Immunocytochemical localization of three vesicular glutamate transporters in the cat retina

Localization of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in the vertebrate retinas across species and their physiological roles

Transmembrane proteins known as hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels control the movement of Na+ and K+ ions across cellular membranes. HCN channels are known to be involved in crucial physiological functions in regulating neuronal excitability and rhythmicity, and pacemaker activity in the heart. Although HCN channels have been relatively well investigated in the brain, their distribution and function in the retina have received less attention, remaining their physiological roles to be comprehensively understood. Also, because recent studies reported HCN channels have been somewhat linked with the dysfunction of photoreceptors which are affected by retinal diseases, investigating HCN channels in the retina may offer valuable insights into disease mechanisms and potentially contribute to identifying novel therapeutic targets for retinal degenerative disorders. This paper endeavors to summarize the existing literature on the distribution and function of HCN channels reported in the vertebrate retinas of various species and discuss the potential implications for the treatment of retinal diseases. Then, we recapitulate current knowledge regarding the function and regulation of HCN channels, as well as their relevance to various neurological disorders.

Developmental light deprivation transiently reduces the expression of vGluT2 and GluN2B in the rat ventral suprachiasmatic nucleus

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the most important circadian clock in mammals. The SCN synchronizes to environmental light via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT), which is an axon cluster derived from melanopsin-expressing intrinsic photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Investigations on the development of the nonimage-forming pathway and the RHT are scarce. Previous studies imply that light stimulation during postnatal development is not needed to make the RHT functional at adult stages. Here, we examined the effects of light deprivation (i.e., constant darkness (DD) rearing) during postnatal development on the expression in the ventral SCN of two crucial proteins for the synchronization of circadian rhythms to light: the presynaptic vesicular glutamate transporter type 2 (vGluT2) and the GluN2B subunit of the postsynaptic NMDA receptor. We found that animals submitted to DD conditions exhibited a transitory reduction in the expression of vGluT2 (at P12-19) and of GluN2B (at P7-9) that was compensated at older stages. These findings support the hypothesis that visual stimulation during early ages is not decisive for normal development of the RHT-SCN pathway.

Distributions of vesicular glutamate transporters 1 and 2 in the visual thalamus and associated areas of the cat

Glutamate is packaged in vesicles via two main vesicular transporter (VGLUT) proteins, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2, which regulate its storage and release from synapses of excitatory neurons. Studies in rodents, primates, ferrets, and tree shrews suggest that these transporters may identify distinct subsets of excitatory projections in visual structures, particularly in thalamocortical pathways where they tend to correlate with modulatory and driver projections, respectively. Despite being a well-studied model of thalamocortical connectivity, little is known about their expression pattern in the cat visual system. To expand current knowledge on their distribution and how they correlated with known driver and modulator projecting sites, we examined the protein expression patterns of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 in the visual thalamus of the cat (lateral geniculate nucleus and the pulvinar complex). We also studied their expression pattern in relevant visual structures projecting to or receiving significant thalamic projections, such as the primary visual cortex and the superior colliculus. Our results indicate that both VGLUTs are consistently present throughout the cat visual system and show laminar or nuclei specificity in their distribution, which suggests, as in other species, that VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 represent distinct populations of glutamatergic projections.

Expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 and 3 and glutamate receptor 1 and 2 mRNAs in the retina of adult laughing doves (Streptopelia senegalensis): An in situ hybridization study

The retina possesses few types of neurons so; it is considered an excellent model for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying basic neural information processing in the brain. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system and retina. The present study was carried out to characterize the expression pattern of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) and 3 (Vglut3) and glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) and 2 (GluR2) mRNAs in the retina of adult laughing dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization histochemistry. The cerebellum of adult laughing dove was used as a positive control in this study. Vglut2 mRNA was highly expressed only in the granular layer of the cerebellum while Vglut3 mRNA was weakly expressed only in the Purkinje cells layer. In the retina, Vglut2 mRNA was highly expressed in the ganglion cell layer and moderately expressed in the inner nuclear layer while Vglut3 mRNA was moderately expressed only in the inner nuclear layer. GluR1 mRNA was intensely expressed in the Purkinje cells layer while GluR2 mRNA signals were highly detectable in both granular and Purkinje cells layers of the cerebellum. In the retina, moderate expression of GluR1 and intense expression of GluR2 was found in both ganglion cell layer and the internal half of inner nuclear layer mostly amacrine cells. These results suggest that some retinal neuronal cells in the adult laughing dove are glutamatergic. Therefore, GluR1 and 2 are suggested as useful markers for glutamatergic retinal neuronal cells in the adult laughing doves.

Cell types and cell circuits in human and non-human primate retina

This review summarizes our current knowledge of primate including human retina focusing on bipolar, amacrine and ganglion cells and their connectivity. We have two main motivations in writing. Firstly, recent progress in non-invasive imaging methods to study retinal diseases mean that better understanding of the primate retina is becoming an important goal both for basic and for clinical sciences. Secondly, genetically modified mice are increasingly used as animal models for human retinal diseases. Thus, it is important to understand to which extent the retinas of primates and rodents are comparable. We first compare cell populations in primate and rodent retinas, with emphasis on how the fovea (despite its small size) dominates the neural landscape of primate retina. We next summarise what is known, and what is not known, about the postreceptoral neurone populations in primate retina. The inventories of bipolar and ganglion cells in primates are now nearing completion, comprising ~12 types of bipolar cell and at least 17 types of ganglion cell. Primate ganglion cells show clear differences in dendritic field size across the retina, and their morphology differs clearly from that of mouse retinal ganglion cells. Compared to bipolar and ganglion cells, amacrine cells show even higher morphological diversity: they could comprise over 40 types. Many amacrine types appear conserved between primates and mice, but functions of only a few types are understood in any primate or non-primate retina. Amacrine cells appear as the final frontier for retinal research in monkeys and mice alike.

Circadian Behavioral Responses to Light and Optic Chiasm-Evoked Glutamatergic EPSCs in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of ipRGC Conditional vGlut2 Knock-Out Mice

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) innervate the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a circadian oscillator that functions as a biological clock. ipRGCs use vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vGlut2) to package glutamate into synaptic vesicles and light-evoked resetting of the SCN circadian clock is widely attributed to ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is also packaged into vesicles in ipRGCs and PACAP may be coreleased with glutamate in the SCN. vGlut2 has been conditionally deleted in ipRGCs in mice [conditional knock-outs (cKOs)] and their aberrant photoentrainment and residual attenuated light responses have been ascribed to ipRGC PACAP release. However, there is no direct evidence that all ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission is eliminated in vGlut2 cKOs. Here, we examined two lines of ipRGC vGlut2 cKO mice for SCN-mediated behavioral responses under several lighting conditions and for ipRGC glutamatergic neurotransmission in the SCN. Circadian behavioral responses varied from a very limited response to light to near normal photoentrainment. After collecting behavioral data, hypothalamic slices were prepared and evoked EPSCs (eEPSCs) were recorded from SCN neurons by stimulating the optic chiasm. In cKOs, glutamatergic eEPSCs were recorded and all eEPSC parameters examined (stimulus threshold, amplitude, rise time or time-to-peak and stimulus strength to evoke a maximal response) were similar to controls. We conclude that a variable number but functionally significant percentage of ipRGCs in two vGlut2 cKO mouse lines continue to release glutamate. Thus, the residual SCN-mediated light responses in these cKO mouse lines cannot be attributed solely to ipRGC PACAP release.

Function and expression of a splicing variant of vesicular glutamate transporter 1

Vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) is an active transporter responsible for vesicular storage of glutamate in synaptic vesicles and plays an essential role in glutamatergic neurotransmission. VGLUT consists of three isoforms, VGLUT1, VGLUT2, and VGLUT3. The VGLUT1 variant, VGLUT1v, with an additional 75-base pair sequence derived from a second intron between exons 2 and 3, which corresponds to 25 amino acid residues in the 1st loop of VGLUT1, is the only splicing variant among VGLUTs, although whether VGLUT1v protein is actually translated at the protein level remains unknown. In the present study, VGLUT1v was expressed in insect cells, solubilized, purified to near homogeneity, and its transport activity was examined. Proteoliposomes containing purified VGLUT1v were shown to accumulate glutamate upon imposition of an inside-positive membrane potential (Δψ). The Δψ-driven glutamate uptake activity requires Cl^- and its pharmacological profile and kinetics are comparable to those of other VGLUTs. The retinal membrane contained two VGLUT1 moieties with apparent molecular masses of 65 and 57kDa. VGLUT1v-specific antibodies against an inserted 25-amino acid residue sequence identified a 65-kDa immunoreactive polypeptide. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that VGLUT1v immunoreactivity is present in photoreceptor cells and is associated with synaptic vesicles. VGLUT1v immunoreactivity is also present in pinealocytes, but not in other areas, including the brain. These results indicated that VGLUT1v exists in a functional state in rat photosensitive cells and is involved in glutamatergic chemical transmission.

ON and OFF retinal ganglion cells differentially regulate serotonergic and GABAergic activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), the major source of serotonergic input to the forebrain, receives excitatory input from the retina that can modulate serotonin levels and depressive-like behavior. In the Mongolian gerbil, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with alpha-like morphological and Y-like physiological properties innervate the DRN with ON DRN-projecting RGCs out numbering OFF DRN-projecting RGCs. The DRN neurons targeted by ON and OFF RGCs are unknown. To explore retino-raphe anatomical organization, retinal afferents labeled with Cholera toxin B were examined for association with the postsynaptic protein PSD-95. Synaptic associations between retinal afferents and DRN serotonergic and GABAergic neurons were observed. To explore retino-raphe functional organization, light-evoked c-fos expression was examined. Light significantly increased the number of DRN serotonergic and GABAergic cells expressing c-Fos. When ON RGCs were rendered silent while enhancing the firing rate of OFF RGCs, c-Fos expression was greatly increased in DRN serotonergic neurons suggesting that OFF DRN-projecting RGCs predominately activate serotonergic neurons whereas ON DRN-projecting RGCs mainly target GABAergic neurons. Direct glutamatergic retinal input to DRN 5-HT neurons contributes to the complex excitatory drive regulating these cells. Light, via the retinoraphe pathway can modify DRN 5-HT neuron activity which may play a role in modulating affective behavior.

Synaptic connections of amacrine cells containing vesicular glutamate transporter 3 in baboon retinas

The goals of these experiments were to describe the morphology and synaptic connections of amacrine cells in the baboon retina that contain immunoreactive vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (vGluT3). These amacrine cells had the morphology characteristic of knotty bistratified type 1 cells, and their dendrites formed two plexuses on either side of the center of the inner plexiform layer. The primary dendrites received large synapses from amacrine cells, and the higher-order dendrites were both pre- and postsynaptic to other amacrine cells. Based on light microscopic immunolabeling results, these include AII cells and starburst cells, but not the polyaxonal amacrine cells tracer-coupled to ON parasol ganglion cells. The vGluT3 cells received input from ON bipolar cells at ribbon synapses and made synapses onto OFF bipolar cells, including the diffuse DB3a type. Many synapses from vGluT3 cells onto retinal ganglion cells were observed in both plexuses. At synapses where vGluT3 cells were presynaptic, two types of postsynaptic densities were observed; there were relatively thin ones characteristic of inhibitory synapses and relatively thick ones characteristic of excitatory synapses. In the light microscopic experiments with Neurobiotin-injected ganglion cells, vGluT3 cells made contacts with midget and parasol ganglion cells, including both ON and OFF types. Puncta containing immunoreactive gephyrin, an inhibitory synapse marker, were found at appositions between vGluT3 cells and each of the four types of labeled ganglion cells. The vGluT3 cells did not have detectable levels of immunoreactive γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or immunoreactive glycine transporter 1. Thus, the vGluT3 cells would be expected to have ON responses to light and make synapses onto neurons in both the ON and the OFF pathways. Taken with previous results, these findings suggest that vGluT3 cells release glycine at some of their output synapses and glutamate at others.

Retinal Changes in an ATP-Induced Model of Retinal Degeneration

In rodents and felines, intravitreal administration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been shown to induce photoreceptor death providing a tractable model of retinal degeneration in these species. This study investigated the long term effects of photoreceptor loss in an ATP induced feline model of retinal degeneration. Six normal sighted felines were unilaterally blinded using intravitreal ATP injections and assessed using electroretinography (ERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). At 30 h (n = 3) or 12 weeks (n = 3) post-injection, the animals were euthanized and the eyes enucleated. Retinae were sectioned and labeled using immunohistochemistry for markers of cell death, neural remodeling and gliosis. Ongoing cell death and retinal degeneration was observed in the outer retina at both 30 h and 12 weeks following unilateral ATP injection. Markers of mid to late-stage retinal remodeling such as cell displacement and aberrant neurite growth were observed in the inner retina at 12 weeks post-injection. Ganglion cells appeared to remain intact in ATP injected eyes. Müller cell gliosis was observed throughout the inner and outer retina, in some parts completely enveloping and/or displacing the surviving neural tissue. Our data suggests that the ATP injected feline retina continues to undergo progressive retinal degeneration and exhibits abnormalities consistent with a description of retinal remodeling commonly seen in other models of retinal degeneration. These findings validate the use of intravitreal ATP injection in feline as a large animal model of retinal degeneration which may aid in development of therapies aiming to restore visual function after photoreceptor degeneration.

An excitatory amacrine cell detects object motion and provides feature-selective input to ganglion cells in the mouse retina

Retinal circuits detect salient features of the visual world and report them to the brain through spike trains of retinal ganglion cells. The most abundant ganglion cell type in mice, the so-called W3 ganglion cell, selectively responds to movements of small objects. Where and how object motion sensitivity arises in the retina is incompletely understood. In this study, we use 2-photon-guided patch-clamp recordings to characterize responses of vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3)-expressing amacrine cells (ACs) to a broad set of visual stimuli. We find that these ACs are object motion sensitive and analyze the synaptic mechanisms underlying this computation. Anatomical circuit reconstructions suggest that VGluT3-expressing ACs form glutamatergic synapses with W3 ganglion cells, and targeted recordings show that the tuning of W3 ganglion cells' excitatory input matches that of VGluT3-expressing ACs' responses. Synaptic excitation of W3 ganglion cells is diminished, and responses to object motion are suppressed in mice lacking VGluT3. Object motion, thus, is first detected by VGluT3-expressing ACs, which provide feature-selective excitatory input to W3 ganglion cells.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08025.001

Animals can use their eyes to detect moving objects, which helps them to avoid predators and other threats, and to spot potential prey or allies. Visual information from the eyes is sent to the brain, which processes the information to form a coherent picture of how the objects are moving. This processing has to be able to account for movements of the head, eyes, and body—which can cause the image of an object on the retina within the eye to move even if the object itself remains stationary.

Within the retina, light is converted into electrical signals by cells called rods and cones. A layer of cells called bipolar cells relay these signals to the ‘ganglion’ cells, which in turn pass them on to the brain. In mice, a type of ganglion cell called the W3 ganglion cell has been shown to respond selectively to small moving objects, but exactly how these cells acquire their motion sensitivity remained unclear.

Kim et al. now reveal that cells called amacrine cells, which regulate the transfer of signals from the bipolar cells to ganglion cells, supply the information needed for motion detection. The mouse eye contains up to 50 different types of amacrine cells. One of these—called the VG3-amacrine cell—increases its activity whenever an object moves relative to its background, but decreases its activity whenever the object and background move together. The overall effect is that the cells respond selectively to the presence of small moving objects.

Most amacrine cells regulate the transfer of signals within the retina by inhibiting the activity of ganglion cells. But, Kim et al. show that VG3-amacrine cells release a molecule called glutamate to activate W3 ganglion cells when a moving object is detected. These unusual and specialized cells are, thus, an essential component of a circuit in the nervous system that supports motion detection. It is possible that some other types of amacrine cells may also play specialized roles in the detection of other features in the visual world.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08025.002

Expression and cellular localization of the voltage-gated calcium channel α2δ3 in the rodent retina

High-voltage-activated calcium channels are hetero-oligomeric protein complexes that mediate multiple cellular processes, including the influx of extracellular Ca(2+), neurotransmitter release, gene transcription, and synaptic plasticity. These channels consist of a primary α(1) pore-forming subunit, which is associated with an extracellular α(2)δ subunit and an intracellular β auxiliary subunit, which alter the gating properties and trafficking of the calcium channel. The cellular localization of the α(2)δ(3) subunit in the mouse and rat retina is unknown. In this study using RT-PCR, a single band at ∼ 305 bp corresponding to the predicted size of the α(2)δ(3) subunit fragment was found in mouse and rat retina and brain homogenates. Western blotting of rodent retina and brain homogenates showed a single 123-kDa band. Immunohistochemistry with an affinity-purified antibody to the α(2)δ(3) subunit revealed immunoreactive cell bodies in the ganglion cell layer and inner nuclear layer and immunoreactive processes in the inner plexiform layer and the outer plexiform layer. α(2)δ(3) immunoreactivity was localized to multiple cell types, including ganglion, amacrine, and bipolar cells and photoreceptors, but not horizontal cells. The expression of the α(2)δ(3) calcium channel subunit to multiple cell types suggests that this subunit participates widely in Ca-channel-mediated signaling in the retina.

Impaired circadian photosensitivity in mice lacking glutamate transmission from retinal melanopsin cells

Intrinsically photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) contain the photopigment melanopsin and convey retinal light inputs to the circadian system via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) projection to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The principal neurotransmitter of this projection is glutamate, and ipRGCs use the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) to package glutamate into synaptic vesicles. However, these neurons contain other potential neurotransmitters, such as pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP). To test the role of glutamate in mediating ipRGC light inputs into the SCN, we crossed mice in which Cre-recombinase expression is driven by the melanopsin promotor (Opn4(Cre/+)) with mice in which the second exon of VGLUT2 is flanked by loxP sites (VGLUT2(fl/fl)), producing ipRGCs that are unable to package glutamate into synaptic vesicles. Such mice had free-running circadian rhythms that did not entrain to a 12:12 light-dark (12:12 LD) cycle, nor did they show a phase delay after a 45-min light pulse administered at circadian time (CT) 14. A small subset of the mice did appear to entrain to the 12:12 LD cycle with a positive phase angle to lights-off; a similar entrainment pattern could be achieved in free-running mice if they were exposed to a 12:12 LD cycle with light of a greater intensity. Glutamate transmission from the ipRGCs is necessary for normal light entrainment of the SCN at moderate (0.35 W/m(2)) light levels, but residual transmission (possibly by PACAP in ipRGCs or by other RGCs) can weakly entrain animals, particularly at very high (6.53 W/m(2)) light levels, although it may be less effective at suppressing locomotor activity (light masking).

Glutamatergic neurotransmission from melanopsin retinal ganglion cells is required for neonatal photoaversion but not adult pupillary light reflex

Melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells (mRGCs) in the eye play an important role in many light-activated non-image-forming functions including neonatal photoaversion and the adult pupillary light reflex (PLR). MRGCs rely on glutamate and possibly PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide) to relay visual signals to the brain. However, the role of these neurotransmitters for individual non-image-forming responses remains poorly understood. To clarify the role of glutamatergic signaling from mRGCs in neonatal aversion to light and in adult PLR, we conditionally deleted vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT2) selectively from mRGCs in mice. We found that deletion of VGLUT2 in mRGCs abolished negative phototaxis and light-induced distress vocalizations in neonatal mice, underscoring a necessary role for glutamatergic signaling. In adult mice, loss of VGLUT2 in mRGCs resulted in a slow and an incomplete PLR. We conclude that glutamatergic neurotransmission from mRGCs is required for neonatal photoaversion but is complemented by another non-glutamatergic signaling mechanism for the pupillary light reflex in adult mice. We speculate that this complementary signaling might be due to PACAP neurotransmission from mRGCs.

Differential expression of vesicular glutamate transporters 1 and 2 may identify distinct modes of glutamatergic transmission in the macaque visual system

Glutamate is the primary neurotransmitter utilized by the mammalian visual system for excitatory neurotransmission. The sequestration of glutamate into synaptic vesicles, and the subsequent transport of filled vesicles to the presynaptic terminal membrane, is regulated by a family of proteins known as vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs). Two VGLUT proteins, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2, characterize distinct sets of glutamatergic projections between visual structures in rodents and prosimian primates, yet little is known about their distributions in the visual system of anthropoid primates. We have examined the mRNA and protein expression patterns of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 in the visual system of macaque monkeys, an Old World anthropoid primate, in order to determine their relative distributions in the superior colliculus, lateral geniculate nucleus, pulvinar complex, V1 and V2. Distinct expression patterns for both VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 identified architectonic boundaries in all structures, as well as anatomical subdivisions of the superior colliculus, pulvinar complex, and V1. These results suggest that VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 clearly identify regions of glutamatergic input in visual structures, and may identify common architectonic features of visual areas and nuclei across the primate radiation. Additionally, we find that VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 characterize distinct subsets of glutamatergic projections in the macaque visual system; VGLUT2 predominates in driving or feedforward projections from lower order to higher order visual structures while VGLUT1 predominates in modulatory or feedback projections from higher order to lower order visual structures. The distribution of these two proteins suggests that VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 may identify class 1 and class 2 type glutamatergic projections within the primate visual system (Sherman and Guillery, 2006).

Distribution of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGluT2) in the primary visual cortex of the macaque and human

The majority of thalamic terminals in V1 arise from lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) afferents. Thalamic afferent terminals are preferentially labeled by an isoform of the vesicular glutamate transporter, VGluT2. The goal of our study was to determine the distribution of VGluT2-ir puncta in macaque and human visual cortex. First, we investigated the distribution of VGluT2-ir puncta in all layers of macaque monkey primary visual cortex (V1), and found a very close correspondence between the known distribution of LGN afferents from previous studies and the distribution of VGluT2-immunoreactive (-ir) puncta. There was also a close correspondence between cytochrome oxidase density and VGluT2-ir puncta distribution. After validating the correspondence in macaque, we made a comparative study in human V1. In many aspects, the distribution of VGluT2-ir puncta in human was qualitatively similar to that of the macaque: high densities in layer 4C, patches of VGluT2-ir puncta in the supragranular layer (2/3), lower but clear distribution in layers 1 and 6, and very few puncta in layers 5 and 4B. However, there were also important differences between macaques and humans. In layer 4A of human, there was a sparse distribution of VGluT2-ir puncta, whereas in macaque, there was a dense distribution with the characteristic honeycomb organization. The results suggest important changes in the pattern of cortical VGluT2 immunostaining that may be related to evolutionary differences in the cortical organization of LGN afferents between Old World monkeys and humans.

Glutamate transporters EAAT4 and EAAT5 are expressed in vestibular hair cells and calyx endings

Glutamate is the neurotransmitter released from hair cells. Its clearance from the synaptic cleft can shape neurotransmission and prevent excitotoxicity. This may be particularly important in the inner ear and in other sensory organs where there is a continually high rate of neurotransmitter release. In the case of most cochlear and type II vestibular hair cells, clearance involves the diffusion of glutamate to supporting cells, where it is taken up by EAAT1 (GLAST), a glutamate transporter. A similar mechanism cannot work in vestibular type I hair cells as the presence of calyx endings separates supporting cells from hair-cell synapses. Because of this arrangement, it has been conjectured that a glutamate transporter must be present in the type I hair cell, the calyx ending, or both. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we demonstrate that a glutamate-activated anion current, attributable to a high-affinity glutamate transporter and blocked by DL-TBOA, is expressed in type I, but not in type II hair cells. Molecular investigations reveal that EAAT4 and EAAT5, two glutamate transporters that could underlie the anion current, are expressed in both type I and type II hair cells and in calyx endings. EAAT4 has been thought to be expressed almost exclusively in the cerebellum and EAAT5 in the retina. Our results show that these two transporters have a wider distribution in mice. This is the first demonstration of the presence of transporters in hair cells and provides one of the few examples of EAATs in presynaptic elements.

A neurochemical map of the developing amphioxus nervous system

BACKGROUND

Amphioxus, representing the most basal group of living chordates, is the best available proxy for the last invertebrate ancestor of the chordates. Although the central nervous system (CNS) of amphioxus comprises only about 20,000 neurons (as compared to billions in vertebrates), the developmental genetics and neuroanatomy of amphioxus are strikingly vertebrate-like. In the present study, we mapped the distribution of amphioxus CNS cells producing distinctive neurochemicals. To this end, we cloned genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes and/or transporters of the most common neurotransmitters and assayed their developmental expression in the embryo and early larva.

RESULTS

By single and double in situ hybridization experiments, we identified glutamatergic, GABAergic/glycinergic, serotonergic and cholinergic neurons in developing amphioxus. In addition to characterizing the distribution of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the developing amphioxus CNS, we observed that cholinergic and GABAergic/glycinergic neurons are segmentally arranged in the hindbrain, whereas serotonergic, glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurons are restricted to specific regions of the cerebral vesicle and the hindbrain. We were further able to identify discrete groups of GABAergic and glutamatergic interneurons and cholinergic motoneurons at the level of the primary motor center (PMC), the major integrative center of sensory and motor stimuli of the amphioxus nerve cord.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we assessed neuronal differentiation in the developing amphioxus nervous system and compiled the first neurochemical map of the amphioxus CNS. This map is a first step towards a full characterization of the neurotransmitter signature of previously described nerve cell types in the amphioxus CNS, such as motoneurons and interneurons.

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) respond to light in the absence of all rod and cone photoreceptor input. The existence of these ganglion cell photoreceptors, although predicted from observations scattered over many decades, was not established until it was shown that a novel photopigment, melanopsin, was expressed in retinal ganglion cells of rodents and primates. Phototransduction in mammalian ipRGCs more closely resembles that of invertebrate than vertebrate photoreceptors and appears to be mediated by transient receptor potential channels. In the retina, ipRGCs provide excitatory drive to dopaminergic amacrine cells and ipRGCs are coupled to GABAergic amacrine cells via gap junctions. Several subtypes of ipRGC have been identified in rodents based on their morphology, physiology and expression of molecular markers. ipRGCs convey irradiance information centrally via the optic nerve to influence several functions including photoentrainment of the biological clock located in the hypothalamus, the pupillary light reflex, sleep and perhaps some aspects of vision. In addition, ipRGCs may also contribute irradiance signals that interface directly with the autonomic nervous system to regulate rhythmic gene activity in major organs of the body. Here we review the early work that provided the motivation for searching for a new mammalian photoreceptor, the ground-breaking discoveries, current progress that continues to reveal the unusual properties of these neuron photoreceptors, and directions for future investigation.

Ectopic retinal ON bipolar cell synapses in the OFF inner plexiform layer: contacts with dopaminergic amacrine cells and melanopsin ganglion cells

A key principle of retinal organization is that distinct ON and OFF channels are relayed by separate populations of bipolar cells to different sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). ON bipolar cell axons have been thought to synapse exclusively in the inner IPL (the ON sublamina) onto dendrites of ON-type amacrine and ganglion cells. However, M1 melanopsin-expressing ganglion cells and dopaminergic amacrine (DA) cells apparently violate this dogma. Both are driven by ON bipolar cells, but their dendrites stratify in the outermost IPL, within the OFF sublamina. Here, in the mouse retina, we show that some ON cone bipolar cells make ribbon synapses in the outermost OFF sublayer, where they costratify with and contact the dendrites of M1 and DA cells. Whole-cell recording and dye filling in retinal slices indicate that type 6 ON cone bipolars provide some of this ectopic ON channel input. Imaging studies in dissociated bipolar cells show that these ectopic ribbon synapses are capable of vesicular release. There is thus an accessory ON sublayer in the outer IPL.

Evaluation of the protective effects of PACAP with cell-specific markers in ischemia-induced retinal degeneration

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neurotrophic and neuroprotective peptide that has been shown to exert protective effects in different neuronal injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, models of neurodegenerative diseases and cerebral ischemia. We have provided evidence that PACAP is neuroprotective in several models of retinal degeneration in vivo. In our previous studies we showed that PACAP treatment significantly ameliorated the damaging effects of permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). In the present study cell-type-specific markers were used in the same models in order to further specify the protective effects of PACAP. In rats BCCAO led to severe degeneration of all retinal layers that was attenuated by PACAP (100 pmol) administered unilaterally immediately following BCCAO into the vitreous body of one eye. Retinas were processed for immunohistochemistry after 3 weeks. Immunolabeling was executed for vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT 1), vesicular gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter (VGAT), protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and calcium-binding proteins, such as calbindin, calretinin, parvalbumin. In BCCAO retinas, intensity of immunopositivity for all antisera was dramatically decreased, except in the case of GFAP. In PACAP-treated retinas, immunostaining was similar to that of the control animals. In summary, our study presented immunohistochemical identification of cell types sensitive to chronic retinal hypoperfusion and the protective effects of PACAP. This analysis revealed that the retinoprotective effects of PACAP are not phenotype-specific, but it rather influences general cytoprotective pathways irrespective of the neuronal subtypes in the retina subjected to chronic hypoperfusion.

Functional remodeling of glutamate receptors by inner retinal neurons occurs from an early stage of retinal degeneration

Retinitis pigmentosa reflects a family of diseases that result in retinal photoreceptor death and functional blindness. The natural course of retinal changes secondary to photoreceptor degeneration involves anatomical remodeling (cell process alterations and soma displacement) and neurochemical remodeling. Anatomical remodeling predominantly occurs late in the disease process and cannot explain the significant visual deficits that occur very early in the disease process. Neurochemical remodeling includes modified glutamate receptor disposition and altered responses secondary to functional activation of glutamate receptors. We investigated the neurochemical remodeling of retinal neurons in the rd/rd (rd1) mouse retina by tracking the functional activation of glutamate receptors with a cation probe, agmatine. We provide evidence that bipolar cells and amacrine cells undergo selective remodeling of glutamate receptors during the early phases of retinal degeneration. These early neurochemical changes in the rd/rd mouse retina include the expression of aberrant functional ionotropic glutamate receptors on the cone ON bipolar cells from postnatal day 15 (P15), poor functional activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors on both rod and cone ON bipolar cells throughout development/degeneration, and poor functional activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors on amacrine cells from P15. Our results suggest that major neurochemical remodeling occurs prior to anatomical remodeling, and likely accounts for the early visual deficits in the rd/rd mouse retina.

The molecular architecture of ribbon presynaptic terminals

The primary receptor neurons of the auditory, vestibular, and visual systems encode a broad range of sensory information by modulating the tonic release of the neurotransmitter glutamate in response to graded changes in membrane potential. The output synapses of these neurons are marked by structures called synaptic ribbons, which tether a pool of releasable synaptic vesicles at the active zone where glutamate release occurs in response to calcium influx through L-type channels. Ribbons are composed primarily of the protein, RIBEYE, which is unique to ribbon synapses, but cytomatrix proteins that regulate the vesicle cycle in conventional terminals, such as Piccolo and Bassoon, also are found at ribbons. Conventional and ribbon terminals differ, however, in the size, molecular composition, and mobilization of their synaptic vesicle pools. Calcium-binding proteins and plasma membrane calcium pumps, together with endomembrane pumps and channels, play important roles in calcium handling at ribbon synapses. Taken together, emerging evidence suggests that several molecular and cellular specializations work in concert to support the sustained exocytosis of glutamate that is a hallmark of ribbon synapses. Consistent with its functional importance, abnormalities in a variety of functional aspects of the ribbon presynaptic terminal underlie several forms of auditory neuropathy and retinopathy.

Vesicular glutamate transporter 1 is required for photoreceptor synaptic signaling but not for intrinsic visual functions

Glutamatergic neurotransmission requires vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) to sequester glutamate into synaptic vesicles. Generally, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 isoforms show complementary expression in the CNS and retina. However, little is known about whether isoform-specific expression serves distinct pathways and physiological functions. Here, by examining visual functions in VGLUT1-null mice, we demonstrate that visual signaling from photoreceptors to retinal output neurons requires VGLUT1. However, photoentrainment and pupillary light responses are preserved. We provide evidence that melanopsin-containing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), signaling via VGLUT2 pathways, support these non-image-forming functions. We conclude that VGLUT1 is essential for transmitting visual signals from photoreceptors to second- and third-order neurons, but VGLUT1 is not necessary for intrinsic visual functions. Furthermore, melanopsin and VGLUT2 expression in a subset of RGCs immediately after birth strongly supports the idea that intrinsic vision can function well before rod- and cone-mediated signaling has matured.

Robust syntaxin-4 immunoreactivity in mammalian horizontal cell processes

Horizontal cells mediate inhibitory feed-forward and feedback communication in the outer retina; however, mechanisms that underlie transmitter release from mammalian horizontal cells are poorly understood. Toward determining whether the molecular machinery for exocytosis is present in horizontal cells, we investigated the localization of syntaxin-4, a SNARE protein involved in targeting vesicles to the plasma membrane, in mouse, rat, and rabbit retinae using immunocytochemistry. We report robust expression of syntaxin-4 in the outer plexiform layer of all three species. Syntaxin-4 occurred in processes and tips of horizontal cells, with regularly spaced, thicker sandwich-like structures along the processes. Double labeling with syntaxin-4 and calbindin antibodies, a horizontal cell marker, demonstrated syntaxin-4 localization to horizontal cell processes; whereas, double labeling with PKC antibodies, a rod bipolar cell (RBC) marker, showed a lack of co-localization, with syntaxin-4 immunolabeling occurring just distal to RBC dendritic tips. Syntaxin-4 immunolabeling occurred within VGLUT-1-immunoreactive photoreceptor terminals and underneath synaptic ribbons, labeled by CtBP2/RIBEYE antibodies, consistent with localization in invaginating horizontal cell tips at photoreceptor triad synapses. Vertical sections of retina immunostained for syntaxin-4 and peanut agglutinin (PNA) established that the prominent patches of syntaxin-4 immunoreactivity were adjacent to the base of cone pedicles. Horizontal sections through the OPL indicate a one-to-one co-localization of syntaxin-4 densities at likely all cone pedicles, with syntaxin-4 immunoreactivity interdigitating with PNA labeling. Pre-embedding immuno-electron microscopy confirmed the subcellular localization of syntaxin-4 labeling to lateral elements at both rod and cone triad synapses. Finally, co-localization with SNAP-25, a possible binding partner of syntaxin-4, indicated co-expression of these SNARE proteins in the same subcellular compartment of the horizontal cell. Taken together, the strong expression of these two SNARE proteins in the processes and endings of horizontal cells at rod and cone terminals suggests that horizontal cell axons and dendrites are likely sites of exocytotic activity.

Distribution of soluble guanylyl cyclase in rat retina

The nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathway is implicated in modulation of visual information processing in the retina. Despite numerous functional studies of this pathway, information about the retinal distribution of the major downstream effector of NO, soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), is very limited. In the present work, we have used immunohistochemistry and multiple labeling to determine the distribution of sGC in rat retina. sGC was present at high levels in inner retina but barely detectable in outer retina. Photoreceptors and horizontal cells, as well as Müller cells, were immunonegative, whereas retinal ganglion cells exhibited moderate staining for sGC. Strong immunostaining was found in subpopulations of bipolar and amacrine cells, but staining was weak in rod bipolar cells, and AII amacrine cells were immunonegative. Double labeling of sGC with neuronal nitric oxide synthase showed that the two proteins are generally located in adjacent puncta in inner plexiform layer, implying paracrine interactions. Our results suggest that the NO-cGMP pathway modulates the neural circuitry in inner retina, preferentially within the cone pathway.

Differential distribution of hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in cone bipolar cells of the rat retina

The hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel isoforms HCN1, HCN2, and HCN4 were localized by immunofluorescence in the rat retina. Double labeling with the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT1) was used to identify bipolar cell axon terminals in the inner retina. The HCN1 channel was localized to two cell types with differing intracellular distributions, insofar as staining was seen in the dendrites of a putative OFF-type cone bipolar cell and in the axon terminals of an ON-type bipolar that ramifies in stratum 3 (s3) of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Staining for HCN4 was seen in two sets of bipolar axon terminals located in s2 and s3 and positioned between the two bands of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) staining. The cells that ramify in s2 were identified as type 3 cone bipolar cells and the cells that ramify in s3 cells as a subclass of type 5 cone bipolars. The latter group, designated here as type 5b, exhibit diffuse axon terminals and can be distinguished from the narrowly stratifying type 5a cells. Double labeling showed that type 5b cone bipolar cells express both HCN1 and HCN4 as well as HCN2. Superposition of HCN channel labeling with VGLUT1 staining confirmed the presence of a cone bipolar cell whose terminals ramify in the same stratum of the IPL as type 5b cells but that do not express these HCN channels.

The diverse roles of vesicular glutamate transporter 3

The expression of vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) 1 and 2 accounts for the ability of most traditionally accepted excitatory neurons to release glutamate by exocytosis. However, several cell populations (serotonin and dopamine neurons) have been demonstrated to release glutamate in vitro and do not obviously express these transporters. Rather, these neurons express a novel, third isoform that in fact appears confined to neurons generally associated with a transmitter other than glutamate. They include serotonin and possibly dopamine neurons, cholinergic interneurons in the striatum, and GABAergic interneurons of the hippocampus and cortex. Although the physiological role of VGLUT3 remains largely conjectural, several observations in vivo suggest that the glutamate release mediated by VGLUT3 has an important role in synaptic transmission, plasticity, and development.

VGLUTs: 'exciting' times for glutamatergic research?

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Glutamate is first synthesized in the cytoplasm of presynaptic terminals before being loaded into synaptic vesicles, which fuse with the plasma membrane, releasing their contents, in response to neuronal activity. The important process of synaptic vesicle loading is mediated by a transport protein, collectively known as vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT). Controlling the activity of these transporters could potentially modulate the efficacy of glutamatergic neurotransmission. In recent years, three isoforms of mammalian VGLUTs have been cloned and molecularly characterized in detail. Probing these three VGLUTs has been proven to be the most reliable way of visualizing sites of glutamate release in the mammalian CNS. Immunohistochemical studies on VGLUTs suggest that glutamatergic neurons are categorized into subgroups depending on which VGLUT isoform they contain. Recent studies on VGLUT1-deficient mice have led various models to be postulated concerning the possible roles of VGLUTs in synaptic physiology, such as presynaptic regulation of quantal size and activity-dependent short-term plasticity.

Vesicular glutamate transporters and neuronal nitric oxide synthase colocalize in aortic depressor afferent neurons

The aortic depressor nerve (ADN) primarily transmits baroreceptor signals from the aortic arch to the nucleus tractus solitarii. Cell bodies of neurons that send peripheral fibers to form the ADN are located in the nodose ganglion (NG). Studies have implicated glutamate and nitric oxide in transmission of baroreflex signals; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that ADN neurons contain either vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) or both. We applied a fluorescent tracer, tetramethyl rhodamine dextran (TRD), to rat ADN to identify ADN neurons and then performed immunofluorescent labeling for nNOS and VGLUTs 1, 2, and 3 in NG sections. We found that VGLUT2-immunoreactivity (IR) and VGLUT3-IR was present in a significantly higher proportion of TRD positive neurons than in TRD negative neurons. In contrast, the percentage of TRD positive neurons containing VGLUT1-IR or nNOS-IR did not differ from that of TRD negative neurons. We also observed that the percentage of TRD positive neurons containing both VGLUT2-IR and nNOS-IR and the percentage of TRD positive neurons containing both VGLUT3-IR and nNOS-IR were significantly higher than that of TRD negative neurons. On the other hand, colocalization of VGLUT1-IR and nNOS-IR in TRD positive neurons did not differ from that of TRD negative neurons. These results support our hypothesis and suggest prominent roles of VGLUT2-IR containing neurons and VGLUT3-IR containing neurons in transmitting cardiovascular signals via the ADN to the brain stem.

Expression of the vesicular glutamate transporter vGluT2 in a subset of cones of the mouse retina

Cone photoreceptors have a continuous release of glutamate that is modulated by light. Vesicular glutamate transporters (vGluT) play an essential role for sustaining this release by loading synaptic vesicles in the cone synapse, the so-called cone pedicle. In the present study mouse retinas were immunostained for vGluT1 and vGluT2. vGluT1 was localized to all cone pedicles and rod spherules, whereas vGluT2 was found in only 10% of the cone pedicles. The vGluT2-expressing cones were characterized in more detail. They are distributed in a regular array, suggesting they are a distinct type. Their proportion does not differ between dorsal (L-cone-dominated) and ventral (S-cone-dominated) retina, and they are not the genuine blue cones of the mouse retina. During development, vGluT1 and vGluT2 expression in cones starts at around P0 and right from the beginning vGluT2 is only expressed in a subset of cones. Bipolar cells contact the vGluT2-expressing cones and other cones nonselectively. The possible functional role of vGluT2 expression in a small fraction of cones is discussed.

Stimulation of cardiac sympathetic afferents activates glutamatergic neurons in the parabrachial nucleus: relation to neurons containing nNOS

Our previous studies have demonstrated that stimulation of cardiac sympathetic afferents activates neurons in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), a region known to play a role in central integration of cardiovascular autonomic reflexes. However, phenotypes of these activated neurons have not been well identified. Glutamate, an important excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, is involved in PBN-mediated cardiovascular responses. Recent identification of vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3) has provided a novel and unique marker to locate distinctive perikarya of neurons that use glutamate as a neurotransmitter. The action of glutamate in the brain is influenced by nitric oxide. Thus, using triple immunofluorescent labeling, the present study examined expression of c-Fos, an immediate early gene, in the neurons containing VGLUT3 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the PBN following stimulation of cardiac sympathetic afferents. In anesthetized cats with bilateral barodenervation and cervical vagotomy, topical application of bradykinin (BK, 1-10 microg/ml, 50 microl, n = 6) on the left ventricle was performed six times, every 20 min. Repeated administration of BK elicited consistent increases in blood pressure over a 100 min period while no changes were noted in the animals treated with the vehicle for BK (0.9% saline, n=5). Compared to control cats, c-Fos expression was increased significantly in the cell bodies containing VGLUT3 as well as both VGLUT3 and nNOS in the external lateral PBN (elPBN) in BK-treated animals (all P < 0.01). In addition, using similar triple-staining method, we noted that fibers of activated neurons containing nNOS in the elPBN co-localized with vesicular glutamate transporter 2 following BK stimulation. These data suggest that glutamatergic neurons represent a cell type in the PBN that is activated by stimulation of cardiac sympathetic afferents. Nitric oxide has the potential to influence the action of glutamatergic neurons in regulation of excitatory cardiovascular responses induced by activation of cardiac sympathetic afferents.

Cellular distribution and subcellular localization of molecular components of vesicular transmitter release in horizontal cells of rabbit retina

The mechanism underlying transmitter release from retinal horizontal cells is poorly understood. We investigated the possibility of vesicular transmitter release from mammalian horizontal cells by examining the expression of synaptic proteins that participate in vesicular transmitter release at chemical synapses. Using immunocytochemistry, we evaluated the cellular and subcellular distribution of complexin I/II, syntaxin-1, and synapsin I in rabbit retina. Strong labeling for complexin I/II, proteins that regulate a late step in vesicular transmitter release, was found in both synaptic layers of the retina, and in somata of A- and B-type horizontal cells, of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)- and glycinergic amacrine cells, and of ganglion cells. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated the presence of complexin I/II in horizontal cell processes postsynaptic to rod and cone ribbon synapses. Syntaxin-1, a core protein of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex known to bind to complexin, and synapsin I, a synaptic vesicle-associated protein involved in the Ca(2+)-dependent recruitment of synaptic vesicles for transmitter release, were also present in the horizontal cells and their processes at photoreceptor synapses. Photoreceptors and bipolar cells did not express any of these proteins at their axon terminals. The presence of complexin I/II, syntaxin-1, and synapsin I in rabbit horizontal cell processes and tips suggests that a vesicular mechanism may underlie transmitter release from mammalian horizontal cells.

Localization of glycine receptor alpha subunits on bipolar and amacrine cells in primate retina

The major inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine is used by about half of the amacrine cells in the retina. Amacrine cells provide synaptic output to bipolar, ganglion, and other amacrine cells. The present study investigated whether different bipolar and amacrine cell types in the primate retina differ with respect to the expression of glycine receptor (GlyR) subtypes. Antibodies specific for the alpha1, alpha2, and alpha3 subunits of the GlyR were combined with immunohistochemical markers for bipolar and amacrine cells and applied to vertical sections of macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) retinae. For all subunits, punctate immunoreactivity was expressed in the inner plexiform layer. The GlyRalpha2 immunoreactive (IR) puncta occur at the highest density, followed by GlyR(alpha)3 and GlyR(alpha)1 IR puncta. Postembedding electron microscopy showed the postsynaptic location of all subunits. Double immunofluorescence demonstrated that the three alpha subunits are clustered at different postsynaptic sites. Two OFF cone bipolar cell types (flat midget and diffuse bipolar DB3), are predominantly associated with the alpha1 subunit. Two ON bipolar cell types, the DB6 and the rod bipolar cell, are predominantly associated with the alpha2 subunit. The glycinergic AII amacrine cell is presynaptic to the alpha1 subunit in the OFF-sublamina, and postsynaptic to the alpha2 subunit in the ON-sublamina. Another putative glycinergic cell, the vesicular glutamate transporter 3 cell, is predominantly presynaptic to the alpha2 subunit. The dopaminergic amacrine cell expresses the alpha3 subunit at a low density.

Long-term plasticity mediated by mGluR1 at a retinal reciprocal synapse

The flow of information across the retina is controlled by reciprocal synapses between bipolar cell terminals and amacrine cells. However, the synaptic delays and properties of plasticity at these synapses are not known. Here we report that glutamate release from goldfish Mb-type bipolar cell terminals can trigger fast (delay of 2-3 ms) and transient GABA(A) IPSCs and a much slower and more sustained GABA(C) feedback. Synaptically released glutamate activated mGluR1 receptors on amacrine cells and, depending on the strength of presynaptic activity, potentiated subsequent feedback. This poststimulus enhancement of GABAergic feedback lasted for up to 10 min. This form of mGluR1-mediated long-term synaptic plasticity may provide retinal reciprocal synapses with adaptive capabilities.

Nitroxidergic neurons in rat nucleus tractus solitarii express vesicular glutamate transporter 3

Earlier we reported that glutamate transporter (VGLUT) 2 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) are colocalized in some fibers and are present in apposing fibers in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). Those findings provided anatomical support for a hypothesized physiological link between glutamate and nitric oxide (NO.) in the NTS. Recently a third class of VGLUT, VGLUT3, was identified, but its distribution in NTS and its anatomical relationship with nNOS have not been shown. In this study we tested the hypothesis that neurons and fibers containing VGLUT3 lie in close proximity to those containing nNOS and that both proteins colocalize in some neurons and fibers in the NTS. We perfused rats and obtained brain stem sections and nodose ganglion sections for immunofluorescent staining analyzed by confocal microscopy. The NTS contained moderate VGLUT3-immunoreactivity (IR), with the intermediate, medial and interstitial subnuclei containing higher VGLUT3-IR than other subnuclei. Although all three forms of VGLUT were present in the NTS, VGLUT3-IR was not colocalized with either VGLUT1-IR or VGLUT2-IR in either processes or cells in the brain stem. Cells and processes containing both VGLUT3-IR and nNOS-IR were noted in all NTS subnuclei and in the nodose ganglion. Triple immunofluorescent staining revealed that cells double-labeled for nNOS-IR and VGLUT3-IR were all additionally labeled for neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), a neuronal marker. These findings support our hypothesis that neurons and fibers containing VGLUT3 lie in close proximity to those containing nNOS and that both proteins colocalize in some neurons and fibers in the NTS.

Colocalization of vesicular glutamate transporters in the rat superior olivary complex

Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) are responsible for the accumulation of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into synaptic vesicles. It is currently controversial whether the two isoforms found in glutamatergic neurons, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2, are present at the same synapse or have entirely complementary patterns of distribution. Using fluorescent immunohistochemistry, this study examines the colocalization of these two transporters in the rat superior olivary complex (SOC) between postnatal day (P) 5 and 29. The medial and lateral superior olives (MSO; LSO) stain for both VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 at all ages studied, with VGLUT1 levels doubling over this developmental period and VGLUT2 levels remaining unchanged. The ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (VNTB) strongly labels only for VGLUT2, despite the fact that glutamatergic synapses are present that are formed from collaterals of axons that go on to form synapses containing both VGLUT1 and VGLUT2. Principal neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) are surrounded by the calyx of Held presynaptic terminal, which is large enough to allow examination of VGLUT localization within a synapse. Throughout its postnatal developmental period a single calyx synapse contains both VGLUT1 and VGLUT2. Whereas VGLUT1 levels are greatly up-regulated from P5 to P29, VGLUT2 levels remain high. As the abundance of VGLUT determines the quantal size, this up-regulation will increase excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and have influences on synaptic physiology.

Developmental pattern of three vesicular glutamate transporters in the rat superior olivary complex

Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) mediate the packaging of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into synaptic vesicles. Three VGLUT subtypes have been identified so far, which are differentially expressed in the brain. Here, we have investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of the three VGLUTs in the rat superior olivary complex (SOC), a prominent processing center, which receives strong glutamatergic inputs and which lies within the auditory brainstem. Immunoreactivity (ir) against all three VGLUTs was found in the SOC nuclei throughout development (postnatal days P0-P60). It was predominantly seen in axon terminals, although cytoplasmic labeling also occurred. Each transporter displayed a characteristic expression pattern. In the adult SOC, VGLUT1 labeling varied from strong in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, lateral superior olive, and medial superior olive (MSO) to moderate (ventral and lateral nuclei of the trapezoid body) to faint (superior paraolivary nucleus). VGLUT2-ir was moderate to strong throughout the SOC, whereas VGLUT3 was only weakly expressed. These results extend previous reports on co-localization of VGLUTs in the auditory brainstem. As in the adult, specific features were seen during development for all three transporters. Intensity increases and decreases occurred with both VGLUT1 and VGLUT3, whereas VGLUT2-ir remained moderately high throughout development. A striking result was obtained with VGLUT3, which was only transiently expressed in the different SOC nuclei between P0 and P12. A transient occurrence of VGLUT1-immunoreactive terminals on somata of MSO neurons was another striking finding. Our results imply a considerable amount of synaptic reorganization in the glutamatergic inputs to the SOC and suggest differential roles of VGLUTs during maturation and in adulthood.