Diversity of glutamate receptors in neocortical neurons: implications for synaptic plasticity.
The biochemical and functional characteristics of the AMPA subtype of the glutamate receptors expressed by pyramidal and non-pyramidal neurons of the neocortex have been studied in acute slices by means of single-cell RT-PCR and fast applications of glutamate on outside-out patches. Our results suggest that the predominant expression of the flop splice variants of the GluR1-4 AMPA subunits contributes to the faster desensitization of these receptors in non-pyramidal neurons compared to pyramidal cells where flip variants of GluR1-4 are dominant. Alternative splicing of AMPA receptors may therefore play an important role in regulating synaptic function in a cell-type specific manner.
Audinat
E
E
Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, CNRS-URA 2054, ESPCI, Paris, France.
Lambolez
B
B
Cauli
B
B
Ropert
N
N
Perrais
D
D
Hestrin
S
S
Rossier
J
J
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D018091:Receptors, AMPA