title: How to build a glycinergic postsynaptic membrane.
abstract: The inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is a ligand-gated chloride channel protein found at many synapses of the mammalian central nervous system. During development, distinct isoforms of the GlyR are generated by the sequential expression of different alpha subunit variants. The appearance of adult-type GlyRs in spinal cord is accompanied by the accumulation of a 93 x 10(3) Mr receptor-associated peripheral membrane protein. The latter has been localized at the cytoplasmic face of glycinergic postsynaptic membranes and is thought to anchor GlyRs beneath glycinergic nerve terminals. The 93 x 10(3) Mr protein binds with high affinity to polymerized tubulin, suggesting that it functions as a receptor-microtubule linking component. Our data suggest that the interaction of developmentally regulated receptor isoforms with specialized microtubule-associated proteins represents a crucial step in the assembly of postsynaptic receptor matrices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuhse
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmieden
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Malosio
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Langosch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kirsch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000378:metabolism*; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; C073441:gephyrin; D005998:Glycine