title: Glutamate receptors regulate actin-based plasticity in dendritic spines.
abstract: Dendritic spines at excitatory synapses undergo rapid, actin-dependent shape changes which may contribute to plasticity in brain circuits. Here we show that actin dynamics in spines are potently inhibited by activation of either AMPA or NMDA subtype glutamate receptors. Activation of either receptor type inhibited actin-based protrusive activity from the spine head. This blockade of motility caused spines to round up so that spine morphology became both more stable and more regular. Inhibition of spine motility by AMPA receptors was dependent on postsynaptic membrane depolarization and influx of Ca 2+ through voltage-activated channels. In combination with previous studies, our results suggest a two-step process in which spines initially formed in response to NMDA receptor activation are subsequently stabilized by AMPA receptors.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher Institute, P.O. Box 2543, 4002 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaech
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brinkhaus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matus
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D002118:Calcium