Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caley A. Hogan, Scott J. Gratz, Jennifer L. Dumouchel, Rajan S. Thakur, Ambar Delgado, Jenna M. Lentini, Kimberly R. Madhwani, Dragony Fu, Kate M. O'Connor-Giles
Summary: TRMT9B is identified as a new regulator of synapse formation and function in Drosophila, specifically enriched in the nervous system. It acts postsynaptically to regulate synaptogenesis and promote neurotransmission, possibly through its methyltransferase function.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monica C. Quinones-Frias, J. Troy Littleton
Summary: The SYT family of proteins play crucial roles in regulating membrane trafficking at neuronal synapses, participating in synchronous and asynchronous fusion of synaptic vesicles and preventing spontaneous release. Changes in SYT isoforms can alter the fusion of synaptic vesicles and regulate trafficking of other subcellular organelles. However, the exact mechanisms by which SYTs interact with lipids and other effectors are still under investigation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rohini Subrahmanyam, Deepanjali Dwivedi, Zubin Rashid, Katherine Bonnycastle, Michael A. Cousin, Sumantra Chattarji
Summary: This study reveals that FMRP represses spontaneous presynaptic SV fusion, while mGlu receptor activation increases this event, with reciprocal control likely mediated through their regulation of intrinsic neuronal excitability.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pei-Yi Lin, Lulu Y. Chen, Peng Zhou, Sung-Jin Lee, Justin H. Trotter, Thomas C. Suedhof
Summary: Recent research has shown that the deletion of Nrxn2 unexpectedly leads to an increase in excitatory synapse numbers and their presynaptic release probability, suggesting a role of Nrxn2 in restricting synapse assembly. Cultured hippocampal neurons have been used to study the synaptic function and mechanism of Nrxn2, revealing that certain splice variants of Nrxn2 restrict synapse numbers and restrain their release probability. These findings are significant for understanding the mechanism of synapse assembly.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Mamoru Tanaka, Takeshi Sakaba, Takafumi Miki
Summary: The study revealed that at the hippocampal mossy fibre-CA3 interneuron synapse, there is a high occupancy probability and release probability, which are crucial determinants of short-term synaptic depression.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Michael J. Seibert, Chantell S. Evans, Kevin S. Stanley, Zhenyong Wu, Edwin R. Chapman
Summary: SYT9 is a Ca2+ sensor in neuroendocrine cells, but its function in neurons is unclear. In this study, it was found that SYT9 does not trigger rapid synaptic vesicle exocytosis in mouse cortical, hippocampal, or striatal neurons unless it is overexpressed. Loss of SYT9 in striatal neurons reduced the frequency of spontaneous neurotransmitter release events. Further investigation revealed that SYT9 is localized to dense-core vesicles containing substance P, and loss of SYT9 impaired SP release, causing the observed decrease in mini frequency. The study also showed that Ca2+ binding to the C2A domain of SYT9 triggered membrane fusion in vitro, and mutations disrupting this activity abolished SYT9's ability to regulate SP release and mini frequency. Therefore, it can be concluded that SYT9 indirectly regulates synaptic transmission in striatal neurons by controlling SP release.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Chao-Qun Liang, Gong Zhang, Lei Zhang, Si-Yun Chen, Jun-Nan Wang, Ting-Ting Zhang, Joshua H. Singer, Jiang-Bin Ke
Summary: The study found that CaM bidirectionally regulates evoked and spontaneous release at retinal ribbon synapses through MLCK.
Article
Biology
Chad W. Sauvola, Yulia Akbergenova, Karen L. Cunningham, Nicole A. Aponte-Santiago, J. Troy Littleton
Summary: The study demonstrates the role of Tomosyn protein in regulating synaptic output and sustaining release of neurotransmitters in different types of neurons in fruit flies, providing insights into synaptic signaling and plasticity mechanisms in the brain.
Article
Neurosciences
Harrison J. Ramsay, Sara E. Gookin, Austin M. Ramsey, Dean J. Kareemo, Kevin C. Crosby, Dominik G. Stich, Samantha S. Olah, Hannah S. Actor-Engel, Katharine R. Smith, Matthew J. Kennedy
Summary: Postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors and their associated scaffolding proteins form nanometer-scale subsynaptic domains (SSDs) within the postsynaptic membrane. The role of neurotransmitter signaling in the initial assembly of these SSDs during synapse development is still unknown.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olga Tyurikova, Kaiyu Zheng, Elizabeth Nicholson, Yulia Timofeeva, Alexey Semyanov, Kirill E. Volynski, Dmitri A. Rusakov
Summary: In cortical pyramidal neurons, the amount of action potential-evoked Ca2+ entry tends to increase with the number of axonal branches, while the resting Ca2+ level remains stable. Inhibition of astroglial glutamate uptake reduces evoked Ca2+ entry but has minimal effect on resting Ca2+, whereas activation of group 1/2 metabotropic glutamate receptors enhances both. Transient somatic depolarization or hyperpolarization does not consistently affect presynaptic Ca2+ entry or its basal level. These findings provide insights into the basic principles of synaptic connectivity in the brain.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Brittany Williams, J. Wesley Maddox, Amy Lee
Summary: In this article, the specific subtypes of Ca-v channels expressed in the retina, their intrinsic properties and forms of modulation, and how their dysregulation could lead to retinal disease are reviewed.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF VISION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Charles Ducrot, Marie-Josee Bourque, Constantin V. L. Delmas, Anne-Sophie Racine, Dainelys Guadarrama Bello, Benoit Delignat-Lavaud, Matthew Domenic Lycas, Aurelie Fallon, Charlotte Michaud-Tardif, Samuel Burke Nanni, Freja Herborg, Ulrik Gether, Antonio Nanci, Hideto Takahashi, Martin Parent, Louis-Eric Trudeau
Summary: The study found that dopamine neurons establish a distinctive axonal arbor in vitro, with differences in size and terminal propensity compared to glutamatergic or GABAergic neurons. While most dopamine varicosities are active, only about 20% of these are synaptic. Proteins neurexin-1 alpha and neuroligin-1 play a critical role in synapse formation by dopamine neurons.
Review
Neurosciences
Karen L. Cunningham, J. Troy Littleton
Summary: Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) play a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitter release at synapses. The abundance of VGCCs at active zones directly impacts synaptic strength. This article discusses the mechanisms involved in establishing VGCC abundance at synapses, including channel biosynthesis, axonal trafficking, incorporation and retention at presynaptic sites, and protein recycling, with insights from both invertebrate and vertebrate models.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Sergio Valbuena, Juan Lerma
Summary: The article reviews the impact of changes in synaptic protein expression levels on brain disorders, highlighting the role of gene mutations in psychiatric disorders and Down syndrome. These mutations do not affect the receptors' properties, but instead alter subunit expression levels, leading to abnormal synaptic function and behavioral deficits associated with these disorders.
Article
Psychiatry
Or Ilovich, Monica Dines, Blesson K. Paul, Edi Barkai, Raphael Lamprecht
Summary: Fear conditioning leads to long-term fear memory formation, involving changes in synaptic transmission and morphology. Nck1, a key adaptor protein, plays a role in memory formation. Our research shows that Nck1 activity in excitatory neurons regulates glutamate release and affects fear memory formation. Moreover, Nck1 may serve as a target for pharmacological treatment of fear and anxiety disorders.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. Kathuria, P. Nowosiad, R. Jagasia, S. Aigner, R. D. Taylor, L. C. Andreae, N. J. F. Gatford, W. Lucchesi, D. P. Srivastava, J. Price
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2018)
Review
Neurosciences
Laura C. Andreae
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Neurosciences
Federico W. Grillo, Guilherme Neves, Alison Walker, Gema Vizcay-Barrena, Roland A. Fleck, Tiago Branco, Juan Burrone
Article
Cell Biology
Myrto Denaxa, Guilherme Neves, Adam Rabinowitz, Sarah Kemlo, Petros Liodis, Juan Burrone, Vassilis Pachnis
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Samuel E. Taylor, Ruth D. Taylor, Jack Price, Laura C. Andreae
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2018)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Eleftheria Pervolaraki, Adam L. Tyson, Francesca Pibiri, Steven L. Poulter, Amy C. Reichelt, R. John Rodgers, Steven J. Clapcote, Colin Lever, Laura C. Andreae, James Dachtler
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam L. Tyson, Ayesha M. Akhtar, Laura C. Andreae
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Emily C. Armstrong, Angela Caruso, Michela Servadio, Laura C. Andreae, Viviana Trezza, Maria L. Scattoni, Cathy Fernandes
GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Carole Shum, Lucia Dutan, Emily Annuario, Katherine Warre-Cornish, Samuel E. Taylor, Ruth D. Taylor, Laura C. Andreae, Noel J. Buckley, Jack Price, Sagnik Bhattacharyya, Deepak P. Srivastava
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Dimitri Eigel, Romy Schuster, Max J. Maennel, Julian Thiele, Martyna J. Panasiuk, Laura C. Andreae, Carmine Varricchio, Andrea Brancale, Petra B. Welzel, Wieland B. Huttner, Carsten Werner, Ben Newland, Katherine R. Long
Summary: The lack of tools for precise manipulation of specific areas in human brain tissue culture has limited the study of cellular disease mechanisms, but the use of cryogels offers a user-friendly and reproducible approach for more complex manipulations.
Article
Neurosciences
Victoria Gonzalez Sabater, Mark Rigby, Juan Burrone
Summary: In this study, the initiation and propagation of action potentials (APs) along the axon were investigated using genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) in dissociated hippocampal neurons from rat embryos. It was found that APs became sharper and exhibited greater fidelity as they traveled towards distal axonal domains. Blocking voltage-gated potassium channels (K-v) resulted in an increase in AP width, especially in distal locations, suggesting that higher levels of Kv channel activity in distal axons contribute to maintaining AP fidelity.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert A. Ellingford, Martyna J. Panasiuk, Emilie Rabesahala de Meritens, Raghav Shaunak, Liam Naybour, Lorcan Browne, M. Albert Basson, Laura C. Andreae
Summary: The heterozygous mutation of CHD8 is strongly linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and leads to dysregulated expression of neurodevelopmental and synaptic genes during brain development. Study on a Chd8 mouse model revealed significant alterations in both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission onto deep layer projection neurons in the prefrontal cortex, resulting in an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory signals. These disruptions were associated with impaired regulation of homeostatic plasticity mechanisms, suggesting a direct role of CHD8 mutation in the disruption of ASD-relevant cortical circuits.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Benjamin Compans, Juan Burrone
Summary: Uncovering the wiring rules employed by neurons during development is challenging but important for neurodevelopmental disorders. Chandelier cells play a crucial role in the formation and plasticity of inhibitory synapses and recent data have provided insights into the molecules involved and the developmental plasticity of connections formed by Chandelier cells onto pyramidal cells.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Myrto Denaxa, Guilherme Neves, Juan Burrone, Vassilis Pachnis
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2018)
