Kainate receptor-mediated synaptic transmissions in the adult rodent insular cortex

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (7) ◽  
pp. 1988-1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kohei Koga ◽  
Su-Eon Sim ◽  
Tao Chen ◽  
Long-Jun Wu ◽  
Bong-Kiun Kaang ◽  
...  

Kainate (KA) receptors are expressed widely in the central nervous system and regulate both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. KA receptors play important roles in fear memory, anxiety, and pain. However, little is known about their function in synaptic transmission in the insular cortex (IC), a critical region for taste, memory, and pain. Using whole cell patch-clamp recordings, we have shown that KA receptors contribute to fast synaptic transmission in neurons in all layers of the IC. In the presence of the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin, the NMDA receptor antagonist AP-5, and the selective AMPA receptor antagonist GYKI 53655, KA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (KA EPSCs) were revealed. We found that KA EPSCs are ∼5–10% of AMPA/KA EPSCs in all layers of the adult mouse IC. Similar results were found in adult rat IC. KA EPSCs had a significantly slower rise time course and decay time constant compared with AMPA receptor-mediated EPSCs. High-frequency repetitive stimulations at 200 Hz significantly facilitated the summation of KA EPSCs. In addition, genetic deletion of GluK1 or GluK2 subunit partially reduced postsynaptic KA EPSCs, and exposure of GluK2 knockout mice to the selective GluK1 antagonist UBP 302 could significantly reduce the KA EPSCs. These data suggest that both GluK1 and GluK2 play functional roles in the IC. Our study may provide the synaptic basis for the physiology and pathology of KA receptors in the IC-related functions.

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Titz ◽  
Bernhard U. Keller

Titz, Stefan and Bernhard U. Keller. Rapidly deactivating AMPA receptors determine excitatory synaptic transmission to interneurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius from rat. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 82–91, 1997. Excitatory synaptic transmission was investigated in interneurons of the parvocellular nucleus tractus solitarius (pNTS) by performing patch-clamp experiments in thin slice preparations from rat brain stem. Stimulation of single afferent fibers evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) mediated by glutamate receptors of the dl-α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-d-aspartate types. AMPA-receptor-mediated EPSCs displayed decay time constants of 3.5 ± 1.2 (SD) ms (13 cells), which were slow compared with EPSC decay time constants in neurons of the cerebellum or hippocampus. Slow EPSC decay was not explained by dendritic filtering, because the passive membrane properties of pNTS interneurons provided favorable voltage-clamp conditions. Also, the slowness of EPSC decay did not result from slow deactivation of AMPA receptors (0.7 ± 0.2 ms, 5 cells), which was investigated during rapid application of agonist to outside-out patches. Comparison of AMPA receptor kinetics with EPSC decay time constants suggested that the slow time course of EPSCs resulted from the prolonged presence of glutamate in the synaptic cleft.


2016 ◽  
pp. 165-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-J. ZHANG ◽  
X.-D. LIU ◽  
L.-C. YU

Acute morphine exposure induces antinociceptive activity, but the underlying mechanisms in the central nervous system are unclear. Using whole-cell patch clamp recordings, we explore the role of morphine in the modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission in lateral amygdala neurons of rats. The results demonstrate that perfusion of 10 μM of morphine to the lateral amygdala inhibits the discharge frequency significantly. We further find that there are no significant influences of morphine on the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). Interestingly, morphine shows no marked influence on the evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) in the lateral amygdala neurons. These results indicate that acute morphine treatment plays an important role in the modulation on the excitatory synaptic transmission in lateral amygdala neurons of rats.


2003 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 717-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriko Okuyama ◽  
Norio Takagi ◽  
Takayuki Kawai ◽  
Keiko Miyake-Takagi ◽  
Satoshi Takeo

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 964-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Isaacson ◽  
B. Walmsley

1. The anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) contains two principal cell types that receive input from the auditory nerve. Stellate cells receive conventional synapses on their dendrites, and bushy cells of the AVCN receive axosomatic input via large, calyceal terminals (the end bulbs of Held). We have used whole cell patch-clamp recording techniques to study excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in these two principal cells of the rat AVCN. 2. EPSCs evoked in stellate cells by stimulation of the auditory nerve were graded with stimulus strength, indicating a high degree of convergence of input to these cells. At depolarized membrane potentials, EPSCs evoked in stellate neurons had a dual-component time course. The slow component was blocked by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), and the fast component was abolished by the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). 3. EPSCs evoked in bushy cells by auditory nerve stimulation were large (50 nS average conductance) and all-or-none at the threshold stimulus level. At -70 mV, the time course of the EPSC was very brief (average time constant of decay 700 microseconds at room temperature). Membrane depolarization revealed a slow component to the EPSC. The fast and slow components were mediated by non-NMDA and NMDA receptors, respectively. The switch-off of end bulb NMDA EPSCs by voltage jumps to the EPSC reversal potential was very rapid, suggesting that the NMDA component arises from sites on or close to the soma. 4. Miniature EPSCs, recorded in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX) at depolarized potentials, also had a dual-component time course. The fast and slow components of the miniature EPSCs were blocked by CNQX and APV, respectively. This result indicates that NMDA and non-NMDA receptors can be co-localized at the same, presumably end bulb, release sites. 5. The relative contribution of the slow, NMDA component to the end bulb EPSC declined significantly with age (postnatal days 11-22). 6. These results indicate that both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors underlie excitatory synaptic transmission in the AVCN of young rats. The end bulb synapse onto bushy cells generates a non-NMDA receptor-mediated EPSC with very fast kinetics. NMDA receptors can also mediate synaptic transmission at the end bulb synapse, but their contribution becomes less as the auditory system matures. This finding suggests that NMDA receptors may play an important role in the development of this synapse.


2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 1805-1813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long-Jun Wu ◽  
Ming-Gao Zhao ◽  
Hiroki Toyoda ◽  
Shanelle W. Ko ◽  
Min Zhuo

Kainate (KA) receptors are expressed widely in the CNS. However, little is known about their functional characterization, molecular identity, and role in synaptic transmission in the forebrain of adult mice. Patch-clamp recordings in genetically modified mice show that postsynaptic KA receptors contribute to fast synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a forebrain region critical for higher-order cognitive brain functions such as memory and mental disorders. Single-shock stimulation could induce small KA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (KA EPSCs) in the presence of picrotoxin, d-2-amino-5-phosphono-pentanoic acid, and a selective AMPA receptor antagonist, GYKI 53655. KA EPSCs had a significantly slower rise time course and decay time constant compared with AMPA receptor-mediated EPSCs. High-frequency repetitive stimulation significantly facilitated the KA EPSCs. Genetic deletion of the GluR6 or GluR5 subunit significantly reduced, and GluR5 and 6 double knockout completely abolished, KA EPSCs and KA-activated currents in ACC pyramidal neurons. Our results show that KA receptors contribute to synaptic transmission in adult ACC pyramidal neurons and provide a synaptic basis for the physiology and pathology of KA receptors in ACC-related functions.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1409-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart M. Allan ◽  
Nancy J. Rothwell

Striatal coadministration of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) with α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (S-AMPA) in rats results in widespread cortical cell death not caused by either treatment alone. This cortical damage was unaffected by cortical infusion of the AMPA-receptor antagonist NBQX. Cortical infusion of an NMDA-receptor antagonist D-AP5 significantly inhibited (57%; P < 0.05) cortical death, but had no effect on the local striatal death. Thus, cortical neuronal death induced by striatal S-AMPA and human recombinant interleukin-1β (hrIL-1β) is mediated by activation of NMDA receptors in the cortex. The authors propose that IL-1β actions on AMPA-receptor mediated cell death may involve the activation of polysynaptic pathways from the striatum to the cortex.


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