星形膠質細胞通過吞噬成人海馬體神經突觸穩定腦電路
作者:
小柯機器人發布時間:2020/12/25 15:05:24
2020年12月23日出版的《自然》雜誌在線發表了韓國科學技術高等研究院Won-Suk Chung和韓國腦科學研究所Hyungju Park團隊合作的最新研究成果。他們發現星形膠質細胞通過吞噬成人海馬神經突觸來穩定電路。
在本研究中,研究人員發現星形膠質細胞的吞噬作用對於維持正常海馬體突觸的連接性和可塑性至關重要。通過使用螢光標記吞噬報告基因,研究發現,成年小鼠海馬CA1區的神經膠質吞噬作用消除了興奮性和抑制性突觸。出乎意料的是,研究人員發現星形膠質細胞在神經元活動依賴的興奮性突觸消除中起主要作用。
此外,星形膠質細胞吞噬受體MEGF10缺失的小鼠表現出興奮性突觸消除減少,從而導致過多功能受損突觸的累積。最後,Megf10基因敲除小鼠表現出長期突觸可塑性缺陷和海馬記憶形成受損。總的來說,該研究數據提供的有力證據表明星形膠質細胞通過MEGF10消除了成年海馬體中不必要的興奮性突觸連接,並且星形細胞的這種功能對於維持電路連通性和認知功能至關重要。
據介紹,在成年海馬體中不斷發生突觸的形成和清除。但是,尚不清楚成年大腦中突觸消除的確切功能及其調控方式。
附:英文原文
Title: Astrocytes phagocytose adult hippocampal synapses for circuit homeostasis
Author: Joon-Hyuk Lee, Ji-young Kim, Seulgi Noh, Hyoeun Lee, Se Young Lee, Ji Young Mun, Hyungju Park, Won-Suk Chung
Issue&Volume: 2020-12-23
Abstract: In the adult hippocampus, synapses are constantly formed and eliminated1,2. However, the exact function of synapse elimination in the adult brain, and how it is regulated, are largely unknown. Here we show that astrocytic phagocytosis3 is important for maintaining proper hippocampal synaptic connectivity and plasticity. By using fluorescent phagocytosis reporters, we find that excitatory and inhibitory synapses are eliminated by glial phagocytosis in the CA1 region of the adult mouse hippocampus. Unexpectedly, we found that astrocytes have a major role in the neuronal activity-dependent elimination of excitatory synapses. Furthermore, mice in which astrocytes lack the phagocytic receptor MEGF10 show a reduction in the elimination of excitatory synapses; as a result, excessive but functionally impaired synapses accumulate. Finally, Megf10-knockout mice show defective long-term synaptic plasticity and impaired formation of hippocampal memories. Together, our data provide strong evidence that astrocytes eliminate unnecessary excitatory synaptic connections in the adult hippocampus through MEGF10, and that this astrocytic function is crucial for maintaining circuit connectivity and thereby supporting cognitive function. In adult mice, astrocytes carry out phagocytosis of excitatory hippocampal synapses through MEGF10 to maintain synaptic and circuit homeostasis.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-03060-3
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03060-3