The ovarian hormone oestradiol promotes neuritic outgrowth in different neuronal types, by mechanisms that remain elusive. Recent studies have shown that the Notch-regulated transcription factor neurogenin 3 controls neuritogenesis. In the present study, we assessed whether oestradiol regulates neurogenin 3 in primary hippocampal neurones. As expected, neuritogenesis was increased in the cultures treated with oestradiol. However, the neuritogenic action of oestradiol was not prevented by ICI 182,780, an antagonist of classical oestrogen receptors (ERs). Oestradiol decreased the expression of Hairy and Enhancer of Split-1, a Notch-regulated gene that negatively controls the expression on neurogenin 3. Furthermore, oestradiol increased the expression of neurogenin 3 and regulated its distribution between the neuronal cell nucleus and the cytoplasm. The effect of oestradiol on neurogenin 3 expression was not blocked by antagonists of classical nuclear ER-mediated transcription and was not imitated by selective agonists of nuclear ERs. By contrast, G1, a ligand of G protein receptor 30/G protein-coupled ER, fully reproduced the effect of oestradiol on neuritogenesis, neurogenin 3 expression and neurogenin 3 subcellular localisation. Moreover, knockdown of neurogenin 3 in neurones by transfection with small interference RNA for neurogenin 3 completely abrogated the neuritogenic actions of oestradiol and G1. These results suggest that oestradiol regulates neurogenin 3 in primary hippocampal neurones by a nonclassical steroid signalling mechanism, which involves the down-regulation of Notch activity and the activation of G protein receptor 30/G protein-coupled ER or of other unknown G1 targets. In addition, our findings indicate that neurogenin 3 participates in the neuritogenic mechanisms of oestradiol in hippocampal neurones.

Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3), a proneural gene controlled by the Notch receptor, is implicated in the control of dendrite morphology and synaptic plasticity of cultured hippocampal neurons. Here we report the localization and subcellular distribution of Ngn3 in the hippocampus in vivo and in neuronal cultures. In situ hybridization showed Ngn3 mRNA expression in the pyramidal layer and dentate gyrus of adult mouse hippocampus. Immunohistochemistry studies revealed that Ngn3 localization is mostly cytoplasmic in the hippocampal eminence at embryonic day (E)17 and postnatal day (P)0. At P10 it is cytoplasmic in CA1-CA3 pyramidal neurons and nuclear in granule cells of the dentate gyrus. In the adult hippocampus Ngn3 is localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of both pyramidal neurons and granule cells. During development of cultured hippocampal neurons, Ngn3 mRNA expression is higher at stages of neuronal polarization, as judged by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and it is mostly cytoplasmic. The tracking of the subcellular localization of Ngn3 in neurons infected with a virus expressing myc-Ngn3 suggests that the protein is quickly translocated to the cell nucleus after synthesis and then reexported to the cytoplasm. Treatment with leptomycin B, a potent and specific inhibitor of the exportin CRM1, induced its accumulation into the nucleus, suggesting that CRM1 mediates the nuclear export of Ngn3. These results suggest that Ngn3 may play a role in neuronal development by actions in the cytoplasm.

Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is induced by cellular stress and is involved in regulation of fuel utilization, mitochondrial bioenergetics, cell proliferation, neuroprotection and synaptogenesis in the adult brain. Here we show that natural birth in mice triggers UCP2 expression in hippocampal neurons. Chemical inhibition or genetic ablation of UCP2 lead to diminished neuronal number and size, dendritic growth and synaptogenezis in vitro and impaired complex behaviors in the adult. These data reveal a critical role for Ucp2 expression in the development of hippocampal neurons and circuits and hippocampus-related adult behaviors.

Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is critical to identify therapeutic targets. In this study, we performed global protein expression analysis of a kainic acid (KA) MTLE mouse model at various time-points (1d, 3d, 30d post KA injection -dpi), representing specific stages of the syndrome.High resolution liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), in combination to label-free protein quantification, using three processing approaches for quantification, was applied. Following comparison of KA versus NaCl-injected mice, 22, 53 and 175 proteins were differentially (statistically significant) expressed at 1, 3 and 30dpi respectively, according to all 3 quantification approaches. Selected findings were confirmed by multiple reaction monitoring LC-MS/MS. As a positive control, the astrocyte marker GFAP was found to be upregulated (3dpi:1.9 fold; 30dpi:12.5 fold), also verified by IHC. The results collectively suggest that impairment in synaptic transmission occurs even right after initial status epilepticus (1dpi), with neurodegeneration becoming more extensive during epileptogenesis (3dpi) and sustained at the chronic phase (30dpi), where also extensive glial and astrocyte-mediated inflammation is evident. This molecular profile is in line with observed phenotypic changes in human MTLE, providing the basis for future studies on new molecular targets for the disease.

Neurogenin3, a proneural transcription factor controlled by Notch receptor, has been recently shown to regulate dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis in mouse hippocampal neurons. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in these actions of Ngn3. We have used a microarray analysis to identify Ngn3 regulated genes related with cytoskeleton dynamics. One of such genes is Fmn1, whose protein, Formin1, is associated with actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. Overexpression of the Fmn1 isoform-Ib in cultured mouse hippocampal neurons induced an increase in the number of primary dendrites and in the number of glutamatergic synaptic inputs at 4 days in vitro. The same changes were provoked by overexpression of Ngn3. In addition downregulation of Fmn1 by the use of Fmn1-siRNAs impaired such morphological and synaptic changes induced by Ngn3 overexpression in neurons. These results reveal a previously unknown involvement of Formin1 in dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis and indicate that this protein is a key component of the Ngn3 signaling pathway that controls neuronal differentiation.

The transmembrane receptor Notch, a master developmental regulator, controls gliogenesis, neurogenesis, and neurite development in the nervous system. Estradiol, acting as a hormonal signal or as a neurosteroid, also regulates these developmental processes. Here we review recent evidence indicating that estradiol and Notch signaling interact in developing hippocampal neurons by a mechanism involving the putative membrane receptor G protein-coupled receptor 30. This interaction is relevant for the control of neuronal differentiation, since the downregulation of Notch signaling by estradiol results in the upregulation of neurogenin 3, which in turn promotes dendritogenesis.

Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3), a proneural gene, regulates dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis in mouse hippocampal neurons. Ngn3 is transiently exported from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm when neuronal polarity is initiated, suggesting that the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of the protein is important for its action on neuronal development. In this study, we identified for the first time a functional nuclear export sequence (NES2; 131YIWALTQTLRIA142) in Ngn3. The green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-NES2 fusion protein was localized in the cytoplasm and its nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling was blocked by the CRM1 specific export inhibitor leptomycin B. Mutation of a leucine residue to alanine (L135A) in the NES2 motif resulted in both cytoplasmic and nuclear localization of the EGFP-NES2 fusion protein and in the nuclear accumulation of ectopic full-length myc-Ngn3. In addition, point mutation of the leucine 135 counteracted the effects of Ngn3 on neuronal morphology and synaptic inputs indicating that the cytoplasmic localization of Ngn3 is important for neuronal development. Pharmacological perturbation of the cytoskeleton revealed that cytoplasmic Ngn3 is associated with microtubules.

No abstract