Keywords
Epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, interneuron, GABA, CA1
Abstract
244 Introduction: 464 Word Count: 4687 words
Number of figures/tables: 6 Color Figures: 6
Number of pages: 30 Supplementary Figures: 2
Author contributions: D. S., C.E., A.H., J.B., and H.N. performed experiments; D. S., C.E.,
A.H., M.W.S., V.S., and T.S.T. analyzed data and interpreted results of experiments; C.E., D.S.,
and A. H. prepared figures; M.W.S., V.S., and T.S.T. conception and design of research; D.S,
C.E., M.W.S., V.S. and T.S.T. drafted manuscript.
Declaration of interest: The authors have no known competing financial interests or personal
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
#Correspondence:
Vijayalakshmi Santhakumar, PhD Tracy Tran PhD,
Department of Molecular, Cell and Department of Biological Sciences,
Systems Biology Rutgers University,
University of California, Riverside Newark, NJ 07102
Riverside, CA 92521 E-mail:
[email protected]
E-mail:
[email protected]
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Abstract
Dysregulation of development, migration, and function of interneurons, collectively termed
interneuronopathies, have been proposed as a shared mechanism for autism spectrum disorders
(ASDs) and childhood epilepsy. Neuropilin-2 (Nrp2), a candidate ASD gene, is a critical
regulator of interneuron migration from the median ganglionic eminence (MGE) to the pallium,
including the hippocampus. While clinical studies have identified Nrp2 polymorphisms in
patients with ASD, whether dysregulation of Nrp2-dependent interneuron migration contributes
to pathogenesis of ASD and epilepsy has not been tested. We tested the hypothesis that the lack
of Nrp2 in MGE-derived interneuron precursors disrupts the excitation/inhibition balance in
hippocampal circuits, thus predisposing the network to seizures and behavioral patterns
associated with ASD. Embryonic deletion of Nrp2 during the developmental period for
migration of MGE derived interneuron precursors (iCKO) significantly reduced parvalbumin,
neuropeptide Y, and somatostatin positive neurons in the hippocampal CA1. Consequently, when
compared to controls, the frequency of inhibitory synaptic currents in CA1 pyramidal cells was
reduced while frequency of excitatory synaptic currents was increased in iCKO mice. Although
passive and active membrane properties of CA1 pyramidal cells were unchanged, iCKO mice
showed enhanced susceptibility to chemically evoked seizures. Moreover, iCKO mice exhibited
selective behavioral deficits in both preference for social novelty and goal-directed learning,
which are consistent with ASD-like phenotype. Together, our findings show that disruption of
developmental Nrp2 regulation of interneuron circuit establishment, produces ASD-like
behaviors and enhanced risk for epilepsy. These results support the developmental
interneuronopathy hypothesis of ASD epilepsy comorbidity.
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Introduction
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and epilepsy are highly comorbid conditions that are
proposed to share common pathophysiological mechanisms. Anomalies in the development,
migration, and function of interneurons, collectively termed interneuronopathies, are closely
associated with ASD and epilepsy (1–4). In particular, the development of seizures and
behavioral impairments observed in ASD are associated with altered function of inhibitory
neurons. GABAergic interneurons play a pivotal role in the organization and function of the
hippocampus, a brain region frequently associated with ASD and epilepsy (5,6). Disruptions in
the establishment of interneuron circuits can compromise hippocampal network function,
potentially serving as a common factor contributing to the observed high comorbidity between
ASD and epilepsy (7–12). Here we report that developmental dysregulation of a classical
guidance cue receptor Neuropilin-2 (Nrp2) specifically in developing interneurons compromises
hippocampal circuit function and predisposes the network to seizures and behavioral deficits
consistent with ASD.
During embryonic development, the class 3 secreted semaphorins and their obligate
binding receptors, the neuropilins, are key regulators of neuronal migration, axonal guidance,
dendritic morphology, and synaptic specificity of various cell types (13–15). Notably, Nrp2 is a
candidate ASD gene on SFARI (Score 2) and polymorphisms in Nrp2 gene have been reported
in patients with autistic syndromes (16,17). In excitatory neurons, Nrp2 expression contributes to
pruning of synapses, spines and axons, whereas, in inhibitory neurons, Nrp2 regulates migration
of interneurons from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) to the pallium, including the
hippocampus (18–20). During embryonic development, the expression of Nrp2 in interneuron
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progenitors is tightly regulated by the transcription factor Nkx2.1 (21), and allows for migration
of parvalbumin (PV+), somatostatin (SOM+) and neuropeptide-Y (NPY+) expressing
interneurons to the cortex and hippocampus (22). We previously found that global constitutive
knockout of Nrp2 leads to loss of hippocampal interneurons, produces behavioral phenotypes
consistent with ASD, and increases seizure susceptibility (23,24). However, whether selective
deletion of Nrp2 in interneurons alone and during their time of migration to the cortex and
hippocampus could result in ASD/epilepsy phenotypes is currently not known. We hypothesize
that loss of Nrp2 during embryonic ages (E12.5-13.5) specifically in interneuron precursors
derived from the MGE will result in fewer inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus. We predict
that the ensuing altered inhibition and related circuit plasticity will disrupt hippocampal function,
increase seizure susceptibility, and impair hippocampal-dependent behaviors. To test these
hypotheses, we deleted Nrp2 in MGE-derived interneuron precursors by crossing the Nrp2 flox
conditional mouse with the Nkx2.1-CreERT2 driver line, where cre recombinase expression is
induced by tamoxifen administered to pregnant dams on E12.5 and E13.5. The resulting
genotype Nrp2
f/f;Nkx2.1-Cre+ (iCKO) animals and littermate controls were used to examine
hippocampal CA1 circuit functions and evaluated whether the lack of Nrp2 in interneuron
precursors enhances the risk for development of seizures and behavioral deficits consistent with
ASD.
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Materials and methods
Animals
All experiments were performed in accordance with IACUC protocols approved by
Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, and the University of California at Riverside, CA and in
keeping with the ARRIVE guidelines. The Nrp2 floxed mouse (25), which contains an IRES-
GFP-polyA sequence inserted immediately downstream of the 3’ loxP in the targeting construct
that allows the expression of GFP following cre recombination in all conditional mutant (-/-)
neurons, was crossed with the Nkx2.1-CreERT2 mouse (stock #014552, The Jackson
Laboratory), to selectively target MGE-derived interneuron progenitors during embryonic
development (21) (See Fig. 1A). Cre recombinase was induced by administering tamoxifen (5
mg, by oral gavage) to the pregnant dams at E12.5 and E13.5, during the peak timeline for
developmental interneuron migration (Fig. 1B). Deletion of Nrp2 in the progeny
(Nrp2f/f;Nkx2.1Cre+) resulted in inhibitory conditional knockout (iCKO) mice and was verified
by visualization of GFP expression in the hippocampus in adult mice (Fig. 1C&D). All
appropriate littermates, such as Cre negative Nrp2+/f;Cre- or Nrp2f/f;Cre- and Nrp2+/+;Cre+, were
used as controls. In immunostaining and behavioral studies, data from Nrp2+/f;Cre+ mice were
not statically different from Cre negative controls or Nrp2 +/+;Cre+ mice and were pooled for
analysis. Mice used in these studies were b ackcrossed for at least 10 generations to the
C57BL/6NTac background strain. Nrp2 genotypes were confirmed by using polymerase chain
reaction (PCR).
Immunostaining and cell count:
Immunostaining, cell counts, and photo-documentation are as detailed previously in
Eisenberg et al 2021 (24) and described in detail in Supplementary Methods.
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Ex vivo physiology:
Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of CA1 pyramidal cells (CA1 PCs) were obtained
from horizontal hippocampal slices (350µm) of littermate controls ( Nrp2+/f;Cre- or Nrp2f/f;Cre-)
and iCKO mice ( Nrp2f/f;Nkx2.1Cre+ ; n = 3 animals/group, 12 months old). Slice preparation
and recording methods are as detailed previously (24,26). Voltage and current clamp recordings
were obtained using MultiClamp 700B amplifiers, digitized at 10kHz using DigiData 1440A or
DigiData 1550B and recorded using pClamp10 software (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA).
Active and passive properties were recorded in current clamp from a holding potential of -70mV
using K-Gluconate based internal solution. Voltage clamp recording from CA1 PCs held at -
70mV and 0mV were used to isolate glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic inputs, respectively,
using a Cesium-based internal solution. Action potential independent miniature currents were
isolated by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 1
μ M). Intrinsic properties were analyzed using pClamp software
10.7 (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA) and synaptic currents were detected using template
search feature in Easy Electrophysiology (version 2.6).
In vivo electrophysiology:
Eight mice (5 Nrp2+/f;Cre- or Nrp2f/f;Cre- littermate controls and 3 Nrp2f/f;NkxCre+; average age
of 8.75 ±/i2 0.70 months, five males and three females) were surgically implanted a tungsten wire
depth electrode (50 μ m, California Fine Wire company) in the CA1 subfield (AP:2 mm, ML: 1.5
mm, DV: 1.2mm from bregma) and a cortical screw electrode. Two additional screw electrodes
(Invivo1, Roanoke, VA) on the contralateral hemisphere served as ground and reference. After
3–5 days of recovery, mice were connected to a tethered video-EEG monitoring system. Signals
were sampled at 10 kHz, amplified (preamplifier: 8202-SE3, gain – x100, Pinnacle
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Technologies, Lawrence, KS), digitized (Powerlabs16/35, AD Instruments, Colorado Springs,
CO), and recorded using LabChart 8.0 (AD instruments). Following 30 minutes of baseline
recordings, mice received a single high dose of KA (20 mg/kg), and their latency to
electrographic seizure, seizure duration, and mortality were quantified. Seizures were scored by a
blinded investigator (S.K) based on a modified Racine scale. Seizure severity scores in the first
30 min were averaged over 5 min epochs.
Behavior testing
The behavior methods are fully described in the supplemental methods and in previous
publications (23)
Social novelty test
We assessed social behavior in a three-chambered arena. In the first phase, one chamber
contained a caged mouse, the opposite chamber contained an empty cage, and the test mouse was
able to explore both chambers. During the test for social novelty, which was conducted
immediately following the first phase, one chamber contained the familiar mouse used
previously, and the opposite chamber contained a novel mouse. In both phases, the test mouse
explored the arena for 5 minutes. We assessed time spent sniffing the novel and familiar mouse
from video footage.
Novel object recognition test
The test mouse explored two identical objects in an open field arena for 10 minutes. After
a 30-min retention interval, the mouse reentered the arena, which contained an object they
previously encountered (familiar object) and a novel object. Two observers blind to experimental
conditions assessed time spent sniffing the novel and familiar objects from video footage.
Instrumental goal directed behavior test
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We tested mice on an instrumental goal-directed learning task. Food-restricted mice
pressed levers to obtain food pellets. Responses on one lever delivered chocolate-flavored
pellets, whereas responses on the opposite lever delivered grain pellets. Mice underwent 36
instrumental training sessions, two sessions per day, with each lever trained in separate sessions.
Mice then underwent a selective-satiety outcome devaluation procedure, in which they had free
access to one flavor of food pellets in their home cage for 1 hour. In the choice test that followed,
both levers were available, and mice could respond for 5 minutes, with no pellets delivered
during the test. After 4 retraining sessions, we repeated the test with the opposite outcome
devalued prior to the choice test.
Statistical analysis
Unpaired t-tests, two-way ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni’s, Sidak’s or Tukey’s
multiple comparison correction were used to compare cell count and behavioral data.
Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for cumulative distributions was used to evaluate differences in
distribution of synaptic parameters. Unpaired students t-test was used to compare differences in
intrinsic properties, latency to convulsive seizures and the total time spent in seizures. Mantel-
Cox test was used for survival analysis. All statistical tests were conducted in GraphPad Prism.
The difference between two dependent means (matched pairs) was used to determine the
sample size requirement of behavioral tests using G*Power 3.1 software. A sample size
requirement of three to seven animals for cell counts and 5 to 8 for behavior testing was
estimated by using 80% power and an effect size found in previous work and literature.
Exclusion criteria of three standard deviations from the mean was pre-established for behavior
tests. One mutant mouse performed over three standard deviations lower than the mean and was
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therefore eliminated from behavior analysis. Significance was set to p/i2 </i2 0.05. Data are shown
as mean/i2 ±/i2 SEM or median and interquartile range (IQR), as appropriate.
Results
Developmental deletion of Nrp2 in interneuron progenitors reduces hippocampal
interneuron density.
Previously, Nrp2 was shown to be expressed in MGE derived interneuron precursors and is
critical for cortical and hippocampal migration of interneurons (20,28). To examine the impact of
Nrp2 expression in inhibitory neuron precursors on hippocampal circuit formation and function,
we generated the Nrp2
f/f;Nkx2.1-CreERT2+ (iCKO), where cre recombinase expression is
induced by feeding the pregnant dams with tamoxifen on E12.5 and E13.5 (Fig. 1A-B).
Induction of cre-recombinase was confirmed by GFP expression in the hippocampus of the
iCKO mice, as the Nrp2 flox contained an IRES-GFP-pA sequence that will be shifted in frame
to be transcribed upon cre recombination, but not in littermate controls (Fig.1C-D).
To understand the effects of Nrp2 deletion on the distribution of different MGE derived
hippocampal inhibitory neuron subtypes, we quantified the population of PV+, SOM+ and
NPY+ expressing interneurons in hippocampal subfields of iCKO mice. We particularly focused
on the CA1 subfield, a region closely associated with storing social memories and pathologically
implicated in ASD (29,30). Soma targeting PV+ interneurons are estimated to account for 21%
of MGE-derived interneurons (31). Selective deletion of Nrp2 led to a 32.91% decrease in
hippocampal PV+ interneurons population compared to control mice (Fig. 1E-J, PV neurons /
section, littermate control: 52.06±4.56; iCKO: 39.17±1.81; n=5 mice, averaged over 10 sections
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in each, p=0.03; t(8)=2.629 unpaired t-test). In the CA1 region, we observed a 24.54% decrease in
PV+ neuron population (mean cell count control: 22.04±1.61; iCKO: 16.63±0.81 in n=5 mice
each p=0.01; t(32)=3.176 by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparison correction).
We did not observe a difference in PV+ neurons in other hippocampal subfields including
dentate gyrus (DG), CA2 and CA3.
Dendrite targeting SOM+ neurons are important in regulating dendritic inputs and MGE-
derived interneurons account for approximately 60% of SOM+ neuron population in the
hippocampus (31). Following deletion of Nrp2, we observed a 37.12% decrease in overall
hippocampal SOM+ population (Fig. 2A-F; cell count, control: 84.03±7.88; iCKO: 52.83±7.50,
p=0.0426; t
(6)=2.565 unpaired t-test). In the CA1 we observed a substantial 46.41% decrease in
SOM+ neurons (cell count: control: 36.90±3.97; iCKO: 19.78±3.14 in n=5 mice each p=0.0004;
t(24)=4.659 by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparison correction). Interestingly,
there was an apparent reduction in SOM+ cells in the DG, but the difference did not reach
statistical significance (p=0.385). We did not observe any differences in SOM+ cells in CA2 and
CA3 subfields of the hippocampus.
We next quantified the population of NPY+ expressing interneurons which contribute to
shaping synchronized activity in hippocampal circuits (32,33). We observed a 40.7% decrease in
total NPY+ expressing interneurons in the hippocampus. (Fig. 2G-L; mean cell count: controls:
80.63±3.30; iCKO: 47.83±1.93, n=5 each p=0.0003; t
(6)=7.674 unpaired t-test). In the CA1
subfield, we observed a 49.02% decrease in NPY+ neurons (mean cell count: controls:
33.90±3.10; iCKO: 17.01±1.81, t(24)=6.519; two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple
comparison correction p<0.0001). In other subfields including DG, CA2 and CA3, we observed
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a trend towards a decrease in NPY+ neurons ( p=0.2135, p=0.4776 and p =0.0755 respectively)
which did not reach statistical significance.
Together, our results show a significant decrease in PV+, SOM+ and NPY+ interneuron
population in the CA1 following developmental deletion of Nrp2 in MGE-interneuron
precursors. This reduction in interneuron populations supporting perisomatic and dendritic
feedback inhibition is likely to have functional consequences at a neuronal and network level
which we examined further.
Developmental Nrp2 deletion in interneurons alters inhibitory and excitatory synaptic
transmission in CA1.
Altered excitation / inhibition balance is considered a fundamental pathophysiological
mechanism affecting cortical and hippocampal function in ASD (7,8). Decrease in interneuron
populations in CA1 can alter basal inhibitory control of CA1 pyramidal cells (PCs) and lead to
compensatory changes. We examined whether action potential dependent spontaneous inhibitory
currents and action potential independent miniature inhibitory synaptic inputs to CA1 were
affected in iCKO mice. Voltage clamp recordings of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic
currents (sIPSCs) in CA1 PCs revealed a significant increase in interevent intervals (IEI),
indicating a decrease frequency in iCKO mice (Fig.3A,B, sIPSC interevent intervals in ms,
controls: 115.3 ± 4.57, median: 71.40, IQR: 35.0 - 150.9, n =8 cells from 3 mice; iCKO: 133.6 ±
4.82, median: 87.65, IQR: 42.2 – 166.9, n =9 cells from 3 mice; p = 0.0037 by Kolmogorov-
Smirnov test, Cohen’s D: 0.13). However, iCKO mice showed an increase in sIPSC amplitude
compared to control mice (Fig.3B boxed inset; in pA: controls: 17.56 ± 1.086, median: 15.51,
IQR: 12.46 - 21.23, iCKO: 22.29 ± 1.059, median: 20.30, IQR 16.04 – 25.51; n=8 vs 9 cells from
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3 mice; p <0.0001 by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Cohen’s D: 0.50). While reduction in sIPSC
frequency could potentially arise due reduced interneuron population in the CA1, increase in
sIPSC amplitude suggests homeostatic synaptic scaling in iCKO mice (34). Further examination
of action potential independent miniature currents (mIPSC) also revealed a significant increase in
interevent intervals (decrease in frequency) in iCKO mice indicating a potential decrease in
inhibitory neuron synapses on to CA1 PCs or release probability (Fig. 3C-D; mIPSC IEI in ms,
controls: 88.79 ± 3.04, median: 68.45, IQR: 33.53 – 113.1, n =8 cells from 3 mice; iCKO : 126.5
± 4.87, median: 85.40, IQR: 45.13 – 163.9, n = 7 cells from 3 mice; p<0.0001 by Kolmogorov-
Smirnov test, Cohen’s D: 0.37). Unlike sIPSC amplitude, there was a decrease in mIPSC
amplitude in iCKO mice (Fig. 3D boxed inset; in pA: control: 17 ± 0.25, median: 15.45, IQR
11.88 – 20.41, iCKO: 18.05 ± 0.29, median: 16.65, IQR 12.94-21.28, p<0.001 by Kolmogorov-
Smirnov test, Cohen’s D: 0.14). Together our data show a significant reduction in spontaneous
and miniature inhibitory inputs to CA1 PCs in iCKO mice.
Impaired inhibitory control of CA1 PCs can augment network excitability or lead to
compensatory/homeostatic plasticity (34). To determine if the reduction in inhibition altered
excitatory drive to PCs, we evaluated genotype specific differences in sEPSC frequency and
amplitude in CA1 PCs. Contrary to expectations based on homeostatic plasticity, CA1 PCs from
iCKO mice showed an increase in the frequency of sEPSCs compared to controls. (Fig. 4A-B;
sEPSC interevent intervals in ms: controls: 1424 ± 59.22, median: 765.7, IQR: 250.2 - 1872, n=
9 cells from 3 mice; iCKO: 1145 ± 44.28, median: 698.4, IQR: 265.7 – 1563, n= 9 cells from 3
mice; p= 0.0243 by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Cohen’s D: 0.17). However, sEPSC amplitude
was not statistically different between groups (Fig 4B boxed inset; in pA, controls: 17.34 ±
1.127, iCKO: 17.29 ± 0.902, n=9 cells from 3 mice/group). Together, our findings demonstrate a
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deficit in basal inhibitory inputs and a potentially maladaptive increase in excitatory inputs
which could act in concert to enhance CA1 network excitability in iCKO mice.
Nrp2 deletion in interneurons does not affect intrinsic physiology of CA1 PCs.
Homeostatic tuning of neuronal intrinsic properties often occurs to stabilize circuit function
(35). Our findings show significant changes in inhibitory circuit function along with an increase
in excitatory inputs in CA1 subfield after Nrp2 deletion. Therefore, we evaluated whether the
synaptic changes were accompanied by alterations in intrinsic active and passive properties of
CA1 PCs. In current clamp recordings, CA1 PCs (Fig 4C) showed no differences in the
frequency of action potential firing in response to step current injections (Fig. 4D-E). Although,
firing threshold of CA1 PC’s were not different between control and iCKO mice, action potential
amplitude was significantly increased (Fig 4F; Action potential threshold in mV: controls -
42.58 ± 1.03, iCKO: -44.25 ± 1.44; amplitude in mV: controls 78.32 ± 1.72, iCKO 89.36 ±
2.55, n = controls 15 cells from 3 mice, iCKO 11 cells from 3 mice, p =0.0011 , t
(24)= 3.722
unpaired t-test). However, spike frequency adaptation and fast afterhyperpolarization (fAHP) in
iCKO mice was not different from control (Supplementary Fig 1A-B, Spike frequency
adaptation: controls 0.771 ± 0.086, iCKO: 0.582 ± 0.120; n = controls 15 cells from 3 mice,
iCKO 11 cells from 3 mice). Examining passive membrane properties revealed no differences in
resting membrane potential (RMP), input resistance (Rin), and sag ratio between controls and
iCKO mice (Fig 4F and supplementary Fig. 1C. RMP in mV, control: -69.07 ± 0.658; iCKO: -
67.64 ± 1.370; Rin in M
Ω , control: 113.9 ± 5.415, iCKO: 121.5 ± 6.124; Sag Ratio: controls
0.955 ± 0.003, iCKO: 0.954 ± 0.003; n = controls 15 cells from 3 mice, iCKO 11 cells from 3
mice). These results demonstrate that CA1 PC active and passive intrinsic properties are mostly
unchanged by selective deletion of Nrp2 in interneurons.
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Selective deletion of Nrp2 in interneurons increases risk for seizures.
Since our experiments consistently show a decrease in interneuron population, network
inhibition and increased excitatory neurotransmission, we examined if this could result in
increased seizure susceptibility. Interestingly, we noticed an increase in mortality specifically in
iCKO mice after electrode implant (n=3 of 6). Nevertheless, we did not observe spontaneous
seizures or epileptiform activity in iCKO mice during the brief 30 min baseline recording period.
iCKO mice injected with a single convulsive dose of KA (20mg/kg, i.p) showed a significantly
shorter latency to develop convulsive seizures and reached status epilepticus more rapidly (Fig.
5A-B; latency in minutes, Controls: 27.7 ± 3.27, n=5; iCKO: 4.8 ± 1.95, n= 5 vs 3, p=0.0025,
t
(6)= 4.993 unpaired t-test). At 30 minutes post injection, all iCKO mice reached stage 4 seizures,
classified using a modified Racine scale whereas, only 1 control mouse exhibited stage 4 seizure.
Moreover, iCKO mice showed a 100% mortality within the first 60 minutes of KA induction
whereas all control animals survived this period (Fig.5C; Mean latency to mortality in iCKO
mice: 27.02 ± 12.22 minutes, p = 0.022, Mantel-Cox Test). Importantly, iCKO mice spent ~60%
of their time after KA injection exhibiting behavioral seizures compared to controls (Fig.5D,
measured as total time spent in convulsive seizures/total time from induction to death or 60
minutes: Controls: 19.78 ± 4.42%; iCKO: 60.69 ± 3.12%, n = 5 vs 3, p <0.001, t
(6)=6.483,
unpaired t-test). Together, our experiments demonstrate iCKO mice exhibit greater seizure
susceptibility than controls.
Social novelty and goal directed behaviors are impaired in mice with interneuron targeted
Nrp2 deletion.
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Given Nrp2’s association with ASD in humans, and our previous results showing social,
learning, and sensorimotor alterations in Nrp2-null mice, we examined ASD-relevant behaviors
in iCKO mice. We found that preference for social novelty, measured as the proportion of time
spent investigating a novel versus a familiar mouse, was impaired in iCKO mice compared to
littermate controls (Fig. 6A). Unlike control mice, which showed a significant preference for the
novel mouse, iCKO mice showed no preference for social novelty (Fig. 6B; two-way ANOVA
interaction F
(1,36)=6.388, p=0.0110; n=11 controls and 9 iCKO mice) . Further analysis failed to
reveal genotype specific differences in overall investigation time (in sec, control = 110 ± 21 sec;
iCKO = 94 ± 25 sec) indicating that the difference in responses is not due to an overall lack of
interest in social interactions.
Since social preference test relies on memory of previous encounters, we tested whether
deficits in episodic memory could have contributed to deficits in social novelty preference in
iCKO mice. However, iCKO mice did not differ from control mice in an object recognition
memory test (Fig 6C), indicating that the lack of preference for social novelty reflects a specific
change in social behavior in iCKO mice.
In addition to changes in social behavior, iCKO mice differed from control mice in goal-
directed behavior (Fig.6D) in an instrumental lever press task with two actions associated with
two distinct food outcomes. Devaluation of one instrumental outcome significantly shifted the
choice of the control mouse to the action (lever press) associated with the valued outcome,
whereas the actions of iCKO mice showed no sensitivity to changes in outcome value (Fig. 6E;
two-way ANOVA interaction F
(1,26)=8.265 p<0.0001; n=7 controls and 8 iCKO) . Importantly,
iCKO mice and controls did not differ in acquisition of the instrumental response (Fig. 6F)
demonstrating iCKO mice were capable of acquiring and performing a lever press action and
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showed no learning deficits. Similarly, locomotor measures in the open field and accelerating
rotarod were not different between iCKO mice and controls (Supplementary Fig 2A-B)
indicating lack of motor impairments. Moreover, control and iCKO mice did not differ in the
time spent in open arm of the elevated-zero maze or grooming behavior (Supplementary Fig 2 C-
D) revealing iCKO mice were not more anxious than controls. Therefore, the inability to adjust
actions to changes in outcome value in iCKO mice strongly suggest a selective impairment in
control of goal-directed actions.
Together, these findings suggest that Nrp2-dependent interneuron circuit development is a
critical factor determining proper social behavior and cognitive flexibility in mice, and deficits in
Nrp2 during development can significantly impair these functions.
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Discussion
Dysregulated excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance is often considered a unifying pathology
underlying Autism-Epilepsy comorbidity. Altered functional connectivity, loss of interneurons or
hypoactive interneurons have been proposed to underlie this shift in functional E/I balance (8).
The emerging role of interneurons as critical determinants of circuit dysfunction in ASD is
evident from studies in animal models and humans (2,11). Despite this knowledge, the molecular
determinants of altered inhibitory circuits during neurodevelopment and the impact of such
maladaptive circuits on network and behavioral function are unknown. Neuropilin-2 and its
interactions with its ligand the secreted semaphorin 3F are crucial in establishing normal
migration of interneuron to the cortex, the lack of which has been shown to result in increased
NPY+ expressing interneurons in the striatum (20). Importantly, Nrp2 is a candidate ASD gene
on SFARI (Score 2) and polymorphisms in Nrp2 gene have been reported in patients with
autistic syndromes (16,17). We previously demonstrated that global Nrp2 deletion results in a
significant decrease in density of several MGE-derived interneuron subtypes in hippocampus and
reduced hippocampal inhibition (24). However, the effects of selective embryonic Nrp2 deletion
in MGE-derived interneuron precursors and its impact on hippocampal interneuron population
and inhibition was unknown. The current studies directly address this gap in knowledge and
demonstrate that embryonic deletion of Nrp2 selectively in MGE-derived interneuron precursors
leads to a significant reduction in PV+, SOM+ and NPY+ interneurons in the hippocampus. The
reduction in interneuron numbers in the hippocampus could result from mislocalization and
Result
in altered interneuron numbers in other brain regions, such as the striatum or cortex.
Alternatively, failure of MGE-derived precursors to their final destination could result in cell
death, which future experiments, beyond the scope of this study, can examine.
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At a circuit level, CA1 PCs from iCKO mice received a less frequent synaptic inhibition
compared to control mice. This finding is similar to our observations in global Nrp2 KO mice
and could directly be attributed to the decrease in interneuron population in CA1. The absence of
a GABAergic inhibitory tone is believed to reduce signal to noise ratio and disrupt signal
processing in individuals with ASD (7,8,36). We identify reductions in three major interneuronal
classes in the iCKO mice; the soma-targeting fast-spiking PV+ basket cells and dendrite
targeting SOM+ interneurons which are crucial regulators of neuronal spiking and integration of
information (37), and NPY+ interneurons which are critical regulators of excitatory synaptic
transmission and spiking frequency(38). Therefore, the combined reduction in their populations
is likely to have a cumulative effect on network function leading to alterations in excitatory
synaptic transmission, neuronal oscillations and theta/gamma coupling. Together, these changes
could disrupt information processing and lead to behavioral deficits consistent with ASD (39).
Despite the reduction in inhibition, we observed a significant increase in excitatory synaptic
transmission in CA1 PCs from iCKO mice suggesting potential maladaptive plasticity.
Moreover, while the deficits in inhibition in the iCKO mice are similar to those reported in the
global Nrp2 KO, the changes in CA1 PC excitability and resting membrane potential observed
in the global Nrp2 KO were not observed in the iCKO mice. Thus, our findings support the
proposal that interneuron specific knockout of Nrp2 undermines E/I balance at a circuit level
predominantly through disruption of the fine-tuned, layer-specific inhibitory control of CA1.
Enhanced excitability and deficient inhibitory control are fundamental to seizures. iCKO
mice exhibited higher susceptibility to evoked seizures compared to age matched controls.
Importantly, the severity of evoked seizures in iCKO mice was high, leading to 100% mortality.
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Our findings that the iCKO mice also spent ~60% of their time post-induction in seizures
highlights their enhanced susceptibility to recurrent epileptic episodes.
Altered social behavior and impaired action control are core features of ASD. In iCKO
mice, we observed a lack of preference for social novelty and an impairment in goal-directed
behavior, consistent with an ASD phenotype. Preference for social novelty depends, in part, on
hippocampal CA2 and its output to ventral CA1 (40,41). Furthermore, studies have shown that
disrupted E/I balance in CA2 interferes with social novelty preference and increases seizure
susceptibility (42,43). While the trend is not significant in the iCKO animals, we previously
found in the Nrp2 global KO mice a significant decrease of both PV+ and SOM+ interneurons in
CA2 compared to the WT controls. Therefore, loss of social novelty preference in iCKO mice
may reflect dysregulated interneuron migration to CA2 or reflect changes in interneuron number
and function in ventral CA1 that receives CA2 input. Interestingly, iCKO mice showed no
deficits in episodic memory as assessed in the novel object recognition test. These data indicate
that the lack of preference for social novelty was not due to an impairment in episodic memory,
or a lack of interest in novelty per se. The dependency of novel object recognition on
hippocampus is debated, with more evidence in support of entorhinal cortex underlying
performance in the novel object recognition task (44). We previously reported that Nrp2 global
KO animals were impaired in novel object recognition (23); however, global Nrp2 KO mice also
displayed increases in cortical pyramidal neuron dendritic spine number and excitability (18,27),
which may have affected entorhinal cortex processing and produced a deficit in the novel object
recognition task. These findings further underscore the functional distinctions between effects of
global versus inhibitory neuron specific Nrp2 deletion.
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Goal-directed action was also impaired in iCKO mice. In an instrumental outcome
devaluation task, mice are given the choice of actions associated with either a valued or devalued
outcome. Unlike control mice that chose the action associated with the valued outcome, iCKO
mice showed no preference. The impairment in goal-directed response in iCKO mice may be
attributable to altered hippocampal activity. The dorsal hippocampus is transiently involved in
the formation of action-outcome associations (45,46), which could have prevented mice from
forming the associations necessary to guide their behavior in the devaluation test. Another
possibility is that the altered interneuron migration induced in iCKO mice misplaced striatal
interneurons (20). Disruption of striatal GABAergic interneurons impairs goal-directed behavior
(47,48), suggesting striatal deficits as a source of impaired goal-directed behavior in iCKO mice.
Future studies will address Nrp2’s role in striatal interneuron migration and its effects on
behavior.
Taken together, our findings provide a novel insight into the circuit and behavioral effects
of embryonic Nrp2 deletion in interneuron precursors. Our studies using interneuron specific
Nrp2 deletion combined with circuit and behavioral analyses support a role for developmental
interneuronopathy in comorbidity of ASD-epilepsy syndromes.
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Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the NJ Governor’s Council for Medical
Research and Treatment of Autism: CAUT17BSP011 to V.S. and T.S.T., CAUT17BSP022 to
T.S.T. and M.W.S., Rutgers Brain Health Initiative Pilot Grants to T.S.T. and V.S., NIH
F31NS131052 and AES957615 to A.H., NIH R01 NS069861 and NS097750 to V.S., and
NSF/IOS: 1556968 to T.S.T.
Declaration of Interest: None
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Figure Legends
Figure 1. Developmental deletion of Nrp2 leads to reduced numbers of parvalbumin (PV)
expressing neurons in the hippocampus. A. Schematic illustrates the inducible conditional
knockout strategy which allows Nrp2 to be excised from neurons harboring transcription factor
Nkx2.1 found in inhibitory neurons originating from the MGE in a spatiotemporal controlled
manner. Nrp2flox mice were crossed with Nkx2.1-CreERT2 mice to generate mice with and
without Nkx2.1-Cre positive alleles. B) Timeline adopted for excising Nrp2 in Nkx2.1
expressing neurons at E12.5 and E13.5. Tamoxifen administered at E12.5 and E13.5 by oral
gavage, pups were delivered by C-section then housed with a foster mom. C, D) Brain sections
immuno-labeled with anti-GFP (green) in the anterior DG region demonstrate excision of Nrp2
(mutant cells). E-H) Immuno-labeled control (E,G) and iCKO (F,H) brain sections, respectively,
with anti-PV (red) and DAPI (blue). G,H) High magnification images of green boxes in E and F,
respectively. I) Quantification of total mean PV+ hippocampal cells. J) Quantification of the
average number of PV+ cells by hippocampal region. n=5 animals/genotype. Error bars are ±
SEM; two-way ANOVA, post-hoc Bonferroni for multiple comparisons: *p=0.0132 CA1 region,
*p=0.0302 unpaired t-test overall hippocampus. Significantly fewer number of PV+ neurons
found in hippocampus of iCKO compared to control mice. All scale bars: 100
μ m.
Figure 2. Deletion of Nrp2 at an embryonic stage results in reduced numbers of
somatostatin (SOM) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) expressing neurons in the CA1 region of
the hippocampus. A-D) Immuno-labeled of littermate control (A,C,) and iCKO (B,D\) brain
sections, respectively, with anti-SOM (green) and DAPI (blue). (C,D) High magnification
images of area in red boxes in A,B, respectively. Scale bars: 100
μ m. E) Quantification of total
mean SOM+ hippocampal cells. Error bars are ± SEM; unpaired t-test: *p=0.0426. Significantly
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Subramanian et al., Page 26 of 29
fewer number of SOM+ neurons found in hippocampus of iCKO compared to control mice. F)
Quantification of the average number of SOM+ cells by hippocampal region. Significantly lower
SOM+ cell density found in CA1 region of iCKO mice compared to littermate controls;
***p=0.0004. n=4 animals/genotype. G-J) Immuno-labeled of littermate control (G,I) and iCKO
(H,J) brain sections, respectively, with anti-NPY (yellow) and DAPI (blue). (I,J) High
magnification images of area in green boxes in G,H, respectively. Scale bars: 100 μ m. K)
Quantification of total mean NPY+ hippocampal cells. Error bars are ± SEM; two-way ANOVA,
post-hoc Bonferroni for multiple comparisons: *** p=0.0003. Significantly fewer number of
NPY+ neurons found in hippocampus of iCKO compared to control mice. L) Quantification of
the average number of NPY+ cells by hippocampal region. Significantly lower NPY+ cell
density found in CA1 region of iCKO mice compared to littermate controls; ****p< 0.0001. n=4
animals/genotype.
Figure 3: Reduced inhibitory synaptic inputs to CA1 PCs from iCKO mice
A) Representative spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic current (sIPSC) recordings in control and
iCKO mice. Note that events are less frequent in iCKO mice. B) Cumulative distribution of
sIPSC interevent intervals show a right shift in iCKO mice suggesting a lower frequency of
sIPSC compared to controls (n= 8-9 cells from 3 mice / group, p=0.0037, Kolmogorov-Smirnov
test) . Insets: Representative average traces and summary data show the larger sIPSC amplitude
in iCKO mice (p = 0.0071, unpaired t-test). C) Representative miniature inhibitory postsynaptic
currents (mIPSC) in control and iCKO mice. D) Cumulative distribution of mIPSC interevent
intervals show a right shift in iCKO mice indicating a lower frequency of mIPSC compared to
controls (n= 7-8 cells from 3 mice/group, p<0.0001, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test) Insets:
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Representative average traces and summary data of mIPSC amplitudes in control and iCKO
mice.
Figure 4: CA1 PCs from iCKO mice show changes in excitatory synaptic inputs but not in
intrinsic active and passive properties.
A) Representative traces showing spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC) in
control and iCKO mice. Note that events are more frequent in iCKO mice. B) Cumulative
distribution of sEPSC interevent intervals show a left shift in iCKO mice suggesting a higher
frequency of sEPSC compared to controls (n = 9 cells from 3 mice/group, p = 0.0243,
Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). sIPSC amplitudes were not different between control and iCKO
mice. C) Representative images of CA1 PCs filled during recordings. D) Membrane voltage
response to hyperpolarizing (-200pA) and depolarizing (+200pA) step current injections from
control (above) and iCKO mice (below). E) Summary plot of firing frequency in CA1 PCs in
response to increasing current injections. F) Histograms compare firing threshold, resting
membrane potential, input resistance and action potential amplitude in CA1 PCs between control
and iCKO mice.
Figure 5: Nrp2
f/f;Nkx2.1-CreERT2+ mice exhibit higher susceptibility to KA induced
seizures.
A) Example in EEG traces show the baseline activity and the development of seizures following
KA induction (20mg/kg). Note that iCKO mice have a shorter latency to seizure onset and have
longer lasting seizures. B) Quantification of latency to first convulsive seizures after KA
induction shows that iCKO mice consistently had a short latency to convulsive seizures (n = 5 vs
3 mice, p = 0.0025, unpaired t-test). C) Survival analysis showing iCKO mice succumbed more
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Subramanian et al., Page 28 of 29
often to seizures whereas controls animals survived the first 60 minutes after induction (n = 5 vs
3 mice, p = 0.0042, Log-rank Mantel-cox test.). D) Ratio between total time spend in seizures to
time survived after KA injection shows iCKO mice spent 60% of their time after KA induction
in seizure compared to 19% in control mice.
Figure 6. Social and goal directed behaviors are impaired in iCKO mice. A) Schematic of
Social Novelty paradigm. B) Summary histogram compares time spent with novel compared to
familiar mice in a social novelty test. Littermate controls spend significantly more time with a
novel mouse compared to the lack of preference in iCKO mice ( * p=0.011; n=11 controls, n=9
iCKO). C) Plot of time spent with a novel compared to the familiar object in a novel object task.
Both littermate controls and iCKO mice spend more time exploring the novel object
(**p=0.0011, ****p<0.0001; n=9 controls, n=8 iCKO mice. D) Schematic of operant chamber
training and devaluation. E) Histogram of percent responses to the valued and devalued
outcomes in iCKO mice and littermate controls during a goal-directed task. Control mice made
significantly more actions associated with valued outcomes, whereas iCKO mice showed no
difference in selecting actions associated with valued and devalued outcomes (** p<0.0001; n=7
controls, n=7 iCKO mice. Error bars are ± SEM. F) Summary data of response rate during
training on the lever press task shows no statistical differences between the groups.
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(which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made
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Subramanian et al., Page 29 of 29
Supplementary Figures
Figure S1. Intrinsic properties are not different in CA1 PC’s from iCKO mice.
A-C. Spike frequency adaptation ratio, fast afterhyperpolarization (fAHP) and sag ratio are not
different between control and iCKO mice.
Figure S2. iCKO mice show normal motor and anxiety behavior. A. Summary plots of total
distance traveled and time spent in the center measured during an open field tests reveal no
significant difference in performance between control and iCKO mice. B. Plot of latency to fall
from the accelerating rotarod in the rotarod test of sensorimotor learning revealed no difference
between groups. C. Summary of time spent in open arms of an elevated zero maze showed no
difference between groups. D. Plot of the duration of grooming during a 20-min observation
period was not different between iCKO and control mice (n=5 controls, n=7 iCKO mice).
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