Postsynaptic kainate receptor recycling and surface expression are regulated by metabotropic autoreceptor signalling.

ABSTRACT: Kainate receptors (KARs) play fundamentally important roles in controlling synaptic function and regulating neuronal excitability. Postsynaptic KARs contribute to excitatory neurotransmission but the molecular mechanisms underlying their activity-dependent surface expression are not well understood. Strong activation of KARs in cultured hippocampal neurons leads to the downregulation of postsynaptic KARs via endocytosis and degradation. In contrast, low-level activation augments postsynaptic KAR surface expression. Here, we show that this increase in KARs is due to enhanced recycling via the recruitment of Rab11-dependent, transferrin-positive endosomes into spines. Dominant-negative Rab11 or the recycling inhibitor primaquine prevents the kainate-evoked increase in surface KARs. Moreover,

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Gonzalez IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3744763 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature