Lack of the Sodium-Driven Chloride Bicarbonate Exchanger NCBE Impairs Visual Function in the Mouse Retina

Regulation of ion and pH homeostasis is essential for normal neuronal function. The sodium-driven chloride bicarbonate exchanger NCBE (Slc4a10), a member of the SLC4 family of bicarbonate transporters, uses the transmembrane gradient of sodium to drive cellular net uptake of bicarbonate and to extrude chloride, thereby modulating both intracellular pH (pHi) and chloride concentration ([Cl-]i) in neurons. Here we show that NCBE is strongly expressed in the retina. As GABAA receptors conduct both chloride and bicarbonate, we hypothesized that NCBE may be relevant for GABAergic transmission in the retina. Importantly, we found a differential expression of NCBE in bipolar cells: whereas NCBE was expressed on ON and OFF bipolar cell axon terminals, it only localized to dendrites of OFF bipolar cells. On these compartments, NCBE colocalized with the main neuronal chloride extruder KCC2, which renders GABA hyperpolarizing. NCBE was also expressed in starburst amacrine cells, but was absent from neurons known to depolarize in response to GABA, like horizontal cells. Mice lacking NCBE showed decreased visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in behavioral experiments and smaller b-wave amplitudes and longer latencies in electroretinograms. Ganglion cells from NCBE-deficient mice also showed altered temporal response properties. In summary, our data suggest that NCBE may serve to maintain intracellular chloride and bicarbonate concentration in retinal neurons. Consequently, lack of NCBE in the retina may result in changes in pHi regulation and chloride-dependent inhibition, leading to altered signal transmission and impaired visual function

Neuronal carbonic anhydrase VII provides GABAergic excitatory drive to exacerbate febrile seizures

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SLC4A10 mutation causes a neurological disorder associated with impaired GABAergic transmission

SLC4A10 is a plasma-membrane bound transporter which utilizes the Na+ gradient to drive cellular HCO3- uptake, thus mediating acid extrusion. In the mammalian brain, SLC4A10 is expressed in principal neurons and interneurons, as well as in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, the organ regulating the production of cerebrospinal fluid. Using next generation sequencing on samples from five unrelated families encompassing ten affected individuals, we show that biallelic SLC4A10 loss-of-function variants cause a clinically recognizable neurodevelopmental disorder in humans. The cardinal clinical features of the condition include hypotonia in infancy, delayed psychomotor development across all domains and typically severe intellectual impairment. Affected individuals commonly display traits associated with autistic spectrum disorders including anxiety, hyperactivity and stereotyped movements. In two cases isolated episodes of seizures were reported in the first few years of life, and a further affected child displayed bitemporal epileptogenic discharges on EEG without overt clinical seizures. While occipitofrontal circumference was reported to be normal at birth, progressive postnatal microcephaly evolved in 7 out of 10 affected individuals. Neuroradiological features included a relative preservation of brain volume compared to occipitofrontal circumference, characteristic narrow sometimes 'slit-like' lateral ventricles and corpus callosum abnormalities. Slc4a10 -/- mice, deficient for SLC4A10, also display small lateral brain ventricles and mild behavioral abnormalities including delayed habituation and alterations in the 2-object novel object recognition task. Collapsed brain ventricles in both Slc4a10-/- mice and affected individuals suggests an important role of SLC4A10 in the production of the cerebrospinal fluid. However, it is notable that despite diverse roles of the cerebrospinal fluid in the developing and adult brain, the cortex of Slc4a10-/- mice appears grossly intact. Co-staining with synaptic markers revealed that in neurons, SLC4A10 localizes to inhibitory, but not excitatory, presynapses. These findings are supported by our functional studies which show the release of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA is compromised in Slc4a10-/- mice, while the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is preserved. Manipulation of intracellular pH partially rescues GABA release. Together our studies define a novel characteristic neurodevelopmental disorder associated with biallelic pathogenic variants in SLC4A10 and highlight the importance of further analyses of the consequences of SLC4A10 loss-of-function for brain development, synaptic transmission and network properties

Una aproximación para la evaluación técnica y operativa de las áreas naturales protegidas. El caso de las reservas costeras de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

La constitución de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (ANP) en toda la costa de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, ha adquirido relevancia debido a las particularidades naturales del litoral bonaerense y la necesidad de preservar el ambiente frente al uso turístico tradicional intensivo. Sin embargo, la efectividad del manejo de tales ANP está condicionada por la falta de criterios orientadores y pautas de gestión para las reservas propiamente dichas y su integración regional. Por ello se propone realizar un análisis exploratorio de la situación actual de gestión de las ANP costeras bonaerenses, detectando las debilidades cuya mitigación y/o corrección se hace necesaria para una gestión efectiva y establecer oportunidades que puedan ser capitalizadas para mejorar el manejo de las ANP costeras provinciales, a través de casos testigo elegidos por su valor demostrativo, en función de las singularidades que presentan: la Reserva Natural De Uso Múltiple Mar Chiquita y Reserva de Biosfera Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito, la Reserva Natural De Uso Múltiple Arroyo Zabala, el Parque Nacional Campos Del Tuyu y la Reserva Natural Integral Bahía Samborombón. Los resultados obtenidos permitieron elaborar un diagnóstico en el cual se describe la situación actual de gestión de tales ANP detectando condicionantes del manejo y oportunidades de gestión. No obstante el carácter exploratorio de esta aproximación, el análisis pretende dar cuenta de las capacidades actuales de gestión de las ANP costeras bonaerenses y aportar algunas ideas que permitan capitalizar las iniciativas de conservación del espacio y su uso sustentable en la provincia de Buenos Aires.The creation of Natural Protected Areas (NPA) along the coast of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has gained relevance because of the particularities of the coastline of Buenos Aires and to protect the environment of intensive tourist use. However, the management effectiveness of NPA in the coastline of Buenos Aires is conditioned by the lack of guiding criteria and management guidelines for both the reserves and the regional integration. The purpose is to analyze the current situation of management of the coastal NPA in the province of Buenos Aires, detecting restrictions for effective management that must be mitigated; and to establish opportunities that can be capitalized to improve the management of Buenos Aires coastal NPA, collecting information of cases which were chosen for their demonstration value depending on their particular features: Mar Chiquita Natural Reserve and Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito Biosphere Reserve, Arroyo Zabala Natural Reserve, Campos del Tuyú National Park and Bahía Samborombon Natural Reserve. The information was used to develop a diagnosis which describes the current management situation of those NPA detecting management restrictions and opportunities. Despite the exploratory nature of this research about Buenos Aires coastal NPA, this analysis aims to identify the current situation of management in those NPA and to contribute in order to improve the NPA management capabilities for conservation and sustainable use.Fil: Testa, Joaquín. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales; Argentina

MiT/TFEfactors controlER-phagy via transcriptional regulation ofFAM134B

Lysosomal degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via autophagy (ER-phagy) is emerging as a critical regulator of cell homeostasis and function. The recent identification of ER-phagy receptors has shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlining this process. However, the signaling pathways regulating ER-phagy in response to cellular needs are still largely unknown. We found that the nutrient responsive transcription factors TFEB and TFE3-master regulators of lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy-control ER-phagy by inducing the expression of the ER-phagy receptor FAM134B. The TFEB/TFE3-FAM134B axis promotes ER-phagy activation upon prolonged starvation. In addition, this pathway is activated in chondrocytes by FGF signaling, a critical regulator of skeletal growth. FGF signaling induces JNK-dependent proteasomal degradation of the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), which in turn inhibits the PI3K-PKB/Akt-mTORC1 pathway and promotes TFEB/TFE3 nuclear translocation and enhances FAM134B transcription. Notably, FAM134B is required for protein secretion in chondrocytes, and cartilage growth and bone mineralization in medaka fish. This study identifies a new signaling pathway that allows ER-phagy to respond to both metabolic and developmental cues

Disruption of vascular Ca2+-activated chloride currents lowers blood pressure

High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for death worldwide. One of the hallmarks is a rise of peripheral vascular resistance, which largely depends on arteriole tone. Ca(2+)-activated chloride currents (CaCCs) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are candidates for increasing vascular contractility. We analyzed the vascular tree and identified substantial CaCCs in VSMCs of the aorta and carotid arteries. CaCCs were small or absent in VSMCs of medium-sized vessels such as mesenteric arteries and larger retinal arterioles. In small vessels of the retina, brain, and skeletal muscle, where contractile intermediate cells or pericytes gradually replace VSMCs, CaCCs were particularly large. Targeted disruption of the calcium-activated chloride channel TMEM16A, also known as ANO1, in VSMCs, intermediate cells, and pericytes eliminated CaCCs in all vessels studied. Mice lacking vascular TMEM16A had lower systemic blood pressure and a decreased hypertensive response following vasoconstrictor treatment. There was no difference in contractility of medium-sized mesenteric arteries; however, responsiveness of the aorta and small retinal arterioles to the vasoconstriction-inducing drug U46619 was reduced. TMEM16A also was required for peripheral blood vessel contractility, as the response to U46619 was attenuated in isolated perfused hind limbs from mutant mice. Out data suggest that TMEM16A plays a general role in arteriolar and capillary blood flow and is a promising target for the treatment of hypertension

The ClC-K2 Chloride Channel Is Critical for Salt Handling in the Distal Nephron

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