1.Role of Calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in synapse formation and synaptic Transmission between Lymnaea neurons
Atiq Hassan ; Nazim Nasir ; Mohammad Suhail khan ; Izhar Husain
ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry 2021;22(9):1-9
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Networks of synaptically connected neurons underlie all brain functions. Various 
cell-cell signaling and extrinsic molecules influence synapse assembly at the synaptic 
site. Calcium ions play a significant role in signal transduction pathways that control 
various neuronal functions. Multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein 
kinase II (CaMK II) is an important mediator of calcium signaling in neurons, it 
plays an essential role in controlling synaptic strength and plasticity, and it is highly 
expressed in the cytosol of developing neurons, especially in presynaptic neurons. 
However, the precise role of CaMKII in synapse formation and synaptic 
transmission has not yet been determined. We hypothesized that CaMKII activity 
could be necessary for synapse formation and synaptic transmission. To test whether 
CaMKII activity is required for the synapse formation and synaptic transmission, 
the identified neurons visceral dorsal 4 (VD4 – presynaptic) and its postsynaptic 
partner left pedal dorsal 1 (LPeD1) from the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis 
were paired in soma-soma configuration in cell culture. The soma-soma paired cells 
recapitulated their excitatory connections in vitro. To test the possible role of 
CaMKII in synapse formation and synaptic transmission, the in vitro paired 
neurons were exposed to a CaMKII-specific inhibitor KN-93 and its inactive analog 
KN-92. The incidence of synapse formation and efficacy of synaptic transmission 
was tested electrophysiologically.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail