REDUCED MK801 BINDING IN NEOCORTICAL NEURONS AFTER AAV-MEDIATED TRANSFECTIONS WITH NMDA-R1 ANTISENSE CDNA

Two adeno-associated virus (AAV)-derived plasmids were constructed wit h portions of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-R1 (NMDA-R1) receptor subun it downstream from the AAV p40-(pJDT95dlk-aR1) or cytomegalovirus (CMV ) promoter (pTRUF3-aR1) in an antisense orientation. Each plasmid drov e expression of antisense NMDA-R1 in primary rat neocortical neuronal cultures 4 days after transfection as detected by reverse transcriptas e-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Transfection with pTRUF3-aR1 (2 x 4 mu g) but not with pJDT95dlk-aR1 decreased neuronal [H-3]MK-801 bi nding in a dose-dependent manner. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.