title: PKG and PKA signaling in LTP at GABAergic synapses.
abstract: Drugs of abuse usurp the mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity in areas of the brain, a process that may contribute to the development of addiction. We previously reported that GABAergic synapses onto dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) exhibit long-term potentiation (LTP(GABA)) blocked by in vivo exposure to morphine. The presynaptically maintained LTP requires the retrogradely released nitric oxide (NO) to activate a presynaptic cGMP signaling cascade. Previous work reported that inhibitory GABA(A) receptor synapses in the VTA are also potentiated by cAMP. Here, we explored the interactions between cGMP-dependent (PKG) and cAMP-dependent (PKA) protein kinases in the regulation of these GABAergic synapses and LTP(GABA). Activation of PKG was required for NO-cGMP signaling and was also essential for the induction of synaptically elicited LTP(GABA), but not for its maintenance. Synapses containing GABA(A) receptors were potentiated by NO-cGMP signaling, whereas synapses containing GABA(B) receptors on the same cells were not potentiated. Moreover, although the cAMP-PKA system potentiated GABA(A) synapses, synaptically induced LTP(GABA) was independent of PKA activation. Surprisingly, however, raising cGMP levels saturated potentiation of these synapses, precluding further potentiation by cAMP and suggesting a convergent end point for both signaling pathways in the regulation of GABAergic release. We further found that persistent GABAergic synaptic modifications observed with in vivo morphine did not involve the presynaptic cAMP-PKA cascade. Taken together, our data suggest a synapse-specific role for NO-cGMP-PKG signaling pathway in opioid-induced plasticity of VTA GABA(A) synapses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Fereshteh S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Niehaus
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kauer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001703:Biophysics; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018682:GABA Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018682:GABA Agents; D011810:Quinoxalines; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C056723:FG 9041; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D006152:Cyclic GMP