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Activation of extrasynaptic NMDA receptors induces a PKC‐dependent switch in AMPA receptor subtypes in mouse cerebellar stellate cells
Author(s) -
Sun Lu,
June Liu Siqiong
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.136788
Subject(s) - ampa receptor , long term depression , silent synapse , synaptic plasticity , nmda receptor , synapse , neuroscience , glutamate receptor , ion channel linked receptors , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor , biology , biochemistry
The repetitive activation of synaptic glutamate receptors can induce a lasting change in the number or subunit composition of synaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs). However, NMDA receptors that are present extrasynaptically can also be activated by a burst of presynaptic activity, and thus may be involved in the induction of synaptic plasticity. Here we show that the physiological‐like activation of extrasynaptic NMDARs induces a lasting change in the synaptic current, by changing the subunit composition of AMPARs at the parallel fibre‐to‐cerebellar stellate cell synapse. This extrasynaptic NMDAR‐induced switch in synaptic AMPARs from GluR2‐lacking (Ca 2+ ‐permeable) to GluR2‐containing (Ca 2+ ‐impermeable) receptors requires the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). These results indicate that the activation of extrasynaptic NMDARs by glutamate spillover is an important mechanism that detects the pattern of afferent activity and subsequently exerts a remote regulation of AMPAR subtypes at the synapse via a PKC‐dependent pathway.