Abbreviated Abstract: “Aging drives a progressive decline in cognition and decreases synapse numbers and synaptic function in the brain, thereby increasing the risk for neurodegenerative disease. Pioneering studies showed that introduction of blood from young mice into aged mice reversed age-associated cognitive impairments and increased synaptic connectivity in brain, suggesting that young blood contains specific factors that remediate age-associated decreases in brain function. However, whether such factors in blood from young animals act directly on neurons to enhance synaptic connectivity, or whether they act by an indirect mechanism remains unknown. Moreover, which factors in young blood mediate cognitive improvements in old mice is incompletely understood. “
Here, the authors show that serum extracted from the blood of young but not old mice, directly increased dendritic arborization, augmented synapse numbers and elevated synaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. They suggest that thrombospondin-4 (THBS4) and SPARC-like protein 1 (SPARCL1) are mediators of this effect. Both proteins were enriched in serum from young mice. Recombinant THBS4 and SPARCL1 both increased dendritic arborization and doubled synapse numbers in cultured neurons. In addition, SPARCL1 but not THBS4 tripled NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic responses. The study concluded that at least two proteins enriched in young blood, THBS4 and SPARCL1, directly act on neurons as synaptogenic factors. These proteins may represent rejuvenation factors that enhance synaptic connectivity by increasing dendritic arborization, synapse formation, and synaptic transmission.
Gan KJ and Südhof TC: Specific factors in blood from young but not old mice directly promote synapse formation and NMDA-receptor recruitment. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 116(25):12524-12533 (2019).
