NMDA receptors activated by subventricular zone astrocytic glutamate are critical for neuroblast survival prior to entering a synaptic network

By Jean-Claude Platel, Kathleen A. Dave, V. Gordon, B. Lacar, M. Rubio, A. Bordey. 2010

228 citations recorded by the source corpus.

SUMMARY Even before integrating into existing circuitry, adult-born neurons express receptors for neurotransmitters, but the intercellular mechanisms and their impact on neurogenesis remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that neuroblasts born in the postnatal subventricular zone (SVZ) acquire NMDA receptors (NMDARs) during their migration to the olfactory bulb. Along their route, neuroblasts are ensheathed by astrocyte-like cells expressing vesicular glutamate release machinery. Increasing calcium in these specialized astrocytes induced NMDAR-activity in neuroblasts and blocking astrocytic vesicular release eliminated spontaneous NMDAR-activity. Single-cell knockout of NMDARs using neonatal electroporation resulted in neuroblast apoptosis at the time of NMDAR acquisition. This cumulated in a 40% loss of neuroblasts along their migratory route demonstrating that NMDAR acquisition is critical for neuroblast survival, prior to entering a synaptic network. In addition, our findings suggest an unexpected mechanism where SVZ astrocytes use glutamate signaling through NMDARs to control the number of adult-born neurons reaching their final destination.

Subfields: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Developmental Neuroscience, Molecular Biology

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

In Developmental Neuroscience

In Molecular Biology

Citations in the corpus

Adult neurogenesis in brain repair: cellular plasticity vs. cellular replacement (2014, background): “…been shown that neurogenesis can be upregulated in neurogenic niches in response to different brain insults including ischemia (Jin et al., 2001; Harry, 2008; Osman et al., 2011), seizures (Parent and Lowenstein, 2002; Smith et al., 2005) and traumatic brain injury (Dash et al., 2001; Harry, 2008).”
Adult Neurogenesis in the Mammalian Brain: Significant Answers and Significant Questions (2011, background): “Adult SVZ astrocytes also appear to release glutamate to regulate the survival of neuroblasts (Platel et al., 2010).”
In vivo fate mapping and expression analysis reveals molecular hallmarks of prospectively isolated adult neural stem cells. (2010, result): “Consistent with immunostainings and previous functional analyses (Platel et al., 2010) indicating a strong overlap of glial proteins in astrocytes, aNSCs, and ependymal cells, we also observed many of the known socalled astrocyte-specific genes being expressed in aNSCs as well as in ependymal cells ”
Neuronal activity-dependent control of postnatal neurogenesis and gliogenesis (2018, unknown): “…very little is understood about glutamatergic signaling during postnatal NSC proliferation, NMDA receptor activity has been shown to be a critical regulator of newborn neuron survival and integration in both the adult DG and olfactory bulb (Lin et al. 2010, Platel et al. 2010, Tashiro et al. 2006).”