1
|
Prince GS, Reynolds M, Martina V, Sun H. Gene-environmental regulation of the postnatal post-mitotic neuronal maturation. Trends Genet 2024; 40:480-494. [PMID: 38658255 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.03.006] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic neurodevelopment, particularly neural progenitor differentiation into post-mitotic neurons, has been extensively studied. While the number and composition of post-mitotic neurons remain relatively constant from birth to adulthood, the brain undergoes significant postnatal maturation marked by major property changes frequently disrupted in neural diseases. This review first summarizes recent characterizations of the functional and molecular maturation of the postnatal nervous system. We then review regulatory mechanisms controlling the precise gene expression changes crucial for the intricate sequence of maturation events, highlighting experience-dependent versus cell-intrinsic genetic timer mechanisms. Despite significant advances in understanding of the gene-environmental regulation of postnatal neuronal maturation, many aspects remain unknown. The review concludes with our perspective on exciting future research directions in the next decade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle S Prince
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Molly Reynolds
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Verdion Martina
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - HaoSheng Sun
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Freeman Hrabowski Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Premachandran H, Wilkin J, Arruda-Carvalho M. Minimizing Variability in Developmental Fear Studies in Mice: Toward Improved Replicability in the Field. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1040. [PMID: 38713136 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1040] [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] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
In rodents, the first weeks of postnatal life feature remarkable changes in fear memory acquisition, retention, extinction, and discrimination. Early development is also marked by profound changes in brain circuits underlying fear memory processing, with heightened sensitivity to environmental influences and stress, providing a powerful model to study the intersection between brain structure, function, and the impacts of stress. Nevertheless, difficulties related to breeding and housing young rodents, preweaning manipulations, and potential increased variability within that population pose considerable challenges to developmental fear research. Here we discuss several factors that may promote variability in studies examining fear conditioning in young rodents and provide recommendations to increase replicability. We focus primarily on experimental conditions, design, and analysis of rodent fear data, with an emphasis on mouse studies. The convergence of anatomical, synaptic, physiological, and behavioral changes during early life may increase variability, but careful practice and transparency in reporting may improve rigor and consensus in the field. © 2024 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanista Premachandran
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Jennifer Wilkin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Spanaki C, Sidiropoulou K, Petraki Z, Diskos K, Konstantoudaki X, Volitaki E, Mylonaki K, Savvaki M, Plaitakis A. Glutamate-specific gene linked to human brain evolution enhances synaptic plasticity and cognitive processes. iScience 2024; 27:108821. [PMID: 38333701 PMCID: PMC10850756 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The human brain is characterized by the upregulation of synaptic, mainly glutamatergic, transmission, but its evolutionary origin(s) remain elusive. Here we approached this fundamental question by studying mice transgenic (Tg) for GLUD2, a human gene involved in glutamate metabolism that emerged in the hominoid and evolved concomitantly with brain expansion. We demonstrate that Tg mice express the human enzyme in hippocampal astrocytes and CA1-CA3 pyramidal neurons. LTP, evoked by theta-burst stimulation, is markedly enhanced in the CA3-CA1 synapses of Tg mice, with patch-clamp recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons revealing increased sNMDA currents. LTP enhancement is blocked by D-lactate, implying that GLUD2 potentiates L-lactate-mediated astrocyte-neuron interaction. Dendritic spine density and synaptogenesis are increased in the hippocampus of Tg mice, which exhibit enhanced responses to sensory stimuli and improved performance on complex memory tasks. Hence, GLUD2 likely contributed to human brain evolution by enhancing synaptic plasticity and metabolic processes central to cognitive functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cleanthe Spanaki
- Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
- PaGNI University Hospital of Irakleio, Neurology Department, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Kyriaki Sidiropoulou
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (IMBB-FORTH), Iraklion, Greece
| | - Zoe Petraki
- Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Diskos
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (IMBB-FORTH), Iraklion, Greece
| | | | - Emmanouela Volitaki
- Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Konstantina Mylonaki
- Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Maria Savvaki
- Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Andreas Plaitakis
- Department of Neurology, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, Voutes, Iraklion, Crete, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pöpplau JA, Schwarze T, Dorofeikova M, Pochinok I, Günther A, Marquardt A, Hanganu-Opatz IL. Reorganization of adolescent prefrontal cortex circuitry is required for mouse cognitive maturation. Neuron 2024; 112:421-440.e7. [PMID: 37979584 PMCID: PMC10855252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.024] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Most cognitive functions involving the prefrontal cortex emerge during late development. Increasing evidence links this delayed maturation to the protracted timeline of prefrontal development, which likely does not reach full maturity before the end of adolescence. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive the emergence and fine-tuning of cognitive abilities during adolescence, caused by circuit wiring, are still unknown. Here, we continuously monitored prefrontal activity throughout the postnatal development of mice and showed that an initial activity increase was interrupted by an extensive microglia-mediated breakdown of activity, followed by the rewiring of circuit elements to achieve adult-like patterns and synchrony. Interfering with these processes during adolescence, but not adulthood, led to a long-lasting microglia-induced disruption of prefrontal activity and neuronal morphology and decreased cognitive abilities. These results identified a nonlinear reorganization of prefrontal circuits during adolescence and revealed its importance for adult network function and cognitive processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jastyn A Pöpplau
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Timo Schwarze
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mariia Dorofeikova
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Irina Pochinok
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne Günther
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Annette Marquardt
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience (HCNS), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Babij R, Ferrer C, Donatelle A, Wacks S, Buch AM, Niemeyer JE, Ma H, Duan ZRS, Fetcho RN, Che A, Otsuka T, Schwartz TH, Huang BS, Liston C, De Marco García NV. Gabrb3 is required for the functional integration of pyramidal neuron subtypes in the somatosensory cortex. Neuron 2023; 111:256-274.e10. [PMID: 36446382 PMCID: PMC9852093 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Dysfunction of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic circuits is strongly associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, it is unclear how genetic predispositions impact circuit assembly. Using in vivo two-photon and widefield calcium imaging in developing mice, we show that Gabrb3, a gene strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Angelman syndrome (AS), is enriched in contralaterally projecting pyramidal neurons and is required for inhibitory function. We report that Gabrb3 ablation leads to a developmental decrease in GABAergic synapses, increased local network synchrony, and long-lasting enhancement in functional connectivity of contralateral-but not ipsilateral-pyramidal neuron subtypes. In addition, Gabrb3 deletion leads to increased cortical response to tactile stimulation at neonatal stages. Using human transcriptomics and neuroimaging datasets from ASD subjects, we show that the spatial distribution of GABRB3 expression correlates with atypical connectivity in these subjects. Our studies reveal a requirement for Gabrb3 during the emergence of interhemispheric circuits for sensory processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Babij
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Camilo Ferrer
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alexander Donatelle
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Sam Wacks
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Amanda M Buch
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - James E Niemeyer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New-York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Hongtao Ma
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New-York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Zhe Ran S Duan
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Robert N Fetcho
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alicia Che
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Current affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Takumi Otsuka
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Theodore H Schwartz
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New-York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Ben S Huang
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Natalia V De Marco García
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Lead Contact,Correspondence to
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chini M, Pfeffer T, Hanganu-Opatz I. An increase of inhibition drives the developmental decorrelation of neural activity. eLife 2022; 11:78811. [PMID: 35975980 PMCID: PMC9448324 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout development, the brain transits from early highly synchronous activity patterns to a mature state with sparse and decorrelated neural activity, yet the mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood. The developmental transition has important functional consequences, as the latter state is thought to allow for more efficient storage, retrieval, and processing of information. Here, we show that, in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), neural activity during the first two postnatal weeks decorrelates following specific spatial patterns. This process is accompanied by a concomitant tilting of excitation-inhibition (E-I) ratio toward inhibition. Using optogenetic manipulations and neural network modeling, we show that the two phenomena are mechanistically linked, and that a relative increase of inhibition drives the decorrelation of neural activity. Accordingly, in mice mimicking the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, subtle alterations in E-I ratio are associated with specific impairments in the correlational structure of spike trains. Finally, capitalizing on EEG data from newborn babies, we show that an analogous developmental transition takes place also in the human brain. Thus, changes in E-I ratio control the (de)correlation of neural activity and, by these means, its developmental imbalance might contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Chini
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Pfeffer
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ileana Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|