32 results match your criteria: "Vanderbilt University and Medical Center[Affiliation]"

Experience-dependent serotonergic signaling in glia regulates targeted synapse elimination.

PLoS Biol

October 2024

Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.

Article Synopsis
  • Brain connectivity optimization through synapse elimination occurs during critical periods influenced by sensory experiences.
  • Serotonin signaling in glial cells is crucial for this synaptic pruning, especially related to olfactory experiences in Drosophila.
  • The study shows that serotonin production and 5-HT2A receptors in glia (not neurons) are necessary for targeted pruning, and reactivating these receptors in adult glia can mimic experience-dependent pruning in maturity.
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Corrigendum: Dysregulation of BMP, Wnt, and insulin signaling in fragile X syndrome.

Front Cell Dev Biol

June 2024

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.

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Cofilin, an actin-severing protein, plays key roles in muscle sarcomere addition and maintenance. Our previous work found that Drosophila cofilin (DmCFL) knockdown in muscle causes progressive deterioration of muscle structure and function and produces features seen in nemaline myopathy caused by cofilin mutations. We hypothesized that disruption of actin cytoskeleton dynamics by DmCFL knockdown would impact other aspects of muscle development, and, thus, conducted an RNA-sequencing analysis that unexpectedly revealed upregulated expression of numerous neuromuscular junction (NMJ) genes.

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Dynamic presynaptic actin remodeling drives structural and functional plasticity at synapses, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Previous work has shown that actin regulation via Rac1 guanine exchange factor (GEF) Vav signaling restrains synaptic growth via bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced receptor macropinocytosis and mediates synaptic potentiation via mobilization of reserve pool vesicles in presynaptic boutons. Here, we find that Gef26/PDZ-GEF and small GTPase Rap1 signaling couples the BMP-induced activation of Abelson kinase to this Vav-mediated macropinocytosis.

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Experience-dependent MAPK/ERK signaling in glia regulates critical period remodeling of synaptic glomeruli.

Cell Signal

August 2024

Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA. Electronic address:

Early-life critical periods allow initial sensory experience to remodel brain circuitry so that synaptic connectivity can be optimized to environmental input. In the Drosophila juvenile brain, olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) synaptic glomeruli are pruned by glial phagocytosis in dose-dependent response to early odor experience during a well-defined critical period. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) separation of phases-based activity reporter of kinase (SPARK) biosensors reveal experience-dependent signaling in glia during this critical period.

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Critical periods are temporally-restricted, early-life windows when sensory experience remodels synaptic connectivity to optimize environmental input. In the Drosophila juvenile brain, critical period experience drives synapse elimination, which is transiently reversible. Within olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) classes synapsing onto single projection neurons extending to brain learning/memory centers, we find glia mediate experience-dependent pruning of OSN synaptic glomeruli downstream of critical period odorant exposure.

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Experience-Dependent Remodeling of Juvenile Brain Olfactory Sensory Neuron Synaptic Connectivity in an Early-Life Critical Period.

J Vis Exp

March 2024

Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center; Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center;

Early-life olfactory sensory experience induces dramatic synaptic glomeruli remodeling in the Drosophila juvenile brain, which is experientially dose-dependent, temporally restricted, and transiently reversible only in a short, well-defined critical period. The directionality of brain circuit synaptic connectivity remodeling is determined by the specific odorant acting on the respondent receptor class of olfactory sensory neurons. In general, each neuron class expresses only a single odorant receptor and innervates a single olfactory synaptic glomerulus.

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Cytoplasmic protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 11 (PTPN11) and homolog Corkscrew (Csw) regulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway via a conserved autoinhibitory mechanism. Disease-causing loss-of-function (LoF) and gain-of-function (GoF) mutations both disrupt this autoinhibition to potentiate MAPK signaling. At the neuromuscular junction glutamatergic synapse, LoF/GoF mutations elevate transmission strength and reduce activity-dependent synaptic depression.

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Imaging brain learning and memory circuit kinase signaling is a monumental challenge. The separation of phases-based activity reporter of kinase (SPARK) biosensors allow circuit-localized studies of multiple interactive kinases in vivo, including protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. In the precisely-mapped brain learning/memory circuit, we find PKA and ERK signaling differentially enriched in distinct Kenyon cell connectivity nodes.

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Cofilin, an actin severing protein, plays critical roles in muscle sarcomere addition and maintenance. Our previous work has shown cofilin () knockdown causes progressive deterioration of muscle structure and function and produces features seen in nemaline myopathy (NM) caused by cofilin mutations. We hypothesized that disruption of actin cytoskeleton dynamics by knockdown would impact other aspects of muscle development, and, thus, conducted an RNA sequencing analysis which unexpectedly revealed upregulated expression of numerous neuromuscular junction (NMJ) genes.

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The lipid storage disease Niemann Pick type C (NPC) causes neurodegeneration owing primarily to loss of NPC1. Here, we employed a Drosophila model to test links between glycosphingolipids, neurotransmission and neurodegeneration. We found that Npc1a nulls had elevated neurotransmission at the glutamatergic neuromuscular junction (NMJ), which was phenocopied in brainiac (brn) mutants, impairing mannosyl glucosylceramide (MacCer) glycosylation.

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In the developmental remodeling of brain circuits, neurons are removed by glial phagocytosis to optimize adult behavior. Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) regulates neuron-to-glia signaling to drive glial phagocytosis for targeted neuron pruning. We find that FMRP acts in a mothers against decapentaplegic (Mad)-insulin receptor (InR)-protein kinase B (Akt) pathway to regulate pretaporter (Prtp) and amyloid precursor protein-like (APPL) signals directing this glial clearance.

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Noonan syndrome (NS) and NS with multiple lentigines (NSML) cognitive dysfunction are linked to SH2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP2) gain-of-function (GoF) and loss-of-function (LoF), respectively. In Drosophila disease models, we find both SHP2 mutations from human patients and corkscrew (csw) homolog LoF/GoF elevate glutamatergic transmission. Cell-targeted RNAi and neurotransmitter release analyses reveal a presynaptic requirement.

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Dysregulation of BMP, Wnt, and Insulin Signaling in Fragile X Syndrome.

Front Cell Dev Biol

July 2022

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.

models of neurological disease contribute tremendously to research progress due to the high conservation of human disease genes, the powerful and sophisticated genetic toolkit, and the rapid generation time. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most prevalent heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders, and the FXS disease model has been critical for the genetic screening discovery of new intercellular secretion mechanisms. Here, we focus on the roles of three major signaling pathways: BMP, Wnt, and insulin-like peptides.

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Both mRNA-binding Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP; Fmr1) and mRNA-binding Staufen regulate synaptic bouton formation and glutamate receptor (GluR) levels at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) glutamatergic synapse. Here, we tested whether these RNA-binding proteins act jointly in a common mechanism. We found that both dfmr1 and staufen mutants, and trans-heterozygous double mutants, displayed increased synaptic bouton formation and GluRIIA accumulation.

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Dynamic functional connectivity within brain circuits requires coordination of intercellular signaling and intracellular signal transduction. Critical roles for cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling are well established in the mushroom body (MB) learning and memory circuitry, but local PKA activity within this well-mapped neuronal network is uncharacterized. Here, we use an PKA activity sensor (PKA-SPARK) to test spatiotemporal regulatory requirements in the MB axon lobes.

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Objective: We aim to assess the histopathology of human temporal bones (TBs) with evidence of cochlear implantation (CI) electrode scalar translocation.

Study Design: Otopathology study.

Setting: Otopathology laboratory.

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Relationship Between Intraoperative Electrocochleography and Hearing Preservation.

Otol Neurotol

January 2022

Advanced Bionics LLC, Research and Technology, Valencia, California, USA.

Objectives: To compare intraoperative intracochlear electrocochleography (ECochG) with hearing preservation outcomes in cochlear implant (CI) subjects.

Design: Intraoperative electrocochleography was performed in adult CI subjects who were recipients of Advanced Bionics' Bionics LLC precurved HiFocus MidScala or straight HiFocus SlimJ electrode arrays. ECochG responses were recorded from the most apical electrode contact during insertion.

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The synaptic cleft manifests enriched glycosylation, with structured glycans coordinating signaling between presynaptic and postsynaptic cells. Glycosylated signaling ligands orchestrating communication are tightly regulated by secreted glycan-binding lectins. Using the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) as a model glutamatergic synapse, we identify a new Ca2+-binding (C-type) lectin, Lectin-galC1 (LGC1), which modulates presynaptic function and neurotransmission strength.

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Critical periods are developmental windows during which neural circuits effectively adapt to the new sensory environment. Animal models of fragile X syndrome (FXS), a common monogenic autism spectrum disorder (ASD), exhibit profound impairments of sensory experience-driven critical periods. However, it is not known whether the causative fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) acts uniformly across neurons, or instead manifests neuron-specific functions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Neural circuits develop through the formation and refinement of synapses, where appropriate connections are maintained and inappropriate ones are eliminated; disruptions in this process can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders like intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.
  • In a study using a Drosophila model for fragile X syndrome, researchers identified unexpected axonal overgrowth in the escape circuit, indicating an increase in synaptic connections that were mostly appropriate rather than random, suggesting hyperconnectivity due to genetic background mutations.
  • The study utilized advanced techniques to pinpoint eight quantitative trait loci linked to the abnormal synapse formation, highlighting the complex genetics behind synaptic development in the context of fragile X syndrome.
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Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein positively regulates PKA anchor Rugose and PKA activity to control actin assembly in learning/memory circuitry.

Neurobiol Dis

July 2019

Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Departments of Biological Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology, and Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA. Electronic address:

Recent work shows Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) drives the translation of very large proteins (>2000 aa) mediating neurodevelopment. Loss of function results in Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading heritable cause of intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using the Drosophila FXS disease model, we discover FMRP positively regulates the translation of the very large A-Kinase Anchor Protein (AKAP) Rugose (>3000 aa), homolog of ASD-associated human Neurobeachin (NBEA).

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Critical periods are windows of development when the environment has a pronounced effect on brain circuitry. Models of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and schizophrenia, are linked to disruption of critical period remodeling. Critical periods open with the onset of sensory experience; however, it remains unclear exactly how sensory input modifies brain circuits.

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The giant fiber (GF) escape circuit is an extensively studied model for neuron connectivity and function. Researchers have long taken advantage of the simple linear neuronal pathway, which begins at peripheral sensory modalities, travels through the central GF interneuron (GFI) to motor neurons, and terminates on wing/leg muscles. This circuit is more complex than it seems, however, as there exists a complex web of coupled neurons connected to the GFI that widely innervates the thoracic ganglion.

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Hypothesis: Electrocochleography (ECochG) patterns observed during cochlear implant (CI) electrode insertion may provide information about scalar location of the electrode array.

Background: Conventional CI surgery is performed without actively monitoring auditory function and potential damage to intracochlear structures. The central hypothesis of this study was that ECochG obtained directly through the CI may be used to estimate intracochlear electrode position and, ultimately, residual hearing preservation.

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