title: ATP modulation of excitatory synapses onto interneurons.
abstract: Inhibitory interneurons play important roles in neuronal circuits, but the synaptic mechanisms that regulate excitatory input onto interneurons remain to be fully understood. We show that ATP-gated presynaptic P2X2 channels facilitate excitatory transmission onto stratum radiatum interneurons but not onto CA1 pyramidal neurons. ATP released endogenously during carbachol-induced oscillations facilitates excitatory synapses onto interneurons. Overall, these data provide evidence for the molecular identity, synaptic function, and interneuron synapse specificity of a presynaptic neurotransmitter-gated cation channel. The findings highlight a novel form of presynaptic facilitation for hippocampal interneurons and suggest a role for extracellular ATP in neuronal networks.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 2QH, United Kingdom. bsk@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Baljit S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Khakh
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gittermann
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cockayne
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D007395:Interneurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009415:Nerve Net; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010507:Periodicity; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D058476:Receptors, Purinergic P2X2; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; C546402:P2rx2 protein, mouse; D018048:Receptors, Purinergic P2; D058476:Receptors, Purinergic P2X2; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate