Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months

Embryonic and early postnatal deletion of the gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) results in neuronal hypertrophy, formation of aberrant neural networks and spontaneous seizures. Our previous studies document that deletion of PTEN in mature neurons also causes growth of cortical neuron cell b...

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Main Authors: Jennifer M. Yonan, Oswald Steward
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-08-01
Series:Neurobiology of Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096999612300205X
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author Jennifer M. Yonan
Oswald Steward
author_facet Jennifer M. Yonan
Oswald Steward
author_sort Jennifer M. Yonan
collection DOAJ
description Embryonic and early postnatal deletion of the gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) results in neuronal hypertrophy, formation of aberrant neural networks and spontaneous seizures. Our previous studies document that deletion of PTEN in mature neurons also causes growth of cortical neuron cell bodies and dendrites, but it is unknown how this growth alters connectivity in mature circuits. Here, we explore consequences of deleting PTEN in a focal area of the dentate gyrus in adult male and female mice. PTEN deletion was accomplished by injecting AAV-Cre unilaterally into the dentate gyrus of double transgenic mice with lox-P sites flanking exon 5 of the PTEN gene and stop/flox tdTomato in the Rosa locus (PTENf/f/RosatdTomato). Focal deletion led to progressive increases in the size of the dentate gyrus at the injection site, enlargement of granule cell bodies, and increases in dendritic length and caliber. Quantitative analysis of dendrites by Golgi staining revealed dramatic increases in spine numbers throughout the proximo-distal extent of the dendritic tree, suggesting that dendritic growth is sufficient to induce new synapse formation by input neurons with intact PTEN expression. Tract tracing of input pathways to the dentate gyrus from the ipsilateral entorhinal cortex and commissural/associational system revealed that laminar specificity of termination of inputs is maintained. Mossy fiber axons from PTEN-deleted granule cells expanded their terminal field in CA3 where PTEN expression was intact and supra-granular mossy fibers developed in some mice. These findings document that persistent activation of mTOR via PTEN deletion in fully mature neurons re-initiates a state of robust cell-intrinsic growth, upending connectional homeostasis in fully mature hippocampal circuits.
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spelling doaj.art-034015bd347e4a9d8e066c39971bfb3b2023-08-03T04:22:43ZengElsevierNeurobiology of Disease1095-953X2023-08-01184106190Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for monthsJennifer M. Yonan0Oswald Steward1Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California at Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Rd., Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; University of California at Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USAReeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California at Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Rd., Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; University of California at Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Correspondence to: 1105 GNRF, University of California at Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Rd., Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America.Embryonic and early postnatal deletion of the gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) results in neuronal hypertrophy, formation of aberrant neural networks and spontaneous seizures. Our previous studies document that deletion of PTEN in mature neurons also causes growth of cortical neuron cell bodies and dendrites, but it is unknown how this growth alters connectivity in mature circuits. Here, we explore consequences of deleting PTEN in a focal area of the dentate gyrus in adult male and female mice. PTEN deletion was accomplished by injecting AAV-Cre unilaterally into the dentate gyrus of double transgenic mice with lox-P sites flanking exon 5 of the PTEN gene and stop/flox tdTomato in the Rosa locus (PTENf/f/RosatdTomato). Focal deletion led to progressive increases in the size of the dentate gyrus at the injection site, enlargement of granule cell bodies, and increases in dendritic length and caliber. Quantitative analysis of dendrites by Golgi staining revealed dramatic increases in spine numbers throughout the proximo-distal extent of the dendritic tree, suggesting that dendritic growth is sufficient to induce new synapse formation by input neurons with intact PTEN expression. Tract tracing of input pathways to the dentate gyrus from the ipsilateral entorhinal cortex and commissural/associational system revealed that laminar specificity of termination of inputs is maintained. Mossy fiber axons from PTEN-deleted granule cells expanded their terminal field in CA3 where PTEN expression was intact and supra-granular mossy fibers developed in some mice. These findings document that persistent activation of mTOR via PTEN deletion in fully mature neurons re-initiates a state of robust cell-intrinsic growth, upending connectional homeostasis in fully mature hippocampal circuits.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096999612300205XPTENmTORDentate gyrusHippocampusGranule cellsEntorhinal cortex
spellingShingle Jennifer M. Yonan
Oswald Steward
Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
Neurobiology of Disease
PTEN
mTOR
Dentate gyrus
Hippocampus
Granule cells
Entorhinal cortex
title Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
title_full Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
title_fullStr Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
title_full_unstemmed Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
title_short Vector-mediated PTEN deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
title_sort vector mediated pten deletion in the adult dentate gyrus initiates new growth of granule cell bodies and dendrites and expansion of mossy fiber terminal fields that continues for months
topic PTEN
mTOR
Dentate gyrus
Hippocampus
Granule cells
Entorhinal cortex
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096999612300205X
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