Activity patterns govern synapse-specific AMPA receptor trafficking between deliverable and synaptic pools

Neuron. 2009 Apr 16;62(1):84-101. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.03.001.

Abstract

In single neurons, glutamatergic synapses receiving distinct afferent inputs may contain AMPA receptors (-Rs) with unique subunit compositions. However, the cellular mechanisms by which differential receptor transport achieves this synaptic diversity remain poorly understood. In lateral geniculate neurons, we show that retinogeniculate and corticogeniculate synapses have distinct AMPA-R subunit compositions. Under basal conditions at both synapses, GluR1-containing AMPA-Rs are transported from an anatomically defined reserve pool to a deliverable pool near the postsynaptic density (PSD), but further incorporate into the PSD or functional synaptic pool only at retinogeniculate synapses. Vision-dependent activity, stimulation mimicking retinal input, or activation of CaMKII or Ras signaling regulated forward GluR1 trafficking from the deliverable pool to the synaptic pool at both synapses, whereas Rap2 signals reverse GluR1 transport at retinogeniculate synapses. These findings suggest that synapse-specific AMPA-R delivery involves constitutive and activity-regulated transport steps between morphological pools, a mechanism that may extend to the site-specific delivery of other membrane protein complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anesthetics, Local / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / genetics
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / drug effects
  • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / genetics
  • Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / physiology
  • Geniculate Bodies / cytology
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Membrane Potentials / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Microscopy, Immunoelectron / methods
  • Models, Neurological
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques / methods
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism*
  • Protein Transport / genetics
  • Protein Transport / physiology
  • Rats
  • Receptors, AMPA / deficiency
  • Receptors, AMPA / genetics
  • Receptors, AMPA / metabolism*
  • Receptors, AMPA / ultrastructure
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Synapses / drug effects
  • Synapses / physiology*
  • Synapses / ultrastructure
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
  • Tetrodotoxin / pharmacology
  • Transduction, Genetic / methods
  • ras Proteins / genetics
  • ras Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Anesthetics, Local
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Protein Subunits
  • Receptors, AMPA
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Tetrodotoxin
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2
  • ras Proteins