Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuya Sakimoto, Ako Shintani, Daiki Yoshiura, Makoto Goshima, Hiroyuki Kida, Dai Mitsushima
Summary: This study reports the postnatal development of hippocampal function and the impact of an inhibitory avoidance task on synaptic plasticity in rats. The results show an improvement in learning performance from juvenile to adulthood and different effects of training on synaptic amplitudes at different time points.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marta Montero-Crespo, Marta Dominguez-Alvaro, Lidia Alonso-Nanclares, Javier DeFelipe, Lidia Blazquez-Llorca
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a common form of dementia characterized by cognitive impairment, with extracellular protein deposits and abnormal protein accumulation in neurons. Synaptic alterations were found in different stages of the disease, with more severe changes observed in late-stage cases.
Article
Neurosciences
Maithe Loisy, Guillaume Bouisset, Sebastien Lopez, Maud Muller, Alena Spitsyn, Jeanne Duval, Rebecca Ann Piskorowski, Laure Verret, Vivien Chevaleyre
Summary: This study reveals a novel inhibitory plasticity mediated by cannabinoid type 1 receptor activation (CB1R-iLTD) in the CA2 region of the hippocampus, which plays a crucial role in social memory formation. The study also demonstrates that the previous induction of Delta-opioid receptor-mediated long-term depression (DOR-iLTDs) is necessary for the CB1R-iLTD to occur. The findings provide insights into the interplay between inhibitory plasticities and a new mechanism for social memory formation.
Article
Cell Biology
Mark Rigby, Federico W. Grillo, Benjamin Compans, Guilherme Neves, Julia Gallinaro, Sophie Nashashibi, Sally Horton, Pedro M. Pereira Machado, Maria Alejandra Carbajal, Gema Vizcay-Barrena, Florian Levet, Jean-Baptiste Sibarita, Angus Kirkland, Roland A. Fleck, Claudia Clopath, Juan Burrone
Summary: Using scanning electron microscopy, researchers found that excitatory synapses in the hippocampus CA1 region do not fully adhere to the traditional definition. Over half of the excitatory synapses are multi-synaptic boutons, where a single presynaptic bouton can connect to multiple postsynaptic spines on different dendrites. The proportion of multi-synaptic boutons changes during development and with distance from the cell body. These structures exhibit less variability in synaptic properties compared to single synaptic boutons, promoting synchronous activity.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marta Montero-Crespo, Marta Dominguez-Alvaro, Lidia Alonso-Nanclares, Javier DeFelipe, Lidia Blazquez-Llorca
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a common form of dementia characterized by persistent and progressive impairment of cognitive functions. Early-stage cases show normal synaptic morphology, but late-stage cases experience decreased synaptic density and morphological alterations.
Article
Neurosciences
Nuri Jeong, Annabelle C. Singer
Summary: Inhibitory interneurons in the hippocampus play a critical role in learning and memory, especially in spatial learning and memory. However, the exact mechanisms of how hippocampal interneurons influence local circuit computations during spatial navigation are still not well understood.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Nishant Singh, Thomas Bartol, Herbert Levine, Terrence Sejnowski, Suhita Nadkarni
Summary: Research indicates that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a crucial role in short-term plasticity (STP), contributing to the normal function of synapses. Modelling approaches highlight the importance of ER's buffering capacities in this process.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pietro Micheli, Rui Ribeiro, Alejandro Giorgetti
Summary: The study presents a compartmentalized kinetic model for CA3-CA1 synaptic transmission to predict the functional impact of disease-associated variants of NMDA receptors in severe cognitive impairment. The results show consistency with experimental data, demonstrating the predictive power of this multiscale viewpoint.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
James B. Priestley, John C. Bowler, Sebi Rolotti, Stefano Fusi, Attila Losonczy
Summary: Neurons in the hippocampus exhibit selectivity for specific combinations of sensory features, forming representations for episodic memory. During novel experiences, hippocampal "place cells" rapidly adjust to encode visited locations in a sparse manner. The quick encoding is facilitated by behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity, particularly during exploration of a novel context, and decreases with experience.
Article
Neurosciences
Adeel A. Memon, Micah E. Bagley, Rose B. Creed, Amy W. Amara, Matthew S. Goldberg, Lori L. McMahon
Summary: This study found no differences in basal synaptic transmission at CA3-CA1 excitatory synapses in 4-to 5-month old PINK1 knockout rats, suggesting that loss of PINK1 protein does not cause a general dysfunction of excitatory transmission throughout the brain at this young adult age when excitatory transmission is abnormal in the striatum.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Adam Ponzi, Salvador Dura-Bernal, Michele Migliore
Summary: Oscillations are a common feature of brain operations and are found across different animal species. These oscillations appear in discrete frequencies and are coupled, with the phase of one oscillation modulating the amplitude of another. However, the biophysical origin and reasons for the ubiquity of these oscillations remain unclear. Using a data-driven computational model, researchers demonstrate how a basic microcircuit can generate phase-amplitude coupled oscillations, suggesting a general underlying mechanism.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Tobias Bock, Adrian Negrean, Steven A. Siegelbaum
Summary: Synaptic inputs targeting distal dendrites can amplify local dendritic spikes, but these spikes are often weak due to dendritic cable properties. Despite this, they are implicated in memory storage, sensory perception, and place field formation. Somatic depolarization can enhance dendritic spike propagation, leading to enhanced memory specificity and long-term synaptic plasticity in hippocampal-dependent spatial representations and learning.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Ryota Fukaya, Rinako Miyano, Himawari Hirai, Takeshi Sakaba
Summary: Presynaptic plasticity refers to the activity-dependent changes in neurotransmitter release, playing a crucial role in modulating synaptic strength. Among these changes, presynaptic potentiation mediated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is widely observed and implicated in learning and memory. Researchers have used hippocampal mossy fiber-CA3 pyramidal cell synapses as a model to investigate presynaptic potentiation, as the mechanisms underlying it can be dissected through direct presynaptic recordings. Recent advancements in super-resolution microscopy and flash-and-freeze electron microscopy have provided insights into the nanoscale localization of release site molecules and synaptic vesicles during potentiation, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms involved. In light of these findings, this study aims to propose plausible mechanisms underlying cAMP-mediated presynaptic potentiation.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Sam McKenzie, Roman Huszar, Daniel F. English, Kanghwan Kim, Fletcher Christensen, Euisik Yoon, Gyorgy Buzsaki
Summary: The study focuses on how incorporating synthetic hippocampal signals is constrained by preexisting circuit dynamics through optogenetic stimulation of CA1 neurons in mice. Stimulation induced persistent place field remapping and reflected circuit modification through altered spike transmission. The findings suggest that plasticity in recurrent/lateral inhibition may drive learning by rapidly associating existing states.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anurag Singh, Shruthi Sateesh, Owen D. Jones, Wickliffe C. Abraham
Summary: The study revealed a pathway specificity for the heterodendritic metaplasticity in CA1, where Schaffer collateral/commissural synapses in the stratum radiatum were particularly sensitive to the inhibitory effects of high-frequency priming stimulation mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The metaplasticity effects were absent in TNFR1 knock-out mice, indicating a dependence on TNF regulation. This suggests an important control of information processing in this pathway, along with potential implications for neuroinflammation sensitivity under disease conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Physiology
Laura M. J. Fernandez, Anita Luethi
PHYSIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sascha R. A. Alles, Filipe Nascimento, Rafael Lujan, Ana P. Luiz, Queensta Millet, M. Ali Bangash, Sonia Santana-Varela, Xuelong Zhou, James J. Cox, Andrei L. Okorokoir, Marco Beato, Jing Zhao, John N. Wood
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rocio Alfaro-Ruiz, Carolina Aguado, Alejandro Martin-Belmonte, Ana Esther Moreno-Martinez, Rafael Lujan
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Martin-Belmonte, Carolina Aguado, Rocio Alfaro-Ruiz, Jose Luis Albasanz, Mairena Martin, Ana Esther Moreno-Martinez, Yugo Fukazawa, Rafael Lujan
Summary: In this study, alterations in the subcellular localization of mGlu(5) in neurons of APP/PS1 mice at 12 months of age were observed, with a significant reduction in surface localization and an increase in intracellular sites. This suggests a potential link to cognitive dysfunctions in this AD animal model and raises the need for further investigation into the specificity of mGlu(5)-associated molecules and downstream signaling pathways in disease progression.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Judith R. Homberg, Roger A. H. Adan, Natalia Alenina, Antonis Asiminas, Michael Bader, Tom Beckers, Denovan P. Begg, Arjan Blokland, Marilise E. Burger, Gertjan van Dijk, Ulrich L. M. Eisel, Ype Elgersma, Bernhard Englitz, Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz, Carlos P. Fitzsimons, Anne-Marie van Dam, Peter Gass, Joanes Grandjean, Robbert Havekes, Marloes J. A. G. Henckens, Christiane Herden, Roelof A. Hut, Wendy Jarrett, Kate Jeffrey, Daniela Jezova, Andries Kalsbeek, Maarten Kamermans, Martien J. Kas, Nael Nadif Kasri, Amanda J. Kiliaan, Sharon M. Kolk, Aniko Korosi, S. Mechiel Korte, Tamas Kozicz, Steven A. Kushner, Kirk Leech, Klaus-Peter Leech, Heidi Lesscher, Paul J. Lucassen, Anita Luthi, Liya Ma, Anne S. Mallien, Peter Meerlo, Jorge F. Mejias, Frank J. Meye, Anna S. Mitchell, Joram D. Mul, Umberto Olcese, Azahara Oliva Gonzalez, Jocelien D. A. Oliver, Massimo Pasqualetti, CyrielM. A. Pennartz, Piotr Popik, Jos Prickaerts, Liset M. de la Prida, Sidarta Ribeiro, Benn Roozendaal, Janine I. Rossato, Ali-Akbar Salari, Regien G. Schoemaker, August B. Smit, Tomonori Takeuchi, Rixt van der Veen, Marten P. Smidt, Vladyslav V. Vyazovskiy, Maximilian Wiesmann, Corette J. Wierenga, Bella Williams, Ingo Willuhn, Markus Woehr, Monique Wolvekamp, Eddy A. van der Zee, Lisa Genzel, Louk J. M. J. Vanderschuren
Summary: Policymakers are working towards promoting animal-free alternatives in scientific research and have implemented strict regulations for animal research. However, in the field of neuroscience research, it is argued that the use of animals should not be compromised until viable and translational alternatives are available and proven to be valuable.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephanie S. Holden, Fiorella C. Grandi, Oumaima Aboubakr, Bryan Higashikubo, Frances S. Cho, Andrew H. Chang, Alejandro Osorio Forero, Allison R. Morningstar, Vidhu Mathur, Logan J. Kuhn, Poojan Suri, Sethu Sankaranarayanan, Yaisa Andrews-Zwilling, Andrea J. Tenner, Anita Luthi, Eleonora Aronica, M. Ryan Corces, Ted Yednock, Jeanne T. Paz
Summary: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can acutely damage the cortex, but most disabilities associated with TBI are due to secondary injuries that accumulate over time, with the thalamus potentially being a key site. Research in a mouse model of mild TBI (mTBI) revealed chronic elevation of C1q in the corticothalamic system, correlating with neuron loss, chronic inflammation, disrupted sleep spindles, and emergence of epileptic activities. Blocking C1q may counteract these effects, suggesting it as a potential disease modifier in mTBI, with microglia identified as a source of thalamic C1q. Targeting the corticothalamic circuit could offer new avenues for treating TBI-related disabilities.
Article
Biology
Romain Cardis, Sandro Lecci, Laura M. J. Fernandez, Alejandro Osorio-Forero, Paul Chu Sin Chung, Stephany Fulda, Isabelle Decosterd, Anita Luethi
Summary: The study identified a vulnerable interval in NREMS for microarousals in healthy mice and observed increased arousability in mice with chronic pain. This suggests that sleep disorders and chronic pain-related sleep disturbances may be linked to perturbed arousability rather than changes in sleep architecture.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Osorio-Forero, Romain Cardis, Gil Vantomme, Aurelie Guillaume-Gentil, Georgia Katsioudi, Christiane Devenoges, Laura M. J. Fernandez, Anita Luthi
Summary: During NREMS, fluctuation of noradrenaline levels in thalamus are associated with sleep spindle rhythms and heart-rate variations, indicating vigilance-promoting mechanism by LC neurons. Optogenetic activation or inhibition of LC neurons can modulate sleep-spindle clustering and heart-rate variations, affecting sensory arousability during NREMS. Noradrenergic modulation of thalamic circuits plays a key role in maintaining sensory arousability in mammalian NREMS.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mar Cuadrado-Tejedor, Marta Perez-Gonzalez, Rocio Alfaro-Ruiz, Sara Badesso, Diego Sucunza, Maria Espelosin, Susana Ursua, Mercedes Lachen-Montes, Joaquin Fernandez-Irigoyen, Enrique Santamaria, Rafael Lujan, Ana Garcia-Osta
Summary: The study found that overexpression of hTauP301L in APP/PS1 transgenic mice accelerates memory deficits and induces tau aggregation, but does not affect memory function in wild type mice. The presence of amyloid is necessary to induce tau aggregation, leading to tau accumulation in dendritic mitochondria which may alter synapse function and contribute to accelerated cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rocio Alfaro-Ruiz, Alejandro Martin-Belmonte, Carolina Aguado, Felix Hernandez, Ana Esther Moreno-Martinez, Jesus Avila, Rafael Lujan
Summary: This study investigated the expression and localization patterns of GIRK2 channels in two transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. The results showed significant reduction of GIRK2 expression in P301S mice, but no change in APP/PS1 mice. Ultrastructural approaches revealed decreased surface localization of GIRK2 in CA1 pyramidal cells in both transgenic mice models. These findings suggest a redistribution of GIRK channels and potential contribution to cognitive dysfunctions in Alzheimer's disease animal models.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Osorio-Forero, Najma Cherrad, Lila Banterle, Laura M. J. Fernandez, Anita Luthi
Summary: This review discusses the roles of the locus coeruleus (LC) in sleep and highlights its significance beyond wakefulness. It emphasizes the diverse activity patterns of noradrenaline signaling and LC activity, establishing the LC as an integral part of sleep regulation and function. The article suggests that even minor alterations in the functionality of the LC may be essential in sleep disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rocio Alfaro-Ruiz, Carolina Aguado, Alejandro Martin-Belmonte, Ana Esther Moreno-Martinez, Jesus Merchan-Rubira, Felix Hernandez, Jesus Avila, Yugo Fukazawa, Rafael Lujan
Summary: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are important in Alzheimer's disease, and their expression and localization differ at synaptic and extrasynaptic sites, which is associated with accumulation of phospho-tau.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rocio Alfaro-Ruiz, Carolina Aguado, Alejandro Martin-Belmonte, Ana Esther Moreno-Martinez, Jesus Merchan-Rubira, Felix Hernandez, Jesus Avila, Yugo Fukazawa, Rafael Lujan
Summary: The accumulation of tau proteins in diseases like Alzheimer's disease is associated with alterations in glutamate receptor dynamics, leading to synaptic dysfunction. This study investigated the impact of tau pathology on AMPAR expression, density, and distribution in the hippocampus of P301S mice. The results showed that the accumulation of phospho-tau resulted in reduced AMPAR density in excitatory synapses on pyramidal cell spines and interneuron dendrites, as well as at extrasynaptic sites in CA1 pyramidal cells and interneurons. These findings suggest that tau pathology disrupts AMPAR trafficking and synaptic transmission, contributing to the pathological events in Alzheimer's disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Nora Hadinger, Emilia Bosz, Boglarka Toth, Gil Vantomme, Anita Luethi, Laszlo Acsady
Summary: This study reveals the regional differences in the organization of corticothalamic pathways in mice, with a specific monosynaptic connection between L5 pyramidal cells in the frontal cortex and the inhibitory thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The control of TRN by the frontal cortex is different from other cortical regions and plays an important role in the control of frontal cortex activity.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Anita Luthi, Paul Franken, Stephany Fulda, Francesca Siclari, Eus J. W. Van Someren
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)