Abstract
Background: The role of vezatin in epilepsy remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the underlying roles of vezatin in epilepsy. Methods: The expression pattern of vezatin in epilepsy in vivo and in vitro was investigated by immunofluorescence and western blotting. Pilocarpine (PILO)-induced epileptic mice were subjected to behavioral tests to determine the role of vezatin in regulating seizure activity. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were obtained via multiple biochemical techniques to explore the mechanism by which vezatin regulates seizure activity. Findings: Vezatin expression was increased in hippocampal tissues from PILO-induced epileptic mice, brain tissues from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and a Mg2+ -free medium-induced vitro seizure model (VSM). Vezatin knockdown suppressed seizure activity in PILO-induced epileptic mice. Mechanistically, vezatin knockdown suppressed AMPAR-mediated synaptic events in epileptic mice and downregulated the surface expression of AMPAR GluA1 subunit (GluA1). Interestingly, vezatin knockdown decreased the phosphorylation of GluA1 at serine 845 and reduced protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation; when PKA phosphorylation was suppressed by H-89 (a selective inhibitor of PKA phosphorylation) in vitro, the downregulatory effects of vezatin knockdown on the phosphorylation of GluA1 at serine 845 and the surface expression of GluA1 were blocked. Interpretation: We showed that the expression pattern of vezatin in epilepsy is abnormal and demonstrated the mechanism by which vezatin regulates seizure activity. Vezatin can modulate the phosphorylation of GluA1 at serine 845, which requires PKA signaling activation, further regulating the surface expression of GluA1 and affecting AMPAR-mediated neuronal synaptic transmission (NST). Funding Statement: This study was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 81901315, No.81901330, and No.81771390) and supported by the Kuanren Talents Program of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (No. kryc-yq-2123), China. Declaration of Interests: None of the authors have conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The human study complied with the Declaration of Helsinki and the ethical principles of the National Institutes of Health and was approved by the Committee on Human Research of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. All animal experiments performed in the present study were approved by the Committee on Animal Research of Chongqing Medical University and were conducted in accordance with international guidelines for animal studies and the guidelines of the Committee on Animal Research of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Highlights
Epilepsy is a heterogeneous disease with a complicated etiology and mechanism [1, 2]
Immunofluorescence staining showed that vezatin expressed in the hippocampal CA1 region in mice colocalized with the neuronal marker microtubuleassociated protein 2 (MAP2) (Fig. 1c); the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of vezatin was higher in the epilepsy group than in the control group, indicating increased expression of vezatin in the epilepsy model (Fig. 1d)
Subsequent electrophysiological studies revealed that vezatin knockdown suppressed CP-AMPARmediated synaptic events and inhibited the surface expression of GluA1 in epileptic mice, indicating that vezatin may regulate amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic events by affecting the surface expression of GluA1
Summary
Epilepsy is a heterogeneous disease with a complicated etiology and mechanism [1, 2]. Many studies have explored the underlying mechanism of epilepsy, the etiology and mechanism of epilepsy remain unclear and require further investigation to potentially aid in the development of new disease-modifying therapies to suppress seizures in patients with epilepsy. Vezatin was found to be expressed at high levels in neuronal dendritic spines and regulates synaptic plasticity in vivo and in vitro [3, 4]. Altered expression of vezatin affects glutamate receptor-mediated neuronal synaptic transmission (NST) [3]. NST dysfunction plays a vital role in the pathophysiological mechanism of epilepsy [2, 7]. Based on the abovementioned functions of vezatin, we hypothesized that vezatin may play a specific role in epilepsy by influencing NST
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
