Journal
MOLECULAR BRAIN
Volume 14, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00823-5
Keywords
Astrocyte-neuron interaction; Learning impairments; Memory impairments; Alzheimer's disease; 5XFAD mice
Categories
Funding
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) basic research program through Korea Brain Research Institute - Ministry of Science, ICT [21-BR-02-13, 21-BR-03-02]
- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) - Ministry of Education, Science and Technology [NRF-2020R1A2C1011839]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study showed altered morphological dynamics and interactions of astrocytes in the hippocampus during memory induction in an AD animal model. While the number of astrocyte-neuron interactions increased during memory formation, it significantly decreased in 5XFAD mice, suggesting a potential role in memory impairment in early AD stages.
The morphological dynamics of astrocytes are altered in the hippocampus during memory induction. Astrocyte-neuron interactions on synapses are called tripartite synapses. These control the synaptic function in the central nervous system. Astrocytes are activated in a reactive state by STAT3 phosphorylation in 5XFAD mice, an Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal model. However, changes in astrocyte-neuron interactions in reactive or resting-state astrocytes during memory induction remain to be defined. Here, we investigated the time-dependent changes in astrocyte morphology and the number of astrocyte-neuron interactions in the hippocampus over the course of long-term memory formation in 5XFAD mice. Hippocampal-dependent long-term memory was induced using a contextual fear conditioning test in 5XFAD mice. The number of astrocytic processes increased in both wild-type and 5XFAD mice during memory formation. To assess astrocyte-neuron interactions in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, we counted the colocalization of glial fibrillary acidic protein and postsynaptic density protein 95 via immunofluorescence. Both groups revealed an increase in astrocyte-neuron interactions after memory induction. At 24 h after memory formation, the number of tripartite synapses returned to baseline levels in both groups. However, the total number of astrocyte-neuron interactions was significantly decreased in 5XFAD mice. Administration of Stattic, a STAT3 phosphorylation inhibitor, rescued the number of astrocyte-neuron interactions in 5XFAD mice. In conclusion, we suggest that a decreased number of astrocyte-neuron interactions may underlie memory impairment in the early stages of AD.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available