title: Role of AMPA receptors in synaptic plasticity.
abstract: The alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are the principal molecular units for fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. The glutamate-mediated transmission efficiency of synaptic AMPA receptors is influenced by their subunit composition (GluR-A to GluR-D), post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications, the number of synaptic AMPA receptors, and auxiliary proteins. Functional AMPA receptors are located predominantly in the post-synapse but are also found at extra-synaptic sites and occasionally in the pre-synapse. Thus, many factors influence the tasks of AMPA receptors in neuronal signal transmission. At hippocampal synaptic connections, AMPA receptor functions have been well studied in vitro and in the mouse; however, it is unlikely that these observations can be generalized to all glutamatergic synapses in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany. Rolf.Sprengel@mpimf-heidelberg.mpg.de
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sprengel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000502:physiology*; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018091:Receptors, AMPA; C104724:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 4