Dystroglycan controls dendritic morphogenesis of hippocampal neurons in vitro

MAP1B and MAP2 are major members of neuronal microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). To gain insights into the function of MAP2 in vivo, we generated MAP2-deficient (map2−/−) mice. They developed without any apparent abnormalities, which indicates that MAP2 is dispensable in mouse survival. Because previous reports suggest a functional redundancy among MAPs, we next generated mice lacking both MAP2 and MAP1B to test their possible synergistic functions in vivo. Map2−/−map1b−/− mice died in their perinatal period. They showed not only fiber tract malformations but also disrupted cortical patterning caused by retarded neuronal migration. In spite of this, their cortical layer maintained an “inside-out” pattern. Detailed observation of primary cultures of hippocampal neurons from map2−/−map1b−/− mice revealed inhibited microtubule bundling and neurite elongation. In these neurons, synergistic effects caused by the loss of MAP2 and MAP1B were more apparent in dendrites than in axons. The spacing of microtubules was reduced significantly in map2−/−map1b−/− mice in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that MAP2 and MAP1B have overlapping functions in neuronal migration and neurite outgrowth by organizing microtubules in developing neurons both for axonal and dendritic morphogenesis but more dominantly for dendritic morphogenesis.

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Capicua Regulates Dendritic Morphogenesis Through Ets in Hippocampal Neurons in vitro

Frontiers in Neuroanatomy ◽

10.3389/fnana.2021.669310 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Keqin Li ◽

Shuai Shao ◽

Tongjie Ji ◽

Min Liu ◽

Lufeng Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dendritic Spines ◽

Hippocampal Neurons ◽

Dendritic Growth ◽

Dendrite Growth ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Ht22 Cells ◽

Dendritic Morphogenesis ◽

Growth Loss ◽

Main Period

Capicua (Cic), a transcriptional repressor frequently mutated in brain cancer oligodendroglioma, is highly expressed in adult neurons. However, its function in the dendritic growth of neurons in the hippocampus remains poorly understood. Here, we confirmed that Cic was expressed in hippocampal neurons during the main period of dendritogenesis, suggesting that Cic has a function in dendrite growth. Loss-of-function and gain-of function assays indicated that Cic plays a central role in the inhibition of dendritic morphogenesis and dendritic spines in vitro. Further studies showed that overexpression of Cic reduced the expression of Ets in HT22 cells, while in vitro knockdown of Cic in hippocampal neurons significantly elevated the expression of Ets. These results suggest that Cic may negatively control dendrite growth through Ets, which was confirmed by ShRNA knockdown of either Etv4 or Etv5 abolishing the phenotype of Cic knockdown in cultured neurons. Taken together, our results suggest that Cic inhibits dendritic morphogenesis and the growth of dendritic spines through Ets.

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Astrocytic Expression of the Immunoreceptor CD300f Protects Hippocampal Neurons from Amyloid-β Oligomer Toxicity In Vitro

Current Alzheimer Research ◽

10.2174/1567205014666170202121709 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thiago Zaqueu Lima ◽

Luis Roberto Sardinha ◽

Joan Sayos ◽

Luiz Eugenio Mello ◽

Hugo Peluffo

Keyword(s):

Hippocampal Neurons ◽

Amyloid Β ◽

Toxicity In Vitro

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Computational and In-Vitro Validation of Natural Molecules as Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors and Neuroprotective Agents

Current Alzheimer Research ◽

10.2174/1567205016666181212155147 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 116-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ashwani Kumar ◽

Vineet Mehta ◽

Utkarsh Raj ◽

Pritish Kumar Varadwaj ◽

Malairaman Udayabanu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

In Silico ◽

Hippocampal Neurons ◽

Symptomatic Relief ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Disease Modifying Drugs ◽

In Silico Docking ◽

Ache Inhibitors ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Disease Modifying

Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors are the first line of therapy for the management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however, it is now established that they provide only temporary and symptomatic relief, besides, having several inherited side-effects. Therefore, an alternative drug discovery method is used to identify new and safer ‘disease-modifying drugs’. Methods: Herein, we screened 646 small molecules of natural origin having reported pharmacological and functional values through in-silico docking studies to predict safer neuromodulatory molecules with potential to modulate acetylcholine metabolism. Further, the potential of the predicted molecules to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and their ability to protect neurons from degeneration was determined through in-vitro assays. Results: Based on in-silico AChE interaction studies, we predicted quercetin, caffeine, ascorbic acid and gallic acid to be potential AChE inhibitors. We confirmed the AChE inhibitory potential of these molecules through in-vitro AChE inhibition assay and compared results with donepezil and begacestat. Herbal molecules significantly inhibited enzyme activity and inhibition for quercetin and caffeine did not show any significant difference from donepezil. Further, the tested molecules did not show any neurotoxicity against primary (E18) hippocampal neurons. We observed that quercetin and caffeine significantly improved neuronal survival and efficiently protected hippocampal neurons from HgCl2 induced neurodegeneration, which other molecules, including donepezil and begacestat, failed to do. Conclusion: Quercetin and caffeine have the potential as “disease-modifying drugs” and may find application in the management of neurological disorders such as AD.

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Spastin Interacts with CRMP2 to Regulate Neurite Outgrowth by Controlling Microtubule Dynamics through Phosphorylation Modifications

CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871527319666201026165855 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

Author(s):

Sumei Li ◽

Jifeng Zhang ◽

Jiaqi Zhang ◽

Jiong Li ◽

Longfei Cheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neurite Outgrowth ◽

Hippocampal Neurons ◽

Neuronal Development ◽

Phosphorylation Site ◽

Microtubule Dynamics ◽

Microtubule Assembly ◽

C Terminus ◽

Mediator Protein ◽

Branch Formation

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.

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H2S protects hippocampal neurons against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury by promoting RhoA phosphorylation at Ser188

Cell Death Discovery ◽

10.1038/s41420-021-00514-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ye Chen ◽

Jiyue Wen ◽

Zhiwu Chen

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Hippocampal Neurons ◽

Glucose Deprivation ◽

Rhoa Activity ◽

Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase ◽

Dependent Protein ◽

Cerebral Vasodilatation ◽

Reoxygenation Injury ◽

Hypoxia Reoxygenation

AbstractInhibition of RhoA-ROCK pathway is involved in the H2S-induced cerebral vasodilatation and H2S-mediated protection on endothelial cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury. However, the inhibitory mechanism of H2S on RhoA-ROCK pathway is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the target and mechanism of H2S in inhibition of RhoA/ROCK. GST-RhoAwild and GST-RhoAS188A proteins were constructed and expressed, and were used for phosphorylation assay in vitro. Recombinant RhoAwild-pEGFP-N1 and RhoAS188A-pEGFP-N1 plasmids were constructed and transfected into primary hippocampal nerve cells (HNCs) to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of endothelial H2S by using transwell co-culture system with endothelial cells from cystathionine-γ-lyase knockout (CSE−/−) mice and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase knockout (3-MST−/−) rats, respectively. We found that NaHS, exogenous H2S donor, promoted RhoA phosphorylation at Ser188 in the presence of cGMP-dependent protein kinase 1 (PKG1) in vitro. Besides, both exogenous and endothelial H2S facilitated the RhoA phosphorylation at Ser188 in HNCs, which induced the reduction of RhoA activity and membrane transposition, as well as ROCK2 activity and expression. To further investigate the role of endothelial H2S on RhoA phosphorylation, we detected H2S release from ECs of CSE+/+ and CSE−/− mice, and 3-MST+/+ and 3-MST−/− rats, respectively, and found that H2S produced by ECs in the culture medium is mainly catalyzed by CSE synthase. Moreover, we revealed that both endothelial H2S, mainly catalyzed by CSE, and exogenous H2S protected the HNCs against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury via phosphorylating RhoA at Ser188.

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Neurotrophic Properties of Silexan, an Essential Oil from the Flowers of Lavender-Preclinical Evidence for Antidepressant-Like Properties

Pharmacopsychiatry ◽

10.1055/a-1293-8585 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 54 (01) ◽

pp. 37-46

Author(s):

Kristina Friedland ◽

Giacomo Silani ◽

Anita Schuwald ◽

Carola Stockburger ◽

Egon Koch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Essential Oil ◽

Hippocampal Neurons ◽

Day Treatment ◽

Neuronal Cell ◽

Antidepressant Activity ◽

In Vivo Models ◽

Antidepressant Effects ◽

Primary Hippocampal Neurons

Abstract Background Silexan, a special essential oil from flowering tops of lavandula angustifolia, is used to treat subsyndromal anxiety disorders. In a recent clinical trial, Silexan also showed antidepressant effects in patients suffering from mixed anxiety-depression (ICD-10 F41.2). Since preclinical data explaining antidepressant properties of Silexan are missing, we decided to investigate if Silexan also shows antidepressant-like effects in vitro as well as in vivo models. Methods We used the forced swimming test (FST) in rats as a simple behavioral test indicative of antidepressant activity in vivo. As environmental events and other risk factors contribute to depression through converging molecular and cellular mechanisms that disrupt neuronal function and morphology—resulting in dysfunction of the circuitry that is essential for mood regulation and cognitive function—we investigated the neurotrophic properties of Silexan in neuronal cell lines and primary hippocampal neurons. Results The antidepressant activity of Silexan (30 mg/kg BW) in the FST was comparable to the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (20 mg/kg BW) after 9-day treatment. Silexan triggered neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis in 2 different neuronal cell models and led to a significant increase in synaptogenesis in primary hippocampal neurons. Silexan led to a significant phosphorylation of protein kinase A and subsequent CREB phosphorylation. Conclusion Taken together, Silexan demonstrates antidepressant-like effects in cellular as well as animal models for antidepressant activity. Therefore, our data provides preclinical evidence for the clinical antidepressant effects of Silexan in patients with mixed depression and anxiety.

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