Electrophysiological Tagging of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors

The vast majority of excitatory neurotransmission in the brain is mediated by glutamate and its ionotropic receptors, AMPA- and NMDA-type glutamate receptors. Study of the trafficking and synaptic incorporation of these receptors is critical to understanding the normal function and regulation of synapses as well as physiological processes like synaptic plasticity, and neuropathologies where glutamatergic synaptic transmission has been compromised. Here, we present a quantitative approach to estimate functional incorporation of these receptors into synapses or detect their presence in the surface of heterologous cells. The method involves expression of AMPA or NMDA receptors carrying unique electrophysiological fingerprints that allow their detection using standard whole-cell current recordings. This method is highly sensitive and specific to detect the incorporation of recombinant ionotropic glutamate receptors into functional synapses.
Source: Springer protocols feed by Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: news