Journal article

Activity-dependent structural plasticity of perisynaptic astrocytic domains promotes excitatory synapse stability

  • Bernardinelli, Yann Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Randall, Jerome Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Janett, Elia Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Nikonenko, Irina Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • König, Stéphane Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Jones, Emma Victoria Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Canada
  • Flores, Carmen E. Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Murai, Keith K. Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Canada
  • Bochet, Christian G. Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Holtmaat, Anthony Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Muller, Dominique Department of Basic Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Geneva, Switzerland
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    04.08.2014
Published in:
  • Current Biology. - 2014, vol. 24, no. 15, p. 1679–1688
English Excitatory synapses in the CNS are highly dynamic structures that can show activity- dependent remodeling and stabilization in response to learning and memory. Synapses are enveloped with intricate processes of astrocytes known as perisynaptic astrocytic processes (PAPs). PAPs are motile structures displaying rapid actin-dependent movements and are characterized by Ca²⁺ elevations in response to neuronal activity. Despite a debated implication in synaptic plasticity, the role of both Ca²⁺ events in astrocytes and PAP morphological dynamics remain unclear.Results In the hippocampus, we found that PAPs show extensive structural plasticity that is regulated by synaptic activity through astrocytic metabotropic glutamate receptors and intracellular calcium signaling. Synaptic activation that induces long-term potentiation caused a transient PAP motility increase leading to an enhanced astrocytic coverage of the synapse. Selective activation of calcium signals in individual PAPs using exogenous metabotropic receptor expression and two-photon uncaging reproduced these effects and enhanced spine stability. In vivo imaging in the somatosensory cortex of adult mice revealed that increased neuronal activity through whisker stimulation similarly elevates PAP movement. This in vivo PAP motility correlated with spine coverage and was predictive of spine stability.Conclusions This study identifies a novel bidirectional interaction between synapses and astrocytes, in which synaptic activity and synaptic potentiation regulate PAP structural plasticity, which in turn determines the fate of the synapse. This mechanism may represent an important contribution of astrocytes to learning and memory processes.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Chimie
Language
  • English
Classification
Chemistry
License
License undefined
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/304852
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