| First Author | Bonafina A | Year | 2019 |
| Journal | Cell Rep | Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 13 | Pages | 4308-4319.e4 |
| PubMed ID | 31875542 | Mgi Jnum | J:296505 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6467879 | Doi | 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.100 |
| Citation | Bonafina A, et al. (2019) GDNF and GFRalpha1 Are Required for Proper Integration of Adult-Born Hippocampal Neurons. Cell Rep 29(13):4308-4319.e4 |
| abstractText | The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is required for the survival and differentiation of diverse neuronal populations during nervous system development. Despite the high expression of GDNF and its receptor GFRalpha1 in the adult hippocampus, the functional role of this system remains unknown. Here, we show that GDNF, acting through its GFRalpha1 receptor, controls dendritic structure and spine density of adult-born granule cells, which reveals that GFRalpha1 is required for their integration into preexisting circuits. Moreover, conditional mutant mice for GFRalpha1 show deficits in behavioral pattern separation, a task in which adult neurogenesis is known to play a critical role. We also find that running increases GDNF in the dentate gyrus and promotes GFRalpha1-dependent CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) activation and dendrite maturation. Together, these findings indicate that GDNF/GFRalpha1 signaling plays an essential role in the plasticity of adult circuits, controlling the integration of newly generated neurons. |
