Imaging of AMPA-type glutamate receptors in hippocampal neurons

Synaptic plasticity is the ability of the connections between nerve cells, called synapses, to change in strength. The presence of a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors (AMPAR) at the synapse controls the strength of excitatory transmission and their number can be modulated. Controlled surface insertion of AMPA-type glutamate receptors and their lateral diffusion into synapses are proposed to be major mechanisms for the regulation of synaptic plasticity. Here we applied the recently established Acyl-Carrier-Protein-labeling technique in combination with lentiviral expression in hippocampal neurons to label individually ACP-tagged AMPA receptor subunits at the surface of neurons. This technique uses a carrier protein from the fatty acid synthesis and a mutant therof as a tag, which were fused by genetic engineering to the AMPAR subunits. The labeling procedure is specific for proteins, AMPARs in our case, which are present at the plasma membrane of the cell. We show that this technique allows to differentially label two subunits of the receptor. Moreover, these subunits are integrated into heteromeric receptors together with endogenous subunits, and these labeled receptors are targeted to functional synapses. The diffusion coefficient of labeled GluR2 at the surface of living neurons is significantly higher in GluR2/GluR3-infected neurons compared to GluR1/GluR2-infected neurons suggesting a higher mobility of GluR2/3 receptors compared to GluR1/2 receptors. Finally, in sequential labeling experiments we detected newly inserted receptor subunits colocalized with presynaptic markers. The GluR1 subunit displayed a faster kinetics of insertion compare to the other subunits. Internalized GluR2 receptors have been shown to accumulate in perinuclear late endosomes in HEK 293T cells. Moreover, we expressed and labeled surface tagged-GluR2 receptors in hippocampal slices, using similar labeling technique as ACP. High-resolution images, sub-difraction limited, of hippocampal neurons stained for GluR2 were acquired with an experimental scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). Together our results strongly indicate that receptor insertion is faster for GluR1 and that insertion occurs at or in close vicinity of synapses in mature hippocampal neuron cultures.

Regulation of the protein complex NEEP21 - GRIP - GluR2 implicated in AMPAR trafficking through endosomal compartments

Karina Kulangara

It is important for neurotransmission to control the number of receptors at synapses. The synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-type of glutamate receptors (AMPARs) control the strength of excitatory transmission. These receptors are mobile and cycle between internal endosomal compartments and the plasma membrane. We have identified previously a protein complex between the endosomal protein NEEP21, the AMPAR subunit GluR2 and the scaffold protein GRIP necessary for correct GluR2 recycling. Here we elucidate the regulation underlying the complex formation and dissociation necessary for the trafficking through endosomal compartments. We show that a 85 kDa protein kinase, which is associated with NEEP21, phosphorylates GRIP on serine 917. Protein kinase C is activated by glutamate receptor stimulation, and leads to the activation of the NEEP21-associated kinase. The phosphorylation of GRIP leads to a reduced binding between GRIP and NEEP21, and GRIP and GluR2. Serine 917 is implicated in AMPAR cycling, since a wildtype carboxyterminal GRIP fragment expressed in hippocampal neurons interferes with GluR2 surface expression. On the contrary, a S917D mutant fragment does not interfere with GluR2 surface expression. The regulation of the formation and dissociation of the protein complex between NEEP21, GluR2 and GRIP1 may suggest a sorting mechanism between the recycling and degradation pathways for the AMPAR subunit GluR2. This is especially important in the light of the discovery of a form of plasticity which implicates GluR2-lacking AMPAR, and the fact that insertion of GluR2-lacking AMPAR are implicated in a number of neurological diseases like ALS or ischemia. Our results identify an important regulatory mechanism in the trafficking of AMPAR subunits between internal compartments and the plasma membrane.

EPFL2006

Structural basis and biophysical properties of synaptic plasticity studied by atomic force microscopy

Alexandre Yersin

In this thesis, we studied two systems important for synaptic plasticity, one presynaptic and another postsynaptic. The protein complex composed of VAMP 2, SNAP-25 and syntaxin 1 (SNARE complex) is essential for docking and fusion of neurotransmitter-filled synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. In order to better understand the fusion mechanisms, we reconstituted the synaptic SNARE complex in the imaging chamber of an atomic force microscope (AFM) and measured the interaction forces between its components. Each protein was tested against the two others, taken either individually or as binary complexes. This approach allowed us to determine specific interaction forces, dissociation kinetics of the SNAREs and led us to propose a sequence of formation for the complex. A theoretical model based on our measurements suggests that a minimum of four complexes is probably necessary for fusion to occur. We also showed that the regulatory protein nSec1 injected into the AFM chamber prevented the SNARE complex formation. Finally we measured the effect of tetanus toxin protease (TeTx) on the SNARE complex and its activity by on-line registration during TeTx injection. These experiments reveal that AFM is a valuable tool to investigate complicate interactions among a protein complex containing up to four components. Trafficking of glutamate receptors AMPA is closely related to postsynaptic induction of long-term potentiation. In a second part of this thesis, we used AFM to explore the distribution of AMPA receptors on-line at the surface of living cells in correlation with cellular viscoelastic properties. First, we showed that AFM permits to detect specifically AMPA receptors at the surface of living neurons and we proved that the specificity of detection is stable during time. Moreover, we were able to visualize variations in AMPA receptor density on surface in response to different stimulations. Finally, AFM also allowed us to study local viscoelastic properties of the cell and their modifications occurring during AMPA receptor trafficking. Our measurements reveal that AMPA receptors are situated at the cell surface on local stiffness maxima. We have noticed that an excitatory stimulation removes these stiffness maxima before producing internalization of receptors. Our results suggest also that AMPA receptors may be constituted of two subpopulations depending on the cell stiffness. A "hard" subpopulation may be preferentially internalized after an excitatory stimulation whereas a "soft" one seems to remain at the cell surface.

EPFL2004

Structure and dynamics of the neocortical microcircuit connectivity

Jean-Vincent Le Bé

The neocortex is the most computationally advanced portion of the brain. It is currently assumed to be composed of a large number of "cortical columns" – intricate arrangements of cortical neurons approximately 300-500 µm in diameter and 2-5 mm in height in humans – that might serve as the elementary computational unit of the neocortex. Understanding the computation performed by this microcircuit is one of the keys to our comprehension of the brain. The so-called cortical column is not a static entity, however, and it evolves throughout a lifetime and continually adapts to the information from its cortical environment. Despite the differences between cortical columns across the cortex, a number of common features have been identified: a laminar structure, the dynamics of connections between identified neurons or the mechanisms for these connections to be modified (that give its specificity to each microcircuit). This thesis presents the description of the differential connectivity and synaptic dynamics across cell populations and the long term neuronal rewiring in a particular neuronal population within the cortical column. Somatic whole cell recordings have been performed to probe the connectivity, synaptic dynamics and plasticity of the connections in the rat neocortex. Two populations of layer V pyramidal neurons were studied in particular: cortico-callosally projecting pyramidal cells (CCPs) and thick tufted pyramidal cells (TTCs). The first major results from this work revealed the degree of connectivity and the linear dynamics of the CCPs population when compared to the TTCs. CCPs have nearly 4 times fewer interconnections and subsequent post-synaptic potentials were less decreasing in amplitude along a pre-synaptic series of action potentials. Long term configuration of TTC networks was explored. These experiments show for the first time the emergence of new functional synaptic connections between TTCs within hours. Activation of the slice by glutamate greatly increases their rate of emergence and this work demonstrated that metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) activation and action potential firing are required for new connections to be formed in this experimental protocol. Newly formed connections respond in a more linear fashion and have weaker post-synaptic influence than already existing connections. Pre-existing connections are also modified after stimulation, requiring mGluR5, action potentials as well as α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors activation. The activation of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) however results in a decrease in the strength of connections. Finally, the influence of inhibitory interneurons on the activity and connectivity between TTCs was also investigated. The results of this study show that firing of inhibitory interneurons can be triggered by the input of only one pyramidal cell. They further show that stimulation of a single TTC can result in an hyperpolarization of the post-synaptic TTC mediated by an interneurone. When the pre-synaptic neuron is also directly connected to the post-synaptic neuron with an excitatory synapse, the indirect inhibitory connection serves to curtail the excitatory response. This work has provided a new insight into the dynamic nature of the cortical microcircuitry, showing that it evolves rapidly and can adapt, reconfigure and rewire itself in remarkably short time-spans. It also describes the variety of dynamics exhibited by the different types of pyramidal cells, due to either the projecting site specificity or to the action of an intermediate interneuron.

EPFL2007