scholarly journals Using whisker-related patterns (blue) in the primary somatosensory cortex of the rodent brain, the mechanisms underlying neural circuit formation and developmental neural plasticity have been uncovered. Mice, which are commonly used for experiments, are r

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. i-i
Keyword(s):  
Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Primary Somatosensory Cortex ◽  
Rodent Brain ◽  
Circuit Formation

scholarly journals Gq-mediated calcium dynamics and membrane tension modulate neurite plasticity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Pearce ◽  
Miriam Bell ◽  
Will H. Linthicum ◽  
Qi Wen ◽  
Jagan Srinivasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Membrane Tension ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Neurite Retraction ◽  
Neuronal Synapses ◽  
Spontaneous Neuronal Activity ◽  
Cytoskeletal Elements ◽  
Circuit Formation

AbstractThe formation and disruption of synaptic connections during development is a fundamental step in neural circuit formation. Subneuronal structures such as neurites are known to be sensitive to the level of spontaneous neuronal activity but the specifics of how neurotransmitter-induced calcium activity regulates neurite homeostasis are not yet fully understood. In response to stimulation by neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, calcium responses in cells are mediated the Gαq/phospholipase Cβ (PLCβ)/ phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PI(4, 5)P2) signaling pathway. Here, we show that prolonged Gαq stimulation results in the retraction of neurites in PC12 cells and rupture of neuronal synapses by modulating membrane tension. To understand the underlying cause, we dissected the behavior of individual components of the Gαq/PLCβ/PI(4, 5)P2 pathway during retraction, and correlated these to the retraction of the membrane and cytoskeletal elements impacted by calcium signaling. We developed a mathematical model that combines biochemical signaling with membrane tension and cytoskeletal mechanics, to show how signaling events are coupled to retraction velocity, membrane tension and actin dynamics. The coupling between calcium and neurite retraction is shown to be operative in the C. elegans nervous system. This study uncovers a novel mechanochemical connection between the Gαq/PLCβ/(PI(4, 5)P2 pathway that couples calcium responses with neural plasticity.

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