Biology subjects

Meftah, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Meftah, S..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

FMRP regulates adult human cortical excitability via cyclic-AMP signalling

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a common inherited neurodevelopmental condition, resulting from loss of Fragile X Messenger Ribonuclear Protein (FMRP). Rodent models of FXS display cellular hyperexcitability, but it is not known to what extent this is the case in intact human neurons. Depleting FMRP in human brain slice cultures reveals cyclic-AMP-dependent cellular hyperexcitability which is corrected by phosphodiesterase 4D inhibition and may be independent of neurodevelopment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Reduced inhibition, bursting, and accelerated oscillations drive early hippocampal hyperactivity in Alzheimer's disease

Early hippocampal hyperactivity is a well-documented yet poorly defined phenomenon in Alzheimers disease (AD). While reported in both patients and animal models, its functional manifestations and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms in vivo remain unclear. Here, we address this gap using in vivo high-resolution patch-clamp, high-throughput single-unit, and local field recordings in young amyloidopathy mice, at a stage when A{beta} remains largely soluble. We uncover previously unidentified cellular mechanisms in vivo, characterised by reduced inhibitory synaptic input, hypoactivity of fast-spiking interneurons, and enhanced bursting in pyramidal neurons. At the network level, we reveal accelerated hippocampal oscillations, marked by increased theta and beta power, a departure from the conventional view of oscillation slowing in AD. Mechanistically, this acceleration stems from strengthened synchrony of excitatory currents at higher frequencies and an overall reduction in oscillation-associated inhibitory currents. Our findings provide the first direct in vivo evidence linking early hippocampal hyperactivity to specific synaptic transmission and network dysfunctions, resolving a long-standing ambiguity. Moreover, we propose accelerated oscillations in the hippocampus as a functional biomarker for early AD and a potential therapeutic target for restoring network stability before cognitive decline occurs.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Phylogenetic divergence of GABAB receptor signalling in neocortical networks over adult life.

Cortical circuit activity is controlled by GABA-mediated inhibition in a spatiotemporally restricted manner. Much is known about fast GABA currents, GABAB receptor (GABABR) signalling exerts powerful slow inhibition that controls synaptic, dendritic and neuronal activity. However, little is known about how GABABRs contribute to circuit-level inhibition over the lifespan of rodents and humans. In this study, we quantitatively determine the functional contribution of GABABR signalling to pre- and postsynaptic domains in rat and human cortical principal cells (PC). We find that postsynaptic GABABR differentially control pyramidal cell activity within the cortical column as a function of age and species, and that these receptors contribute to co-ordination of local information processing in a layer- and species-dependent manner. These data directly increase our knowledge of translationally relevant local circuit dynamics, with direct impact on understanding the role of GABABRs in the treatment of seizure disorders. HighlightsO_LIGABAB receptor signalling displays age and species differences in cortex C_LIO_LIGABAB receptor presynaptic inhibition is stronger in humans than rodents C_LIO_LIIn vitro oscillations in human cortex are strongly regulated by GABABRs C_LIO_LILevetiracetam enhances endogenous GABABR signalling in human cortex C_LI

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Opposing roles of physiological and pathological amyloid-β on synapses in live human brain slice cultures

In Alzheimers disease, it is theorised that amyloid beta (A{beta}) and tau pathology contribute to synapse loss. However, there is limited information on how endogenous levels of tau and A{beta} protein relate to patient characteristics, or how manipulating physiological levels of A{beta} impacts synapses, in living adult, human brain. Here, we employed live human brain slice cultures as a translational tool to assess endogenous tau and A{beta} release, pathology, and response to experimental manipulation. We found that the levels of A{beta}1-40 and tau detected in the culture medium depend on donor age, and brain region, respectively. Pharmacologically raising physiological A{beta} concentration enhanced levels of synaptic transcripts. Treatment of slices with A{beta}-containing Alzheimers disease brain extract resulted in postsynaptic A{beta} uptake and loss of presynaptic puncta. These data indicate that physiological and pathological A{beta} can have opposing effects on synapses in living human brain tissue.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Tau phosphorylated at serine 356 is associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology and can be lowered in mouse and human brain tissue using the NUAK inhibitor WZ4003

Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation is a common feature of many dementia-causing neurodegenerative diseases. Tau can be phosphorylated at up to 85 different sites, and there is increasing interest in whether tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes, by specific kinases, plays an important role in disease progression. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) related enzyme NUAK1 been identified as a potential mediator of tau pathology, whereby NUAK1-mediated phosphorylation of tau at Ser356 prevents the degradation of tau by the proteasome, further exacerbating tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation. This study provides a detailed characterisation of the association of p-tau Ser356 with progression of Alzheimers disease pathology, identifying a Braak stage-dependent increase in p-tau Ser356 protein levels and an almost ubiquitous presence in neurofibrillary tangles. We also demonstrate, using sub-diffraction-limit resolution array tomography imaging, that p-tau Ser356 co-localises with synapses in AD post-mortem brain tissue, increasing evidence that this form of tau may play important roles in AD progression. To assess the potential impacts of pharmacological NUAK inhibition in an ex vivo system that retains multiple cell types and brain-relevant neuronal architecture, we treated postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures from wildtype or APP/PS1 littermates with the commercially available NUAK1/2 inhibitor WZ4003. Whilst there were no genotype specific effects, we found that WZ4003 results in a culture-phase dependent loss of total tau and p-tau Ser356, which corresponds with a reduction in neuronal and synaptic proteins. By contrast, application of WZ4003 to live human brain slice cultures results in a specific lowering of p-tau Ser356, alongside increased neuronal tubulin protein. This work identifies differential responses of postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures and adult human brain slice cultures to NUAK1 inhibition that will be important to consider in future work developing tau-targeting therapeutics for human disease.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Synaptic alterations associated with disrupted sensory encoding in a mouse model of tauopathy

Synapse loss is currently the best biological correlate of cognitive decline in Alzheimers disease and other tauopathies. Synapses seem to be highly vulnerable to tau-mediated disruption in neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, it is unclear how and when this leads to alterations in function in relation to the progression of tauopathy and neurodegeneration. We used the well-characterised rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy, at 5-6 months and 7-8 months of age, to study the functional impact of cortical synapse loss. The earlier age was used as a model of prodromal tauopathy, with the later age corresponding to more advanced tau pathology and presumed progression of neurodegeneration. Analysis of synaptic protein expression in the somatosensory cortex showed significant reductions in synaptic proteins and NMDA and AMPA receptor subunit expression in rTg4510 mice. Surprisingly, in vitro whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology from putative pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 of the somatosensory cortex suggested no functional alterations in layer 4 to layer 2/3 synaptic transmission at 5-6 months. From these same neurons, however, there were alterations in dendritic structure, with increased branching seen proximal to the soma in rTg4510 neurons. Therefore, in vivo whole-cell patch clamp recordings were utilised to investigate synaptic function and integration in putative pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 of the somatosensory cortex. These recordings revealed a significant increase in the peak response to synaptically-driven sensory stimulation-evoked activity and a loss of temporal fidelity of the evoked signal to the input stimulus in rTg4510 neurons. Together, these data suggest that loss of synapses, changes in receptor expression, and dendritic restructuring may lead to alterations in synaptic integration at a network level. Understanding of these compensatory processes could identify targets to help delay symptomatic onset within dementia. Abbreviated summaryMeftah et al. report alterations to synaptic and dendrite properties in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy associated with disrupted synaptic integration in vivo. Therefore, disrupted synaptic and network integration may be early markers of synapse loss in neurodegenerative tauopathies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Differential aberrant structural synaptic plasticity in axons and dendrites ahead of their degeneration in tauopathy

Neurodegeneration driven by aberrant tau is a key feature of many dementias. Pathological stages of tauopathy are characterised by reduced synapse density and altered synapse function. Furthermore, changes in synaptic plasticity have been documented in the early stages of tauopathy suggesting that they may be a driver of later pathology. However, it remains unclear if synapse plasticity is specifically linked to the degeneration of neurons. This is partly because, in progressive dementias, pathology can vary widely from cell-to-cell along the prolonged disease time-course. To overcome this variability, we have taken a longitudinal experimental approach to track individual neurons through the progression of neurodegenerative tauopathy. Using repeated in vivo 2-photon imaging in rTg4510 transgenic mice, we have measured structural plasticity of presynaptic terminaux boutons and postsynaptic spines on individual axons and dendrites over long periods of time. By following individual neurons, we have measured synapse density across the neuronal population and tracked changes in synapse turnover in each neuron. We found that tauopathy drives a reduction in density of both presynaptic and postsynaptic structures and that this is partially driven by degeneration of individual axons and dendrites that are spread widely across the disease time-course. Both synaptic loss and neuronal degeneration was ameliorated by reduction in expression of the aberrant P301L transgene, but only if that reduction was initiated early in disease progression. Notably, neurite degeneration was preceded by alterations in synapse turnover that contrasted in axons and dendrites. In dendrites destined to die, there was a dramatic loss of spines in the week immediately before degeneration. In contrast, axonal degeneration was preceded by a progressive attenuation of presynaptic turnover that started many weeks before axon disappearance. Therefore, changes in synapse plasticity are harbingers of degeneration of individual neurites that occur at differing stages of tau-driven neurodegenerative disease, suggesting a cell or neurite autonomous process. Furthermore, the links between synapse plasticity and degeneration are distinct in axonal and dendritic compartments. Key findingsO_LITauopathy driven by tau P301L in rTg4510 mice causes a progressive decrease in density of presynaptic terminaux boutons and postsynaptic dendritic spines in cortical excitatory neurons. C_LIO_LILongitudinal imaging of individual axons and dendrites shows that there is a huge diversity of effects at varying times in different cells. C_LIO_LIDecreases in overall synapse density are driven partly, but not exclusively, by degeneration of dendrites and axons that are distributed widely across the time-course of disease. C_LIO_LISuppression of pathological P301L tau expression can ameliorate accumulation of tau pathology, synapse loss and neurodegeneration, but only if administered early in disease progression. C_LIO_LINeurite degeneration is preceded by aberrant structural synaptic plasticity in a cell-specific way that is markedly different in dendrites and axons. C_LIO_LIDegeneration of dendrites is immediately preceded by dramatic loss of dendritic spines. C_LIO_LIAxonal loss is characterised by a progressive attenuation of presynaptic bouton plasticity that starts months before degeneration. C_LI

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