Published papers

Epilepsy is characterized by the abnormal activation of neurons in the cerebral cortex, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms contributing to the development of recurrent seizures are largely unknown. Recently, the critical involvement of astrocytes in the pathophysiology of epilepsy has been proposed. However, the nature of plastic modulations of astrocytic proteins in the epileptic cortex remains poorly understood. In this study, we utilized the zero magnesium in vitro model of epilepsy and examined the potential molecular changes of cortical astrocytes, focusing specifically on endfeet, where specialized biochemical compartments exist. We find that the continuous epileptic activation of neurons for 1 h decreases the expression level of β-dystroglycan (βDG) in acute cortical brain slices prepared from mice. This change is completely abolished by the pharmacological blockade of NMDA-type glutamate receptors as well as by matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. Consistent with the highly specialized localization of βDG at astrocytic endfeet, where it plays a pivotal role in anchoring endfeet-enriched proteins in astrocytes, the down-regulation of βDG is accompanied by a decrease in the expression of AQP4 but not laminin. Importantly, this down-regulation of βDG persists for at least 1 h, even after the apparent recovery of neuronal activation. Finally, we show that the down-regulation of βDG is associated with the dysfunction of the endfeet at the blood-brain interface as a diffusion barrier. These results suggest that the sustained downregulation of βDG leads to dysfunctions of astrocytic endfeet in the epileptic cerebral cortex and may contribute to the pathogenesis of epilepsy.

Astrocytes play pivotal roles in both the physiology and the pathophysiology of the brain. They communicate with each other via extracellular messengers as well as through gap junctions, which may exacerbate or protect against pathological processes in the brain. However, their roles during the acute phase of ischemia and the underlying cellular mechanisms remain largely unknown. To address this issue, we imaged changes in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in astrocytes in mouse cortical slices under oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) condition using two-photon microscopy. Under OGD, astrocytes showed [Ca2+]i oscillations followed by larger and sustained [Ca2+]i increases. While the pharmacological blockades of astrocytic receptors for glutamate and ATP had no effect, the inhibitions of gap junctional intercellular coupling between astrocytes significantly advanced the onset of the sustained [Ca2+]i increase after OGD exposure. Interestingly, the simultaneous recording of the neuronal membrane potential revealed that the onset of the sustained [Ca2+]i increase in astrocytes was synchronized with the appearance of neuronal anoxic depolarization. Furthermore, the blockade of gap junctional coupling resulted in a concurrent faster appearance of neuronal depolarizations, which remain synchronized with the sustained [Ca2+]i increase in astrocytes. These results indicate that astrocytes delay the appearance of the pathological responses of astrocytes and neurons through their gap junction-mediated intercellular network under OGD. Thus, astrocytic gap junctional networks provide protection against tissue damage during the acute phase of ischemia. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A simple direct comparison approach for evaluation of new dyes demonstrated that two hemicyanine-type compounds 1 and 2 could be promising reagents for second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging.

Molecular diffusion in the extracellular space (ECS) plays a key role in determining tissue physiology and pharmacology. The blood-brain barrier regulates the exchange of substances between the brain and the blood, but the diffusion properties of molecules at this blood-brain interface, particularly around the astrocyte endfeet, are poorly characterized. In this study, we used 2-photon microscopy and acute brain slices of mouse neocortex and directly assessed the diffusion patterns of fluorescent molecules. By observing the diffusion of unconjugated and 10-kDa dextran-conjugated Alexa Fluor 488 from the ECS of the brain parenchyma to the blood vessels, we find various degrees of diffusion barriers at the endfeet: Some allow the invasion of dye inside the endfoot network while others completely block it. Detailed analyses of the time course for dye clearance support the existence of a tight endfoot network capable of acting as a diffusion barrier. Finally, we show that this diffusion pattern collapses under pathological conditions. These data demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of molecular diffusion dynamics around the endfeet and suggest that these structures can serve as the diffusion barrier. Therefore, astrocyte endfeet may add another layer of regulation to the exchange of molecules between blood vessels and brain parenchyma. © 2012 The Author.

Astrocytes extend their processes to make contact with neurons and blood vessels and regulate important processes associated with the physiology/pathophysiology of the brain. Their elaborate morphology, with numerous fine processes, could allow them to perform complex signal transductions with distinct compartments or to function as a spatial buffer depending on the diffusion properties of their intracellular molecules. Apart from calcium ions, however, the diffusion dynamics of molecules within astrocytes are poorly understood. In this study, we applied two-photon uncaging and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of fluorescent molecules to acute cortical brain slices from mice to investigate the diffusion dynamics of molecules within astrocytes. We found that diffusion was significantly more restricted at the endfeet than at trunks and distal ends of other processes. Slow diffusion dynamics at the endfeet resulted in a large population of molecules being retained in a small region for tens of seconds, creating subcellular compartments that were isolated from other regions. In contrast, diffusion was fast and free at other processes. The same patterns were observed with the diffusions of a higher molecular weight (10 kDa) molecule and 2-NBDG, a fluorescent analog of glucose. These findings suggest that molecular diffusion is not uniform across the intracellular environment and that subcellular compartments are present in astrocytes. Therefore, similar to neurons, the elaborate and specialized structures of astrocytes may enable them to perform complex computations by providing distinct information storage/processing capacity among processes. © 2013 the authors.

In the developing mammalian cerebral cortex, excitatory neurons are generated in the ventricular zone (VZ) and subventricular zone; these neurons migrate toward the pial surface. The neurons generated in theVZassume a multipolar morphology and remain in a narrow region called the multipolar cell accumulation zone (MAZ) for~24 h, in which they extend and retract multiple processes dynamically. They eventually extend an axon tangentially and begin radial migration using a migratory mode called locomotion. Despite the potential biological importance of the process movement of multipolar cells, the molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we observed that the processes of mouse multipolar cells were actin rich and morphologically resembled the filopodia and lamellipodia in growth cones; thus, we focused on the actin-remodeling proteins Lamellipodin (Lpd) and Ena/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP). Lpd binds to phosphatidylinositol (3,4)-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] and recruits Ena/VASP, which promotes the assembly of actin filaments, to the plasma membranes. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that Lpd is expressed in multipolar cells in the MAZ. The functional silencing of either Lpd or Ena/VASP decreased the number of primary processes. Immunostaining and a Förster resonance energy transfer analysis revealed the subcellular localization of PI(3,4)P2 at the tips of the processes. A knockdown experiment and treatment with an inhibitor for Src homology 2-containing inositol phosphatase-2, a 5-phosphatase that produces PI(3,4)P2 from phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate, decreased the number of primary processes. Our observations suggest that PI(3,4)P2, Lpd, and Ena/VASP are involved in the process movement of multipolar migrating cells. ©2012 the authors.

The AMPA receptor (AMPA-R) is a major excitatory neurotransmitter receptor in the brain. Identifying and characterizing the neuronal proteins interacting with AMPA-Rs have provided important information about the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission and plasticity. In this study, to identify more AMPA-R interactors in vivo, we performed proteomic analyses of AMPA-R complexes from the brain.AMPA-Rcomplexes were isolated from the brain through various combinations of biochemical techniques for solubilization, enrichment, and immunoprecipitation. Mass spectrometry analyses of these isolated complexes identified several novel components of the AMPA-R complexes as well as some previously identified components. The identification of these novel components helps to further define the complex mechanisms involved in the regulation of AMPA receptor function and synaptic plasticity. © 2012 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. Published in the U.S.A.

Background: Cellular quiescence is a state of reversible proliferation arrest that is induced by anti-mitogenic signals. The endogenous cardiac glycoside ouabain is a specific ligand of the ubiquitous sodium pump, Na,K-ATPase, also known to regulate cell growth through unknown signalling pathways. Methods: To investigate the role of ouabain/Na,K-ATPase in uncontrolled neuroblastoma growth we used xenografts, flow cytometry, immunostaining, comet assay, real-time PCR, and electrophysiology after various treatment strategies. Results: The ouabain/Na,K-ATPase complex induced quiescence in malignant neuroblastoma. Tumour growth was reduced by >50% when neuroblastoma cells were xenografted into immune-deficient mice that were fed with ouabain. Ouabain-induced S-G2 phase arrest, activated the DNA-damage response (DDR) pathway marker γH2AX, increased the cell cycle regulator p21 Waf1/Cip1 and upregulated the quiescence-specific transcription factor hairy and enhancer of split1 (HES1), causing neuroblastoma cells to ultimately enter G0. Cells re-entered the cell cycle and resumed proliferation, without showing DNA damage, when ouabain was removed. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a novel action of ouabain/Na,K-ATPase as a regulator of quiescence in neuroblastoma, suggesting that ouabain can be used in chemotherapies to suppress tumour growth and/or arrest cells to increase the therapeutic index in combination therapies. © 2012 Cancer Research UK.

Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in central synapses is mediated primarily by AMPA receptors (AMPARs), which are heteromeric assemblies of four subunits, GluA1-4. Among these subunits, rapidly gating GluA3/4 appears to be the most abundantly expressed to enable neurotransmission with submillisecond precision at fast rates in subsets of central synapses. However, neither definitive identification of the molecular substrate for native AMPARs in these neurons, nor their hypothesized functional roles in vivo has been unequivocally demonstrated, largely due to lack of specific antagonists. Using GluA3 or GluA4 knockout (KO) mice, we investigated these issues at the calyx of Held synapse, which is known as a high-fidelity synapse involved in sound localization. Patch-clamp recordings from postsynaptic neurons showed that deletion of GluA4 significantly slowed the time course of both evoked and miniature AMPAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (AMPAR-EPSCs), reduced their amplitude, and exacerbated AMPAR desensitization and short-term depression (STD). Surprisingly, presynaptic release probability was also elevated, contributing to severe STD at GluA4-KO synapses. In contrast, only marginal changes in AMPAR-EPSCs were found in GluA3-KO mice. Furthermore, independent of changes in intrinsic excitability of postsynaptic neurons, deletion of GluA4 markedly reduced synaptic drive and increased action potential failures during high-frequency activity, leading to profound deficits in specific components of the auditory brainstem responses associated with synchronized spiking in the calyx of Held synapse and other related neurons in vivo. These observations identify GluA4 as the main determinant for fast synaptic response, indispensable for driving high-fidelity neurotransmission and conveying precise temporal information. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 The Physiological Society.

The electrical properties of axons critically influence the nature of communication between neurons. However, due to their small size, direct measurement of membrane potential dynamics in intact and complex mammalian axons has been a challenge. Furthermore, quantitative optical measurements of axonal membrane potential dynamics have not been available. To characterize the basic principles of somatic voltage signal propagation in intact axonal arbors, second-harmonic-generation (SHG) imaging is applied to cultured mouse hippocampal neurons. When FM4-64 is applied extracellularly to dissociated neurons, whole axonal arbors are visualized by SHG imaging. Upon action potential generation by somatic current injection, nonattenuating action potentials are recorded in intact axonal arbors. Interestingly, however, both current-and voltage-clamp recordings suggest that nonregenerative subthreshold somatic voltage changes at the soma are poorly conveyed to these axonal sites. These results reveal the nature of membrane potential dynamics of cultured hippocampal neurons, and further show the possibility of SHG imaging in physiological investigations of axons. © 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Conditions such as hypoxia and anoxia inflict serious damage to the brain and continue to be major medical problems. However, the molecular mechanisms that give rise to such damage are not well understood. To elucidate these mechanisms, we established a clinically relevant rodent model of anoxia/recovery by monitoring blood gas levels after oxygen deprivation. Using this animal model, we examined the regulation of Kv2.1, a voltage-gated potassium channel that plays pivotal roles in the homeostasis and survival of neurons. We found that exposure to anoxia induces rapid dephosphorylation of Kv2.1 in the brain, which can be blocked by pre-administration of a NMDA-type glutamate receptor antagonist, memantine. Furthermore, this change is rapidly reversed as the animal recovers from anoxic stress. These results suggest that Kv2.1 is tightly regulated in a clinically relevant animal model of anoxia and further implicate its role in the homeostasis of neurons during anoxic stress. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Homeostasis of neuronal activity is crucial to neuronal physiology. In dendrites, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (HCN) 1 is considered to play critical roles in this process. While electrophysiological studies have demonstrated the dynamic modulation of Ih current mediated by HCN1 proteins, little is known about the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms. In this study, we utilized cortical cultured neurons and biochemical methods to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate the physiological regulation of HCN1 channel functions in cortical neurons. Pharmacological manipulations of neuronal activity resulted in changes in the expression level of HCN1. In addition, the surface expression of HCN1 was dynamically regulated by neuronal activity. Both of these changes led to functional modulations of HCN1 channels. Our study suggests that coordinated changes in protein expression and surface expression of HCN1 serve as the key regulatory mechanisms controlling the function of endogenous HCN1 protein in cortical neurons. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The neurogenic gene Drosophila big brain (bib) has a high sequence homology to aquaporin-4. However, its cellular functions in Drosophila neurogenesis have remained elusive. Here we investigated cell adhesion, and the ion and water permeability of Bib. The adhesive function was examined by a cell aggregation assay using L cells. Bib-transfected L cells formed aggregated clusters, while control-L cells remained as a single cell suspension. Ion permeation was not confirmed in L cells stably expressing Bib. When expressed in COS7 cells, Bib exhibited limited water permeability. This newly found cell adhesive function of Bib may be important for Drosophila neurogenesis. © 2009 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is expressed in the perivascular and subpial astrocytes end-feet in mammalian brain, and plays a critical component of an integrated water and potassium homeostasis. Here we examine whether AQP4 is phosphorylated in primary cultured mouse astrocytes. Astrocytes were metabolically labeled with [32P]phosphoric acid, then AQP4 was immunoprecipitated with anti-AQP4 antibody. We observed that AQP4 was constitutively phosphorylated, which is reduced by treatment with protein kinase CK2 inhibitors. To elucidate the phosphorylation of AQP4 by CK2, myc-tagged wild-type or mutant AQP4 was transiently transfected in primary cultured astrocytes. Substitution of Ala residues for four putative CK2 phosphorylation sites in the C terminus abolished the phosphorylation of AQP4. Immunofluorescent microscopy revealed that the quadruple mutant was localized in the Golgi apparatus. These observations indicate that the C-terminal domain of AQP4 is constitutively phosphorylated at least in part by protein kinase CK2 and it is required for Golgi transition. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Some Rights Reserved.Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are implicated in various neuropathological conditions. However, physiological roles for JNKs in neurons remain largely unknown, despite the high expression level of JNKs in brain. Here, using bioinformatic and biochemical approaches, we identify the AMPA receptor GluR2L and GluR4 subunits as novel physiological JNK substrates in vitro, in heterologous cells and in neurons. Consistent with this finding, GluR2L and GluR4 associate with specific JNK signaling components in the brain. Moreover, the modulation of the novel JNK sites in GluR2L and GluR4 is dynamic and bi-directional, such that phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation are triggered within minutes following decreases and increases in neuronal activity, respectively. Using live-imaging techniques to address the functional consequence of these activity-dependent changes we demonstrate that the novel JNK site in GluR2L controls reinsertion of internalized GluR2L back to the cell surface following NMDA treatment, without affecting basal GluR2L trafficking. Taken together, our results demonstrate that JNK directly regulates AMPA-R trafficking following changes in neuronal activity in a rapid and bi-directional manner. © 2008 European Molecular Biology Organization

Dendritic spines are dynamically regulated, both morphologically and functionally, by neuronal activity. Morphological changes are mediated by a variety of synaptic proteins, whereas functional changes can be dramatically modulated by the regulation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptor trafficking. Although these two forms of plasticity appear to be highly coordinated, the connections between them are not fully understood. In this study the synaptic cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin was found to associate with AMPA receptors and regulate AMPA receptor trafficking in neurons. N-cadherin and β-catenin formed a protein complex with AMPA receptors in vivo, and this association was regulated by extracellular Ca2+. In addition, these proteins co-clustered at synapses in cultured neurons. In heterologous cells and in cultured neurons, overexpression of wild-type N-cadherin specifically increased the surface expression level of the AMPA receptor subunit glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1)q4 and this effect was reversed by a dominant-negative form of N-cadherin. Finally, GluR1 increased the surface expression of N-cadherin in heterologous cells. Importantly, recent studies suggest that N-cadherin and β-catenin play key roles in structural plasticity in neurons. Therefore, our data suggest that the association of N-cadherin with AMPA receptors may serve as a biochemical link between structural and functional plasticity of synapses. © 2006 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Dendritic spines mediate most excitatory inputs in the brain. Although it is clear that spines compartmentalize calcium, it is still unknown what role, if any, they play in integrating synaptic inputs. To investigate the electrical function of spines directly, we used second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging of membrane potential in pyramidal neurons from hippocampal cultures and neocortical brain slices. With FM 4-64 as an intracellular SHG chromophore, we imaged membrane potential in the soma, dendritic branches, and spines. The SHG response to voltage was linear and seemed based on an electro-optic mechanism. The SHG sensitivity of the chromophore in spines was similar to that of the parent dendritic shaft and the soma. Backpropagation of somatic action potentials generated SHG signals at spines with similar amplitude and kinetics to somatic ones. Our optical measurements of membrane potential from spines demonstrate directly that backpropagating action potentials invade the spines. © 2006 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors play key roles in excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in the CNS. Although a variety of proteins has been characterized to interact with AMPA receptors and regulate their function, little is known about the regulation of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR4. To understand the molecular mechanisms of GluR4 functional regulation, the yeast two-hybrid system was used to identify GluR4-interacting molecules. α-Actinin-1 and IQGAP1 were identified to be GluR4-specific binding partners. Both proteins interact specifically with GluR4 and co-cluster with GluR4 individually in neurons. Mapping experiments revealed that α-Actinin-1 and IQGAP1 bind to the same region within the C-terminus of GluR4 that contains a previously identified PKA phosphorylation site, Ser842, phosphorylation of which is regulated by synaptic activity. Interestingly, the phosphorylation of Ser842 differentially regulates interactions of GluR4 with α-Actinin-1 and IQGAP1; phosphorylation strongly inhibits interaction of GluR4 with α-Actinin-1 but has little effect on its interaction with IQGAP1. These results suggest that α-Actinin-1 and IQGAP1 regulate GluR4 functions via their specific associations with GluR4. In addition, our data indicate that activity-dependent phosphorylation of GluR4 may regulate its synaptic targeting through phosphorylation-dependent interactions with α-Actinin-1 and IQGAP1. © 2005 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Glutamate receptor phosphorylation has been implicated in several forms of modulation of synaptic transmission. It has been reported that protein kinase A (PKA) can phosphorylate the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptor subunit GluR4 on Ser842, both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we studied the regulation of GluR4 phosphorylation and intracellular trafficking by PKA and by metabotropic receptors coupled to adenylyl cyclase (AC), in cultured chick retinal amacrine-like neurones, which are enriched in GluR4. The regulation of AMPA receptor activity by PKA and by metabotropic AC-coupled receptors was also investigated by measuring the [Ca2+]i response to kainate in Na+-free medium. Stimulation of AC with forskolin (FSK), or using the selective agonist of dopamine D1 receptors (±)-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-(1H)-3- benzazepine-7,8-diol (SKF38393), increased the [Ca2+]i response to kainate, GluR4 phosphorylation at Ser842 and GluR4 surface expression. Pre-incubation of the cells with (2S,2′R,3′R)-2- (2′,3′-dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine (DCG-IV), an agonist of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR), which are coupled to inhibition of AC, inhibited the effect of FSK and of SKF38393 on AMPA receptor activity, GluR4 phosphorylation and expression at the plasma membrane. These results indicate that there is a functional cross-talk between dopamine D1 receptors and group II mGluR in the regulation of GluR4 phosphorylation and AMPA receptor activity. Our data show that GluR4 phosphorylation at Ser842 by PKA, and its recruitment to the plasma membrane upon phosphorylation, is regulated by metabotropic receptors.

The regulated incorporation of AMPA receptors into synapses is important for synaptic plasticity. Here we examine the role of protein kinase A (PKA) in this process. We found that PKA phosphorylation of the AMPA receptor subunits GluR4 and GluR1 directly controlled the synaptic incorporation of AMPA receptors in organotypic slices from rat hippocampus. Activity-driven PKA phosphorylation of GluR4 was necessary and sufficient to relieve a retention interaction and drive receptors into synapses. In contrast, PKA phosphorylation of GluR1 and the activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) were both necessary for receptor incorporation. Thus, PKA phosphorylation of AMPA receptor subunits contributes to diverse mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity.