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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 15, 2002, 22(2):505-514
Trophic Factor-Induced Excitatory Synaptogenesis Involves
Postsynaptic Modulation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Melanie A.
Woodin*, *,
David W.
Munno*, *, and
Naweed I.
Syed
Respiratory and Neuroscience Research Groups, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
Neurotrophic factors have well established roles in neuronal
development, although their precise involvement in synapse formation and plasticity is yet to be fully determined. Using soma-soma synapses
between identified Lymnaea neurons, we have shown
recently that trophic factors are required for excitatory but not
inhibitory synapse formation. However, neither the precise site
(presynaptic versus postsynaptic cell) nor the underlying mechanisms
have yet been defined. In the present study, synapse formation between the presynaptic cell visceral dorsal 4 (VD4) and its postsynaptic partner right pedal dorsal 1 (RPeD1) was examined to define the cellular mechanisms mediating trophic factor-induced excitatory synaptogenesis in cell culture. When paired in a soma-soma
configuration in the presence of defined media (DM, nonproteinacious),
mutually inhibitory synapses were appropriately reconstructed between
VD4 and RPeD1. However, when cells were paired in the presence of increasing concentrations of Lymnaea brain-conditioned
medium (CM), a biphasic synapse (initial excitatory synaptic component followed by inhibition) developed. The CM-induced excitatory synapse formation required trophic factor-mediated activation of receptor tyrosine kinases in the postsynaptic cell, RPeD1, and a concomitant modulation of existing postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Specifically, when RPeD1 was isolated in DM, exogenously applied ACh induced a hyperpolarizing response that was sensitive to
the AChR antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA). In contrast, a single
RPeD1 isolated in CM exhibited a biphasic response to exogenously
applied ACh. The initial depolarizing phase of the biphasic response
was sensitive to both mecamylamine and hexamethonium chloride, whereas
the hyperpolarizing phase was blocked by MLA. In soma-soma-paired
neurons, the VD4-induced synaptic responses in RPeD1 were sensitive to
the cholinergic antagonists in a concentration range similar to that
used to block cholinergic responses in single RPeD1 cells. Therefore,
the modulation of postsynaptic nAChRs was sufficient to account for the
trophic factor-induced excitatory synaptogenesis. This study thus
provides the first direct evidence that trophic factors act
postsynaptically to promote excitatory synapse formation.
Key words:
trophic factors; cell culture; synapse formation; synaptic plasticity; acetylcholine receptors; Lymnaea
*
M.A.W. and D.W.M. contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Naweed I. Syed, Department of
Cell Biology and Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1. E-mail: nisyed{at}ucalgary.ca.
Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/02/222505-10$05.00/0
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