Adult Cerebellum Research Articles

P75 Regulates Purkinje Cell Firing by Modulating SK Channel Activity through Rac1

p75 is expressed among Purkinje cells in the adult cerebellum, but its function has remained obscure. Here we report that p75 is involved in maintaining the frequency and regularity of spontaneous firing of Purkinje cells. The overall spontaneous firing activity of Purkinje cells was increased in p75(-/-) mice during the phasic firing period due to a longer firing period and accompanying reduction in silence period than in the wild type. We attribute these effects to a reduction in small conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (SK) channel activity in Purkinje cells from p75(-/-) mice compared with the wild type littermates. The mechanism by which p75 regulates SK channel activity appears to involve its ability to activate Rac1. In organotypic cultures of cerebellar slices, brain-derived neurotrophic factor increased RacGTP levels by activating p75 but not TrkB. These results correlate with a reduction in RacGTP levels in synaptosome fractions from the p75(-/-) cerebellum, but not in that from the cortex of the same animals, compared with wild type littermates. More importantly, we demonstrate that Rac1 modulates SK channel activity and firing patterns of Purkinje cells. Along with the finding that spine density was reduced in p75(-/-) cerebellum, these data suggest that p75 plays a role in maintaining normalcy of Purkinje cell firing in the cerebellum in part by activating Rac1 in synaptic compartments and modulating SK channels.

Compartmentation of the cerebellar cortex: adaptation to lifestyle in the star-nosed mole Condylura cristata.

The adult mammalian cerebellum is histologically uniform. However, concealed beneath the simple laminar architecture, it is organized rostrocaudally and mediolaterally into complex arrays of transverse zones and parasagittal stripes that is both highly reproducible between individuals and generally conserved across mammals and birds. Beyond this conservation, the general architecture appears to be adapted to the animal's way of life. To test this hypothesis, we have examined cerebellar compartmentation in the talpid star-nosed mole Condylura cristata. The star-nosed mole leads a subterranean life. It is largely blind and instead uses an array of fleshy appendages (the "star") to navigate and locate its prey. The hypothesis suggests that cerebellar architecture would be modified to reduce regions receiving visual input and expand those that receive trigeminal afferents from the star. Zebrin II and phospholipase Cß4 (PLCß4) immunocytochemistry was used to map the zone-and-stripe architecture of the cerebellum of the adult star-nosed mole. The general zone-and-stripe architecture characteristic of all mammals is present in the star-nosed mole. In the vermis, the four typical transverse zones are present, two with alternating zebrin II/PLCß4 stripes, two wholly zebrin II+/PLCß4-. However, the central and nodular zones (prominent visual receiving areas) are proportionally reduced in size and conversely, the trigeminal-receiving areas (the posterior zone of the vermis and crus I/II of the hemispheres) are uncharacteristically large. We therefore conclude that cerebellar architecture is generally conserved across the Mammalia but adapted to the specific lifestyle of the species.

Expression of the voltage-sensing phosphatase gene in the chick embryonic tissues and in the adult cerebellum

Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a transmembrane voltage sensor domain (VSD) and the cytoplasmic domain with phosphoinositide-phosphatase activities. It operates as the voltage sensor and directly translates membrane potential into phosphoinositide turnover by coupling VSD to the cytoplasmic domain. VSPs are evolutionarily conserved from marine invertebrate up to humans. Recently, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of the chick ortholog of VSP, Gg-VSP, in a fibroblast cell line caused characteristic cell process outgrowths. Co-expression of chick PTEN suppressed such morphological change, suggesting that VSP regulates cell shape by increasing PI(3,4)P2. However, the in vivo function of Gg-VSP remains unclear. Here, we showed that in chick embryos Gg-VSP is expressed in the stomach, mesonephros, pharyngeal arch, limb bud, somites, floor plate of neural tube, and notochord. In addition, both Gg-VSP transcripts and the protein were found in the cerebellar Purkinje neurons. These findings provide an insight into the physiological functions of VSP.

Abstract 543: Identification of lincRNAs in the HOX domain in adult medulloblastoma by microarray analysis

Abstract Introduction: Medulloblastoma (MB) is defined at molecular level into at least four major subtypes: WNT, SHH, Group C and Group D. Previously, we have demonstrated that levels of HOX transcripts in medulloblastoma specimens correlate with their malignant phenotype. HOX gene regulation involves long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the epigenetic activator of the Trithorax group (TrxG) and the epigenetic repressors of the polycomb group (PcG). Therefore, we performed transcriptoma profiling in adult MBs and normal cerebellum samples to elucidate potential epigenetic regulatory mechanisms involved in tumor progression. Methodology: We analyzed frozen tumor samples from 5 MB adult patients with different tumor subtypes and with ages ranging from 18-33 years and 3 control cerebellar tissues obtained from infants with ages from 23 weeks to six months. RNA was isolated and integrity was assessed using the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer. Two colors microarray-based gene expression analysis was performed according to the manufacture's instructions. Quality control and quantile normalization were done using R. Hierarchical clustering was performed using subsets of genes identified in previous studies analysis to classify the tumor samples. There was also considerable variability among the control samples which was separately studied using bootstrap analysis and rank based tests. Results The hierarchical clustering of samples considering the 200 most variable genes, followed by molecular analyses suggests the existence of at least three groups among the tumor specimens analyzed. Hierarchical clustering of samples using the Hox genes demonstrates that the HOX pattern expression might be related to defined medulloblastoma molecular subgroups. For example, in SHH, group C and group D, HOXA3, HOXA6 and HOXB4, are upregulated while HOXC4 is increased in the Wnt group. Interestingly, in control samples these HOX genes showed little variation. Hierarchical clustering of tumor samples using 1414 long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) from the chromosomal (7, 17, 12 and 2) of HOX genes shows similar grouping between control and tumor samples. Moreover five lincRNAs, whose distance from HOX is comparable with the distance from HOTAIR to HOX, were identified: three of these five are in HOX C, one in HOX B9 and another close to HOX D3 genes with the distance varying from 3,800 - 11,819 bp from HOX genes. In our analysis, HOTAIR showed little expression across the samples and HOX regulators (TrxG and PcG complexes) displayed variation in expression level among samples. We found that there is considerable heterogeneity among the control samples used in this study. Conclusion: This study suggests that lncRNAs might affect the expression of HOX gene products in adult medulloblastoma. Validation analyses and genetic studies are undergoing to elucidate the possible mechanisms of action of this class of ncRNAs during MB progression. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Julia B. Veiga, Ricardo Bonfim Silva, Kuruvilla Joseph Abraham, Daniela B. Pretti da Cunha Tirapelli, Fernando Silva Ramalho, Gerson Chadi, Jéssica Ruivo Maximino, Dimas B. Tadeu Covas, Angelo A. Cardoso, Carlos Gilberto B. Carlotti, Aparecida M. Fontes. Identification of lincRNAs in the HOX domain in adult medulloblastoma by microarray analysis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 543. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-543

Oscillating gradient diffusion MRI reveals unique microstructural information in normal and hypoxia-ischemia injured mouse brains.

We investigated whether oscillating gradient diffusion MRI (dMRI) can provide information on brain microstructural changes after formaldehyde fixation and after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury beyond that provided by conventional dMRI. Pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) and oscillating gradient spin echo (OGSE) dMRI of the adult mouse brain was performed in vivo (50-200 Hz, b = 600 mm(2)/s), and a similar protocol was applied to neonatal mouse brains at 24 h after unilateral hypoxia-ischemia. Animals were perfusion fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for ex vivo dMRI and histology. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) measured in the live adult mouse brain presented tissue-dependent frequency-dependence. In vivo OGSE-ADC maps at high oscillating frequencies (>100 Hz) showed clear contrast between the molecular layer and granule cell layer in the adult mouse cerebellum. Formaldehyde fixation significantly altered the temporal diffusion spectra in several brain regions. In neonatal mouse brains with HI injury, in vivo ADC measurements from edema regions showed diminished edema contrasts at 200 Hz compared with the PGSE results. Histology showed severe tissue swelling and necrosis in the edema regions. The results demonstrate the unique ability of OGSE-dMRI in delineating tissue microstructures at different spatial scales.

Disturbed cingulate glutamate metabolism in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: evidence in support of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance hypothesis.

Over the last few years, awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adults has increased. The precise etiology of ASD is still unresolved. Animal research, genetic and postmortem studies suggest that the glutamate (Glu) system has an important role, possibly related to a cybernetic imbalance between neuronal excitation and inhibition. To clarify the possible disruption of Glu metabolism in adults with high-functioning autism, we performed a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) study investigating the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the cerebellum in adults with high-functioning ASD. Twenty-nine adult patients with high-functioning ASD and 29 carefully matched healthy volunteers underwent MRS scanning of the pregenual ACC and the left cerebellar hemisphere. Metabolic data were compared between groups and were correlated with psychometric measures of autistic features. We found a significant decrease in the cingulate N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and the combined Glu and glutamine (Glx) signals in adults with ASD, whereas we did not find other metabolic abnormalities in the ACC or the cerebellum. The Glx signal correlated significantly with psychometric measures of autism, particularly with communication deficits. Our data support the hypothesis that there is a link between disturbances of the cingulate NAA and Glx metabolism, and autism. The findings are discussed in the context of the hypothesis of excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in autism. Further research should clarify the specificity and dynamics of these findings regarding other neuropsychiatric disorders and other brain areas.

Adult stem cells in the knifefish cerebellum.

Adult neurogenesis has been described in dozens of brain regions in teleost fish, with the largest number of new neurons being generated in the cerebellum. Here, we characterized the cerebellar neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the brown ghost knifefish (Apteronotus leptorhynchus), an established model system of adult neurogenesis. The majority of the new cerebellar cells arise from neurogenic niches located medially, at the interface of the dorsal/ventral molecular layers and the granular layer. NSPCs within these niches give rise to transit-amplifying progenitors which populate the molecular layer, where they continue to proliferate during their migration toward target areas in the granular layer. At any given time, the majority of proliferating cells are located in the molecular layer. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the stem cell markers Sox2, Meis1/2/3, Islet1, and, to a lesser extent, Pax6, are widely expressed in all regions of the adult cerebellum. A large subpopulation of these NSPCs coexpress S100, GFAP, and/or vimentin, indicating astrocytic identity. This is further supported by the specific effect of the gliotoxin l-methionine sulfoximine, which leads to a targeted decrease in the number of GFAP+ cells that coexpress Sox2 or the proliferation marker PCNA. Pulse-chase analysis of the label size associated with new cells after administration of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine demonstrated that, on average, two additional cell divisions occur after completion of the initial mitotic cycle. Overall numbers of NSPCs in the cerebellum niches increase consistently over time, presumably in parallel with the continuous growth of the brain.

FGF/FGFR2 signaling regulates the generation and correct positioning of Bergmann glia cells in the developing mouse cerebellum.

The normal cellular organization and layering of the vertebrate cerebellum is established during embryonic and early postnatal development by the interplay of a complex array of genetic and signaling pathways. Disruption of these processes and of the proper layering of the cerebellum usually leads to ataxic behaviors. Here, we analyzed the relative contribution of Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2)-mediated signaling to cerebellar development in conditional Fgfr2 single mutant mice. We show that during embryonic mouse development, Fgfr2 expression is higher in the anterior cerebellar primordium and excluded from the proliferative ventricular neuroepithelium. Consistent with this finding, conditional Fgfr2 single mutant mice display the most prominent defects in the anterior lobules of the adult cerebellum. In this context, FGFR2-mediated signaling is required for the proper generation of Bergmann glia cells and the correct positioning of these cells within the Purkinje cell layer, and for cell survival in the developing cerebellar primordium. Using cerebellar microexplant cultures treated with an FGFR agonist (FGF9) or antagonist (SU5402), we also show that FGF9/FGFR-mediated signaling inhibits the outward migration of radial glia and Bergmann glia precursors and cells, and might thus act as a positioning cue for these cells. Altogether, our findings reveal the specific functions of the FGFR2-mediated signaling pathway in the generation and positioning of Bergmann glia cells during cerebellar development in the mouse.

On the crucial cerebellar wound healing-related pathways and their cross-talks after traumatic brain injury in Danio rerio.

Upon injury, the direct damage and the subsequent secondary injury in the brain often result in chronic neurological disorders. Due to multifactorial nature of secondary injury and subsequent complex cellular responses, much of the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study used an adult zebrafish cerebellum injury model to investigate the phenotypes and the secondary injury responses for recovery mechanisms of injured brain. Using the time course microarray analysis, a candidate protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was refined as cerebellar wound healing PPI network by dynamic modeling and big data mining. Pathway enrichment and ontological analysis were incorporated into the refined network to highlight the main molecular scheme of cerebellar wound healing. Several significant pathways, including chemokine, Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases, and axon guidance signaling pathway and their cross-talks through PI3K, PAK2, and PLXNA3 were identified to coordinate for neurogenesis and angiogenesis, which are essential for the restoration of the injured brain. Our finding provides an insight into the molecular restoration mechanisms after traumatic brain injury, and open up new opportunity to devise the treatment for traumatic brain injury in human.

Bergmann Glia are Patterned into Topographic Molecular Zones in the Developing and Adult Mouse Cerebellum.

Cerebellar circuits are patterned into an array of topographic parasagittal domains called zones. Zones are best revealed by gene expression, circuit anatomy, and cellular degeneration patterns. Thus far, the study of zones has been focused heavily on how neurons are organized. Because of this, detailed neuronal patterning maps have been established for Purkinje cells, granule cells, Golgi cells, unipolar brush cells, and also for the terminal field organization of climbing fiber and mossy fiber afferents. In comparison, however, it remains poorly understood if glial cells are also organized into zones. We have identified an Npy-Gfp BAC transgenic mouse line (Tau-Sapphire Green fluorescent protein (Gfp) is under the control of the neuropeptide Y (Npy) gene regulatory elements) that can be used to label Bergmann glial cells with Golgi-like resolution. In these adult transgenic mice, we found that Npy-Gfp expression was localized to Bergmann glia mainly in lobules VI/VII and IX/X. Using double immunofluorescence, we show that in these lobules, Npy-Gfp expression in the Bergmann glia overlaps with the pattern of the small heat shock protein HSP25, a Purkinje cell marker for zones located in lobules VI/VII and IX/X. Developmental analysis starting from the day of birth showed that HSP25 and Npy-Gfp expression follow a similar program of spatial and temporal patterning. However, loss of Npy signaling did not alter the patterning of Purkinje cell zones. We conclude that Bergmann glial cells are zonally organized and their patterns are restricted by boundaries that also confine cerebellar neurons into a topographic circuit map.

Cerebellar stem cells do not produce neurons and astrocytes in adult mouse

Although previous studies implied that cerebellar stem cells exist in some adult mammals, little is known about whether these stem cells can produce new neurons and astrocytes. In this study by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection, we found that there are abundant BrdU+ cells in adult mouse cerebellum, and their quantity and density decreases significantly over time. We also found cell proliferation rate is diversified in different cerebellar regions. Among these BrdU+ cells, very few are mash1+ or nestin+ stem cells, and the vast majority of cerebellar stem cells are quiescent. Data obtained by in vivo retrovirus injection indicate that stem cells do not produce neurons and astrocytes in adult mouse cerebellum. Instead, some cells labeled by retrovirus are Iba1+ microglia. These results indicate that very few stem cells exist in adult mouse cerebellum, and none of these stem cells contribute to neurogenesis and astrogenesis under physiological condition.

Cellular localization of 5α-reductase in the rat cerebellum

The enzyme 5α-reductase catalyzes the transformation of progesterone, testosterone, and deoxycorticosterone into 5α-reduced metabolites, which are recognized as neurosteroids in the brain with variable potential neuroactivity. Two isoforms of 5α-reductase were identified in rodents, and, of these, 5α-reductase type 1 (5α-R1) is abundantly expressed in the brain. To understand the multiple influences of neurosteroids in the central nervous system, we need to know their region-specific synthesis. The present study reports the detailed localization of 5α-R1 in the adult rat cerebellum. The occurrence of 5α-R1 was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The enzyme activity was also detected by thin layer chromatography. Immunocytochemistry showed 5α-R1 immunoreactive cells in all cerebellar layers. Multiple immunolabeling revealed that 5α-R1 was mainly localized in glia, such as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The most intense immunoreactivity for 5α-R1 was found in Bergmann glia, and the processes of these glia were associated with dendrites of both Purkinje cells and interneurons in the molecular layer. The 5α-R1 in the cerebellum was expressed consistently throughout different ages and sexes, in both gonadectomized and hypophysectomized rats. Thus, 5α-R1 may contribute to the formation and maintenance of the cerebellar neurons through 5α-reduced metabolites, which are synthesized through a complex interaction between neurons and glia.

Development of cerebellar connectivity in human fetal brains revealed by high angular resolution diffusion tractography

High angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) tractography has provided insights into major white matter pathways and cortical development in the human fetal cerebrum. Our objective in this study was to further apply HARDI tracography to the developing human cerebellum ranging from fetal to adult stages, to outline in broad strokes the 3-dimensional development of white matter and local gray matter organization in the cerebellum. We imaged intact fixed fetal cerebellum specimens at 17 gestational weeks (W), 21W, 31W, 36W, and 38W along with an adult cerebellum for comparison. At the earliest gestational age studied (17W), coherent pathways that formed the superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles were already detected, but pathways between deep cerebellar nuclei and the cortex were not observed until after 38W. At 36–38W, we identified emerging regional specification of the middle cerebellar peduncle. In the cerebellar cortex, we observed disappearance of radial organization in the sagittal orientation during the studied developmental stages similar to our previous observations in developing cerebral cortex. In contrast, in the axial orientation, cerebellar cortical pathways emerged first sparsely (31W) and then with increased prominence at 36–38W with pathways detected both in the radial and tangential directions to the cortical surface. The cerebellar vermis first contained only pathways tangential to the long axes of folia (17–21W), but pathways parallel to the long axes of folia emerged between 21 and 31W. Our results show the potential for HARDI tractography to image developing human cerebellar connectivity.

Tff3 is Expressed in Neurons and Microglial Cells

Background/Aims: The trefoil factor family (TFF) peptide TFF3 is typically secreted by mucous epithelia, but is also expressed in the immune system and the brain. It was the aim of this study to determine the cerebral cell types which express Tff3. Methods: Primary cultures from rat embryonic or neonatal cerebral cortex and hippocampus, respectively, were studied by means of RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. Moreover, Tff3 expression was localized by immunocytochemistry in sections of adult rat cerebellum. Results: Tff3 transcripts were detectable in neural cultures of both the cortex and the hippocampus as well as in glial cell-enriched cultures. Tff3 peptide co-localized with Map2 indicating an expression in neurons in vitro. The neuronal expression was confirmed by immunofluorescence studies of adult rat cerebellum. Furthermore, Tff3 peptide showed also a clear co-localization with Iba-1 in vitro typical of activated microglial cells. Conclusion: The neuronal expression of Tff3 is in line with a function of a typical neuropeptide influencing, e.g., fear, memory, depression and motoric skills. The expression in activated microglial cells, which is demonstrated here for the first time, points towards a possible function for Tff3 in immune reactions in the CNS. This opens a plethora of additional possible functions for Tff3 including synaptic plasticity and cognition as well as during neuroinflammatory diseases and psychiatric disorders.

Sequential accumulation of iron in glial cells during chicken cerebellar development

Iron is an essential, but potentially harmful, metal in the brain. In normal brain, iron has been reported to accumulate mainly in glial cells and occasionally in neurons in some particular nuclei. However, the majority of investigations have targeted the adult brain. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal localization of iron in developing and adult chicken cerebellum using iron histochemistry. Iron reactivity was not detected in the chick cerebellum until embryonic day 12. Iron accumulation was first found in mature myelinating oligodendrocytes located in the inner part of the cerebellar folium at embryonic day 14. From embryonic day 20, iron-positive mature myelinating oligodendrocytes were localized in the white matter and the granular layer. From post-hatching day 2, iron accumulation was observed in Bergmann glia in the Purkinje cell layer as well as in mature myelinating oligodendrocytes. Iron accumulation in microglia was observed in the granular and molecular layers at post-hatching month 12. Our data indicate that during cerebellar development iron is accumulated in a unique sequence according to individual requirements or microenvironmental demands.

Axonal Sprouting and Formation of Terminals in the Adult Cerebellum during Associative Motor Learning

Plastic changes in the efficacy of synapses are widely regarded to represent mechanisms underlying memory formation. So far, evidence for learning-dependent, new neuronal wiring is limited. In this study, we demonstrate that pavlovian eyeblink conditioning in adult mice can induce robust axonal growth and synapse formation in the cerebellar nuclei. This de novo wiring is both condition specific and region specific because it does not occur in pseudoconditioned animals and is particularly observed in those parts of the cerebellar nuclei that have been implicated to be involved in this form of motor learning. Moreover, the number of new mossy fiber varicosities in these parts of the cerebellar nuclei is positively correlated with the amplitude of conditioned eyelid responses. These results indicate that outgrowth of axons and concomitant occurrence of new terminals may, in addition to plasticity of synaptic efficacy, contribute to the formation of memory.

Long-term in vivo time-lapse imaging of synapse development and plasticity in the cerebellum

Synapses are continuously formed and eliminated throughout life in the mammalian brain, and emerging evidence suggests that this structural plasticity underlies experience-dependent changes of brain functions such as learning and long-term memory formation. However, it is generally difficult to understand how the rewiring of synaptic circuitry observed in vivo eventually relates to changes in animal's behavior. This is because afferent/efferent connections and local synaptic circuitries are very complicated in most brain regions, hence it is largely unclear how sensorimotor information is conveyed, integrated, and processed through a brain region that is imaged. The cerebellar cortex provides a particularly useful model to challenge this problem because of its simple and well-defined synaptic circuitry. However, owing to the technical difficulty of chronic in vivo imaging in the cerebellum, it remains unclear how cerebellar neurons dynamically change their structures over a long period of time. Here, we showed that the commonly used method for neocortical in vivo imaging was not ideal for long-term imaging of cerebellar neurons, but simple optimization of the procedure significantly improved the success rate and the maximum time window of chronic imaging. The optimized method can be used in both neonatal and adult mice and allows time-lapse imaging of cerebellar neurons for more than 5 mo in ∼80% of animals. This method allows vital observation of dynamic cellular processes such as developmental refinement of synaptic circuitry as well as long-term changes of neuronal structures in adult cerebellum under longitudinal behavioral manipulations.

Long non-coding RNA identification over mouse brain development by integrative modeling of chromatin and genomic features

In silico prediction of genomic long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is prerequisite to the construction and elucidation of non-coding regulatory network. Chromatin modifications marked by chromatin regulators are important epigenetic features, which can be captured by prevailing high-throughput approaches such as ChIP sequencing. We demonstrate that the accuracy of lncRNA predictions can be greatly improved when incorporating high-throughput chromatin modifications over mouse embryonic stem differentiation toward adult Cerebellum by logistic regression with LASSO regularization. The discriminating features include H3K9me3, H3K27ac, H3K4me1, open reading frames and several repeat elements. Importantly, chromatin information is suggested to be complementary to genomic sequence information, highlighting the importance of an integrated model. Applying integrated model, we obtain a list of putative lncRNAs based on uncharacterized fragments from transcriptome assembly. We demonstrate that the putative lncRNAs have regulatory roles in vicinity of known gene loci by expression and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis. We also show that the lncRNA expression specificity can be efficiently modeled by the chromatin data with same developmental stage. The study not only supports the biological hypothesis that chromatin can regulate expression of tissue-specific or developmental stage-specific lncRNAs but also reveals the discriminating features between lncRNA and coding genes, which would guide further lncRNA identifications and characterizations.

Modulation of semaphorin3A in perineuronal nets during structural plasticity in the adult cerebellum

In the adult central nervous system (CNS) subsets of neurons are enwrapped by densely organized extracellular matrix structures, called perineuronal nets (PNNs). PNNs are formed at the end of critical periods and contribute to synapse stabilization. Enzymatic degradation of PNNs or genetic deletion of specific PNN components leads to the prolongation of the plasticity period. PNNs consist of extracellular matrix molecules, including chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, hyaluronan, tenascins and link proteins. It has been recently shown that the chemorepulsive axon guidance protein semaphorin3A (Sema3A) is also a constituent of PNNs, binding with high affinity to the sugar chains of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. To elucidate whether the expression of Sema3A is modified in parallel with structural plasticity in the adult CNS, we examined Sema3A expression in the deep cerebellar nuclei of the adult mouse in a number of conditions associated with structural reorganization of the local connectivity. We found that Sema3A in PNNs is reduced during enhanced neuritic remodeling, in both physiological and injury-induced conditions. Moreover, we provide evidence that Sema3A is tightly associated with Purkinje axons and their terminals and its amount in the PNNs is related to Purkinje cell innervation of DCN neurons, but not to glutamatergic inputs. On the whole these data suggest that Sema3A may contribute to the growth-inhibitory properties of PNNs and Purkinje neurons may directly control their specific connection pattern through the release and capture of this guidance cue in the specialized ECM that surrounds their terminals.

Effects of Ethanol on Immune Response in the Brain: Region-Specific Changes in Adolescent Versus Adult Mice

Alcohol use occurs across the life span beginning in adolescence and continuing through adulthood. Ethanol (EtOH)-induced pathology varies with age and includes changes in neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, and glial cell activation. EtOH-induced changes in glial activation and immune activity are believed to contribute to EtOH-induced neuropathology. Recent studies indicate an emerging role of glial-derived neuroimmune molecules in alcohol abuse and addiction. Adolescent and adult C57BL/6 mice were treated via gavage with 6g/kg EtOH for 10days, and tissue was harvested 1day post treatment. We compared the effects of EtOH on chemokine and cytokine expression and astrocyte glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunostaining and morphology in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex. EtOH increased mRNA levels of the chemokine CCL2/MCP-1 in all 3 regions of adult mice relative to controls. The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) was selectively increased only in the adult cerebellum. EtOH did not affect mRNA levels of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in any of these brain regions in adult animals. Interestingly, CCL2, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA levels were not increased in the hippocampus, cerebellum, or cortex of adolescent mice. EtOH treatment of adult and adolescent mice resulted in increased GFAP immunostaining. Collectively, these data indicate an age- and region-specific susceptibility to EtOH regulation of neuroinflammatory and addiction-related molecules as well as astrocyte phenotype. These studies may have important implications concerning differential alcohol-induced neuropathology and alcohol addiction across the life span.