SUMMARYActivity-dependent transcription is critical for the encoding of long-term memories. Regulated nuclear entry of soluble proteins is one method to relay synaptic signals to the nucleus to couple neuronal excitation with transcription. To date, the role of importin-β1 in nuclear shuttling of proteins during activity-dependent transcription has always been inferred but not directly investigated. In this study, we demonstrate activity-dependent nuclear accumulation of importin-β1 from the soma and the synapto-dendritic compartments. Importantly, inhibition of importin-β1 mediated nuclear import during synaptic stimulation impairs long-term plasticity. We show evidence that importin-β1 mRNA-ribosome complex is distributed throughout the synapto-dendritic compartment and synaptic stimulation induces importin-β1 local protein synthesis. Finally, we identified candidate proteins that associate with importin-β1 at the synapse and characterize NDRG1 as an importin-β1 interactor that undergoes activitydependent translocation into the nucleus. Collectively, our results highlight the crucial role of importin-β1 in nuclear import of proteins during long-term plasticity.
Early-life stress causes anxiogenesis and sensitivity of stress endocrine axis, facilitated by changes in the basolateral amygdala and hippocampal neurogenesis. In this report, we examined if male-like relationship between early-life stress and anxiety was recapitulated in female rats, along with related neurobiological substrates of the amygdala and the hippocampus. Maternal separation, a paradigm consistently utilized in male rats in most previously published scripts, did not cause similar behavioral consequences in females. Maternal separation caused an increase in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in females without causing substantial differences in dendritic arbors of the basolateral amygdala. Thus, female rats displayed remarkable resilience in the emotional consequences of early-life stress.
for the guidance and advice he has provided throughout my Ph.D. study.Without his continuous support, this Ph.D. would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my thesis committee members, Asst Prof. Albert Chen, and Prof. Balázs Zoltán Gulyás, for their encouragement and insightful comments that broaden the perspectives of my research. My sincere thanks also go to my lab mates as well as neighbouring lab members for generously providing me with reagents, as well as technical and moral support that make this journey easier. Finally, to my family, for giving me the freedom and unconditional support to do what I want to.
The amygdala is known to modulate hippocampal synaptic plasticity. One role could be an immediate effect of basolateral amygdala (BLA) in priming synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Another role could be through associative synaptic co-operation and competition that triggers events involved in the maintenance of synaptic potentiation. We present evidence that the timing and activity level of BLA stimulation are important factors for the induction and maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) in ventral hippocampal area CA1. A 100 Hz BLA co-stimulation facilitated the induction of LTP, whereas 200 Hz co-stimulation attenuated induction. A 100 Hz BLA co-stimulation also caused enhanced persistence, sufficient to prevent synaptic competition. This maintenance effect is likely through translational mechanisms, as mRNA expression of primary response genes was unaffected, whereas protein level of plasticity-related products was increased. Further understanding of the neural mechanisms of amygdala modulation on hippocampus could provide insights into the mechanisms of emotional disorders.
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