title: Calcium-permeable AMPA receptors containing Q/R-unedited GluR2 direct human neural progenitor cell differentiation to neurons.
abstract: We identify calcium-permeable alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors on human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and present a physiological role in neurogenesis. RNA editing of the GluR2 subunit at the Q/R site is responsible for making most AMPA receptors impermeable to calcium. Because a single-point mutation could eliminate the need for editing at the Q/R site and Q/R-unedited GluR2 exists during embryogenesis, the Q/R-unedited GluR2 subunit presumably has some important actions early in development. Using calcium imaging, we found that NPCs contain calcium-permeable AMPA receptors, whereas NPCs differentiated to neurons and astrocytes express calcium-impermeable AMPA receptors. We utilized reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and BbvI digestion to demonstrate that NPCs contain Q/R-unedited GluR2, and differentiated cells contain Q/R-edited GluR2 subunits. This is consistent with the observation that the nuclear enzyme responsible for Q/R-editing, adenosine deaminase (ADAR2), is increased during differentiation. Activation of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors induces NPCs to differentiate to the neuronal lineage and increases dendritic arbor formation in NPCs differentiated to neurons. AMPA-induced differentiation of NPCs to neurons is abrogated by overexpression of ADAR2 in NPCs. This elucidates the role of AMPA receptors as inductors of neurogenesis and provides a possible explanation for why the Q/R editing process exists.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurotoxicology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985800 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Nathan B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: Changhai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Monaghan
authors.forename: Jialin C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017393:RNA Editing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C567955:ADARB1 protein, human; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase; C104722:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 2; D002118:Calcium