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Activity-dependent local protection and lateral inhibition control synaptic competition in developing mitral cells in
Satoshi Fujimoto1, Marcus N Leiwe1, Shuhei Aihara2
1Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; Laboratory for Sensory Circuit Formation, Riken Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
Developmental Cell
|June 8, 2023
Summary
Developing brains prune synapses through activity-dependent competition. Strong inputs protect one dendrite by suppressing RhoA, while overall neuron activity activates RhoA to eliminate others, refining neuronal connections.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cellular Neuroscience
Background:
- Activity-dependent remodeling is crucial for precise neuronal connectivity in developing brains.
- Synaptic competition drives synapse elimination, but the mechanisms within a single postsynaptic cell remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how mitral cells in the mouse olfactory bulb prune dendrites during development.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying branch-specific synaptic competition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mouse olfactory bulb and barrel cortex models.
- Investigated the role of spontaneous neural activity, glutamatergic inputs, and RhoA signaling.
- Examined N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dependent mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous activity in the olfactory bulb is essential for dendrite pruning.
- Strong glutamatergic inputs to one dendrite trigger local suppression of RhoA, protecting it.
- Neuronal depolarization leads to neuron-wide RhoA activation, pruning unprotected dendrites.
- NMDAR-RhoA signaling is also critical for synaptic competition in the barrel cortex.
Conclusions:
- Activity-dependent lateral inhibition across synapses establishes a neuron's discrete receptive field.
- A general principle of competitive synapse elimination involves local protection and global pruning signals.
