The non-coding RNA BC1 regulates experience-dependent structural plasticity and learning

Victor Briz, Leonardo Restivo, Emanuela Pasciuto, Konrad Juczewski, Valentina Mercaldo, Adrian C Lo, Pieter Baatsen, Natalia V Gounko, Antonella Borreca, Tiziana Girardi, Rossella Luca, Julie Nys, Rogier B Poorthuis, Huibert D Mansvelder, Gilberto Fisone, Martine Ammassari-Teule, Lutgarde Arckens, Patrik Krieger, Rhiannon Meredith, Claudia Bagni

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The brain cytoplasmic (BC1) RNA is a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) involved in neuronal translational control. Absence of BC1 is associated with altered glutamatergic transmission and maladaptive behavior. Here, we show that pyramidal neurons in the barrel cortex of BC1 knock out (KO) mice display larger excitatory postsynaptic currents and increased spontaneous activity in vivo. Furthermore, BC1 KO mice have enlarged spine heads and postsynaptic densities and increased synaptic levels of glutamate receptors and PSD-95. Of note, BC1 KO mice show aberrant structural plasticity in response to whisker deprivation, impaired texture novel object recognition and altered social behavior. Thus, our study highlights a role for BC1 RNA in experience-dependent plasticity and learning in the mammalian adult neocortex, and provides insight into the function of brain ncRNAs regulating synaptic transmission, plasticity and behavior, with potential relevance in the context of intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders.Brain cytoplasmic (BC1) RNA is a non-coding RNA that has been implicated in translational regulation, seizure, and anxiety. Here, the authors show that in the cortex, BC1 RNA is required for sensory deprivation-induced structural plasticity of dendritic spines, as well as for correct sensory learning and social behaviors.

Original languageEnglish
Article number293
Pages (from-to)293
JournalNature Communications
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Aug 2017

Funding

We are thankful to Eef Lemmens and Annick Crevoisier for excellent administrative support and to Jonathan Royaert, Karin Jonkers, Joanna Viguie and Nathalie Leysen for technical assistance with neuronal cultures and mouse colonies. We thank Frone Vandewiele for helping with the membrane fractionation experiments and Ria Van Laer for technical assistance with the CO histochemistry. We are grateful to Zsuzsanna Callaerts-Vegh, Hilde Brems and Rudi D’Hooge for valuable discussions of the behavioral experiments. Finally, we thank Eleonora Rosina, Marijke Laarakker, Martien Kas, Muna Hilal, Carl Petersen, Sermet Berat Semihcan for the preliminary electrophysiological and behavioral data and Egbert Welker and Tilmann Achsel for critical reading of the manuscript, constructive experimental suggestions and data analysis. The Nikon microscope used in this study was acquired through a Hercules Type 1 AKUL/09/037 to Wim Annaert. This work was supported by the Fonds Wetenschap-pelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen (FWO G070511N10 and GO88415N), Telethon (GGP15257), Queen Elisabeth Foundation (FMRE), Solvay Price, VIB, NEURON ERA-NET and 51NF40-158776 NCCR Synapsy to C.B.; Dutch Medical Research Council, NWO ZonMW (# 91710372) to R.M.; EU-BrainTrain (FP7-People-ITN-2008-238055) to C.B. and R.M.; German Research Foundation (SFB 874/A9) to P.K. We are thankful to Eef Lemmens and Annick Crevoisier for excellent administrative support and to Jonathan Royaert, Karin Jonkers, Joanna Viguie and Nathalie Leysen for technical assistance with neuronal cultures and mouse colonies. We thank Frone Vandewiele for helping with the membrane fractionation experiments and Ria Van Laer for technical assistance with the CO histochemistry. We are grateful to Zsuzsanna Callaerts-Vegh, Hilde Brems and Rudi D'Hooge for valuable discussions of the behavioral experiments. Finally, we thank Eleonora Rosina, Marijke Laarakker, Martien Kas, Muna Hilal, Carl Petersen, Sermet Berat Semihcan for the preliminary electrophysiological and behavioral data and Egbert Welker and Tilmann Achsel for critical reading of the manuscript, constructive experimental suggestions and data analysis. The Nikon microscope used in this study was acquired through a Hercules Type 1 AKUL/09/037 to Wim Annaert. This work was supported by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen (FWO G070511N10 and GO88415N), Telethon (GGP15257), Queen Elisabeth Foundation (FMRE), Solvay Price, VIB, NEURON ERANET and 51NF40-158776 NCCR Synapsy to C.B.; Dutch Medical Research Council, NWO ZonMW (# 91710372) to R.M.; EU-BrainTrain (FP7-People-ITN-2008-238055) to C.B. and R.M.; German Research Foundation (SFB 874/A9) to P.K.

FundersFunder number
Dutch Medical Research Council
FMRE
Fonds Wetenschap-pelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen
NWO ZonMwFP7-People-ITN-2008-238055, 91710372
Queen Elisabeth Foundation
Solvay Price
Seventh Framework Programme238055
Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftSFB 874/A9
ZonMw
Fondazione TelethonGGP15257
Fonds Wetenschappelijk OnderzoekGO88415N, G070511N10
Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
Neuron Nadační Fond Na Podporu Vědy51NF40-158776

    Keywords

    • Animals
    • Base Sequence
    • Cells, Cultured
    • Dendritic Spines
    • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials
    • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
    • Journal Article
    • Learning
    • Male
    • Mice, Inbred C57BL
    • Mice, Knockout
    • Microscopy, Electron
    • Neocortex
    • Neuronal Plasticity
    • Pyramidal Cells
    • RNA, Small Cytoplasmic
    • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
    • Sensory Deprivation
    • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
    • Social Behavior
    • Synaptic Transmission
    • Vibrissae

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