Miniature synaptic currents become neurotoxic to chronically silenced neurons.
When deprived of spontaneous ongoing network activity by chronic exposure to tetrodotoxin (TTX), cultured cortical neurons retract their dendrites, lose dendritic spines, and degenerate over a period of 1-2 weeks. Electrophysiological properties of these slowly degenerating neurons prior to their death are normal, but they express very large miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). Chronic blockade of these mEPSCs by the alpha-amino-5-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist 6,7-Dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX) had no effect of its own on cell survival, yet, paradoxically, it protected the TTX-silenced neurons from degenerating. TTX-treated neurons also exhibited deficient Ca(2+) clearance mechanisms. Thus, upscaled mEPSCs are sufficient to trigger apoptotic processes in otherwise chronically silenced neurons.
Fishbein
Ianai
I
Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Segal
Menahem
M
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D011810:Quinoxalines; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; C056723:FG 9041; D002118:Calcium