Role of MeCP2, DNA methylation, and HDACs in regulating synapse function

Table 1 Electrophysiological phenotypes of MeCP2 mouse models

Animal model	Neuronal preparation	Long-term plasticity	Basal synaptic transmission	Favors excitation or inhibition	Reference
MeCP2^−/y	Cortical slices from symptomatic mice^a	N/A	↓spontaneous firing (also in presymptomatic mice^b)	Inhibition	Dani et al. (2005)
			↓sEPSC charge
			↑sIPSC charge
			↓mEPSC amplitudes
	Cortical slices from presymptomatic mice	Normal LTP	↓EPSP amplitudes	Inhibition	Dani and Nelson (2009)
			↓EPSP amplitude CV⁻²
			↓Connection probability
	Cortical slices from symptomatic mice	N/A	↓EPSC frequency and amplitudes	Inhibition	Tropea et al. (2009)
	Hippocampal slices from symptomatic mice	↓LTP and LTD	↓fEPSP PPR	?	Asaka et al. (2006)
	Dissociated hippocampal cultures	N/A	↓mEPSC frequency	Inhibition	Nelson et al. (2006)
			↓EPSC PPR
			↑10 Hz EPSC amplitude depression
	Autaptic hippocampal cultures	N/A	↓eEPSC amplitudes	Inhibition	Chao et al. (2007)
			↓mESPC frequency
			↓EPSC charge in response to hypertonic sucrose
MeCP2^308/y	Hippocampal and cortical slices from symptomatic mice	Hippocampus: ↓LTP and LTD	Hippocampus: fEPSP–fiber volley slope ratio	?	Moretti et al. (2006)
MeCP2^308/y	Hippocampal and cortical slices from symptomatic mice	Cortex: ↓LTP	↓fEPSP PPR	?	Moretti et al. (2006)
MeCP2^Tg1	Hippocampal slices	↑LTP	↑fEPSP PPR	?	Collins et al. (2004)
	Autaptic hippocampal cultures	N/A	↑eEPSC amplitudes	Excitation	Chao et al. (2007)
			↑mEPSC frequency
			↑EPSC charge in response to hypertonic sucrose

sEPSC spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current, sIPSC spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic current, mESPC miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, LTP long-term potentiation, EPSP excitatory postsynaptic potential, CV⁻² inverse square of the coefficient of variation, LTD long-term depression, fEPSP field EPSP, PPR paired pulse ratio, eEPSC evoked EPSC
^a>4 weeks of age
^b≤4 weeks of age

ISSN: 1866-1955