D1 dopamine receptor stimulation increases the rate of AMPA receptor insertion onto the surface of cultured nucleus accumbens neurons through a pathway dependent on protein kinase A

Trafficking of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptors is an important determinant of synaptic strength. Our prior work suggests that D1 dopamine (DA) receptors regulate AMPA receptor trafficking. This is a possible mechanism by which amphetamine and cocaine, which indirectly stimulate D1 receptors, may alter synaptic strength in addiction-related neuronal circuits. Post-natal rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) cultures were used to study the role of protein kinase A (PKA) in D1 receptor regulation of the surface expression of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1. Using an immunocytochemical assay that selectively detects newly externalized GluR1, we found that the rate of GluR1 externalization is enhanced by the D1 agonist SKF 81297 (100 nm-1 microm). This was blocked by a D1 receptor antagonist (SCH 23390; 10 microm) and by two different cell-permeable PKA inhibitors, KT5720 (2 and 10 microm) and RpcAMPS (10 microm). Conversely, the PKA activator SpcAMPS increased the rate of GluR1 externalization in a concentration-dependent manner. A maximally effective concentration of SpcAMPS (10 microm) occluded the effect of SKF 81297 (1 microm) on GluR1 externalization. Using similar cultures, we showed previously that D1 receptor stimulation increases GluR1 phosphorylation at the PKA site. Together, our findings suggest that PKA phosphorylation of GluR1 is required for GluR1 externalization in response to D1 receptor stimulation.     

Regulation of striatal nitric oxide synthesis by local dopamine and glutamate interactions

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key neuromodulator of corticostriatal synaptic transmission. We have shown previously that dopamine (DA) D1/5 receptor stimulation facilitates neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) activity in the intact striatum. To study the impact of local manipulations of D1/5 and glutamatergic NMDA receptors on striatal nNOS activity, we combined the techniques of in vivo amperometry and reverse microdialysis. Striatal NO efflux was monitored proximal to the microdialysis probe in urethane‐anesthetized rats during local infusion of vehicle or drug. NO efflux elicited by systemic administration of SKF‐81297 was blocked following intrastriatal infusion of: (i) the D1/5 receptor antagonist SCH‐23390, (ii) the nNOS inhibitor 7‐nitroindazole, (iii) the non‐specific ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenic acid, and (iv) the selective NMDA receptor antagonist 3‐phosphonopropyl‐piperazine‐2‐carboxylic acid. Glycine co‐perfusion did not affect SKF‐81297‐induced NO efflux. Furthermore, intrastriatal infusion of SKF‐81297 potentiated NO efflux evoked during electrical stimulation of the motor cortex. The facilitatory effects of cortical stimulation and SKF‐81297 were both blocked by intrastriatal infusion of SCH‐23390, indicating that striatal D1/5 receptor activation is necessary for the activation of nNOS by corticostriatal afferents. These studies demonstrate for the first time that reciprocal DA‐glutamate interactions play a critical role in stimulating striatal nNOS activity.     

A crucial role for cAMP and protein kinase A in D1 dopamine receptor regulated intracellular calcium transients

D1-like dopamine receptors stimulate Ca(2+) transients in neurons but the effector coupling and signaling mechanisms underlying these responses have not been elucidated. Here we investigated potential mechanisms using both HEK 293 cells that stably express D1 receptors (D1HEK293) and hippocampal neurons in culture. In D1HEK293 cells, the full D1 receptor agonist SKF 81297 evoked a robust dose-dependent increase in Ca(2+)(i) following 'priming' of endogenous G(q/11)-coupled muscarinic or purinergic receptors. The effect of SKF81297 could be mimicked by forskolin or 8-Br-cAMP. Further, cholera toxin and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitors, KT5720 and H89, as well as thapsigargin abrogated the D1 receptor evoked Ca(2+) transients. Removal of the priming agonist and treatment with the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 also blocked the SKF81297-evoked responses. D1R agonist did not stimulate IP(3) production, but pretreatment of cells with the D1R agonist potentiated G(q)-linked receptor agonist mobilization of intracellular Ca(2+) stores. In neurons, SKF81297 and SKF83959, a partial D1 receptor agonist, promoted Ca(2+) oscillations in response to G(q/11)-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) stimulation. The effects of both D1R agonists on the mGluR-evoked Ca(2+) responses were PKA dependent. Altogether the data suggest that dopamine D1R activation and ensuing cAMP production dynamically regulates the efficiency and timing of IP(3)-mediated intracellular Ca(2+) store mobilization.     

海马多巴胺D1受体激活抑制谷氨酸介导的大鼠慢性应激性抑郁

本文旨在探讨在慢性应激性抑郁发生过程中多巴胺D1受体对谷氨酸及其离子型受体的影响。实验通过建立慢性不可预见性温和应激(chronic unpredictable mild stress,CUMS)抑郁模型,结合海马微量注射多巴胺D1受体激动剂SKF38393、非竞争性N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸(N-methyl-D-aspartic acid,NMDA)受体拮抗剂MK-801和α-氨基羟甲基异恶唑丙酸(α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid,AMPA)受体的拮抗剂NBQX,运用糖水偏爱测试、旷场实验和悬尾实验等方法检测动物的行为表现,采用高效液相色谱法(high-performance liquid chromatography,HPLC)和Western blot实验来检测海马内谷氨酸含量及其离子型受体关键亚基的表达。结果显示,与对照组相比,CUMS组大鼠表现出明显的抑郁样行为变化,且海马谷氨酸含量升高,其NMDA受体的NR1亚基与AMPA受体的GluR2/3亚基也明显下调;注射SKF38393后可明显改善应激引起的抑郁样行为,且海马谷氨酸含量显...     

Activation of D1/D5 dopamine receptors protects neurons from synapse dysfunction induced by amyloid-beta oligomers

Soluble oligomers of the amyloid-β peptide (AβOs) accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and are implicated in synapse failure and early memory loss in AD. AβOs have been shown to impact synapse function by inhibiting long term potentiation, facilitating the induction of long term depression and inducing internalization of both AMPA and NMDA glutamate receptors, critical players in plasticity mechanisms. Because activation of dopamine D1/D5 receptors plays important roles in memory circuits by increasing the insertion of AMPA and NMDA receptors at synapses, we hypothesized that selective activation of D1/D5 receptors could protect synapses from the deleterious action of AβOs. We show that SKF81297, a selective D1/D5 receptor agonist, prevented the reduction in surface levels of AMPA and NMDA receptors induced by AβOs in hippocampal neurons in culture. Protection by SKF81297 was abrogated by the specific D1/D5 antagonist, SCH23390. Levels of AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 phosphorylated at Ser(845), which regulates AMPA receptor association with the plasma membrane, were reduced in a calcineurin-dependent manner in the presence of AβOs, and treatment with SKF81297 prevented this reduction. Establishing the functional relevance of these findings, SKF81297 blocked the impairment of long term potentiation induced by AβOs in hippocampal slices. Results suggest that D1/D5 receptors may be relevant targets for development of novel pharmacological approaches to prevent synapse failure in AD.     

Activation of D1 dopamine receptors increases surface expression of AMPA receptors and facilitates their synaptic incorporation in cultured hippocampal neurons

Considerable evidence indicates that neuroadaptations leading to addiction involve the same cellular processes that enable learning and memory, such as long-term potentiation (LTP), and that psychostimulants influence LTP through dopamine (DA)-dependent mechanisms. In hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, LTP involves insertion of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptors into excitatory synapses. We used dissociated cultures to test the hypothesis that D1 family DA receptors influence synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons by modulating AMPA receptor trafficking. Brief exposure (5 min) to a D1 agonist increased surface expression of glutamate receptor (GluR)1-containing AMPA receptors by increasing their rate of externalization at extrasynaptic sites. This required the secretory pathway but not protein synthesis, and was mediated mainly by protein kinase A (PKA) with a smaller contribution from Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Prior D1 receptor stimulation facilitated synaptic insertion of GluR1 in response to subsequent stimulation of synaptic NMDA receptors with glycine. Our results support a model for synaptic GluR1 incorporation in which PKA is required for initial insertion into the extrasynaptic membrane whereas CaMKII mediates translocation into the synapse. By increasing the size of the extrasynaptic GluR1 pool, D1 receptors may promote LTP. Psychostimulants may usurp this mechanism, leading to inappropriate plasticity that contributes to addiction-related behaviors.     

Insulin causes a transient tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2A and NR2B NMDA receptor subunits in rat hippocampus

NMDA receptors play a critical role in various aspects of CNS function. Hence, it is important to identify mechanisms that regulate NMDA receptor activity. We have shown previously that insulin rapidly potentiates NMDA receptor activity in both native and recombinant expression systems. Here we report that insulin causes a transient phosphorylation of NR2A and NR2B NMDA receptor subunits on tyrosine residues. Rat hippocampal slices were exposed to 1 microM insulin for 20 and 60 min and then solubilized. NR2A and NR2B subunits were immunoprecipitated and probed for tyrosine phosphorylation. Insulin incubation of hippocampal slices for 20 min elicited an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation to 176 +/- 16% (NR2A) and 203 +/- 15% (NR2B) of control levels. In contrast, 60 min of insulin incubation did not alter NR2 tyrosine phosphorylation levels (NR2A: 85 +/- 13% of control; NR2B: 93 +/- 10% of control). Although the consequence of insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation is unknown, it is possible that this site(s) is responsible for insulin potentiation of NMDA receptor activity. This possibility is consistent with our earlier finding that insulin potentiates hippocampal NMDA receptor activity after 20 min, but not after 60 min, of insulin exposure.     

D1-D2 dopamine receptor interaction within the nucleus accumbens mediates long-loop negative feedback to the ventral tegmental area (VTA)

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of perfusion of dopamine (DA) D1- and D2-like receptor agonists in the nucleus accumbens (ACB) on the long-loop negative feedback regulation of mesolimbic somatodendritic DA release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of Wistar rats employing ipsilateral dual probe in vivo microdialysis. Perfusion of the ACB for 60 min with the D1-like receptor agonist SKF 38393 (SKF, 1-100 microM) dose-dependently reduced the extracellular levels of DA in the ACB, whereas the extracellular levels of DA in the VTA were not changed. Similarly, application of the D2-like receptor agonist quinpirole (Quin, 1-100 microM) through the microdialysis probe in the ACB reduced the extracellular levels of DA in the ACB in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas extracellular levels of DA in the VTA were not altered. Co-application of SKF (100 microM) and Quin (100 microM) produced concomitant reductions in the extracellular levels of DA in the ACB and VTA. The reduction in extracellular levels of DA in the ACB and VTA produced by co-infusion of SKF and Quin was reversed in the presence of either 100 microM SCH 23390 (D1-like antagonist) or 100 microM sulpiride (D2-like antagonist). Overall, the results suggest that (a) activation of dopamine D1- or D2-like receptors can independently regulate local terminal DA release in the ACB, whereas stimulation of both subtypes is required for activation of the negative feedback pathway to the VTA.     

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor composition modulates dendritic spine morphology in striatal medium spiny neurons

Dendritic spines of medium spiny neurons represent an essential site of information processing between NMDA and dopamine receptors in striatum. Even if activation of NMDA receptors in the striatum has important implications for synaptic plasticity and disease states, the contribution of specific NMDA receptor subunits still remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that treatment of corticostriatal slices with NR2A antagonist NVP-AAM077 or with NR2A blocking peptide induces a significant increase of spine head width. Sustained treatment with D1 receptor agonist (SKF38393) leads to a significant decrease of NR2A-containing NMDA receptors and to a concomitant increase of spine head width. Interestingly, co-treatment of corticostriatal slices with NR2A antagonist (NVP-AAM077) and D1 receptor agonist augmented the increase of dendritic spine head width as obtained with SKF38393. Conversely, NR2B antagonist (ifenprodil) blocked any morphological effect induced by D1 activation. These results indicate that alteration of NMDA receptor composition at the corticostriatal synapse contributes not only to the clinical features of disease states such as experimental parkinsonism but leads also to a functional and morphological outcome in dendritic spines of medium spiny neurons.     

Alterations in dopaminergic modulation of prefrontal cortical acetylcholine release in post-pubertal rats with neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions

Excitotoxic lesion of the ventral hippocampus in neonatal rats is a putative animal model of schizophrenia with characteristic developmental abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission and prefrontal cortical functions. Converging evidence also points to the involvement of the central cholinergic system in neuropsychiatric disorders. These two neurotransmitter systems are interlinked in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) where dopamine stimulates acetylcholine (ACh) release. In the present study, we investigated the role of dopamine in the developmental regulation of prefrontal cortical ACh release and the expression of nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in pre- and post-pubertal rats with neonatal ibotenic acid-induced lesions of the ventral hippocampus (NVH). In vivo microdialysis in the PFC revealed that systemic injections of the D(1)-like receptor agonist (+/-)-6-chloro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrobromide (SKF 81297) (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg i.p.) caused significantly higher ACh release in post-pubertal NVH-lesioned animals (250 and 300% baseline for 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, respectively) compared with post-pubertal shams (150 and 220% baseline for 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, respectively). Most interestingly, while prefrontal cortical perfusion of SKF 81297 (100 and 250 microM) had no significant effect on ACh release in post-pubertal sham-operated animals, it significantly stimulated ACh release to approximately 250% baseline at both doses in post-pubertal NVH-lesioned animals. Receptor autoradiography demonstrated a significant and selective increase in M(1)-like receptor binding sites in the infralimbic area of the PFC in the post-pubertal NVH-lesioned animals. For all experiments, significant differences between sham and NVH-lesioned animals were observed only in post-pubertal rats. These results suggest a developmentally specific reorganization of the prefrontal cortical cholinergic system involving D(1)-like receptors in the NVH model.     

Prostacyclin-induced rundown of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor currents in HEK293 cells is protein kinase A-dependent and NR2 subunit-selective

Previous studies in neurons have demonstrated a rapid decrease in NMDA receptor currents following tyrosine kinase inhibition or exposure to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Inhibitors of protein kinase A (PKA) block the PDGF-induced rundown suggesting a multistep pathway that leads to decreased amplitudes of NMDA-activated currents. In this study, HEK293 cells expressing different NMDA receptor subunits were used to study the effects of prostacyclin receptor-mediated PKA activation on the magnitude of glutamate-activated currents. The prostacyclin agonist iloprost induced a rapid and time-dependent depression of otherwise stable glutamate-activated currents in cells expressing NR1-2a/2A or NR1-2a/2D receptors but not NR1-2a/2B or NR1-2a/2C receptors. This rundown was prevented by treatment of cells with the PKA inhibitor H89. The iloprost effect persisted in cells coexpressing NR1-2a/2A receptors and either wild-type or mutant Src kinase (SrcS17A). Co-expression of PSD-95 with NR1-2a/2A receptors reduced but did not eliminate the extent of rundown. Iloprost also produced current rundown in cells expressing NR1-2a and a C-terminal truncated NR2A subunit (NR2A1050stop) but not in those transfected with an NR2A tyrosine mutant (Y842F). The iloprost-induced rundown of wild-type NR1-2a/2A receptors was prevented by prior exposure of cells to hypertonic sucrose. These results suggest that PKA influences the functional activity of NMDA receptors in an NR2 subunit-selective fashion.     

D1 dopamine receptor-induced cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation and potentiation of striatal glutamate receptors

Dopamine receptor activation regulates cyclic AMP levels and is critically involved in modulating neurotransmission in the striatum. Others have shown that alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor-mediated current is potentiated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activation. We made whole-cell patch clamp recordings from cultured striatal neurons and tested whether D1-type dopamine receptor activation affected AMPA receptor-mediated currents. After a 5-min exposure to the D1 agonist SKF 81297 (1 microM), kainate-evoked current amplitude was enhanced in approximately 75% of cells to 121+/-2.5% of that recorded prior to addition of drug. This response was inhibited by the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 and mimicked by activators of PKA. Moreover, by western blot analysis using an antibody specific for the phosphorylated PKA site Ser845 of GluR1, we observed a marked increase in phosphorylated GluR1 following a 10-min exposure of striatal neurons to 1 microM SKF 81297. Our data demonstrate that activation of D1-type dopamine receptors on striatal neurons promotes phosphorylation of AMPA receptors by PKA as well as potentiation of current amplitude. These results elucidate one mechanism by which dopamine can modulate neurotransmission in the striatum.     

Group I mGluR antagonist rescues the deficit of D1-induced LTP in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is caused by the absence of the mRNA-binding protein Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), encoded by the Fmr1 gene. Overactive signaling by group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor (Grp1 mGluR) could contribute to slowed synaptic development and other symptoms of FXS. Our previous study has identified that facilitation of synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) by D1 receptor is impaired in Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice. However, the contribution of Grp1 mGluR to the facilitation of synaptic plasticity by D1 receptor stimulation in the prefrontal cortex has been less extensively studied. RESULTS: Here we demonstrated that DL-AP3, a Grp1 mGluR antagonist, rescued LTP facilitation by D1 receptor agonist SKF81297 in Fmr1KO mice. Grp1 mGluR inhibition restored the GluR1-subtype AMPA receptors surface insertion by D1 activation in the cultured Fmr1KO neurons. Simultaneous treatment of Grp1 mGluR antagonist with D1 agonist recovered the D1 receptor signaling by reversing the subcellular redistribution of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) in the Fmr1KO neurons. Treatment of SKF81297 alone failed to increase the phosphorylation of NR2B-containing N-methyl D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) at Tyr-1472 (p-NR2B-Tyr1472) in the cultures from KO mice. However, simultaneous treatment of DL-AP3 could rescue the level of p-NR2B-Tyr1472 by SKF81297 in the cultures from KO mice. Furthermore, behavioral tests indicated that simultaneous treatment of Grp1 mGluR antagonist with D1 agonist inhibited hyperactivity and improved the learning ability in the Fmr1KO mice. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that mGluR1 inhibition is a useful strategy to recover D1 receptor signaling in the Fmr1KO mice, and combination of Grp1 mGluR antagonist and D1 agonist is a potential drug therapy for the FXS.     

Regulation of dopamine D1 receptor trafficking and desensitization by oligomerization with glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors

Activation of dopamine D1 receptors is critical for the generation of glutamate-induced long-term potentiation at corticostriatal synapses. In this study, we report that, in striatal neurons, D1 receptors are co-localized with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the postsynaptic density and that they co-immunoprecipitate with NMDA receptor subunits from postsynaptic density preparations. Using modified bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, we demonstrate that D1 and NMDA receptor clustering reflects the existence of direct interactions. The tagged D1 receptor and NR1 subunit cotransfected in COS-7 cells generated a significant bioluminescence resonance energy transfer signal that was insensitive to agonist stimulation and that did not change in the presence of the NR2B subunit, suggesting that the D1 receptor constitutively and selectively interacts with the NR1 subunit of the NMDA channel. Oligomerization with the NR1 subunit substantially modified D1 receptor trafficking. In individually transfected HEK293 cells, NR1 was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the D1 receptor was targeted to the plasma membrane. In cotransfected cells, both the D1 receptor and NR1 subunit were retained in cytoplasmic compartments. In the presence of the NR2B subunit, the NR1-D1 receptor complex was translocated to the plasma membrane. These data suggest that D1 and NMDA receptors are assembled within intracellular compartments as constitutive heteromeric complexes that are delivered to functional sites. Coexpression with NR1 and NR2B subunits also abolished agonist-induced D1 receptor cytoplasmic sequestration, indicating that oligomerization with the NMDA receptor could represent a novel regulatory mechanism modulating D1 receptor desensitization and cellular trafficking.     

Transient Ischemia Differentially Increases Tyrosine Phosphorylation of NMDA Receptor Subunits 2A and 2B

Abstract: Activation of the N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor has been implicated in the events leading to ischemia-induced neuronal cell death. Recent studies have indicated that the properties of the NMDA receptor channel may be regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. We have therefore examined the effects of transient cerebral ischemia on the tyrosine phosphorylation of NMDA receptor subunits NR2A and NR2B in different regions of the rat brain. Transient (15 min) global ischemia was produced by the four-vessel occlusion procedure. The tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2A and NR2B subunits was examined by immunoprecipitation with anti-tyrosine phosphate antibodies followed by immunoblotting with antibodies specific for NR2A or NR2B, and by immunoprecipitation with subunit-specific antibodies followed by immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Transient ischemia followed by reperfusion induced large (23–29-fold relative to sham-operated controls), rapid (within 15 min of reperfusion), and sustained (for at least 24 h) increases in the tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2A and smaller increases in that of NR2B in the hippocampus. Ischemia-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2 subunits in the hippocampus was higher than that of cortical and striatal NR2 subunits. The enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2A or NR2B may contribute to alterations in NMDA receptor function or in signaling pathways in the postischemic brain and may be related to pathogenic events leading to neuronal death.     

Amyloid precursor protein 695 associates with assembled NR2A‐ and NR2B‐containing NMDA receptors to result in the enhancement of their cell surface delivery

This is a study of the interaction between the two NMDA neurotransmitter receptor subtypes, NR1/NR2A and NR1/NR2B, and amyloid precursor protein (APP) 695, the major APP variant expressed in neurones. APP695 co‐immunoprecipitated with assembled NR1‐1a/NR2A and NR1‐1a/NR2B NMDA receptors following expression in mammalian cells. Single NR1‐1a, NR1‐2a, NR1‐4b^c‐Myc, or NR2 subunit transfections revealed that co‐association of APP695 with assembled NMDA receptors was mediated via the NR1 subunit; it was independent of the NR1 C1, C2, and C2′ cassettes and, the use of an NR1‐2a^c‐Myc‐trafficking mutant suggested that interaction between the two proteins occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. The use of antibodies directed against extracellular and intracellular NR2 subunit epitopes for immunoprecipitations suggested that APP/NMDA receptor association was mediated via N‐terminal domains. Anti‐APP antibodies immunoprecipitated NR1, NR2A, and NR2B immunoreactive bands from detergent extracts of mammalian brain; reciprocally, anti‐NR1 or anti‐NR2A antibodies co‐immunoprecipitated APP immunoreactivity. Immune pellets from brain were sensitive to endoglycosidase H suggesting that, as for heterologous expression, APP and NMDA receptor association occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. Co‐expression of APP695 in mammalian cells resulted in enhanced cell surface expression of both NR1‐1a/NR2A and NR1‐1a/NR2B NMDA receptors with no increase in total subunit expression. These findings are further evidence for a role of APP in intracellular trafficking mechanisms. Further, they provide a link between two major brain proteins that have both been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.     

Ethanol inhibition of NMDA receptors under conditions of altered protein kinase A activity

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA) are glutamate-activated ligand-gated ion channels that participate in diverse forms of synaptic plasticity as well as glutamate-dependent excitotoxicity. Inhibition of the NMDA receptor function may underlie some of the behavioral actions associated with acute exposure to ethanol. The sensitivity of NMDA receptors to ethanol is influenced by the subunit composition of the receptor and, by association, with certain cytoskeletal proteins. Previous studies have also suggested that phosphorylation may regulate the sensitivity of NMDA receptors to ethanol. In this study, the ethanol inhibition of recombinant NMDA receptor currents was determined under conditions designed to enhance or inhibit the activity of protein kinase A (PKA). Human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells were transfected with cDNAs encoding NMDA subunits and channel activity was monitored with whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Under control recording conditions, ethanol (100 mM) inhibited NR1/2A and NR1/2B receptor currents by approximately 25-30%. The degree of ethanol inhibition was not affected or was slightly enhanced under conditions designed to enhance PKA activity. This included treatment of cells with cAMP analogs, inclusion of phosphatase inhibitors or purified PKA in the pipette filling solution, co-expression of catalytically active PKA, expression of the NR1 PKA-site phosphorylation site mimic (S897D) or by co-expression of the PKA scaffolding protein yotiao or the dopamine D(1) receptor. Ethanol inhibition of NR1/2A and NR1/2B receptors was not altered when PKA effects were suppressed, either by co-expression of a PKI inhibitory peptide or the phosphorylation-deficient NR1 mutants (S897A, S896A, S896A/S897A). In addition, ethanol inhibition of NMDA-induced currents in cultured cortical or hippocampal neurons was not affected by modulators of PKA. These results suggest that PKA does not appear to play a major role in determining the acute ethanol sensitivity of NMDA receptors.