Synaptic and Extrasynaptic NMDA Receptor NR2 Subunits in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 1727-1734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Thomas ◽  
Ashleigh J. Miller ◽  
Gary L. Westbrook

Early in development, neurons only express NR1/NR2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Later, NR2A subunits are upregulated during a period of rapid synapse formation. This pattern is often interpreted to indicate that NR2A-containing receptors are synaptic and that NR2B-containing receptors are extrasynaptic. We re-examined this issue using whole cell recordings in cultured hippocampal neurons. As expected, the inhibition of whole cell currents by the NR2B-specific antagonist, ifenprodil, progressively decreased from 69.5 ± 2.4% [6 days in vitro (DIV)] to 54.9 ± 2.6% (8 DIV), before reaching a plateau in the second week (42.5 ± 2%, 12–19 DIV). In NR2A−/− neurons, which express only NR1/NR2B-containing NMDA receptors, autaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs; ≥12 DIV) were more sensitive to ifenprodil and decayed more slowly than EPSCs in wild-type neurons. Thus NR2B-containing receptors were not excluded from synapses. We blocked synaptic NMDA receptors with MK-801 during evoked transmitter release, thus allowing us to isolate extrasynaptic receptors. Ifenprodil inhibition of this extrasynaptic population was highly variable in different neurons. Furthermore, extrasynaptic receptors in autaptic cultures were only partially blocked by ifenprodil, indicating that NR2A-containing receptors are not exclusively confined to the synapse. Extrasynaptic NR2A-containing receptors were also detected in NR2A−/− neurons transfected with full-length NR2A. Truncation of the NR2A C terminus did not eliminate synaptic expression of NR2A-containing receptors. Our results indicate that NR2A- and NR2B-containing receptors can be located in either synaptic or extrasynaptic compartments.

Author(s):  
Sumei Li ◽  
Jifeng Zhang ◽  
Jiaqi Zhang ◽  
Jiong Li ◽  
Longfei Cheng ◽  
...  

Aims: Our work aims to revealing the underlying microtubule mechanism of neurites outgrowth during neuronal development, and also proposes a feasible intervention pathway for reconstructing neural network connections after nerve injury. Background: Microtubule polymerization and severing are the basis for the neurite outgrowth and branch formation. Collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2) regulates axonal growth and branching as a binding partner of the tubulin heterodimer to promote microtubule assembly. And spastin participates in the growth and regeneration of neurites by severing microtubules into small segments. However, how CRMP2 and spastin cooperate to regulate neurite outgrowth by controlling the microtubule dynamics needs to be elucidated. Objective: To explore whether neurite outgrowth was mediated by coordination of CRMP2 and spastin. Method: Hippocampal neurons were cultured in vitro in 24-well culture plates for 4 days before being used to perform the transfection. Calcium phosphate was used to transfect the CRMP2 and spastin constructs and their control into the neurons. An interaction between CRMP2 and spastin was examined by using pull down, CoIP and immunofluorescence colocalization assays. And immunostaining was also performed to determine the morphology of neurites. Result: We first demonstrated that CRMP2 interacted with spastin to promote the neurite outgrowth and branch formation. Furthermore, our results identified that phosphorylation modification failed to alter the binding affinities of CRMP2 for spastin, but inhibited their binding to microtubules. CRMP2 interacted with the MTBD domain of spastin via its C-terminus, and blocking the binding sites of them inhibited the outgrowth and branch formation of neurites. In addition, we confirmed one phosphorylation site S210 at spastin in hippocampal neurons and phosphorylation spastin at site S210 promoted the neurite outgrowth but not branch formation by remodeling microtubules. Conclusion: Taken together, our data demonstrated that the interaction of CRMP2 and spastin is required for neurite outgrowth and branch formation and their interaction is not regulated by their phosphorylation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (24) ◽  
pp. jcs247841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Martín-Rodríguez ◽  
Minseok Song ◽  
Begoña Anta ◽  
Francisco J. González-Calvo ◽  
Rubén Deogracias ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTUbiquitylation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) regulates both the levels and functions of these receptors. The neurotrophin receptor TrkB (also known as NTRK2), a RTK, is ubiquitylated upon activation by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) binding. Although TrkB ubiquitylation has been demonstrated, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the precise repertoire of proteins that regulates TrkB ubiquitylation. Here, we provide mechanistic evidence indicating that ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 8 (USP8) modulates BDNF- and TrkB-dependent neuronal differentiation. USP8 binds to the C-terminus of TrkB using its microtubule-interacting domain (MIT). Immunopurified USP8 deubiquitylates TrkB in vitro, whereas knockdown of USP8 results in enhanced ubiquitylation of TrkB upon BDNF treatment in neurons. As a consequence of USP8 depletion, TrkB levels and its activation are reduced. Moreover, USP8 protein regulates the differentiation and correct BDNF-dependent dendritic formation of hippocampal neurons in vitro and in vivo. We conclude that USP8 positively regulates the levels and activation of TrkB, modulating BDNF-dependent neuronal differentiation.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 3415-3424 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Wilcox ◽  
R. M. Fitzsimonds ◽  
B. Johnson ◽  
M. A. Dichter

1. Although glycine has been identified as a required coagonist with glutamate at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, the understanding of glycine's role in excitatory synaptic neurotransmission is quite limited. In the present study, we used the whole cell patch-clamp technique to examine the ability of glycine to regulate current flow through synaptic NMDA receptors at excitatory synapses between cultured hippocampal neurons and in acutely isolated hippocampal slices. 2. These studies demonstrate that the glycine modulatory site on the synaptic NMDA receptor is not saturated under baseline conditions and that increased glycine concentrations can markedly increased NMDA-receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in hippocampal neurons in both dissociated cell culture and in slice. Saturation of the maximal effect of glycine takes place at different concentrations for different cells in culture, suggesting the presence of heterogenous NMDA receptor subunit compositions. 3. Bath-applied glycine had no effect on the time course of EPSCs in either brain slice or culture, indicating that desensitization of the NMDA receptor is not prevented by glycine over the time course of an EPSC. 4. When extracellular glycine concentration is high, all miniature EPSCs recorded in the cultured hippocampal neurons contained NMDA components, indicating that segregation of non-NMDA receptors at individual synaptic boutons does not occur.


2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saobo Lei ◽  
John F. MacDonald

The actions of the trivalent cation Gd3+ on whole cell AMPA receptor-mediated currents were studied in isolated hippocampal neurons, in nucleated or outside-out patches taken from cultured hippocampal neurons, and on miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) recorded in cultured hippocampal neurons. Glutamate, AMPA, or kainate was employed to activate AMPA receptors. Applications of relatively low concentrations of Gd3+ (0.1–10 μM) substantially enhanced steady-state whole cell glutamate and kainate-evoked currents without altering peak currents, suggesting that desensitization was reduced. However, higher concentrations (>30 μM) depressed steady-state currents, indicating an underlying inhibition of channel activity. Lower concentrations of Gd3+also increased the potency of peak glutamate-evoked currents without altering that of steady-state currents. An ultrafast perfusion system and nucleated patches were then used to better resolve peak glutamate-evoked currents. Low concentrations of Gd3+ reduced peak currents, enhanced steady-state currents, and slowed the onset of desensitization, providing further evidence that this cation reduces desensitization. In the presence of cyclothiazide, a compound that blocks desensitization, a low concentration Gd3+ inhibited both peak and steady-state currents, indicating that Gd3+ both reduces desensitization and inhibits these currents. Gd3+ reduced the probability of channel opening at the peak of the currents but did not alter the single channel conductance calculated using nonstationary variance analysis. Recovery from desensitization was enhanced, and glutamate-evoked current activation and deactivation were slowed by Gd3+. The Gd3+-induced reduction in desensitization did not require the presence of the GluR2 subunit as this effect was seen in hippocampal neurons from GluR2 null-mutant mice. Gd3+ reduced the time course of decay of mEPSCs perhaps as a consequence of its slowing of AMPA receptor deactivation although an increase in the frequency of mEPSCs also suggested enhanced presynaptic release of transmitter. These results demonstrate that Gd3+ potently reduces AMPA receptor desensitization and mimics a number of the properties of the positive modulators of AMPA receptor desensitization such as cyclothiazide.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1486 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Chen ◽  
Min Jiang ◽  
Mi Zhou ◽  
Lulan Chen ◽  
Xu Liu ◽  
...  

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.


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