Reduced SNAP-25 alters short-term plasticity at developing glutamatergic synapses

EMBO Rep. 2013 Jul;14(7):645-51. doi: 10.1038/embor.2013.75. Epub 2013 Jun 4.

Abstract

SNAP-25 is a key component of the synaptic-vesicle fusion machinery, involved in several psychiatric diseases including schizophrenia and ADHD. SNAP-25 protein expression is lower in different brain areas of schizophrenic patients and in ADHD mouse models. How the reduced expression of SNAP-25 alters the properties of synaptic transmission, leading to a pathological phenotype, is unknown. We show that, unexpectedly, halved SNAP-25 levels at 13-14 DIV not only fail to impair synaptic transmission but instead enhance evoked glutamatergic neurotransmission. This effect is possibly dependent on presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channel activity and is not accompanied by changes in spontaneous quantal events or in the pool of readily releasable synaptic vesicles. Notably, synapses of 13-14 DIV neurons with reduced SNAP-25 expression show paired-pulse depression as opposed to paired-pulse facilitation occurring in their wild-type counterparts. This phenotype disappears with synapse maturation. As alterations in short-term plasticity represent a new mechanism contributing to cognitive impairments in intellectual disabilities, our data provide mechanistic clues for neuronal circuit alterations in psychiatric diseases characterized by reduced expression of SNAP-25.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / drug effects
  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium Channels / genetics
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Silencing
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism*
  • Glutamic Acid / pharmacology
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
  • Synaptic Vesicles / drug effects
  • Synaptic Vesicles / physiology
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 / genetics
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 / metabolism*
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / pharmacology

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Snap25 protein, mouse
  • Snap25 protein, rat
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25
  • Glutamic Acid
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Calcium