Tau target identification reveals NSF-dependent effects on AMPA receptor trafficking and memory formation (2022)
Figure 5

Figure 5. Tau regulates NSF localization and GluA2 trafficking in chemically induced plasticity

(A) Impaired AMPA-type glutamate receptor surface expression in cultured tau-/- neurons. Cortical tau+/+ or tau-/- neurons were surface biotinylated after incubation with non-competitive NMDAR antagonist MK-801 (50 μM, 3 min) and/or GABAAR antagonist bicuculline (30 μM, 10 min) at 37°C. Surface GluA1 levels were detected by immunoblot after with streptavidin (SA) enrichment. Input was probed for total cellular GluA1, NSF, tau and βIII-tubulin. (n = 3 biological replicates) Input and SA-enrichment from non-surface biotinylated neurons served as negative controls.

(B) Reduced neuronal surface GluA1 in tau-/- neurons. Quantification of tau+/+ and tau-/- surface GluA1 upon treatment and SA-enrichment shown in (A).

(C) Cell surface GluA1 and total NSF immunostaining in primary mouse hippocampal neurons (DIV15). Tau+/+, tau-/- neurons and tau-/- expressing human tau (tau-/-.AAVtau) were treated with either vehicle (Veh; DMSO) or MK-801 (50 μM) for 3 min. Representative confocal images of whole cell (left) and neurites (right) are shown (n = 3 biological replicates). NSF, surface GluA1 and cell nuclei (DAPI) were visualized. Scale bar, 25 μm.

(D-E) Quantification of neurite surface GluA1 and neurite NSF relative to tau+/+ Veh control. Reduced surface GluA1 (D) and total NSF (n = 10-12 neurites from 3 biological replicates) (E) localized to neurites in tau-/- neurons treated with MK801 (n = 21-23 neurites from 3 biological replicates).

(F) Changes in secondary dendrite GluA2 expression in neurons (DIV18) upon cLTP/cLTD induction. Tau-/- neurons were transfected with tau at DIV12 (= tau-/-.tau) or mock transfected (tau-/-). Cells were stained for GluA2, dendritic marker Map2, and NSF at 2 h post-cLTP/cLTD induction or treatment with control artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). Dendritic GluA2 cluster analysis was based on GluA2-Map2 binary intensity map. Representative insets from n = 10-20 dendrites per condition from 2 mice per genotype. Scale bar, 3 μm.

(G) Quantification of GluA2 mean intensity relative to Map2 area and normalised to aCSF controls. Secondary dendrite GluA2 increased in tau-expressing (tau+/+ and tau-/-.tau) neurons upon cLTP induction. (n = 10-19 dendrites from 3 biological replicates).

(H) Representative immunostaining for whole-cell NSF and GluA2 in tau+/+, tau-/- and tau-transfected tau-/- (tau-/-.tau) neurons at 2 h post-cLTP/cLTD induction or treatment with control artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). (n = 3-6 biological replicates per condition with 10-20 cells each). Scale bar, 10 μm. Arrows indicate areas of marked co-distribution.

(I) Co-localisation analysis of NSF and GluA2 upon chemical LTP/LTD induction. Note significantly higher proportional co-distribution of NSF and GluA2 in tau-expressing (tau+/+ and tau-/-.tau) cells upon cLTP induction. (n = 3-6 cells from 3 biological replicates).

Data information: Values are means ± S.E.M (normalized to control). Adjusted p-values: ****p < 0.0001, ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05, ns, not significant, ANOVA with Sidak's test.