title: Neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) mediates Huntington's disease-associated synaptic and memory dysfunction.
abstract: Learning and memory deficits are early clinical manifestations of Huntington's disease (HD). These cognitive impairments have been mainly associated with frontostriatal HD pathology; however, compelling evidence provided by several HD murine models suggests that the hippocampus may contribute to synaptic deficits and memory dysfunction in HD. The neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) negatively regulates spine density, which is associated with learning and memory; therefore, we explored whether disturbed p75(NTR) function in the hippocampus could contribute to synaptic dysfunction and memory deficits in HD. Here, we determined that levels of p75(NTR) are markedly increased in the hippocampus of 2 distinct mouse models of HD and in HD patients. Normalization of p75(NTR) levels in HD mutant mice heterozygous for p75(NTR) prevented memory and synaptic plasticity deficits and ameliorated dendritic spine abnormalities, likely through normalization of the activity of the GTPase RhoA. Moreover, viral-mediated overexpression of p75(NTR) in the hippocampus of WT mice reproduced HD learning and memory deficits, while knockdown of p75(NTR) in the hippocampus of HD mice prevented cognitive decline. Together, these findings provide evidence of hippocampus-associated memory deficits in HD and demonstrate that p75(NTR) mediates synaptic, learning, and memory dysfunction in HD.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giralt
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Enriquez-Barreto
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puigdellívol
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suelves
authors.forename: Alfonsa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zamora-Moratalla
authors.forename: Jesús J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.forename: Eduardo D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dominguez-Iturza
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alberch
authors.forename: Sílvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ginés
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004594:Electrophysiology; D055879:Gene Knock-In Techniques; D006579:Heterozygote; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; C517634:Ngfr protein, mouse