Functional hypoxia drives neuroplasticity and neurogenesis via brain erythropoietin
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- s41467-020-15041-1
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Erythropoietin (EPO), named after its role in hematopoiesis, is also expressed in mammalian brain. In clinical settings, recombinant EPO treatment has revealed a remarkable improvement of cognition, but underlying mechanisms have remained obscure. Here, we show with a novel line of reporter mice that cognitive challenge induces local/endogenous hypoxia in hippocampal pyramidal neurons, hence enhancing expression of EPO and EPO receptor (EPOR). High-dose EPO administration, amplifying auto/paracrine EPO/EPOR signaling, prompts the emergence of new CA1 neurons and enhanced dendritic spine densities. Single-cell sequencing reveals rapid increase in newly differentiating neurons. Importantly, improved performance on complex running wheels after EPO is imitated by exposure to mild exogenous/inspiratory hypoxia. All these effects depend on neuronal expression of the Epor gene. This suggests a model of neuroplasticity in form of a fundamental regulatory circle, in which neuronal networks-challenged by cognitive tasks-drift into transient hypoxia, thereby triggering neuronal EPO/EPOR expression.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1313 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 1 |
Number of pages | 12 |
ISSN | 2041-1723 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 9 Mar 2020 |
- RECOMBINANT-HUMAN-ERYTHROPOIETIN, HEMATOPOIETIC PROGENITOR CELLS, ADULT NEUROGENESIS, EXPRESSION, MEMORY, VARIANTS, IDENTITY, NEURONS, MICE
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