Muscarinic, adenosine and tropomyosin-related kinase B receptors modulate the neuromuscular developmental synapse elimination process

Identifier:  TDX:2567

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2567

Authors:  Nadal Magriñà, Laura

Abstract:
The development of the peripheral nervous system involves an initially exuberant production of neurons and a subsequent activity-dependent reduction in the number of synapses at the neuromuscular junctions (NMJ). This process is called synaptic elimination. At the end of the first postnatal week, each muscle fiber is innervated by a single motoneuron. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR), adenosine receptors (AR) and the tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor may allow the direct competition between nerve endings during synapse elimination through the modulation of acetylcholine release. Here, it has been investigated by confocal microscopy and quantitative morphological analysis the involvement of the individual and synergic or oclusive effect of M1-, M2- and M4-subtypes of mAChRs, A1 and A2A of ARs and TrkB in the control of the axonal elimination in developing NMJ. The results show that mAChRs, ARs and TrkB promote axonal disconnection at the beginning of the second postnatal week without affecting the postsynaptic maturation of the nicotinic receptor cluster. In summary, mAChRs, ARs and TrkB delay axonal loss at P7 but accelerate it at P9. In terms of receptor cooperation, M4 produces some occlusion of the M1 pathway and some addition to the A1 pathway at P7. The cooperation between M1, A1 and A2A receptors promotes axonal loss at P9, whereas the effect of M2 is independent of the other receptors. M1 and TrkB receptors work together to increase axonal loss rate at P9 but the effect of M2 is largely independent of the TrkB receptor. In conclusion, postnatal synapse elimination is a regulated multireceptor mechanism involving the cooperation of several muscarinic, adenosine and TrkB receptor subtypes that guarantees the monoinnervation of the neuromuscular synapses in the end of the process.