伪狂犬病毒跨突触示踪视觉系统神经网络的研究进展

伪狂犬病毒（PRV）作为一种亲神经性的病毒,它以其自我复制、跨突触、特异性传递的三大优势在揭示神经系统中功能性神经元之间的连接发挥着重大的作用。经基因重组后的伪狂犬病毒不但继承了原有病毒的优势,同时还延伸出其他特异性的功能,如重组后加入了荧光蛋白的伪狂犬病毒在视觉系统神经通路的研究中发挥了重要作用。本文就目前伪狂犬病毒跨突触示踪视觉系统神经网络中的研究做一综述。     

伪狂犬病毒神经传导研究

伪狂犬病毒对神经系统的传导具有跨突触传导、自我复制和宿主范围广等特性,自20世纪70年代起,便开始运用于神经解剖学研究领域。四十年的应用实践使伪狂犬病毒神经传导有了许多新的进展,无论是在病毒神经传导机理上,还是在传导应用中。伪狂犬病毒神经传导机理,着重于阐释病毒对初级神经细胞的侵染过程和对次级神经细胞的传导方向;传导应用则着重于探索新的神经传导毒株和对病毒传导技术进行革新。目前,伪狂犬病毒神经传导理论和应用尚有许多未知的领域需要研究,结合分子生物学技术的探索会使神经传导研究事半功倍。     

早期子宫颈恶性肿瘤腹腔镜手术中两种示踪剂前哨淋巴结活检结果的对比分析

目的:通过在早期子宫颈恶性肿瘤患者中应用吲哚箐绿(ICG)及纳米炭混悬液为示踪剂行腹腔镜下前哨淋巴结(sentinel lymph node,SLN)切除术,对比两种示踪剂的示踪效果,寻找临床更适宜普遍使用的示踪剂。方法:选取仁济医院妇瘤科2016.8～2019.10期间诊断明确的122例早期子宫颈恶性肿瘤患者为研究对象。随机采用ICG或纳米炭为前哨示踪剂。对两种示踪剂的显影情况和SLN的示踪效果进行分析。结果:在122例子宫颈恶性肿瘤病例中,宫颈注射ICG64例,检出SLN385枚,平均每个患者检出6.02枚SLN,检出率100%(64/64),特异度96.77%,敏感度75%。宫颈注射纳米炭混悬液58例,检出SLN265枚,平均每个患者检出4.57枚SLN,检出率96.9%(56/58),特异度96.36%,敏感度66.67%。两种示踪剂都有较好的示踪效果(P=0.9356)。结论:早期子宫颈恶性肿瘤行宫颈注射ICG或纳米炭混悬液,腹腔镜下显影的SLN均具有较高的检出率与准确率,是一种较为可行的方法,可普遍开展,值得推广。     

大白鼠脑干听觉中枢的研究下丘中心核内神经突触的特点

1.大白鼠下丘中心核(the Central Nucleus of the Inferior Colliculus,ICCN)内神经末稍以群体的形式有在,神经突触排列的类型主要为系列突触.2.末稍群体(Clustered ending)中轴突终末内含有多种类型的突触小泡.3.ICCN内具有不对称突触与对称突触两种类型的突触结构.4.在ICCN内,突触前终末有大量的突触小泡聚集,并且在突触后常有1—2个大线粒体靠近突触后膜.5.以上结果表明了脑干听觉中枢下丘中心核的结构及其突触连结的模式;突触的结构及其特点,这是频有意义的.     

大白鼠脑干听觉中枢的研究下丘中心核内神经突触的特点

1.大白鼠下丘中心核(the Central Nucleus of the Inferior Colliculus,ICCN)内神经末稍以群体的形式有在,神经突触排列的类型主要为系列突触.2.末稍群体(Clustered ending)中轴突终末内含有多种类型的突触小泡.3.ICCN内具有不对称突触与对称突触两种类型的突触结构.4.在ICCN内,突触前终末有大量的突触小泡聚集,并且在突触后常有1—2个大线粒体靠近突触后膜.5.以上结果表明了脑干听觉中枢下丘中心核的结构及其突触连结的模式;突触的结构及其特点,这是频有意义的.     

腹侧被盖区多巴胺神经元全脑神经环路示踪

摘要 目的：研究小鼠中脑腹侧被盖区（VTA）多巴胺能神经元接受的全脑输入性上游投射及其输出性下游投射,解析其全脑上下游神经环路连接。方法：用立体定位仪将辅助病毒AAV-EF1a-DIO-GT和AAV-EF1a-DIO-G的混合液（1：1）注射到DAT-cre转基因小鼠的VTA脑区,2周后将重组狂犬病毒（RV）EnVA-RV-mCherry微注射到VTA脑区,1周后RV病毒完成逆向跨突触感染并充分表达荧光蛋白,全脑冰冻切片,用全自动扫描荧光显微镜全脑拍片。用立体定位仪将顺行示踪病毒AAV-EF1a-DIO-GFP微注射到DAT-cre转基因小鼠的VTA脑区,2周后待病毒及荧光蛋白充分表达后,全脑冰冻切片,VTA区脑片用TH抗体行免疫荧光染色,全自动扫描荧光显微镜全脑拍片。结果：狂犬病毒逆向跨单级突触示踪结果显示,全脑许多脑区核团神经元表达RV病毒携带的红色荧光蛋白,主要包括前脑皮层、纹状体、伏隔核、下丘脑视前区、外侧下丘脑、下丘脑室旁核、杏仁核、腹侧被盖区、黑质、中缝背核、臂旁核、缰核。顺行示踪病毒结果显示,表达绿色荧光蛋白的纤维投射主要集中在内侧前额叶皮层、纹状体、伏隔核、背外侧隔核、杏仁核、外侧下丘脑几个脑区。结论：VTA多巴胺能神经元的上游输入性投射广泛的分布于全脑,包括前脑皮层、基底神经节区、下丘脑区、边缘系统、中脑的许多核团都向其发出纤维投射。VTA多巴胺神经元的下游输出性投射主要集中在基底神经节的伏隔核和纹状体,内侧前额叶皮层及下丘脑也有一定投射。     

智障相关基因调控神经突触的生长发育

智力障碍病人约占人群的1%~3%,给家庭、社会带来严重的心理和经济负担,因此深入研究智障的发病机理具有非常重要的理论和现实意义.目前已发现500多个基因突变后可导致智障,这些基因的功能虽复杂多样,但其中多个基因在神经突触形成和学习记忆等生物学过程中发挥重要作用.神经突触是神经元与靶细胞之间进行信息交流的特化结构,而在智障病人中常伴有突触发育和功能异常.本文以本课题组的研究工作为主线,围绕神经突触的发育简要综述最近几年在智力障碍研究方面所取得的重要进展,并重点介绍BMP信号通路,微管和微丝细胞骨架在智障相关的突触病理发生过程中的作用.     

~(41)Ca-AMS——生物示踪的有力工具

钙是人体的重要元素,它对于维持人体各系统的正常功能具有重要作用。缺钙可能导致骨质疏松、动脉硬化、癌症、肾脏疾病、关节炎等多种疾病。另外,钙离子作为一种细胞信使,在维持细胞正常功能中起着重要作用。钙同位素示踪技术是研究钙在生物体作用的有效方法,41Ca是所有钙的同位素中最佳的示踪剂。随着加速器质谱(AMS)技术的出现,使41Ca生物示踪成为可能,灵敏度可以达到10-14。41Ca成为一种生物示踪的有力工具,并广泛应用于生物示踪实验。该文介绍了钙与人体的关系、钙的同位素、国内外利用41Ca作为示踪剂开展的研究工作,并结合AMS技术,对利用41Ca所能开展的更进一步的研究工作进行了讨论。     

国家自然科学基金委员会生命科学部2013年度海外及港澳学者合作研究基金项目

项目名称 延续资助项日 伪狂犬病毒跨突触传输机制的研究 构建癌症中基于ceRNA机制的长非编码RNA调控网络 白介素-17家族细胞因子的功能与作用机制     

神经肌肉接头突触发育信号机制研究进展

神经肌肉接头是目前研究较为深入的一种经典外周胆碱能化学突触。神经肌肉接头突触形成依赖于运动神经元与骨骼肌细胞之间的精细相互作用和复杂信号传递。此外,胶质细胞在神经肌肉接头突触发育和成熟过程中亦发挥重要功能。现将主要围绕近年来神经肌肉接头发育过程中若干重要信号通路以及相关神经肌肉系统疾病的主要研究进展进行综述。     

HIV-1-infected blood mononuclear cells form an integrin- and agrin-dependent viral synapse to induce efficient HIV-1 transcytosis across epithelial cell monolayer

The heparan sulfate proteoglycan agrin and adhesion molecules are key players in the formation of neuronal and immune synapses that evolved for efficient communication at the sites of cell-cell contact. Transcytosis of infectious virus across epithelial cells upon contact between HIV-1-infected cells and the mucosal pole of the epithelial cells is one mechanism for HIV-1 entry at mucosal sites. In contrast, transcytosis of cell-free HIV-1 is not efficient. A synapse between HIV-1-infected cells and the mucosal epithelial surface that resembles neuronal and immune synapses is visualized by electron microscopy. We have termed this the "viral synapse." Similarities of the viral synapse also extend to the functional level. HIV-1-infected cell-induced transcytosis depends on RGD-dependent integrins and efficient cell-free virus transcytosis is inducible upon RGD-dependent integrin cross-linking. Agrin appears differentially expressed at the apical epithelial surface and acts as an HIV-1 attachment receptor. Envelope glycoprotein subunit gp41 binds specifically to agrin, reinforcing the interaction of gp41 to its epithelial receptor galactosyl ceramide.     

Activity-dependent clustering of functional synaptic inputs on developing hippocampal dendrites

During brain development, before sensory systems become functional, neuronal networks spontaneously generate repetitive bursts of neuronal activity, which are typically synchronized across many neurons. Such activity patterns have been described on the level of networks and cells, but the fine-structure of inputs received by an individual neuron during spontaneous network activity has not been studied. Here, we used calcium imaging to record activity at many synapses of hippocampal pyramidal neurons simultaneously to establish the activity patterns in the majority of synapses of an entire cell. Analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns of synaptic activity revealed a fine-scale connectivity rule: neighboring synapses (<16?μm intersynapse distance) are more likely to be coactive than synapses that are farther away from each other. Blocking spiking activity or NMDA receptor activation revealed that the clustering of synaptic inputs required neuronal activity, demonstrating a role of developmentally expressed spontaneous activity for connecting neurons with subcellular precision.     

Fueling synapses

The transmission of information across neuronal synapses is an energetically taxing business. Sheng and colleagues monitored the localization of mitochondria following different levels of synaptic activation and discovered that these organelles change their distribution in interesting ways, stalling near synapses when neurons are activated and increasing their movement when neurons are silent (Li et al., 2004 [this issue of Cell]).     

Lack of support for surface diffusion of postsynaptic AMPARs in tuning synaptic transmission

Repetitive stimulation of excitatory synapses triggers molecular events required for signal transfer across neuronal synapses. It has been hypothesized that one of these molecular events, the diffusion of extrasynaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPARs) (i.e., the diffusion hypothesis), is necessary to help synapses recover from paired-pulse depression. To examine this presumed role of AMPAR diffusion during repetitive presynaptic stimulation, a biophysical model based on published physiological results was developed to track the localization and gating of each AMPAR. The model demonstrates that AMPAR gating in short intervals of fewer than 100 ms is controlled by their position in relation to the glutamate release site and by their recovery from desensitization, but it is negligibly influenced by their diffusion. Therefore, these simulations failed to demonstrate a role for AMPAR diffusion in helping synapses recover from paired-pulse depression.     

Interrogating structural plasticity among synaptic engrams

Our daily experiences and learnings are stored in the form of memories. These experiences trigger synaptic plasticity and persistent structural and functional changes in neuronal synapses. Recently, cellular studies of memory storage and engrams have emerged over the last decade. Engram cells reflect interconnected neurons via modified synapses. However, we were unable to observe the structural changes arising from synaptic plasticity in the past, because it was not possible to distinguish the synapses between engram cells. To overcome this barrier, dual-eGRASP (enhanced green fluorescent protein reconstitution across synaptic partners) technology can label specific synapses among multiple synaptic ensembles. Selective labeling of engram synapses elucidated their role by observing the structural changes in synapses according to the memory state. Dual-eGRASP extends cellular level engram studies to introduce the era of synaptic level studies. Here, we review this concept and possible applications of the dual-eGRASP, including recent studies that provided visual evidence of structural plasticity at the engram synapse.     

Modulation of presynaptic store calcium induces release of glutamate and postsynaptic firing

Action potential-independent transmitter release is random and produces small depolarizations in the postsynaptic neuron. This process is, therefore, not thought to play a significant role in impulse propagation across synapses. Here we show that calcium flux through presynaptic neuronal nicotinic receptors leads to mobilization of store calcium by calcium-induced calcium release. Recruitment of store calcium induces vesicular release of glutamate in a manner consistent with synchronization across multiple active zones in the CA3 region of the rat hippocampus. This modulation of action potential-independent release of glutamate is sufficient to drive the postsynaptic pyramidal cell above its firing threshold, thus providing a mechanism for impulse propagation.     

Interaction of the N-terminal domain of the AMPA receptor GluR4 subunit with the neuronal pentraxin NP1 mediates GluR4 synaptic recruitment

Synaptogenesis requires recruitment of neurotransmitter receptors to developing postsynaptic specializations. We developed a coculture system reconstituting artificial synapses between neurons and nonneuronal cells to investigate the molecular components required for AMPA-receptor recruitment to synapses. With this system, we find that excitatory axons specifically express factors that recruit the AMPA receptor GluR4 subunit to sites of contact between axons and GluR4-transfected nonneuronal cells. Furthermore, the N-terminal domain (NTD) of GluR4 is necessary and sufficient for its recruitment to these artificial synapses and also for GluR4 recruitment to native synapses. Moreover, we show that axonally derived neuronal pentraxins NP1 and NPR are required for GluR4 recruitment to artificial and native synapses. RNAi knockdown and knockout of the neuronal pentraxins significantly decreases GluR4 targeting to synapses. Our results indicate that NP1 and NPR secreted from presynaptic neurons bind to the GluR4 NTD and are critical trans-synaptic factors for GluR4 recruitment to synapses.     

Arc/Arg3.1 mediates homeostatic synaptic scaling of AMPA receptors

Homeostatic plasticity may compensate for Hebbian forms of synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), by scaling neuronal output without changing the relative strength of individual synapses. This delicate balance between neuronal output and distributed synaptic weight may be necessary for maintaining efficient encoding of information across neuronal networks. Here, we demonstrate that Arc/Arg3.1, an immediate-early gene (IEG) that is rapidly induced by neuronal activity associated with information encoding in the brain, mediates homeostatic synaptic scaling of AMPA type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) via its ability to activate a novel and selective AMPAR endocytic pathway. High levels of Arc/Arg3.1 block the homeostatic increases in AMPAR function induced by chronic neuronal inactivity. Conversely, loss of Arc/Arg3.1 results in increased AMPAR function and abolishes homeostatic scaling of AMPARs. These observations, together with evidence that Arc/Arg3.1 is required for memory consolidation, reveal the importance of Arc/Arg3.1's dynamic expression as it exerts continuous and precise control over synaptic strength and cellular excitability.     

Digitalizing neuronal synapses with cryo-electron tomography and correlative microscopy

Synapses are the structural and functional joints of neuronal circuits, and brain function is fundamentally based on synaptic quantal transmission and plasticity. Precise mapping of key components within individual synapses in different states can reveal the principles governing synapse formation, transmission, and plasticity and improving understanding of the mechanisms of synapse-related diseases. Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and correlative microscopy are increasingly powerful tools that can dissect the molecular sociology of intact cells, including neuronal synapses. In this study, we discuss current progress made in cryo-ET studies assessing neuronal synapses, especially sample preparation, molecule identification, and correlative approaches for synaptic dynamics and functions.     

Mixed-culture assays for analyzing neuronal synapse formation

The assembly of synapses in the vertebrate central nervous system requires bidirectional signaling across the synaptic cleft that directs the differentiation of pre- and postsynaptic membrane domains. Biochemical and genetic studies have identified several adhesion and signaling molecules that localize to synapses and might participate in organizing synaptic structures. Understanding how individual proteins contribute to synaptic organization is complicated by the fact that there are significant numbers of separate signals that cooperate in this process. This protocol describes an assay system that permits examination of synaptogenic activities of individual cell-surface proteins in isolation. Besides the time needed for preparation and growth of primary neuronal cultures (6-14 days), the execution and analysis of the assay is rapid, requiring approximately 2 days. Using this assay, recent studies revealed that single synaptic adhesion complexes can direct a remarkable degree of synaptic differentiation and provided new insights into the cell biological mechanisms of synaptogenesis.