title: The distribution of glutamate receptors in cultured rat hippocampal neurons: postsynaptic clustering of AMPA-selective subunits.
abstract: The distribution of several glutamate receptor subunits was investigated in cultured rat hippocampal neurons by in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. The AMPA/kainate-selective receptors GluR1-6 exhibited two patterns of mRNA expression: most neurons expressed GluR1, R2, and R6, whereas only about 20% expressed significant levels of GluR3, R4, and R5. By immunocytochemistry, the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR1 alpha was detectable only in a subpopulation of GABAergic interneurons. GluR1 and GluR2/3 segregated to the somatodendritic domain within the first week in culture, even in the absence of synaptogenesis. Glutamate receptor-enriched spines developed later and were present only on presumptive pyramidal cells, not on GABAergic interneurons. Clusters of GluR1 and GluR2/3 completely colocalized and were restricted to a subset of postsynaptic sites. Thus, glutamate receptor subunits exhibit both a cell type-specific expression and a selective subcellular localization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Blackstone
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Huganir
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016318:Quisqualic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D007051:Ibotenic Acid; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid; D016318:Quisqualic Acid