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The Journal of Neuroscience, August 15, 2001, 21(16):6181-6194
Cyclic Nucleotide-Mediated Regulation of Hippocampal Mossy Fiber
Development: A Target-Specific Guidance
Satomi
Mizuhashi,
Nobuyoshi
Nishiyama,
Norio
Matsuki, and
Yuji
Ikegaya
Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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ABSTRACT |
The mossy fibers (MFs) arising from dentate granule cells project
primarily onto a narrow segment of the proximal dendrites of
hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells. The mechanisms underlying this
specific MF target selection are not fully understood. To investigate
the cellular basis for development of the stereotyped MF trajectories,
we have arranged the fascia dentata and hippocampal Ammon's horn
tissues in diverse topographical patterns in organotypic explant
coculture systems. Here we show that cyclic nucleotide signaling
pathways regulate the MF pathfinding. When the dentate gyrus explants
were ectopically placed facing the CA3 stratum oriens of hippocampal
slices, MFs crossed the border between cocultures and reached their
appropriate target area in the Ammon's horn, as assessed by membrane
tracer labeling, Timm staining, electrophysiological recording of
synaptic responses, and optical analyses using a voltage-sensitive dye.
This lamina-specific MF innervation was disrupted by pharmacological
blockade of cGMP pathway. Similar apposition of the dentate grafts near
the CA1 region of host slices rarely resulted in MF ingrowth into the
Ammon's horn. Under blockade of cAMP pathway, however, the MFs were
capable of making allopatric synapses with CA1 neurons. These data were
further supported by the pharmacological data obtained from granule
cells dispersed over hippocampal slice cultures. Thus, our findings
suggest that the stereotyped MF extension is mediated by at least two
distinct factors, i.e., an attractant derived from the CA3 region and a repellent from the CA1 region. These factors may be regulated differently by cAMP and cGMP signaling pathways.
Key words:
mossy fiber; axon guidance; hippocampus; dentate gyrus; granule cell; growth cone; adenylyl cyclase; guanylyl cyclase; kinase; extracellular matrix; plasmin
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INTRODUCTION |
The formation of the myriad of
neuronal connections within the vertebrate nervous system relies on the
correct pathfinding and target recognition by growth cones (Bray and
Hollenbeck, 1988 ; Keynes and Cook, 1995 ; Tessier-Lavigne and Goodman,
1996 ). Although diffusible or substrate-bound molecules present in the
environment may serve as either attractants or repellents in axon
guidance (Gundersen and Barrett, 1979 ; Bonhoeffer and Huf, 1980 ;
Tessier-Lavigne et al., 1988 ; Müller, 1999 ), evidence that axonal
behaviors in response to these cue signals are regulated by their
intracellular conditions is also accumulating. Cyclic nucleotides have
been identified as such key regulators of the growth cone motility. Abdel-Majid et al. (1998) showed that loss of adenylyl cyclase type I
activity in mutant mice disrupts patterning of somatosensory cortex,
suggesting that the cAMP signaling pathway is involved in network
formation during brain development. Wang and Zheng (1998) indicated
that the cAMP signaling pathway regulates the neurotrophin-induced
collapse of growth cones of Xenopus spinal neurons.
Furthermore, levels of cyclic nucleotides influence the direction of
growth cone extension in response to the same guidance cue (Ming et
al., 1997 ; Song et al., 1997 , 1998 ).
The mossy fibers (MFs), axons of dentate granule cells, make multiple
giant synapses with hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells within the stratum
lucidum, which corresponds to the proximal site of the apical dendrites
of these neurons (Ramón y Cajal, 1911 ; Amaral and Dent, 1981 ;
Henze et al., 2000 ). The granule cells have the unusual property of
prolonged postnatal neurogenesis that persists into adulthood in
rodents (Altman and Das, 1965 ; Kaplan and Hinds, 1977 ; Kuhn et al.,
1996 ) and other mammalian species, including humans (Eckenhoff and
Rakic, 1988 ; Eriksson et al., 1998 ). Therefore, the pathfinding by
developing MFs from newly born granule cells also continues for a lifetime.
The granule cells are also thought to play a role in the pathogenesis
of temporal lobe epilepsy, in which they often give rise to abnormal MF
projections to the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus (DG) and
to the basal dendrites of CA3 pyramidal cells in the stratum oriens
(Sutula et al., 1989 ; Represa and Ben-Ari, 1992 ). This aberrant
sprouting may involve anomalous guidance of developing MFs (Parent et
al., 1997 ; Ikegaya, 1999 ). Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms for MF
pathfinding is not only of fundamental importance to understand the
physiological functions of the adult hippocampus but may also provide
novel therapeutic targets against epilepsy-associated brain injury.
Several extracellular molecules are known to mediate MF outgrowth,
including limbic system-associated membrane protein (Pimenta et al.,
1995 ), polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (Muller et al.,
1994 ; Seki and Rutishauser, 1998 ), neuropilin-2, and Sema3F (Chen et
al., 2000 ). Proteolytic processes by tissue plasminogen activator may
also be involved in MF synaptogenesis (Baranes et al., 1998 ; Wu et al.,
2000 ). However, there are few indications for intracellular mechanisms
underlying MF development. Therefore, we have focused the present study
on the contributions of cAMP/cGMP signaling pathways to the MF guidance.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Materials. 9-(Tetrahydro-2-furanyl)-9H-purin-6-amine
(SQ22536), forskolin, plasmin,
Rp-8(4-chlorophenylthio)guanosine-3',5'-cyclic-monophosphorothioate triethylamine (Rp-pCPT-cGMPs), and LY83583 were purchased from Sigma
(St. Louis, MO). Rp-adenosine 3'-5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate (Rp-cAMPs) was obtained from Biolog Life Technologies (Glasgow, UK).
KT-5720 was obtained from BIOMOL">Biomol Research Laboratories (Plymouth Meeting, PA).
Organotypic cultures of hippocampal slices. Hippocampal
slice cultures were prepared from 6-d-old Wistar/ST rats (SLC,
Shizuoka, Japan), essentially as described (Ikegaya, 1999 ). Animals
were deeply anesthetized by hypothermia, and their brains were
aseptically removed and cut into transverse slices (300 µm thick) in
aerated (95% O2 and 5%
CO2), ice-cold Gey's balanced salt solution
supplemented with 25 mM glucose using the
Vibratome DTK-1500 (Dosaka, Kyoto, Japan). The entorhino-hippocampi
were dissected out under stereomicroscopic control. Then, selected
slices were cultured using membrane interface techniques (Stoppini et
al., 1991 ). Briefly, slices were placed on sterile
polytetrafluoroethylene membranes (Millicell-CM, Millipore, Bedford,
MA) and transferred into six-well tissue culture trays (Costar,
Cambridge, MA). Cultures were fed with 1 ml of culture medium
consisting of 50% minimal essential medium (Life Technologies, Grand
Island, NY), 25% heat-inactivated horse serum (Cell Culture Lab,
Cleveland, OH), and 25% Hanks' balanced salt solution, supplemented with 25 mM glucose, 50 U/ml penicillin G, and 100 µg/ml streptomycin. The cultures were maintained in a humidified
incubator at 37°C in 5% CO2. The medium was
changed every 3.5 d.
Coculture system of DG explants and hippocampal slices.
Acute entorhino-hippocampal slice was prepared as described above, and
the fascia dentata with hilus and a small part of the CA3c region was
isolated from the hippocampal Ammon's horn. A small, curved scalpel
was used to make a cut through the entire thickness of the slice. The
stumps were cocultured in various spatial patterns (see Fig. 2). They
were placed as close to each other as possible, preferably without a
visible intervening gap, and with the dentate hilus and the attached
proximal part of CA3 directly facing host hippocampal slices. The
DG-containing slice was reopposed immediately adjacent to CA3
transection like an intact slice (see Fig. 2B, Lesion). The DG slice was ectopically explanted facing the
stratum oriens of the CA3 (see Fig. 2C,D,
DG & CA3) or CA1 (DG & CA1) region of an Ammon's
horn slice. The DG slice was located close to each CA3 transection of
two symmetrically placed hippocampal slices (see Fig.
2E, DG & Double CA3). The CA3 region of
Ammon's horn slice was apposed along the stratum oriens of the CA3
region of an intact slice (see Fig. 2F, DG with
CA3 & CA3). The DG explant was placed facing the stratum oriens of
the CA3 region of an intact slice (see Fig. 2G, DG & CA3 with DG). The cocultures were kept in a humidified incubator
at 37°C in 5% CO2 (Zimmer and Gähwiler, 1987 ; Gaiarsa and Heimrich, 1995 ). The medium was changed every 3.5 d. Unless specified otherwise, experiments were performed after 14 d in vitro.
Astrocyte-conditioned medium. Glial cells were cultured in
Eagle's medium (Nissui Pharmaceuticals, Tokyo, Japan) containing 30 mM glucose, 2 mM glutamine,
1 mM pyruvate, and 10% fetal bovine serum
(Sanko-Junyaku, Tokyo, Japan). Astrocyte-conditioned medium was
prepared from cultures of cortical astrocytes. Neonatal Wistar (SLC)
rats were deeply anesthetized with ether, and the cerebral cortex was
dissected out and cut into pieces. After incubation with 0.25% trypsin
(Difco, Detroit, MI) and 0.01% deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) (Sigma)
at 37°C for 40 min, the tissue was centrifuged at 1200 rpm for 5 min,
and the pellet was resuspended in Eagle's medium. Single cells were
mechanically dissociated by being passed 5-12 times through a plastic
tip with an 850 µm hole. After filtration through double nylon nets
(45 µm mesh) to remove cell lumps, the suspension was diluted to the
optimal concentration, and cells were plated on 75 cm2 culture flasks (Falcon, Oxnard, CA) at
a density of 6.0 × 105
cells/cm2 and then cultivated at 37°C in
a humidified 5% CO2 and 95% air atmosphere. As
the culture became confluent, the medium was conditioned for 3 d,
filtrated through 0.22 µm pore membrane, and subsequently used for
neuron culture as astrocyte-conditioned medium.
Primary cultures of granule cells. Unless specified
otherwise, neurons were cultivated in Neurobasal (Life Technologies,
Gaithersburg, MD) supplemented with 73 µg/ml
L-glutamine and 2% (v/v) B-27 supplement (Life
Technologies). Three-day-old Wistar rat pups (SLC) were deeply
anesthetized with ether, the formatio hippocampalis was immediately
removed, and the DG was isolated with extreme care before dissociation
so that cultures contained neurons predominantly from this part of the
hippocampal formation. Briefly, after isolation of the formatio
hippocampalis, the subicular complex was removed along the sulcus
hippocampi, and then the remaining part of the formatio hippocampalis
was divided into two parts, i.e., the DG and the Ammon's horn. The DG
was cut into pieces and treated with trypsin and DNase I at 37°C for
30 min. The incubation was terminated by addition of heat-inactivated
horse serum (Cell Culture Lab). The tissue fragments were centrifuged
at 1200 rpm for 5 min, the supernatant was removed, and the pellet was
suspended in a mixture of 50% Neurobasal/B-27 and 50%
astrocyte-conditioned medium. The suspension was gently triturated
until visibly dispersed, followed by being filtered through nylon nets.
We were able to obtain ~5.0 × 105
granule cells from one pup. The cells were plated at a density of
1.0 × 104
cells/cm2 onto 35 mm culture dishes
(Falcon) coated with poly-D-lysine (Sigma) and
cultivated at 37°C in a humidified 5% CO2 and
95% air atmosphere. To prevent proliferation of glial cells, the
culture medium was changed to the conditioned medium-free
Neurobasal/B-27 medium supplemented with 2 µM
cytosine -D-arabino-furanoside (Sigma) 24 hr
after the plating.
Slice overlay assay. To obtain a quantitative assessment of
MF projections, we labeled granule cells with 1,1'-dioctadecyl 3,3,3'3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR), a carbocyanine-type membrane tracer (Honig and
Hume, 1989 ). A DiI stock solution of 0.5 mg/ml was prepared in methanol
and stored at 20°C. Immediately before use, the stock was diluted
100× in medium, and this suspension was vortexed continuously for 2 min. Dissociated granule cells were incubated in the DiI suspension at
37°C for 30 min. The DiI incubation was terminated by washing
cultures back into the culture medium. The cells were plated onto
hippocampal Ammon's horn slices devoid of the fascia dentata at a
density of 5 × 105 cells/ml (Polleux
et al., 1998 , 2000 ). At 3 d in vitro, the morphology of
live neurons was observed with the Bio-Rad MRC-1000 confocal imaging
system (Bio-Rad Microscience Division, Cambridge, MA), which was
equipped with the inverted microscope ECLIPSE TE300 (Nikon, Tokyo,
Japan), 40× and 60× objectives (Nikon), an argon ion laser, and a
host computer system. All imaging and processing operations were
performed with Laser Sharp Acquisition (Bio-Rad) and Laser Sharp
Processing (Bio-Rad), respectively. The cultures were illuminated with
the excitation wavelength of 543 nm, and the fluorescence images were
obtained through a 570 nm long-pass filter. Camera lucida drawings were
digitized as black and white photograph quality images. In axonal
orientation plots, the axons of granule cells were scored as being
directed toward the CA1 stratum pyramidale (0-180°) or toward the
CA3 stratum pyramidale (180-360°) on the basis of their orientations.
NeuroTrace fluorescent Nissl staining. Cultures were washed
three times in 0.1 M PBS for 5 min at room
temperature and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde at 4°C for 60 min.
After being washed three times in PBS for 15 min, the sections were
permeabilized with 0.1% Triton-X for 60 min, washed again in PBS for
10 min, and then incubated with NeuroTrace fluorescent Nissl (Molecular Probes) (1:30 dilution) for 40 min in a dark room at room temperature. The incubation was terminated with 10 min wash in 0.1% Triton-X, followed by PBS rinse for 2 hr at room temperature, and Nissl-stained sections were observed with a laser scanning confocal system MRC-1000 (Bio-Rad). The cultures were illuminated with the excitation wavelength of 488 nm, and the fluorescence images were obtained through a 530 nm
long-pass filter.
Assessment of cell death. Cell death was assessed by uptake
of propidium iodide (PI) (Molecular Probes). PI is a polar compound that enters only cells with damaged membranes and becomes brightly red
fluorescent after binding to nucleic acids (Macklis and Madison, 1990 ).
PI was added to culture medium at a final concentration of 5 µg/ml,
and the cultures were kept at 37°C for 24 hr. PI fluorescence images
were obtained with the confocal imaging system MRC-1000 (Bio-Rad).
Extracellular recording. Cultures on interface membranes
were cut out, transferred to a recording chamber mounted on a
stereoscopic microscope, and continuously superfused with a warmed
(32°C) artificial CSF (ACSF), which consisted of (in
mM): 124 NaCl, 26 NaHCO3, 5 KCl, 1.3 MgSO4, 1.24 KH2PO4, 2.4 CaCl2, and 10 glucose, adjusted to pH 7.4. To
record an MF synaptic potential, a glass micropipette filled with 0.9%
NaCl (~1 M of resistance) was placed in the stratum
pyramidale of the CA1 or CA3 region, and a bipolar tungsten stimulating
electrode was placed on the stratum granulosum of the DG. The positive
field potential (see Fig. 3A) reflected field EPSP
(fEPSP) because it was blocked by 10 µM
6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, a non-NMDA receptor
antagonist (Ikegaya, 1999 ). The intensity of electric stimulation (a
rectangular pulse of 50 µsec duration) was adjusted to produce fEPSP
with the maximum amplitude. The test stimulation was delivered every 30 sec. The maximal size of fEPSP was used as an index of the number of
functional synaptic contacts of MFs (Muller et al., 1993 ; Ikegaya et
al., 1997 ).
Timm staining. After PBS rinse, slices were immersed
in 0.4% sodium sulfide solution at 4°C for 15 min and fixed with
10% (v/v) formaldehyde for 15 min. After being washed in PBS, they were dehydrated with 70 and 96% ethanol twice for 30 min and then dried. To perform silver sulfide staining, the slices were incubated with citrate-buffered solution containing 20% Arabic gum, 2.1% AgNO3, and 0.085% hydroquinone in a dark room at
26°C for 50 min. The slices were washed with distilled water at the
end of the reaction. To quantify MF terminals, the images were
digitized with FinePix S1Pro (Fuji Photo Film, Tokyo, Japan) equipped
with a bright-field microscope. Average pixel intensity (eight-bit intensity levels) was estimated in each slice by acquiring intensity values in three different areas (3 × 400 µm2) within the CA3 stratum oriens, the
stratum radiatum, the CA3 stratum pyramidale, the stratum lucidum, the
CA1 stratum pyramidale, and the CA1 stratum oriens. Timm grain density
in each subregion was determined by (values of the subregion values of the stratum radiatum)/values of the stratum radiatum × 100.
DiI labeling of MF tracts. Slices were fixed with PBS
containing 4% paraformaldehyde for 24 hr, and a single crystal (~0.1 mm diameter) of the fluorescent membrane tracer DiI was carefully inserted into the stratum granulosum of the DG under a dissecting microscope. This procedure resulted in random labeling of a small proportion of the granule cells, but each neuron was labeled throughout the soma and its neurites. Thus, the method allowed a reliable observation of individual MF tracts. After 3 d of incubation in the same fixative at room temperature, MF morphology was analyzed using
the confocal imaging system MRC-1000 (Bio-Rad) with a 60× objective
(Nikon) and a digital zoom factor of 1 to 3.
Voltage-sensitive dye measurement. For optical recordings,
the cultures were bath labeled with the voltage-sensitive dye RH482 (2 mg/ml) (Nippon Kankoh-Shikiso, Okayama, Japan) for 5 min and then
washed in ACSF for at least 15 min. Transmitted light with the
wavelength of 700 ± 20 nm was projected, and optical data were
obtained with a 128 × 128 photodiode array at a frame rate of 0.6 msec. Sixteen successive trial images (600 msec duration, 5.08 mm2) were averaged to improve the
signal-to-noise ratio (Nakagami et al., 1997 ).
Immunofluorescence imaging. Cultured dentate granule cells
were immunolabeled with mouse monoclonal antibody against growth cone-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) (Sigma) and rabbit polyclonal antibody against all isoforms of adenylyl cyclase (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, CA). At 3 d in vitro, they
were washed in PBS at room temperature, immersed in ice-cold 4%
paraformaldehyde in PBS, and fixed for 60 min. The cells were then
washed three times in PBS, permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 in PBS
for 60 min at room temperature, and then washed three times in PBS again. Nonspecific antibody binding was blocked by incubation in 2%
horse serum in PBS for 120 min at room temperature. Without washing,
the cultures were incubated overnight at 4°C with primary antibodies
to GAP-43 (1:1000) and adenylyl cyclase (1:400). They were washed three
times in PBS and incubated with Texas Red-conjugated anti-mouse IgG
(1:1000) (Sigma) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-rabbit
IgG (1:30) (Sigma) at 4°C for 4 hr. Immunofluorescent preparations
were then washed three times in PBS again. Images were obtained with
the confocal imaging system MRC-1000 (Bio-Rad).
Statistics. Data were analyzed by
2 test in Figures 1C and
7B. All other data are expressed as means ± SEM
values. Tests of variance homogeneity, normality, and distribution were
performed to ensure that the assumptions required for standard
parametric ANOVA were satisfied. Statistical analysis was performed by
one-way repeated-measures ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test
for multiple pairwise comparisons. Significance was set at the
p < 0.05 level.
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RESULTS |
Slice overlay assay of MF orientation
To assess the effect of local extracellular signals present in the
hippocampus on axon guidance of MFs, DiI-labeled dentate granule cells
were plated onto hippocampal slices in culture. The morphology of
neurons growing over the slices was observed 3 d after the plating
(Fig. 1). On the basis of their
locations, the neurons were divided into three groups (Fig.
1B): neurons growing near the CA1 stratum pyramidale
(CA1 area), neurons growing in the area far from the CA1 or CA3 stratum
pyramidale (neutral area), and neurons growing near the CA3 stratum
pyramidale (CA3 area). More than 90% of the labeled cells had extended
neurites that could be clearly scored for length (>20 µm) and
orientation. Although the cultures were immunostained with an antibody
against tau-1 or microtubule-associated protein 2, we could not
discriminate between axons and dendrites of the granule cells because
of high levels of background immunoreactivities of axons or dendrites derived from hippocampal slices. Therefore, the longest neurites of
cultured granule cells were regarded as the MF axons (Ikegaya et al.,
1998 ; Polleux et al., 1998 ), and they were traced and scored for
orientation (Fig. 1C). Quantitative analyses indicated that
74.2% of MFs growing in the CA1 area were directed toward the CA3
region, and the remaining 25.8% were directed toward the CA1 stratum
pyramidale (Fig. 1Ca). Similar results were obtained for the
granule cells growing in the CA3 area: 77.1% were attracted toward the
CA3 stratum lucidum, and 22.9% were directed toward the CA1 region
(Fig. 1Cc). Thus, an extracellular signal present in the
Ammon's horn may be responsible for the directed MF outgrowth on
hippocampal slices. Interestingly, neurons growing in the neutral area
far from the CA1 or CA3 stratum pyramidale did not show such oriented
axon growth (Fig. 1Cb), which suggests that this area is not
influenced by the extracellular guidance signal. Therefore, it seems
likely that the MF guidance is mediated by at least two independent
factors, i.e., an attractant derived from the CA3 region and a
repellent from the CA1 region.

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Figure 1.
Extracellular signals present in hippocampal
slices determine directions of MF outgrowth. A,
Representative confocal image of DiI-labeled granule cell growing over
the CA1 region of a hippocampal slice at 3 d in
vitro (a). This neuron was reconstructed
with camera lucida drawings as black and white photograph quality
images (b). B, The camera lucida
drawings of DiI-labeled granule cells are practically superimposed on a
Nissl-stained hippocampal slice. Cells with the somata situated within
200 µm from the CA1 stratum pyramidale (red,
CA1 area), in the area far from the stratum pyramidale
(>400 µm) (yellow, Neutral
area), or within 200 µm from the CA3 stratum pyramidale
(green, CA3 area) were selected
for analyzing their morphology (52.2% of total cells were suitable for
the analysis). Then, their neurites were scored for length, and the
cells bearing >20 µm axons were further selected for axon
orientation plots (~90% were selected). As a result, ~53%
of the neurons were excluded from this analysis. The neuron enclosed in
the white dotted line is the same cell as in A.
C, Axon orientation plots of granule cells plated over the CA1
area (a), the neutral area
(b), and the CA3 area (c)
of hippocampal slices. The longest neurites arising from cultured cells
were plotted as axons in each panel. When the tip of any given neurite
was placed above and below the horizontal dotted lines,
the axon was considered to grow toward the CA1 stratum pyramidale and
the CA3 stratum lucidum, respectively. Thus, values above and below the
horizontal dotted lines indicate the ratio of axons
oriented toward the CA1 stratum pyramidale and the CA3 stratum lucidum,
respectively. Granule cells growing over the CA1 area had axons
oriented away from the CA1 stratum pyramidale (74.2%;
n = 32; p < 0.05;
2 test). In the CA3 area, 77.1% had axons that were
directed toward the CA3 stratum lucidum (n = 35;
p < 0.05; 2 test). Granule cells in
the neutral area showed an expected ratio for random orientation
(~50%) (n = 14; p > 0.1;
2 test). The results suggest that the axon orientation
is mediated by at least two distinct factors, i.e., an attractant in
the CA3 region and a repellent in the CA1 region. Data were obtained
from six different slices.
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Target specificity of MF projections in explant
coculture system
In the slice overlay assay, the MFs growing in the CA3 area
preferentially extended into the CA3 stratum lucidum but soon halted
therein, although the normal MFs run horizontally within the stratum
lucidum. This inconsistency may be merely attributable to the culture
period as short as 3 d, but the possibility that the slice overlay
assay does not completely provide physiological environment cannot be
ruled out. Therefore, we next addressed the target-specific guidance of
MFs using organotypic cocultures of fascia dentata explants and
hippocampal Ammon's horn slices. To examine the topographic patterns
of MF trajectories in detail, various spatial arrangements of
cocultures were prepared as shown in Figure
2. Fluoro-Nissl staining showed that, in
this coculture system, neurons survived until at least 21 d
in vitro (Fig. 2). PI labeling also confirmed the same
results (data not shown). The neural connectivity of MFs between DG
grafts and host hippocampal tissues was assessed by recording field
potentials of synaptic responses (Fig.
3). When DG explants were transplanted to
hippocampal slices at a regular position and cultivated for 14 d
in vitro (Fig. 2B, Lesion),
robust MF synaptic potentials were recorded from the CA3 region of host
Ammon's horn slices (Fig. 3). The amplitude was comparable to that
recorded from intact slices (Figs. 2A, 3). The data
suggest that the MFs crossed the border between cocultures and made
electrophysiologically functional synapses with their appropriate
target neurons, i.e., the CA3 pyramidale cells. This result confirms
previous reports indicating that the MFs are able to reestablish their
lamina-specific innervation after being transected (Zimmer and
Gähwiler, 1987 ; Dailey et al., 1994 ; Nguyen et al., 1996 ; Ikegaya
et al., 1997 , 1998 ).

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Figure 2.
Explant cocultures of the fascia dentata and
hippocampal Ammon's horn in various topographic arrangements. Tissues
arranged as shown in schematic diagrams (left) were
stained with the fluoro-Nissl method (right) at 21 d in vitro. A, An intact slice containing
the fascia dentata and Ammon's horn was cultured for 21 d.
B, As a control slice, the MF layer was transected by a
knife cut through the slices reaching from the alvear surface of CA3
through the stratum oriens, the stratum pyramidale, and the MF layer,
and the stratum radiatum into the sulcus hippocampi
(Lesion). C, The DG explant was
ectopically placed close to the CA3 stratum oriens of an Ammon's horn
slice, in which the MFs were forced to cross the stratum oriens to
reach their proper target area (DG & CA3).
D, Likewise, another dislocated apposition of the DG
explant to hippocampal slice at the CA1 stratum oriens was also made
(DG & CA1). E, The DG slice was located
immediately adjacent to two symmetrically arranged hippocampal slices
(DG & Double CA3). F, The CA3 region of
the Ammon's horn slice was apposed along the CA3 stratum oriens and
the DG of an intact slice (DG with CA3 & CA3).
G, The DG explant was placed facing the stratum oriens
of the CA3 region of an intact slice (DG & CA3 with DG).
The Nissl staining revealed that neurons survived in the coculture
system until at least 21 d in vitro. In
electrophysiological studies of Figure 3, the stratum granulosum of the
DG explant (#) was stimulated, and evoked field
responses were recorded from the stratum pyramidale of Ammon's horn
slices (*).
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Figure 3.
Transplanted MFs make electrophysiologically
functional synapses with CA3 pyramidal cells in host hippocampal
slices. Field potentials evoked by stimulation of the DG were
extracellularly recorded from the CA3 or CA1 stratum pyramidale.
Positions of recording and stimulating electrodes are shown in Figure
2. A, Typical field responses obtained from slices
cultivated according to Intact
(a), Lesion
(b), DG & CA3
(c), and DG & CA1
(d) at 14 d in vitro. Test
stimulation was delivered at the time indicated by arrows.
B, To estimate the number of functional synaptic contacts, the
maximal amplitudes of MF-evoked fEPSP were measured from various
patterns of cocultures (Fig. 2). The MFs made functional synapses with
CA3 (but not CA1) pyramidal cells of the host slices, except for the
CA3 pyramidal cells that received the MF inputs from the intrinsic DG.
**p < 0.01 versus Intact slices;
Tukey's test after ANOVA. Data represent means ± SEM of each of
15-20 slices.
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The DG explant was ectopically placed adjacent to the CA3 stratum
oriens of Ammon's horn slice, in which MFs were forced to cross the
stratum oriens to reach the their proper target area (Fig.
2C, DG & CA3). This arrangement of cocultures
also showed evident MF synaptic responses (Fig. 3), which indicates
that the MFs were guided into the host slices and made synaptic
contacts with their target cells even when the normal MF course was
disrupted. In a similar apposition of the DG explant to the CA1 stratum
oriens (Fig. 2D, DG & CA1), however, MF
responses were virtually undetected in the host CA1 region (Fig. 3),
nor were they observed in the host CA3 region (data not shown). These
results indicate that MFs are capable of making functional synapses
with the CA3 pyramidale cells, but the CA1 region is not permissive for
MF invasion, suggesting that MF extension is strictly target dependent.
To address this possibility, three additional patterns of cocultures
were prepared as shown in Figure 2E-G. DG
explants were located close to two symmetrically arranged hippocampal
slices (Fig. 2E, DG & Double CA3). Robust
MF synaptic potentials appeared in either host slices, and almost equal
sizes of the responses were recorded from two CA3 regions (Fig.
3B). Similar results were obtained when the fascia dentata
that was not apart from Ammon's horn, i.e., an intact slice, was
apposed along the stratum oriens of the CA3 region of an Ammon's horn
slice (Figs. 2F, 3). MF responses were obviously
recorded from either the CA3 region of the additional hippocampal
slices (Fig. 3) or the intrinsic CA3 region of the intact slices (data
not shown). Interestingly, however, no apparent synaptic responses were
recorded in the case of the DG explant placed facing the stratum oriens
of the CA3 region of an intact slice (Figs. 2G, 3).
Taken together, these data suggest that newly formed MFs arising from
an ectopic origin can normally develop neural connections with their
targets but cannot make synapses with the CA3 pyramidal cells that have
recipient sites occupied by preexisting MF inputs from the intrinsic
DG, and again support our hypothesis that MF synapse formation is
target dependent.
The Timm method is a histochemical technique that selectively labels MF
synaptic terminals because of their high zinc content, ensuring a
reliable observation of distributions of MF terminals in organotypic
slice cultures (Gähwiler, 1984 ; Ikegaya et al., 1997 ; Ikegaya,
1999 ). The prominent sites innervated by the MFs are the stratum
lucidum and dentate hilus, both of which were indeed black-lacquered in
Timm-stained intact slices (Fig.
4Aa). Similar patterns
of Timm staining were observed in the coculture arrangement of lesion
(Fig. 4Ab). The density of Timm-associated silver
grains was quantitatively analyzed for subregions of the Ammon's horn
in cultures of intact, lesion, DG & CA3, and DG & CA1 alignments
(Fig. 4B). In DG & CA3-arranged cultures, a
significant Timm intensity was found only in the stratum lucidum of
host Ammon's horn slices, which closely resembles Timm staining of
intact or lesion-aligned slices (Fig.
4Ac,B). These results suggest that the MFs
extending from the DG explant crossed the stratum oriens and the
stratum pyramidale and eventually formed MF synaptic contacts within
the stratum lucidum, which consequently is reminiscent of naturally
occurring development of the MFs. In DG & CA1-aligned cultures, Timm
signals were not obvious in any subregions of Ammon's horn slices
(Fig. 4Ad,B), which suggests that such
dislocated DG grafts cannot make MF synaptic connections with the host
cultures.

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Figure 4.
MFs form Timm-positive synapses within their
proper target area in host hippocampal slices. A,
Representative Timm images of slices cultured for 14 d in patterns
of Intact (a),
Lesion (b), DG & CA3 (c), and DG & CA1
(d). The MF terminals were detected predominantly
in the stratum lucidum (SL), but rarely in the stratum
oriens (SO) or the stratum pyramidale
(SP). The DG & CA1 culture had no
apparent MF terminals in any subregions of the hippocampus.
B, Timm grain density was quantitatively analyzed in
Intact (open columns),
Lesion (solid columns), DG & CA3 (cross-hatched columns), and DG & CA1 (hatched columns) cultures.
**p < 0.01 versus background density [values of
the stratum radiatum (SR) of corresponding groups],
## p < 0.01 versus
Intact slices; Tukey's test after ANOVA. Data are
means ± SEM of each of 10 slices.
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The results of Timm staining were essentially compatible with the
electrophysiological data, but it still remains to be determined whether the loss of MF synapses in DG & CA1 cultures is attributable to
lack of axon elongation, aberrant axon guidance, or no ability of
synaptogenesis. To address this issue, MFs were labeled with the
lipophilic tracer DiI.
In intact slices, DiI-labeled MFs traveled within the stratum lucidum
and formed several varicosity-like structures, which probably represent
MF giant boutons that contact synaptically with the proximal dendrites
of CA3 pyramidal cells (Fig.
5A). Indeed, microscopic
observations at high magnification revealed that the varicosities often
possessed several filopodial formations on their surfaces (data not
shown). Likewise, the MFs in a slice of lesion alignment crossed the
transit between graft and host, extended into the stratum lucidum, and
formed similar giant varicosities therein (Fig. 5B). In DG & CA3-coordinated cultures, the MFs passed through the stratum oriens and
the stratum pyramidale, reached the stratum lucidum, and made
varicosities (Fig. 5C). The varicosities were occasionally
observed at the border of the stratum oriens and the stratum pyramidale
(Fig. 5C). The incidence of varicosities in each sub-area of
the CA3 region is shown in Figure 5E. In cultures of
DG & CA1 arrangement, the MFs typically stalled at the border between
cocultures and failed to extend into the host slices (Fig. 5D), and a few MFs ran along an alvear edge of the host
slices at the CA1 region (data not shown). Therefore, we consider that the MFs cannot come into contact with CA1 pyramidal cells probably because of a repellent signal present in the CA1 region.

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Figure 5.
DiI-labeled MFs crossed the border
between cocultures and reached their proper target area in hippocampal
slices. Cocultures at 14 d in vitro were fixed with
4% paraformaldehyde, and a single crystal of DiI was placed onto the
stratum granulosum of the DG explant. Using a confocal microscopy,
DiI-labeled MFs were explored in the areas indicated by
dotted-line boxes in the schematic drawings of
Intact (A), Lesion
(B), DG & CA3
(C), and DG & CA1
(D) cultures. Confocal images contain the stratum
radiatum (SR), the stratum lucidum (SL),
the stratum pyramidale (SP), and the stratum oriens
(SO) of the CA3b region
(A-C) or the CA1b region
(D) of host hippocampal slices. The MFs extended
through the stratum lucidum and made varicosity-like formations, which
may represent MF giant synapses (arrowheads). In
DG & CA3 slices, the varicosities were occasionally
observed within the CA3 stratum oriens. In the case of DG & CA1, however, the MFs did not elongate into the CA1 region of
host hippocampal slices. Similar results were obtained in every such
experiment conducted (n = 12-20). Data are
summarized in E. The ordinate indicates the relative
incidence of distribution of the MF varicosities in each subarea of the
CA3 region. Numbers in the columns show the frequency of
varicosities present in the corresponding subregions. Most varicosities
are observed in the stratum lucidum, but a small portion of them was
found even in the stratum pyramidale and stratum oriens in the DG
& CA3 slices.
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Yamamoto et al. (1997) indicated that characteristic patterns of the
axonal projection of the lateral geniculate nucleus in the visual
cortex are observed even when the geniculocortical explants are
cocultured with fixed cortical slices, suggesting that this axon
guidance is contact dependent. To determine whether the target-specific
MF innervation depends on diffusible or substrate-bound molecules,
Ammon's horn slices were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, and then the
DG slices were transplanted in patterns of lesion and DG & CA3. In
either case, however, few DiI-labeled MFs showed ingrowth into the host
slices (data not shown).
To examine whether MF projections from DG explants were physiologically
capable of producing normal hippocampal neurotransmission along the
tri-synaptic pathway consisting of the dentate gyrus, the CA3 region,
and then the CA1 region in the host slices, we monitored spatiotemporal
propagations of neuronal activities by using a real-time optical
recording of membrane potentials that was visualized with the
voltage-sensitive dye RH482. In DG & CA3 and DG & double CA3
cocultures, optical signal propagations along the hippocampal
tri-synaptic pathway were distinctively observed after stimulation of
the DG explants (Fig.
6B,C),
which are similar to those obtained from intact slices (Fig.
6A). The data indicate that the MFs ectopically
arising from the DG explant are able to trigger normal activity
propagations in the host Ammon's horn. As expected, the DG & CA1
slices failed to display apparent neurotransmission from the DG explant
to the host slice (Fig. 6D).

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Figure 6.
Propagation of neuronal activities from DG grafts
to host hippocampal slices. Activity propagation was monitored as
changes in optical density of the voltage-sensitive dye RH482.
Intact (A), DG & CA3 (B), and DG & Double
CA3 (C) cultures displayed sequential
neuron excitation along the hippocampal trisynaptic pathway, i.e., the
dentate gyrus, the CA3 region, and then the CA1 region, after
stimulation of the stratum granulosum of the DG explants (#). No
apparent propagation from the DG explant to the host slice was observed
in DG & CA1 slices (D).
Experiments were repeated with 10 different slices, producing the same
results.
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cAMP and cGMP signaling pathways differently mediate MF
axon guidance
Although molecular mechanisms of the stereotyped MF pathfinding
remain unclear, cyclic nucleotides have been identified as intracellular molecules that regulate growth cone motility in cultured
Xenopus spinal neurons (Ming et al., 1997 ; Song et al., 1997 , 1998 ; Wang and Zheng, 1998 ). On the other hand, there is compelling evidence that cAMP plays a critical role in physiological functions of mature MF synapses. Activity-dependent changes in MF
synaptic efficacy are triggered by a rise in presynaptic
Ca2+ that results in activation of a
calcium/calmodulin-dependent adenylyl cyclase. This in turn causes an
increase in the presynaptic cAMP level and activation of the
cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) (Huang et al., 1994 ; Weisskopf et
al., 1994 ; Tzounopoulos et al., 1998 ). Therefore, it is also possible
that the MF development is regulated by the cAMP/PKA signaling
path- way. In primary cultures of granule cells, indeed, we
found that developing MFs bore adenylyl cyclases in their growth cones
(Fig. 7A). Thus, the final set of experiments aimed to evaluate the possible involvement of cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling pathways in the MF target selection.

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Figure 7.
Different contributions of cAMP and cGMP
signaling pathways to axon orientation of granule cells.
A, Representative confocal images of a growth cone
immunolabeled with antibodies to GAP-43
(red) and Adenylyl cyclase
(green). The immunohistochemical assessment was
performed with the dentate granule cells cultured on 35 mm dishes for
3 d. Superimposition of double-labeled images
(Merged) indicated that ~80% of growth cones
displayed evident immunoreactivity for adenylyl cyclase, in which case
adenylyl cyclase was localized centrally in the growth cones but
apparently not in the peripheral lamellipodia (n = 56). B, Axon orientation histograms of the granule cells
growing over the CA1 area (a), the neutral area
(b), and the CA3 area (c).
The granule cells were cultured on hippocampal slices in the presence
of 100 µM SQ22536 and 100 nM LY83583 for
3 d. The upward ordinates indicate the ratio of axons oriented
toward the CA1 stratum pyramidale, and the downward ordinates indicate
the ratio of axons oriented toward the CA3 stratum lucidum. The
repulsive response of the axons of granule cells growing over the CA1
area was converted to attraction by SQ22536. The attractive responses
of the axons growing over the CA3 area were disrupted by LY83583.
Horizontal dotted lines indicate expected distribution
for random orientation. *p < 0.05 versus the
chance level of 50%; ## p < 0.01 versus Control slices; 2 test. Data were
obtained from 16-35 neurons in five to six different slices.
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Using a slice overlay assay, we investigated the effect of SQ22536, a
broad-spectrum inhibitor of adenylyl cyclases, on the axon orientation
of granule cells plated over the CA1 area, the neutral area, and the
CA3 area of hippocampal slices. SQ22536-treated granule cells extended
neurites, but their orientation patterns were altered as compared with
untreated cells. The MFs of granule cells growing over the CA1 area in
the presence of SQ22536 did not grow away from the CA1 stratum
pyramidale, but rather they were attracted toward the same layer. In
the CA3 area, however, the oriented MF growth was unaffected by SQ22536.
The effect of LY83583, an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase
(PKG), was also examined. In contrast with SQ22536, LY83583 did not
change the MF direction in the CA1 area but completely abolished the
attractive responses of the MFs growing over the CA3 area. Actually, in
the presence of LY83583, the MFs in this area were almost randomly
oriented. SQ22536 or LY83583 had no significant effects on MF
behaviors in the neutral area. Incidentally, the neurite elongation of
the granule cells was not virtually affected by the treatment with
SQ22536 or LY83583; the axon lengths were 123.6 ± 10.5 µm in
untreated cells, 115.7 ± 15.2 µm in SQ22536-treated cells, and
122.1 ± 13.1 µm in LY83583-treated cells
(p > 0.1; Tukey's test after ANOVA).
We next addressed the possible contribution of cyclic nucleotide
signaling pathways to the MF pathfinding by using an explant cocultures
system. The cocultures were prepared in DG & CA3 or DG & CA1 styles and
incubated in the continuous presence of SQ22536 for 14 d in
vitro. Field potentials evoked by stimulation of DG explants were
recorded from the CA3 stratum pyramidale of DG & CA3 cultures or from
the CA1 stratum pyramidale of DG & CA1 cultures. In SQ22536-treated DG
& CA3 cultures, the size of MF synaptic responses was not different
from that of control cocultures (Fig. 8),
which suggests that pharmacological blockade of adenylyl cyclase did
not affect normal MF-CA3 synapse formation. These results were also
confirmed in the culture arrangement of intact or lesion (data not
shown). Surprisingly, however, robust synaptic responses appeared in
the CA1 region of SQ22536-treated DG & CA1 cultures (Fig. 8),
suggesting that reduced cAMP level caused erroneous MF ingrowth into
the Ammon's horn, which never occurs naturally. Similar results were
obtained for two distinct PKA inhibitors, Rp-cAMPs and KT5720 (Fig. 8).
Thus, it seems likely that the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway inhibits the
MFs from growing into the inappropriate targets (CA1).

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Figure 8.
Involvement of the cAMP signaling pathway in MF
synaptogenesis. Cocultures of DG & CA3 and DG & CA1 arrangements were incubated in the continuous presence of
100 µM SQ22536, 100 µM Rp-cAMPs, or 10 µM KT5720 for 14 d in vitro, and then
synaptic responses were recorded from the CA3 stratum pyramidale in
DG & CA3 cultures or from the CA1 stratum pyramidale in
DG & CA1 slices after stimulation of the stratum
granulosum of the DG explants. All of these inhibitors induced ectopic
synaptogenesis within the CA1 pyramidal cells in the DG & CA1 cultures, whereas normal MF projections to the CA3
pyramidal cells in the DG & CA3 slices were virtually
unaffected. **p < 0.01 versus
Control slices; Tukey's test after ANOVA. Data are
shown as means ± SEM of 20-25 slices.
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The ectopic MF synapses in SQ22536-treated DG & CA1 slices were also
detected by Timm staining (Fig.
9A), suggesting that these
synapses possess characteristic features of the MFs, e.g., high zinc
content. Consistent with this is an observation that in SQ22536-treated
cocultures, DiI-labeled fibers crossed the CA1 alveus, elongated into
the host slices, and made characteristic varicosities in the CA1 region
(Fig. 9B). These allopatric varicosities were observed
mainly in the CA1 stratum oriens and stratum pyramidale but
occasionally in the stratum radiatum. Optical recordings of membrane
potentials provided further evidence that under pharmacological blockade of the cAMP signaling pathway, the MFs are able to make functional networks with neurons in the Ammon's horn (Fig.
9C).

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Figure 9.
Additional evidence of allopatric
MF-CA1 synapse formation under low cAMP levels. DG and CA1 slices were
cultured in the absence (a) or presence
(b) of 100 µM SQ22536 for 14 d
in vitro. A, Timm staining indicated that
evident MF terminals were detected in the CA1 region of SQ22536-treated
cultures. Ac, Timm grain density was quantitatively
analyzed in the CA1 stratum oriens (SO) and the CA1
stratum pyramidale (SP) of untreated (open
columns) or SQ22536-treated slices (solid
columns). **p < 0.01 versus
Control slices; Tukey's test after ANOVA. Data are
means ± SEM of each of 10 slices. B, In
SQ22536-treated cultures, DiI-labeled MFs elongated into the CA1 region
of host hippocampal slices and formed varicosity-like structures that
were reminiscent of those seen in the CA3 region (Fig. 5).
C, In the DG and CA1 cocultures grown in the presence of
SQ22536, the optical signals of RH482 were propagated from the DG
explants (#) into the host hippocampal slices. All of these experiments
were repeated at least five times, leading to similar results.
SR, Stratum radiatum.
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Baranes et al. (1998) showed that proteolytic processes via tissue
plasminogen activator are involved in MF growth. Because plasmin is one
of the principal substrates of this enzyme (Sherry, 1968 ), we
investigated the effect of plasmin on the MF development. Chronic
treatment with plasmin caused errant MF synapse formation in the CA1
region of DG & CA1 cultures without affecting normal synaptogenesis in
DG & CA3 cultures (Fig. 10). Because
this effect of plasmin is similar to the allopatric synaptogenesis
induced by the lowered cAMP level, we tested the effect of the adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin on plasmin-induced disruption of
target-specific MF extension. Interestingly, the effect of plasmin was
efficiently attenuated by forskolin (Fig. 10). Incidentally, forskolin
per se did not affect the MF pathfinding in DG & CA3 or DG & CA1
cultures (Fig. 10). These results also support the hypothesis that the
cAMP-activated signaling pathway prevents the MFs from invading
inappropriate target areas.

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Figure 10.
Treatment with plasmin disrupted MF axon
guidance. Slices arranged in DG & CA3 and DG & CA1 patterns were cultivated in the presence of 100 µM forskolin, 100 µM plasmin, or a
combination of 100 µM plasmin and 100 µM
forskolin for 14 d in vitro. Synaptic responses
evoked by DG stimulation were recorded from CA3 stratum pyramidale in
DG & CA3 cultures or from CA1 stratum pyramidale in
DG & CA1 cultures. Plasmin treatment caused ectopic
MF-CA1 synaptogenesis in the DG & CA1 cultures. This
aberrant synapse formation was efficiently attenuated by forskolin.
These agents did not affect normal MF projections to the CA3 pyramidal
cells in the DG & CA3 slices. **p < 0.01 versus Control slices; Tukey's test after ANOVA.
## p < 0.01 versus plasmin. The data represent the
means ± SEM of 20-25 cases.
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We finally determined whether the cGMP signaling pathway
regulates the topographic extension of the MFs. The DG & CA3 and DG & CA1 preparations were cultivated for 14 d in the presence of
Rp-pCPT-cGMPs, an inhibitor of all three isoforms of guanylyl cyclases.
In contrast with the blockade of adenylyl cyclase, the decreasing cGMP
level did not cause aberrant ingrowth of the MFs into the CA1 region of
DG & CA1 cultures but suppressed normal synapse formation
onto CA3 pyramidal cells in the DG & CA3 culture (Fig.
11A). Likewise,
LY83583 inhibited MF-CA3 synapse formation without inducing ectopic
MF-CA1 synapses (Fig. 11A). Timm staining of
LY83583-treated cocultures revealed that MF terminals were sparsely
distributed in the CA3 region, i.e., the stratum oriens as well as the
stratum lucidum, suggesting that target-specific innervation of the MFs
was collapsed by reduced cGMP levels (Fig. 11B).
Similar results were obtained for coculture alignment of lesion (data
not shown). Therefore, it is likely that the cGMP signaling pathway is
required for selecting topographically correct targets. This idea was
supported by the electrophysiological study, in which pharmacological
blockade of cGMP/PKG signaling pathway did not completely abolish the
MF-evoked synaptic responses, and ~50% of fEPSP amplitude was still
recorded from the target cells (Fig. 11A). This again
suggests that under a low cGMP level, the MFs were not excluded from
ingrowth into the host Ammon's horn slices but rather may lose their
specific target, probably resulting in making synaptic contacts
randomly. This idea was supported by the result from the slice overlay
assay demonstrating that decreasing cGMP levels collapsed the directed
MF elongation (Fig. 7C). Taken together, the cGMP system may
serve to guide the MFs toward their accurate targets, whereas the cAMP
system may serve to prevent them from elongating into incorrect
targets.

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Figure 11.
Involvement of the cGMP signaling pathway
in MF synaptogenesis. Cocultures of DG & CA3 and
DG & CA1 arrangements were incubated in the presence of
100 nM LY83583 or 100 µM Rp-pCPT-cGMPs for
14 d in vitro, and then synaptic responses evoked
by DG stimulation were recorded from the CA3 region in DG & CA3 cultures or the CA1 region in DG & CA1
slices. These inhibitors reduced MF-CA3 synaptic responses in the
DG & CA3 cultures, whereas no MF projections to the CA1
region were observed in the DG & CA1 slices.
**p < 0.01 versus Control slices;
Tukey's test after ANOVA. Data are shown as means ± SEM of
20-25 slices. B, Timm grain density was quantitatively
analyzed in the CA3 stratum oriens (SO), the CA3 stratum
pyramidale (SP), and the stratum lucidum
(SL) of untreated (open columns) or
LY83583-treated slices (solid columns).
*p < 0.05 versus Control slices;
Tukey's test after ANOVA. Data are means ± SEM of each of 10-11
slices.
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One of the guanylyl cyclase activators is nitric oxide, a
membrane-permeant neuronal messenger that is produced from
L-arginine by the activation of nitric oxide synthase
(Southam and Garthwaite, 1993 ). Very recently, Wagenen and Rehder
(2001) reported that nitric oxide-mediated changes in growth cone
morphology in cultured B5 Helisoma neurons depend on a
soluble form of guanylyl cyclase. Therefore, the effect of
N -nitro-L-arginine
methylester, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, was examined;
however, we found no evidence that nitric oxide synthase contributes to
the MF development (data not shown).
Incidentally, electrophysiological studies indicated that the amplitude
of fEPSP recorded from intact slices treated with drugs used here for
14 d was almost the same as that recorded from untreated slices
(data not shown). In addition, neither PI labeling nor Nissl staining
revealed apparent cell damages in any patterns of cocultures treated
with any drugs (data not shown). These results suggest that 14 d
exposures to these drugs had no apparent effects on neuron viability.
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DISCUSSION |
A fundamental issue in developmental neurobiology is how neurons
establish precise connections to distant target cells. In the mammalian
CNS, the hippocampal MFs have received much attention because of their
unique features as follows. (1) The distribution of MF synapses is
highly stereotyped and primarily restricted to a narrow strip along the
proximal apical dendrites of CA3 pyramidal neurons, i.e., the stratum
lucidum (Amaral and Dent, 1981 ; Henze et al., 2000 ); (2) MF network
formation occurs not only in embryonic and early postnatal periods but
also persists into adulthood because of prolonged proliferation of
dentate granule cells (Kaplan and Hinds, 1977 ; Eckenhoff and Rakic,
1988 ; Kuhn et al., 1996 ); (3) epileptic conditions cause aberrant MF
sprouting into the inner molecular layer and the stratum oriens (Sutula
et al., 1989 ; Represa and Ben-Ari, 1992 ). Nonetheless, the mechanisms
responsible for the topographic MF pathfinding are not well understood.
In the present study, we addressed the cellular dynamics of MF
outgrowth and found that the MFs use at least two discrete guidance
cues to reach their correct target area. In addition, these guidance cues are likely to be independently regulated by cAMP and cGMP signaling pathways.
Lamina-specific MF reinnervation
In cocultures of tissue stumps of the DG and hippocampal Ammon's
horn, the MFs were capable of regrowing into the appropriate target
region (CA3) and forming new synaptic contacts with appropriate target
pyramidal cells even when the normal MF course was disrupted by
displaced arrangement of the excised slices. New synaptic contacts are
made predominantly with the stratum lucidum. Therefore, extracellular guidance cues essential for lamina-specific MF development are retained
in the isolated slices. In addition, Timm-stained terminals, their
morphological specializations, and functional connections with CA3
pyramidal cells were also preserved in newly formed MF synapses. Hence,
this coculture system is highly amenable for direct study of
topographic MF growth and synaptogenesis.
Both slice overlay assay and coculture experiment demonstrated that the
MFs grew away from the CA1 region and toward the CA3 region. These
results alone cannot determine whether the MFs recognize a single or
multiple guidance cues. However, the attractive behaviors of MFs toward
the CA3 region and the avoidance from the CA1 region showed different
susceptibilities to pharmacological inhibitors: the former was
disturbed by cGMP/PKG inhibitors, and the latter was interfered
with cAMP/PKA blockers, but not vice versa. These differences can be
explained by supposing that there are at least two distinct factors,
i.e., an attractant derived from the CA3 region and a repellent from
the CA1 region. This hypothesis was further supported by the result
from the slice overlay assay indicating that the central region of
Ammon's horn slices, probably the stratum lacunosum moleculare, is the
neutral area where MFs showed no preference for orientation. This
observation suggests that Ammon's horn slices do not have a gradient
of a single guidance cue, but rather that the CA1 and CA3 regions are
influenced separately by different guidance signals.
At the same time, however, the existence of the neutral area implies
that the influence of the guidance cues is relatively short-range and
spatially restricted. To determine whether these cue signals are
diffusible or substrate-bound molecules, the DG explants were
transplanted to fixed hippocampal slices. The MFs apparently did not
invade the fixed host slices. Thus, it is possible that chemotropic
molecules are involved in the MF pathfinding. On the other hand, our
preliminary study using collagen-gel cocultures of CA1, CA3, and DG
tissues has so far failed to find evidence for a potent diffusible
factor affecting the direction of MF outgrowth. Therefore, we consider
that membrane-bound molecules or short-range chemotropic molecules, or
both, mediate the stereotyped MF extension.
Interestingly, when DG explants were opposed to the CA3 region
of intact slices, no apparent MF synaptic responses were recorded from
the target neurons, suggesting that ectopically arising MFs are unable
to develop functional synaptic contacts with CA3 pyramidal cells having
recipient sites that are occupied by extant MF inputs from the
intrinsic DG. Further investigations will be required to determine
whether MF-innervated pyramidal cells produce signals different from
those made by the pyramidal cells waiting for MF innervation.
Another series of experiments to elucidate these signals is now
underway in our laboratory.
Molecular mechanisms for cyclic nucleotide-mediated regulation of
MF development
Although the present study implies possible roles of cAMP and cGMP
signaling pathways in MF development, our pharmacological experiments
could not identify the sites where cAMP and cGMP act, i.e., MF growth
cones, their target cells, or elsewhere. However, evident
immunoreactivity for adenylyl cyclase was found in growth cones of
developing MFs in cultured granule cells. Likewise, Wagenen and Rehder
(2001) showed that guanylyl cyclase is also localized within growth
cones of B5 Helisoma neurons. In addition, turning behaviors
of isolated growth cones of Xenopus spinal neurons are changed by varying levels of cyclic nucleotides (Ming et al., 1997 ;
Song et al., 1997 , 1998 ), which provides direct evidence that cyclic
nucleotides act within the growth cones. Therefore, we consider that
cAMP and cGMP working in the growth cones regulate the target-specific
MF guidance.
cAMP/PKA signaling pathway has been proposed to regulate growth cone
behaviors of Xenopus spinal neurons (Ming et al., 1997 ; Song
et al., 1997 ; Wang and Zheng, 1998 ). Consistent with this, we found
that decreasing the cAMP level causes errant MF growth into the CA1
regions and ectopic synapse formation. Therefore, cAMP is likely to
play a key role in repulsive responses of the MFs away from their
inappropriate targets (CA1). Interestingly, the repulsive responses of
granule cells cultured over the CA1 region were converted to attraction
in the presence of adenylyl cyclase inhibitors. This result is somewhat
analogous to several previous reports showing a cAMP-dependent switch
of attractive/repulsive behaviors in response to brain-derived
neurotrophic factor, acetylcholine (Song et al., 1997 ), Netrin (Ming et
al., 1997 ; Hopker et al., 1999 ), and myelin-associated glycoprotein
(Song et al., 1998 ) of Xenopus growth cones. In this
context, our finding is the first evidence that the cAMP-dependent
switch actually occurs for endogenous guidance cues present in the
environment of mammalian tissues.
Although the mechanisms underlying cAMP-mediated regulation of growth
cone behaviors have not been not fully determined, PKA is known to
substrate inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors and the
profilin-binding protein Mena, both of which are thought to mediate
axon outgrowth and axon targeting (Takei et al., 1998 ; Lanier et al.,
1999 ). RhoA, a member of the small GTP-binding proteins involved in
regulating the cytoskeleton, is also a good substrate of PKA. The
phosphorylation of RhoA is likely to prevent growth cone collapse in
neuroblastoma (Kozma et al., 1997 ), pheochromocytoma PC12 cells (Tigyi
et al., 1996 ), and dorsal root ganglia neurons (Jin and Strittmatter,
1997 ). Thus, these molecules may mediate MF repulsion against the CA1 region.
Our previous work demonstrated that pathologically excessive
activation of voltage-sensitive L-type
Ca2+ channels causes aberrant MF
pathfinding (Ikegaya, 1999 ). The elevation of intracellular
Ca2+ concentrations results in
bidirectional, subtype-dependent changes in adenylyl cyclase
activities, i.e., calmodulin-mediated activation of adenylyl cyclases
types I and VIII, and direct inhibition of adenylyl cyclase types V and
VI (Defer et al., 2000 ). Adenylyl cyclase type I is neurospecific and
highly expressed in dentate granule cells (Xia et al., 1991 , 1993 ), and
its mutant mice show impaired long-term potentiation of MF-CA3
neurotransmission (Villacres et al., 1998 ). However, recent reports
indicated that adenylyl cyclases types VI and VIII are also distributed
in the CNS, including the hippocampus (Hellevuo et al., 1996 ; Liu et
al., 1998 ). Therefore, it is unclear whether
Ca2+ entry subsequently elicits an
increase or decrease in cAMP level in MF growth cones. Furthermore, the
fact that cAMP/PKA activation induces the phosphorylation of L-type
Ca2+ channels and thereby enhances the
channel activity makes interpretation of the results difficult (Hosey
et al., 1996 ; Gao et al., 1997 ). We think that the relationship between
Ca2+ and cAMP in MF development cannot be
deduced from our data alone.
Decreasing cGMP level resulted in a reduction of MF synaptic
responses in the CA3 region. Thus, cGMP is likely to participate in the
signal that attracts MFs toward their appropriate target. cGMP/PKG
signaling pathways have been reported to regulate Sema3A- or
Sema3D-mediated neurite orientation (Song et al., 1998 ; Polleux et al.,
2000 ). Therefore, abundant expression of Sema3B, Sema3C, Sema3D, and
Sema3F in the DG and the hippocampus is of particular interest
(Skaliora et al., 1998 ; Steup et al., 2000 ). Indeed, Chen et al. (2000)
reported a marked defect in MF projections in mutant mice lacking
neuropilin-2, a receptor for Sema3C and Sema3F. Therefore, it is
possible that the cGMP-mediated MF guidance involves a common molecular
mechanism for the neuropilin/Sema system.
In conclusion, we have shown for the first time that
target-specific MF outgrowth is performed by at least two distinct
guidance cues that are regulated by cyclic nucleotide signaling
pathways. Because our understanding of the intracellular events
underlying MF development is still rudimentary, these findings may
provide novel insights into the mechanisms of axon growth, axon
targeting, and synapse formation in the MF system.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
Received Feb. 28, 2001; revised April 30, 2001; accepted June 1, 2001.
This work was supported by research grants from the Fujisawa Foundation
and grants-in-aid for scientific research from the Ministry of
Education, Science and Culture of Japan.
Correspondence should be addressed to Yuji Ikegaya, Laboratory of
Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The
University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
E-mail: ikegaya{at}tk.airnet.ne.jp.
 |
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