AMPA receptor activation induces GABA release from neurons migrating tangentially in the intermediate zone of embryonic rat neocortex

Structure, Function, and Pharmacology of Glutamate Receptor Ion Channels

Many physiologic effects of l-glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system, are mediated via signaling by ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). These ligand-gated ion channels are critical to brain function and are centrally implicated in numerous psychiatric and neurologic disorders. There are different classes of iGluRs with a variety of receptor subtypes in each class that play distinct roles in neuronal functions. The diversity in iGluR subtypes, with their unique functional properties and physiologic roles, has motivated a large number of studies. Our understanding of receptor subtypes has advanced considerably since the first iGluR subunit gene was cloned in 1989, and the research focus has expanded to encompass facets of biology that have been recently discovered and to exploit experimental paradigms made possible by technological advances. Here, we review insights from more than 3 decades of iGluR studies with an emphasis on the progress that has occurred in the past decade. We cover structure, function, pharmacology, roles in neurophysiology, and therapeutic implications for all classes of receptors assembled from the subunits encoded by the 18 ionotropic glutamate receptor genes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Glutamate receptors play important roles in virtually all aspects of brain function and are either involved in mediating some clinical features of neurological disease or represent a therapeutic target for treatment. Therefore, understanding the structure, function, and pharmacology of this class of receptors will advance our understanding of many aspects of brain function at molecular, cellular, and system levels and provide new opportunities to treat patients.

Calcium signalling: a key regulator of neuronal migration

Neuronal migration is a crucial event in neuronal development for the construction of brain architecture and neuronal networks. Newborn neurons proliferate in the germinal zone and start migration toward their final destination. Migrating neurons adopt different routes, cell shapes and migratory modes depending on extracellular factors and outer physical substrates. Intracellular Ca2+ is an essential second messenger that regulates diverse cellular functions by activating Ca2+-dependent signalling molecules that underlie Ca2+-responsive cellular functions. Neuronal migration during brain architecture construction is no exception. Spontaneous Ca2+ transients are observed in several types of migrating neurons, and a series of Ca2+-dependent signalling molecules governing neuronal migration has been identified. In this review, we first summarize the molecular mechanisms that trigger intracellular Ca2+ elevation in migrating neurons. In the latter half of this review, we provide an overview of the literature on Ca2+-dependent signalling molecules underlying neuronal migration.

Control of cortical neuronal migration by glutamate and GABA

Neuronal migration in the cortex is controlled by the paracrine action of the classical neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA. Glutamate controls radial migration of pyramidal neurons by acting primarily on NMDA receptors and regulates tangential migration of inhibitory interneurons by activating non-NMDA and NMDA receptors. GABA, acting on ionotropic GABAA-rho and GABAA receptors, has a dichotomic action on radially migrating neurons by acting as a GO signal in lower layers and as a STOP signal in upper cortical plate (CP), respectively. Metabotropic GABAB receptors promote radial migration into the CP and tangential migration of interneurons. Besides GABA, the endogenous GABAergic agonist taurine is a relevant agonist controlling radial migration. To a smaller extent glycine receptor activation can also influence radial and tangential migration. Activation of glutamate and GABA receptors causes increases in intracellular Ca(2+) transients, which promote neuronal migration by acting on the cytoskeleton. Pharmacological or genetic manipulation of glutamate or GABA receptors during early corticogenesis induce heterotopic cell clusters in upper layers and loss of cortical lamination, i.e., neuronal migration disorders which can be associated with neurological or neuropsychiatric diseases. The pivotal role of NMDA and ionotropic GABA receptors in cortical neuronal migration is of major clinical relevance, since a number of drugs acting on these receptors (e.g., anti-epileptics, anesthetics, alcohol) may disturb the normal migration pattern when present during early corticogenesis.

Role of tonic GABAergic currents during pre- and early postnatal rodent development

In the last three decades it became evident that the GABAergic system plays an essential role for the development of the central nervous system, by influencing the proliferation of neuronal precursors, neuronal migration and differentiation, as well as by controlling early activity patterns and thus formation of neuronal networks. GABA controls neuronal development via depolarizing membrane responses upon activation of ionotropic GABA receptors. However, many of these effects occur before the onset of synaptic GABAergic activity and thus require the presence of extrasynaptic tonic currents in neuronal precursors and immature neurons. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the role of tonic GABAergic currents during early brain development. In this review we compare the temporal sequence of the expression and functional relevance of different GABA receptor subunits, GABA synthesizing enzymes and GABA transporters. We also refer to other possible endogenous agonists of GABAA receptors. In addition, we describe functional consequences mediated by the GABAergic system during early developmental periods and discuss current models about the origin of extrasynaptic GABA and/or other endogenous GABAergic agonists during early developmental states. Finally, we present evidence that tonic GABAergic activity is also critically involved in the generation of physiological as well as pathophysiological activity patterns before and after the establishment of functional GABAergic synaptic connections.

Cell-autonomous and cell-to-cell signalling events in normal and altered neuronal migration

The cerebral cortex is a complex six-layered structure that contains an important diversity of neurons, and has rich local and extrinsic connectivity. Among the mechanisms governing the cerebral cortex construction, neuronal migration is perhaps the most crucial as it ensures the timely formation of specific and selective neuronal circuits. Here, we review the main extrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in regulating neuronal migration in the cortex and describe some environmental factors interfering with their actions.

GABA and glutamate signaling: homeostatic control of adult forebrain neurogenesis

The neurotransmitter GABA exerts a strong negative influence on the production of adult-born olfactory bulb interneurons via tightly regulated, non-synaptic GABAergic signaling. After discussing some findings on GABAergic signaling in the neurogenic subventricular zone (SVZ), we provide data suggesting ambient GABA clearance via two GABA transporter subtypes and further support for a non-vesicular mechanism of GABA release from neuroblasts. While GABA works in cooperation with the neurotransmitter glutamate during embryonic cortical development, the role of glutamate in adult forebrain neurogenesis remains obscure. Only one of the eight metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), mGluR5, has been reported to tonically increase the number of proliferative SVZ cells in vivo, suggesting a local source of glutamate in the SVZ. We show here that glutamate antibodies strongly label subventricular zone (SVZ) astrocytes, some of which are stem cells. We also show that some SVZ neuroblasts express one of the ionotropic glutamate receptors, AMPA/kainate receptors, earlier than previously thought. Collectively, these findings suggest that neuroblast-to-astrocyte GABAergic signaling may cooperate with astrocyte-to-neuroblast glutamatergic signaling to provide strong homeostatic control on the production of adult-born olfactory bulb interneurons.

Enigmatic GABAergic networks in adult neurogenic zones

The discovery and description of complex GABAergic networks in adult neurogenic zones suggest the intriguing possibility of information transfer from neuronal activity to immature cells. New questions also emerge regarding the mode of GABAergic signaling and the temporal pattern of receptor activation. Non-synaptic (paracrine) signaling communicates information on population size to control the proliferation and migration of progenitor cells in the subventricular zone. How this signaling relates to olfactory bulb network activity, however, remains largely unknown. This review argues that paracrine signaling precedes and then co-exists with synaptic GABAergic signaling, which provides the timing and instruction for cells to properly differentiate and synaptically integrate into an existing network. The evidence examined in this review indicates that the commonly cited mechanism of GABA's action (i.e., depolarization leading to voltage-gated calcium channel activation and calcium entry) needs to be re-examined in the context of the unique cellular properties and organization of the adult neurogenic regions.

Glutamate acting on AMPA but not NMDA receptors modulates the migration of hippocampal interneurons

Paracrine GABA and glutamate acting, respectively, on GABAA and NMDA receptors modulate the migration of hippocampal pyramidal cells. Using corticohippocampal organotypic explants from glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 67-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) knock-in embryos, we now report that, in contrast to pyramidal neurons, the blockade of AMPA but not NMDA receptors exerts important actions on the migration of GABAergic interneurons. In addition, the blockade of GABAA receptors fails to modify the migration rates of GABAergic interneurons. Immunohistochemical analyses of GAD67-EGFP embryos (from embryonic day 14 to birth) reveal that interneurons colonize the hippocampal primordium by embryonic day 15. At that stage, the hippocampal primordium is already composed of pioneer glutamatergic neurons, including (1) Cajal-Retzius cells, immunopositive to calretinin and reelin, and (2) other presumptive pioneer pyramidal cells that are immunopositive to betaIII-tubulin and vesicular glutamate transporter 3 and immunonegative to GABA or GAD67. Therefore, the migrations of pyramidal neurons and GABAergic interneurons are cross-modulated: glutamate released from pioneer glutamatergic neurons facilitates the migration of GABAergic interneurons, which in turn would release GABA, facilitating the migration of glutamatergic neuroblasts. This general sequence may provide a retroactive positive loop needed to construct the hippocampal network. It might constitute a primitive homeostatic mechanism in the developing brain that acts to balance GABA-glutamate contributions to network construction and activity.

Ion Channel Development, Spontaneous Activity, and Activity-Dependent Development in Nerve and Muscle Cells

At specific stages of development, nerve and muscle cells generate spontaneous electrical activity that is required for normal maturation of intrinsic excitability and synaptic connectivity. The patterns of this spontaneous activity are not simply immature versions of the mature activity, but rather are highly specialized to initiate and control many aspects of neuronal development. The configuration of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels that are expressed early in development regulate the timing and waveform of this activity. They also regulate Ca2+influx during spontaneous activity, which is the first step in triggering activity-dependent developmental programs. For these reasons, the properties of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels expressed by developing neurons and muscle cells often differ markedly from those of adult cells. When viewed from this perspective, the reasons for complex patterns of ion channel emergence and regression during development become much clearer.

Nitric oxide stimulates gamma-aminobutyric acid release and inhibits glycine release in retina

Nitric oxide (NO) modulates the uptake and/or release of neurotransmitters through a variety of cellular mechanisms. However, the pharmacological and biochemical processes underlying these neurochemical effects of NO often remain unclear. In our study, we used immunocytochemical methods to study the effects of NO, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and peroxynitrite on the uptake and release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine in the turtle retina. In addition, we examined the involvement of glutamate receptors, calcium, and the GABA transporter in this GABA uptake and release. We also tested for interactions between the GABAergic and glycinergic systems. In general, we show that NO stimulated GABA release and inhibited glycine release. The NO-stimulated GABA release involved calcium-dependent or calcium-independent synaptic release or reversal of the GABA transporter. Some effects of NO on GABA release involved glutamate, cGMP, or peroxynitrite. NO promoted glycine uptake and inhibited its release, and this inhibition of glycine release was influenced by GABAergic modulation. These findings indicate that NO modulates the levels of the inhibitory transmitters GABA and glycine through several specific biochemical mechanisms in different retinal cell types and layers. Thus it appears that some of the previously described reciprocal interactions between GABA and glycine in the retina function through specific NO signaling pathways.

Polarized Increase of Calcium and Nucleokinesis in Tangentially Migrating Neurons

Cortical interneurons originate from the ganglionic eminences and reach their final position in the cortex via tangential migratory routes. The mechanisms of this migration are poorly understood. Here we have performed confocal time-lapse analysis of cell movement in the intermediate zone of embryonic mouse cortical slices in order to directly visualize their mode of migration. Tangentially migrating neurons moved by nucleokinesis, characterized by active phases of discontinuous advances of the nucleus followed by periods of quiescence. Dissociated cells from the ganglionic eminences also showed nucleokinesis associated with an increase of intracellular calcium, [Ca(2+)](i) Calcium elevation was greatest in the proximal region of the leading process, a zone with a wide distribution of gamma-tubulin. General increases in [Ca(2+)](i) elicited by microperfussion with neurotransmitters did not elicit nucleokinesis. These results show that tangential migration uses nucleokinesis, a cell-intrinsic process in which calcium signalling is local, directional and highly regulated.

Cell migration in the forebrain

The forebrain comprises an intricate set of structures that are required for some of the most complex and evolved functions of the mammalian brain. As a reflection of its complexity, cell migration in the forebrain is extremely elaborated, with widespread dispersion of cells across multiple functionally distinct areas. Two general modes of migration are distinguished in the forebrain: radial migration, which establishes the general cytoarchitectonical framework of the different forebrain subdivisions; and tangential migration, which increases the cellular complexity of forebrain circuits by allowing the dispersion of multiple neuronal types. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying each of these types of migrations and discuss how emerging concepts in neuronal migration are reshaping our understanding of forebrain development in normal and pathological situations.

AMPA-evoked ion influx is strongest in tangential neurons of the rat neocortical intermediate zone close to the front of the migratory stream

In addition to the classically described radially migrating neurons, embryonic cortical areas receive neurons originating from the basal ganglia. One of the migration routes is in the intermediate zone. The front of this migration moves toward the hippocampus synchronously with the edge of the dorsally extending cortical plate. We investigated whether cells close to the front have specific properties compared with those at less advanced positions. Activation of AMPA receptors in the presence of cobalt showed that a strong influx of divalent cations could be triggered in front cells by low agonist concentration, whereas the less advanced cells needed a higher concentration to incorporate detectable amounts of cobalt. As shown by in situ hybridization, this discrepancy was not due to differential expression of GluR-2 (known to reduce permeability for divalent cations). In vivo, release of an endogenous agonist presumably affects more, or differently, the tangential cells close to the front.