title: Distinct pharmacological and functional properties of NMDA receptors in mouse cortical astrocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Astrocytes of the mouse neocortex express functional NMDA receptors, which are not blocked by Mg(2+) ions. However, the pharmacological profile of glial NMDA receptors and their subunit composition is far from complete.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested the sensitivity of NMDA receptor-mediated currents to the novel GluN2C/D subunit-selective antagonist UBP141 in mouse cortical astrocytes and neurons. We also examined the effect of memantine, an antagonist that has substantially different affinities for GluN2A/B and GluN2C/d-containing receptors in physiological concentrations of extracellular Mg(2+).
  
  
  RESULTS
  UBP141 had a strong inhibitory action on NMDA receptor-mediated transmembrane currents in the cortical layer II/III astrocytes with an IC(50) of 2.29 µM and a modest inhibitory action on NMDA-responses in the pyramidal neurons with IC(50) of 19.8 µM. Astroglial and neuronal NMDA receptors exhibited different sensitivities to memantine with IC(50) values of 2.19 and 10.8 µM, respectively. Consistent with pharmacological differences between astroglial and neuronal NMDA receptors, NMDA receptors in astrocytes showed lower Ca(2+) permeability than neuronal receptors with P(Ca) /P(Na) ratio of 3.4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The biophysical and pharmacological properties of the astrocytic NMDA receptors strongly suggest that they have a tri-heteromeric structure composed of GluN1, GluN2C/D and GluN3 subunits. The substantial difference between astroglial and neuronal NMDA receptors in their sensitivity to UBP141 and memantine may enable selective modulation of astrocytic signalling that could be very helpful for elucidating the mechanisms of neuron-glia communications. Our results may also provide the basis for the development of novel therapeutic agents specifically targeting glial signalling.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors: Oleg
authors: O
authors: Palygin
authors: Ulyana
authors: U
authors: Lalo
authors: Yuriy
authors: Y
authors: Pankratov
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D058469:Receptors, Purinergic P2X / Q000378:metabolism; D050496:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D058469:Receptors, Purinergic P2X; D050496:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Proteins; D014966:Xanthenes; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C059715:Fluo-3; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D002118:Calcium