Anne Roumier

Microglial control of neuronal death and synaptic properties

Microglia have long been characterized by their immune function in the nervous system and are still mainly considered in a beneficial versus detrimental dialectic. However a review of literature enables to shed novel lights on microglial function under physiological conditions. It is now relevant to position these cells as full time partners of neuronal function and more specifically of synaptogenesis and developmental apoptosis. Indeed, microglia can actively control neuronal death. It has actually been shown in retina that microglial nerve growth factor (NGF) is necessary for the developmental apoptosis to occur. Similarly, in cerebellum, microglia induces developmental Purkinje cells death through respiratory burst. Furthermore, in spinal cord, microglial TNFα commits motoneurons to a neurotrophic dependent developmental apoptosis. Microglia can also control synaptogenesis. This is suggested by the fact that a mutation in KARAP/DAP12, a key protein of microglial activation impacts synaptic functions in hippocampus, and synapses protein content. In addition it has been now demonstrated that microglial brain‐derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) directly regulates synaptic properties in spinal cord. In conclusion, microglia can control neuronal function under physiological conditions and it is known that neuronal activity reciprocally controls microglial activation. We will discuss the importance of this cross‐talk which allows microglia to orchestrate the balance between synaptogenesis and neuronal death occurring during development or injuries.

Developmental neuronal death in hippocampus requires the microglial CD11b integrin and DAP12 immunoreceptor.

In several brain regions, microglia actively promote neuronal apoptosis during development. However, molecular actors leading microglia to trigger death remain mostly unknown. Here, we show that, in the developing hippocampus, apoptotic neurons are contacted by microglia expressing both the integrin CD11b and the immunoreceptor DAP12. We demonstrate that developmental apoptosis decreases in mice deficient for CD11b or DAP12. In addition, function-blocking antibodies directed against CD11b decrease neuronal death when injected into wild-type neonates, but have no effect when injected into DAP12-deficient littermates. This demonstrates that DAP12 and CD11b act in converging pathways to induce neuronal death. Finally, we show that DAP12 and CD11b control the production of microglial superoxide ions, which kill the neurons. Thus, our data show that the process of developmental neuronal death triggered by microglia is similar to the elimination of pathogenic cells by the innate immune cells.

Impaired Synaptic Function in the Microglial KARAP/DAP12-Deficient Mouse

Several proteins are expressed in both immune and nervous systems. However, their putative nonimmune functions in the brain remain poorly understood. KARAP/DAP12 is a transmembrane polypeptide associated with cell-surface receptors in hematopoeitic cells. Its mutation in humans induces Nasu-Hakola disease, characterized by presenile dementia and demyelinization. However, alteration of white matter occurs months after the onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms, suggesting that other neuronal alterations occur in the early phases of the disease. We hypothesized that KARAP/DAP12 may impact synaptic function. In mice deficient for KARAP/DAP12 function, long-term potentiation was enhanced and was partly NMDA receptor (NMDAR) independent. This effect was accompanied by changes in synaptic glutamate receptor content, as detected by the increased rectification of AMPA receptor EPSCs and increased sensitivity of NMDAR EPSCs to ifenprodil. Biochemical analysis of synaptic proteins confirmed these electrophysiological data. In mutants, the AMPA receptor GluR2 subunit expression was decreased only in the postsynaptic densities but not in the whole membrane fraction, demonstrating specific impairment of synaptic receptor accumulation. Alteration of the BNDF-tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) signaling in the mutant was demonstrated by the dramatic decrease of synaptic TrkB with no change in other regulatory or scaffolding proteins. Finally, KARAP/DAP12 was detected only in microglia but not in neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. KARAP/DAP12 may thus alter microglial physiology and subsequently synaptic function and plasticity through a novel microglia-neuron interaction.

5-HT(2B) receptors are required for serotonin-selective antidepressant actions.

The therapeutic effects induced by serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are initially triggered by blocking the serotonin transporter and rely on long-term adaptations of pre- and post-synaptic receptors. We show here that long-term behavioral and neurogenic SSRI effects are abolished after either genetic or pharmacological inactivation of 5-HT2B receptors. Conversely, direct agonist stimulation of 5-HT2B receptors induces an SSRI-like response in behavioral and neurogenic assays. Moreover, the observation that (i) this receptor is expressed by raphe serotonergic neurons, (ii) the SSRI-induced increase in hippocampal extracellular serotonin concentration is strongly reduced in the absence of functional 5-HT2B receptors and (iii) a selective 5-HT2B agonist mimics SSRI responses, supports a positive regulation of serotonergic neurons by 5-HT2B receptors. The 5-HT2B receptor appears, therefore, to positively modulate serotonergic activity and to be required for the therapeutic actions of SSRIs. Consequently, the 5-HT2B receptor should be considered as a new tractable target in the combat against depression.

Prenatal Activation of Microglia Induces Delayed Impairment of Glutamatergic Synaptic Function

Background Epidemiological studies have linked maternal infection during pregnancy to later development of neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring. In mice, experimental inflammation during embryonic development impairs behavioral and cognitive performances in adulthood. Synaptic dysfunctions may be at the origin of cognitive impairments, however the link between prenatal inflammation and synaptic defects remains to be established. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, we show that prenatal alteration of microglial function, including inflammation, induces delayed synaptic dysfunction in the adult. DAP12 is a microglial signaling protein expressed around birth, mutations of which in the human induces the Nasu-Hakola disease, characterized by early dementia. We presently report that synaptic excitatory currents in mice bearing a loss-of-function mutation in the DAP12 gene (DAP12KI mice) display enhanced relative contribution of AMPA. Furthermore, neurons from DAP12KI P0 pups cultured without microglia develop similar synaptic alterations, suggesting that a prenatal dysfunction of microglia may impact synaptic function in the adult. As we observed that DAP12KI microglia overexpress genes for IL1β, IL6 and NOS2, which are inflammatory proteins, we analyzed the impact of a pharmacologically-induced prenatal inflammation on synaptic function. Maternal injection of lipopolysaccharides induced activation of microglia at birth and alteration of glutamatergic synapses in the adult offspring. Finally, neurons cultured from neonates born to inflamed mothers and cultured without microglia also displayed altered neuronal activity. Conclusion/Significance Our results demonstrate that prenatal inflammation is sufficient to induce synaptic alterations with delay. We propose that these alterations triggered by prenatal activation of microglia provide a cellular basis for the neuropsychiatric defects induced by prenatal inflammation.

Serotonin Modulates Developmental Microglia via 5-HT2B Receptors: Potential Implication during Synaptic Refinement of Retinogeniculate Projections.

Maturation of functional neuronal circuits during central nervous system development relies on sophisticated mechanisms. First, axonal and dendritic growth should reach appropriate targets for correct synapse elaboration. Second, pruning and neuronal death are required to eliminate redundant or inappropriate neuronal connections. Serotonin, in addition to its role as a neurotransmitter, actively participates in postnatal establishment and refinement of brain wiring in mammals. Brain resident macrophages, that is, microglia, also play an important role in developmentally regulated neuronal death as well as in synaptic maturation and elimination. Here, we tested the hypothesis of cross-regulation between microglia and serotonin during postnatal brain development in a mouse model of synaptic refinement. We found expression of the serotonin 5-HT2B receptor on postnatal microglia, suggesting that serotonin could participate in temporal and spatial synchronization of microglial functions. Using two-photon microscopy, acute brain slices, and local delivery of serotonin, we observed that microglial processes moved rapidly toward the source of serotonin in Htr2B(+/+) mice, but not in Htr2B(-/-) mice lacking the 5-HT2B receptor. We then investigated whether some developmental steps known to be controlled by serotonin could potentially result from microglia sensitivity to serotonin. Using an in vivo model of synaptic refinement during early brain development, we investigated the maturation of the retinal projections to the thalamus and observed that Htr2B(-/-) mice present anatomical alterations of the ipsilateral projecting area of retinal axons into the thalamus. In addition, activation markers were upregulated in microglia from Htr2B(-/-) compared to control neonates, in the absence of apparent morphological modifications. These results support the hypothesis that serotonin interacts with microglial cells and these interactions participate in brain maturation.

Serotonin 2B receptor slows disease progression and prevents degeneration of spinal cord mononuclear phagocytes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Microglia are the resident mononuclear phagocytes of the central nervous system and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). During neurodegeneration, microglial activation is accompanied by infiltration of circulating monocytes, leading to production of multiple inflammatory mediators in the spinal cord. Degenerative alterations in mononuclear phagocytes are commonly observed during neurodegenerative diseases, yet little is known concerning the mechanisms leading to their degeneration, or the consequences on disease progression. Here we observed that the serotonin 2B receptor (5-HT2B), a serotonin receptor expressed in microglia, is upregulated in the spinal cord of three different transgenic mouse models of ALS. In mutant SOD1 mice, this upregulation was restricted to cells positive for CD11b, a marker of mononuclear phagocytes. Ablation of 5-HT2B receptor in transgenic ALS mice expressing mutant SOD1 resulted in increased degeneration of mononuclear phagocytes, as evidenced by fragmentation of Iba1-positive cellular processes. This was accompanied by decreased expression of key neuroinflammatory genes but also loss of expression of homeostatic microglial genes. Importantly, the dramatic effect of 5-HT2B receptor ablation on mononuclear phagocytes was associated with acceleration of disease progression. To determine the translational relevance of these results, we studied polymorphisms in the human HTR2B gene, which encodes the 5-HT2B receptor, in a large cohort of ALS patients. In this cohort, the C allele of SNP rs10199752 in HTR2B was associated with longer survival. Moreover, patients carrying one copy of the C allele of SNP rs10199752 showed increased 5-HT2B mRNA in spinal cord and displayed less pronounced degeneration of Iba1 positive cells than patients carrying two copies of the more common A allele. Thus, the 5-HT2B receptor limits degeneration of spinal cord mononuclear phagocytes, most likely microglia, and slows disease progression in ALS. Targeting this receptor might be therapeutically useful.

Vezatin Is Essential for Dendritic Spine Morphogenesis and Functional Synaptic Maturation

Vezatin is an integral membrane protein associated with cell-cell adhesion complex and actin cytoskeleton. It is expressed in the developing and mature mammalian brain, but its neuronal function is unknown. Here, we show that Vezatin localizes in spines in mature mouse hippocampal neurons and codistributes with PSD95, a major scaffolding protein of the excitatory postsynaptic density. Forebrain-specific conditional ablation of Vezatin induced anxiety-like behavior and impaired cued fear-conditioning memory response. Vezatin knock-down in cultured hippocampal neurons and Vezatin conditional knock-out in mice led to a significantly increased proportion of stubby spines and a reduced proportion of mature dendritic spines. PSD95 remained tethered to presynaptic terminals in Vezatin-deficient hippocampal neurons, suggesting that the reduced expression of Vezatin does not compromise the maintenance of synaptic connections. Accordingly, neither the amplitude nor the frequency of miniature EPSCs was affected in Vezatin-deficient hippocampal neurons. However, the AMPA/NMDA ratio of evoked EPSCs was reduced, suggesting impaired functional maturation of excitatory synapses. These results suggest a role of Vezatin in dendritic spine morphogenesis and functional synaptic maturation.

Positive regulation of raphe serotonin neurons by serotonin 2B receptors

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in many psychiatric diseases. In humans, a lack of 5-HT2B receptors is associated with serotonin-dependent phenotypes, including impulsivity and suicidality. A lack of 5-HT2B receptors in mice eliminates the effects of molecules that directly target serotonergic neurons including amphetamine derivative serotonin releasers, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that 5-HT2B receptors directly and positively regulate raphe serotonin neuron activity. By ex vivo electrophysiological recordings, we report that stimulation by the 5-HT2B receptor agonist, BW723C86, increased the firing frequency of serotonin Pet1-positive neurons. Viral overexpression of 5-HT2B receptors in these neurons increased their excitability. Furthermore, in vivo 5-HT2B-receptor stimulation by BW723C86 counteracted 5-HT1A autoreceptor-dependent reduction in firing rate and hypothermic response in wild-type mice. By a conditional genetic ablation that eliminates 5-HT2B receptor expression specifically and exclusively from Pet1-positive serotonin neurons (Htr2b5-HTKO mice), we demonstrated that behavioral and sensitizing effects of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), as well as acute behavioral and chronic neurogenic effects of the antidepressant fluoxetine, require 5-HT2B receptor expression in serotonergic neurons. In Htr2b5-HTKO mice, dorsal raphe serotonin neurons displayed a lower firing frequency compared to control Htr2blox/lox mice as assessed by in vivo extracellular recordings and a stronger hypothermic effect of 5-HT1A-autoreceptor stimulation was observed. The increase in head-twitch response to DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine) further confirmed the lower serotonergic tone resulting from the absence of 5-HT2B receptors in serotonin neurons. Together, these observations indicate that the 5-HT2B receptor acts as a direct positive modulator of serotonin Pet1-positive neurons in an opposite way as the known 5-HT1A-negative autoreceptor.