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Overabundant endocannabinoids in neurons are detrimental to cognitive function.
- Source :
-
BioRxiv : the preprint server for biology [bioRxiv] 2024 Sep 17. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Sep 17. - Publication Year :
- 2024
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Abstract
- 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is the most prevalent endocannabinoid involved in maintaining brain homeostasis. Previous studies have demonstrated that inactivating monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), the primary enzyme responsible for degrading 2-AG in the brain, alleviates neuropathology and prevents synaptic and cognitive decline in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. However, we show that selectively inhibiting 2-AG metabolism in neurons impairs cognitive function in mice. This cognitive impairment appears to result from decreased expression of synaptic proteins and synapse numbers, impaired long-term synaptic plasticity and cortical circuit functional connectivity, and diminished neurogenesis. Interestingly, the synaptic and cognitive deficits induced by neuronal MAGL inactivation can be counterbalanced by inhibiting astrocytic 2-AG metabolism. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that inhibiting neuronal 2-AG degradation leads to widespread changes in expression of genes associated with synaptic function. These findings suggest that crosstalk in 2-AG signaling between astrocytes and neurons is crucial for maintaining synaptic and cognitive functions and that excessive 2-AG in neurons alone is detrimental to cognitive function.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2692-8205
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- BioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 39345517
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.17.613513