations in these synapses.Significance StatementAlthough synaptic dynamics have been extensively studied and modeled using intracellular recordings of post-synaptic currents and potentials, inferring synaptic effects from extracellular spiking is challenging. Whether or not a synaptic current contributes to postsynaptic spiking depends not only on the amplitude of the current, but also on many other factors, including the activity of other, typically unobserved, synapses, the overall excitability of the postsynaptic neuron, and how recently the postsynaptic neuron has spiked. Here we developed a model that, using only observations of pre- and postsynaptic spiking, aims to describe the dynamics of in vivo spike transmission by modeling both short-term synaptic plasticity and non-synaptic effects. This approach may provide a novel description of fast, structured changes in spike transmission.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keimpe D. B. Wierda ◽  
Trine L. Toft-Bertelsen ◽  
Casper R. Gøtzsche ◽  
Ellis Pedersen ◽  
Irina Korshunova ◽  
...  

Abstract Classically, neurexins are thought to mediate synaptic connections through trans interactions with a number of different postsynaptic partners. Neurexins are cleaved by metalloproteases in an activity-dependent manner, releasing the soluble extracellular domain. Here, we report that in both immature (before synaptogenesis) and mature (after synaptogenesis) hippocampal neurons, the soluble neurexin-1β ectodomain triggers acute Ca2+-influx at the dendritic/postsynaptic side. In both cases, neuroligin-1 expression was required. In immature neurons, calcium influx required N-type calcium channels and stimulated dendritic outgrowth and neuronal survival. In mature glutamatergic neurons the neurexin-1β ectodomain stimulated calcium influx through NMDA-receptors, which increased presynaptic release probability. In contrast, prolonged exposure to the ectodomain led to inhibition of synaptic transmission. This secondary inhibition was activity- and neuroligin-1 dependent and caused by a reduction in the readily-releasable pool of vesicles. A synthetic peptide modeled after the neurexin-1β:neuroligin-1 interaction site reproduced the cellular effects of the neurexin-1β ectodomain. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that the soluble neurexin ectodomain stimulates growth of neurons and exerts acute and chronic effects on trans-synaptic signaling involved in setting synaptic strength.


eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shataakshi Dube O'Neil ◽  
Bence Rácz ◽  
Walter Evan Brown ◽  
Yudong Gao ◽  
Erik J Soderblom ◽  
...  

In contrast to their postsynaptic counterparts, the contributions of activity-dependent cytoskeletal signaling to presynaptic plasticity remain controversial and poorly understood. To identify and evaluate these signaling pathways, we conducted a proteomic analysis of the presynaptic cytomatrix using in vivo biotin identification (iBioID). The resultant proteome was heavily enriched for actin cytoskeleton regulators, including Rac1, a Rho GTPase that activates the Arp2/3 complex to nucleate branched actin filaments. Strikingly, we find Rac1 and Arp2/3 are closely associated with synaptic vesicle membranes in adult mice. Using three independent approaches to alter presynaptic Rac1 activity (genetic knockout, spatially restricted inhibition, and temporal optogenetic manipulation), we discover that this pathway negatively regulates synaptic vesicle replenishment at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses, bidirectionally sculpting short-term synaptic depression. Finally, we use two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging to show that presynaptic Rac1 activation is coupled to action potentials by voltage-gated calcium influx. Thus, this study uncovers a previously unrecognized mechanism of actin-regulated short-term presynaptic plasticity that is conserved across excitatory and inhibitory terminals. It also provides a new proteomic framework for better understanding presynaptic physiology, along with a blueprint of experimental strategies to isolate the presynaptic effects of ubiquitously expressed proteins.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanis Inglebert ◽  
Dominique Debanne

Since its discovery, spike timing-dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP) has been thought to be a primary mechanism underlying the brain’s ability to learn and to form new memories. However, despite the enormous interest in both the experimental and theoretical neuroscience communities in activity-dependent plasticity, it is still unclear whether plasticity rules inferred from in vitro experiments apply to in vivo conditions. Among the multiple reasons why plasticity rules in vivo might differ significantly from in vitro studies is that extracellular calcium concentration use in most studies is higher than concentrations estimated in vivo. STDP, like many forms of long-term synaptic plasticity, strongly depends on intracellular calcium influx for its induction. Here, we discuss the importance of considering physiological levels of extracellular calcium concentration to study functional plasticity.


2013 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 932-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhyon Kim ◽  
Hitoshi Kita

The cortico-striato (Str)-globus pallidus external segment (GPe) projection plays major roles in the control of neuronal activity in the basal ganglia under both normal and pathological conditions. The present study used rat brain-slice preparations to address our hypothesis that the gain of this disynaptic projection is dynamically controlled by activations of short-term plasticity mechanisms of Str-GPe synapses. The Str-GPe projection neurons fire with very different frequency and firing patterns in vivo depending on the condition of the animal. The results show that the Str-GPe synapses have very strong short-term enhancement mechanisms and that repetitive burst activation of the Str-GPe synapses, which mimic oscillatory burst firing of Str neurons, can sustain enhanced states of synaptic transmission for tens of seconds. The results reveal that the short-term enhancement of Str-GPe synapses contributes to the generation of pauses in the firing of GPe neurons and that signal transfer function in the Str-GPe projection is highly dependent on the firing pattern of Str neurons.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1068-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evanthia Nanou ◽  
Jin Yan ◽  
Nicholas P. Whitehead ◽  
Min Jeong Kim ◽  
Stanley C. Froehner ◽  
...  

Facilitation and inactivation of P/Q-type calcium (Ca2+) currents through the regulation of voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) 2.1 channels by Ca2+ sensor (CaS) proteins contributes to the facilitation and rapid depression of synaptic transmission in cultured neurons that transiently express CaV2.1 channels. To examine the modulation of endogenous CaV2.1 channels by CaS proteins in native synapses, we introduced a mutation (IM-AA) into the CaS protein-binding site in the C-terminal domain of CaV2.1 channels in mice, and tested synaptic facilitation and depression in neuromuscular junction synapses that use exclusively CaV2.1 channels for Ca2+ entry that triggers synaptic transmission. Even though basal synaptic transmission was unaltered in the neuromuscular synapses in IM-AA mice, we found reduced short-term facilitation in response to paired stimuli at short interstimulus intervals in IM-AA synapses. In response to trains of action potentials, we found increased facilitation at lower frequencies (10–30 Hz) in IM-AA synapses accompanied by slowed synaptic depression, whereas synaptic facilitation was reduced at high stimulus frequencies (50–100 Hz) that would induce strong muscle contraction. As a consequence of altered regulation of CaV2.1 channels, the hindlimb tibialis anterior muscle in IM-AA mice exhibited reduced peak force in response to 50 Hz stimulation and increased muscle fatigue. The IM-AA mice also had impaired motor control, exercise capacity, and grip strength. Taken together, our results indicate that regulation of CaV2.1 channels by CaS proteins is essential for normal synaptic plasticity at the neuromuscular junction and for muscle strength, endurance, and motor coordination in mice in vivo.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document