Long-Term Potentiation in Isolated Dendritic Spines

BACKGROUND:In brain, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) activation can induce long-lasting changes in synaptic alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptor (AMPAR) levels. These changes are believed to underlie the expression of several forms of synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation (LTP). Such plasticity is generally believed to reflect the regulated trafficking of AMPARs within dendritic spines. However, recent work suggests that the movement of molecules and organelles between the spine and the adjacent dendritic shaft can critically influence synaptic plasticity. To determine whether such movement is strictly required for plasticity, we have developed a novel system to examine AMPAR trafficking in brain synaptosomes, consisting of isolated and apposed pre- and postsynaptic elements. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We report here that synaptosomes can undergo LTP-like plasticity in response to stimuli that mimic synaptic NMDAR activation. Indeed, KCl-evoked release of endogenous glutamate from presynaptic terminals, in the presence of the NMDAR co-agonist glycine, leads to a long-lasting increase in surface AMPAR levels, as measured by [(3)H]-AMPA binding; the increase is prevented by an NMDAR antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP5). Importantly, we observe an increase in the levels of GluR1 and GluR2 AMPAR subunits in the postsynaptic density (PSD) fraction, without changes in total AMPAR levels, consistent with the trafficking of AMPARs from internal synaptosomal compartments into synaptic sites. This plasticity is reversible, as the application of AMPA after LTP depotentiates synaptosomes. Moreover, depotentiation requires proteasome-dependent protein degradation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Together, the results indicate that the minimal machinery required for LTP is present and functions locally within isolated dendritic spines

Quantitative expansion microscopy for the characterization of the spectrin periodic skeleton of axons using fluorescence microscopy

Fluorescent nanoscopy approaches have been used to characterize the periodic organization of actin,spectrin and associated proteins in neuronal axons and dendrites. This membrane-associated periodicskeleton (MPS) is conserved across animals, suggesting it is a fundamental component of neuronalextensions. The nanoscale architecture of the arrangement (190 nm) is below the resolution limitof conventional fluorescent microscopy. Fluorescent nanoscopy, on the other hand, requires costlyequipment and special analysis routines, which remain inaccessible to most research groups. Thisreport aims to resolve this issue by using protein-retention expansion microscopy (pro-ExM) to revealthe MPS of axons. ExM uses reagents and equipment that are readily accessible in most neurobiologylaboratories. We first explore means to accurately estimate the expansion factors of protein structureswithin cells. We then describe the protocol that produces an expanded specimen that can be examinedwith any fluorescent microscopy allowing quantitative nanoscale characterization of the MPS. Wevalidate ExM results by direct comparison to stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy. Weconclude that ExM facilitates three-dimensional, multicolor and quantitative characterization of theMPS using accessible reagents and conventional fluorescent microscopes.Fil: Martínez, Gaby F.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Gazal, Nahir Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Quassollo Infanzon, Gonzalo Emiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Szalai, Alan Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Del Cid Pellitero, Esther. No especifíca;Fil: Durcan, Thomas M.. No especifíca;Fil: Fon, Edward A.. No especifíca;Fil: Bisbal, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Stefani, Fernando Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Unsain, Nicolas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentin

Analysis of common and rare VPS13C variants in late-onset Parkinson disease

Objective We aimed to study the role of coding VPS13C variants in a large cohort of patients with lateonset Parkinson disease (PD) (LOPD). Methods VPS13C and its untranslated regions were sequenced using targeted next-generation sequencing in 1,567 patients with PD and 1,667 controls from 3 cohorts. Association tests of rare potential homozygous and compound heterozygous variants and burden tests for rare heterozygous variants were performed. Common variants were analyzed using logistic regression adjusted for age and sex in each of the cohorts, followed by a meta-analysis. Results No biallelic carriers of rare VPS13C variants were found among patients, and 2 carriers of compound heterozygous variants were found in 2 controls. There was no statistically significant burden of rare (minor allele frequency [MAF] <1%) or very rare (MAF <0.1%) coding VPS13C variants in PD. A VPS13C haplotype including the p.R153H-p.I398I-p.I1132V-p.Q2376Q variants was nominally associated with a reduced risk for PD (meta-analysis of the tagging SNP p.I1132V [odds ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval = 0.28–0.82, p = 0.0052]). This haplotype was not in linkage disequilibrium with the known genome-wide association study top hit. Conclusions Our results do not support a role for rare heterozygous or biallelic VPS13C variants in LOPD. Additional genetic replication and functional studies are needed to examine the role of the haplotype identified here associated with reduced risk for PD

Stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (HOP/STI1/STIP1) regulates the accumulation and toxicity of α-synuclein in vivo

The predominantly pre-synaptic intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein is prone to misfolding and aggregation in synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Molecular chaperones play important roles in protein misfolding diseases and members of the chaperone machinery are often deposited in Lewy bodies. Here, we show that the Hsp90 co-chaperone STI1 co-immunoprecipitated α-synuclein, and co-deposited with Hsp90 and Hsp70 in insoluble protein fractions in two mouse models of α-synuclein misfolding. STI1 and Hsp90 also co-localized extensively with filamentous S129 phosphorylated α-synuclein in ubiquitin-positive inclusions. In PD human brains, STI1 transcripts were increased, and in neurologically healthy brains, STI1 and α-synuclein transcripts correlated. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses revealed direct interaction of α-synuclein with STI1 and indicated that the STI1 TPR2A, but not TPR1 or TPR2B domains, interacted with the C-terminal domain of α-synuclein. In vitro, the STI1 TPR2A domain facilitated S129 phosphorylation by Polo-like kinase 3. Moreover, mice over-expressing STI1 and Hsp90ß presented elevated α-synuclein S129 phosphorylation accompanied by inclusions when injected with α-synuclein pre-formed fibrils. In contrast, reduced STI1 function decreased protein inclusion formation, S129 α-synuclein phosphorylation, while mitigating motor and cognitive deficits as well as mesoscopic brain atrophy in α-synuclein-over-expressing mice. Our findings reveal a vicious cycle in which STI1 facilitates the generation and accumulation of toxic α-synuclein conformers, while α-synuclein-induced proteostatic stress increased insoluble STI1 and Hsp90

Defining the causes of sporadic Parkinson's disease in the global Parkinson's genetics program (GP2)

The Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) will genotype over 150,000 participants from around the world, and integrate genetic and clinical data for use in large-scale analyses to dramatically expand our understanding of the genetic architecture of PD. This report details the workflow for cohort integration into the complex arm of GP2, and together with our outline of the monogenic hub in a companion paper, provides a generalizable blueprint for establishing large scale collaborative research consortia

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of Parkinson?s disease

Although over 90 independent risk variants have been identified for Parkinson’s disease using genome-wide association studies, most studies have been performed in just one population at a time. Here we performed a large-scale multi-ancestry meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease with 49,049 cases, 18,785 proxy cases and 2,458,063 controls including individuals of European, East Asian, Latin American and African ancestry. In a meta-analysis, we identified 78 independent genome-wide significant loci, including 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) and fine-mapped 6 putative causal variants at 6 known PD loci. By combining our results with publicly available eQTL data, we identified 25 putative risk genes in these novel loci whose expression is associated with PD risk. This work lays the groundwork for future efforts aimed at identifying PD loci in non-European populations

Ataxin-3 and Its E3 Partners: Implications for Machado–Joseph Disease

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is the most common dominant inherited ataxia worldwide, caused by an unstable CAG trinucleotide expansion mutation within the SCA3 gene resulting in an expanded polyglutamine tract within the ataxin-3 protein. Ataxin-3 functions as a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB), within in the Ub system and whilst many DUBs are known to partner with and deubiquitinate specific E3-Ub-ligases, ataxin-3 had no identified E3 partner until recent studies implicated parkin and CHIP, two neuroprotective E3 ligases. MJD often presents with symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD), which led to identification of parkin as a novel E3 Ub-ligase whose activity was regulated by ataxin-3-mediated deubiquitination. Findings from these studies also revealed an unexpected convergence upon the E2 Ub-conjugating enzyme in the regulation of an E3/deubiquitinating enzyme pair. Moreover, mutant but not wild-type ataxin-3 promotes the clearance of parkin via the autophagy pathway, raising the intriguing possibility that increased turnover of parkin may contribute to the pathogenesis of MJD and help explain some of the parkinsonian features in MJD. In addition to parkin, the U-box E3 ligase CHIP, a neuroprotective E3 implicated in protein quality control, was identified as a second E3 partner of ataxin-3, with ataxin-3 regulating the ability of CHIP to ubiquitinate itself. Indeed, ataxin-3 not only deubiquitinated CHIP, but also trimmed Ub conjugates on CHIP substrates, thereby regulating the length of Ub chains. Interestingly, when expanded ataxin-3 was present, CHIP levels were also reduced in the brains of MJD transgenic mice, raising the possibility that loss of one or both E3 partners may be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of SCA3. In this review we discuss the implications from these studies and describe the importance of these findings in helping us understand the molecular processes involved in SCA3 and other neurodegenerative disorders