Retinoic acid receptor beta protects striatopallidal medium spiny neurons from mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration

Retinoic acid is a powerful regulator of brain development, however its postnatal functions only start to be elucidated. We show that retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR beta), is involved in neuroprotection of striatopallidal medium spiny neurons (spMSNs), the cell type affected in different neuropsychiatric disorders and particularly prone to degenerate in Huntington disease (HD). Accordingly, the number of spMSNs was reduced in the striatum of adult Rar beta(-/-) mice, which may result from mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Mitochondria morphology was abnormal in mutant mice whereas in cultured striatal Rar beta(-/-) neurons mitochondria displayed exacerbated depolarization, and fragmentation followed by cell death in response to glutamate or thapsigargininduced calcium increase. In vivo, Rar beta(-/-)spMSNs were also more vulnerable to the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP), known to induce HD symptoms in human and rodents. In contrary, an RAR beta agonist, AC261066, decreased glutamate-induced toxicity in primary striatal neurons in vitro, and diminished mitochondrial dysfunction, spMSN cell death and motor deficits induced in wild type mice by 3NP. We demonstrate that the striatopallidal pathway is compromised in Rar beta(-/-) mice and associated with HD-like motor abnormalities. Importantly, similar motor abnormalities and selective reduction of spMSNs were induced by striatal or spMSNspecific inactivation of RAR beta, further supporting a neuroprotective role of RAR beta in postnatal striatum.

Automated summary

Retinoic acid receptor beta (RAR beta) plays an important role in brain development and neuroprotection of a specific type of neurons called striatopallidal medium spiny neurons (spMSNs). Lack of RAR beta leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration, making the neurons more vulnerable. In vitro experiments show that an RAR beta agonist can reduce toxicity to striatal neurons, while in vivo experiments show that RAR beta-deficient neurons are more sensitive to a specific mitochondrial toxin. These findings are significant for understanding the role of retinoic acid in brain development and neurodegenerative diseases.