Expression of a foreign G-protein coupled receptor modulates the excitability of the peptidergic bag cell neurons of Aplysia

Abstract

Brief afferent stimulation of the bag cell neurons can trigger a sustained period of spontaneous firing (the `afterdischarge'). Pharmacological activation of a number of second messenger pathways has previously been shown to partially replicate this behavior. One strategy to identify additional pathways may be to heterologously express a variety of G-protein coupled receptors in bag cell neurons, then test whether receptor activation can induce an afterdischarge. We find that expression of the 1 α metabotropic glutamate receptor in single bag cell neurons mimics some features of the afterdischarge. This approach is thus feasible and may allow the reconstruction of different components of afterdischarge in the absence of the afferent input.