title: Synergistic actions of metabotropic acetylcholine and glutamate receptors on the excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.
abstract: A variety of neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating neural activity during different behavioral states. Unique responses to combinations of neurotransmitters provide a powerful mechanism by which neural networks could be differentially activated during a broad range of behaviors. Here, we show, using whole-cell recordings in rat hippocampal slices, that group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) synergistically increase the excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons by converting the post-burst afterhyperpolarization to an afterdepolarization via a rapidly reversible upregulation of Ca(v)2.3 R-type calcium channels. Coactivation of mAChRs and mGluRs also induced a long-lasting enhancement of the responses mediated by each receptor type. These results suggest that cooperative signaling via mAChRs and group I mGluRs could provide a mechanism by which cognitive processes may be modulated by conjoint activation of two separate neurotransmitter systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Jin-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Nelson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spruston
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D020908:Calcium Channels, R-Type / Q000378:metabolism*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C498916:Cacna1e protein, mouse; C498917:Cacna1e protein, rat; D020908:Calcium Channels, R-Type; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic