Permeation of calcium ions through non-NMDA glutamate channels in retinal bipolar cells

Cell-specific expression of type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase isoforms and glutamate receptors in normal and visually deprived lateral geniculate nucleus of monkeys

In situ hybridization histochemistry and immunocytochemistry were used to map distributions of cells expressing mRNAs encoding alpha, beta, gamma, and delta isoforms of type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII), alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionate (AMPA)/ kainate receptor subunits, (GluR1-7), and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits, NR1 and NR2A-D, or stained by subunit-specific immunocytochemistry in the dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei of macaque monkeys. Relationships of specific isoforms with particular glutamate receptor types may be important elements in neural plasticity. CaMKII-alpha is expressed only by neurons in the S laminae and interlaminar plexuses of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, but may form part of a more widely distributed matrix of similar cells extending from the geniculate into adjacent nuclei. CaMKII-beta, -gamma, and -delta isoforms are expressed by all neurons in principal and S laminae and interlaminar plexuses. In principal laminae, they are down-regulated by monocular deprivation lasting 8-21 days. All glutamate receptor subunits are expressed by neurons in principal and S laminae and interlaminar plexuses. The AMPA/kainate subunits, GluR1, 2, 5, and 7, are expressed at low levels, although GluR1 immunostaining appears selectively to stain interneurons. GluR3 is expressed at weak, GluR 6 at moderate and GluR 4 at high levels. NMDA subunits, NR1 and NR2A, B, and D, are expressed at moderate to low levels. GluR4, GluR6 and NMDA subunits are down-regulated by visual deprivation. CaMKII-alpha expression is unique in comparison with other CaMKII isoforms which may, therefore, have more generalized roles in cell function. The results demonstrate that all of the isoforms are associated with NMDA receptors and with AMPA receptors enriched with GluR4 subunits, which implies high calcium permeability and rapid gating.

Stoichiometries of AMPA receptor subunit mRNAs in rat brain fall into discrete categories

In situ hybridization was used to estimate the relative concentrations of mRNAs encoding different subunits (GluR1-4) of alpha-amino 3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors in rat brain and to test the hypothesis that within-region expression profiles reflect a limited number of recurring patterns. Fractional subunit mRNA concentrations were calculated for 33 brain regions, and cluster analysis methods were applied to test for statistically meaningful groupings in the data. Four relatively homogeneous classes were identified and designated as AMPA receptor (AR) categories, numbered according to dominant subunit mRNAs. The AR-1 class (47% GluR1 mRNA) was expressed by structures near the mesodiencephalic border, including basal ganglia-related areas. The AR-2 class (57% GluR2 mRNA) was expressed in cortex and tectum. The AR-1,2 class (31% GluR1, 45% GluR2) was found in the largest number of regions, including such dissimilar cell fields as hippocampus and substantia nigra pars compacta. The AR-2,3 grouping (33% GluR2, 31% GluR3) was associated with the sensory relay and reticular thalamic nuclei. It is suggested that AR-1,2 and AR-2, the most closely related categories in clustering space, are largely telencephalic receptors with the former predominant in the subcortex and the latter in the cortex. The AR-2,3 class is associated with ascending sensory stations, whereas AR-1 appears to include several smaller categories expressed by specialized systems. If the balance of subunit mRNAs is reflected at the protein level, then the present data suggest that forebrain AMPA-type glutamate receptors can be classified into a limited number of recurring types.

Responses to glutamate in rat taste cells

We studied taste transduction in sensory receptor cells. Specifically, we examined the actions of glutamate, a significant taste stimulus, on the membrane properties of taste cells by applying whole cell patch-clamp techniques to cells in rat taste buds isolated from foliate and vallate papillae. In 55 of 91 taste cells, bath-applied glutamate, at concentrations that elicit taste responses in the intact animal (10-20 mM), produced one of two different responses when the cell membrane was held near its presumed resting potential, -85 mV. "Sustained" glutamate responses were observed in the majority of taste cells (51 of 55) and consisted of an outward current (reduction of the maintained inward current). Sustained glutamate responses were voltage dependent, were decreased by membrane depolarization, and were accompanied by a reduction in membrane conductance. An analysis of the reversal potential of sustained responses in different ionic conditions and the effect of ion substitutions suggested that the currents were carried by cations. The data suggest that sustained responses are mediated by the closure of nonselective cation channels. Other taste cells (4 of 55) responded to glutamate with a transient inward current--so-called "transient" responses. Transient glutamate responses were voltage dependent and Na+ dependent, and appeared to be generated by nonspecific cation channels activated by glutamate. L(+)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (L-AP4), a specific agonist of a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR4) recently identified in rat taste cells and believed to be involved in taste transduction, mimicked the sustained glutamate responses. These findings indicate that glutamate, at concentrations at or slightly above threshold for taste in rats, produces two different membrane currents. The properties of these two responses suggest that there may be two different sets of nonspecific cation channels in taste cells, one closed by glutamate (sustained response) and the other opened (transient response). Our findings on the effect of L-AP4 suggest that the sustained response is the membrane mechanism mediating, at least in part, taste transduction for glutamate.

Recombinant AMPA receptors with low Ca2+ permeability increase intracellular Ca2+ in HEK 293 cells

Although AMPA receptor subunit configuration controls the Ca2+ permeability of the ion channel, not much is known about Ca2+ signals generated by different AMPA receptor subtypes. We examined the Ca2+ signaling properties of recombinant AMPA receptors using patch clamp to determine ionic permeability properties and Ca2+ imaging to examine changes in intra-cellular Ca2+ level ([Ca2+]i). Activation of recombinant AMPA receptors robustly increased [Ca2+]i even in cells expressing heteromeric receptors containing edited GluRB, which harbored receptors with very low average Ca2+ permeability in patch clamp studies. The results suggest that whereas the GluRB subunit controls Ca2+ permeability, Ca2+ signaling mediated by AMPA receptors correlates poorly with the presence of GluRB.

Reducing extracellular Cl- suppresses dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ currents and synaptic transmission in amphibian photoreceptors

A reduction in extracellular chloride suppresses light-evoked currents of second-order retinal neurons (bipolar and horizontal cells) by reducing release of glutamate from photoreceptors. The underlying mechanisms responsible for this action of reduced extracellular Cl- were studied with a combination of electrophysiological recordings from single neurons in a retinal slice preparation and image analyses of intracellular Ca2+ (Fura-2) and pH [2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein, acetoxymethyl ester] in dissociated photoreceptors. The results show that reducing extracellular Cl- suppresses a dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive Ca2+ current (I(Ca)) in photoreceptors. It is proposed that suppression of I(Ca) results in suppression of photoreceptor neurotransmission. The suppressive effect of low Cl- on I(Ca) is not due to antagonism by the substituting anion nor is it mediated by changes in extracellular or intracellular pH. We conclude that normal extracellular levels of Cl- are important for maintenance of the voltage-gated Ca2+ channels that support neurotransmission from photoreceptors. Several ideas are presented about the mechanisms by which Cl- supports photoreceptor neurotransmission and the possibility that modulations of Cl- might play a physiological role in the regulation of Ca2+ channels in photoreceptors and, hence, photoreceptor function.

Combinations of AMPA receptor subunit expression in individual cortical neurons correlate with expression of specific calcium-binding proteins

The functional properties of AMPA-type glutamate receptors are determined by their subunit composition. We detected the expression of the AMPA receptor subunits (GluR1-GluR4) in neurons in the somatosensory cortex of adult rats by combining nonradioactive in situ hybridization using digoxigenin-labeled RNA probes of GluR1 and GluR2 with immunocytochemistry using specific antibodies against GluR1, GluR2/3, and GluR4. On the basis of differential expression of the GluR1 and GluR2 subunits, we classified the cortical neurons into four categories. To correlate the differential expression of AMPA receptor subunits in each neuron with that of two calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin and calbindin-D28k, we used a triple-labeling method. The majority of cortical neurons ( approximately 2/3) showed expression of GluR2 and undetectable expression of GluR1. GluR1-/GluR2-expressing neurons and GluR1-expressing/GluR2-undetectable neurons comprised approximately 1/10 each. Regarding the morphology, most GluR1-undetectable/GluR2-expressing neurons were pyramidal cells in layers II/III, V, and VI, whereas most GluR1-expressing/GluR2-undetectable neurons were nonpyramidal cells in layers II-VI. The GluR1-/GluR2-expressing neurons were either pyramidal or nonpyramidal. The majority of GluR1-/GluR2-expressing nonpyramidal cells was intensely stained with monoclonal antibody against calbindin-D28k, and one-half of the GluR1-undetectable/GluR2-expressing pyramidal neurons in layer II/III were lightly stained with this antibody. Most of GluR1-expressing/GluR2-undetectable neurons possessed parvalbumin immunoreactivity. These results indicate that neurons in the rat somatosensory cortex express differential combinations of GluR subunits, which correlate with the specific expression of the calcium-binding proteins.

Role of NMDA and non-NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors in traumatic spinal cord axonal injury

We examined the role of glutamatergic mechanisms in acute injury to rat spinal cord white matter. Compound action potentials (CAPs) were recorded from isolated dorsal column segments in vitro. Under control conditions (Ringer's solution), the CAPs decreased to 71.4 +/- 2.0% of preinjury values after compression injury with a clip exerting a closing force of 2 g. The combination of the NMDA receptor blocker APV (50 microM) and the AMPA/kainate (KA) receptor blocker CNQX (10 microM) resulted in significantly improved recovery of CAP amplitude postinjury; however, the NMDA receptor antagonist APV alone did not enhance postinjury recovery, and infusion of NMDA (10 microM) did not affect recovery of the CAPs. In contrast, the AMPA/KA receptor blockers NBQX (10 microM) or CNQX (10 microM) significantly enhanced the recovery of CAP amplitude postinjury. The agonists AMPA (100 microM) or KA (100 microM) resulted in significant attenuation of CAP amplitude postinjury. Coapplication of AMPA/KA plus NBQX and CNQX was also associated with improved functional recovery. After incubation with AMPA and KA, Co(2+)-positive glia were visualized in spinal cord white matter. Similar results were seen after compressive injury but not in control cords. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis demonstrated AMPA (GluR4)- and KA (GluR6/7 and KA2)-positive astrocytes in spinal cord white matter. In summary, non-NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors seem to be involved in the pathophysiology of traumatic spinal cord injury. The presence of AMPA (GluR4) and KA (GluR6/7 and KA2) receptors on periaxonal astrocytes suggests a role for these cells in glutamatergic white matter injury.

Ca2+ -activated K+ current at presynaptic terminals of goldfish retinal bipolar cells

Properties of the Ca2+ -activated K+ current (I[K(Ca)]) were investigated in bipolar cells isolated from the goldfish retina. Pharmacological experiments and single channel current recordings demonstrated that I[K(Ca)] represented currents through BK channels, which were confined mostly to the presynaptic terminal. The ensemble noise analysis of I[K(Ca)], which was evoked following the activation of presynaptic Ca2+ current, revealed that the single channel conductance and open probability (P(o)) were approximately 50 pS ([K+]o = 2.6 mM, [K+]i = 140 mM) and 0.6 at 0 mV, respectively. To estimate [Ca2+]i at the cytosolic side of BK channels, activation of I[K(Ca)] was examined in Ca2+-loaded bipolar cells bathed in Co2+ solution. [Ca2+]i was monitored using furaptra fluorimetry. It was found that [Ca2+]i ranged between 10 and 20 microM when P(o) was 0.6. A high concentration of BAPTA ( > 20 mM) was required to suppress I[K(Ca)]. Under this condition, channel number was reduced without changing P(o). Therefore, it is likely that some BK channels are co-localized with Ca2+ channels in presynaptic terminals of retinal bipolar cells.

AMPA neurotoxicity in cultured cerebellar granule neurons: mode of cell death

Various forms of cell death induced by the glutamate receptor agonist, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA), were analyzed by determining the capacity of cultured cerebellar granule cells to metabolize 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) into formazan, by measuring the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), by using confocal microscopy to visualize propidium iodide staining of apoptotic nuclei, and by using field inversion gel electrophoresis (FIGE) for the detection of AMPA-produced cleavage of DNA into high molecular-weight fragments (50 kbp). All these measures indicated that stimulation of AMPA receptors may be involved in the neurotoxic effects of glutamate, and that AMPA-induced neurotoxicity in cerebellar granule cells display morphologically distinct features of both necrotic and apoptotic modes of cell death. In agreement with previous observations, a blockade of AMPA receptor desensitization was necessary to unmask AMPA-induced functional responses in cultured cerebellar granule neurons in vitro. Microfluorimetric measurements of free cytoplasmic calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in single cerebellar neurons revealed that AMPA neurotoxicity was accompanied by a pronounced elevation of [Ca2+]i. Our current results add further evidence to the notion that glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in cerebellar granule cells is mediated not only through NMDA receptors but also through a direct activation of AMPA receptor-regulated cation channels.

Developmental expression and self-regulation of Ca2+ entry via AMPA/KA receptors in the embryonic chick retina

Excessive activation of glutamate receptors in the late embryonic and adult retina leads to excitotoxic cell death through an increase in intracellular calcium concentration. Here we use the cobalt-staining technique of Pruss et al. to investigate the developmental expression of Ca(2+)-permeable alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid/kainate (AMPA/KA) receptors in the embryonic chick retina, and the effects of AMPA/KA receptor activation on cell survival and AMPA/KA receptor expression. Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA/KA receptors are present in the retina as early as embryonic day 6 (E6). While sustained activation of these receptors with KA led to massive cell death in explant and dissociated cultures of the chick retina late in development, continuous application of high doses of KA from early times was not excitotoxic. Cell survival in KA is correlated with both a reduction in cobalt staining and the KA-evoked membrane current, and thus with a reduction in the Ca2+ entry into cells via AMPA/KA receptors. The effects of KA could be blocked by the non-N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), but not by the NMDA receptor antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5) nor the L-type Ca2+ channel blockers diltiazem and nifedipine. The action of AP5 was mimicked by exposure to glutamate but not by the metabotropic receptor agonist 1S,3R-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid. Thus exposure of retinal neurons to glutamate early in development may protect them from its excitotoxic actions later on.

Basis of the antiseizure action of phenytoin

1. Phenytoin has been used with much clinical success against all types of epileptiform seizures, except petit mal epilepsy, for over 50 years. Its mechanism of action, however, is still open to interpretation. 2. Several potential targets for phenytoin action have been identified within the central nervous system. These include the Na-K-ATPase, the GABAA receptor complex, ionotropic glutamate receptors, calcium channels and sigma binding sites. 3. To date, though, the best evidence hinges on the inhibition of voltage-sensitive Na+ channels in the plasma membrane of neurons undergoing seizure activity. Quieter nerve cells are far less affected. Moreover, the fact that phenytoin also has important cardiac antiarrhythymic effects and can inhibit Na+ influx into cardiac cells supports the idea that the primary target of phenytoin is, indeed, the Na+ channel.

Kainic acid induced excitotoxicity and cfos expression in fibroblasts transfected with glutamate receptor subunit, GluR1

Glutamate receptors participate in the majority of fast excitatory neurotransmission in the mammalian brain. Excessive excitation of these receptors has been linked to neuronal dysfunction and death through a process termed excitotoxicity. In this study we demonstrate that transfection of a single non-NMDA glutamate receptor subunit, GluR1, into cultured fibroblasts is sufficient to confer kainic acid mediated excitotoxicity similar to that seen in neuronal cells. Death of transfected cells requires at least 24 h of continuous exposure to kainic acid and can be blocked with a glutamate receptor antagonist. Also, the induction of protooncogene cfos transcripts occurs 30 min following kainic acid administration, and Fos protein accumulated in the nucleus within 90 min. These observations suggest that the signaling system(s) required to initiate gene expression and kainic acid excitotoxicity from a neuronal ionotropic receptor to the nucleus is present in these nonneuronal cells. Finally, antibodies prepared to amino acids 185-449 of GluR1 are demonstrated to be useful for fluorescence-activated sorting of live cells transfected with a GluR1 expression vector. This supports the conclusion that this region of the protein is located extracellularly.

Selective activation of calcium permeability by aspartate in Purkinje cells

Glutamate and aspartate are endogenous excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters widely distributed in the mammalian central nervous system. Aspartate was shown to induce a large membrane current sensitive to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptor antagonists in Purkinje cells from mice lacking functional NMDA receptors (NR1(-/-)). This response was accompanied by high permeability to calcium. In contrast, no current was induced by aspartate in hippocampal neurons and cerebellar granule cells from NR1(-/-) mice. Several other glutamate receptor agonists failed to evoke this response. Thus, in Purkinje cells, aspartate activates a distinct response capable of contributing to synaptic plasticity through calcium permeability.

Glutamate receptor-mediated calcium entry in neurons derived from P19 embryonal carcinoma cells

We have examined the control of calcium elevation by glutamate in neurons derived from the mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cell line. Following transient exposure to retinoic acid, P19 cells differentiate into neurons that express both NMDA and non-NMDA glutamate receptor subtypes. Fluorescence videomicroscopy using the indicator fura-2 revealed concentration-dependent elevation in cytosolic calcium levels with exposure to NMDA or kainate. Replacement of extracellular sodium with N-methylglucamine significantly reduced the action of kainate. Exposure to high K+ medium also elicited an elevation of cytosolic calcium in P19 cells, which was partially inhibited by the calcium channel antagonist nimodipine. These experiments suggest that the elevation in calcium produced by kainate involves the activation of voltage-gated calcium channels as a consequence of membrane depolarization, in contrast to direct calcium entry through NMDA receptor channels. Whole-cell recordings revealed that P19 NMDA receptors were highly permeable to calcium (PCa/PNa = 5.6 +/- 0.2). In most cells, channels gated by kainate displayed low permeability to calcium; the median permeability ratio, PCa/PNa, was 0.053 (range 0.045 to 0.132). Activation of peak currents by NMDA, glycine, and kainate was half-maximal at 24 microM, 240 nM, and 81 microM, respectively. In addition, cadmium-sensitive currents through voltage-gated calcium channels were recorded in P19 cells bathed in barium/TEA chloride. Staining with antibodies directed against AMPA receptor subunits revealed wide-spread immunoreactivity for anti-GluR-B/C and anti-GluR-B/D. About half of the P19 cells were stained with antibodies selective for GluR-D but there was little or no immunoreactivity for the GluR-A subunit.

Expression of AMPA-glutamate receptor B subunit in rat hippocampal GABAergic neurons

The physiological properties of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor (GluR) channels are determined by their subunit composition. In particular, the expression of the GluR-B subunit determines the divalent ion selectivity of the channel. We studied the distribution of GluR-B mRNA and protein in adult rat hippocampal GABAergic neurons combining non-radioactive in situ hybridization with immunocytochemistry. The majority of GABAergic hippocampal neurons were GluR-B mRNA-positive, but overall the levels of GluR-B transcript were lower than in pyramidal and granule cells, which showed the highest hybridization signal. The different GluR-B mRNA expression levels in GABAergic versus principal neurons were also observed at the protein level. There was a paucity of GluR-B/C immunoreactivity in the vast majority of somata of the GABAergic neurons studied, which contrasted with the strong expression of GluR-B/C proteins in the hippocampal principal neurons. Our results demonstrate the general low expression of the GluR-B subunit mRNA and GluR-B/C proteins in GABAergic hippocampal neurons. Considering the dominant role of the GluR-B subunit in determining the divalent ion permeability of the receptor, it is likely that most GABAergic neurons express AMPA receptor channels with different calcium permeabilities.

A single tryptophan on M2 of glutamate receptor channels confers high permeability to divalent cations

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate/kainate subtype display lower permeability to Ca2+ than the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype. The well-documented N/Q/R site on the M2 transmembrane segment (M2) is an important determinant of the distinct Ca2+ permeability exhibited by members of the non-NMDA receptor subfamily. This site, however, does not completely account for the different permeation properties displayed by non-NMDA and NMDA receptors, suggesting the involvement of other molecular determinants. We have identified additional molecular elements on M2 of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate/kainate receptor GluR1 that specify its permeation properties. Higher permeability to divalent over monovalent cations is conferred on GluR1 by a tryptophan at position 577, whereas blockade by external divalent cations is imparted by an asparagine at position 582. Hence, the permeation properties of ionotropic glutamate receptors appear to be primarily specified by two distinct determinants on M2, the well-known N/Q/R site and the newly identified L/W site. These findings substantiate the notion that M2 is a structural component of the pore lining.

Information processing by graded-potential transmission through tonically active synapses

Many neurons use graded membrane-potential changes, instead of action potentials, to transmit information. Traditional synaptic models feature discontinuous transmitter release by presynaptic action potentials, but this is not true for synapses between graded-potential neurons. In addition to graded and continuous transmitter release, they have multiple active zones, ribbon formations and L-type Ca2+ channels. These differences are probably linked to the high rate of vesicle fusion required for continuous transmitter release. Early stages of sensory systems provide some of the best characterized graded-potential neurons, and recent work on these systems suggests that modification of synaptic transmission by adaptation is a powerful feature of graded synapses.

Normal and abnormal calcium homeostasis in neurons: a basis for the pathophysiology of traumatic and ischemic central nervous system injury

Clinical recovery after central nervous system (CNS) trauma or ischemia may be limited by a neural injury process that is triggered and perpetuated at the cellular level, rather than by a lesion amenable to surgical repair. It is widely thought that one such process, a fundamental pathological mechanism initiated by CNS injury, is a disruption of cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Because of the critical role of Ca2+ ions in regulating innumerable cellular functions, this major homeostatic disturbance is thought to trigger neuronal and axonal degeneration and produce clinical disability. We review those aspects of normal and pathological Ca2+ homeostasis in neurons that relate to neurodegeneration and to the application of neuroprotective strategies for the treatment of CNS injury. In particular, we examine the contribution of Ca(2+)-permeable ionic channels, Ca2+ pumps, intracellular Ca2+ stores, intracellular Ca2+ buffering systems, and the roles of secondary, Ca(2+)-dependent processes in neurodegeneration. A number of hypotheses linking Ca2+ ions and Ca2+ permeable channels to neurotoxicity are discussed with an emphasis on strategies for lessening Ca(2+)-related damage. A number of these strategies may have a future role in the treatment of traumatic and ischemic CNS injury.

Removal of extracellular chloride suppresses transmitter release from photoreceptor terminals in the mudpuppy retina

Removal of extracellular Cl- has been shown to suppress light-evoked voltage responses of ON bipolar and horizontal cells, but not photoreceptors or OFF bipolar cells, in the amphibian retina. A substantial amount of experimental evidence has demonstrated that the photoreceptor transmitter, L-glutamate, activates cation, not Cl-, channels in these cells. The mechanism for Cl-free effects was therefore reexamined in a superfused retinal slice preparation from the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) using whole-cell voltage and current clamp techniques. In a Cl-free medium, light-evoked currents were maintained in rod and cone photoreceptors but suppressed in horizontal, ON bipolar, and OFF bipolar cells. Changes in input resistance and dark current in bipolar and horizontal cells were consistent with the hypothesis that removal of Cl- suppresses tonic glutamate release from photoreceptors. The persistence of light-evoked voltage responses in OFF bipolar cells, despite the suppression of light-evoked currents, is due to a compensatory increase in input resistance. Focal application of hyperosmotic sucrose to photoreceptor terminals produced currents in bipolar and horizontal cells arising from two sources: (a) evoked glutamate release and (b) direct actions of the hyperosmotic solution on postsynaptic neurons. The inward currents resulting from osmotically evoked release of glutamate in OFF bipolar and horizontal cells were suppressed in a Cl-free medium. For ON bipolar cells, both the direct and evoked components of the hyperosmotic response resulted in outward currents and were thus difficult to separate. However, in some cells, removal of extracellular Cl- suppressed the outward current consistent with a suppression of presynaptic glutamate release. The results of this study suggest that removal of extracellular Cl- suppresses glutamate release from photoreceptor terminals. Thus, it is possible that control of [Cl-] in and around photoreceptors may regulate glutamate release from these cells.

Ca2+ influx through glutamate receptor-associated channels in retina cells correlates with neuronal cell death

We studied the effect of glutamate, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate or K+ depolarization, on neurotoxicity in cultured chick retinal cells, under conditions in which we could discriminate between Ca2+ entering through ionotropic glutamate receptors and voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels (VSCCs). When neurons were challenged with NMDA, kainate or glutamate, in Na(+)-containing medium, a decrease in cell survival was observed, whereas K+ depolarization did not affect the viability of the cells. The Mg2+ ion completely prevented the toxic effect mediated by the NMDA receptor, and had a small but significant protective effect at the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid/kainate (AMPA/kainate) receptor-induced cell death. We observed that, in a Na(+)-free N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMG) medium, to avoid the activation of VSCCs indirectly by the glutamate receptor agonists, stimulation of the glutamate receptors causes Ca2+ influx only through NMDA and AMPA/kainate receptor-associated channels, and that Ca2+ entry correlates well with subsequent cell death. These results show that the activation of NMDA or AMPA/kainate receptors can cause excitotoxicity in retinal neurons by mechanisms not involving Na+ influx, but rather depending on the permeation of Ca2+ through glutamate receptor-associated channels. For small Ca2+ loads the entry of Ca2+ through the NMDA receptor-associated channel was more efficient in triggering cell death than the influx of Ca2+ through the AMPA/kainate receptor.

[Ca2+]i regulation by glutamate receptor agonists in cultured chick retina cells

The effect of glutamate receptor agonists on the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), measured with Indo-1, was studied in populations of cultured chick embryonic retina cells. The agonists of the ionotropic glutamate receptors, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainate, and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) increased the [Ca2+]i through a composite effect, comprising Ca2+ permeating the receptor-associated channels, and Ca2+ entering through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Furthermore, the [Ca2+]i responses to NMDA and AMPA also involved Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, which could not be mobilized by stimulation of the metabotropic receptor.

Glutamate receptor agonists evoked Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent release of [3H]D-aspartate from cultured chick retina cells

We studied the release of [3H]D-aspartate evoked by glutamate receptor agonists from monolayer cultures of chick retina cells, and found that activation of the glutamate receptors can evoke both Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent release of [3H]D-aspartate. In Ca(2+)-free (no added Ca2+) Na+ medium, the agonists of the glutamate receptors induced the release of [3H]D-aspartate with the following rank order of potency: kainate > alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) approximately N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). In media containing 1 mM CaCl2 the release of [3H]D-aspartate evoked by NMDA, kainate and AMPA was increased by about 112 percent, 20 percent and 39 percent, respectively, as compared to the release evoked by the same agonists in Ca(2+)-free medium. NMDA was the most potent agonist in stimulating the Ca(2+)-dependent release of [3H]D-aspartate, possibly by exocytosis, and AMPA was as potent as kainate. The Ca(2+)-dependent release of [3H]D-aspartate evoked by kainate was dependent on the influx of Ca2+ through the receptor associated channel, as well as through the N-(omega-Conotoxin GVIA-sensitive) and L- (nitrendipine-sensitive) type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels (VSCC). The exocytotic release of [3H]D-aspartate evoked by AMPA relied exclusively on Ca2+ entry through the L-type VSCC, whereas the effect of NMDA was partially mediated by the influx of Ca2+ through the receptor-associated channel, but not through L- or N-type VSCC. Thus, activation of these different glutamate receptors under physiological conditions is expected to cause the release of cytosolic and vesicular glutamate, and the routes of Ca2+ entry modulating vesicular release may be selectively recruited.

L-Glutamate-induced responses in OFF-type bipolar cells of the cat retina

L-Glutamate (Glu)-induced current responses were studied in 119 isolated OFF-type bipolar cells of the cat retina. Cells were recorded by the patch clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration. Glu induced a current carried by alkali metal ions and divalent cations with a permeability ratio of PNa:PK:PCs:PCa = 1:0.94:1.32:0.57. Sensitivity to Glu was highest in the dendritic region. Kainate and AMPA worked as potent agonists, but neither APB, L-aspartate, ACPD, nor NMDA (all at 100 microM) was effective. The Glu-induced response was antagonized by > 1 microM CNQX. We inferred that OFF-type bipolar cells have a non-NMDA receptor channel that is permeable to alkali metal ions with low selectivity, but not NMDA receptor or metabotropic Glu receptor.

Developmental regulation of the toxin sensitivity of Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors in cortical glia

We examined the properties of glutamate agonist-induced Ca2+ fluxes in cultured CG-4 and O-2A progenitor cells from rat cortex. Kainate-induced Ca2+ fluxes in these cells were found to be attributable to the activation of AMPA receptors. Thus, these fluxes were enhanced by cyclothiazide but not by concanavalin A and were blocked completely by GYKI-53655. We simultaneously examined kainate-induced Ca2+ entry and Na+ currents in these cells under voltage-clamp conditions. Both of these parameters were blocked by Joro spider toxin (JSTx) in undifferentiated cells. However, neither JSTx nor Argiotoxin 636 effectively blocked either parameter in cells differentiated into type II astrocytes. This change in toxin sensitivity occurred slowly over a period of several days. Similar results were obtained in Ca(2+)-imaging studies. When cells were differentiated into oligodendrocytes, they showed an intermediate sensitivity to block by JSTx as assessed using imaging and voltage-clamp studies. Analysis of the expression of AMPA-receptor subunits showed an increase in the concentration of glutamate receptor-2 (GluR2) in CG-4 cells as they differentiated into type II astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. These results demonstrate that the AMPA receptors in cells of the O-2A lineage flux appreciable amounts of Ca2+ but may contain variable amounts of edited GluR2 subunits.

ERG of form deprivation myopia and drug induced ametropia in chicks

Chick eyes occluded for various periods or treated with various concentrations of kainic acid (KA) or 2-amino-4-phosphonobutylate (APB) during development showed characteristic changes of electroretinography and of refraction. In occluded eyes, oscillatory potential amplitudes (OP-A) were reduced, even with high-intensity stimulation, in proportion to duration of occlusion, but b wave amplitude was unchanged, implying functional changes in inner layers of the deprived retina. OP-A reduction after only 1 week of occlusion and reversibility of this change might reflect retinal changes preceding axial elongation. KA was confirmed to induce myopia with axial elongation and APB to induce hyperopia with axial shortening. KA and APB both suppressed OP-A. KA reduced ON and OFF responses, but low-dose APB suppressed only ON responses. Study results suggest that myopia could be induced by changes of inner retina mediating OP attenuation and degradation of ON and OFF responses. This manuscript reports unpublished work that is not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

New developments in the molecular pharmacology of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate and kainate receptors

Separation of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate subtypes of glutamate receptors, known as alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) and kainate receptors, is traced through conventional pharmacology to molecular biology. The physiology and pharmacology of recombinant receptor subtypes (GluR1-7 and KA1-2) are described. Competitive antagonists, e.g., the quinoxalinedione, 2,3-dihyroxy-6-nitro-7-sulphamoyl-benz(F)quinoxaline, and the decahydroisoquinoline, 3S,4aR,6R, 8aR-6-[2-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5-yl)ethyl]-decahydroisoquinolin e-3-carboxylate, have a broad antagonist spectrum, except that the latter is inactive on GluR6. The 2,3-benzodiazepines noncompetitively antagonise the AMPA receptor GluR1-4. Desensitisation of AMPA (GluR1-4) and kainate (GluR5-7 and KA1-2) receptors is blocked by cyclothiazide and concanavalin A, respectively. Polyamine toxins block AMPA receptors not containing GluR2 and unedited kainate receptors (GluR5-6). These data correlate well with results on native neurons characterised by techniques such as in situ hybridisation.

CNQX prevents spinal motor neuron death following sciatic nerve transection in newborn rats

A rapid and reproducible spinal motor neuron death occurs after sciatic nerve transection in neonatal rats. This neuronal death could be due to lack of retrogradely transported target derived neurotrophic factors, such as ciliary neurotrophic factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, leukemia inhibitory factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. Another hypothesis suggests that glutamate and its receptors has been implicated as possible mechanism for motor neuron death. In order to investigate the effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptor antagonists on axotomy-induced cell death in the spinal motor neurons of neonatal rats, we have studied neuroprotective effects of these receptor antagonists. Newborn rats were anesthetized with hypothermia. Sciatic nerve was transected near the obturator tendon in the left thigh. Animals were then treated daily with MK-801, APV, and CNQX for 14 days with intraperitoneal injections. Control animals received PBS in the same fashion. After the treatment, the number of spinal motor neurons in the L4-6 was counted. MK-801 and APV did not show any significant neuroprotective effect. By contrast, the number of surviving motor neurons was greater in animals that were treated with 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg of CNQX. This neuroprotective effect was not dose-related. We demonstrate that neuroprotective effect of CNQX on axotomized motor neurons, raises a possibility that such a agent may have therapeutic potential in motor neuronopathy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Developmental variation of the permeability to Ca2+ of AMPA receptors in presumed hilar glial precursor cells

Glial cells in the hilus of the dentate gyrus of the rat were investigated using the patch-clamp technique in acute slices of the hippocampal formation. According to their voltage-gated current patterns, two classes of glial cells--putative astrocytes and presumed glial precursor cells--were apparent. The glutamate receptor agonists kainate, glutamate, and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) evoked inward currents at a holding potential of -70 mV in astrocytes and presumed glial precursor cells. Inward currents could also be induced in nucleated patches, indicating a direct action on glial receptors. In presumed hilar glial precursor cells, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX; 10 microM) blocked the kainate-induced current, while it was partially inhibited by Zn2+ (2 mM) and Evans Blue (10 microM). Cyclothiazide (100 microM), in contrast, potentiated this current, indicating the presence of AMPA receptors. In 90% of the presumed glial precursor cells the excitatory amino-acid-evoked current voltage (I/V) relations were linear or outwardly rectifying and reversed close to 0 mV, which is characteristic for non-specific cation channels. To determine the permeability to Ca2+, I/V relations were determined in a Na(+)-free solution containing 40 mM Ca2+ and showed reversal potentials of a wide variation ranging from -63 mV to +1 mV with corresponding PCa/PCs permeability ratios of between 0.09 and 2.10. Statistical analysis revealed that the permeability to Ca2+ significantly decreased with an advance in age (r = -0.596; n = 21; P < 0.01). These data suggest that the Ca2+ influx mediated by the activation of AMPA receptors expressed in presumed hilar glial precursor cells is dependent on the developmental stage.

Concentration-jump analysis of voltage-dependent conductances activated by glutamate and kainate in neurons of the avian cochlear nucleus

We have examined the mechanisms underlying the voltage sensitivity of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors in voltage-clamped outside-out patches and whole cells taken from the nucleus magnocellularis of the chick. Responses to either glutamate or kainate had outwardly rectifying current-voltage relations. The rate and extent of desensitization during prolonged exposure to agonist, and the rate of deactivation after brief exposure to agonist, decreased at positive potentials, suggesting that a kinetic transition was sensitive to membrane potential. Voltage dependence of the peak conductance and of the deactivation kinetics persisted when desensitization was reduced with aniracetam or blocked with cyclothiazide. Furthermore, the rate of recovery from desensitization to glutamate was not voltage dependent. Upon reduction of extracellular divalent cation concentration, kainate-evoked currents increased but preserved rectifying current-voltage relations. Rectification was strongest at lower kainate concentrations. Surprisingly, nonstationary variance analysis of desensitizing responses to glutamate or of the current deactivation after kainate removal revealed an increase in the mean single-channel conductance with more positive membrane potentials. These data indicate that the rectification of the peak response to a high agonist concentration reflects an increase in channel conductance, whereas rectification of steady-state current is dominated by voltage-sensitive channel kinetics.

Calcium-dependent free radical generation in cultured retinal neurons injured by kainate

Cultured rat retinal neurons exposed to kainate produced free radicals, as demonstrated by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin trapping using the nitrone 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) and the generation of DMPO hydroxyl adduct (DMPO-OH). This DMPO-OH production was abolished by EGTA, nitro-arginine and oxypurinol, suggesting that it was dependent on Ca2+ influx and subsequent activation of nitric oxide synthase and xanthine oxidase. Moreover, kainate induced a receptor-mediated Ca2+ influx and neuronal injury assessed by lactate dehydrogenase release. Neuroprotection afforded by nitro-arginine and oxypurinol shows that calcium-dependent free radical production plays a major role in kainate retinal toxicity.

In situ hybridization analysis of AMPA receptor subunit gene expression in the developing rat spinal cord

In early postnatal life the acquisition of mature morphological and molecular features of motor neurons is influenced by synaptic activity within the spinal cord. Glutamatergic synaptic neurotransmission is believed to play a central role in this process. We hypothesize that the repertoire of glutamate receptors expressed by neurons in the young spinal cord differ from those expressed in adults and such receptors support activity-dependent developmental plasticity. To explore this idea, we used in situ hybridization histochemistry to determine the distribution, temporal expression, and potential subunit composition of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors in the developing rat spinal cord and compared these findings with those in adult rats. We find qualitative and quantitative changes in alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit gene expression over the first month of postnatal life. alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit genes GluR1, 2 and 4 are expressed at greater levels throughout the spinal cord of the neonate versus the adult animals. The developmental down-regulation is most pronounced for GluR1 transcripts, less for GluR2 and GluR4 transcripts, and minimal for GluR3 transcripts. Analysis of flip and flop splice variants of each subunit show that receptors expressed by adult motor neurons are potentially composed of the subunits GluR1 flop, GluR2 flip, GluR3 flip and flop, and GluR4 flip. In neonatal motor neuron all subunits are potentially expressed (except GluR2 flop) with quantitatively the dominent subunits being the flip splice variants of GluR1, 2 and 4. Receptors in the substantia gelatinosa undergo equally dramatic, developmentally independent changes. Changes in the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit composition are likely to have an important effect on the electrophysiological properties of motor neurons and may form part of the molecular identity of neurons capable of undergoing activity-dependent developmental plasticity.

Intracellular spermine confers rectification on rat calcium-permeable AMPA and kainate receptors

1. Whole-cell recordings were made from cerebellar granule cells cultured in high-K+ medium to induce expression of Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors. Current-voltage (I-V) plots of agonist-evoked responses showed varying degrees of inward rectification, but became linear within 5-10 min. 2. Recombinant Ca(2+)-permeable kainate receptors, composed of GluR6(Q)/KA-2 subunits, exhibited rectifying whole-cell I-V plots that became linear in outside-out patches. 3. Loss of rectification in granule cells was prevented by including 100 microM spermine in the pipette; the degree of rectification was then correlated with Ca2+ permeability. 4. Spermine also prevented loss of rectification in patches containing GluR6(Q)/KA-2 receptors (IC50, 1.7 microM). 5. We suggest that spermine, or a similar cellular constituent, may act as a cytoplasmic factor conferring inward rectification on Ca(2+)-permeable non-NMDA receptors, and that 'washout' of this factor underlies the observed loss of rectification.

Expression of Ca(2+)-ion permeable alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors in Xenopus oocytes injected with total RNA from human epileptic temporal lobe

By using the Xenopus oocyte as an expression system, we have performed a series of experiments in order to examine the divalent cation-permeability of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors from the human epileptic temporal lobe. Xenopus oocytes, injected with total RNA from the epileptic temporal lobe, were tested for expression of receptors by a conventional two electrode voltage-clamp technique. Administration of glutamate and AMPA gave small or no clear current responses, whereas kainate produced large inward non-desensitizing currents. The current responses evoked by kainate were concentration dependent. Experimental data gave a Hill coefficient of 1.06 and an EC50 value of 87 microM. The current to voltage relationship showed an inward rectification and when the concentration of divalent cations were enhanced, there was a shift in the reversal potential from -11 mV (2 mM Ca2+) to 12 mV (60 mM Ba2+). This yielded a pBa2+/pK+ permeability ratio of 1.6 when the constant field equation was used. The amplitude of the currents evoked by 600 microM kainate in solutions containing higher Ba(2+)-ion concentrations was markedly diminished (46% in 10 mM Ba(2+)- and 75% in 60 mM Ba(2+)-solution), when compared to those obtained in normal Ringer's solution, suggesting interactions between different cation species and/or screening of surface charges.

Co-expression of AMPA/kainate receptor-operated channels with high and low Ca2+ permeability in single rat retinal ganglion cells

The patch-clamp technique was used to record whole-cell currents induced by alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-propionic acid (AMPA) or kainate in solitary rat retinal ganglion cells (n = 125) in vitro. Two groups of retinal ganglion cells could be distinguished according to their responses to kainate or AMPA in extracellular solutions with Ca2+ as the only permeant cation. The ratio of the steady-state currents evoked by a given concentration of AMPA compared to kainate was low (0.08) in the first group and high (0.61) in the second group of retinal ganglion cells. The Ca2+ permeability through AMPA/kainate receptor-operated channels was low (PCa2+/PCs+ < 0.1) in the first group (n = 74, 59%) and moderate (PCa2+/PCs+ = 0.53) in the second group (n = 51, 41%) of retinal ganglion cells. The fraction of the total current induced by stimulation of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors that is flowing through Ca2+ permeable AMPA/kainate channels in single cells with high Ca2+ permeability was estimated by comparing the current-voltage relationship in extracellular solutions with either Ca2+ or Na+ as the sole charge carrier. The contribution of Ca(2+)-permeable channels to the non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor induced whole-cell current in single Ca2+ permeable cells (n = 12) ranged from 40 to 70%, correlating with the intermediate level of Ca2+ permeability (PCa2+/PCs+ = 0.22-0.80) measured by an independent method in these cells. Thus, single Ca(2+)-permeable cells appear to express at least two types of AMPA/kainate receptor-operated channels with high or low Ca2+ permeability. Using the polymerase chain reaction, transcripts for the glutamate receptor subunits 1-4, including their "flip" and "flop" versions, were identified in retinal ganglion cells. Together, these findings suggest that among rat retinal ganglion cells there are differences in the pattern of expression of AMPA/kainate receptor-operated channels. Moreover, individual cells co-express multiple heterologous non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors with distinct functional properties. The functional diversity of these receptors may play an important role in controlling Ca2+ entry into neurons. We speculate that the low Ca2+ permeability and the preference for kainate in one group of retinal ganglion cells may be due to the predominant expression of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors containing the edited form of the glutamate receptor subunit 2 flop splice variant.

Distribution of glutamate receptor subtypes in the vertebrate retina

The distribution of glutamate receptor subunit/subtypes in the vertebrate retina was investigated by immunocytochemistry using anti-peptide antibodies against AMPA (GluR1-4), kainate (GluR6/7) and metabotropic (mGluR1 alpha) receptors. All receptor subtypes examined are present in the mammalian retina, but they are distributed differentially. GluR1 is present in the inner plexiform layer as well as amacrine and ganglion cell bodies. GluR2 is present mainly in the outer plexiform layer and bipolar cells. An anti-GluR2/3 antibody labels both plexiform layers and various cell bodies in the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer. GluR4 is present on Müller glial cells. In the goldfish retina, GluR2 immunoreactivity is prominent in the Mb type of ON-bipolar cells, including the dendrites and the large synaptic terminal. The putative dendritic localization is surprising, because no depolarizing conductance increase induced by glutamate is thought to be present in these cells. An AMPA receptor at a presynaptic terminal is also unusual, and probably provides feedback control of glutamate release. GluR6/7 is most widespread in the retina, being present in horizontal, bipolar, amacrine and ganglion cells. Ion channels composed of GluR6 are now known to be phosphorylated by protein kinase A, resulting in current potentiation. This property and our present observation together suggest that the glutamate receptors previously studied electrophysiologically by others in horizontal cells may contain GluR6. mGluR1 alpha is found mostly in the inner plexiform layer; its localization partially overlaps with that of the inositol trisphosphate receptor in the retina. Our results suggest that, in the retina, glutamate receptor subtypes may be expressed in selective cell types according to their specific functions.

Evidence for calcium/calmodulin dependence of spinule retraction in retinal horizontal cells

Horizontal cells of the carp retina alter their synaptic connections with cones during dark and light adaptation. At light onset, dendrites of horizontal cells, which are positioned laterally at the ribbon synapse, form "spinules," little processes with membrane densities. Spinules are retracted again during dark adaptation. Spinule retraction is also elicited upon glutamate application to the retina. In the present study, we address the question whether calcium/calmodulin-dependent pathways are involved in dark- and glutamate-evoked spinule retraction. Light-adapted retinas were isolated and subsequently dark adapted during incubation in media of different calcium concentrations. Spinule retraction was clearly blocked in low-calcium solutions (5 microM and 50 nM CaCl2). Incubation in medium containing cobalt chloride (2 mM) had the same effect. Both treatments blocked the glutamate-induced spinule retraction as well. These results indicate that spinule retraction is induced by a calcium influx into horizontal cells. To investigate whether calmodulin, the primary calcium receptor in eukaryotic cells, is present at the site of spinule formation, light- and dark-adapted retinas, embedded in LR White resin, were labelled with an antibody against calmodulin and gold-conjugated secondary antibodies. Horizontal cell dendrites at the ribbon synapse revealed strong calmodulin immunoreactivity, which was more than twice as high in light- as in dark-adapted retinas. The incubation of isolated retinas with the calmodulin antagonists W5 and W13 inhibited spinule retraction. In summary, these results suggest that spinule retraction may be regulated by calcium influx into horizontal cells and subsequent calcium/calmodulin-dependent pathways.

Expression of glutamate (AMPA type) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors in the rat caudal trigeminal spinal nucleus

The localization of GABAA receptor gamma 1 and gamma 2 subunits and the AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunits GluR1 and GluR2/3 were identified in the caudal trigeminal spinal tract nucleus (TNC) by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies. The receptor species on the projecting neurons to the thalamus in TNC were also examined. A retrograde tracer, Fluoro-gold (FG), was injected into the thalamus, and the sections were simultaneously labeled with the antibodies. Injection of FG into the ventral posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus resulted in labeling of scattered neurons contralaterally in the TNC. Most of the neurons labeled by retrograde tracing also showed gamma 1- and gamma 2-like immunoreactivity, while many of the neurons containing FG lacked GluR1- and GluR2/3-like immunoreactivity. These findings show that neurons projecting to the thalamus from the TNC receive GABAergic input via GABAA receptors containing gamma 1 and gamma 2 subunits, while many neurons expressing the AMPA-type receptor did not project to the thalamus.

AMPA receptors with high Ca2+ permeability mediate synaptic transmission in the avian auditory pathway

1. The permeability of AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazolepropionate) receptors in the chick cochlear nucleus, the nucleus magnocellularis (nMAG), was examined by measuring the shift in reversal potential (Erev) of current through glutamate or neurotransmitter-gated channels in solutions of different ionic composition. 2. Outwardly rectifying glutamate-activated currents in outside-out membrane patches showed rapid activation and desensitization. The Erev of glutamate-evoked current in zero sodium solutions was dependent on the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. The relation between Erev and Ca2+ ionic activities could be described by the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation with a permeability ratio, PCa/PCs, of 3.3. The PNa/PCs was estimated as 0.66, indicating a PCa/PNa of 5. 3. Evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) could be recorded during local perfusion of the auditory nerve-nMAG synapse with isotonic Ca2+. The Erev of the EPSC shifted in the positive direction in high-Ca2+ solution as predicted from the preceding analysis. The fraction of current carried by Ca2+ during the AMPA receptor EPSC was estimated as 18%.

Responses of rod bipolar cells isolated from dogfish retinal slices to concentration-jumps of glutamate

Rod on-bipolar cell light responses are mediated by a class of metabotropic glutamate receptor which is coupled via a G-protein to the control of a cGMP cascade, with cGMP acting to open cation channels, whilst off-bipolar cells possess ionotropic glutamate receptors. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were obtained from on- and off-bipolar cells of dark-adapted dogfish retinal slices, identified by their light responses. Isolated cells were exposed to concentration-jumps of glutamate. At negative voltage-clamp potentials, on-bipolar cells responded to glutamate with outward currents with a mean delay of 10.8 ms, whilst off-bipolar cells responded with inward currents without any delay. Neither cell type showed desensitization to applied steps of glutamate. The dose-response relation for on-bipolar cells showed no gradual saturation, but increased linearly with a sharp cutoff above 200 microM glutamate. This dose-response relation could be fitted with a theoretical expression assuming Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the action of glutamate on receptors and a linear relation between the concentration of receptors bound to glutamate and the fall in cGMP this induces. The dose-response relation of off-bipolar cells showed saturation with a limiting slope of 2 at low glutamate concentrations, suggesting that two molecules of glutamate are required to open each channel by a cooperative mechanism. The glutamate receptor coupled cGMP cascade of rod on-bipolar cells can account for high synaptic voltage gain.

Presynaptic ionotropic glutamate receptors modulate in vivo release and metabolism of striatal dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-hydroxytryptamine: involvement of both NMDA and AMPA/kainate subtypes

In order to explore further the presynaptic modulation of monoamine release by glutamatergic nerve fibers, we investigated the effects of selective agonists for ionotropic glutamate (GLU) receptors on striatal release of dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). In the striatum of anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats, in vivo microdialysis was performed to measure the release of monoamines and metabolities, and also to administer GLU agonists locally in the tissue. L-GLU and its selective agonists (N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and kainate (KA)) evoked simultaneous release of striatal DA, NA and 5-HT in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with MK-801 (5 mg/kg i.p.), a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, selectively suppressed NMDA-evoked monoamine release. The rank order of GLU agonist efficacy in releasing monoamines was different among DA, NA, and 5-HTergic terminals: AMPA = KA > NMDA for DA release, AMPA > NMDA = KA for NA release, and NMDA = AMPA = KA for 5-HT release. In conclusion, presynaptic ionotropic GLU receptors exist extensively on monoaminergic terminals including not only catecholaminergic (DA and NA) but also indoleaminergic (5-HT) terminals in the rat striatum. Their subtypes include both NMDA subtype and AMPA/KA subtype, and show a differential distribution among these three monoaminergic terminals and a differential contribution to facilitating monoamine release.

Confocal imaging of dendritic Ca2+ transients in hippocampal brain slices during simultaneous current- and voltage-clamp recording

Changes in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) within CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons were imaged using confocal laser scanning microscopy in conjunction with Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent indicators. The imaging was performed in thick hippocampal brain slices while simultaneously measuring or controlling electrical activity with sharp microelectrodes or whole-cell patch-clamp electrodes. The combination of imaging and electrophysiology was essential for interpreting the changes in [Ca2+]i. We compared the increases in [Ca2+]i produced by either of two methods--direct depolarization of the cell via the somatic electrode or high-frequency stimulations of synaptic inputs. The increases in [Ca2+]i in the soma and proximal dendrites caused by both methods were of comparable magnitude and they always decayed within seconds in healthy cells. However, the spatial patterns of distal Ca2+ increases were different. Separate sets of synaptic inputs to the same cell resulted in different spatial patterns of [Ca2+]i transients. We isolated and observed what appeared to be a voltage-independent component of the synaptically mediated [Ca2+]i transients. This work demonstrates that the combination of neurophysiology and simultaneous confocal microscopy is well suited for visualizing and analyzing [Ca2+]i changes within highly localized regions of neurons in thick brain slices. The approach should allow further analysis of the relative contribution of voltage- and agonist-dependent influences on [Ca2+]i within neurons throughout the CNS and it raises the possibility of routinely relating subcellular [Ca2+]i changes to structural and functional modifications.

Differential role of two Ca(2+)-permeable non-NMDA glutamate channels in rat retinal ganglion cells: kainate-induced cytoplasmic and nuclear Ca2+ signals

1. The permeability of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) glutamate channels to divalent cations and specifically the entry of Ca2+ and subsequent elevations in cytoplasmic and nuclear Ca2+ signals were investigated in cultured neonatal rat retinal ganglion cells using the whole cell patch-clamp technique and Ca2+ imaging with confocal microscopy. In addition, divalent-permeable non-NMDA receptor channels were studied in retinal slices using a Co2+ staining technique. 2. Using Ca2+ (2.5 mM) as the only permeable cation in the external solution, stimulation with 100 microM kainate produced nondesensitizing, nonselective cation currents with either low or high Ca2+ permeability. Both currents were reversibly blocked by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). Neurons with the low divalent-permeable currents (type 1) had reversal potentials of -41.5 +/- 4.4 mV (mean +/- SD), and neurons with the high divalent-permeable currents (type 2) had reversal potentials of -22.6 +/- 5.5 mV. The permeability ratio PCa/PCs was 3.3 for the type 1 currents and 8.5 for the type 2 currents, indicating a 2.5-fold greater permeability to Ca2+ for the type 2 non-NMDA glutamate channels. 3. Both types of non-NMDA glutamate channels showed relatively little selectivity between Ca2+ and Co2+. The type 1 neurons had a slightly higher permeability to Co2+ than to Ca2+, whereas the type 2 neurons were equally permeable to both divalent cations. The type 2 neurons had a much higher permeability for both divalent cations compared with the type 1 neurons. 4. Staining for Co2+ uptake through kainate-stimulated non-NMDA glutamate channels in retinal slices provided additional evidence for the presence of the two ganglion cell populations. Activation of the neurons by kainate in conditions isolating the non-NMDA glutamate channel caused differential uptake of Co2+. In contrast, depolarization in the presence of the non-NMDA antagonist CNQX failed to cause Co2+ influx. 5. Imaging experiments using confocal microscopy showed that kainate stimulation induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ in both types of retinal ganglion cells, but only the type 2 neurons showed a substantial increase in cytoplasmic and nuclear Ca2+ signals. Kainate-induced Ca2+ signals in the type 2 neurons were almost nine times greater than those of the type 1 neurons. 6. When intracellular Ca2+ stores were depleted by brief treatment with thapsigargin, kainate-induced Ca2+ signals in the type 1 neurons were unchanged. However, in the type 2 neurons kainate no longer induced large Ca2+ signals in the cytoplasm and nucleus, despite normal influx of Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Expression of NMDA and high-affinity kainate receptor subunit mRNAs in the adult rat retina

The expression patterns of nine genes encoding the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits NR1 and NR2A, NR2B, NR2C and NR2D, and the high-affinity kainate receptor subunits KA1, KA2, GluR6 and GluR7, were studied in the adult rat retina by in situ hybridization. Hybridization with [35S]dATP-labelled oligonucleotide probes revealed the expression of four of the NMDA receptor subunits (NR1, NR2A, NR2B and NR2C) and three of the high-affinity kainate receptor subunits (KA2, GluR6 and GluR7) in the retina. The NMDA receptor subunit NR2D and the high-affinity kainate receptor subunit KA1 could not be detected. In the ganglion cell layer, virtually every ganglion cell or displaced amacrine cell expressed the receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, KA2 and GluR7. The GluR6 subunit was expressed in a more restricted manner in the ganglion cell layer. In the inner nuclear layer, the receptor subunits NR1 and KA2 were homogeneously distributed, and therefore are most likely expressed by all cell types in this layer. The GluR6, NR2A, NR2B and NR2C subunits were expressed by subsets of amacrine cells. Labelling for NR2C was also found above the middle of the inner nuclear layer, corresponding to the location of bipolar cell somata. The GluR7 subunit was expressed by most amacrine and bipolar cells. These findings suggest that NMDA and high-affinity kainate receptor subunits could be present at a majority of glutamatergic retinal synapses.

Rectification properties and Ca2+ permeability of glutamate receptor channels in hippocampal cells

Excitatory amino acids exert a depolarizing action on central nervous system cells through an increase in cationic conductances. Non-NMDA receptors have been considered to be selectively permeable to Na+ and K+, while Ca2+ influx has been thought to occur through the NMDA receptor subtype. Recently, however, the expression of cloned non-NMDA receptor subunits has shown that alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are permeable to Ca2+ whenever the receptor lacks a particular subunit (edited GluR-B). The behaviour of recombinant glutamate receptor channels predicts that Ca2+ would only permeate through receptors that show strong inward rectification and vice versa, i.e. AMPA receptors with linear current-voltage relationships would be impermeable to Ca2+. Using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique, we have studied the Ca2+ permeability and the rectifying properties of AMPA receptors, when activated by kainate, in hippocampal neurons kept in culture or acutely dissociated from differentiated hippocampus. Cells were classified according to whether they showed outward rectifying (type I), inward rectifying (type II) or almost linear (type III) current-voltage relationships for kainate-activated responses. AMPA receptors of type I cells (52.2%) were mostly Ca(2+)-impermeable (PCa/PCs = 0.1), while type II cells (6.5%) expressed Ca(2+)-permeable receptors (PCa/PCs = 0.9). Type III cells (41.3%) showed responses with low but not negligible Ca2+ permeability (PCa/PCs = 0.18). The degree of Ca2+ permeability and inward rectification were well correlated in cultured cells, i.e. more inward rectification corresponded to higher Ca2+ permeability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cobalt accumulation in neurons expressing ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors in young rat spinal cord: morphology and distribution

Excitatory amino acids (EAA) acting on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) and kainate receptors play an important role in synaptic transmission in the spinal cord. Quantitative autoradiography and physiological experiments suggest that NMDA receptors are localized mainly in lamina II while kainate and AMPA receptors are found on both dorsal and ventral horn neurons. However the cell types expressing EAA receptors and their laminar distribution is not known. We have used a cobalt uptake method to study the morphology and distribution of spinal cord neurons expressing AMPA, kainate, or NMDA excitatory amino acid receptors in the lumbar enlargement of the rat spinal cord. The technique involved superfusion of hemisected spinal cords of 14 day-old rat pups in vitro with excitatory amino acid receptor ligands in the presence of CoCl2. Cobalt has been shown to enter cells through ligand-gated ion channels in place of Ca2+. Cells which accumulated cobalt ions following activation by ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors were visualized histochemically. The cobalt uptake generated receptor-specific labeling of cells, as the NMDA receptor antagonist D-(-)-2-amino-(5)-phosphonovaleric acid (D-AP-5) (20 microM) blocked the NMDA, but not kainate-induced cobalt uptake. The kainate-induced cobalt labeling was reduced by the non-selective excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (4 mM). Passive opening of the voltage-gated Ca(2+)-channels by KCl (50 mM) did not result in cobalt uptake, indicating that cobalt enters the cells through ligand-gated Ca(2+)-channels. AMPA (500 microM), kainate (500 microM), or NMDA (500 microM) each induced cobalt uptake with characteristic patterns and distributions of neuronal staining. Overall, kainate induced cobalt uptake in the greatest number of neuronal staining. Overall, kainate induced cobalt uptake in the greatest number of neuronal perikarya while NMDA-induced uptake was the lowest. AMPA and kainate, but not NMDA superfusion, resulted in cobalt labeling of glial cells. Our results show that the cobalt uptake technique is a useful way to study the morphology and distribution of cells expressing receptors with ligand-gated Ca2+ channels.

Species-dependent functional properties of non-NMDA receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mammalian and avian brain mRNA

1. Species-dependent variation in the functional properties of non-NMDA receptors was investigated by intracellular recording in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with rat, chick and calf brain mRNA. 2. In all mRNA-injected oocytes, kainic acid (KA), domoic acid (Dom) and 5-bromowillardiine (BrW) evoked large, maintained membrane currents, in contrast to the smaller, desensitizing responses elicited by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), quisqualic acid (QA) and L-glutamic acid (L-Glu). Dose-response curves for KA in oocytes injected with calf (EC50 = 96.4 +/- 12.3 microM; mean +/- s.e. mean), chick (87.0 +/- 8.9 microM) or rat (88.7 +/- 4.3 microM) brain mRNA were similar. 3. Current-voltage (I-V) relationships determined with KA inwardly rectified in oocytes injected with calf or chick mRNA; whereas, outward rectification was observed in oocytes injected with rat brain mRNA. 4. In oocytes injected with rat brain mRNA, AMPA antagonized responses evoked by KA in a competitive manner. The absolute amplitudes of KA and AMPA responses in the same oocytes were significantly correlated, which is consistent with both agonists acting on the same receptor-ionophore complex. 5. In contrast, in oocytes injected with calf or chick brain mRNA, AMPA (QA and L-Glu) antagonized the response evoked by KA in a non-competitive manner. The response amplitudes of KA compared to AMPA, QA or L-Glu in the same oocytes were not correlated suggesting discrete receptor-ionophores. 6. This study favours the existence of distinct non-NMDA receptor subtypes that are equi-sensitive to KA. The expressed receptors from different species of mRNA may be distinguished by their voltage sensitivities and the type of antagonism exerted by AMPA on KA-activated responses. Our observations may reflect further heterogeneity of non-NMDA receptors in the central nervous system of different vertebrate species.

Delayed treatment with AMPA, but not NMDA, antagonists reduces neocortical infarction

We tested the abilities of two potent non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) glutamate antagonists [2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(F)quinoxaline (NBQX)] and [1-(4-aminophenyl)-4-methyl-7,8-methylene-dioxy-5H-2,3-benzodiazep ine hydrochloride (GYKI 52466)] to reduce neocortical infarction following 2 h of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in a hypertensive stroke model in the rat and compared these effects against, and in combination with, a potent NMDA antagonist [(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-amine maleate (MK-801)]. In Expt. 1, an already established cytoprotective dose of Na(+)-NBQX (30 mg/kg i.p. x 3) was compared with saline (1 ml), the NMDA antagonist MK-801 (1 mg/kg i.p. x 3), and a combination of the same doses of both NBQX and MK-801. Initial doses were delayed to 90 min following occlusion with subsequent injections at the time of reperfusion and 30 min following reperfusion. Saline-treated rats sustained 181 +/- 32 mm3 (n = 15) of neocortical infarction (mean +/- SD). This was significantly reduced by NBQX to 137 +/- 25 mm3 (n = 15, p < 0.05) of damage. Neither MK-801 (170 +/- 33 mm3; n = 11) nor the combination of MK-801 and NBQX (169 +/- 20 mm3; n = 6) proved to be cytoprotective when given with a 90-min delay. In Expt. 2, NBQX (30 mg/kg) was dissolved (6 mg/ml) in 5% dextrose and compared with both saline and dextrose (1.2 ml) i.v. infusions given over a 4-h period starting 1 h after occlusion. Saline-treated rats had a mean infarct of 183 +/- 27 mm3 (n = 6), dextrose-treated had 200 +/- 30 mm3 (n = 9), while for NBQX-treated rats it was reduced to 129 +/- 60 mm3 (n = 10, p < 0.05). Intravenous NBQX precipitated into the renal tubules, causing nephrotoxicity. In Expt. 3, rats were given either saline (1 ml i.p.) or GYKI 52466 (10 mg/kg i.p.) at 30 and 90 min following occlusion and at 30, 90, and 150 min following reperfusion. Saline-treated rats sustained 187 +/- 27 mm3 of neocortical infarction (n = 7), while those treated with GYKI 52466 were protected, with 139 +/- 38 mm3 of infarction (n = 7, p < 0.05). A clinically useful role for alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate antagonists in embolic stroke is envisaged if nontoxic drugs can be developed, since cerebroprotection was achieved with delayed treatment with both of these lead compounds.

A comparison of non-NMDA receptor channels in type-2 astrocytes and granule cells from rat cerebellum

1. Patch-clamp recording methods have been used to compare the pharmacological properties and single-channel characteristics of non-NMDA receptor channels in cerebellar type-2 astrocytes and granule cells. 2. In type-2 astrocytes whole-cell concentration-response curves for glutamate, quisqualate, AMPA and kainate gave EC50 values of 5.8, 3.8, 7.6 and 160 microM and Hill slopes of 1.65, 1.18, 1.64 and 1.65, respectively, resembling estimates for granule cell receptors. 3. The non-NMDA receptor antagonists CNQX and diCl-HQC (see Methods) inhibited whole-cell kainate currents in both cell types. The IC50 for CNQX antagonism of the kainate response was 536 nM in type-2 astrocytes, and 500 nM in granule cells. The IC50 for diCl-HQC was 3.5 microM in astrocytes and 3.7 microM in granule cells. 4. CNQX acted as a competitive antagonist of whole-cell kainate responses in type-2 astrocytes and granule cells giving Schild plots with a slope near 1. The equilibrium constant, K, for CNQX binding was 524 nM in astrocytes and 489 nM in granule cells. 5. Quisqualate and AMPA responses showed rapid desensitization in type-2 astrocytes with a ratio of steady-state to peak response of 0.09. Concanavalin A reduced this desensitization. 6. Non-NMDA channels in type-2 astrocytes and granule cells showed a low permeability to Ca2+ ions with a reversal potential, for kainate-activated whole-cell currents in isotonic Ca2+, of approximately -25 mV for astrocytes and -45 mV for granule cells. 7. Outside-out patches from type-2 astrocytes exhibited a range of single-channel conductances that were superficially similar to the glutamate-activated conductances in granule cells. However, the type-2 astrocytes were devoid of NMDA receptors, hence all of these conductances originated from non-NMDA channels. Their slope conductances were approximately 11, 21, 32, 42 and 52 pS. Amplitudes were verified with mean low-variance plots and single-channel current-voltage curves, which were linear. 8. There was also evidence of lower conductance kainate-activated channels in astrocyte patches. From noise analysis their estimated mean conductance was 1.9 pS, as described for the 'low-conductance' type kainate responses in cerebellar neurones. 9. Apparent open times, shut times and burst lengths of AMPA-activated (3-10 microM) channels were examined in patches from type-2 astrocytes, and kinetic properties of the 40 and 50 pS levels were compared with the lower levels. 10. Our results indicate some marked pharmacological similarities between non-NMDA receptor channels in type-2 astrocytes and granule cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)