Unconventional Molecular Regulation of Synaptic Vesicle Replenishment In
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ß 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | Journal of Cell Science (2015) 128, 638–644 doi:10.1242/jcs.162099 SHORT REPORT Unconventional molecular regulation of synaptic vesicle replenishment in cochlear inner hair cells Christian Vogl1,*, Benjamin H. Cooper2, Jakob Neef1, Sonja M. Wojcik2, Kerstin Reim2, Ellen Reisinger3, Nils Brose2,4,5, Jeong-Seop Rhee6, Tobias Moser1,4,5,* and Carolin Wichmann1,4,7,* ABSTRACT ultrastructural work has indicated that such clear distinctions of morphological and functional preparatory steps in vesicle Ribbon synapses of cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) employ efficient fusion might have been too simple. Instead, protein tethers of vesicle replenishment to indefatigably encode sound. In neurons, different lengths and numbers have been proposed to establish neuroendocrine and immune cells, vesicle replenishment depends vesicular fusion competence (Ferna´ndez-Busnadiego et al., 2010; on proteins of the mammalian uncoordinated 13 (Munc13, also 2+ Ferna´ndez-Busnadiego et al., 2013; Siksou et al., 2009). In known as Unc13) and Ca -dependent activator proteins for neurons, neuroendocrine, immune and airway epithelial cells, this secretion (CAPS) families, which prime vesicles for exocytosis. process employs priming factors belonging to the mammalian Here, we tested whether Munc13 and CAPS proteins also regulate uncoordinated 13 (Munc13, also known as Unc13) and Ca2+- exocytosis in mouse IHCs by combining immunohistochemistry with dependent activator proteins for secretion (CAPS) families auditory systems physiology and IHC patch-clamp recordings of (Dudenho¨ffer-Pfeifer et al., 2013; Imig et al., 2014; Speidel exocytosis in mice lacking Munc13 and CAPS isoforms. et al., 2005; Zhu et al., 2008). The Munc13 protein family Surprisingly, we did not detect Munc13 or CAPS proteins at IHC includes the neuronal isoforms Munc13-1, Munc13-2, Munc13-3 presynaptic active zones and found normal IHC exocytosis as well (also known as Unc13a, Unc13b and Unc13c, respectively) as auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in Munc13 and CAPS and brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor I-associated protein 3 deletion mutants. Instead, we show that otoferlin, a C2-domain (Baiap3), as well as the non-neuronal Munc13-4 isoform protein that is crucial for vesicular fusion and replenishment in IHCs, (Unc13d), whereas CAPS1 and CAPS2 (also known as CADPS clusters at the plasma membrane of the presynaptic active zone. and CADPS2, respectively) constitute the CAPS protein family Electron tomography of otoferlin-deficient IHC synapses revealed a (Ann et al., 1997; Augustin et al., 2001; Betz et al., 2001; Brose reduction of short tethers holding vesicles at the active zone, which et al., 1995; Koch et al., 2000; Shiratsuchi et al., 1998; Speidel might be a structural correlate of impaired vesicle priming in et al., 2003). Munc13s and CAPSs are evolutionarily conserved otoferlin-deficient IHCs. We conclude that IHCs use an (i.e. UNC-13 and UNC-31 in C. elegans, and dUnc13 and dCaps unconventional priming machinery that involves otoferlin. in Drosophila; Aravamudan et al., 1999; Renden et al., 2001; Richmond et al., 1999), and genetic deletion causes dramatic KEY WORDS: Ribbon synapse, Priming, Tether, Munc13, CAPS, defects, ranging from severe reduction to complete loss of the Otoferlin readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles (RRP) and total arrest of spontaneous and evoked neurotransmission in several cell INTRODUCTION types (Augustin et al., 1999; Jockusch et al., 2007; Liu et al., The mechanisms that establish fusion competence of synaptic 2010; Varoqueaux et al., 2002). vesicles are classically defined as tethering, docking and priming. Replenishment of the RRP is likely rate-limiting for tonic In this framework, vesicles are first loosely tethered to the neurotransmitter release at ribbon synapses. Governed by presynaptic active zone membrane, then closely attach to the receptor potentials, each inner hair cell (IHC) active zone membrane upon docking and finally undergo further maturation transmits acoustic information through graded release of up to steps to gain full fusion competence. Recent high-resolution hundreds of vesicles per second. For this challenging task, IHC synapses must employ mechanisms of vesicle replenishment 1 that involve otoferlin, a multi-C domain protein that is crucial Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, Department of 2 Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Go¨ttingen, 37099 Go¨ttingen, for exocytosis in cochlear IHCs and vestibular hair cells (Roux Germany. 2Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of et al., 2006; Dulon et al., 2009; Pangrsˇicˇ et al., 2012). Otoferlin Experimental Medicine, 37075 Go¨ttingen, Germany. 3Molecular Biology of Cochlear Neurotransmission Group, InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, is required for hearing (Roux et al., 2006; Yasunaga et al., University Medical Center Go¨ttingen, 37075 Go¨ttingen, Germany. 4Collaborative 1999) and thought to act as a priming factor and vesicular Research Center 889, University of Go¨ttingen, 37099 Go¨ttingen, Germany. Ca2+-sensor for release in IHCs (Johnson and Chapman, 2010; 5Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University of Go¨ttingen, 37073 Go¨ttingen, Germany. 6Neurophysiology Group, Pangrsˇicˇ et al., 2010; Roux et al., 2006). However, which other Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental proteins contribute to establishing vesicular fusion competence Medicine, 37075 Go¨ttingen, Germany. 7Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical in IHCs remains to be determined. Here, we combined Center Go¨ttingen, 37099 Go¨ttingen, Germany. functional and morphological approaches to investigate the roles of Munc13-like priming factors in IHCs. Our data indicate *Authors for correspondence ([email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]) that the conventional Munc13- and CAPS-dependent priming machinery of central nervous system (CNS) synapses does not Received 31 August 2014; Accepted 16 December 2014 operate in exocytosis at IHC ribbon synapses. Journal of Cell Science 638 SHORT REPORT Journal of Cell Science (2015) 128, 638–644 doi:10.1242/jcs.162099 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Hearing is unaffected in mouse mutants lacking Munc13 or CAPS priming factors To assess the impact of genetic disruption of Munc13 and CAPS proteins on auditory function, we recorded auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) evoked by short tone bursts and clicks in knockout (KO) mice for Munc13-1, -2, -3, -4 and Baiap3 as well as CAPS1 and CAPS2. Given that genetic deletion of Munc13-1 and CAPS1 results in perinatal lethality, we recorded ABRs from mice heterozygous for these genes. We did not observe alterations of ABR thresholds nor changes in amplitudes or latencies of the ABR wave I, reporting the compound action potential of the spiral ganglion, in any of the mutants when compared to wild-type (WT) littermates (Fig. 1; supplementary material Fig. S1). Moreover, we recorded distortion product otoacoustic emissions to evaluate outer hair cell function, but did not detect a statistically significant change for any of the mutant mouse strains suggesting intact cochlear amplification (data not shown). Therefore, disruption of Munc13 and CAPS does not seem to affect sound encoding in the cochlea. However, we note that testing the effect of complete deletion of Munc13-1 and CAPS1 in IHCs will require future experiments on conditional knockout mice, as the heterozygous state tested here might provide protein copy numbers that still support normal functionality (Augustin et al., 1999). Loss of Munc13 or CAPS priming factors does not alter Ca2+ currents and exocytosis of IHCs To clarify the contributions of the main Munc13 and CAPS isoforms to IHCs presynaptic function, we analyzed presynaptic Ca2+ currents and exocytosis in the respective deletion mutant mice. We used an organotypic culture approach to investigate the effect of genetic deletion of both CAPS1 and CAPS2 (hereafter CAPS1/2-DKO) or both Munc13-1 and Munc-13-2 (hereafter Munc13-1/2-DKO) on Ca2+-driven exocytosis in IHCs in vitro (Fig. 2). Cultured organs of Corti appear to mature analogously to the in vivo situation (Sobkowicz et al., 1982) and are suitable for patch-clamp recordings of presynaptic function (Nouvian et al., 2011; Reisinger et al., 2011). After a week in culture, the overall organ of Corti morphology was preserved and IHCs abundantly expressed otoferlin (Fig. 2A). When comparing IHC Ca2+ currents from CAPS1/2-DKO and Munc13-1/2-DKO with data from WT and otoferlin-knockout (Otof-KO) mice, we did not detect differences in voltage-dependence, amplitude (Fig. 2B, maximal amplitudes WT, 292625 pA; Otof-KO, 291631 pA, Fig. 1. Hearing thresholds remain unaffected in Munc13 and CAPS deletion mutants. (A) Domain overview of Munc13-like protein isoforms CAPS1/2-DKO: 306630 pA, Munc13-1/2-DKO: 286620 pA; highlighting the conservation of the Munc13 homology domain (MHD; mean6s.e.m., P.0.05 between all groups) or kinetics (Fig. 2C). adapted from Koch et al., 2000). C1,C1 domain; C2,C2 domain. Comparable Exocytosis was monitored as changes in membrane capacitance ABR thresholds in (B) Munc13-1+/2 and Munc13-42/2, (C) Munc13-22/2, 2+ 2/2 +/2 2/2 (DCm) in response to the maximal Ca influx elicited by (D) Munc13-3 and (E) CAPS1 CAPS2 mice and age-matched WT depolarization of varying