title: Early excitability changes in lumbar motoneurons of transgenic SOD1G85R and SOD1G(93A-Low) mice.
abstract: This work characterizes the properties of wild-type (WT) mouse motoneurons in the second postnatal week and compares these at the same age and in the same conditions to those of two different SOD1 mutant lines used as models of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the SOD1(G93A) low expressor line and SOD1(G85R) line, to describe any changes in the functional properties of mutant motoneurons (Mns) that may be related to the pathogenesis of human ALS. We show that very early changes in excitability occur in SOD1 mutant Mns that have different properties from those of WT animals. The SOD1(G93A-Low) low expressor line displays specific differences that are not found in other mutant lines including a more depolarized membrane potential, larger spike width, and slower spike rise slope. With current pulses SOD1(G93A-Low) were hyperexcitable, but both mutants had a lower gain with current ramps stimulation. Changes in the threshold and intensities of Na(+) and Ca(2+) persistent inward currents were also observed. Low expressor mutants show reduced total persistant inward currents compared with WT motoneurons in the same recording conditions and give arguments toward modifications of the balance between Na(+) and Ca(2+) persistent inward currents. During the second week postnatal, SOD1(G93A-Low) lumbar motoneurons appear more immature than those of SOD1(G85R) compared with WT and we propose that different time course of the disease, possibly linked with different toxic properties of the mutated protein in each model, may explain the discrepancies between excitability changes described in the different models.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Plasticité et Physio-Pathologie de la Motricité, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6196 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pambo-Pambo
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Jean-Patrick
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gueritaud
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000235:genetics; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D001703:Biophysics; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007395:Interneurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D019782:Riluzole / Q000494:pharmacology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics*; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019782:Riluzole; D001120:Arginine; C000606291:Sod1 protein, mouse; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D009543:Nifedipine