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Zhang R, Anguiano M, Aarrestad IK, Lin S, Chandra J, Vadde SS, Olson DE, Kim CK. Rapid, biochemical tagging of cellular activity history in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.06.556431. [PMID: 38798353 PMCID: PMC11118534 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.06.556431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) is ubiquitous to cell signaling across all biology. While existing fluorescent sensors and reporters can detect activated cells with elevated Ca2+ levels, these approaches require implants to deliver light to deep tissue, precluding their noninvasive use in freely-behaving animals. Here we engineered an enzyme-catalyzed approach that rapidly and biochemically tags cells with elevated Ca2+ in vivo. Ca2+-activated Split-TurboID (CaST) labels activated cells within 10 minutes with an exogenously-delivered biotin molecule. The enzymatic signal increases with Ca2+ concentration and biotin labeling time, demonstrating that CaST is a time-gated integrator of total Ca2+ activity. Furthermore, the CaST read-out can be performed immediately after activity labeling, in contrast to transcriptional reporters that require hours to produce signal. These capabilities allowed us to apply CaST to tag prefrontal cortex neurons activated by psilocybin, and to correlate the CaST signal with psilocybin-induced head-twitch responses in untethered mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Run Zhang
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Maribel Anguiano
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Isak K. Aarrestad
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Sophia Lin
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Joshua Chandra
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
| | - Sruti S. Vadde
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - David E. Olson
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817
| | - Christina K. Kim
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817
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Eom K, Jung J, Kim B, Hyun JH. Molecular tools for recording and intervention of neuronal activity. Mol Cells 2024; 47:100048. [PMID: 38521352 PMCID: PMC11021360 DOI: 10.1016/j.mocell.2024.100048] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Observing the activity of neural networks is critical for the identification of learning and memory processes, as well as abnormal activities of neural circuits in disease, particularly for the purpose of tracking disease progression. Methodologies for describing the activity history of neural networks using molecular biology techniques first utilized genes expressed by active neurons, followed by the application of recently developed techniques including optogenetics and incorporation of insights garnered from other disciplines, including chemistry and physics. In this review, we will discuss ways in which molecular biological techniques used to describe the activity of neural networks have evolved along with the potential for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kisang Eom
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhwan Jung
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungsoo Kim
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Hyun
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea; Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea.
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Sakurai K. Rethinking c-Fos for understanding drug action in the brain. J Biochem 2024; 175:377-381. [PMID: 38153290 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad110] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms of drug action in the brain, from the genetic to the neural circuit level, is crucial for the development of new agents that act upon the central nervous system. Determining the brain regions and neurons affected by a drug is essential for revealing its mechanism of action in the brain. c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, has been widely used to detect neurons activated by stimuli with high spatial resolution. In this review, the use of c-Fos for the visualization and manipulation of activated neurons is introduced. I also explain that a higher temporal resolution can be achieved by changing the staining method for visualization of c-Fos. Moreover, a new method that allows labeling and manipulating commonly activated neurons using two different stimuli is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuyasu Sakurai
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
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Fuentes-Ramos M, Alaiz-Noya M, Barco A. Transcriptome and epigenome analysis of engram cells: Next-generation sequencing technologies in memory research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:865-875. [PMID: 34097980 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcription and epigenetic changes are integral components of the neuronal response to stimulation and have been postulated to be drivers or substrates for enduring changes in animal behavior, including learning and memory. Memories are thought to be deposited in neuronal assemblies called engrams, i.e., groups of cells that undergo persistent physical or chemical changes during learning and are selectively reactivated to retrieve the memory. Despite the research progress made in recent years, the identity of specific epigenetic changes, if any, that occur in these cells and subsequently contribute to the persistence of memory traces remains unknown. The analysis of these changes is challenging due to the difficulty of exploring molecular alterations that only occur in a relatively small percentage of cells embedded in a complex tissue. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in this field and the promise of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and epigenome editing methods for overcoming these challenges and address long-standing questions concerning the role of epigenetic mechanisms in memory encoding, maintenance and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Fuentes-Ramos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Marta Alaiz-Noya
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Angel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
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Rao-Ruiz P, Visser E, Mitrić M, Smit AB, van den Oever MC. A Synaptic Framework for the Persistence of Memory Engrams. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:661476. [PMID: 33841124 PMCID: PMC8024575 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.661476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to store and retrieve learned information over prolonged periods of time is an essential and intriguing property of the brain. Insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie memory consolidation is of utmost importance for our understanding of memory persistence and how this is affected in memory disorders. Recent evidence indicates that a given memory is encoded by sparsely distributed neurons that become highly activated during learning, so-called engram cells. Research by us and others confirms the persistent nature of cortical engram cells by showing that these neurons are required for memory expression up to at least 1 month after they were activated during learning. Strengthened synaptic connectivity between engram cells is thought to ensure reactivation of the engram cell network during retrieval. However, given the continuous integration of new information into existing neuronal circuits and the relatively rapid turnover rate of synaptic proteins, it is unclear whether a lasting learning-induced increase in synaptic connectivity is mediated by stable synapses or by continuous dynamic turnover of synapses of the engram cell network. Here, we first discuss evidence for the persistence of engram cells and memory-relevant adaptations in synaptic plasticity, and then propose models of synaptic adaptations and molecular mechanisms that may support memory persistence through the maintenance of enhanced synaptic connectivity within an engram cell network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther Visser
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Miodrag Mitrić
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michel C van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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