J. Noel et al., Surface expression of AMPA receptors in hippocampal neurons is regulated by an NSF-dependent mechanism, NEURON, 23(2), 1999, pp. 365-376
Here, we show that disruption of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein-
(NSF-) GluR2 interaction by infusion into cultured hippocampal neurons of a
blocking peptide (pep2m) caused a rapid decrease in the frequency but no c
hange in the amplitude of AMPA receptor-mediated miniature excitatory posts
ynaptic currents (mEPSCs). N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated mE
PSCs were not changed. Viral expression of pep2m reduced the surface expres
sion of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors
, whereas NMDA receptor surface expression in the same living cells was unc
hanged. In permeabilized neurons, the total amount of GluR2 immunoreactivit
y was unchanged, and a punctate distribution of GluR2 was observed througho
ut the dendritic tree. These data suggest that the NSF-GluR2 interaction is
required for the surface expression of GluR2-containing AMPA receptors and
that disruption of the interaction leads to the functional elimination of
AMPA receptors at synapses.