Journal: PLoS ONE

Article Title: Trafficking of the NMDAR2B Receptor Subunit Distal Cytoplasmic Tail from Endoplasmic Reticulum to the Synapse

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039585

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Examples of VE-2A, VE-2B, VE-2BΔ7, and VE three hours after exit from the ER immunostained for SAP102 (red), and synaptophysin (Sp; pseudocolored blue), and merged. VE-2B, and VE-2BΔ7 demonstrate significant clustering compared to VE (quantified in E), and targeting to synaptophysin (quantified in D). (B) Higher magnifications of clusters from VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 seen in A (indicated by boxes) demonstrate roughly equivalent colocalization to SAP102 (quantified in C) and synaptophysin (quantified in D; scale bars 1 µm). (C) VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 co-localized with postsynaptic SAP102 at 2X background (52–255 inclusive gray scale). By one way Anova (P<0.01) there was a significant group difference. Using Tukey’s post hoc pairwise comparisons, both VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 pixel overlap with SAP102 was significantly greater than VE (p<0.05), however VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 were not significantly different than eachother. This relationship between VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 overlap with SAP102 was only obtained when analyzing pixel overlap at 2X background. (D) The percent of overlap of VE-2B, and VE-2BΔ7 with synaptophysin was significantly greater than VE (one-way Anova with post hoc pairwise comparisons to VE * p<0.05). Surprisingly, VE-2A was not significantly different than VE among the 4 groups in a post hoc comparison. VE-2B targeted to synaptophysin significantly better than VE-2A (** p<0.05) but no differently than VE-2BΔ7. These relative differences were the same regardless of the green or blue threshold. The same results were obtained at this time point after ER release using synapsin as the presynaptic marker (data not shown). (E) Clustering was measured using Zeiss LSM510 image analysis software. Average intensity was calculated from each intensity graph of 20–30 dendrites for a total of 839.5 µm (VE-2B), 750.4 µm (VE-2BΔ7), and 776.0 µm (VE). A cluster was defined as being more than twice the average intensity of each dendrite for equal to or greater than 0.4 µm. The average number of clusters per µm ± SEM is plotted in E. There was a significant effect of group by one-way Anova. Post hoc comparisons indicated Both VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 showed significantly more clustering than VE (p<0.05), and were not significantly different from each other. (F) Examples of immunogold labeling with i14 α-VSVG antibody (10 nm; arrowheads) and α-NR2A/B antibody (5 nm; arrows) indicate localization of VE-2B at synapses 3 hours after release from the ER (pre, presynaptic terminal; post, postsynaptic process). Scale bar is 100 nm. Quantification of 10 nm gold indicated that 10 of 47 synapses were labeled within 0–100 nm, and 18 of 47 (38.3%) synapses showed immunogold labeling within 0–500 nm of the postsynaptic density.

Article Snippet: Neurons were incubated with primary antibodies for 1 hour using the following dilutions: anti-GM130, 1∶200; anti-TGN38, 1∶200; anti-PSD-95, 1∶500 (T60); anti-PSD-95, 1∶150 (TL); anti-SAP102, 1∶500 (JH62514); anti-SAP102, 1∶200 (Alomone); anti-Synapsin, 1∶500; anti-Synaptophysin, 1∶500; anti-VSVG, 1∶3 (i1 hybridoma).

Techniques: Marker, Software, Labeling

Journal: PLoS ONE

Article Title: Trafficking of the NMDAR2B Receptor Subunit Distal Cytoplasmic Tail from Endoplasmic Reticulum to the Synapse

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039585

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 were allowed to exit the ER for 45 minutes and then immunostained for surface expression with I1 antibody and presynaptic terminals with anti-synapsin. Yellow arrows in VE-2BΔ7 indicate surface puncta not in the vicinity of synapsin (right panels). At 45 minutes after ER exit, only about 30% of VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 puncta in dendrites showed any immunostaining with i1 antibody. (B) The VE and VE-2BΔ7 surface puncta more than 1 µm away from synapsin were significantly greater in relative number than VE-2B (left panel). The surface VE-2BΔ7 within 0.3 µm is similar to VE-2B but not significantly different from VE, while VE-2B within 0.3 µm is significantly different than VE (one-way Anova considering VE, VE-2B, and VE-2BΔ7 in the >1.0 micron bins and then in the <0.3 micron bins, then pairwise post hoc comparisons; p<0.05). Centroids and distances were calculated with images thresholded at 2X mean background. Percent pixel overlap of green puncta with synapsin in the same data set showed no difference in the total VE-2B and VE-2BΔ7 at any threshold and trended toward increased synaptic localization at 45 minutes after permissive temperature, but did not reach significance when compared to VE, as was apparent at 3 hours (one-way Anova, p = 0.11; right panel, indicated as ‘total’). Green and red images from the same data set also were merged and color-thresholded for yellow to define the surface population. Percent overlap of yellow puncta with synapsin (blue) was then assessed for VE, VE-2B, and VE-2BΔ7 (right panel, indicated as ‘surface’). VE-2BΔ7 surface pixel overlap with synapsin trended toward a decrease compared to VE-2B at 2X background but not significantly until thresholded at 3X background (one-way Anova, post hoc comparison p<0.05). (C) Model of trafficking of NR2B. NR2B forms hetero-oligomers with NR1 subunits at the level of the ER , but the NR2 distal C-terminus is necessary and sufficient to confer significant synaptic localization , . NR2A/B clusters with SAP102 early in the secretory pathway, and significantly so at the level of the cis-medial- Golgi. PSD-95 is added as part of the NR2B/NR1-SAP102 complex as soon as the TGN. NR2B/NR1-SAP102 complexes may be cotransported to the vicinity of the synapse, and also cotransported at least in-part along dendrites via Kif-17, mLin-2/Cask, mLin7, mLin10, and SAP97 in a poly-protein complex [see ] and added to postsynaptic structures. The NR2B/SAP102/PSD-95 association does not appear to be essential for immediate synaptic targeting, but is required for maintenance of position on the synaptic surface.

Article Snippet: Neurons were incubated with primary antibodies for 1 hour using the following dilutions: anti-GM130, 1∶200; anti-TGN38, 1∶200; anti-PSD-95, 1∶500 (T60); anti-PSD-95, 1∶150 (TL); anti-SAP102, 1∶500 (JH62514); anti-SAP102, 1∶200 (Alomone); anti-Synapsin, 1∶500; anti-Synaptophysin, 1∶500; anti-VSVG, 1∶3 (i1 hybridoma).

Techniques: Expressing, Immunostaining

Journal: Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Article Title: HMGCS2-dependent β-OHB/H3K9bhb ameliorates synaptic plasticity and cognition in Alzheimer’s disease

doi: 10.1038/s12276-026-01664-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: a , b , The representative immunoblots ( a ) and quantitative analyses ( b ) of Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B and Syn1 in the hippocampus of the WT, 3xTg-AD and 3xTg-AD+β-OHB mice, n = 4 per group. c , RT–qPCR assays mRNA expression of the Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B and Syn1 in the hippocampus of the WT, 3xTg-AD and 3xTg-AD+β-OHB mice, n = 5 per group. d , ChIP–qPCR analysis of the enrichment of H3K9bhb at Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B, Glun2C and Syn1 promoters in the hippocampus of the WT, 3xTg-AD and 3xTg-AD+β-OHB mice, n = 5 per group. e , f , Supplementing with β-OHB could increase the density of 3xTg-AD dendritic spines detected by Golgi-cox staining; the representative images ( e ) and quantitative analysis ( f ) of spine, n = 5 per group, three fields per mice. Scale bar, 5 μm. g – j , The Sholl analysis showed the synaptic complexity of neurons after supplementing with β-OHB in 3xTg-AD mice; the representative images ( g and i ) and the quantitative analysis ( h and j ), n = 5 per group, two fields per mice. Scale bar, 50 μm. Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. One-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test for b – d and f . Two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test for i and k . * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, **** P < 0.0001; ns, not significant.

Article Snippet: SYN1 , Synapsin-1 , Poly- , 1:1000 , Proteintech , 20258-1-AP.

Techniques: Western Blot, Quantitative RT-PCR, Expressing, ChIP-qPCR, Staining

Journal: Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Article Title: HMGCS2-dependent β-OHB/H3K9bhb ameliorates synaptic plasticity and cognition in Alzheimer’s disease

doi: 10.1038/s12276-026-01664-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: a – c , The HMGCS2 upregulation promotes the protein ( a and b ) and mRNA ( c ) expression of H3K9bhb, Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B, Syn1 and PSD95, n = 4 or 5 per group. d , e , ChIP–qPCR analyses of the enrichment of H3K9bhb at Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B and Syn1 promoters in the primary neurons of the WT, 3xTg-AD and 3xTg-AD + HMGCS2 mice n = 5 per group ( d ) and representative gel images from ChIP–qPCR assays ( e ). f – j , The HMGCS2 upregulation promotes the expression of Syn1 (scale bar, 25 μm) ( f ); n = 10 cells per group in MAP2 immunofluorescence ( g ) and quantitative analysis ( h ), n = 10 cells per group and SYP ( i and j ), n = 10 cells per group, scale bar, 15 μm. Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. One-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test for b – d and j . Two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test for h . * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 , *** P < 0.001, **** P < 0.0001; ns, not significant.

Article Snippet: SYN1 , Synapsin-1 , Poly- , 1:1000 , Proteintech , 20258-1-AP.

Techniques: Expressing, ChIP-qPCR, Immunofluorescence

Journal: Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Article Title: HMGCS2-dependent β-OHB/H3K9bhb ameliorates synaptic plasticity and cognition in Alzheimer’s disease

doi: 10.1038/s12276-026-01664-9

Figure Lengend Snippet: a , b , A western blot analysis ( a ) of hippocampal lysates shows that HMGCS2 upregulation increases the protein levels ( b ) of H3K9bhb, Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B, Syn1 and PSD95, n = 3 per group. c , The ChIP–qPCR analysis of H3K9bhb enrichment at the promoters of Glun2A , Glun2B , Syn1 and PSD95 in the four groups, n = 5 per group. d , The mRNA levels of Glun1, Glun2A, Glun2B, Syn1 and PSD95 in the hippocampus, as determined by RT–qPCR, n = 5 per group. e , f , Golgi staining reveals increased dendritic spine density in 3xTg-AD mice following overexpression of HMGCS2; representative images ( e ) and quantification ( f ) are shown, n = 5 per group, three fields per mice. Scale bar, 5 μm. g – j , A behavioral assessment of spatial learning and memory using the MWM, NOR and contextual fear conditioning tests: area under the curve (AUC) of escape latency during MWM training of day 1–6 ( g ), escape latency on day 7 of the MWM test ( h ), NOR discrimination index ( i ), freezing time on day 7 in the contextual fear conditioning test ( j ), n = 8 per group. Data are shown as mean ± s.e.m. One-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test for b – d , f and g – j . * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 , *** P < 0.001, **** P < 0.0001; ns, not significant.

Article Snippet: SYN1 , Synapsin-1 , Poly- , 1:1000 , Proteintech , 20258-1-AP.

Techniques: Western Blot, ChIP-qPCR, Quantitative RT-PCR, Staining, Over Expression

Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Article Title: Mesenchymal Stem Cells Restore Endothelial Integrity and Alleviate Emotional Impairments in a Diabetic Mouse Model via Inhibition of MMP-9 Activity

doi: 10.3390/ijms26073355

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 2. DM mice exhibit synaptic deficits and increased neuroinflammation in the HIP. (A) Repre- sentative WB images showing the expression levels of the presynaptic protein synapsin I (SYN1) and the postsynaptic protein postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in the HIP of CTL and DM mice. β-actin was used as an internal control. (B) Semi-quantitative analysis of PSD95 and SYN1 expression levels from immunoblot experiments. n = 6. (C) Representative images of Iba1 immunostaining in the HIP of CTL and DM mice. The area within the dashed box is magnified and displayed in the insets. Scale bars: 100 µm (main images) and 20 µm (insets). (D) Quantitative analysis of Iba1-positive microglia in the HIP of CTL and DM mice. n = 5. (E) qPCR analysis of iNOS and Arg1 mRNA levels in the HIP of CTL and DM mice. n = 6. (F) qPCR analysis of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α mRNA levels in the HIP of CTL and DM mice. n = 6. (G) ELISA measuring IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels in the serum of CTL and DM mice. n = 3. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was determined using a one-tailed unpaired t-test. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

Article Snippet: The membranes were blocked and incubated overnight with the following antibodies: PSD95 (SYSN, Toronto, ON, Canada, 124002, 1:1000); SYN1 (SYSN, 106011, 1:1000); Cldn5 (Invitrogen, 35-2500, 1:1000); Ocln (Invitrogen, 71-1500, 1:1000); and MMP9 (Boster, Shanghai, China; PB9669, 1:1000).

Techniques: Expressing, Control, Western Blot, Immunostaining, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, One-tailed Test

Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Article Title: Mesenchymal Stem Cells Restore Endothelial Integrity and Alleviate Emotional Impairments in a Diabetic Mouse Model via Inhibition of MMP-9 Activity

doi: 10.3390/ijms26073355

Figure Lengend Snippet: Figure 6. MSC treatment attenuated DM-induced neuroinflammation and synaptic deficits. (A) Representative immunofluorescence images of Iba1 staining in the HIP of mice from the CTL, MSC, DM, and DM+MSC groups. The dashed box indicates the magnified region shown in the insets. Scale bars: 100 µm (main images) and 20 µm (insets). (B) Quantitative analysis of Iba1+ microglia in the HIP. n = 4. (C) qPCR analysis of iNOS and Arg1 mRNA levels in the HIP of mice from the CTL, MSC, DM, and DM+MSC groups. n = 9. (D) qPCR analysis of mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the HIP of mice from the CTL, MSC, DM, and DM+MSC groups. n = 9. (E) ELISA results showing serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in CTL, MSC, DM, and DM+MSC mice. n = 4. (F) Representative WB images of PSD95 and SYN1 expression in the HIP. β-actin was used as a loading control. (G) Semi-quantitative analysis of PSD95 and SYN1 protein levels. n = 6. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

Article Snippet: The membranes were blocked and incubated overnight with the following antibodies: PSD95 (SYSN, Toronto, ON, Canada, 124002, 1:1000); SYN1 (SYSN, 106011, 1:1000); Cldn5 (Invitrogen, 35-2500, 1:1000); Ocln (Invitrogen, 71-1500, 1:1000); and MMP9 (Boster, Shanghai, China; PB9669, 1:1000).

Techniques: Immunofluorescence, Staining, Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Expressing, Control