1
|
Sun W, Liu Z, Jiang X, Chen MB, Dong H, Liu J, Südhof TC, Quake SR. Spatial transcriptomics reveal neuron-astrocyte synergy in long-term memory. Nature 2024; 627:374-381. [PMID: 38326616 PMCID: PMC10937396 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-07011-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Memory encodes past experiences, thereby enabling future plans. The basolateral amygdala is a centre of salience networks that underlie emotional experiences and thus has a key role in long-term fear memory formation1. Here we used spatial and single-cell transcriptomics to illuminate the cellular and molecular architecture of the role of the basolateral amygdala in long-term memory. We identified transcriptional signatures in subpopulations of neurons and astrocytes that were memory-specific and persisted for weeks. These transcriptional signatures implicate neuropeptide and BDNF signalling, MAPK and CREB activation, ubiquitination pathways, and synaptic connectivity as key components of long-term memory. Notably, upon long-term memory formation, a neuronal subpopulation defined by increased Penk and decreased Tac expression constituted the most prominent component of the memory engram of the basolateral amygdala. These transcriptional changes were observed both with single-cell RNA sequencing and with single-molecule spatial transcriptomics in intact slices, thereby providing a rich spatial map of a memory engram. The spatial data enabled us to determine that this neuronal subpopulation interacts with adjacent astrocytes, and functional experiments show that neurons require interactions with astrocytes to encode long-term memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenfei Sun
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhihui Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xian Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michelle B Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hua Dong
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Liu
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dai J, Aoto J, Südhof TC. Alternative Splicing of Presynaptic Neurexins Differentially Controls Postsynaptic NMDA and AMPA Receptor Responses. Neuron 2024; 112:515-519. [PMID: 38330900 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
|
3
|
Sclip A, Bacaj T, Giam LR, Südhof TC. Correction: Extended Synaptotagmin (ESyt) Triple Knock-Out Mice Are Viable and Fertile without Obvious Endoplasmic Reticulum Dysfunction. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298645. [PMID: 38319918 PMCID: PMC10846706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298645] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158295.].
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang S, DeLeon C, Sun W, Quake SR, Roth BL, Südhof TC. Alternative splicing of latrophilin-3 controls synapse formation. Nature 2024; 626:128-135. [PMID: 38233523 PMCID: PMC10830413 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06913-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The assembly and specification of synapses in the brain is incompletely understood1-3. Latrophilin-3 (encoded by Adgrl3, also known as Lphn3)-a postsynaptic adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor-mediates synapse formation in the hippocampus4 but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here we show in mice that LPHN3 organizes synapses through a convergent dual-pathway mechanism: activation of Gαs signalling and recruitment of phase-separated postsynaptic protein scaffolds. We found that cell-type-specific alternative splicing of Lphn3 controls the LPHN3 G-protein-coupling mode, resulting in LPHN3 variants that predominantly signal through Gαs or Gα12/13. CRISPR-mediated manipulation of Lphn3 alternative splicing that shifts LPHN3 from a Gαs- to a Gα12/13-coupled mode impaired synaptic connectivity as severely as the overall deletion of Lphn3, suggesting that Gαs signalling by LPHN3 splice variants mediates synapse formation. Notably, Gαs-coupled, but not Gα12/13-coupled, splice variants of LPHN3 also recruit phase-transitioned postsynaptic protein scaffold condensates, such that these condensates are clustered by binding of presynaptic teneurin and FLRT ligands to LPHN3. Moreover, neuronal activity promotes alternative splicing of the synaptogenic Gαs-coupled variant of LPHN3. Together, these data suggest that activity-dependent alternative splicing of a key synaptic adhesion molecule controls synapse formation by parallel activation of two convergent pathways: Gαs signalling and clustered phase separation of postsynaptic protein scaffolds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Chelsea DeLeon
- Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Wenfei Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Plitt MH, Kaganovsky K, Südhof TC, Giocomo LM. Hippocampal place code plasticity in CA1 requires postsynaptic membrane fusion. bioRxiv 2023:2023.11.20.567978. [PMID: 38045362 PMCID: PMC10690209 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.20.567978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Rapid delivery of glutamate receptors to the postsynaptic membrane via vesicle fusion is a central component of synaptic plasticity. However, it is unknown how this process supports specific neural computations during behavior. To bridge this gap, we combined conditional genetic deletion of a component of the postsynaptic membrane fusion machinery, Syntaxin3 (Stx3), in hippocampal CA1 neurons of mice with population in vivo calcium imaging. This approach revealed that Stx3 is necessary for forming the neural dynamics that support novelty processing, spatial reward memory and offline memory consolidation. In contrast, CA1 Stx3 was dispensable for maintaining aspects of the neural code that exist presynaptic to CA1 such as representations of context and space. Thus, manipulating postsynaptic membrane fusion identified computations that specifically require synaptic restructuring via membrane trafficking in CA1 and distinguished them from neural representation that could be inherited from upstream brain regions or learned through other mechanisms.
Collapse
|
6
|
Dai J, Liakath-Ali K, Golf SR, Südhof TC. Correction: Distinct neurexin-cerebellin complexes control AMPA- and NMDA-receptor responses in a circuit-dependent manner. eLife 2023; 12:e94305. [PMID: 37943030 PMCID: PMC10635641 DOI: 10.7554/elife.94305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
|
7
|
Zhong BL, Lee CE, Vachharajani VT, Bauer MS, Südhof TC, Dunn AR. Piconewton Forces Mediate GAIN Domain Dissociation of the Latrophilin-3 Adhesion GPCR. Nano Lett 2023; 23:9187-9194. [PMID: 37831891 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Latrophilins are adhesion G-protein coupled receptors (aGPCRs) that control excitatory synapse formation. Most aGPCRs, including latrophilins, are autoproteolytically cleaved at their GPCR-autoproteolysis inducing (GAIN) domain, but the two resulting fragments remain noncovalently associated on the cell surface. Force-mediated dissociation of the fragments is thought to activate G-protein signaling, but how this mechanosensitivity arises is poorly understood. Here, we use magnetic tweezer assays to show that physiologically relevant forces in the 1-10 pN range lead to dissociation of the latrophilin-3 GAIN domain on the seconds-to-minutes time scale, compared to days in the absence of force. In addition, we find that the GAIN domain undergoes large changes in length in response to increasing mechanical load. These data are consistent with a model in which a force-sensitive equilibrium between compact and extended GAIN domain states precedes dissociation, suggesting a mechanism by which latrophilins and other aGPCRs may mediate mechanically induced signal transduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian L Zhong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Christina E Lee
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Vipul T Vachharajani
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Magnus S Bauer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Alexander R Dunn
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Essayan-Perez S, Südhof TC. Neuronal γ-secretase regulates lipid metabolism, linking cholesterol to synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Neuron 2023; 111:3176-3194.e7. [PMID: 37543038 PMCID: PMC10592349 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Presenilin mutations that alter γ-secretase activity cause familial Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas ApoE4, an apolipoprotein for cholesterol transport, predisposes to sporadic AD. Both sporadic and familial AD feature synaptic dysfunction. Whether γ-secretase is involved in cholesterol metabolism and whether such involvement impacts synaptic function remains unknown. Here, we show that in human neurons, chronic pharmacological or genetic suppression of γ-secretase increases synapse numbers but decreases synaptic transmission by lowering the presynaptic release probability without altering dendritic or axonal arborizations. In search of a mechanism underlying these synaptic impairments, we discovered that chronic γ-secretase suppression robustly decreases cholesterol levels in neurons but not in glia, which in turn stimulates neuron-specific cholesterol-synthesis gene expression. Suppression of cholesterol levels by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) impaired synaptic function similar to γ-secretase inhibition. Thus, γ-secretase enables synaptic function by maintaining cholesterol levels, whereas the chronic suppression of γ-secretase impairs synapses by lowering cholesterol levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Essayan-Perez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Trotter JH, Hao J, Maxeiner S, Tsetsenis T, Liu Z, Zhuang X, Südhof TC. Correction: Synaptic neurexin-1 assembles into dynamically regulated active zone nanoclusters. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e20181207608242023c. [PMID: 37665610 PMCID: PMC10477082 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.20181207608242023c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
|
10
|
Liu Y, Wang J, Südhof TC, Wernig M. Efficient generation of functional neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells via neurogenin-2 expression. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:2954-2974. [PMID: 37596357 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00863-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The production of induced neuronal (iN) cells from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells by the forced expression of proneural transcription factors is rapid, efficient and reproducible. The ability to generate large numbers of human neurons in such a robust manner enables large-scale studies of human neural differentiation and neuropsychiatric diseases. Surprisingly, similar transcription factor-based approaches for converting mouse ESCs into iN cells have been challenging, primarily because of low cell survival. Here, we provide a detailed approach for the efficient and reproducible generation of functional iN cells from mouse ESC cultures by the genetically induced expression of neurogenin-2. The resulting iN cells display mature pre- and postsynaptic specializations and form synaptic networks. Our method provides the basis for studying neuronal development and enables the direct comparison of cellular phenotypes in mouse and human neurons generated in an equivalent way. The procedure requires 14 d and can be carried out by users with expertise in stem cell culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingfei Liu
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinzhao Wang
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sclip A, Südhof TC. Combinatorial expression of neurexins and LAR-type phosphotyrosine phosphatase receptors instructs assembly of a cerebellar circuit. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4976. [PMID: 37591863 PMCID: PMC10435579 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40526-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic adhesion molecules (SAMs) shape the structural and functional properties of synapses and thereby control the information processing power of neural circuits. SAMs are broadly expressed in the brain, suggesting that they may instruct synapse formation and specification via a combinatorial logic. Here, we generate sextuple conditional knockout mice targeting all members of the two major families of presynaptic SAMs, Neurexins and leukocyte common antigen-related-type receptor phospho-tyrosine phosphatases (LAR-PTPRs), which together account for the majority of known trans-synaptic complexes. Using synapses formed by cerebellar Purkinje cells onto deep cerebellar nuclei as a model system, we confirm that Neurexins and LAR-PTPRs themselves are not essential for synapse assembly. The combinatorial deletion of both neurexins and LAR-PTPRs, however, decreases Purkinje-cell synapses on deep cerebellar nuclei, the major output pathway of cerebellar circuits. Consistent with this finding, combined but not separate deletions of neurexins and LAR-PTPRs impair motor behaviors. Thus, Neurexins and LAR-PTPRs are together required for the assembly of a functional cerebellar circuit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Sclip
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Cerebellins (Cbln1-4) are secreted adaptor proteins that connect presynaptic neurexins (Nrxn1-3) to postsynaptic ligands (GluD1/2 for Cbln1-3 vs. DCC and Neogenin-1 for Cbln4). Classical studies demonstrated that neurexin-Cbln1-GluD2 complexes organize cerebellar parallel-fiber synapses, but the role of cerebellins outside of the cerebellum has only recently been clarified. In synapses of the hippocampal subiculum and prefrontal cortex, Nrxn1-Cbln2-GluD1 complexes strikingly upregulate postsynaptic NMDA-receptors, whereas Nrxn3-Cbln2-GluD1 complexes conversely downregulate postsynaptic AMPA-receptors. At perforant-path synapses in the dentate gyrus, in contrast, neurexin/Cbln4/Neogenin-1 complexes are essential for LTP without affecting basal synaptic transmission or NMDA- or AMPA-receptors. None of these signaling pathways are required for synapse formation. Thus, outside of the cerebellum neurexin/cerebellin complexes regulate synapse properties by activating specific downstream receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Südhof
- Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Albarran E, Sun Y, Liu Y, Raju K, Dong A, Li Y, Wang S, Südhof TC, Ding JB. Postsynaptic synucleins mediate endocannabinoid signaling. Nat Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41593-023-01345-0. [PMID: 37248337 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01345-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are among the most powerful modulators of synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system, and yet little is understood about the release of endocannabinoids from postsynaptic compartments. Here we report an unexpected finding that endocannabinoid release requires synucleins, key contributors to Parkinson's disease. We show that endocannabinoids are released postsynaptically by a synuclein-dependent and SNARE-dependent mechanism. Specifically, we found that synuclein deletion blocks endocannabinoid-dependent synaptic plasticity; this block is reversed by postsynaptic expression of wild-type but not of mutant α-synuclein. Whole-cell recordings and direct optical monitoring of endocannabinoid signaling suggest that the synuclein deletion specifically blocks endocannabinoid release. Given the presynaptic role of synucleins in regulating vesicle lifecycle, we hypothesize that endocannabinoids are released via a membrane interaction mechanism. Consistent with this hypothesis, postsynaptic expression of tetanus toxin light chain, which cleaves synaptobrevin SNAREs, also blocks endocannabinoid-dependent signaling. The unexpected finding that endocannabinoids are released via a synuclein-dependent mechanism is consistent with a general function of synucleins in membrane trafficking and adds a piece to the longstanding puzzle of how neurons release endocannabinoids to induce synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eddy Albarran
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yue Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karthik Raju
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Sui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zhang X, Lin PY, Liakath-Ali K, Südhof TC. Author Correction: Teneurins assemble into presynaptic nanoclusters that promote synapse formation via postsynaptic non-teneurin ligands. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2957. [PMID: 37221212 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38713-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xuchen Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Pei-Yi Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Golf SR, Trotter JH, Nakahara G, Südhof TC. Astrocytic Neuroligins Are Not Required for Synapse Formation or a Normal Astrocyte Cytoarchitecture. bioRxiv 2023:2023.04.10.536254. [PMID: 37090508 PMCID: PMC10120619 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.10.536254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes exert multifarious roles in the formation, regulation, and function of synapses in the brain, but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Interestingly, astrocytes abundantly express neuroligins, postsynaptic adhesion molecules that bind to presynaptic neurexins. A pioneering recent study reported that loss-of-function of neuroligins in astrocytes impairs excitatory synapse formation and astrocyte morphogenesis. This study suggested a crucial synaptic function for astrocytic neuroligins but was puzzling given that constitutive neuroligin deletions do not decrease excitatory synapse numbers. Thus, we here examined the function of astrocytic neuroligins using a rigorous conditional genetic approach with deletion of all major neuroligins (Nlgn1-3) in astrocytes. Our results show that early postnatal deletion of neuroligins from astrocytes has no effect on cortical or hippocampal synapses and does not alter the cytoarchitecture of astrocytes. Thus, astrocytic neuroligins are unlikely to shape synapse formation or astrocyte development but may perform other important functions in astrocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R. Golf
- Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Justin H. Trotter
- Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - George Nakahara
- Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Trotter JH, Wang CY, Zhou P, Nakahara G, Südhof TC. A combinatorial code of neurexin-3 alternative splicing controls inhibitory synapses via a trans-synaptic dystroglycan signaling loop. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1771. [PMID: 36997523 PMCID: PMC10063607 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36872-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupted synaptic inhibition is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms that shape and sustain inhibitory synapses are poorly understood. Here, we show through rescue experiments performed using Neurexin-3 conditional knockout mice that alternative splicing at SS2 and SS4 regulates the release probability, but not the number, of inhibitory synapses in the olfactory bulb and prefrontal cortex independent of sex. Neurexin-3 splice variants that mediate Neurexin-3 binding to dystroglycan enable inhibitory synapse function, whereas splice variants that don't allow dystroglycan binding do not. Furthermore, a minimal Neurexin-3 protein that binds to dystroglycan fully sustains inhibitory synaptic function, indicating that trans-synaptic dystroglycan binding is necessary and sufficient for Neurexin-3 function in inhibitory synaptic transmission. Thus, Neurexin-3 enables a normal release probability at inhibitory synapses via a trans-synaptic feedback signaling loop consisting of presynaptic Neurexin-3 and postsynaptic dystroglycan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin H Trotter
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Cosmos Yuqi Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - George Nakahara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lin PY, Chen LY, Zhou P, Lee SJ, Trotter JH, Südhof TC. Neurexin-2 restricts synapse numbers and restrains the presynaptic release probability by an alternative splicing-dependent mechanism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300363120. [PMID: 36961922 PMCID: PMC10068831 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300363120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
α- and β-neurexins are extensively alternatively spliced, presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules that are thought to organize synapse assembly. However, recent data revealed that, in the hippocampus in vivo, the deletion of one neurexin isoform, Nrxn2, surprisingly increased excitatory synapse numbers and enhanced their presynaptic release probability, suggesting that Nrxn2 restricts, instead of enabling, synapse assembly. To delineate the synaptic function and mechanism of action of Nrxn2, we examined cultured hippocampal neurons as a reduced system. In heterologous synapse formation assays, different alternatively spliced Nrxn2β isoforms robustly promoted synapse assembly similar to Nrxn1β and Nrxn3β, consistent with a general synaptogenic function of neurexins. Deletion of Nrxn2 from cultured hippocampal neurons, however, caused a significant increase in synapse density and release probability, replicating the in vivo data that suggested a synapse-restricting function. Rescue experiments revealed that two of the four Nrxn2β splice variants (Nrxn2β-SS4+/SS5- and Nrxn2β-SS4+/SS5+) reversed the increase in synapse density in Nrxn2-deficient neurons, whereas only one of the four Nrxn2β splice variants (Nrxn2β-SS4+/SS5+) normalized the increase in release probability in Nrxn2-deficient neurons. Thus, a subset of Nrxn2 splice variants restricts synapse numbers and restrains their release probability in cultured neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Yi Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Lulu Y. Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- HHMI, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Sung-Jin Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Justin H. Trotter
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- HHMI, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, cell-adhesion molecules connect cells into tissues and mediate intercellular signaling between these cells. In vertebrate brains, synaptic cell-adhesion molecules (SAMs) guide the formation, specification, and plasticity of synapses. Some SAMs, when overexpressed in cultured neurons or in heterologous cells co-cultured with neurons, drive formation of synaptic specializations onto the overexpressing cells. However, genetic deletion of the same SAMs from neurons often has no effect on synapse numbers, but frequently severely impairs synaptic transmission, suggesting that most SAMs control the function and plasticity of synapses (i.e., organize synapses) instead of driving their initial establishment (i.e., make synapses). Since few SAMs were identified that mediate initial synapse formation, it is difficult to develop methods that enable experimental control of synaptic connections by targeted expression of these SAMs. To overcome this difficulty, we engineered novel SAMs from bacterial proteins with no eukaryotic homologues that drive synapse formation. We named these engineered adhesion proteins "Barnoligin" and "Starexin" because they were assembled from parts of Barnase and Neuroligin-1 or of Barstar and Neurexin3β, respectively. Barnoligin and Starexin robustly induce the formation of synaptic specializations in a specific and directional manner in cultured neurons. Synapse formation by Barnoligin and Starexin requires both their extracellular Barnase- and Barstar-derived interaction domains and their Neuroligin- and Neurexin-derived intracellular signaling domains. Our findings support a model of synapse formation whereby trans-synaptic interactions by SAMs drive synapse organization via adhesive interactions that activate signaling cascades.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W. Dylan Hale
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Richard L. Huganir
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhong BL, Lee CE, Vachharajani VT, Südhof TC, Dunn AR. Piconewton forces mediate GAIN domain dissociation of the latrophilin-3 adhesion GPCR. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.12.523854. [PMID: 36711622 PMCID: PMC9882233 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.12.523854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Latrophilins are adhesion G-protein coupled receptors (aGPCRs) that control excitatory synapse formation. aGPCRs, including latrophilins, are autoproteolytically cleaved at their GPCR-Autoproteolysis Inducing (GAIN) domain, but the two resulting fragments remain associated on the cell surface. It is thought that force-mediated dissociation of the fragments exposes a peptide that activates G-protein signaling of aGPCRs, but whether GAIN domain dissociation can occur on biologically relevant timescales and at physiological forces is unknown. Here, we show using magnetic tweezers that physiological forces dramatically accelerate the dissociation of the latrophilin-3 GAIN domain. Forces in the 1-10 pN range were sufficient to dissociate the GAIN domain on a seconds-to-minutes timescale, and the GAIN domain fragments reversibly reassociated after dissociation. Thus, mechanical force may be a key driver of latrophilin signaling during synapse formation, suggesting a physiological mechanism by which aGPCRs may mediate mechanically-induced signal transduction.
Collapse
|
20
|
Lin PY, Chen LY, Jiang M, Trotter JH, Seigneur E, Südhof TC. Neurexin-2: An inhibitory neurexin that restricts excitatory synapse formation in the hippocampus. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadd8856. [PMID: 36608123 PMCID: PMC9821874 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add8856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Neurexins are widely thought to promote synapse formation and to organize synapse properties. Here we found that in contrast to neurexin-1 and neurexin-3, neurexin-2 unexpectedly restricts synapse formation. In the hippocampus, constitutive or neuron-specific deletions of neurexin-2 nearly doubled the strength of excitatory CA3➔CA1 region synaptic connections and markedly increased their release probability. No effect on inhibitory synapses was detected. Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) superresolution microscopy revealed that the neuron-specific neurexin-2 deletion elevated the density of excitatory CA1 region synapses nearly twofold. Moreover, hippocampal neurexin-2 deletions also increased synaptic connectivity in the CA1 region when induced in mature mice and impaired the cognitive flexibility of spatial memory. Thus, neurexin-2 controls the dynamics of hippocampal synaptic circuits by repressing synapse assembly throughout life, a restrictive function that markedly differs from that of neurexin-1 and neurexin-3 and of other synaptic adhesion molecules, suggesting that neurexins evolutionarily diverged into opposing pro- and antisynaptogenic organizers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Yi Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lulu Y. Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Man Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Justin H. Trotter
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Erica Seigneur
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Dr., Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wang L, Mirabella VR, Dai R, Su X, Xu R, Jadali A, Bernabucci M, Singh I, Chen Y, Tian J, Jiang P, Kwan KY, Pak C, Liu C, Comoletti D, Hart RP, Chen C, Südhof TC, Pang ZP. Analyses of the autism-associated neuroligin-3 R451C mutation in human neurons reveal a gain-of-function synaptic mechanism. Mol Psychiatry 2022:10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x. [PMID: 36280753 PMCID: PMC10123180 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in many synaptic genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting that synaptic dysfunction is a key driver of ASD pathogenesis. Among these mutations, the R451C substitution in the NLGN3 gene that encodes the postsynaptic adhesion molecule Neuroligin-3 is noteworthy because it was the first specific mutation linked to ASDs. In mice, the corresponding Nlgn3 R451C-knockin mutation recapitulates social interaction deficits of ASD patients and produces synaptic abnormalities, but the impact of the NLGN3 R451C mutation on human neurons has not been investigated. Here, we generated human knockin neurons with the NLGN3 R451C and NLGN3 null mutations. Strikingly, analyses of NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons revealed that the R451C mutation decreased NLGN3 protein levels but enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses without affecting inhibitory synapses; meanwhile NLGN3 knockout neurons showed reduction in excitatory synaptic strengths. Moreover, overexpression of NLGN3 R451C recapitulated the synaptic enhancement in human neurons. Notably, the augmentation of excitatory transmission was confirmed in vivo with human neurons transplanted into mouse forebrain. Using single-cell RNA-seq experiments with co-cultured excitatory and inhibitory NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons, we identified differentially expressed genes in relatively mature human neurons corresponding to synaptic gene expression networks. Moreover, gene ontology and enrichment analyses revealed convergent gene networks associated with ASDs and other mental disorders. Our findings suggest that the NLGN3 R451C mutation induces a gain-of-function enhancement in excitatory synaptic transmission that may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Vincent R Mirabella
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Rujia Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Xiao Su
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ranjie Xu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Azadeh Jadali
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Matteo Bernabucci
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ishnoor Singh
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Jianghua Tian
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Kevin Y Kwan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, 710000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Davide Comoletti
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | - Ronald P Hart
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
Mutations in β-amyloid (Aβ) precursor protein (APP) cause familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) probably by enhancing Aβ peptides production from APP. An antibody targeting Aβ (aducanumab) was approved as an AD treatment; however, some Aβ antibodies have been reported to accelerate, instead of ameliorating, cognitive decline in individuals with AD. Using conditional APP mutations in human neurons for perfect isogenic controls and translational relevance, we found that the APP-Swedish mutation in familial AD increased synapse numbers and synaptic transmission, whereas the APP deletion decreased synapse numbers and synaptic transmission. Inhibition of BACE1, the protease that initiates Aβ production from APP, lowered synapse numbers, suppressed synaptic transmission in wild-type neurons, and occluded the phenotype of APP-Swedish-mutant neurons. Modest elevations of Aβ, conversely, elevated synapse numbers and synaptic transmission. Thus, the familial AD-linked APP-Swedish mutation under physiologically relevant conditions increased synaptic connectivity in human neurons via a modestly enhanced production of Aβ. These data are consistent with the relative inefficacy of BACE1 and anti-Aβ treatments in AD and the chronic nature of AD pathogenesis, suggesting that AD pathogenesis is not simply caused by overproduction of toxic Aβ but rather by a long-term effect of elevated Aβ concentrations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jacqueline G. Lu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alberto Siddu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Dai J, Liakath-Ali K, Golf SR, Südhof TC. Distinct neurexin-cerebellin complexes control AMPA- and NMDA-receptor responses in a circuit-dependent manner. eLife 2022; 11:e78649. [PMID: 36205393 PMCID: PMC9586558 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
At CA1→subiculum synapses, alternatively spliced neurexin-1 (Nrxn1SS4+) and neurexin-3 (Nrxn3SS4+) enhance NMDA-receptors and suppress AMPA-receptors, respectively, without affecting synapse formation. Nrxn1SS4+ and Nrxn3SS4+ act by binding to secreted cerebellin-2 (Cbln2) that in turn activates postsynaptic GluD1 receptors. Whether neurexin-Cbln2-GluD1 signaling has additional functions besides regulating NMDA- and AMPA-receptors, and whether such signaling performs similar roles at other synapses, however, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate using constitutive Cbln2 deletions in mice that at CA1→subiculum synapses, Cbln2 performs no additional developmental roles besides regulating AMPA- and NMDA-receptors. Moreover, low-level expression of functionally redundant Cbln1 did not compensate for a possible synapse-formation function of Cbln2 at CA1→subiculum synapses. In exploring the generality of these findings, we examined the prefrontal cortex where Cbln2 was recently implicated in spinogenesis, and the cerebellum where Cbln1 is known to regulate parallel-fiber synapses. In the prefrontal cortex, Nrxn1SS4+-Cbln2 signaling selectively controlled NMDA-receptors without affecting spine or synapse numbers, whereas Nrxn3SS4+-Cbln2 signaling had no apparent role. In the cerebellum, conversely, Nrxn3SS4+-Cbln1 signaling regulated AMPA-receptors, whereas now Nrxn1SS4+-Cbln1 signaling had no manifest effect. Thus, Nrxn1SS4+- and Nrxn3SS4+-Cbln1/2 signaling complexes differentially control NMDA- and AMPA-receptors in different synapses in diverse neural circuits without regulating synapse or spine formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinye Dai
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Samantha Rose Golf
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Han Y, Cao R, Qin L, Chen LY, Tang AH, Südhof TC, Zhang B. Neuroligin-3 confines AMPA receptors into nanoclusters, thereby controlling synaptic strength at the calyx of Held synapses. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabo4173. [PMID: 35704570 PMCID: PMC9200272 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The subsynaptic organization of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors into nanoclusters that are aligned with presynaptic release sites is essential for the high fidelity of synaptic transmission. However, the mechanisms controlling the nanoscale organization of neurotransmitter receptors in vivo remain incompletely understood. Here, we deconstructed the role of neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3), a postsynaptic adhesion molecule linked to autism, in organizing AMPA-type glutamate receptors in the calyx of Held synapse. Deletion of Nlgn3 lowered the amplitude and slowed the kinetics of AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic responses. Super-resolution microscopy revealed that, unexpectedly, these impairments in synaptic transmission were associated with an increase in the size of postsynaptic PSD-95 and AMPA receptor nanoclusters but a decrease of the densities in these clusters. Modeling showed that a dilution of AMPA receptors into larger nanocluster volumes decreases synaptic strength. Nlgn3, likely by binding to presynaptic neurexins, thus is a key organizer of AMPA receptor nanoclusters that likely acts via PSD-95 adaptors to optimize the fidelity of synaptic transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Han
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Ran Cao
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Liming Qin
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Lulu Y. Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94043, USA
| | - Ai-Hui Tang
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94043, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Burlingham SR, Wong NF, Peterkin L, Lubow L, Dos Santos Passos C, Benner O, Ghebrial M, Cast TP, Xu-Friedman MA, Südhof TC, Chanda S. Induction of synapse formation by de novo neurotransmitter synthesis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3060. [PMID: 35650274 PMCID: PMC9160008 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30756-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A vital question in neuroscience is how neurons align their postsynaptic structures with presynaptic release sites. Although synaptic adhesion proteins are known to contribute in this process, the role of neurotransmitters remains unclear. Here we inquire whether de novo biosynthesis and vesicular release of a noncanonical transmitter can facilitate the assembly of its corresponding postsynapses. We demonstrate that, in both stem cell-derived human neurons as well as in vivo mouse neurons of purely glutamatergic identity, ectopic expression of GABA-synthesis enzymes and vesicular transporters is sufficient to both produce GABA from ambient glutamate and transmit it from presynaptic terminals. This enables efficient accumulation and consistent activation of postsynaptic GABAA receptors, and generates fully functional GABAergic synapses that operate in parallel but independently of their glutamatergic counterparts. These findings suggest that presynaptic release of a neurotransmitter itself can signal the organization of relevant postsynaptic apparatus, which could be directly modified to reprogram the synapse identity of neurons. Neuronal communication relies on matching different neurostransmitter types with their appropriate receptors. The authors here demonstrate that release of a novel neurotransmitter from presynaptic terminals can induce both the accumulation and activation of its corresponding receptors on postsynaptic neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Burlingham
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nicole F Wong
- Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lindsay Peterkin
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Lily Lubow
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Orion Benner
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael Ghebrial
- Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Thomas P Cast
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Thomas C Südhof
- Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Soham Chanda
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. .,Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Molecular, Cellular & Integrated Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wöhr M, Fong WM, Janas JA, Mall M, Thome C, Vangipuram M, Meng L, Südhof TC, Wernig M. Myt1l haploinsufficiency leads to obesity and multifaceted behavioral alterations in mice. Mol Autism 2022; 13:19. [PMID: 35538503 PMCID: PMC9087967 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00497-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The zinc finger domain containing transcription factor Myt1l is tightly associated with neuronal identity and is the only transcription factor known that is both neuron-specific and expressed in all neuronal subtypes. We identified Myt1l as a powerful reprogramming factor that, in combination with the proneural bHLH factor Ascl1, could induce neuronal fate in fibroblasts. Molecularly, we found it to repress many non-neuronal gene programs, explaining its supportive role to induce and safeguard neuronal identity in combination with proneural bHLH transcriptional activators. Moreover, human genetics studies found MYT1L mutations to cause intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder often coupled with obesity. METHODS Here, we generated and characterized Myt1l-deficient mice. A comprehensive, longitudinal behavioral phenotyping approach was applied. RESULTS Myt1l was necessary for survival beyond 24 h but not for overall histological brain organization. Myt1l heterozygous mice became increasingly overweight and exhibited multifaceted behavioral alterations. In mouse pups, Myt1l haploinsufficiency caused mild alterations in early socio-affective communication through ultrasonic vocalizations. In adulthood, Myt1l heterozygous mice displayed hyperactivity due to impaired habituation learning. Motor performance was reduced in Myt1l heterozygous mice despite intact motor learning, possibly due to muscular hypotonia. While anxiety-related behavior was reduced, acoustic startle reactivity was enhanced, in line with higher sensitivity to loud sound. Finally, Myt1l haploinsufficiency had a negative impact on contextual fear memory retrieval, while cued fear memory retrieval appeared to be intact. LIMITATIONS In future studies, additional phenotypes might be identified and a detailed characterization of direct reciprocal social interaction behavior might help to reveal effects of Myt1l haploinsufficiency on social behavior in juvenile and adult mice. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral alterations in Myt1l haploinsufficient mice recapitulate several clinical phenotypes observed in humans carrying heterozygous MYT1L mutations and thus serve as an informative model of the human MYT1L syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Wöhr
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium ,grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Philipps-University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany ,grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Wendy M. Fong
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Justyna A. Janas
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Moritz Mall
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584Present Address: Cell Fate Engineering and Disease Modeling Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,Present Address: HITBR Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research gGmbH, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Present Address: Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Thome
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Madhuri Vangipuram
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Lingjun Meng
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhang X, Lin PY, Liakath-Ali K, Südhof TC. Teneurins assemble into presynaptic nanoclusters that promote synapse formation via postsynaptic non-teneurin ligands. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2297. [PMID: 35484136 PMCID: PMC9050732 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29751-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive studies concluded that homophilic interactions between pre- and postsynaptic teneurins, evolutionarily conserved cell-adhesion molecules, encode the specificity of synaptic connections. However, no direct evidence is available to demonstrate that teneurins are actually required on both pre- and postsynaptic neurons for establishing synaptic connections, nor is it known whether teneurins are localized to synapses. Using super-resolution microscopy, we demonstrate that Teneurin-3 assembles into presynaptic nanoclusters of approximately 80 nm in most excitatory synapses of the hippocampus. Presynaptic deletions of Teneurin-3 and Teneurin-4 in the medial entorhinal cortex revealed that they are required for assembly of entorhinal cortex-CA1, entorhinal cortex-subiculum, and entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus synapses. Postsynaptic deletions of teneurins in the CA1 region, however, had no effect on synaptic connections from any presynaptic input. Our data suggest that different from the current prevailing view, teneurins promote the establishment of synaptic connections exclusively as presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules, most likely via their nanomolar-affinity binding to postsynaptic latrophilins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuchen Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Pei-Yi Lin
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Liu Z, Jiang M, Liakath-Ali K, Sclip A, Ko J, Zhang RS, Südhof TC. Deletion of Calsyntenin-3, an atypical cadherin, suppresses inhibitory synapses but increases excitatory parallel-fiber synapses in cerebellum. eLife 2022; 11:e70664. [PMID: 35420982 PMCID: PMC9064300 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cadherins contribute to the organization of nearly all tissues, but the functions of several evolutionarily conserved cadherins, including those of calsyntenins, remain enigmatic. Puzzlingly, two distinct, non-overlapping functions for calsyntenins were proposed: As postsynaptic neurexin ligands in synapse formation, or as presynaptic kinesin adaptors in vesicular transport. Here, we show that, surprisingly, acute CRISPR-mediated deletion of calsyntenin-3 in mouse cerebellum in vivo causes a large decrease in inhibitory synapse, but a robust increase in excitatory parallel-fiber synapses in Purkinje cells. As a result, inhibitory synaptic transmission was suppressed, whereas parallel-fiber synaptic transmission was enhanced in Purkinje cells by the calsyntenin-3 deletion. No changes in the dendritic architecture of Purkinje cells or in climbing-fiber synapses were detected. Sparse selective deletion of calsyntenin-3 only in Purkinje cells recapitulated the synaptic phenotype, indicating that calsyntenin-3 acts by a cell-autonomous postsynaptic mechanism in cerebellum. Thus, by inhibiting formation of excitatory parallel-fiber synapses and promoting formation of inhibitory synapses in the same neuron, calsyntenin-3 functions as a postsynaptic adhesion molecule that regulates the excitatory/inhibitory balance in Purkinje cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Man Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Alessandra Sclip
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Jaewon Ko
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and TechnologyDaeguRepublic of Korea
| | - Roger Shen Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Shibuya Y, Kumar KK, Mader MMD, Yoo Y, Ayala LA, Zhou M, Mohr MA, Neumayer G, Kumar I, Yamamoto R, Marcoux P, Liou B, Bennett FC, Nakauchi H, Sun Y, Chen X, Heppner FL, Wyss-Coray T, Südhof TC, Wernig M. Treatment of a genetic brain disease by CNS-wide microglia replacement. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabl9945. [PMID: 35294256 PMCID: PMC9618306 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abl9945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic cell transplantation after myeloablative conditioning has been used to treat various genetic metabolic syndromes but is largely ineffective in diseases affecting the brain presumably due to poor and variable myeloid cell incorporation into the central nervous system. Here, we developed and characterized a near-complete and homogeneous replacement of microglia with bone marrow cells in mice without the need for genetic manipulation of donor or host. The high chimerism resulted from a competitive advantage of scarce donor cells during microglia repopulation rather than enhanced recruitment from the periphery. Hematopoietic stem cells, but not immediate myeloid or monocyte progenitor cells, contained full microglia replacement potency equivalent to whole bone marrow. To explore its therapeutic potential, we applied microglia replacement to a mouse model for Prosaposin deficiency, which is characterized by a progressive neurodegeneration phenotype. We found a reduction of cerebellar neurodegeneration and gliosis in treated brains, improvement of motor and balance impairment, and life span extension even with treatment started in young adulthood. This proof-of-concept study suggests that efficient microglia replacement may have therapeutic efficacy for a variety of neurological diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Shibuya
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kevin K Kumar
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Marius Marc-Daniel Mader
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Yongjin Yoo
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,These authors contributed equally
| | - Luis Angel Ayala
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mu Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Gernot Neumayer
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ishan Kumar
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ryo Yamamoto
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Paul Marcoux
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Benjamin Liou
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - F Chris Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hiromitsu Nakauchi
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Distinguished Professor Unit, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Ying Sun
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Xiaoke Chen
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Frank L. Heppner
- Department of Neuropathology, Cluster of Excellence, NeuroCure, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Department of Neuropathology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Cluster of Excellence, NeuroCure, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany,Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), 10117 Berlin, Germany,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Veterans Administration Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Lead Contact,Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Sando R, Ho ML, Liu X, Südhof TC. Engineered synaptic tools reveal localized cAMP signaling in synapse assembly. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:e202109111. [PMID: 34913963 PMCID: PMC8685283 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202109111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological mechanisms driving synapse formation are elusive. Although numerous signals are known to regulate synapses, it remains unclear which signaling mechanisms organize initial synapse assembly. Here, we describe new tools, referred to as "SynTAMs" for synaptic targeting molecules, that enable localized perturbations of cAMP signaling in developing postsynaptic specializations. We show that locally restricted suppression of postsynaptic cAMP levels or of cAMP-dependent protein-kinase activity severely impairs excitatory synapse formation without affecting neuronal maturation, dendritic arborization, or inhibitory synapse formation. In vivo, suppression of postsynaptic cAMP signaling in CA1 neurons prevented formation of both Schaffer-collateral and entorhinal-CA1/temporoammonic-path synapses, suggesting a general principle. Retrograde trans-synaptic rabies virus tracing revealed that postsynaptic cAMP signaling is required for continuous replacement of synapses throughout life. Given that postsynaptic latrophilin adhesion-GPCRs drive synapse formation and produce cAMP, we suggest that spatially restricted postsynaptic cAMP signals organize assembly of postsynaptic specializations during synapse formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Sando
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Milan Lyndie Ho
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Xinran Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Shankhwar S, Schwarz K, Katiyar R, Jung M, Maxeiner S, Südhof TC, Schmitz F. RIBEYE B-Domain Is Essential for RIBEYE A-Domain Stability and Assembly of Synaptic Ribbons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:838311. [PMID: 35153673 PMCID: PMC8831697 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.838311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic ribbons are presynaptic specializations that define eponymous ribbon synapses. Synaptic ribbons are largely composed of RIBEYE, a protein containing an N-terminal A-domain and a carboxyterminal B-domain that is identical with CtBP2, a NAD(H)-binding transcriptional co-repressor. Previously we showed that synaptic ribbons are completely absent in RIBEYE knockout mice in which the RIBEYE A-domain-encoding exon had been deleted, but CtBP2 is still made, demonstrating that the A-domain is required for synaptic ribbon assembly. In the present study, we asked whether the RIBEYE B-domain also has an essential role in the assembly of synaptic ribbons. For this purpose, we made use of RIBEYE knockin mice in which the RIBEYE B-domain was replaced by a fluorescent protein domain, whereas the RIBEYE A-domain was retained unchanged. We found that replacing the RIBEYE B-domain with a fluorescent protein module destabilizes the resulting hybrid protein and causes a complete loss of synaptic ribbons. Our results thus demonstrate an essential role of the RIBEYE B-domain in enabling RIBEYE assembly into synaptic ribbons, reinforcing the notion that RIBEYE is the central organizer of synaptic ribbons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soni Shankhwar
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Medical School, Homburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Soni Shankhwar Frank Schmitz
| | - Karin Schwarz
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Medical School, Homburg, Germany
| | - Rashmi Katiyar
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Medical School, Homburg, Germany
| | - Martin Jung
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Medical School, Homburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Medical School, Homburg, Germany
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Frank Schmitz
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Medical School, Homburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Soni Shankhwar Frank Schmitz
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wang J, Miao Y, Wicklein R, Sun Z, Wang J, Jude KM, Fernandes RA, Merrill SA, Wernig M, Garcia KC, Südhof TC. RTN4/NoGo-receptor binding to BAI adhesion-GPCRs regulates neuronal development. Cell 2022; 185:218. [PMID: 34995515 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
33
|
Alberts B, Colbran RJ, Dolphin AC, Pitt GS, Südhof TC. Proteolytic regulation of calcium channels - avoiding controversy. Fac Rev 2022; 11:5. [PMID: 35373215 PMCID: PMC8958896 DOI: 10.12703/r-01-000006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The publication of papers containing data obtained with suboptimal rigor in the experimental design and choice of key reagents, such as antibodies, can result in a lack of reproducibility and generate controversy that can both needlessly divert resources and, in some cases, damage public perception of the scientific enterprise. This exemplary paper by Buonarati et al. (2018)1 shows how a previously published, potentially important paper on calcium channel regulation falls short of the necessary mark, and aims to resolve the resulting controversy.
Collapse
|
34
|
Wang CY, Trotter JH, Liakath-Ali K, Lee SJ, Liu X, Südhof TC. Molecular self-avoidance in synaptic neurexin complexes. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabk1924. [PMID: 34919427 PMCID: PMC8682996 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk1924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Synapses are thought to be organized by interactions of presynaptic neurexins with postsynaptic ligands, particularly with neuroligins and cerebellins. However, when a neuron forms adjacent pre- and postsynaptic specializations, as in dendrodendritic or axo-axonic synapses, nonfunctional cis neurexin/ligand interactions would be energetically favored. Here, we reveal an organizational principle for preventing synaptic cis interactions (“self-avoidance”). Using dendrodendritic synapses between mitral and granule cells in the olfactory bulb as a paradigm, we show that, owing to its higher binding affinity, cerebellin-1 blocks the cis interaction of neurexins with neuroligins, thereby enabling trans neurexin/neuroligin interaction. In mitral cells, ablating either cerebellin-1 or neuroligins severely impaired granule cell➔mitral cell synapses, as did overexpression of wild-type neurexins but not of mutant neurexins unable to bind to neuroligins. Our data uncover a molecular interaction network that organizes the self-avoidance of nonfunctional neurexin/ligand cis interactions, thus allowing assembly of physiological trans interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cosmos Yuqi Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Justin H. Trotter
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sung-Jin Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Xinran Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Wang J, Miao Y, Wicklein R, Sun Z, Wang J, Jude KM, Fernandes RA, Merrill SA, Wernig M, Garcia KC, Südhof TC. RTN4/NoGo-receptor binding to BAI adhesion-GPCRs regulates neuronal development. Cell 2021; 184:5869-5885.e25. [PMID: 34758294 PMCID: PMC8620742 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
RTN4-binding proteins were widely studied as "NoGo" receptors, but their physiological interactors and roles remain elusive. Similarly, BAI adhesion-GPCRs were associated with numerous activities, but their ligands and functions remain unclear. Using unbiased approaches, we observed an unexpected convergence: RTN4 receptors are high-affinity ligands for BAI adhesion-GPCRs. A single thrombospondin type 1-repeat (TSR) domain of BAIs binds to the leucine-rich repeat domain of all three RTN4-receptor isoforms with nanomolar affinity. In the 1.65 Å crystal structure of the BAI1/RTN4-receptor complex, C-mannosylation of tryptophan and O-fucosylation of threonine in the BAI TSR-domains creates a RTN4-receptor/BAI interface shaped by unusual glycoconjugates that enables high-affinity interactions. In human neurons, RTN4 receptors regulate dendritic arborization, axonal elongation, and synapse formation by differential binding to glial versus neuronal BAIs, thereby controlling neural network activity. Thus, BAI binding to RTN4/NoGo receptors represents a receptor-ligand axis that, enabled by rare post-translational modifications, controls development of synaptic circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yi Miao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rebecca Wicklein
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zijun Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jinzhao Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kevin M Jude
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ricardo A Fernandes
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sean A Merrill
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - K Christopher Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Patzke C, Dai J, Brockmann MM, Sun Z, Fenske P, Rosenmund C, Südhof TC. Cannabinoid receptor activation acutely increases synaptic vesicle numbers by activating synapsins in human synapses. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6253-6268. [PMID: 33931733 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01095-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are central agents that are used widely recreationally and are employed broadly for treating psychiatric conditions. Cannabinoids primarily act by stimulating presynaptic CB1 receptors (CB1Rs), the most abundant G-protein-coupled receptors in brain. CB1R activation decreases neurotransmitter release by inhibiting presynaptic Ca2+ channels and induces long-term plasticity by decreasing cellular cAMP levels. Here we identified an unanticipated additional mechanism of acute cannabinoid signaling in presynaptic terminals that regulates the size of synaptic vesicle pools available for neurotransmitter release. Specifically, we show that activation of CB1Rs in human and mouse neurons rapidly recruits vesicles to nerve terminals by suppressing the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of synapsins. We confirmed this unanticipated mechanism using conditional deletion of synapsin-1, the predominant synapsin isoform in human neurons, demonstrating that synapsin-1 significantly contributes to the CB1R-dependent regulation of neurotransmission. Interestingly, acute activation of the Gi-DREADD hM4D mimics the effect of CB1R activation in a synapsin-1-dependent manner, suggesting that the control of synaptic vesicle numbers by synapsin-1 phosphorylation is a general presynaptic mechanism of neuromodulation. Thus, we uncovered a CB1R-dependent presynaptic mechanism that rapidly regulates the organization and neurotransmitter release properties of synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Patzke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, University of Notre Dame, 109A Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
| | - Jinye Dai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Marisa M Brockmann
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Zijun Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Pascal Fenske
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Rosenmund
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
In a neural circuit, synapses transfer information rapidly between neurons and transform this information during transfer. The diverse computational properties of synapses are shaped by the interactions between pre- and postsynaptic neurons. How synapses are assembled to form a neural circuit, and how the specificity of synaptic connections is achieved, is largely unknown. Here, I posit that synaptic adhesion molecules (SAMs) organize synapse formation. Diverse SAMs collaborate to achieve the astounding specificity and plasticity of synapses, with each SAM contributing different facets. In orchestrating synapse assembly, SAMs likely act as signal transduction devices. Although many candidate SAMs are known, only a few SAMs appear to have a major impact on synapse formation. Thus, a limited set of collaborating SAMs likely suffices to account for synapse formation. Strikingly, several SAMs are genetically linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, suggesting that impairments in synapse assembly are instrumental in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
|
38
|
Ng YH, Chanda S, Janas JA, Yang N, Kokubu Y, Südhof TC, Wernig M. Efficient generation of dopaminergic induced neuronal cells with midbrain characteristics. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1763-1776. [PMID: 34171286 PMCID: PMC8282497 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells can be accomplished by sequential activation of signaling pathways or through transcription factor programming. Multistep differentiation imitates embryonic development to obtain authentic cell types, but it suffers from asynchronous differentiation with variable efficiency. Transcription factor programming induces synchronous and efficient differentiation with higher reproducibility but may not always yield authentic cell types. We systematically explored the generation of dopaminergic induced neuronal cells from mouse and human pluripotent stem cells. We found that the proneural factor Ascl1 in combination with mesencephalic factors Lmx1a and Nurr1 induce peripheral dopaminergic neurons. Co-delivery of additional midbrain transcription factors En1, FoxA2, and Pitx3 resulted in facile and robust generation of functional dopaminergic neurons of midbrain character. Our results suggest that more complex combinations of transcription factors may be needed for proper regional specification of induced neuronal cells generated by direct lineage induction. Ascl1 alone can induce tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive ES-iN cells Ascl1 alone, or with Nurr1 and Lmx1a, induce peripheral TH-positive cells WNT1 and neurotrophic factors increase TH-positive iN cells in culture A 6-factor combination induces TH-positive dopamine iN cells of central identity
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Han Ng
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Soham Chanda
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Justyna A Janas
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nan Yang
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuko Kokubu
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Dai J, Patzke C, Liakath-Ali K, Seigneur E, Südhof TC. GluD1 is a signal transduction device disguised as an ionotropic receptor. Nature 2021; 595:261-265. [PMID: 34135511 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03661-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Ionotropic glutamate delta receptors 1 (GluD1) and 2 (GluD2) exhibit the molecular architecture of postsynaptic ionotropic glutamate receptors, but assemble into trans-synaptic adhesion complexes by binding to secreted cerebellins that in turn interact with presynaptic neurexins1-4. It is unclear whether neurexin-cerebellin-GluD1/2 assemblies serve an adhesive synapse-formation function or mediate trans-synaptic signalling. Here we show in hippocampal synapses, that binding of presynaptic neurexin-cerebellin complexes to postsynaptic GluD1 controls glutamate receptor activity without affecting synapse numbers. Specifically, neurexin-1-cerebellin-2 and neurexin-3-cerebellin-2 complexes differentially regulate NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors and AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors by activating distinct postsynaptic GluD1 effector signals. Of note, minimal GluD1 and GluD2 constructs containing only their N-terminal cerebellin-binding and C-terminal cytoplasmic domains, joined by an unrelated transmembrane region, fully control the levels of NMDA and AMPA receptors. The distinct signalling specificity of presynaptic neurexin-1 and neurexin-35,6 is encoded by their alternatively spliced splice site 4 sequences, whereas the regulatory functions of postsynaptic GluD1 are mediated by conserved cytoplasmic sequence motifs spanning 5-13 residues. Thus, GluDs are signalling molecules that regulate NMDA and AMPA receptors by an unexpected transduction mechanism that bypasses their ionotropic receptor architecture and directly converts extracellular neurexin-cerebellin signals into postsynaptic receptor responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinye Dai
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Christopher Patzke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Erica Seigneur
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Mencacci NE, Brockmann MM, Dai J, Pajusalu S, Atasu B, Campos J, Pino G, Gonzalez-Latapi P, Patzke C, Schwake M, Tucci A, Pittman A, Simon-Sanchez J, Carvill GL, Balint B, Wiethoff S, Warner TT, Papandreou A, Soo A, Rein R, Kadastik-Eerme L, Puusepp S, Reinson K, Tomberg T, Hanagasi H, Gasser T, Bhatia KP, Kurian MA, Lohmann E, Õunap K, Rosenmund C, Südhof TC, Wood NW, Krainc D, Acuna C. Biallelic variants in TSPOAP1, encoding the active-zone protein RIMBP1, cause autosomal recessive dystonia. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:140625. [PMID: 33539324 DOI: 10.1172/jci140625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [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: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystonia is a debilitating hyperkinetic movement disorder, which can be transmitted as a monogenic trait. Here, we describe homozygous frameshift, nonsense, and missense variants in TSPOAP1, which encodes the active-zone RIM-binding protein 1 (RIMBP1), as a genetic cause of autosomal recessive dystonia in 7 subjects from 3 unrelated families. Subjects carrying loss-of-function variants presented with juvenile-onset progressive generalized dystonia, associated with intellectual disability and cerebellar atrophy. Conversely, subjects carrying a pathogenic missense variant (p.Gly1808Ser) presented with isolated adult-onset focal dystonia. In mice, complete loss of RIMBP1, known to reduce neurotransmission, led to motor abnormalities reminiscent of dystonia, decreased Purkinje cell dendritic arborization, and reduced numbers of cerebellar synapses. In vitro analysis of the p.Gly1808Ser variant showed larger spike-evoked calcium transients and enhanced neurotransmission, suggesting that RIMBP1-linked dystonia can be caused by either reduced or enhanced rates of spike-evoked release in relevant neural networks. Our findings establish a direct link between dysfunction of the presynaptic active zone and dystonia and highlight the critical role played by well-balanced neurotransmission in motor control and disease pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò E Mencacci
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marisa M Brockmann
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jinye Dai
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Sander Pajusalu
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Burcu Atasu
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center of Neurology, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Joaquin Campos
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and
| | - Gabriela Pino
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and
| | - Paulina Gonzalez-Latapi
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher Patzke
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michael Schwake
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Arianna Tucci
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Pittman
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Javier Simon-Sanchez
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center of Neurology, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gemma L Carvill
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bettina Balint
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Wiethoff
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Center of Neurology, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Klinik für Neurologie mit Institut für Translationale Neurologie, Albert Schweitzer Campus 1, Gebäude A1, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas T Warner
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Apostolos Papandreou
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Audrey Soo
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Sanna Puusepp
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Karit Reinson
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tiiu Tomberg
- Radiology Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Hasmet Hanagasi
- Behavioural Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Thomas Gasser
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center of Neurology, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kailash P Bhatia
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Manju A Kurian
- Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.,Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ebba Lohmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center of Neurology, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Õunap
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Nicholas W Wood
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitri Krainc
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.,Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Khalaj AJ, Sterky FH, Sclip A, Schwenk J, Brunger AT, Fakler B, Südhof TC. Deorphanizing FAM19A proteins as pan-neurexin ligands with an unusual biosynthetic binding mechanism. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:151974. [PMID: 32706374 PMCID: PMC7480106 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202004164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurexins are presynaptic adhesion molecules that organize synapses by binding to diverse trans-synaptic ligands, but how neurexins are regulated is incompletely understood. Here we identify FAM19A/TAFA proteins, “orphan" cytokines, as neurexin regulators that interact with all neurexins, except for neurexin-1γ, via an unusual mechanism. Specifically, we show that FAM19A1-A4 bind to the cysteine-loop domain of neurexins by forming intermolecular disulfide bonds during transport through the secretory pathway. FAM19A-binding required both the cysteines of the cysteine-loop domain and an adjacent sequence of neurexins. Genetic deletion of neurexins suppressed FAM19A1 expression, demonstrating that FAM19As physiologically interact with neurexins. In hippocampal cultures, expression of exogenous FAM19A1 decreased neurexin O-glycosylation and suppressed its heparan sulfate modification, suggesting that FAM19As regulate the post-translational modification of neurexins. Given the selective expression of FAM19As in specific subtypes of neurons and their activity-dependent regulation, these results suggest that FAM19As serve as cell type–specific regulators of neurexin modifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Khalaj
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Fredrik H Sterky
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Alessandra Sclip
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Jochen Schwenk
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Axel T Brunger
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Bernd Fakler
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Centres for Biological Signalling Studies (BIOSS) and Integrative Biological Signalling Studies (CIBSS), Freiburg, Germany.,Center for Basics in NeuroModulation, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Maxeiner S, Benseler F, Krasteva-Christ G, Brose N, Südhof TC. Evolution of the Autism-Associated Neuroligin-4 Gene Reveals Broad Erosion of Pseudoautosomal Regions in Rodents. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:1243-1258. [PMID: 32011705 PMCID: PMC7182215 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [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] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Variants in genes encoding synaptic adhesion proteins of the neuroligin family, most notably neuroligin-4, are a significant cause of autism spectrum disorders in humans. Although human neuroligin-4 is encoded by two genes, NLGN4X and NLGN4Y, that are localized on the X-specific and male-specific regions of the two sex chromosomes, the chromosomal localization and full genomic sequence of the mouse Nlgn4 gene remain elusive. Here, we analyzed the neuroligin-4 genes of numerous rodent species by direct sequencing and bioinformatics, generated complete drafts of multiple rodent neuroligin-4 genes, and examined their evolution. Surprisingly, we find that the murine Nlgn4 gene is localized to the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of the sex chromosomes, different from its human orthologs. We show that the sequence differences between various neuroligin-4 proteins are restricted to hotspots in which rodent neuroligin-4 proteins contain short repetitive sequence insertions compared with neuroligin-4 proteins from other species, whereas all other protein sequences are highly conserved. Evolutionarily, these sequence insertions initiate in the clade eumuroidea of the infraorder myomorpha and are additionally associated with dramatic changes in noncoding sequences and gene size. Importantly, these changes are not exclusively restricted to neuroligin-4 genes but reflect major evolutionary changes that substantially altered or even deleted genes from the PARs of both sex chromosomes. Our results show that despite the fact that the PAR in rodents and the neuroligin-4 genes within the rodent PAR underwent massive evolutionary changes, neuroligin-4 proteins maintained a highly conserved core structure, consistent with a substantial evolutionary pressure preserving its physiological function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Maxeiner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.,Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Fritz Benseler
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Nils Brose
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Liakath-Ali K, Südhof TC. The Perils of Navigating Activity-Dependent Alternative Splicing of Neurexins. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:659681. [PMID: 33767611 PMCID: PMC7985251 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.659681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurexins are presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules essential for synaptic function that are expressed in thousands of alternatively spliced isoforms. Recent studies suggested that alternative splicing at splice site 4 (SS4) of Nrxn1 is tightly regulated by an activity-dependent mechanism. Given that Nrxn1 alternative splicing at SS4 controls NMDA-receptor-mediated synaptic responses, activity-dependent SS4 alternative splicing would suggest a new synaptic plasticity mechanism. However, conflicting results confound the assessment of neurexin alternative splicing, prompting us to re-evaluate this issue. We find that in cortical cultures, membrane depolarization by elevated extracellular K+-concentrations produced an apparent shift in Nrxn1-SS4 alternative splicing by inducing neuronal but not astroglial cell death, resulting in persistent astroglial Nrxn1-SS4+ expression and decreased neuronal Nrxn1-SS4– expression. in vivo, systemic kainate-induced activation of neurons in the hippocampus produced no changes in Nrxn1-SS4 alternative splicing. Moreover, focal kainate injections into the mouse cerebellum induced small changes in Nrxn1-SS4 alternative splicing that, however, were associated with large decreases in Nrxn1 expression and widespread DNA damage. Our results suggest that although Nrxn1-SS4 alternative splicing may represent a mechanism of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, common procedures for testing this hypothesis are prone to artifacts, and more sophisticated approaches will be necessary to test this important question.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kif Liakath-Ali
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Neural circuit assembly in the brain requires precise establishment of synaptic connections, but the mechanisms of synapse assembly remain incompletely understood. Latrophilins are postsynaptic adhesion-GPCRs that engage in trans-synaptic complexes with presynaptic teneurins and FLRTs. In mouse CA1-region neurons, Latrophilin-2 and Latrophilin-3 are essential for formation of entorhinal-cortex-derived and Schaffer-collateral-derived synapses, respectively. However, it is unknown whether latrophilins function as GPCRs in synapse formation. Here, we show that Latrophilin-2 and Latrophilin-3 exhibit constitutive GPCR activity that increases cAMP levels, which was blocked by a mutation interfering with G-protein and arrestin interactions of GPCRs. The same mutation impaired the ability of Latrophilin-2 and Latrophilin-3 to rescue the synapse-loss phenotype in Latrophilin-2 and Latrophilin-3 knockout neurons in vivo. Our results suggest that Latrophilin-2 and Latrophilin-3 require GPCR signaling in synapse formation, indicating that latrophilins promote synapse formation in the hippocampus by activating a classical GPCR-signaling pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Sando
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Sun Z, Südhof TC. A simple Ca 2+-imaging approach to neural network analyses in cultured neurons. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 349:109041. [PMID: 33340555 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ca2+-imaging is a powerful tool to measure neuronal dynamics and network activity. To monitor network-level changes in cultured neurons, neuronal activity is often evoked by electrical or optogenetic stimulation and assessed using multi-electrode arrays or sophisticated imaging. Although such approaches allow detailed network analyses, multi-electrode arrays lack single-cell precision, whereas optical physiology generally requires advanced instrumentation that may not be universally available. NEW METHOD Here we developed a simple, stimulation-free protocol with associated Matlab algorithms that enables scalable analyses of spontaneous network activity in cultured human and mouse neurons. The approach allows analysis of the overall network activity and of single-neuron dynamics, and is amenable to screening purposes. RESULTS We validated the new protocol by assessing human neurons with a heterozygous conditional deletion of Munc18-1, and mouse neurons with a homozygous conditional deletion of neurexins. The approach described enabled identification of differential changes in these mutant neurons, allowing quantifications of the synchronous firing rate at the network level and of the amplitude and frequency of Ca2+-spikes at the single-neuron level. These results demonstrate the utility of the approach. COMPARISION WITH EXISTING METHODS Compared with current imaging platforms, our method is simple, scalable, accessible, and easy to implement. It enables quantification of more detailed parameters than multi-electrode arrays, but does not have the resolution and depth of more sophisticated yet labour-intensive methods, such as patch-clamp electrophysiology. CONCLUSION The method reported here is scalable for a rapid direct assessment of neuronal function in culture, and can be applied to both human and mouse neurons. Thus, the method can serve as a basis for phenotypical analysis of mutations and for drug discovery efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zhou M, Melin MD, Xu W, Südhof TC. Dysfunction of parvalbumin neurons in the cerebellar nuclei produces an action tremor. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:5142-5156. [PMID: 32634124 PMCID: PMC7524475 DOI: 10.1172/jci135802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Essential tremor is a common brain disorder affecting millions of people, yet the neuronal mechanisms underlying this prevalent disease remain elusive. Here, we showed that conditional deletion of synaptotagmin-2, the fastest Ca2+ sensor for synaptic neurotransmitter release, from parvalbumin neurons in mice caused an action tremor syndrome resembling the core symptom of essential tremor patients. Combining brain region-specific and cell type-specific genetic manipulation methods, we found that deletion of synaptotagmin-2 from excitatory parvalbumin-positive neurons in cerebellar nuclei was sufficient to generate an action tremor. The synaptotagmin-2 deletion converted synchronous into asynchronous neurotransmitter release in projections from cerebellar nuclei neurons onto gigantocellular reticular nucleus neurons, which might produce an action tremor by causing signal oscillations during movement. The tremor was rescued by completely blocking synaptic transmission with tetanus toxin in cerebellar nuclei, which also reversed the tremor phenotype in the traditional harmaline-induced essential tremor model. Using a promising animal model for action tremor, our results thus characterized a synaptic circuit mechanism that may underlie the prevalent essential tremor disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mu Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and
| | | | - Wei Xu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Wang CY, Liu Z, Ng YH, Südhof TC. A Synaptic Circuit Required for Acquisition but Not Recall of Social Transmission of Food Preference. Neuron 2020; 107:144-157.e4. [PMID: 32369733 PMCID: PMC7351611 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
During social transmission of food preference (STFP), the combination of an olfactory sensory input with a social cue induces long-term memory of a food odor. How a social cue produces long-term learning of an olfactory input, however, remains unknown. Here we show that the neurons of the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), which form abundant synaptic projections onto granule cells in the olfactory bulb (OB), express the synaptogenic molecule C1ql3. Deletion of C1ql3 in the dorsolateral AON impaired synaptic AON→OB connections and abolished acquisition, but not recall, of STFP memory without significantly affecting basal olfaction. Moreover, deletion in granule cells of the OB of Bai3, a postsynaptic GPCR that binds C1ql3, similarly suppressed synaptic transmission at AON→OB projections and abolished acquisition, but not recall, of STFP memory. Thus, synaptic AON→OB connections are selectively required for STFP memory acquisition and are formed by an essential interaction of presynaptic C1ql3 with postsynaptic Bai3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cosmos Yuqi Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Zhihui Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yi Han Ng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Patzke C, Brockmann MM, Dai J, Gan KJ, Grauel MK, Fenske P, Liu Y, Acuna C, Rosenmund C, Südhof TC. Neuromodulator Signaling Bidirectionally Controls Vesicle Numbers in Human Synapses. Cell 2020; 179:498-513.e22. [PMID: 31585084 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuromodulators bind to pre- and postsynaptic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are able to quickly change intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) and Ca2+ levels, and are thought to play important roles in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we discovered in human neurons an unanticipated presynaptic mechanism that acutely changes synaptic ultrastructure and regulates synaptic communication. Activation of neuromodulator receptors bidirectionally controlled synaptic vesicle numbers within nerve terminals. This control correlated with changes in the levels of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of synapsin-1. Using a conditional deletion approach, we reveal that the neuromodulator-induced control of synaptic vesicle numbers was largely dependent on synapsin-1. We propose a mechanism whereby non-phosphorylated synapsin-1 "latches" synaptic vesicles to presynaptic clusters at the active zone. cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of synapsin-1 then removes the vesicles. cAMP-independent dephosphorylation of synapsin-1 in turn recruits vesicles. Synapsin-1 thereby bidirectionally regulates synaptic vesicle numbers and modifies presynaptic neurotransmitter release as an effector of neuromodulator signaling in human neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Patzke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Marisa M Brockmann
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jinye Dai
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kathlyn J Gan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - M Katharina Grauel
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pascal Fenske
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Christian Rosenmund
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Li J, Xie Y, Cornelius S, Jiang X, Sando R, Kordon SP, Pan M, Leon K, Südhof TC, Zhao M, Araç D. Alternative splicing controls teneurin-latrophilin interaction and synapse specificity by a shape-shifting mechanism. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2140. [PMID: 32358586 PMCID: PMC7195488 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16029-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The trans-synaptic interaction of the cell-adhesion molecules teneurins (TENs) with latrophilins (LPHNs/ADGRLs) promotes excitatory synapse formation when LPHNs simultaneously interact with FLRTs. Insertion of a short alternatively-spliced region within TENs abolishes the TEN-LPHN interaction and switches TEN function to specify inhibitory synapses. How alternative-splicing regulates TEN-LPHN interaction remains unclear. Here, we report the 2.9 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the TEN2-LPHN3 complex, and describe the trimeric TEN2-LPHN3-FLRT3 complex. The structure reveals that the N-terminal lectin domain of LPHN3 binds to the TEN2 barrel at a site far away from the alternatively spliced region. Alternative-splicing regulates the TEN2-LPHN3 interaction by hindering access to the LPHN-binding surface rather than altering it. Strikingly, mutagenesis of the LPHN-binding surface of TEN2 abolishes the LPHN3 interaction and impairs excitatory but not inhibitory synapse formation. These results suggest that a multi-level coincident binding mechanism mediated by a cryptic adhesion complex between TENs and LPHNs regulates synapse specificity. The trans-synaptic interaction of the cell-adhesion molecules teneurins (TENs) with latrophilins (LPHNs) promotes excitatory synapse formation. Here authors report the high resolution cryo-EM structure of the TEN2-LPHN3 complex, describe the trimeric TEN2-LPHN3-FLRT3 complex and show how alternative-splicing regulates the TEN2-LPHN3 interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingxian Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Yuan Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Shaleeka Cornelius
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Xian Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Richard Sando
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Szymon P Kordon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Man Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Katherine Leon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Minglei Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Demet Araç
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA. .,Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Zhang RS, Liakath-Ali K, Südhof TC. Latrophilin-2 and latrophilin-3 are redundantly essential for parallel-fiber synapse function in cerebellum. eLife 2020; 9:e54443. [PMID: 32202499 PMCID: PMC7089768 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Latrophilin-2 (Lphn2) and latrophilin-3 (Lphn3) are adhesion GPCRs that serve as postsynaptic recognition molecules in CA1 pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus, where they are localized to distinct dendritic domains and are essential for different sets of excitatory synapses. Here, we studied Lphn2 and Lphn3 in the cerebellum. We show that latrophilins are abundantly and differentially expressed in the cerebellar cortex. Using conditional KO mice, we demonstrate that the Lphn2/3 double-deletion but not the deletion of Lphn2 or Lphn3 alone suppresses parallel-fiber synapses and reduces parallel-fiber synaptic transmission by ~50% without altering release probability. Climbing-fiber synapses, conversely, were unaffected. Even though ~50% of total cerebellar Lphn3 protein is expressed in Bergmann glia, Lphn3 deletion from Bergmann glia did not detectably impair excitatory or inhibitory synaptic transmission. Our studies demonstrate that Lphn2 and Lphn3 are selectively but redundantly required in Purkinje cells for parallel-fiber synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roger Shen Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Kif Liakath-Ali
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| |
Collapse
|