The effects of lifelong, moderate excess release of glutamate (Glu) in the CNS have not been previously characterized. We created a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of lifelong excess synaptic Glu release in the CNS by introducing the gene for glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (Glud1) under the control of the neuron-specific enolase promoter. Glud1 is, potentially, an important enzyme in the pathway of Glu synthesis in nerve terminals. Increased levels of GLUD protein and activity in CNS neurons of hemizygous Tg mice were associated with increases in the in vivo release of Glu after neuronal depolarization in striatum and in the frequency and amplitude of miniature EPSCs in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Despite overexpression of Glud1 in all neurons of the CNS, the Tg mice suffered neuronal losses in select brain regions (e.g., the CA1 but not the CA3 region). In vulnerable regions, Tg mice had decreases in MAP2A labeling of dendrites and in synaptophysin labeling of presynaptic terminals; the decreases in neuronal numbers and dendrite and presynaptic terminal labeling increased with advancing age. In addition, the Tg mice exhibited decreases in long-term potentiation of synaptic activity and in spine density in dendrites of CA1 neurons. Behaviorally, the Tg mice were significantly more resistant than wild-type mice to induction and duration of anesthesia produced by anesthetics that suppress Glu neurotransmission. The Glud1 mouse might be a useful model for the effects of lifelong excess synaptic Glu release on CNS neurons and for age-associated neurodegenerative processes.

Altered neurotrophism in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is associated in part with substantial degenerative changes in Schwann cells (SCs) and an increased expression of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75 NTR ).Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is highly expressed in adult SCs, and changes in its expression can regulate signaling through Erb B2, a co-receptor that mediates the effects of neuregulins in promoting SC growth and differentiation. We examined the hypothesis that hyperglycemia-induced changes in Cav-1 expression and p75 NTR signaling may contribute to altered neurotrophism in DPN by modulating SC responses to neuregulins. In an animal model of type 1 diabetes, hyperglycemia induced a progressive decrease of Cav-1 in SCs of sciatic nerve that was reversed by insulin therapy. Treatment of primary neonatal SCs with 20 -30 mM D-glucose, but not L-glucose, was sufficient to inhibit transcription from the Cav-1 promoter and decrease Cav-1 mRNA and protein expression. Hyperglycemia prolonged the kinetics of Erb B2 phosphorylation and significantly enhanced the mitogenic response of SCs to neuregulin1-␤1, and this effect was mimicked by the forced down-regulation of Cav-1. Intriguingly, nerve growth factor antagonized the enhanced mitogenic response of SCs to neuregulin1-␤1 and inhibited the glucose-induced down-regulation of Cav-1 transcription, mRNA, and protein expression through p75 NTR -dependent activation of JNK. Our data suggest that Cav-1 down-regulation may contribute to altered neurotrophism in DPN by enhancing the response of SCs to neuregulins and that p75 NTR -mediated JNK activation may provide a mechanism for the neurotrophic modulation of hyperglycemic stress.Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) 1 has a complicated etiology with contributions from metabolic and vascular insults that are exacerbated by poorly controlled glucose levels over the lifetime of diabetes (1). One etiologic factor in DPN is an altered neurotrophism (2) that may contribute to the substantial degenerative changes that Schwann cells (SCs) progressively undergo in DPN. Given the critical role of SCs in establishing appropriate axon-glial interactions necessary for neuronal regeneration, it is important to understand fully the interplay of molecular signals operative during their response to prolonged hyperglycemic stress.Altered neurotrophism in DPN is associated with decreased production of neurotrophic factors (2) and an increased expression of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75 NTR ) in SCs in humans and an animal model of type 1 diabetes (3-5). However, it is unclear whether neurotrophic factor signaling through p75 NTR may regulate SC responses to hyperglycemic stress. Developmentally, p75 NTR signaling in SCs has been linked to cell migration (6, 7), myelination (8), and neurotrophin-induced apoptosis (9). However, adult SCs do not undergo substantial death following nerve injury (10), and no evidence exists that p75 NTR contributes to apoptosis of adult SCs in DPN. Indeed, recent evidence (11, 12) suggests that p75 NTR may ...

Introduction Inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants may influence Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. Methods We sequenced mtDNA from 146 AD and 265 cognitively normal (CN) subjects from the University of Kansas AD Center (KUADC) and assigned haplogroups. We further considered 244 AD and 242 CN AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) subjects with equivalent data. Results Without applying multiple comparisons corrections, KUADC haplogroup J AD and CN frequencies were 16.4% versus 7.6% (P = .007), and haplogroup K AD and CN frequencies were 4.8% versus 10.2% (P = .063). ADNI haplogroup J AD and CN frequencies were 10.7% versus 7.0% (P = .20), and haplogroup K frequencies were 4.9% versus 8.7% (P = .11). For the combined 390 AD and 507 CN cases haplogroup J frequencies were 12.8% versus 7.3% (P = .006), odds ratio (OR) = 1.87, and haplogroup K frequencies were 4.9% versus 9.5% (P = .010), OR = 0.49. Associations remained significant after adjusting for apolipoprotein E, age, and sex. Conclusion This exploratory analysis suggests inherited mtDNA variants influence AD risk.

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Cn (calcineurin) activity is stabilized by SOD1 (Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase), a phenomenon attributed to protection from superoxide (O2*-). The effects of O2*- on Cn are still controversial. We found that O2*-, generated either in vitro or in vivo did not affect Cn activity. Yet native bovine, recombinant human or rat, and two chimaeras of human SOD1-rat SOD1, all activated Cn, but SOD2 (Mn-superoxide dismutase) did not affect Cn activity. There was also a poor correlation between SOD1 dismutase activity and Cn activation. A chimaera of human N-terminal SOD1 and rat C-terminal SOD1 had little detectable dismutase activity, yet stimulated Cn activity the same as full-length human or rat SOD1. Nevertheless, there was evidence that the active site of SOD1 was involved in Cn activation based on the loss of activation following chelation of Cu from the active site of SOD1. Also, SOD1 engaged in the catalysis of O2*- dismutation was ineffective in activating Cn. SOD1 activation of Cn resulted from a 90-fold decrease in phosphatase K(m) without a change in V(max). A possible mechanism for the activation of Cn was identified in our studies as the prevention of Fe and Zn losses from the active site of Cn, suggesting a conformation-dependent SOD1-Cn interaction. In neurons, SOD1 and Cn were co-localized in cytoplasm and membranes, and SOD1 co-immunoprecipitated with Cn from homogenates of brain hippocampus and was present in immunoprecipitates as large multimers. Pre-incubation of pure SOD1 with Cn caused SOD1 multimer formation, an indication of an altered conformational state in SOD1 upon interaction with Cn.

Glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (GLUD1) is a mitochondrial enzyme expressed in all tissues, including brain. Although this enzyme is expressed in glutamatergic pathways, its function as a regulator of glutamate neurotransmitter levels is still not well defined. In order to gain an understanding of the role of GLUD1 in the control of glutamate levels and synaptic release in mammalian brain, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice that over-express this enzyme in neurons of the central nervous system. The Tg mice have increased activity of GLUD, as well as elevated levels and increased synaptic and depolarization-induced release of glutamate. These mice suffer age-associated losses of dendritic spines, nerve terminals, and neurons. The neuronal losses and dendrite structural changes occur in select regions of the brain. At the transcriptional level in the hippocampus, cells respond by increasing the expression of genes related to neurite growth and synapse formation, indications of adaptive or compensatory responses to the effects of increases in the release and action of glutamate at synapses. Because these Tg mice live to a relatively old age they are a good model of the effects of a “hyperglutamatergic” state on the aging process in the nervous system. The mice are also useful in defining the molecular pathways affected by the over-activation of GLUD in glutamatergic neurons of the brain and spinal cord.

Intraneuronal calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) regulation is altered in aging brain, possibly because of the changes in critical Ca 2+ transporters. We previously reported that the levels of the plasma membrane Ca 2+-ATPase (PMCA) and the V max for enzyme activity are significantly reduced in synaptic membranes in aging rat brain. The goal of these studies was to use RNA i techniques to suppress expression of a major neuronal isoform, PMCA2, in neurons in culture to determine the potential functional consequences of a decrease in PMCA activity. Embryonic rat brain neurons and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were transfected with in vitro -transcribed short interfering RNA or a short hairpin RNA expressing vector, respectively, leading to 80% suppression of PMCA2 expression within 48 h.

BackgroundExtraneuronal levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in brain rise during aging. This is thought to lead to synaptic dysfunction and neuronal injury or death. To study the effects of glutamate hyperactivity in brain, we created transgenic (Tg) mice in which the gene for glutamate dehydrogenase (Glud1) is over-expressed in neurons and in which such overexpression leads to excess synaptic release of glutamate. In this study, we analyzed whole genome expression in the hippocampus, a region important for learning and memory, of 10 day to 20 month old Glud1 and wild type (wt) mice.ResultsDuring development, maturation and aging, both Tg and wt exhibited decreases in the expression of genes related to neurogenesis, neuronal migration, growth, and process elongation, and increases in genes related to neuro-inflammation, voltage-gated channel activity, and regulation of synaptic transmission. Categories of genes that were differentially expressed in Tg vs. wt during development were: synaptic function, cytoskeleton, protein ubiquitination, and mitochondria; and, those differentially expressed during aging were: synaptic function, vesicle transport, calcium signaling, protein kinase activity, cytoskeleton, neuron projection, mitochondria, and protein ubiquitination. Overall, the effects of Glud1 overexpression on the hippocampus transcriptome were greater in the mature and aged than the young.ConclusionsGlutamate hyperactivity caused gene expression changes in the hippocampus at all ages. Some of these changes may result in premature brain aging. The identification of these genomic expression differences is important in understanding the effects of glutamate dysregulation on neuronal function during aging or in neurodegenerative diseases.