The Hippocampal Laminin Matrix Is Dynamic and Critical for Neuronal Survival

Laminins are extracellular matrix proteins that participate in neuronal development, survival, and regeneration. During excitotoxin challenge in the mouse hippocampus, neuron interaction with laminin-10 (α5,β1,γ1) protects against neuronal death. To investigate how laminin is involved in neuronal viability, we infused laminin-1 (α1,β1,γ1) into the mouse hippocampus. This infusion specifically disrupted the endogenous laminin layer. This disruption was at least partially due to the interaction of the laminin-1 γ1 chain with endogenous laminin-10, because infusion of anti-laminin γ1 antibody had the same effect. The disruption of the laminin layer by laminin-1 1) did not require the intact protein because infusion of plasmin-digested laminin-1 gave similar results; 2) was posttranscriptional, because there was no effect on laminin mRNA expression; and 3) occurred in both tPA–/– and plasminogen–/– mice, indicating that increased plasmin activity was not responsible. Finally, although tPA–/– mice are normally resistant to excitotoxin-induced neurodegeneration, disruption of the endogenous laminin layer by laminin-1 or anti-laminin γ1 antibody renders the tPA–/– hippocampal neurons sensitive to kainate. These results demonstrate that neuron interactions with the deposited matrix are not necessarily recapitulated by interactions with soluble components and that the laminin matrix is a dynamic structure amenable to modification by exogenous molecules.