title: Learning-induced synaptic potentiation in implanted neural precursor cell-derived neurons.
abstract: Neuronal loss caused by neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke results in cognitive dysfunctioning. Implantation of neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs) can improve the brain function by replacing lost neurons. Proper synaptic integration following neuronal differentiation of implanted cells is believed to be a prerequisite for the functional recovery. In the present study, we characterized the functional properties of immortalized neural progenitor HiB5 cells implanted into the rat hippocampus with chemically induced lesion. The implanted HiB5 cells migrated toward CA1 pyramidal layer and differentiated into vGluT1-positive glutamatergic neurons with morphological and electrophysiological properties of endogenous CA1 pyramidal cells. Functional synaptic integration of HiB5 cell-derived neurons was also evidenced by immunohistochemical and electrophysiological data. Lesion-caused memory deficit was significantly recovered after the implantation when assessed by inhibitory avoidance (IA) learning. Remarkably, IA learning preferentially produced long-term potentiation (LTP) at the synapses onto HiB5 cell-derived neurons, which occluded paring protocol-induced LTP ex vivo. We conclude that the implanted HiB5 cell-derived neurons actively participate in learning process through LTP formation, thereby counteracting lesion-mediated memory impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyungjoon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hwon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ma Eum
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyuhyun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Shin Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yunhee Kim
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Soon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology