title: Differential regulation of GABA(A) receptor and gephyrin postsynaptic clustering in immature hippocampal neuronal cultures.
abstract: Gephyrin is a postsynaptic scaffolding protein involved in clustering of glycine- and GABA(A) receptors at inhibitory synapses. The role of gephyrin in GABAergic synapses, the nature of its interactions with GABA(A) receptors, and the mechanisms of targeting to GABAergic synapses are largely unknown. To gain further insights into these questions, the formation of GABA(A) receptor and gephyrin clusters and their distribution relative to presynaptic terminals were investigated in immature cultures of embryonic hippocampal neurons using triple immunofluorescence staining. GABA(A) receptor clusters, labeled for the alpha2 subunit, formed independently of gephyrin clusters, and were distributed on neurites at constant densities, either extrasynaptically or, to a lesser extent, postsynaptically, apposed to synapsin-I-positive axon terminals. In contrast, gephyrin clusters were always associated with GABA(A) receptors and were preferentially localized postsynaptically. Their density increased linearly with the extent of innervation, which developed rapidly during the first week in vitro. These results suggested that GABA(A) receptor clustering is mediated by cell-autonomous mechanisms independent of synapse formation. Their association with gephyrin is dynamically regulated and may contribute to stabilization at postsynaptic sites. Labeling for vesicular glutamate transporters revealed that most synapses in these immature cultures were presumably glutamatergic, implying that postsynaptic GABA(A) receptor and gephyrin clusters initially were located in "mismatched" synapses. However, clusters appropriately localized in GABAergic synapses were distinctly larger and more intensely stained. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the targeting of GABA(A) receptor and gephyrin clusters to GABAergic synapses occurs secondarily and is regulated by presynaptic factors that are not essential for clustering.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Studler
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sidler
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fritschy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D016704:Synapsins / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; C493475:Slc17a6 protein, rat; D016704:Synapsins; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; C073441:gephyrin; C033652:postsynaptic density proteins; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase