Nitric oxide (NO) has long been recognized as a multifaceted participant in brain physiology. Despite the knowledge that was gathered over many years regarding the contribution of NO to neuronal plasticity, for example the ability of the brain to change in response to new stimuli, only in recent years have we begun to understand how NO acts on the molecular and cellular level to orchestrate such important phenomena as synaptic plasticity (modification of the strength of existing synapses) or the formation of new synapses (synaptogenesis) and new neurons (neurogenesis). Post-translational modification of proteins by NO derivatives or reactive nitrogen species is a non-classical mechanism for signalling by NO. S-nitrosation is a reversible post-translational modification of thiol groups (mainly on cysteines) that may result in a change of function of the modified protein. S-nitrosation of key target proteins has emerged as a main regulatory mechanism by which NO can influence several levels of brain plasticity, which are reviewed in this work. Understanding how S-nitrosation contributes to neural plasticity can help us to better understand the physiology of these processes, and to better address pathological changes in plasticity that are involved in the pathophysiology of several neurological diseases.

Brain organoids are promising tools for disease modeling and drug development. For proper neuronal network formation excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as glia need to co-develop. Here, we report the directed self-organization of human induced pluripotent stem cells in a collagen hydrogel towards a highly interconnected neuronal network at a macroscale tissue format. Bioengineered Neuronal Organoids (BENOs) comprise interconnected excitatory and inhibitory neurons with supportive astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Giant depolarizing potential (GDP)-like events observed in early BENO cultures mimic early network activity of the fetal brain. The observed GABA polarity switch and reduced GDPs in >40 day BENO indicate progressive neuronal network maturation. BENOs demonstrate expedited complex network burst development after two months and evidence for long-term potentiation. The similarity of structural and functional properties to the fetal brain may allow for the application of BENOs in studies of neuronal plasticity and modeling of disease.

In the adult brain, the extracellular matrix (ECM) influences recovery after injury, susceptibility to mental disorders, and is in general a strong regulator of neuronal plasticity. The proteoglycan aggrecan is a core component of the condensed ECM structures termed perineuronal nets (PNNs), and the specific role of PNNs on neural plasticity remains elusive. Here, we genetically targeted the Acan gene encoding for aggrecan using a novel animal model. This allowed for conditional and targeted loss of aggrecan in vivo, which ablated the PNN structure and caused a shift in the population of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons toward a high plasticity state. Selective deletion of the Acan gene in the visual cortex of male adult mice reinstated juvenile ocular dominance plasticity, which was mechanistically identical to critical period plasticity. Brain-wide targeting improved object recognition memory.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The study provides the first direct evidence of aggrecan as the main functional constituent and orchestrator of perineuronal nets (PNNs), and that loss of PNNs by aggrecan removal induces a permanent state of critical period-like plasticity. Loss of aggrecan ablates the PNN structure, resulting in invoked juvenile plasticity in the visual cortex and enhanced object recognition memory.

Lesions to the human brain often cause dramatic impairments in the life of patients because of the very limited capacity of the mammalian nervous system to regenerate. On the other hand, neuronal tissue has a high capacity to reorganize itself so that loss of function due to brain damage may be compensated through neuroplastic reorganization of undamaged tissue in brain regions adjacent or contralateral to the lesion site. In this study we investigated the effect of serial lesions of the auditory cortices (AC) in both hemispheres of Mongolian gerbils on discrimination performance for fast amplitude modulated tones (AM). Healthy animals were trained to discriminate two fast AM, an ability that has previously been shown to critically depend on cortical processing. Their ability to maintain significant discrimination performance was retested after unilateral AC lesion, and again after lesion of the contralateral AC, with 15 days of continuing training in between the two lesions.

Synchronized activity in ensembles of neurons recruited by excitatory afferents is thought to contribute to the coding information in the brain. However, the mechanisms by which neuronal ensembles are generated and modified are not known. Here we show that in rat hippocampal slices associative synaptic plasticity enables ensembles of neurons to change by incorporating neurons belonging to different ensembles. Associative synaptic plasticity redistributes the composition of different ensembles recruited by distinct inputs such as to specifically increase the similarity between the ensembles. These results show that in the hippocampus, the ensemble of neurons recruited by a given afferent projection is fluid and can be rapidly and persistently modified to specifically include neurons from different ensembles. This linking of ensembles may contribute to the formation of associative memories.

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is associated with both familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease. Despite its importance, the role of APP family in neuronal function and survival remains unclear because of perinatal lethality exhibited by knockout mice lacking all three APP family members. Here we report that selective inactivation of APP family members in excitatory neurons of the postnatal forebrain results in neither cortical neurodegeneration nor increases in apoptosis and gliosis up to ∼2 years of age. However, hippocampal synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory are impaired in these mutant mice. Furthermore, hippocampal neurons lacking APP family exhibit hyperexcitability, as evidenced by increased neuronal spiking in response to depolarizing current injections, whereas blockade of Kv7 channels mimics and largely occludes the effects of APP family inactivation. These findings demonstrate that APP family is not required for neuronal survival and suggest that APP family may regulate neuronal excitability through Kv7 channels.

Neuronal activity is an energy-intensive process that is largely sustained by instantaneous fuel utilization and ATP synthesis. However, how neurons couple ATP synthesis rate to fuel availability is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the metabolic sensor enzyme O-GlcNAc transferase regulates neuronal activity-driven mitochondrial bioenergetics. We show that neuronal activity upregulates O-GlcNAcylation mainly in mitochondria. Mitochondrial O-GlcNAcylation is promoted by activity-driven fuel consumption, which allows neurons to compensate for high energy expenditure based on fuel availability. To determine the proteins that are responsible for these adjustments, we mapped the mitochondrial O-GlcNAcome of neurons. Finally, we determine that neurons fail to meet activity-driven metabolic demand when O-GlcNAcylation dynamics are prevented. Our findings suggest that O-GlcNAcylation provides a fuel-dependent feedforward control mechanism in neurons to optimize mitochondrial performance based on neuronal activity. This mechanism thereby couples neuronal metabolism to mitochondrial bioenergetics and plays a key role in sustaining energy homeostasis.

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a hallmark of some neurodegenerative disorders, such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. TDP-43-related pathology is characterized by its abnormally phosphorylated and ubiquitinated aggregates. It is involved in many aspects of RNA processing, including mRNA splicing, transport, and translation. However, its exact physiological function and role in mechanisms that lead to neuronal degeneration remain elusive. Transgenic rats that were characterized by TDP-43 depletion in neurons exhibited enhancement of the acquisition of fear memory. At the cellular level, TDP-43-depleted neurons exhibited a decrease in the short-term plasticity of intrinsic neuronal excitability. The induction of long-term potentiation in the CA3-CA1 areas of the hippocampus resulted in more stable synaptic enhancement. At the molecular level, the protein levels of an unedited (R) FLOP variant of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) GluR1 and GluR2/3 subunits decreased in the hippocampus. Alterations of FLOP/FLIP subunit composition affected AMPAR kinetics, reflected by cyclothiazide-dependent slowing of the decay time of AMPAR-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. These findings suggest that TDP-43 may regulate activity-dependent neuronal plasticity, possibly by regulating the splicing of genes that are responsible for fast synaptic transmission and membrane potential.

We examined the effects of methamphetamine (METH) on monoaminergic (i.e. dopamine and serotonin) axonal markers and glial cell activation in the rat brain. Our findings indicate that the loss of dopamine transporters (DAT), serotonin transporters (5-HTT), vesicular monoamine transporter type-2 (VMAT-2) and glial cell activation induced by METH in the striatum and in the central gray are consistent with a degenerative process. Our novel finding of METH effects on monoaminergic neurons in the central gray may have important implications on METH-induced hyperthermia. In other brain regions examined, DAT and 5-HTT deficits after METH administration were present in the absence of lasting changes in VMAT-2 levels or glial cell activation. Brain regions exhibiting protracted deficits in DAT and/or 5-HTT and VMAT-2 levels also expressed increased levels of [(3)H]-R-PK11195 binding to peripheral benzodiazepine receptors, a quantitative marker of glial cell activation. Immunohistochemical assessment of microglia and astrocytes confirmed the PBR results. Microglia activation was more pronounced than astrocytosis in affected regions in most METH-exposed brains with the exception of a small number of rats that were most severely affected by METH based on loss of body weight. In these rats, both microglia and astrocytes were highly activated and expressed a distinct regional pattern suggestive of widespread brain injury. The reason for the pattern of glial cell activation in this group of rats is not currently known but it may be associated with METH-induced hyperthermia. In summary, our findings suggest two neurotoxic endpoints in the brain of METH-exposed animals. Brain regions exhibiting DAT and 5-HTT deficits that co-localize with decreased VMAT-2 levels and glial cell activation may represent monoaminergic terminal degeneration. However, the DAT and 5-HTT deficits in brain regions lacking a deficit in VMAT-2 and glial cell activation may reflect drug-induced modulation of these plasma membrane proteins.

It is generally accepted that inflammation within the CNS contributes to neurodegeneration after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but it is not clear how inflammation is initiated in the absence of infection and whether this neuroinflammation is predominantly beneficial or detrimental. We have previously found that brain-enriched glycosphingolipids within neuronal lipid rafts (NLR) induced platelet degranulation and secretion of neurotransmitters and pro-inflammatory factors. In the present study, we compared TBI-induced inflammation and neurodegeneration in wild-type vs. St3gal5 deficient (ST3-/-) mice that lack major CNS-specific glycosphingolipids. After TBI, microglial activation and CNS macrophage infiltration were substantially reduced in ST3-/- animals. However, ST3-/- mice had a larger area of CNS damage with marked neuronal/axonal loss. The interaction of platelets with NLR stimulated neurite growth, increased the number of PSD95-positive dendritic spines, and intensified neuronal activity. Adoptive transfer and blocking experiments provide further that platelet-derived serotonin and platelet activating factor plays a key role in the regulation of sterile neuroinflammation, hemorrhage and neuronal plasticity after TBI.

Hypothalamic neurons respond to nutritional cues by altering gene expression and neuronal excitability. The mechanisms that control such adaptive processes remain unclear. Here we define populations of POMC neurons in mice that are activated or inhibited by insulin and thereby repress or inhibit hepatic glucose production (HGP). The proportion of POMC neurons activated by insulin was dependent on the regulation of insulin receptor signaling by the phosphatase TCPTP, which is increased by fasting, degraded after feeding and elevated in diet-induced obesity. TCPTP-deficiency enhanced insulin signaling and the proportion of POMC neurons activated by insulin to repress HGP. Elevated TCPTP in POMC neurons in obesity and/or after fasting repressed insulin signaling, the activation of POMC neurons by insulin and the insulin-induced and POMC-mediated repression of HGP. Our findings define a molecular mechanism for integrating POMC neural responses with feeding to control glucose metabolism.

MAP2 and tau are the two most prominent neuron-specific microtubule-associated proteins. They have been implicated in the stabilization of microtubules and consequently of neurite morphology. To investigate their influence on microtubule dynamics, we have tagged both proteins with green fluorescent protein and expressed them in non-neuronal cells. Time-lapse recordings of living cells showed that MAP2 and tau did not significantly affect the rates of microtubule growth and shrinkage. Longer recordings revealed the growth and disappearance of MAP-induced microtubule bundles coinciding with changes in cell shape. This supports the idea that microtubule dynamics are influenced by the cortical cytoskeleton. The dynamics-preserving stabilization of microtubules by MAP2 and tau thus provides a molecular basis for the morphological plasticity reported to exist in established neurites.

The histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2)-mediated trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) regulates neural stem cell proliferation and fate specificity through silencing different gene sets in the central nervous system. Here, we explored the function of EZH2 in early post-mitotic neurons by generating a neuron-specific Ezh2 conditional knockout mouse line. The results showed that a lack of neuronal EZH2 led to delayed neuronal migration, more complex dendritic arborization, and increased dendritic spine density. Transcriptome analysis revealed that neuronal EZH2-regulated genes are related to neuronal morphogenesis. In particular, the gene encoding p21-activated kinase 3 (Pak3) was identified as a target gene suppressed by EZH2 and H3K27me3, and expression of the dominant negative Pak3 reversed Ezh2 knockout-induced higher dendritic spine density. Finally, the lack of neuronal EZH2 resulted in impaired memory behaviors in adult mice. Our results demonstrated that neuronal EZH2 acts to control multiple steps of neuronal morphogenesis during development, and has long-lasting effects on cognitive function in adult mice.

DP-b99 is a membrane-activated chelator of zinc and calcium ions, recently proposed as a therapeutic agent. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent extracellularly operating proteases that might contribute to synaptic plasticity, learning and memory under physiological conditions. In excessive amounts these enzymes contribute to a number of neuronal pathologies ranging from the stroke to neurodegeneration and epileptogenesis. In the present study, we report that DP-b99 delays onset and severity of PTZ-induced seizures in mice, as well as displays neuroprotective effect on kainate excitotoxicity in hippocampal organotypic slices and furthermore blocks morphological reorganization of the dendritic spines evoked by a major neuronal MMP, MMP-9. Taken together, our findings suggest that DP-b99 may inhibit neuronal plasticity driven by MMPs, in particular MMP-9, and thus may be considered as a therapeutic agent under conditions of aberrant plasticity, such as those subserving epileptogenesis.

Excitotoxicity plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of perinatal brain injuries. Among the consequences of excessive activation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate are oxidative stress caused by free radical release from damaged mitochondria, neuronal death and subsequent loss of connectivity. Drugs that could protect nervous tissue and support regeneration are attractive therapeutic options. The hepatocarcinoma intestine pancreas protein/pancreatitis-associated protein I (HIP/PAP) or Reg3α, which is approved for clinical testing for the protection and regeneration of the liver, is upregulated in the central nervous system following injury or disease. Here, we examined the neuroprotective/neuroregenerative potential of HIP/PAP following excitotoxic brain injury.

The hippocampal dentate gyrus has been implicated in a neuronal basis of antidepressant action. We have recently shown a distinct form of neuronal plasticity induced by the serotonergic antidepressant fluoxetine, that is, a reversal of maturation of the dentate granule cells in adult mice. This "dematuration" is induced in a large population of dentate neurons and maintained for at least one month after withdrawal of fluoxetine, suggesting long-lasting strong influence of dematuration on brain functioning. However, reliable induction of dematuration required doses of fluoxetine higher than suggested optimal doses for mice (10 to 18 mg/kg/day), which casts doubt on the clinical relevance of this effect. Since our previous studies were performed in naive mice, in the present study, we reexamined effects of fluoxetine using mice treated with chronic corticosterone that model neuroendocrine pathophysiology associated with depression. In corticosterone-treated mice, fluoxetine at 10 mg/kg/day downregulated expression of mature granule cell markers and attenuated strong frequency facilitation at the synapse formed by the granule cell axon mossy fiber, suggesting the induction of granule cell dematuration. In addition, fluoxetine caused marked enhancement of dopaminergic modulation at the mossy fiber synapse. In vehicle-treated mice, however, fluoxetine at this dose had no significant effects. The plasma level of fluoxetine was comparable to that in patients taking chronic fluoxetine, and corticosterone did not affect it. These results indicate that corticosterone facilitates fluoxetine-induced plastic changes in the dentate granule cells. Our finding may provide insight into neuronal mechanisms underlying enhanced responsiveness to antidepressant medication in certain pathological conditions.

Behavioural experiences activate the FOS transcription factor in sparse populations of neurons that are critical for encoding and recalling specific events1-3. However, there is limited understanding of the mechanisms by which experience drives circuit reorganization to establish a network of Fos-activated cells. It is also not known whether FOS is required in this process beyond serving as a marker of recent neural activity and, if so, which of its many gene targets underlie circuit reorganization. Here we demonstrate that when mice engage in spatial exploration of novel environments, perisomatic inhibition of Fos-activated hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons by parvalbumin-expressing interneurons is enhanced, whereas perisomatic inhibition by cholecystokinin-expressing interneurons is weakened. This bidirectional modulation of inhibition is abolished when the function of the FOS transcription factor complex is disrupted. Single-cell RNA-sequencing, ribosome-associated mRNA profiling and chromatin analyses, combined with electrophysiology, reveal that FOS activates the transcription of Scg2, a gene that encodes multiple distinct neuropeptides, to coordinate these changes in inhibition. As parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-expressing interneurons mediate distinct features of pyramidal cell activity4-6, the SCG2-dependent reorganization of inhibitory synaptic input might be predicted to affect network function in vivo. Consistent with this prediction, hippocampal gamma rhythms and pyramidal cell coupling to theta phase are significantly altered in the absence of Scg2. These findings reveal an instructive role for FOS and SCG2 in establishing a network of Fos-activated neurons via the rewiring of local inhibition to form a selectively modulated state. The opposing plasticity mechanisms acting on distinct inhibitory pathways may support the consolidation of memories over time.

Long Term Potentiation (LTP) is a leading candidate mechanism for learning and memory and is also thought to play a role in the progression of seizures to intractable epilepsy. Maintenance of LTP requires RNA transcription, protein translation and signaling through the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. In peripheral tissue, the energy sensor AMP-activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) negatively regulates the mTOR cascade upon glycolytic inhibition and cellular energy stress. We recently demonstrated that the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) alters plasticity to retard epileptogenesis in the kindling model of epilepsy. Reduced kindling progression was associated with increased recruitment of the nuclear metabolic sensor CtBP to NRSF at the BDNF promoter. Given that energy metabolism controls mTOR through AMPK in peripheral tissue and the role of mTOR in LTP in neurons, we asked whether energy metabolism and AMPK control LTP. Using a combination of biochemical approaches and field-recordings in mouse hippocampal slices, we show that the master regulator of energy homeostasis, AMPK couples energy metabolism to LTP expression. Administration of the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) or the mitochondrial toxin and anti-Type II Diabetes drug, metformin, or AMP mimetic AICAR results in activation of AMPK, repression of the mTOR pathway and prevents maintenance of Late-Phase LTP (L-LTP). Inhibition of AMPK by either compound-C or the ATP mimetic ara-A rescues the suppression of L-LTP by energy stress. We also show that enhanced LTP via AMPK inhibition requires mTOR signaling. These results directly link energy metabolism to plasticity in the mammalian brain and demonstrate that AMPK is a modulator of LTP. Our work opens up the possibility of using modulators of energy metabolism to control neuronal plasticity in diseases and conditions of aberrant plasticity such as epilepsy.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been extensively studied as damaging agents associated with ageing and neurodegenerative conditions. Their role in the nervous system under non-pathological conditions has remained poorly understood. Working with the Drosophila larval locomotor network, we show that in neurons ROS act as obligate signals required for neuronal activity-dependent structural plasticity, of both pre- and postsynaptic terminals. ROS signaling is also necessary for maintaining evoked synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction, and for activity-regulated homeostatic adjustment of motor network output, as measured by larval crawling behavior. We identified the highly conserved Parkinson's disease-linked protein DJ-1β as a redox sensor in neurons where it regulates structural plasticity, in part via modulation of the PTEN-PI3Kinase pathway. This study provides a new conceptual framework of neuronal ROS as second messengers required for neuronal plasticity and for network tuning, whose dysregulation in the ageing brain and under neurodegenerative conditions may contribute to synaptic dysfunction.

Functional output of the hippocampus, a brain region subserving memory function, depends on highly orchestrated cellular and molecular processes that regulate synaptic plasticity throughout life. The structural requirements of such plasticity and molecular events involved in this regulation are poorly understood. Specific molecules, including tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP2) have been implicated in plasticity processes in the hippocampus, a role that decreases with brain aging as expression is lost. Here, we report that TIMP2 is highly expressed by neurons within the hippocampus and its loss drives changes in cellular programs related to adult neurogenesis and dendritic spine turnover with corresponding impairments in hippocampus-dependent memory. Consistent with the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the hippocampus we observe with aging, we find that TIMP2 acts to reduce accumulation of ECM around synapses in the hippocampus. Moreover, its deletion results in hindrance of newborn neuron migration through a denser ECM network. A novel conditional TIMP2 knockout (KO) model reveals that neuronal TIMP2 regulates adult neurogenesis, accumulation of ECM, and ultimately hippocampus-dependent memory. Our results define a mechanism whereby hippocampus-dependent function is regulated by TIMP2 and its interactions with the ECM to regulate diverse processes associated with synaptic plasticity.