Rapid spine delivery and redistribution of AMPA receptors after synaptic NMDA receptor activation

Science. 1999 Jun 11;284(5421):1811-6. doi: 10.1126/science.284.5421.1811.

Abstract

To monitor changes in alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptor distribution in living neurons, the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 was tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP). This protein (GluR1-GFP) was functional and was transiently expressed in hippocampal CA1 neurons. In dendrites visualized with two-photon laser scanning microscopy or electron microscopy, most of the GluR1-GFP was intracellular, mimicking endogenous GluR1 distribution. Tetanic synaptic stimulation induced a rapid delivery of tagged receptors into dendritic spines as well as clusters in dendrites. These postsynaptic trafficking events required synaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation and may contribute to the enhanced AMPA receptor-mediatedtransmission observed during long-term potentiation and activity-dependent synaptic maturation.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dendrites / metabolism*
  • Dendrites / ultrastructure
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Potentiation
  • Neuronal Plasticity*
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Organ Culture Techniques
  • Rats
  • Receptor Aggregation
  • Receptors, AMPA / metabolism*
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / physiology*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Synapses / metabolism
  • Synapses / physiology*
  • Synaptic Transmission
  • Tetany

Substances

  • Receptors, AMPA
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 1