title: Metabotropic actions of kainate receptors in the regulation of I(sAHP) and excitability in CA1 pyramidal cells.
abstract: Kainate receptors (KARs) mediate postsynaptic responses in CA3 pyramidal cells and CA1 interneurones in the hippocampus. In CA1 pyramidal cells knockout studies have inidcated the presence of functional GluR6-containing KARs, however in this region they made no ionotropic contribution to the synaptic responses. In the meantime, a metabotropic function was reported for presynaptic KARs modulating transmitter release in CA1. We examined the possibility that KARs in CA1 pyramidal cells have a metabotropic function. Kainate is known to inhibit a slow afterhyperpolarization current that regulates excitability in hippocampus and can be modulated by a number of G protein coupled receptors. We showed that KARs activation reduces slow afterhyperpolarization current in CA1 pyramidal cells via metabotropic action and elucidated the transduction mechanism(s) underlying this action.
authors.affiliation: Circadian and Visual Neuroscience Group, Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Levels 5 and 6 West Wing, The John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK. zara.melyan@eye.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Zara
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Melyan
authors.forename: Howard V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Wheal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors