title: Expression of functional metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors in baculovirus-infected insect cells.
abstract: An ionotropic glutamate receptor of the kainate subtype (GluR6) and a G-protein coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR1 alpha) were expressed and studied in two insect cell lines: sf9 cells from Spodoptera frugiperda and MG1 cells from Trichoplusia ni. Application of kainate to GluR6-infected MG1 cells produced kainate-activated currents. Glutamate activation of mGluR1 alpha in MG1- and sf9-infected cells caused rapid, transient increases in intracellular calcium levels. This effect was more pronounced in MG1 cells compared to sf9 cells. These results indicate that functional glutamate receptors can be expressed in the baculovirus system, and that MG1 cells may have several advantages over the widely used sf9 cells for studying the functional properties of receptors and channels.
authors.affiliation: MRC Nerve Cell and Synapse Group, University of Toronto, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Taverna
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pickering
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Pennefather
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hampson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007313:Insecta / Q000378:metabolism*; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D007608:Kainic Acid; D002118:Calcium