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Sancho L, Boisvert MM, Dawoodtabar T, Burgado J, Wang E, Allen NJ. Astrocyte CCN1 stabilizes neural circuits in the adult brain. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.14.585077. [PMID: 38559139 PMCID: PMC10979986 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.14.585077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Neural circuits in many brain regions are refined by experience. Sensory circuits support higher plasticity at younger ages during critical periods - times of circuit refinement and maturation - and limit plasticity in adulthood for circuit stability. The mechanisms underlying these differing plasticity levels and how they serve to maintain and stabilize the properties of sensory circuits remain largely unclear. By combining a transcriptomic approach with ex vivo electrophysiology and in vivo imaging techniques, we identify that astrocytes release cellular communication network factor 1 (CCN1) to maintain synapse and circuit stability in the visual cortex. By overexpressing CCN1 in critical period astrocytes, we find that it promotes the maturation of inhibitory circuits and limits ocular dominance plasticity. Conversely, by knocking out astrocyte CCN1 in adults, binocular circuits are destabilized. These studies establish CCN1 as a novel astrocyte-secreted factor that stabilizes neuronal circuits. Moreover, they demonstrate that the composition and properties of sensory circuits require ongoing maintenance in adulthood, and that these maintenance cues are provided by astrocytes.
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Farhy-Tselnicker I, Boisvert MM, Liu H, Dowling C, Erikson GA, Blanco-Suarez E, Farhy C, Shokhirev MN, Ecker JR, Allen NJ. Activity-dependent modulation of synapse-regulating genes in astrocytes. eLife 2021; 10:70514. [PMID: 34494546 PMCID: PMC8497060 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes regulate the formation and function of neuronal synapses via multiple signals; however, what controls regional and temporal expression of these signals during development is unknown. We determined the expression profile of astrocyte synapse-regulating genes in the developing mouse visual cortex, identifying astrocyte signals that show differential temporal and layer-enriched expression. These patterns are not intrinsic to astrocytes, but regulated by visually evoked neuronal activity, as they are absent in mice lacking glutamate release from thalamocortical terminals. Consequently, synapses remain immature. Expression of synapse-regulating genes and synaptic development is also altered when astrocyte signaling is blunted by diminishing calcium release from astrocyte stores. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing identified groups of astrocytic genes regulated by neuronal and astrocyte activity, and a cassette of genes that show layer-specific enrichment. Thus, the development of cortical circuits requires coordinated signaling between astrocytes and neurons, highlighting astrocytes as a target to manipulate in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Farhy-Tselnicker
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Matthew M Boisvert
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Hanqing Liu
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Cari Dowling
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Galina A Erikson
- Razavi Newman Integrative Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Elena Blanco-Suarez
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Chen Farhy
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Maxim N Shokhirev
- Razavi Newman Integrative Genomics and Bioinformatics Core, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Joseph R Ecker
- Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
| | - Nicola J Allen
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, United States
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Venkiteswaran K, Alexander DN, Puhl MD, Rao A, Piquet AL, Nyland JE, Subramanian MP, Iyer P, Boisvert MM, Handly E, Subramanian T, Grigson PS. Transplantation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells in the nucleus accumbens of cocaine self-administering rats provides protection from seeking. Brain Res Bull 2015; 123:53-60. [PMID: 26562520 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to drugs and alcohol leads to damage to dopaminergic neurons and their projections in the 'reward pathway' that originate in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and terminate in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This damage is thought to contribute to the signature symptom of addiction: chronic relapse. In this study we show that bilateral transplants of human retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPECs), a cell mediated dopaminergic and trophic neuromodulator, into the medial shell of the NAc, rescue rats with a history of high rates of cocaine self-administration from drug-seeking when returned, after 2 weeks of abstinence, to the drug-associated chamber under extinction conditions (i.e., with no drug available). Excellent survival was noted for the transplant of RPECs in the shell and/or the core of the NAc bilaterally in all rats that showed behavioral recovery from cocaine seeking. Design based unbiased stereology of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive cell bodies in the VTA showed better preservation (p<0.035) in transplanted animals compared to control animals. This experiment shows that the RPEC graft provides beneficial effects to prevent drug seeking in drug addiction via its effects directly on the NAc and its neural network with the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kala Venkiteswaran
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Danielle N Alexander
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Matthew D Puhl
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Anand Rao
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Amanda L Piquet
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Jennifer E Nyland
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Megha P Subramanian
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Puja Iyer
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Matthew M Boisvert
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Erin Handly
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Thyagarajan Subramanian
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Patricia Sue Grigson
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
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