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Simple Summary
Neuronal plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt in response to activity-dependent changes. This process, among others, allows the brain to acquire memory or to compensate for a neurocognitive deficit. We analyzed adult FTSJ1-deficient mice in order to gain insight into the role of FTSJ1 in neuronal plasticity. These mice displayed alterations in the hippocampus (a brain structure that is involved in memory and learning, among other functions) e.g., in the form of changes in dendritic spines. Changes in dendritic spines are considered to represent a morphological hallmark of altered neuronal plasticity, and thus FTSJ1 deficiency might have a direct effect upon the capacity of the brain to adapt to plastic changes. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is an electrophysiological correlate of neuronal plasticity, and is related to learning and to processes attributed to memory. Here we show that LTP in FTSJ1-deficient mice is reduced, hinting at disturbed neuronal plasticity. These findings suggest that FTSJ1 deficiency has an impact on neuronal plasticity not only morphologically but also on the physiological level.
Abstract
The role of the tRNA methyltransferase FTSJ1 in the brain is largely unknown. We analyzed whether FTSJ1-deficient mice (KO) displayed altered neuronal plasticity. We explored open field behavior (10 KO mice (aged 22–25 weeks)) and 11 age-matched control littermates (WT) and examined mean layer thickness (7 KO; 6 WT) and dendritic spines (5 KO; 5 WT) in the hippocampal area CA1 and the dentate gyrus. Furthermore, long-term potentiation (LTP) within area CA1 was investigated (5 KO; 5 WT), and mass spectrometry (MS) using CA1 tissue (2 each) was performed. Compared to controls, KO mice showed a significant reduction in the mean thickness of apical CA1 layers. Dendritic spine densities were also altered in KO mice. Stable LTP could be induced in the CA1 area of KO mice and remained stable at for at least 1 h, although at a lower level as compared to WTs, while MS data indicated differential abundance of several proteins, which play a role in neuronal plasticity. FTSJ1 has an impact on neuronal plasticity in the murine hippocampal area CA1 at the morphological and physiological levels, which, in conjunction with comparable changes in other cortical areas, might accumulate in disturbed learning and memory functions.
Abstract
Proteome analyses are often hampered by the low amount of available starting material like a low bacterial cell number obtained from in vivo settings. Here, the single pot solid‐phase enhanced sample preparation (SP3) protocol is adapted and combined with effective cell disruption using detergents for the proteome analysis of bacteria available in limited numbers only. Using this optimized protocol, identification of peptides and proteins for different Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative species can be dramatically increased and, reliable quantification can also be ensured. This adapted method is compared to already established strain‐specific sample processing protocols for Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, and Legionella pneumophila. The highest species‐specific increase in identifications is observed using the adapted method with L. pneumophila samples by increasing protein and peptide identifications up to 300% and 620%, respectively. This increase is accompanied by an improvement in reproducibility of protein quantification and data completeness between replicates. Thus, this protocol is of interest for performing comprehensive proteomics analyses of low bacterial cell numbers from different settings ranging from infection assays to environmental samples.