Impaired development of hippocampal mossy fibre synapses in mouse mutants for the presynaptic scaffold protein Bassoon.
Bassoon, a protein highly concentrated at the synaptic active zone, is thought to participate in the organization of the cytomatrix at the site of neurotransmitter release. Bassoon is amongst the first proteins to accumulate at newly formed synaptic junctions, raising the question of the functional role of this protein in the early stages of synaptic development. Here we show that the course of synaptic maturation of hippocampal mossy fibre (MF) synapses (glutamatergic synapses with multiple release sites) is markedly altered during the first 2 weeks of postnatal development in mutant mice lacking the central region of Bassoon (Bsn(-/-) mice). At postnatal day 7 (P7), Bsn(-/-) mice display large amplitude MF-EPSCs with decreased paired pulse ratios, an abnormality which may be linked to deficits in the organization of the presynaptic active zone. Surprisingly, 1 week later, decreased MF-EPSCs amplitude is observed in Bsn(-/-) mice, consistent with the inactivation of a subset of synaptic release sites. Finally, at more mature states a decreased posttetanic potentiation is observed at MF-synapses. These results support the notion that Bassoon is important for organizing the presynaptic active zone during the postnatal maturation of glutamatergic synapses.
Lanore
Frederic
F
Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire de la Synapse, CNRS UMR 5091, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Blanchet
Christophe
C
Fejtova
Anna
A
Pinheiro
Paulo
P
Richter
Karin
K
Balschun
Detlef
D
Gundelfinger
Eckart
E
Mulle
Christophe
C
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D056654:CA3 Region, Hippocampal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D019599:Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D055366:Synaptic Potentials; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
C498441:Bsn protein, mouse; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid