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Authors & Affiliations
Hanna Khomyak, Falko Fuhrmann, Martin Fuhrmann, Stefanie Poll
Abstract
Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a neuromodulatory system that is heavily affected at an early stage of Alzheimer´s Disease (AD) progression. In human AD patients, the LC shows an extensive loss of neurons. Therefore, the goals of this project are to examine the influence of the LC on HPC-dependent mnemonic processes and on their impairment in AD. To achieve this, we explored, whether the structural and functional connectivity between the LC and the HPC is altered in an APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mouse model of AD. We found a significant reduction of LC to HPC projections identified by immunohistochemically staining in brain tissue of APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice with a norepinephrine marker protein, and a probe that detects amyloid β (Aβ) plaques. For the functional analysis of LC-HPC projections we imaged axonal LC-projections in hippocampal CA1 in head-fixed awake mice performing a treadmill task. For this, we achieved precise expression of an axonal GCaMP in LC-originating fibers. We also examined the role of LC in APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice for novel context recognition in an open field behavior test. A structural analysis of LC-HPC projections revealed Aβ-plaque-associated axonal dystrophies of LC-originating neurites in the CA1 region of APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice. Our results indicate an important role for the LC for the cognitive deficits under AD-like conditions.