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Jeong M, Jang JH, Oh SJ, Park J, Lee J, Hwang S, Oh YS. Maladaptation of dentate gyrus mossy cells mediates contextual discrimination deficit after traumatic stress. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114000. [PMID: 38527063 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Fear overgeneralization is a maladaptive response to traumatic stress that is associated with the inability to discriminate between threat and safety contexts, a hallmark feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the neural mechanisms underlying this deficit remain unclear. Here, we show that traumatic stress exposure impairs contextual discrimination between threat and safety contexts in the learned helplessness (LH) model. Mossy cells (MCs) in the dorsal hippocampus are suppressed in response to traumatic stress. Bidirectional manipulation of MC activity in the LH model reveals that MC inhibition is causally linked to impaired contextual discrimination. Mechanistically, MC inhibition increases the number of active granule cells in a given context, significantly overlapping context-specific ensembles. Our study demonstrates that maladaptive inhibition of MCs after traumatic stress is a substantial mechanism underlying fear overgeneralization with contextual discrimination deficit, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for cognitive symptoms of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minseok Jeong
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Hyeok Jang
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo-Jin Oh
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongrak Park
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Junseop Lee
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Sehyeon Hwang
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Seok Oh
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea; Emotion, Cognition & Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, 61 Cheomdan-ro, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Criscuolo C, Chartampila E, Ginsberg SD, Scharfman HE. Dentate Gyrus Granule Cells Show Stability of BDNF Protein Expression in Mossy Fiber Axons with Age, and Resistance to Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology in a Mouse Model. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0192-23.2023. [PMID: 38164567 PMCID: PMC10913042 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0192-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is important in the development and maintenance of neurons and their plasticity. Hippocampal BDNF has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) because hippocampal levels in AD patients and AD animal models are often downregulated, suggesting that reduced BDNF contributes to AD. However, the location where hippocampal BDNF protein is most highly expressed, the mossy fiber (MF) axons of dentate gyrus granule cells (GCs), has been understudied, and not in controlled conditions. Therefore, we evaluated MF BDNF protein in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD. Tg2576 and wild-type (WT) mice of both sexes were examined at 2-3 months of age, when amyloid-β (Aβ) is present in neurons but plaques are absent, and 11-20 months of age, after plaque accumulation. As shown previously, WT mice exhibited high levels of MF BDNF protein. Interestingly, there was no significant decline with age in either the genotype or sex. Notably, MF BDNF protein was correlated with GC ΔFosB, a transcription factor that increases after 1-2 weeks of elevated neuronal activity. We also report the novel finding that Aβ in GCs or the GC layer was minimal even at old ages. The results indicate that MF BDNF is stable in the Tg2576 mouse, and MF BDNF may remain unchanged due to increased GC neuronal activity, since BDNF expression is well known to be activity dependent. The resistance of GCs to long-term Aβ accumulation provides an opportunity to understand how to protect vulnerable neurons from increased Aβ levels and therefore has translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Criscuolo
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Elissavet Chartampila
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Psychiatry, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, NewYork University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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3
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Li H, Guo A, Salgado M, Sáez JC, Lau CG. The connexin hemichannel inhibitor D4 produces rapid antidepressant-like effects in mice. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:191. [PMID: 37599352 PMCID: PMC10440914 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02873-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common mood disorder characterized by a range of clinical symptoms, including prolonged low mood and diminished interest. Although many clinical and animal studies have provided significant insights into the pathophysiology of depression, current treatment strategies are not sufficient to manage this disorder. It has been suggested that connexin (Cx)-based hemichannels are candidates for depression intervention by modifying the state of neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effect of a recently discovered selective Cx hemichannel inhibitor, a small organic molecule called D4. We first showed that D4 reduced hemichannel activity following systemic inflammation after LPS injections. Next, we found that D4 treatment prevented LPS-induced inflammatory response and depressive-like behaviors. These behavioral effects were accompanied by reduced astrocytic activation and hemichannel activity in depressive-like mice induced by repeated low-dose LPS challenges. D4 treatment also reverses depressive-like symptoms in mice subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS). To test whether D4 broadly affected neural activity, we measured c-Fos expression in depression-related brain regions and found a reduction in c-Fos+ cells in different brain regions. D4 significantly normalized CRS-induced hypoactivation in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and lateral septum. Together, these results indicate that blocking Cx hemichannels using D4 can normalize neuronal activity and reduce depressive-like symptoms in mice by reducing neuroinflammation. Our work provides evidence of the antidepressant-like effect of D4 and supports glial Cx hemichannels as potential therapeutic targets for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Li
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Anni Guo
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Magdiel Salgado
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2381850, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Juan C Sáez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Universidad de Valparaíso, 2381850, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Chunyue Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
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4
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Jain S, LaFrancois JJ, Gerencer K, Botterill JJ, Kennedy M, Criscuolo C, Scharfman HE. Increasing adult neurogenesis protects mice from epilepsy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.08.548217. [PMID: 37502909 PMCID: PMC10369878 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.08.548217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Neurogenesis occurs in the adult brain in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, an area that contains neurons which are vulnerable to insults and injury, such as severe seizures. Previous studies showed that increasing adult neurogenesis reduced neuronal damage after these seizures. Because the damage typically is followed by chronic lifelong seizures (epilepsy), we asked if increasing adult neurogenesis would prevent epilepsy. Adult neurogenesis was selectively increased by deleting the pro-apoptotic gene Bax from Nestin-expressing progenitors. Tamoxifen was administered at 6 weeks of age to conditionally delete Bax in Nestin-CreERT2Baxfl/fl mice. Six weeks after tamoxifen administration, severe seizures (status epilepticus; SE) were induced by injection of the convulsant pilocarpine. Mice with increased adult neurogenesis exhibited fewer chronic seizures. Postictal depression was reduced also. These results were primarily female mice, possibly because they were the more affected by Bax deletion than males, consistent with sex differences in Bax in development. The female mice with enhanced adult neurogenesis also showed less neuronal loss of hilar mossy cells and hilar somatostatin-expressing neurons than wild type females or males, which is notable because these two cell types are implicated in epileptogenesis. The results suggest that increasing adult neurogenesis in the normal adult brain can reduce experimental epilepsy, and the effect shows a striking sex difference. The results are surprising in light of past studies showing that suppressing adult-born neurons can also reduce chronic seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Jain
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
| | - John J. LaFrancois
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
| | - Kasey Gerencer
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Department of Psychology, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469
| | - Justin J. Botterill
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, & Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5
| | - Meghan Kennedy
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
| | - Chiara Criscuolo
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Helen E. Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Departments of Neuroscience & Physiology, Psychiatry, and the New York University, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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5
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Criscuolo C, Chartampila E, Ginsberg SD, Scharfman HE. Stability of dentate gyrus granule cell mossy fiber BDNF protein expression with age and resistance of granule cells to Alzheimer's disease neuropathology in a mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.07.539742. [PMID: 37214931 PMCID: PMC10197599 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.07.539742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is important in development and maintenance of neurons and their plasticity. Hippocampal BDNF has been implicated Alzheimer's disease (AD) because hippocampal levels in AD patients and AD animal models are consistently downregulated, suggesting that reduced BDNF contributes to AD. However, the location where hippocampal BDNF protein is most highly expressed, the mossy fiber (MF) axons of dentate gyrus (DG) granule cells (GCs), has been understudied, and never in controlled in vivo conditions. We examined MF BDNF protein in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD. Tg2576 and wild type (WT) mice of both sexes were examined at 2-3 months of age, when amyloid-β (Aβ) is present in neurons but plaques are absent, and 11-20 months of age, after plaque accumulation. As shown previously, WT mice exhibited high levels of MF BDNF protein. Interestingly, there was no significant decline with age in either genotype or sex. Notably, we found a correlation between MF BDNF protein and GC ΔFosB, a transcription factor that increases after 1-2 weeks of elevated neuronal activity. Remarkably, there was relatively little evidence of Aβ in GCs or the GC layer even at old ages. Results indicate MF BDNF is stable in the Tg2576 mouse, and MF BDNF may remain unchanged due to increased GC neuronal activity, since BDNF expression is well known to be activity-dependent. The resistance of GCs to long-term Aβ accumulation provides an opportunity to understand how to protect other vulnerable neurons from increased Aβ levels and therefore has translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Criscuolo
- Center for Dementia Research, the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Elissavet Chartampila
- Center for Dementia Research, the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
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6
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Steiner A, Owen BM, Bauer JP, Seanez L, Kwon S, Biddinger JE, Huffman R, Ayala JE, Nobis WP, Lewis AS. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor differentially controls mossy cell activity across the dentate gyrus longitudinal axis. Hippocampus 2022; 32:797-807. [PMID: 36063105 PMCID: PMC9675713 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of dentate gyrus (DG) mossy cells (MCs) in learning and memory has rapidly evolved due to increasingly precise methods for targeting MCs and for in vivo recording and activity manipulation in rodents. These studies have shown MCs are highly active in vivo, strongly remap to contextual manipulation, and that their inhibition or hyperactivation impairs pattern separation and location or context discrimination. Less well understood is how MC activity is modulated by neurohormonal mechanisms, which might differentially control the participation of MCs in cognitive functions during discrete states, such as hunger or satiety. In this study, we demonstrate that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a neuropeptide produced in the gut and the brain that regulates food consumption and hippocampal-dependent mnemonic function, might regulate MC function through expression of its receptor, GLP-1R. RNA-seq demonstrated that most, though not all, Glp1r in hippocampal principal neurons is expressed in MCs, and in situ hybridization revealed strong expression of Glp1r in hilar neurons. Glp1r-ires-Cre mice crossed with Ai14D reporter mice followed by co-labeling for the MC marker GluR2/3 revealed that almost all MCs in the ventral DG expressed Glp1r and that almost all Glp1r-expressing hilar neurons were MCs. However, only ~60% of dorsal DG MCs expressed Glp1r, and Glp1r was also expressed in small hilar neurons that were not MCs. Consistent with this expression pattern, peripheral administration of the GLP-1R agonist exendin-4 (5 μg/kg) increased cFos expression in ventral but not dorsal DG hilar neurons. Finally, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from ventral MCs showed that bath application of exendin-4 (200 nM) depolarized MCs and increased action potential firing. Taken together, this study adds to known MC activity modulators a neurohormonal mechanism that may preferentially affect ventral DG physiology and may potentially be targetable by several GLP-1R pharmacotherapies already in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Benjamin M. Owen
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James P. Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Leann Seanez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sam Kwon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jessica E. Biddinger
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ragan Huffman
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Julio E. Ayala
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - William P. Nobis
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alan S. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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7
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Social Fear Affects Limbic System Neuronal Activity and Gene Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158228. [PMID: 35897794 PMCID: PMC9367789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent and comorbid anxiety disorder with rather unclear underlying mechanisms. Here, we aimed to characterize neurobiological changes occurring in mice expressing symptoms of social fear and to identify possible therapeutic targets for SAD. Social fear was induced via social fear conditioning (SFC), a validated animal model of SAD. We assessed the expression levels of the immediate early genes (IEGs) cFos, Fosl2 and Arc as markers of neuronal activity and the expression levels of several genes of the GABAergic, serotoninergic, oxytocinergic, vasopressinergic and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-ergic systems in brain regions involved in social behavior or fear-related behavior in SFC+ and SFC− mice 2 h after exposure to a conspecific. SFC+ mice showed a decreased number and density of cFos-positive cells and decreased expression levels of IEGs in the dorsal hippocampus. SFC+ mice also showed alterations in the expression of NPY and serotonin system-related genes in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, basolateral amygdala, septum and dorsal raphe nucleus, but not in the dorsal hippocampus. Our results describe neuronal alterations occurring during the expression of social fear and identify the NPY and serotonergic systems as possible targets in the treatment of SAD.
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8
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Leal Santos S, Chen BK, Pereira GR, Pham V, Denny CA. Propranolol Administration Modulates Neural Activity in the Hippocampal Hilus During Fear Retrieval. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:919831. [PMID: 35874651 PMCID: PMC9301278 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.919831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered fear learning is a strong behavioral component of anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent efforts have attempted to combine exposure therapies with drugs that target fear memory retrieval and memory reconsolidation, in order to improve treatment efficacy. The noradrenergic (NA) signaling system is of particular interest, due to its role in regulating the stress response and its involvement in fear and learning processes. Importantly, propranolol (P), a non-selective β-adrenergic antagonist, has shown the potential in decreasing exaggerated fear in both humans and animal models. In a previous study, we utilized an activity-dependent tagging murine model to determine the neural mechanisms by which propranolol attenuates learned fear. We found that propranolol acutely decreased memory trace reactivation specifically in the dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG), but not in CA3 or CA1. Here, we extended our previous study by investigating whether propranolol additionally altered activity in the hilus, a polymorphic layer that consists of neurons, mossy cells, and GABAergic interneurons. We found that propranolol acutely reduced overall hilar activity in both the dorsal and ventral hilus. Moreover, we report that propranolol significantly altered the activity of parvalbumin (PV)+ cells in the ventral (vDG), but not dorsal DG (dDG). Together, these results suggest that a β-adrenergic blockade may affect the activity of excitatory and inhibitory cell types in the hilar layer of the DG, and that these alterations may contribute to manipulating fear memory traces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Leal Santos
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e da Saúde (ICVS)/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Briana K. Chen
- Neurobiology and Behavior (NB&B) Graduate Program, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Guilherme R. Pereira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências da Vida e da Saúde (ICVS)/3Bs - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Vananh Pham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States
| | - Christine A. Denny
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH)/New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Christine A. Denny,
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9
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Matsuyama S, Tanaka Y, Hasebe R, Hojyo S, Murakami M. Gateway Reflex and Mechanotransduction. Front Immunol 2022; 12:780451. [PMID: 35003096 PMCID: PMC8728022 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.780451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The gateway reflex explains how autoreactive CD4+ T cells cause inflammation in tissues that have blood-barriers, such as the central nervous system and retina. It depends on neural activations in response to specific external stimuli, such as gravity, pain, stress, and light, which lead to the secretion of noradrenaline at specific vessels in the tissues. Noradrenaline activates NFkB at these vessels, followed by an increase of chemokine expression as well as a reduction of tight junction molecules to accumulate autoreactive CD4+ T cells, which breach blood-barriers. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) molecules on sensory neurons are critical for the gateway reflex, indicating the importance of mechano-sensing. In this review, we overview the gateway reflex with a special interest in mechanosensory transduction (mechanotransduction).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiina Matsuyama
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yuki Tanaka
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Group of Quantum Immunology, Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), Chiba, Japan
| | - Rie Hasebe
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shintaro Hojyo
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Group of Quantum Immunology, Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), Chiba, Japan
| | - Masaaki Murakami
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Group of Quantum Immunology, Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), Chiba, Japan.,Division of Neurommunology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
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10
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Wang KY, Wu JW, Cheng JK, Chen CC, Wong WY, Averkin RG, Tamás G, Nakazawa K, Lien CC. Elevation of hilar mossy cell activity suppresses hippocampal excitability and avoidance behavior. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109702. [PMID: 34525354 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Modulation of hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) excitability regulates anxiety. In the DG, glutamatergic mossy cells (MCs) receive the excitatory drive from principal granule cells (GCs) and mediate the feedback excitation and inhibition of GCs. However, the circuit mechanism by which MCs regulate anxiety-related information routing through hippocampal circuits remains unclear. Moreover, the correlation between MC activity and anxiety states is unclear. In this study, we first demonstrate, by means of calcium fiber photometry, that MC activity in the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) of mice increases while they explore anxiogenic environments. Next, juxtacellular recordings reveal that optogenetic activation of MCs preferentially recruits GABAergic neurons, thereby suppressing GCs and ventral CA1 neurons. Finally, chemogenetic excitation of MCs in the vHPC reduces avoidance behaviors in both healthy and anxious mice. These results not only indicate an anxiolytic role of MCs but also suggest that MCs may be a potential therapeutic target for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Yi Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Jei-Wei Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Kun Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei 252, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 104, Taiwan
| | | | - Wai-Yi Wong
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Robert G Averkin
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Gábor Tamás
- ELKH-SZTE Research Group for Cortical Microcircuits, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, Szeged 6726, Hungary
| | - Kazu Nakazawa
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Cheng-Chang Lien
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
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Modeling intrahippocampal effects of anterior hippocampal hyperactivity relevant to schizophrenia using chemogenetic excitation of long axis-projecting mossy cells in the mouse dentate gyrus. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 1:101-111. [PMID: 34414387 PMCID: PMC8372626 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The anterior hippocampus of individuals with early psychosis or schizophrenia is hyperactive, as is the ventral hippocampus in many rodent models for schizophrenia risk. Mossy cells (MCs) of the ventral dentate gyrus (DG) densely project in the hippocampal long axis, targeting both dorsal DG granule cells and inhibitory interneurons. MCs are responsive to stimulation throughout hippocampal subfields and thus may be suited to detect hyperactivity in areas where it originates such as CA1. Here, we tested the hypothesis that hyperactivation of ventral MCs activates dorsal DG granule cells to influence dorsal hippocampal function. Methods In CD-1 mice, we targeted dorsal DG-projecting ventral MCs using an adeno-associated virus intersectional strategy. In vivo fiber photometry recording of ventral MCs was performed during exploratory behaviors. We used excitatory chemogenetic constructs to test the effects of ventral MC hyperactivation on long-term spatial memory during an object location memory task. Results Photometry revealed that ventral MCs were activated during exploratory rearing. Ventral MCs made functional monosynaptic inputs to dorsal DG granule cells, and chemogenetic activation of ventral MCs modestly increased activity of dorsal DG granule cells measured by c-Fos. Finally, chemogenetic activation of ventral MCs during the training phase of an object location memory task impaired test performance 24 hours later, without effects on locomotion or object exploration. Conclusions These data suggest that ventral MC activation can directly excite dorsal granule cells and interfere with dorsal DG function, supporting future study of their in vivo activity in animal models for schizophrenia featuring ventral hyperactivity.
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Uchida M, Yamamoto R, Matsuyama S, Murakami K, Hasebe R, Hojyo S, Tanaka Y, Murakami M. Gateway reflexes, neuronal circuits that regulate the gateways for autoreactive T cells in organs that have blood barriers. Int Immunol 2021; 34:59-65. [PMID: 33978730 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gateway reflexes are neural circuits that maintain homeostasis of the immune system. They form gateways for autoreactive T cells to infiltrate the central nervous system in a noradrenaline-dependent manner despite the blood-brain barrier. This mechanism is critical not only for maintaining organ homeostasis but also for inflammatory disease development. Gateway reflexes can be regulated by environmental or artificial stimuli including electrical stimulation, suggesting that the infiltration of immune cells can be controlled by bioelectronic medicine. In this review, we describe the discovery of gateway reflexes and their future directions with special focus on bioelectronic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Uchida
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Reiji Yamamoto
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Shiina Matsuyama
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Kaoru Murakami
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Rie Hasebe
- Infectious Cancer, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Shintaro Hojyo
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Yuki Tanaka
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
| | - Masaaki Murakami
- Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University
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Houser CR, Peng Z, Wei X, Huang CS, Mody I. Mossy Cells in the Dorsal and Ventral Dentate Gyrus Differ in Their Patterns of Axonal Projections. J Neurosci 2021; 41:991-1004. [PMID: 33268544 PMCID: PMC7880284 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2455-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mossy cells (MCs) of the dentate gyrus (DG) are a major group of excitatory hilar neurons that are important for regulating activity of dentate granule cells. MCs are particularly intriguing because of their extensive longitudinal connections within the DG. It has generally been assumed that MCs in the dorsal and ventral DG have similar patterns of termination in the inner one-third of the dentate molecular layer. Here, we demonstrate that axonal projections of MCs in these two regions are considerably different. MCs in dorsal and ventral regions were labeled selectively with Cre-dependent eYFP or mCherry, using two transgenic mouse lines (including both sexes) that express Cre-recombinase in MCs. At four to six weeks following unilateral labeling of MCs in the ventral DG, a dense band of fibers was present in the inner one-fourth of the molecular layer and extended bilaterally throughout the rostral-caudal extent of the DG, replicating the expected distribution of MC axons. In contrast, following labeling of MCs in the dorsal DG, the projections were more diffusely distributed. At the level of transfection, fibers were present in the inner molecular layer, but they progressively expanded into the middle molecular layer and, most ventrally, formed a distinct band in this region. Optical stimulation of these caudal fibers expressing ChR2 demonstrated robust EPSCs in ipsilateral granule cells and enhanced the effects of perforant path stimulation in the ventral DG. These findings suggest that MCs in the dorsal and ventral DG differ in the distribution of their axonal projections and possibly their function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mossy cells (MCs), a major cell type in the hilus of the dentate gyrus (DG), are unique in providing extensive longitudinal and commissural projections throughout the DG. Although it has been assumed that all MCs have similar patterns of termination in the inner molecular layer of the DG, we discovered that the axonal projections of dorsal and ventral MCs differ. While ventral MC projections exhibit the classical pattern, with dense innervation in the inner molecular layer, dorsal MCs have a more diffuse distribution and expand into the middle molecular layer where they overlap and interact with innervation from the perforant path. These distinct locations and patterns of axonal projections suggest that dorsal and ventral MCs may have different functional roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn R Houser
- Department of Neurobiology
- Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | | | | | | | - Istvan Mody
- Department of Neurology
- Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
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14
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Bidirectional Regulation of Cognitive and Anxiety-like Behaviors by Dentate Gyrus Mossy Cells in Male and Female Mice. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2475-2495. [PMID: 33472828 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1724-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is important for cognition and behavior. However, the circuits underlying these functions are unclear. DG mossy cells (MCs) are potentially important because of their excitatory synapses on the primary cell type, granule cells (GCs). However, MCs also activate GABAergic neurons, which inhibit GCs. We used viral delivery of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) in mice to implement a gain- and loss-of-function study of MCs in diverse behaviors. Using this approach, manipulations of MCs could bidirectionally regulate behavior. The results suggest that inhibiting MCs can reduce anxiety-like behavior and improve cognitive performance. However, not all cognitive or anxiety-related behaviors were influenced, suggesting specific roles of MCs in some, but not all, types of cognition and anxiety. Notably, several behaviors showed sex-specific effects, with females often showing more pronounced effects than the males. We also used the immediate early gene c-Fos to address whether DREADDs bidirectionally regulated MC or GC activity. We confirmed excitatory DREADDs increased MC c-Fos. However, there was no change in GC c-Fos, consistent with MC activation leading to GABAergic inhibition of GCs. In contrast, inhibitory DREADDs led to a large increase in GC c-Fos, consistent with a reduction in MC excitation of GABAergic neurons, and reduced inhibition of GCs. Together, these results suggest that MCs regulate anxiety and cognition in specific ways. We also raise the possibility that cognitive performance may be improved by reducing anxiety.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The dentate gyrus (DG) has many important cognitive roles as well as being associated with affective behavior. This study addressed how a glutamatergic DG cell type called mossy cells (MCs) contributes to diverse behaviors, which is timely because it is known that MCs regulate the activity of the primary DG cell type, granule cells (GCs), but how MC activity influences behavior is unclear. We show, surprisingly, that activating MCs can lead to adverse behavioral outcomes, and inhibiting MCs have an opposite effect. Importantly, the results appeared to be task-dependent and showed that testing both sexes was important. Additional experiments indicated what MC and GC circuitry was involved. Together, the results suggest how MCs influence behaviors that involve the DG.
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Jiao-Tai-Wan Ameliorates Depressive-Like Behavior through the A 1R Pathway in Ovariectomized Mice after Unpredictable Chronic Stress. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:1507561. [PMID: 33015153 PMCID: PMC7519999 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1507561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective This study was aimed at observing the effect Jiao-Tai-Wan in menopausal depression. Methods In this paper, we used ovariectomized mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress as a menopausal depression model. After the chronic stress, mice were administrated with JTW (3.3 and 6.6mg/kg) and imipramine (10 mg/kg) for 14 days. On the 14th day, mice were subjected to the behavior test like the forced swim test, tail suspension test, and locomotor activity or were sacrificed to assess the protein changes in different brain regions. Results The administration of JTW at doses of 3.3 and 6.6mg/kg (p.o.) significantly shortened the duration of immobility in forced swim and tail suspension tests. There was no obvious difference in locomotor activity among all the groups. The western blot analysis data indicated that treatment with JTW (3.3 and 6.6 mg/kg, p.o.) prominently increased the A1R protein and the downstream protein ERK1/2 levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. However, the administration of JTW did not influence c-Fos protein in either the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus. Conclusion Our findings suggest that JTW plays a vital role in ameliorating menopausal depression symptoms in the A1R-ERK1/2 pathway in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
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Oh SJ, Cheng J, Jang JH, Arace J, Jeong M, Shin CH, Park J, Jin J, Greengard P, Oh YS. Hippocampal mossy cell involvement in behavioral and neurogenic responses to chronic antidepressant treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1215-1228. [PMID: 30837688 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0384-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Most antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), initiate their drug actions by rapid elevation of serotonin, but they take several weeks to achieve therapeutic onset. This therapeutic delay suggests slow adaptive changes in multiple neuronal subtypes and their neural circuits over prolonged periods of drug treatment. Mossy cells are excitatory neurons in the dentate hilus that regulate dentate gyrus activity and function. Here we show that neuronal activity of hippocampal mossy cells is enhanced by chronic, but not acute, SSRI administration. Behavioral and neurogenic effects of chronic treatment with the SSRI, fluoxetine, are abolished by mossy cell-specific knockout of p11 or Smarca3 or by an inhibition of the p11/AnxA2/SMARCA3 heterohexamer, an SSRI-inducible protein complex. Furthermore, simple chemogenetic activation of mossy cells using Gq-DREADD is sufficient to elevate the proliferation and survival of the neural stem cells. Conversely, acute chemogenetic inhibition of mossy cells using Gi-DREADD impairs behavioral and neurogenic responses to chronic administration of SSRI. The present data establish that mossy cells play a crucial role in mediating the effects of chronic antidepressant medication. Our results indicate that compounds that target mossy cell activity would be attractive candidates for the development of new antidepressant medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo-Jin Oh
- Department of Brain-Cognitive Science, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Hyenpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jia Cheng
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jin-Hyeok Jang
- Department of Brain-Cognitive Science, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Hyenpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeffrey Arace
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Minseok Jeong
- Department of Brain-Cognitive Science, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Hyenpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Hoon Shin
- Department of Brain-Cognitive Science, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Hyenpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongrak Park
- Department of Brain-Cognitive Science, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Hyenpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghee Jin
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Paul Greengard
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yong-Seok Oh
- Department of Brain-Cognitive Science, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Hyenpung-myeon, Dalseong-gun, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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Umschweif G, Greengard P, Sagi Y. The dentate gyrus in depression. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 53:39-64. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gali Umschweif
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Rockefeller University New York NY USA
| | - Paul Greengard
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Rockefeller University New York NY USA
| | - Yotam Sagi
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Rockefeller University New York NY USA
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Bernstein HL, Lu YL, Botterill JJ, Scharfman HE. Novelty and Novel Objects Increase c-Fos Immunoreactivity in Mossy Cells in the Mouse Dentate Gyrus. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:1815371. [PMID: 31534449 PMCID: PMC6732597 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1815371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG) and its primary cell type, the granule cell (GC), are thought to be critical to many cognitive functions. A major neuronal subtype of the DG is the hilar mossy cell (MC). MCs have been considered to play an important role in cognition, but in vivo studies to understand the activity of MCs during cognitive tasks are challenging because the experiments usually involve trauma to the overlying hippocampus or DG, which kills hilar neurons. In addition, restraint typically occurs, and MC activity is reduced by brief restraint stress. Social isolation often occurs and is potentially confounding. Therefore, we used c-fos protein expression to understand when MCs are active in vivo in socially housed adult C57BL/6 mice in their home cage. We focused on c-fos protein expression after animals explored novel objects, based on previous work which showed that MCs express c-fos protein readily in response to a novel housing location. Also, MCs are required for the training component of the novel object location task and novelty-encoding during a food-related task. GluR2/3 was used as a marker of MCs. The results showed that MC c-fos protein is greatly increased after exposure to novel objects, especially in ventral DG. We also found that novel objects produced higher c-fos levels than familiar objects. Interestingly, a small subset of neurons that did not express GluR2/3 also increased c-fos protein after novel object exposure. In contrast, GCs appeared relatively insensitive. The results support a growing appreciation of the role of the DG in novelty detection and novel object recognition, where hilar neurons and especially MCs are very sensitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L. Bernstein
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Psychiatry, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, 100 First Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yi-Ling Lu
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Psychiatry, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, 100 First Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Justin J. Botterill
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Psychiatry, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, 100 First Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Helen E. Scharfman
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center for Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Rd., Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Psychiatry, and the Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, 100 First Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA
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Scharfman HE. Advances in understanding hilar mossy cells of the dentate gyrus. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 373:643-652. [PMID: 29222692 PMCID: PMC5993616 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2750-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Hilar mossy cells (MCs) of the dentate gyrus (DG) distinguish the DG from other hippocampal subfields (CA1-3) because there are two glutamatergic cell types in the DG rather than one. Thus, in the DG, the main cell types include glutamatergic granule cells (GCs) and MCs, whereas in CA1-3, the only glutamatergic cell type is the pyramidal cell. In contrast to GCs, MCs are different in morphology, intrinsic electrophysiological properties, afferent input and axonal projections, so their function is likely to be very different from GCs. Why are MCs necessary to the DG? In past studies, the answer has been unclear because MCs not only excite GCs directly but also inhibit them disynaptically, by exciting GABAergic neurons that project to GCs. Results of new studies are discussed that shed light on this issue. These studies take advantage of recently available transgenic mice with Cre recombinase expression mostly in MCs and techniques such as optogenetics and DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs). The recent studies also address in vivo behavioral functions of MCs. Some of the results support past hypotheses whereas others suggest new conceptualizations of how the MCs contribute to DG circuitry and function. While substantial progess has been made, additional research is still needed to clarify the characteristics and functions of these unique cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen E Scharfman
- Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Physiology, Psychiatry, and the New York University Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, One Park Avenue, 7th floor, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Building 39, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA.
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