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

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.

Imaging of AMPA-type glutamate receptors in hippocampal neurons

Michel Kropf

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.

EPFL2007

Membrane trafficking in neurons regulated by new syntaxin 13-interacting proteins

Pascal Steiner

Recently, it has been shown that correct trafficking of neuronal plasma membrane receptors along the endosomal pathway is directly implicated in molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and is fundamental for proper neuronal communication. To understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal trafficking through endosomes, we used syntaxin 13, an endosomal protein that we had previously characterized, as a bait to immunopurify protein complexes. Among the 5 new syntaxin 13-interacting proteins that we identified, my thesis work has focused on the characterization of 2 of them, Neuron-Enriched Endosomal Protein of 21 kDa (NEEP21) and Reticulon1-C (RTN1-C). NEEP21. Our work revealed that NEEP21 is expressed by neurons in their somatodendritic compartments, where it is mainly found in Rab4-positive subdomains of early endosomes. This domain has been implicated in the sorting of internalized surface receptors. We demonstrated that NEEP21 suppression strongly retards recycling of receptors including AMPA-type glutamate receptors. We recently identified a molecular link between NEEP21 and AMPA-receptor trafficking. NEEP21 is present in a complex with GRIP, a scaffold protein for GluR2, and GluR2, a subunit of AMPA receptors. Overexpression of the NEEP21 binding site for GRIP causes a retraction of dendrites, an effect partially compensated by GluR2 overexpression. In addition, expression of this fragment inhibits AMPA receptor recycling. Based on the recent findings of the importance of AMPA receptor trafficking between endosomes and the cell membrane during synaptic structural and functional plasticity, we postulate that NEEP21 modulates synaptic strength. RTN1-C. The second identified syntaxin 13-associated protein is RTN1-C. Reticulons constitute a family of membrane proteins localized primarily to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). So far the cellular function of reticulons is little undertsood. We found that RTN1-C interacts with several SNARE proteins. In addition, we showed that overexpression of the RTN1-C binding site for syntaxin 1 significantly enhanced regulated secretion. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that RTN1-C could be a key actor in the regulation of SNARE-dependent membrane fusion processes. Together, our studies contribute to the elucidation of the roles of NEEP21 and RTN1-C in neurons and the molecular mechanisms of membrane protein trafficking that are at fundamental for synaptic plasticity.

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

Imaging of AMPA-type glutamate receptors in hippocampal neurons

Michel Kropf

EPFL2007

Structure and dynamics of the neocortical microcircuit connectivity

Jean-Vincent Le Bé

EPFL2007

Membrane trafficking in neurons regulated by new syntaxin 13-interacting proteins

Pascal Steiner

EPFL2004