Current treatments for epilepsy can only manage the symptoms of the condition but cannot alter the initial onset or halt the progression of the disease. Consequently, it is crucial to identify drugs that can target no...Current treatments for epilepsy can only manage the symptoms of the condition but cannot alter the initial onset or halt the progression of the disease. Consequently, it is crucial to identify drugs that can target novel cellular and molecular mechanisms and mechanisms of action. Increasing evidence suggests that axon guidance molecules play a role in the structural and functional modifications of neural networks and that the dysregulation of these molecules is associated with epilepsy susceptibility. In this review, we discuss the essential role of axon guidance molecules in neuronal activity in patients with epilepsy as well as the impact of these molecules on synaptic plasticity and brain tissue remodeling. Furthermore, we examine the relationship between axon guidance molecules and neuroinflammation, as well as the structural changes in specific brain regions that contribute to the development of epilepsy. Ample evidence indicates that axon guidance molecules, including semaphorins and ephrins, play a fundamental role in guiding axon growth and the establishment of synaptic connections. Deviations in their expression or function can disrupt neuronal connections, ultimately leading to epileptic seizures. The remodeling of neural networks is a significant characteristic of epilepsy, with axon guidance molecules playing a role in the dynamic reorganization of neural circuits. This, in turn, affects synapse formation and elimination. Dysregulation of these molecules can upset the delicate balance between excitation and inhibition within a neural network, thereby increasing the risk of overexcitation and the development of epilepsy. Inflammatory signals can regulate the expression and function of axon guidance molecules, thus influencing axonal growth, axon orientation, and synaptic plasticity. The dysregulation of neuroinflammation can intensify neuronal dysfunction and contribute to the occurrence of epilepsy. This review delves into the mechanisms associated with the pathogenicity of axon guidance molecules in epilepsy, offering a valuable reference for the exploration of therapeutic targets and presenting a fresh perspective on treatment strategies for this condition.展开更多
The nervous system processes a vast amount of information,performing computations that underlie perception,cognition,and behavior.During development,neuronal guidance genes,which encode extracellular cues,their recept...The nervous system processes a vast amount of information,performing computations that underlie perception,cognition,and behavior.During development,neuronal guidance genes,which encode extracellular cues,their receptors,and downstream signal transducers,organize neural wiring to generate the complex architecture of the nervous system.It is now evident that many of these neuroguidance cues and their receptors are active during development and are also expressed in the adult nervous system.This suggests that neuronal guidance pathways are critical not only for neural wiring but also for ongoing function and maintenance of the mature nervous system.Supporting this view,these pathways continue to regulate synaptic connectivity,plasticity,and remodeling,and overall brain homeostasis throughout adulthood.Genetic and transcriptomic analyses have further revealed many neuronal guidance genes to be associated with a wide range of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.Although the precise mechanisms by which aberrant neuronal guidance signaling drives the pathogenesis of these diseases remain to be clarified,emerging evidence points to several common themes,including dysfunction in neurons,microglia,astrocytes,and endothelial cells,along with dysregulation of neuron-microglia-astrocyte,neuroimmune,and neurovascular interactions.In this review,we explore recent advances in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which aberrant neuronal guidance signaling contributes to disease pathogenesis through altered cell-cell interactions.For instance,recent studies have unveiled two distinct semaphorin-plexin signaling pathways that affect microglial activation and neuroinflammation.We discuss the challenges ahead,along with the therapeutic potentials of targeting neuronal guidance pathways for treating neurodegenerative diseases.Particular focus is placed on how neuronal guidance mechanisms control neuron-glia and neuroimmune interactions and modulate microglial function under physiological and pathological conditions.Specifically,we examine the crosstalk between neuronal guidance signaling and TREM2,a master regulator of microglial function,in the context of pathogenic protein aggregates.It is well-established that age is a major risk factor for neurodegeneration.Future research should address how aging and neuronal guidance signaling interact to influence an individual’s susceptibility to various late-onset neurological diseases and how the progression of these diseases could be therapeutically blocked by targeting neuronal guidance pathways.展开更多
Exogenous neuropeptide Y has antiepileptic effects; however, the underlying mechanism and optimal administration method for neuropeptide Y are still unresolved. Previous studies have used intracerebroventricular injec...Exogenous neuropeptide Y has antiepileptic effects; however, the underlying mechanism and optimal administration method for neuropeptide Y are still unresolved. Previous studies have used intracerebroventricular injection of neuropeptide Y into animal models of epilepsy. In this study, a recombinant adeno-associated virus expression vector carrying the neuropeptide Y gene was injected into the lateral ventricle of rats, while the ipsilateral hippocampus was injected with kainic acid to establish the epileptic model. After transfection of neuropeptide Y gene, mossy fiber sprouting in the hippocampal CA3 region of epileptic rats was significantly suppressed, hippocampal synaptophysin （p38） mRNA and protein expression were inhibited, and epileptic seizures were reduced. These experimental findings indicate that a recombinant adeno-associated virus expression vector carrying the neuropeptide Y gene reduces mossy fiber sprouting and inhibits abnormal synaptophysin expression, thereby suppressing post-epileptic synaptic reconstruction.展开更多
In the past decade, numerous genes associated with autism spectrum disorders（ASDs） have been identified. These genes encode key regulators of synaptogenesis,synaptic function, and synaptic plasticity. Drosophila is ...In the past decade, numerous genes associated with autism spectrum disorders（ASDs） have been identified. These genes encode key regulators of synaptogenesis,synaptic function, and synaptic plasticity. Drosophila is a prominent model system for ASD studies to define novel genes linked to ASDs and decipher their molecular roles in synaptogenesis, synaptic function, synaptic plasticity, and neural circuit assembly and consolidation. Here, we review Drosophila studies on ASD genes that regulate synaptogenesis, synaptic function, and synaptic plasticity through modulating chromatin remodeling, transcription, protein synthesis and degradation, cytoskeleton dynamics, and synaptic scaffolding.展开更多
The serine/threonine p21-activated kinases(PAKs),as main effectors of the Rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac,represent a group of important molecular switches linking the complex cytoskeletal networks to broad neural activity....The serine/threonine p21-activated kinases(PAKs),as main effectors of the Rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac,represent a group of important molecular switches linking the complex cytoskeletal networks to broad neural activity.PAKs show wide expression in the brain,but they differ in specific cell types,brain regions,and developmental stages.PAKs play an essential and differential role in controlling neural cytoskeletal remodeling and are related to the development and fate of neurons as well as the structural and functional plasticity of dendritic spines.PAK-mediated actin signaling and interacting functional networks represent a common pathway frequently affected in multiple neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.Considering specific small-molecule agonists and inhibitors for PAKs have been developed in cancer treatment,comprehensive knowledge about the role of PAKs in neural cytoskeletal remodeling will promote our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying neurological diseases,which may also represent potential therapeutic targets of these diseases.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos. 81760247, 82171450the Scientific Research Foundation for Doctors of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University,No.(2016)14 (all to HH)。
文摘Current treatments for epilepsy can only manage the symptoms of the condition but cannot alter the initial onset or halt the progression of the disease. Consequently, it is crucial to identify drugs that can target novel cellular and molecular mechanisms and mechanisms of action. Increasing evidence suggests that axon guidance molecules play a role in the structural and functional modifications of neural networks and that the dysregulation of these molecules is associated with epilepsy susceptibility. In this review, we discuss the essential role of axon guidance molecules in neuronal activity in patients with epilepsy as well as the impact of these molecules on synaptic plasticity and brain tissue remodeling. Furthermore, we examine the relationship between axon guidance molecules and neuroinflammation, as well as the structural changes in specific brain regions that contribute to the development of epilepsy. Ample evidence indicates that axon guidance molecules, including semaphorins and ephrins, play a fundamental role in guiding axon growth and the establishment of synaptic connections. Deviations in their expression or function can disrupt neuronal connections, ultimately leading to epileptic seizures. The remodeling of neural networks is a significant characteristic of epilepsy, with axon guidance molecules playing a role in the dynamic reorganization of neural circuits. This, in turn, affects synapse formation and elimination. Dysregulation of these molecules can upset the delicate balance between excitation and inhibition within a neural network, thereby increasing the risk of overexcitation and the development of epilepsy. Inflammatory signals can regulate the expression and function of axon guidance molecules, thus influencing axonal growth, axon orientation, and synaptic plasticity. The dysregulation of neuroinflammation can intensify neuronal dysfunction and contribute to the occurrence of epilepsy. This review delves into the mechanisms associated with the pathogenicity of axon guidance molecules in epilepsy, offering a valuable reference for the exploration of therapeutic targets and presenting a fresh perspective on treatment strategies for this condition.
基金supported by JSPS(KAKENHI:21K06205,23K06937,24K23419)AMED(to JYK,SaY,TM,SiY,YT,and NH)JYW had long been supported by the NIH.
文摘The nervous system processes a vast amount of information,performing computations that underlie perception,cognition,and behavior.During development,neuronal guidance genes,which encode extracellular cues,their receptors,and downstream signal transducers,organize neural wiring to generate the complex architecture of the nervous system.It is now evident that many of these neuroguidance cues and their receptors are active during development and are also expressed in the adult nervous system.This suggests that neuronal guidance pathways are critical not only for neural wiring but also for ongoing function and maintenance of the mature nervous system.Supporting this view,these pathways continue to regulate synaptic connectivity,plasticity,and remodeling,and overall brain homeostasis throughout adulthood.Genetic and transcriptomic analyses have further revealed many neuronal guidance genes to be associated with a wide range of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.Although the precise mechanisms by which aberrant neuronal guidance signaling drives the pathogenesis of these diseases remain to be clarified,emerging evidence points to several common themes,including dysfunction in neurons,microglia,astrocytes,and endothelial cells,along with dysregulation of neuron-microglia-astrocyte,neuroimmune,and neurovascular interactions.In this review,we explore recent advances in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which aberrant neuronal guidance signaling contributes to disease pathogenesis through altered cell-cell interactions.For instance,recent studies have unveiled two distinct semaphorin-plexin signaling pathways that affect microglial activation and neuroinflammation.We discuss the challenges ahead,along with the therapeutic potentials of targeting neuronal guidance pathways for treating neurodegenerative diseases.Particular focus is placed on how neuronal guidance mechanisms control neuron-glia and neuroimmune interactions and modulate microglial function under physiological and pathological conditions.Specifically,we examine the crosstalk between neuronal guidance signaling and TREM2,a master regulator of microglial function,in the context of pathogenic protein aggregates.It is well-established that age is a major risk factor for neurodegeneration.Future research should address how aging and neuronal guidance signaling interact to influence an individual’s susceptibility to various late-onset neurological diseases and how the progression of these diseases could be therapeutically blocked by targeting neuronal guidance pathways.
文摘Exogenous neuropeptide Y has antiepileptic effects; however, the underlying mechanism and optimal administration method for neuropeptide Y are still unresolved. Previous studies have used intracerebroventricular injection of neuropeptide Y into animal models of epilepsy. In this study, a recombinant adeno-associated virus expression vector carrying the neuropeptide Y gene was injected into the lateral ventricle of rats, while the ipsilateral hippocampus was injected with kainic acid to establish the epileptic model. After transfection of neuropeptide Y gene, mossy fiber sprouting in the hippocampal CA3 region of epileptic rats was significantly suppressed, hippocampal synaptophysin （p38） mRNA and protein expression were inhibited, and epileptic seizures were reduced. These experimental findings indicate that a recombinant adeno-associated virus expression vector carrying the neuropeptide Y gene reduces mossy fiber sprouting and inhibits abnormal synaptophysin expression, thereby suppressing post-epileptic synaptic reconstruction.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31471031,31400927,and 31671045)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China(BK20140623)
文摘In the past decade, numerous genes associated with autism spectrum disorders（ASDs） have been identified. These genes encode key regulators of synaptogenesis,synaptic function, and synaptic plasticity. Drosophila is a prominent model system for ASD studies to define novel genes linked to ASDs and decipher their molecular roles in synaptogenesis, synaptic function, synaptic plasticity, and neural circuit assembly and consolidation. Here, we review Drosophila studies on ASD genes that regulate synaptogenesis, synaptic function, and synaptic plasticity through modulating chromatin remodeling, transcription, protein synthesis and degradation, cytoskeleton dynamics, and synaptic scaffolding.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.32070590 and 31871191)the Guangdong Key Project in the“development of new tools for diagnosis and treatment of Autism”(2018B030335001).
文摘The serine/threonine p21-activated kinases(PAKs),as main effectors of the Rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac,represent a group of important molecular switches linking the complex cytoskeletal networks to broad neural activity.PAKs show wide expression in the brain,but they differ in specific cell types,brain regions,and developmental stages.PAKs play an essential and differential role in controlling neural cytoskeletal remodeling and are related to the development and fate of neurons as well as the structural and functional plasticity of dendritic spines.PAK-mediated actin signaling and interacting functional networks represent a common pathway frequently affected in multiple neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.Considering specific small-molecule agonists and inhibitors for PAKs have been developed in cancer treatment,comprehensive knowledge about the role of PAKs in neural cytoskeletal remodeling will promote our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying neurological diseases,which may also represent potential therapeutic targets of these diseases.
