Simulation of postsynaptic glutamate receptors reveals critical features of glutamatergic transmission

A burst-dependent thalamocortical substrate for perceptual awareness

Contemporary models of perceptual awareness lack tractable neurobiological constraints. Inspired by recent cellular recordings in a mouse model of tactile threshold detection, we constructed a biophysical model of perceptual awareness that incorporated essential features of thalamocortical anatomy and cellular physiology. Our model reproduced, and mechanistically explains, the key in vivo neural and behavioural signatures of perceptual awareness in the mouse model, as well as the response to a set of causal perturbations. We generalised the same model (with identical parameters) to a more complex task - visual rivalry - and found that the same thalamic-mediated mechanism of perceptual awareness determined perceptual dominance. This led to the generation of a set of novel, and directly testable, electrophysiological predictions. Analyses of the model based on dynamical systems theory show that perceptual awareness in simulations of both threshold detection and visual rivalry arises from the emergent systems-level dynamics of thalamocortical loops.

mGluR5 is transiently confined in perisynaptic nanodomains to shape synaptic function

The unique perisynaptic distribution of postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) at excitatory synapses is predicted to directly shape synaptic function, but mechanistic insight into how this distribution is regulated and impacts synaptic signaling is lacking. We used live-cell and super-resolution imaging approaches, and developed molecular tools to resolve and acutely manipulate the dynamic nanoscale distribution of mGluR5. Here we show that mGluR5 is dynamically organized in perisynaptic nanodomains that localize close to, but not in the synapse. The C-terminal domain of mGluR5 critically controlled perisynaptic confinement and prevented synaptic entry. We developed an inducible interaction system to overcome synaptic exclusion of mGluR5 and investigate the impact on synaptic function. We found that mGluR5 recruitment to the synapse acutely increased synaptic calcium responses. Altogether, we propose that transient confinement of mGluR5 in perisynaptic nanodomains allows flexible modulation of synaptic function.

Reflex memory theory of acquired involuntary motor and sensory disorders

Background

Explicit and implicit memories are conserved but flexible biological tools that nature uses to regulate the daily behaviors of human beings. An aberrant form of the implicit memory is presumed to exist and may be contributory to the pathophysiology of disorders such as tardive syndromes, phantom phenomena, flashback, posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and related disorders. These disorders have posed significant clinical problems for both patients and physicians for centuries. All extant pathophysiological theories of these disorders have failed to provide basis for effective treatment.

Objective

The objective of this article is to propose an alternative pathophysiological theory that will hopefully lead to new treatment approaches.

Methods

The author sourced over 60 journal articles that treated topics on memory, and involuntary motor and sensory disorders, from open access journals using Google Scholar, and reviewed them and this helped in the formulation of this theory.

Results

From the reviews, the author thinks physical or chemical insult to the nervous system can cause defective circuit remodeling, leading to generation of a variant of implicit (automatic) memory, herein called “reflex memory” and this is encoded interoceptively to contribute to these phenomena states.

Conclusion

Acquired involuntary motor and sensory disorders are caused by defective circuit remodeling involving multiple neural mechanisms. Dysregulation of excitatory neurotransmitters, calcium overload, homeostatic failure, and neurotoxicity are implicated in the process. Sustained effects of these defective mechanisms are encoded interoceptively as abnormal memory in the neurons and the conscious manifestations are these disorders. Extant theories failed to recognize this possibility.

Pathogenic Processes Underlying Alzheimer's Disease: Modeling the Effects of Amyloid Beta on Synaptic Transmission

The molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been and are still under heavy scrutiny to better understand what leads to the onset and progression of the disease, and to design and develop efficacious therapeutic strategies. These decade-long studies have taught us a lot regarding the various molecular pathways involved in the pathology, but a complete dynamic picture of the underlying pathological mechanisms is still missing.We propose to provide a technological answer to fill this gap by developing and using a computational approach that integrates AD-related experimental findings and their effects on multiple aspects of neuronal function. The present study focuses on implementing one known pathogenic process: the binding of amyloid beta, the hallmark of AD, on NMDA receptors, receptors present in the main type of excitatory synapses in the brain, thereby affecting synaptic transmission and downstream pathways. We describe model implementation and calibration; we then quantify the downstream effects of this disruption both in terms of electrical activity (changes in short-term spiking activity of the postsynaptic neuron), and biochemical pathways activation through changes in calcium dynamics (an important trigger to longer-term changes). The computational approach outlined constitutes an insightful instrument to examine the downstream consequences of multiple pathogenic dysfunctions on higher level observables and sets the path for in-silico discovery and testing of therapeutic agents.

Changes in Calcium Homeostasis and Gene Expression Implicated in Epilepsy in Hippocampi of Mice Overexpressing ORAI1

Previously, we showed that the overexpression of ORAI1 calcium channel in neurons of murine brain led to spontaneous occurrence of seizure-like events in aged animals of transgenic line FVB/NJ-Tg(ORAI1)Ibd (Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology). We aimed to identify the mechanism that is responsible for this phenomenon. Using a modified Ca²⁺-addback assay in the CA1 region of acute hippocampal slices and FURA-2 acetomethyl ester (AM) Ca²⁺ indicator, we found that overexpression of ORAI1 in neurons led to altered Ca²⁺ response. Next, by RNA sequencing (RNAseq) we identified a set of genes, whose expression was changed in our transgenic animals. These data were validated using customized real-time PCR assays and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) ddPCR. Using real-time PCR, up-regulation of hairy and enhancer of split-5 (Hes-5) gene and down-regulation of aristaless related homeobox (Arx), doublecortin-like kinase 1 (Dclk1), and cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (Cdkl5, also known as serine/threonine kinase 9 (Stk9)) genes were found. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) analysis revealed down-regulation of Arx. In humans, ARX, DCLK1, and CDLK5 were shown to be mutated in some rare epilepsy-associated disorders. We conclude that the occurrence of seizure-like events in aged mice overexpressing ORAI1 might be due to the down-regulation of Arx, and possibly of Cdkl5 and Dclk1 genes.

Functional organization of postsynaptic glutamate receptors

Glutamate receptors are the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, responsible for mediating the vast majority of excitatory transmission in neuronal networks. The AMPA- and NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate the fast synaptic responses, while metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are coupled to downstream signaling cascades that act on much slower timescales. These functionally distinct receptor sub-types are co-expressed at individual synapses, allowing for the precise temporal modulation of postsynaptic excitability and plasticity. Intriguingly, these receptors are differentially distributed with respect to the presynaptic release site. While iGluRs are enriched in the core of the synapse directly opposing the release site, mGluRs reside preferentially at the border of the synapse. As such, to understand the differential contribution of these receptors to synaptic transmission, it is important to not only consider their signaling properties, but also the mechanisms that control the spatial segregation of these receptor types within synapses. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms that control the organization of glutamate receptors at the postsynaptic membrane with respect to the release site, and discuss how this organization could regulate synapse physiology.

Functional Indicators of Glutamate Transport in Single Striatal Astrocytes and the Influence of Kir4.1 in Normal and Huntington Mice

This study evaluates single-cell indicators of glutamate transport in sulforhodamine 101-positive astrocytes of Q175 mice, a knock-in model of Huntington's disease (HD). Transport-related fluorescent ratio signals obtained with sodium-binding benzofuran isophtalate (SBFI) AM from unperturbed or voltage-clamped astrocytes and respective glutamate transporter currents (GTCs) were induced by photolytic or synaptic glutamate release and isolated pharmacologically. The HD-induced deficit ranged from -27% (GTC maximum at -100 mV in Ba(2+)) to -41% (sodium transients in astrocytes after loading SBFI-AM). Our specific aim was to clarify the mechanism(s) by which Kir4.1 channels can influence glutamate transport, as determined by either Na(+) imaging or transport-associated electrical signals. A decrease of Kir4.1 conductance was mimicked with Ba(2+) (200 μm), and an increase of Kir4.1 expression was obtained by intravenous administration of AAV9-gfaABC1D-Kir4.1-EGFP. The decrease of Kir4.1 conductance reduced the sodium transients but increased the amplitudes of somatic GTCs. Accordingly, after genetic upregulation of Kir4.1, somatic GTCs were found to be decreased. In individual cells, there was a negative correlation between Kir4.1 currents and GTCs. The relative effect of the Kir4.1 conductance was higher in the astrocyte periphery. These and other results suggest that the Kir4.1 conductance affects glutamate transporter activity in a dual manner: (1) by providing the driving force (voltage dependency of the transport itself) and (2) by limiting the lateral charge transfer (thereby reducing the interference with other electrogenic transporter functions). This leads to the testable prediction that restoring the high conductance state of passive astrocytes will not only normalize glutamate uptake but also restore other astrocytic transporter activities afflicted with HD.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Insufficiency of astrocytic glutamate uptake is a major element in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Considering the heterogeneity of astrocytes and their differential susceptibility to therapeutic interventions, it becomes necessary to evaluate the determinants of transport activity in individual astroglial cells. We have examined intracellular Na(+) transients and glutamate transporter currents as the most telling indicators of glutamate clearance after synaptic or photolytic release of glutamate in striatal slices. The results show that, in Huntington's disease, glutamate uptake activity critically depends on Kir4.1. These channels enable the high conductance state of the astrocytic plasma membrane, which ensures the driving force for glutamate transport and dumps the transport-associated depolarization along the astrocyte processes. This has significant implications for developing therapeutic targets.

Unravelling and Exploiting Astrocyte Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease

Astrocytes are abundant within mature neural circuits and are involved in brain disorders. Here, we summarize our current understanding of astrocytes and Huntington's disease (HD), with a focus on correlative and causative dysfunctions of ion homeostasis, calcium signaling, and neurotransmitter clearance, as well as on the use of transplanted astrocytes to produce therapeutic benefit in mouse models of HD. Overall, the data suggest that astrocyte dysfunction is an important contributor to the onset and progression of some HD symptoms in mice. Additional exploration of astrocytes in HD mouse models and humans is needed and may provide new therapeutic opportunities to explore in conjunction with neuronal rescue and repair strategies.

Impact of synaptic localization and subunit composition of ionotropic glutamate receptors on synaptic function: modeling and simulation studies

Ionotropic NMDA and AMPA glutamate receptors (iGluRs) play important roles in synaptic function under physiological and pathological conditions. iGluRs sub-synaptic localization and subunit composition are dynamically regulated by activity-dependent insertion and internalization. However, understanding the impact on synaptic transmission of changes in composition and localization of iGluRs is difficult to address experimentally. To address this question, we developed a detailed computational model of glutamatergic synapses, including spine and dendritic compartments, elementary models of subtypes of NMDA and AMPA receptors, glial glutamate transporters, intracellular calcium and a calcium-dependent signaling cascade underlying the development of long-term potentiation (LTP). These synapses were distributed on a neuron model and numerical simulations were performed to assess the impact of changes in composition and localization (synaptic vs extrasynaptic) of iGluRs on synaptic transmission and plasticity following various patterns of presynaptic stimulation. In addition, the effects of various pharmacological compounds targeting NMDARs or AMPARs were determined. Our results showed that changes in NMDAR localization have a greater impact on synaptic plasticity than changes in AMPARs. Moreover, the results suggest that modulators of AMPA and NMDA receptors have differential effects on restoring synaptic plasticity under different experimental situations mimicking various human diseases.

Development of a detailed model of calcium dynamics at the postsynaptic spine of an excitatory synapse

Postsynaptic calcium dynamics play a critical role in synaptic plasticity, but are often difficult to measure in experimental protocols due to their relatively fast rise and decay times, and the small spine dimensions. To circumvent these limitations, we propose to develop a computational model of calcium dynamics in the postsynaptic spine. This model integrates the main elements that participate in calcium concentration influx, efflux, diffusion and buffering. These consist of (i) spine geometry; (ii) calcium influx through NMDA receptors and voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC); (iii) calcium efflux with plasma membrane calcium pumps (PMCA) and sodium-calcium exchangers (NCX); (iv) intracellular calcium stores; and (v) calcium buffers. We herein present computational results we obtained and compare them with experimentally measured data, thereby validating the proposed model. Overall the development of such postsynaptic calcium model may help us better understand the intricacies of interplay between the different elements that shape calcium dynamics and impact synaptic plasticity in normal functions and pathologies. This model also constitutes a first step in the development of a nonlinear input-output calcium dynamics model for multi-scale, large scale neuronal simulations.

TOWARDS A MULTI-SCALE AGENT-BASED PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE METHODOLOGY

Living tissues are dynamic, heterogeneous compositions of objects, including molecules, cells and extra-cellular materials, which interact via chemical, mechanical and electrical process and reorganize via transformation, birth, death and migration processes. Current programming language have difficulty describing the dynamics of tissues because: 1: Dynamic sets of objects participate simultaneously in multiple processes, 2: Processes may be either continuous or discrete, and their activity may be conditional, 3: Objects and processes form complex, heterogeneous relationships and structures, 4: Objects and processes may be hierarchically composed, 5: Processes may create, destroy and transform objects and processes. Some modeling languages support these concepts, but most cannot translate models into executable simulations. We present a new hybrid executable modeling language paradigm, the Continuous Concurrent Object Process Methodology (CCOPM) which naturally expresses tissue models, enabling users to visually create agent-based models of tissues, and also allows computer simulation of these models.

Modeling and simulation of organophosphate-induced neurotoxicity: Prediction and validation by experimental studies

Exposure to organophosphorus (OP) compounds, either pesticides or chemical warfare agents, represents a major health problem. As potent irreversible inhibitors of cholinesterase, OP may induce seizures, as in status epilepticus, and occasionally brain lesions. Although these compounds are extremely toxic agents, the search for novel antidotes remains extremely limited. In silico modeling constitutes a useful tool to identify pharmacological targets and to develop efficient therapeutic strategies. In the present work, we developed a new in silico simulator in order to predict the neurotoxicity of irreversible inhibitors of acetyl- and/or butyrylcholinesterase (ChE) as well as the potential neuroprotection provided by antagonists of cholinergic muscarinic and glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. The simulator reproduced firing of CA1 hippocampal neurons triggered by exposure to paraoxon (POX), as found in patch-clamp recordings in in vitro mouse hippocampal slices. In the case of POX intoxication, it predicted a preventing action of the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine sulfate, as well as a synergistic action with the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist memantine. These in silico predictions relative to beneficial effects of atropine sulfate combined with memantine were recapitulated experimentally in an in vivo model of POX in adult male Swiss mice using electroencephalic (EEG) recordings. Thus, our simulator is a new powerful tool to identify protective therapeutic strategies against OP central effects, by screening various combinations of muscarinic and NMDA receptor antagonists.

Promoter-Specific Effects of DREADD Modulation on Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Memory Formation

Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADDs) are a novel tool with the potential to bidirectionally drive cellular, circuit, and ultimately, behavioral changes. We used DREADDs to evaluate memory formation in a hippocampus-dependent task in mice and effects on synaptic physiology in the dorsal hippocampus. We expressed neuron-specific (hSyn promoter) DREADDs that were either excitatory (HM3D) or inhibitory (HM4D) in the dorsal hippocampus. As predicted, hSyn-HM3D was able to transform a subthreshold learning event into long-term memory (LTM), and hSyn-HM4D completely impaired LTM formation. Surprisingly, the opposite was observed during experiments examining the effects on hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). hSyn-HM3D impaired LTP and hSyn-HM4D facilitated LTP. Follow-up experiments indicated that the hSyn-HM3D-mediated depression of fEPSP appears to be driven by presynaptic activation of inhibitory currents, whereas the hSyn-HM4D-mediated increase of fEPSP is induced by a reduction in GABAA receptor function. To determine whether these observations were promoter specific, we next examined the effects of using the CaMKIIα promoter that limits expression to forebrain excitatory neurons. CaMKIIα-HM3D in the dorsal hippocampus led to the transformation of a subthreshold learning event into LTM, whereas CaMKIIα-HM4D blocked LTM formation. Consistent with these findings, baseline synaptic transmission and LTP was increased in CaMKIIα-HM3D hippocampal slices, whereas slices from CaMKIIα-HM4D mice produced expected decreases in baseline synaptic transmission and LTP. Together, these experiments further demonstrate DREADDs as being a robust and reliable means of modulating neuronal function to manipulate long-term changes in behavior, while providing evidence for specific dissociations between LTM and LTP.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

This study evaluates the efficacy of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drug (DREADDs) as a means of bidirectionally modulating the hippocampus in not only a hippocampus-dependent task but also in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. This is the first study to evaluate the effects of DREADD-mediated inhibition and excitation in hippocampal long-term potentiation. More specifically, this study evaluates the effect of promoter-specific expression of DREADD viruses in a heterogenic cell population, which revealed surprising effects of different promoters. With chemogenetics becoming a more ubiquitous tool throughout studies investigating circuit-specific function, these data are of broad interest to the neuroscientific community because we have shown that promoter-specific effects can drastically alter synaptic function within a specific region, without parallel changes at the level of behavior.

The volterra functional series is a viable alternative to kinetic models for synaptic modeling--calibration and benchmarking

Synaptic transmission is governed by a series of complex and highly nonlinear mechanisms and pathways in which the dynamics have a profound influence on the overall signal sent to the postsynaptic cell. In simulation, these mechanisms are often represented through kinetic models governed by state variables and rate law equations. Calculations of such ordinary differential equations (ODEs) in kinetic models can be computationally intensive, and although algorithms have been optimally developed to handle ODEs efficiently, simulation of numerous, large and complex kinetic models requires a prohibitively large amount of computational power. Here we present an alternative representation of ionotropic glutamatergic receptors AMPAr and NMDAr kinetic models consisting of input-output surrogates of the receptor models which can capture the nonlinear dynamics seen in the kinetic models. We benchmark this Input-Output (IO) synapse model and compare it with kinetic receptor models to evaluate the simulation time required when using either synapse model, as well as the number of time steps each model needs for simulation. While remaining faithful to the original dynamics of the model, our results indicate that the IO synapse model requires less simulation time than the kinetic models under conditions which elicit normal physiological responses, thereby improving computational efficiency while preserving the complex non-linear dynamics of the receptors. These IO surrogates therefore constitute an appealing alternative to kinetic models in large scale networks simulations.

Volterra representation enables modeling of complex synaptic nonlinear dynamics in large-scale simulations

Chemical synapses are comprised of a wide collection of intricate signaling pathways involving complex dynamics. These mechanisms are often reduced to simple spikes or exponential representations in order to enable computer simulations at higher spatial levels of complexity. However, these representations cannot capture important nonlinear dynamics found in synaptic transmission. Here, we propose an input-output (IO) synapse model capable of generating complex nonlinear dynamics while maintaining low computational complexity. This IO synapse model is an extension of a detailed mechanistic glutamatergic synapse model capable of capturing the input-output relationships of the mechanistic model using the Volterra functional power series. We demonstrate that the IO synapse model is able to successfully track the nonlinear dynamics of the synapse up to the third order with high accuracy. We also evaluate the accuracy of the IO synapse model at different input frequencies and compared its performance with that of kinetic models in compartmental neuron models. Our results demonstrate that the IO synapse model is capable of efficiently replicating complex nonlinear dynamics that were represented in the original mechanistic model and provide a method to replicate complex and diverse synaptic transmission within neuron network simulations.

The ubiquitous nature of multivesicular release

'Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability' (E.W. Dijkstra [1]) Presynaptic action potentials trigger the fusion of vesicles to release neurotransmitter onto postsynaptic neurons. Each release site was originally thought to liberate at most one vesicle per action potential in a probabilistic fashion, rendering synaptic transmission unreliable. However, the simultaneous release of several vesicles, or multivesicular release (MVR), represents a simple mechanism to overcome the intrinsic unreliability of synaptic transmission. MVR was initially identified at specialized synapses but is now known to be common throughout the brain. MVR determines the temporal and spatial dispersion of transmitter, controls the extent of receptor activation, and contributes to adapting synaptic strength during plasticity and neuromodulation. MVR consequently represents a widespread mechanism that extends the dynamic range of synaptic processing.

Influence of ionotropic receptor location on their dynamics at glutamatergic synapses

In this paper we study the effects of the location of ionotropic receptors, especially AMPA and NMDA receptors, on their function at excitatory glutamatergic synapses. As few computational models only allow to evaluate the influence of receptor location on state transition and receptor dynamics, we present an elaborate computational model of a glutamatergic synapse that takes into account detailed parametric models of ionotropic receptors along with glutamate diffusion within the synaptic cleft. Our simulation results underscore the importance of the wide spread distribution of AMPA receptors which is required to avoid massive desensitization of these receptors following a single glutamate release event while NMDA receptor location is potentially optimal relative to the glutamate release site thus, emphasizing the contribution of location dependent effects of the two major ionotropic receptors to synaptic efficacy.

A computational model to investigate astrocytic glutamate uptake influence on synaptic transmission and neuronal spiking

Over the past decades, our view of astrocytes has switched from passive support cells to active processing elements in the brain. The current view is that astrocytes shape neuronal communication and also play an important role in many neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the growing awareness of the importance of astrocytes, the exact mechanisms underlying neuron-astrocyte communication and the physiological consequences of astrocytic-neuronal interactions remain largely unclear. In this work, we define a modeling framework that will permit to address unanswered questions regarding the role of astrocytes. Our computational model of a detailed glutamatergic synapse facilitates the analysis of neural system responses to various stimuli and conditions that are otherwise difficult to obtain experimentally, in particular the readouts at the sub-cellular level. In this paper, we extend a detailed glutamatergic synaptic model, to include astrocytic glutamate transporters. We demonstrate how these glial transporters, responsible for the majority of glutamate uptake, modulate synaptic transmission mediated by ionotropic AMPA and NMDA receptors at glutamatergic synapses. Furthermore, we investigate how these local signaling effects at the synaptic level are translated into varying spatio-temporal patterns of neuron firing. Paired pulse stimulation results reveal that the effect of astrocytic glutamate uptake is more apparent when the input inter-spike interval is sufficiently long to allow the receptors to recover from desensitization. These results suggest an important functional role of astrocytes in spike timing dependent processes and demand further investigation of the molecular basis of certain neurological diseases specifically related to alterations in astrocytic glutamate uptake, such as epilepsy.

RVG-mediated calpain2 gene silencing in the brain impairs learning and memory

In the central nervous system, two calpain isoforms are highly expressed: calpain1 and calpain2. Here, we show for the first time that activation of the calpain isoform, calpain2, is a necessary event in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and in learning and memory. We developed a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based animal model to monitor in vivo calpain activation in single cells and in real time. Additionally, utilizing a novel rabies virus glycoprotein-chimeric peptide, which enabled the transvascular delivery of small interfering RNA to the brain against calpain2, we down-regulated the calpain2 isoform in vivo. Calpain2 gene silencing eliminated long-term potentiation and impaired learning and memory. Our results not only identify the calpain2 isoform as a critical mediator in learning and memory but also highlight an innovative, highly efficient calpain2-targeting peptide capable of isoform-specific gene silencing in the brain. We anticipate these innovative technologies and our better understanding of the calpain machinery, particularly of the calpain2 isoform, will have substantial influence on future translational studies, attracting considerable interest in the use of calpain models and calpain-specific inhibitors in the development of therapeutics.