title: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-induced gene expression reveals novel actions of VGF in hippocampal synaptic plasticity.
abstract: Synaptic strengthening induced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with learning and is coupled to transcriptional activation. However, identification of the spectrum of genes associated with BDNF-induced synaptic plasticity and the correlation of expression with learning paradigms in vivo has not yet been studied. Transcriptional analysis of BDNF-induced synaptic strengthening in cultured hippocampal neurons revealed increased expression of the immediate early genes (IEGs), c-fos, early growth response gene 1 (EGR1), activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) at 20 min, and the secreted peptide VGF (non-acronymic) protein precursor at 3 hr. The induced genes served as prototypes to decipher mechanisms of both BDNF-induced transcription and plasticity. BDNF-mediated gene expression was tyrosine kinase B and mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent, as demonstrated by pharmacological studies. Single-cell transcriptional analysis of Arc after whole-cell patch-clamp recordings indicated that increased gene expression correlated with enhancement of synaptic transmission by BDNF. Increased expression in vitro predicted elevations in vivo: VGF and the IEGs increased after trace eyeblink conditioning, a hippocampal-dependent learning paradigm. VGF protein was also upregulated by BDNF treatment and was expressed in a punctate manner in dissociated hippocampal neurons. Collectively, these findings suggested that the VGF neuropeptides may regulate synaptic function. We found a novel function for VGF by applying VGF peptides to neurons. C-terminal VGF peptides acutely increased synaptic charge in a dose-dependent manner, whereas N-terminal peptide had no effect. These observations indicate that gene profiling in vitro can reveal new mechanisms of synaptic strengthening associated with learning and memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-5635, USA.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alder
authors.forename: Smita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thakker-Varia
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bangasser
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuroiwa
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Plummer
authors.forename: Tracey J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Shors
authors.forename: Ira B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D011506:Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; C062040:Vgf protein, rat