Loss of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 from parvalbumin interneurons leads to hyperinhibition, decreased anxiety, and memory impairment.

J Neurosci
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Perturbations in fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are hypothesized to be a major component of various neuropsychiatric disorders; however, the mechanisms regulating PV interneurons remain mostly unknown. Recently, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) has been shown to function as a major regulator of synaptic plasticity. Here, we demonstrate that genetic ablation of Cdk5 in PV interneurons in mouse brain leads to an increase in GABAergic neurotransmission and impaired synaptic plasticity. PVCre;fCdk5 mice display a range of behavioral abnormalities, including decreased anxiety and memory impairment. Our results reveal a central role of Cdk5 expressed in PV interneurons in gating inhibitory neurotransmission and underscore the importance of such regulation during behavioral tasks. Our findings suggest that Cdk5 can be considered a promising therapeutic target in a variety of conditions attributed to inhibitory interneuronal dysfunction, such as epilepsy, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia.

Year of Publication
2015
Journal
J Neurosci
Volume
35
Issue
6
Pages
2372-83
Date Published
2015 Feb 11
ISSN
1529-2401
URL
DOI
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0969-14.2015
PubMed ID
25673832
PubMed Central ID
PMC4323522
Links
Grant list
R01 NS051874 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
R01-NS051874-16 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States