RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Neuronal Transgene Expression in Dominant-Negative SNARE Mice
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 16594
OP 16604
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2585-14.2014
VO 34
IS 50
A1 Takumi Fujita
A1 Michael J. Chen
A1 Baoman Li
A1 Nathan A. Smith
A1 Weiguo Peng
A1 Wei Sun
A1 Michael J. Toner
A1 Benjamin T. Kress
A1 Linhui Wang
A1 Abdellatif Benraiss
A1 Takahiro Takano
A1 Su Wang
A1 Maiken Nedergaard
YR 2014
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/50/16594.abstract
AB Experimental advances in the study of neuroglia signaling have been greatly accelerated by the generation of transgenic mouse models. In particular, an elegant manipulation that interferes with astrocyte vesicular release of gliotransmitters via overexpression of a dominant-negative domain of vesicular SNARE (dnSNARE) has led to documented astrocytic involvement in processes that were traditionally considered strictly neuronal, including the sleep–wake cycle, LTP, cognition, cortical slow waves, depression, and pain. A key premise leading to these conclusions was that expression of the dnSNARE was specific to astrocytes. Inconsistent with this premise, we report here widespread expression of the dnSNARE transgene in cortical neurons. We further demonstrate that the activity of cortical neurons is reversibly suppressed in dnSNARE mice. These findings highlight the need for independent validation of astrocytic functions identified in dnSNARE mice and thus question critical evidence that astrocytes contribute to neurotransmission through SNARE-dependent vesicular release of gliotransmitters.