Journal Article

Mapping synaptic glutamate transporter dysfunction in vivo to regions surrounding Aβ plaques by iGluSnFR two-photon imaging

Murphy, T. H., Hefendehl, J. K., LeDue, J., Ko, R. W. Y., Mahler, J., MacVicar, B. A.

2016

Overview

Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are surrounded by regions of neuronal and glial hyperactivity. We use in vivo two-photon and wide-field imaging of the glutamate sensor iGluSnFR to determine whether pathological changes in glutamate dynamics in the immediate vicinity of Aβ deposits in APPPS1 transgenic mice could alter neuronal activity in this microenvironment. In regions close to Aβ plaques chronic states of high spontaneous glutamate fluctuations are observed and the timing of glutamate responses evoked by sensory stimulation exhibit slower decay rates in two cortical brain areas. GLT-1 expression is reduced around Aβ plaques and upregulation of GLT-1 expression and activity by ceftriaxone partially restores glutamate dynamics to values in control regions. We conclude that the toxic microenvironment surrounding Aβ plaques results, at least partially, from enhanced glutamate levels and that pharmacologically increasing GLT-1 expression and activity may be a new target for early therapeutic intervention. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), neural hyperactivity has been shown to occur in the regions surrounding Aβ plaques. Here, the authors use in vivo two-photon imaging in mouse models of AD and report abnormal glutamate dynamics in the vicinity of plaques which can be partially restored via GLT-1 upregulation through Ceftriaxone treatment.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 13/51 / 14/69 / 631/378/1689/1283 / 631/378/87 / 64/60 / 96/35 / Humanities and Social Sciences / multidisciplinary / Science / Science (multidisciplinary)