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  • Title: Persistent increase of D-aspartate in D-aspartate oxidase mutant mice induces a precocious hippocampal age-dependent synaptic plasticity and spatial memory decay.
    Author: Errico F, Nisticò R, Napolitano F, Oliva AB, Romano R, Barbieri F, Florio T, Russo C, Mercuri NB, Usiello A.
    Journal: Neurobiol Aging; 2011 Nov; 32(11):2061-74. PubMed ID: 20031274.
    Abstract:
    The atypical amino acid d-aspartate (d-Asp) occurs at considerable amounts in the developing brain of mammals. However, during postnatal life, d-Asp levels diminish following the expression of d-aspartate oxidase (DDO) enzyme. The strict control of DDO over its substrate d-Asp is particularly evident in the hippocampus, a brain region crucially involved in memory, and highly vulnerable to age-related deterioration processes. Herein, we explored the influence of deregulated higher d-Asp brain content on hippocampus-related functions during aging of mice lacking DDO (Ddo(-/-)). Strikingly, we demonstrated that the enhancement of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognition in 4/5-month-old Ddo(-/-) mice is followed by an accelerated decay of basal glutamatergic transmission, NMDAR-dependent LTP and hippocampus-related reference memory at 13/14 months of age. Therefore, the precocious deterioration of hippocampal functions observed in mutants highlights for the first time a role for DDO enzyme in controlling the rate of brain aging process in mammals.
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