Ca2+-permeable AMPA Receptors Research Articles

Retinoic acid-mediated homeostatic plasticity drives cell type-specific CP-AMPAR accumulation in nucleus accumbens core and incubation of cocaine craving.

Incubation of cocaine craving, a translationally relevant model for the persistence of drug craving during abstinence, ultimately depends on strengthening of nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) synapses through synaptic insertion of homomeric GluA1 Ca 2+ -permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs). Here we tested the hypothesis that CP-AMPAR upregulation results from a form of homeostatic plasticity, previously characterized in vitro and in other brain regions, that depends on retinoic acid (RA) signaling in dendrites. Under normal conditions, ongoing synaptic transmission maintains intracellular Ca 2+ at levels sufficient to suppress RA synthesis. Prolonged blockade of neuronal activity results in disinhibition of RA synthesis, leading to increased GluA1 translation and synaptic insertion of homomeric GluA1 CP-AMPARs. Using slice recordings, we found that increasing RA signaling in NAcc medium spiny neurons (MSN) from drug-naïve rats rapidly upregulates CP-AMPARs, and that this pathway is operative only in MSN expressing the D1 dopamine receptor. In MSN recorded from rats that have undergone incubation of craving, this effect of RA is occluded; instead, interruption of RA signaling in the slice normalizes the incubation-associated elevation of synaptic CP-AMPARs. Paralleling this in vitro finding, interruption of RA signaling in the NAcc of 'incubated rats' normalizes the incubation-associated elevation of cue-induced cocaine seeking. These results suggest that RA signaling becomes tonically active in the NAcc during cocaine withdrawal and, by maintaining elevated CP-AMPAR levels, contributes to the incubation of cocaine craving.

Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor-dependent silencing of neurons by KCa3.1 channels during epileptiform activity

Ca2+-activated KCa3.1 channels are known to contribute to slow afterhyperpolarization in pyramidal neurons of several brain areas, while Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) may provide a subthreshold source of Ca2+ elevation in the cytoplasm. The functionality of these two types of channels has also been shown to be altered by epileptic disorders. However, the link between KCa3.1 channels and CP-AMPARs is poorly understood, and their potential interaction in epilepsy remains unclear. Here, we address this issue by overexpressing the KCNN4 gene, which encodes the KCa3.1 channel, using patch clamp, imaging, and channel blockers in an in vitro model of epilepsy in neuronal culture. We show that KCNN4 overexpression causes strong hyperpolarization and substantial silencing of neurons during epileptiform activity events, which also prevents KCNN4-positive neurons from firing action potentials (APs) during experimentally induced status epilepticus. Intracellular blocker application experiments showed that the amplitude of hyperpolarization was strongly dependent on CP-AMPARs, but not on NMDA receptors. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that subthreshold Ca2+ elevation produced by CP-AMPARs can trigger KCa3.1 channels to hyperpolarize neurons and protect them from seizures.

Calcineurin regulates synaptic Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors in hypothalamic presympathetic neurons via α2δ-1-mediated GluA1/GluA2 assembly.

Hypertension is a major adverse effect of calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine, used clinically as immunosuppressants. Calcineurin inhibitor-induced hypertension (CIH) is linked to augmented sympathetic output from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). GluA2-lacking, Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) are a key feature of glutamatergic synaptic plasticity, yet their role in CIH remains elusive. Here, we found that systemic administration of FK506 in rats significantly increased serine phosphorylation of GluA1 and GluA2 in PVN synaptosomes. Strikingly, FK506 treatment reduced GluA1/GluA2heteromers in both synaptosomes and endoplasmic reticulum-enriched fractions from the PVN. Blocking CP-AMPARs with IEM-1460 induced a larger reduction of AMPAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic current (AMPAR-EPSC) amplitudes in retrogradely labelled, spinally projecting PVN neurons in FK506-treated rats than in vehicle-treated rats. Furthermore, FK506 treatment shifted the current-voltage relationship of AMPAR-EPSCs from linear to inward rectification in labelled PVN neurons. FK506 treatment profoundly enhanced physical interactions of α2δ-1 with GluA1 and GluA2 in the PVN. Inhibiting α2δ-1 with gabapentin, α2δ-1 genetic knockout, or disrupting α2δ-1-AMPAR interactions with an α2δ-1 C terminus peptide restored GluA1/GluA2heteromers in the PVN and diminished inward rectification of AMPAR-EPSCs in labelled PVN neurons induced by FK506 treatment. Additionally, microinjection of IEM-1460 or α2δ-1 C terminus peptide into the PVN reduced renal sympathetic nerve discharges and arterial blood pressure elevated in FK506-treated rats but not in vehicle-treated rats. Thus, calcineurin in the hypothalamus constitutively regulates AMPAR subunit composition and phenotypes by controlling GluA1/GluA2 interactions with α2δ-1. Synaptic CP-AMPARs in PVN presympathetic neurons contribute to augmented sympathetic outflow in CIH. KEY POINTS: Systemic treatment with the calcineurin inhibitor increases serine phosphorylation of synaptic GluA1 and GluA2 in the PVN. Calcineurin inhibition enhances the prevalence of postsynaptic Ca2+-permeable AMPARs in PVN presympathetic neurons. Calcineurin inhibition potentiates α2δ-1 interactions with GluA1 and GluA2, disrupting intracellular assembly of GluA1/GluA2heterotetramers in the PVN. Blocking Ca2+-permeable AMPARs or α2δ-1-AMPAR interactions in the PVN attenuates sympathetic outflow augmented by the calcineurin inhibitor.

Exogenous AMPA downregulates gamma-frequency network oscillation in CA3 of rat hippocampal slices

Pharmacologically-induced persistent hippocampal γ oscillation in area CA3 requires activation of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs). However, we demonstrated that exogenous AMPA dose-dependently inhibited carbachol (CCH)-induced γ oscillation in the CA3 area of rat hippocampal slices, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. Application of AMPARs antagonist NBQX (1 μM) did not affect γ oscillation power (γ power), nor AMPA-mediated γ power reduction. At 3 μM, NBQX had no effect on γ power but largely blocked AMPA-mediated γ power reduction. Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor (CP-AMPAR) antagonist IEM1460 or CaMKK inhibitor STO-609 but not CaMKIIα inhibitor KN93 enhanced γ power, indicating that activation of CP-AMPAR or CaMKK negatively modulated CCH-induced γ oscillation. Either CP-AMPAR antagonist or CaMKK inhibitor alone did not affected AMPA-mediated γ power reduction, but co-administration of IEM1460 and NBQX (1 μM) largely prevented AMPA-mediated downregulation of γ suggesting that CP-AMPARs and CI-AMPARs are involved in AMPA downregulation of γ oscillation. The recurrent excitation recorded at CA3 stratum pyramidale was significantly reduced by AMPA application. Our results indicate that AMPA downregulation of γ oscillation may be related to the reduced recurrent excitation within CA3 local neuronal network due to rapid CI-AMPAR and CP-AMPAR activation.

The Role of Ca2+ Permeable AMPA Receptors in Neurodegeneration, Neurotoxicity, and Neuroinflammation.

It is believed that degenerative conditions that give rise to neurological diseases may share an abnormal influx of Ca2+, mainly through glutamate receptors. Current research on the glutamatergic system indicates that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is not the only receptor permeable to Ca2+. Under certain conditions, α -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) are able to rapidly and potently mediate a neurotoxic Ca2+ influx. AMPARs are encoded by four genes designated GluR 1-4. The presence of the edited GluA2 subunit makes the heteromeric AMPAR impermeable to Ca2+ (CI-AMPAR's). On the other hand, the lack of GluA2 or disruptions in its post-translational editing result in Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs). In addition to triggering behavioral changes, the increase in CP-AMPARs is documented in several neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory and neurotoxic conditions, demonstrating that AMPAR changes may play a role in the emergence and evolution of pathological conditions of the central nervous system (CNS). Seeking to better understand how CP-AMPARs influence CNS neuropathology, and how it may serve as a pharmacological target for future molecules, in this article, we summarize and discuss studies investigating changes in the composition of AMPARs and their cellular and molecular effects, to improve the understanding of the therapeutic potential of the CP-AMPAR in neurodegenerative, neurotoxic and neuroinflammatory diseases.

Synaptotagmin-3 interactions with GluA2 mediate brain damage and impair functional recovery in stroke

Synaptotagmin III (Syt3) is a Ca2+-dependent membrane-traffic protein that is highly concentrated in synaptic plasma membranes and affects synaptic plasticity by regulating post-synaptic receptor endocytosis. Here, we show that Syt3 is upregulated in the penumbra after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Knockdown of Syt3 protects against I/R injury, promotes recovery of motor function, and inhibits cognitive decline. Overexpression of Syt3 exerts the opposite effects. Mechanistically, I/R injury augments Syt3-GluA2 interactions, decreases GluA2 surface expression, and promotes the formation of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs). Using a CP-AMPAR antagonist or dissociating the Syt3-GluA2 complex via TAT-GluA2-3Y peptide promotes recovery from neurological impairments and improves cognitive function. Furthermore, Syt3 knockout mice are resistant to cerebral ischemia because they show high-level expression of surface GluA2 and low-level expression of CP-AMPARs after I/R. Our results indicate that Syt3-GluA2 interactions, which regulate the formation of CP-AMPARs, may be a therapeutic target for ischemic insults.

Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors set the threshold for retrieval of drug memories.

Frequent relapse prevents the successful treatment of substance use disorders and is triggered in part by retrieval of drug-associated memories. Drug-conditioned behaviours in rodents are reinstated upon drug memory retrieval following re-exposure to cues previously associated with the drug, or the drug itself. Therapies based on mechanistic insights from rodent studies have focused on amnesic procedures of cue-drug associations but with so far limited success. Conversely, more recent studies propose that inhibiting drug memory retrieval offers improved anti-relapse efficacy. However, mechanisms of memory retrieval are poorly understood. Here, we used a conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure in mice to investigate the cellular and molecular underpinnings of drug-induced memory retrieval. After extinction training of CPP, Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) accumulated at drug-generated silent synapses of nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons. The NAc CP-AMPARs regulated the retrieval mechanism of drug memories after extinction. Specifically, we used different priming doses of cocaine, fentanyl, or a cue associated with drug exposure to reinstate CPP, providing different memory retrieval conditions. Although both high and low doses of these two drugs induced CPP reinstatement, compromising CP-AMPAR accumulation impaired CPP reinstatement, induced by low doses of each drug or the cue. This threshold effect was mediated by NAc CP-AMPARs as region specific knock-down of PSD-95 prevented low-dose cocaine-induced retrieval selectively. These results demonstrate the NAc as a brain region and CP-AMPARs as key synaptic substrates that govern the threshold for drug-induced retrieval and behavioural expression of drug memories.

The Control of Rat Hippocampal Gamma Oscillation Strength by BK Channel Activity

Neuronal network oscillations in the gamma frequency band (30–80 Hz, γ oscillations) are associated with the higher brain functions such as perception, attention, learning and memory. BK channels mediate rapid repolarization and fast afterhyperpolarization in neurons and control neuronal excitability, and potentially control hippocampal γ oscillations. In this study, we examined the effects of modulating BK channels on hippocampal γ oscillations in the absence or presence of Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC) or Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPAR). We found that blocking BK channels enhanced γ power, without affecting oscillation frequency or regularity, suggesting that BK channel activity suppresses γ oscillations. Blocking either VGCC or CP-AMPAR itself enhanced γ power, and completely occluded the effect of BK channel blockers on γ oscillations, whereas blocking BK channels first could not prevent a further γ power increase upon blockade of either CP-AMPAR or VGCC. We propose that Ca2+ influx through VGCC or CP-AMPAR during γ oscillations, cause membrane BK channel activation and regulate hippocampal γ oscillation strength by negative feedback.

α2δ-1 switches the phenotype of synaptic AMPA receptors by physically disrupting heteromeric subunit assembly.

SUMMARYMany neurological disorders show an increased prevalence of GluA2-lacking, Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs), which dramatically alters synaptic function. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this distinct synaptic plasticity remains enigmatic. Here, we show that nerve injury potentiates postsynaptic, but not presynaptic, CP-AMPARs in the spinal dorsal horn via α2δ-1. Overexpressing α2δ-1, previously regarded as a Ca2+ channel subunit, augments CP-AMPAR levels at the cell surface and synapse. Mechanistically, α2δ-1 physically interacts with both GluA1 and GluA2 via its C terminus, inhibits the GluA1/GluA2 heteromeric assembly, and increases GluA2 retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. Consequently, α2δ-1 diminishes the availability and synaptic expression of GluA1/GluA2 heterotetramers in the spinal cord in neuropathic pain. Inhibiting α2δ-1 with gabapentin or disrupting the α2δ-1-AMPAR complex fully restores the intracellular assembly and synaptic dominance of heteromeric GluA1/GluA2 receptors. Thus, α2δ-1 is a pivotal AMPAR-interacting protein that controls the subunit composition and Ca2+ permeability of postsynaptic AMPARs.

Loss of mGluR1-LTD following cocaine exposure accumulates Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors and facilitates synaptic potentiation in the prefrontal cortex

Addiction results from drug-elicited alterations of synaptic plasticity mechanisms in dopaminergic reward circuits. Impaired metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-dependent long-term depression (LTD) and accumulation of synaptic Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) following drug exposure have emerged as important mechanisms underlying drug craving and relapse. Here we show that repeated cocaine exposure in vivo causes transient but complete loss of mGluR1- and mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)-dependent LTD in layer 5 pyramidal neurons of mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC), a major dopaminergic target in the reward circuitry. This mGluR1-LTD impairment was prevented by in vivo administration of an mGluR1 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) and rescued by inhibition of dopamine D1 receptors, suggesting that impaired mGluR1 tone and excessive D1 signaling underlie this LTD deficit. Concurrently, CP-AMPARs were generated, indicated by increased sensitivity to the CP-AMPAR inhibitor Naspm and rectification of synaptic AMPAR currents, which were reversed by PAM in cocaine-exposed mice. Finally, these CP-AMPARs mediate an abnormal spike-timing-dependent long-term potentiation enabled by cocaine exposure. Our findings reveal a mechanism by which cocaine impairs LTD and remodels synaptic AMPARs to influence Hebbian plasticity in the PFC. Failure to undergo LTD may prevent the reversal of drug-potentiated brain circuits to their baseline states, perpetuating addictive behaviors. HIGHLIGHTS A mGluR1- and mTOR-dependent LTD is present in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex. Repeated cocaine exposure in vivo temporally but completely abolishes prefrontal mGluR1-LTD. Impaired mGluR1 function and excessive D1 DA signaling likely underlie cocaine impairment of mGluR1-LTD. Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors are generated by cocaine exposure, likely resulting from mGluR1-LTD impairment, and contribute to a cocaine-induced extended spike timing LTP.

Ocular Hypertension Drives Remodeling of AMPA Receptors in Select Populations of Retinal Ganglion Cells.

AMPA-type glutamate receptors in the CNS are normally impermeable to Ca2+, but the aberrant expression of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) occurs in pathological conditions such as ischemia or epilepsy, or degenerative diseases such as ALS. Here, we show that select populations of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) similarly express high levels of CP-AMPARs in a mouse model of glaucoma. CP-AMPAR expression increased dramatically in both On sustained alpha and Off transient alpha RGCs, and this increase was prevented by genomic editing of the GluA2 subunit. On sustained alpha RGCs with elevated CP-AMPAR levels displayed profound synaptic depression, which was reduced by selectively blocking CP-AMPARs, buffering Ca2+ with BAPTA, or with the CB1 antagonist AM251, suggesting that depression was mediated by a retrograde transmitter which might be triggered by the influx of Ca2+ through CP-AMPARs. Thus, glaucoma may alter the composition of AMPARs and depress excitatory synaptic input in select populations of RGCs.

Calcium-Permeable AMPA Receptors Promote Endocannabinoid Signaling at Parvalbumin Interneuron Synapses in the Nucleus Accumbens Core

SUMMARYSynaptic plasticity is a key mechanism of learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity mechanisms within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) mediate differential behavioral adaptations. Feedforward inhibition in the NAc occurs when glutamatergic afferents onto medium spiny neurons (MSNs) collateralize onto fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), which exert GABAergic control over MSN action potential generation. Here, we find that feedforward glutamatergic synapses onto PV-INs in the NAc core selectively express Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs). Ca2+ influx by CP-AMPARs on PV-INs triggers long-term depression (LTD) mediated by endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling at presynaptic cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors (CB1Rs). Moreover, CP-AMPARs authorize tonic eCB signaling to negatively regulate glutamate release probability. Blockade of CP-AMPARs in the NAc core in vivo is sufficient to disinhibit locomotor output. These findings elucidate mechanisms by which PV-IN-embedded microcircuits in the NAc undergo activity-dependent shifts in synaptic strength.

Participation of Ca2+-Permeable AMPA Receptors in Synaptic Plasticity

AMPA receptors are the key molecules of excitatory and inhibitory synapses and are involved in synaptic plasticity. Cognitive functions of the brain such as signal perception, processing and analysis of information, memory, storage and exchange of information are reduced when the processes controlling the assembly of AMPA receptors, membrane trafficking and synapse-specific expression are impaired. The content of the receptors in synapses is regulated by exocytosis, endocytosis, and receptor recycling. Auxiliary subunits and partners modulate the function of AMPA receptors. Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPAR) not containing the GluA2 subunit are involved in multiple forms of the synaptic plasticity, including long-term potentiation and depression, and play an important role in maintaining the correct balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain. The activation of CP-AMPAR in neurons provides a fast postsynaptic Ca2+ entry, which triggers the processes modifying synaptic functions through the interaction with other Ca2+-transporting systems. The purpose of this review is to draw the attention of researchers to recent advances in the participation of CP-AMPA receptors in synaptic plasticity.

Protection of cochlear synapses from noise-induced excitotoxic trauma by blockade of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors

Exposure to loud sound damages the postsynaptic terminals of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) on cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs), resulting in loss of synapses, a process termed synaptopathy. Glutamatergic neurotransmission via α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)-type receptors is required for synaptopathy, and here we identify a possible involvement of GluA2-lacking Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) using IEM-1460, which has been shown to block GluA2-lacking AMPARs. In CBA/CaJ mice, a 2-h exposure to 100-dB sound pressure level octave band (8 to 16 kHz) noise results in no permanent threshold shift but does cause significant synaptopathy and a reduction in auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave-I amplitude. Chronic intracochlear perfusion of IEM-1460 in artificial perilymph (AP) into adult CBA/CaJ mice prevented the decrease in ABR wave-I amplitude and the synaptopathy relative to intracochlear perfusion of AP alone. Interestingly, IEM-1460 itself did not affect the ABR threshold, presumably because GluA2-containing AMPARs can sustain sufficient synaptic transmission to evoke low-threshold responses during blockade of GluA2-lacking AMPARs. On individual postsynaptic densities, we observed GluA2-lacking nanodomains alongside regions with robust GluA2 expression, consistent with the idea that individual synapses have both CP-AMPARs and Ca2+-impermeable AMPARs. SGNs innervating the same IHC differ in their relative vulnerability to noise. We found local heterogeneity among synapses in the relative abundance of GluA2 subunits that may underlie such differences in vulnerability. We propose a role for GluA2-lacking CP-AMPARs in noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy whereby differences among synapses account for differences in excitotoxic susceptibility. These data suggest a means of maintaining normal hearing thresholds while protecting against noise-induced synaptopathy, via selective blockade of CP-AMPARs.

Different Activation Mechanisms of Excitatory Networks in the Rat Oculomotor Integrators for Vertical and Horizontal Gaze Holding.

Gaze holding in the horizontal and vertical directions is separately controlled via the oculomotor neural integrators, the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus (PHN) and the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC), respectively. Our previous in vitro studies demonstrated that transient, high-frequency local stimulation of the PHN and the INC increased the frequency of spontaneous EPSCs that lasted for several seconds. The sustained EPSC response of PHN neurons was attributed to the activation of local excitatory networks primarily mediated via Ca2+-permeable AMPA (CP-AMPA) receptors and Ca2+-activated nonselective cation (CAN) channels. However, the contribution of CP-AMPA receptors to the activation of INC excitatory networks appeared to be small. In this study, we clarified the mechanisms of excitatory network activation in the PHN and INC using whole-cell recordings in rat brainstem slices. Although physiological and histological analyses showed that neurons that expressed CP-AMPA receptors existed not only in the PHN but also in the INC, the effect of a CP-AMPA receptor antagonist on the sustained EPSC response was significantly weaker in INC neurons than in PHN neurons. Meanwhile, the effect of an NMDA receptor antagonist on the sustained EPSC response was significantly stronger in INC neurons than in PHN neurons. Furthermore, the current and the charge transfer mediated via NMDA receptors were significantly larger in INC neurons than in PHN neurons. These results strongly suggest that these excitatory networks are activated via different synaptic mechanisms: a CP-AMPA receptor and CAN channel-dependent mechanism and an NMDA receptor-dependent mechanism in horizontal and vertical integrators, respectively.

SUN-472 Labile Ca-Permeable AMPA Receptors Comprise New Synapses Following Salt Loading-Induced Plasticity in Hypothalamic Magnocellular Neurons

Magnocellular neuroendocrine cells of the hypothalamus play an important role in the regulation of fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. They undergo a dramatic structural plasticity under sustained physiological activation, including an increase in glutamatergic synaptic innervation. We tested for plasticity in the glutamate AMPA receptor expression in magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) induced by sustained activation by chronic salt loading-induced dehydration. We found that salt loading by with 2% saline drinking water for 5-7 days resulted in a significant selective increase in GluA1 protein expression in the rat SON, while no change in the mRNA expression or membrane localization of any of the AMPA receptor subunits was observed, suggesting a post-transcriptional up regulation of GluA1 at excitatory synapses on SON neurons. We performed whole-cell recordings of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) to determine the contribution of Ca2+ -permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) to synaptic transmission by the EPSC rectification index and the sensitivity of EPSCs to the selective antagonist of CP-AMPA receptors, 1-naphthyl-acetyl-spermine (NAS). We found that neurons from the salt-loaded group showed a significantly greater inward rectification and an increased sensitivity to NAS compared to the control group. To further determine the role of rapid protein turnover in the AMPAR plasticity, we preincubated slices for over 60 min in the translational inhibitor cycloheximide to block local protein synthesis, which. Blocking protein synthesis reverted the Ca permeability and reduced the EPSC frequency and EPSC rectification in SON neurons from in the salt-loaded group to the levels of controls. These findings together suggest that salt loading induces highly labile glutamate synapses in magnocellular neurons that are comprised almost exclusively of CP-AMPARs, and indicate an essential role for rapid protein synthesis in the maintenance of the new synapses. This glutamate receptor plasticity should result in an increase in glutamate-induced calcium influx, which could play a key role in the activity-dependent neuronal-glial remodeling of the magnocellular neurons that occurs during chronic dehydration. Supported by NIH R01 and NSF IOS grants.

Mechanisms of Supralinear Calcium Integration in Dendrites of Hippocampal CA1 Fast-Spiking Cells.

In fast-spiking (FS), parvalbumin-expressing interneurons of the CA1 hippocampus, activation of the GluA2-lacking Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) in basal dendrites is coupled to Ca2+-induced Ca2+-release (CICR), and can result in a supralinear summation of postsynaptic Ca2+-transients (post-CaTs). While this mechanism is important in controlling the direction of long-term plasticity, it is still unknown whether it can operate at all excitatory synapses converging onto FS cells or at a set of synapses receiving a particular input. Using a combination of patch-clamp recordings and two-photon Ca2+ imaging in acute mouse hippocampal slices with computational simulations, here we compared the generation of supralinear post-CaTs between apical and basal dendrites of FS cells. We found that, similar to basal dendrites, apical post-CaTs summated supralinearly and relied mainly on the activation of the CP-AMPARs, with a variable contribution of other Ca2+ sources, such as NMDA receptors, L-type voltage-gated Ca2+-channels and Ca2+ release. In addition, supralinear post-CaTs generated in apical dendrites had a slower decay time and a larger cumulative charge than those in basal, and were associated with a stronger level of somatic depolarization. The model predicted that modulation of ryanodine receptors and of the Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms, such as the Na+/Ca2+-exchanger and SERCA pump, had a major impact on the magnitude of supralinear post-CaTs. These data reveal that supralinear Ca2+ summation is a common mechanism of Ca2+ signaling at CP-AMPAR-containing synapses. Shaped in a location-specific manner through modulation of ryanodine receptors and Ca2+ extrusion mechanisms, CP-AMPAR/CICR signaling is suitable for synapse-specific bidirectional modification of incoming inputs in the absence of active dendritic conductances.

Emergence of Endocytosis-Dependent mGlu1 LTD at Nucleus Accumbens Synapses After Withdrawal From Cocaine Self-Administration.

Extended-access cocaine self-administration induces a progressive intensification of cue-induced drug craving during withdrawal termed “incubation of cocaine craving”. Rats evaluated after >1 month of withdrawal (when incubation of craving is robust) display alterations in excitatory synapses onto medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), including elevated levels of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPAR) and a transition from group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) mGlu5- to mGlu1-mediated synaptic depression. It is important to further characterize the emergent form of mGlu1-mediated synaptic depression because it has been demonstrated that mGlu1 stimulation, by normalizing CP-AMPAR transmission, reduces cue-induced cocaine craving. In the present study, we conducted whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in NAc core MSNs, comparing rats that underwent >35 days of withdrawal from cocaine self-administration to control rats that had self-administered saline. Bath application of the nonselective group I mGluR agonist dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) produced a transient mGlu5-mediated synaptic depression in saline controls, whereas a persistent mGlu1-mediated synaptic depression emerged in cocaine rats. This form of long-term depression (LTD) was abolished by the inclusion of dynamin inhibitory peptide (DIP) in the recording electrode, indicating that it is mediated by removal of CP-AMPARs through a dynamin-dependent endocytosis mechanism. We further showed that CP-AMPAR endocytosis is normally coupled to the PICK1-mediated insertion of Ca2+-impermeable AMPARs (CI-AMPAR). Interestingly, this coupling is not obligatory because disruption of PICK1-mediated CI-AMPAR insertion with pep2-EVKI spared mGlu1-mediated CP-AMPAR endocytosis. Collectively, these results reveal similarities but also differences from mGlu1-LTD observed in other brain regions, and further our understanding of a form of plasticity that may be targeted to reduce cue-induced craving for cocaine and methamphetamine.

MGlu1 tonically regulates levels of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in cultured nucleus accumbens neurons through retinoic acid signaling and protein translation.

In several brain regions, ongoing metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGlu1) transmission has been shown to tonically suppress synaptic levels of Ca2+ -permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) while pharmacological activation of mGlu1 removes CP-AMPARs from these synapses. Consistent with this, we previously showed in nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that reduced mGlu1 tone enables and mGlu1 positive allosteric modulation reverses the elevation of CP-AMPAR levels in the NAc that underlies enhanced cocaine craving in the "incubation of craving" rat model of addiction. To better understand mGlu1/CP-AMPAR interactions, we used a NAc/prefrontal cortex co-culture system in which NAc MSNs express high CP-AMPAR levels, providing an invitro model for NAc MSNs after the incubation of cocaine craving. The non-specific group I orthosteric agonist dihydroxyphenylglycine (10min) decreased cell surface GluA1 but not GluA2, indicating CP-AMPAR internalization. This was prevented by mGlu1 (LY367385) or mGlu5 (MTEP) blockade. However, a selective role for mGlu1 emerged in studies of long-term antagonist treatment. Thus, LY367385 (24hr) increased surface GluA1 without affecting GluA2, whereas MTEP (24hr) had no effect. In hippocampal neurons, scaling up of CP-AMPARs can occur through a mechanism requiring retinoic acid (RA) signaling and new GluA1 synthesis. Consistent with this, the LY367385-induced increase in surface GluA1 was blocked by anisomycin (translation inhibitor) or 4-(diethylamino)-benzaldehyde (RA synthesis inhibitor). Thus, mGlu1 transmission tonically suppresses cell surface CP-AMPAR levels, and decreasing mGlu1 tone increases surface CP-AMPARs via RA signaling and protein translation. These results identify a novel mechanism for homeostatic plasticity in NAc MSNs.

Spinal PKC\u03b1 inhibition and gene-silencing for pain relief: AMPAR trafficking at the synapses between primary afferents and sensory interneurons

Upregulation of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) in dorsal horn (DH) neurons has been causally linked to persistent inflammatory pain. This upregulation, demonstrated for both synaptic and extrasynaptic AMPARs, depends on the protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) activation; hence, spinal PKC inhibition has alleviated peripheral nociceptive hypersensitivity. However, whether targeting the spinal PKCα would alleviate both pain development and maintenance has not been explored yet (essential to pharmacological translation). Similarly, if it could balance the upregulated postsynaptic CP-AMPARs also remains unknown. Here, we utilized pharmacological and genetic inhibition of spinal PKCα in various schemes of pain treatment in an animal model of long-lasting peripheral inflammation. Pharmacological inhibition (pre- or post-treatment) reduced the peripheral nociceptive hypersensitivity and accompanying locomotive deficit and anxiety in rats with induced inflammation. These effects were dose-dependent and observed for both pain development and maintenance. Gene-therapy (knockdown of PKCα) was also found to relieve inflammatory pain when applied as pre- or post-treatment. Moreover, the revealed therapeutic effects were accompanied with the declined upregulation of CP-AMPARs at the DH synapses between primary afferents and sensory interneurons. Our results provide a new focus on the mechanism-based pain treatment through interference with molecular mechanisms of AMPAR trafficking in central pain pathways.