The subtype of GluN2 C-terminal domain determines the response to excitotoxic insults

It is currently unclear whether the GluN2 subtype influences NMDA receptor (NMDAR) excitotoxicity. We report that the toxicity of NMDAR-mediated Ca(2+) influx is differentially controlled by the cytoplasmic C-terminal domains of GluN2B (CTD(2B)) and GluN2A (CTD(2A)). Studying the effects of acute expression of GluN2A/2B-based chimeric subunits with reciprocal exchanges of their CTDs revealed that CTD(2B) enhances NMDAR toxicity, compared to CTD(2A). Furthermore, the vulnerability of forebrain neurons in?vitro and in?vivo to NMDAR-dependent Ca(2+) influx is lowered by replacing the CTD of GluN2B with that of GluN2A by targeted exon exchange in a mouse knockin model. Mechanistically, CTD(2B) exhibits stronger physical/functional coupling to the PSD-95-nNOS pathway, which suppresses protective CREB activation. Dependence of NMDAR excitotoxicity on the GluN2 CTD subtype can be overcome by inducing high levels of NMDAR activity. Thus, the identity (2A versus 2B) of the GluN2 CTD controls the toxicity dose-response to episodes of NMDAR activity.     

Separate Intramolecular Targets for Protein Kinase A Control N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptor Gating and Ca2+ Permeability

Protein kinase A (PKA) enhances synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system by increasing NMDA receptor current amplitude and Ca²⁺ flux in an isoform-dependent yet poorly understood manner. PKA phosphorylates multiple residues on GluN1, GluN2A, and GluN2B subunits in vivo, but the functional significance of this multiplicity is unknown. We examined gating and permeation properties of recombinant NMDA receptor isoforms and of receptors with altered C-terminal domain (CTDs) prior to and after pharmacological inhibition of PKA. We found that PKA inhibition decreased GluN1/GluN2B but not GluN1/GluN2A gating; this effect was due to slower rates for receptor activation and resensitization and was mediated exclusively by the GluN2B CTD. In contrast, PKA inhibition reduced NMDA receptor-relative Ca²⁺ permeability (P_Ca/P_Na) regardless of the GluN2 isoform and required the GluN1 CTD; this effect was due primarily to decreased unitary Ca²⁺ conductance, because neither Na⁺ conductance nor Ca²⁺-dependent block was altered substantially. Finally, we show that both the gating and permeation effects can be reproduced by changing the phosphorylation state of a single residue: GluN2B Ser-1166 and GluN1 Ser-897, respectively. We conclude that PKA effects on NMDA receptor gating and Ca²⁺ permeability rely on distinct phosphorylation sites located on the CTD of GluN2B and GluN1 subunits. This separate control of NMDA receptor properties by PKA may account for the specific effects of PKA on plasticity during synaptic development and may lead to drugs targeted to alter NMDA receptor gating or Ca²⁺ permeability.     

Stationary Gating of GluN1/GluN2B Receptors in Intact Membrane Patches

NMDA receptors are heteromeric glutamate-gated channels composed of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits. Receptor isoforms that differ in their GluN2-subunit type (A-D) are expressed differentially throughout the central nervous system and have distinct kinetic properties in recombinant systems. How specific receptor isoforms contribute to the functions generally attributed to NMDA receptors remains unknown, due in part to the incomplete functional characterization of individual receptor types and unclear molecular composition of native receptors. We examined the stationary gating kinetics of individual rat recombinant GluN1/GluN2B receptors in cell-attached patches of transiently transfected HEK293 cells and used kinetic analyses and modeling to describe the full range of this receptor's gating behaviors. We found that, like GluN1/GluN2A receptors, GluN1/GluN2B receptors have three gating modes that are distinguishable by their mean open durations. However, for GluN1/GluN2B receptors, the modes also differed markedly in their mean closed durations and thus generated a broader range of open probabilities. We also found that regardless of gating mode, glutamate dissociation occurred ∼4-fold more slowly (k₋ = 15 s⁻¹) compared to that observed in GluN1/GluN2A receptors. On the basis of these results, we suggest that slow glutamate dissociation and modal gating underlie the long heterogeneous activations of GluN1/GluN2B receptors.     

The influence of calcium ions on nickel modulation of NMDA receptor currents

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NRs) are glutamate-gated channels critical for the functioning of the nervous system. They are assembled from two types of subunits, the essential GluN1 and at least one type of GluN2 (A, B, C, D) subunit. Nickel (Ni) modulates the NR current in a way dependent on the GluN2 subunit present. Besides voltage-dependent and voltage-independent inhibition, in GluN2B-containing channels Ni enhances channel activity. We have recently identified several domains of the channel involved in Ni interaction, but many aspects of this modulation remain elusive. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the role of calcium (Ca) in the effect of Ni on the NR current measured by voltage- and patch-clamp in RNA-injected Xenopus laevis oocytes or in transiently transfected mammalian HEK293 cells expressing GluN1/GluN2B recombinant receptors. In both expression systems, in the presence of a physiological concentration of Ca (1.8 mM), Ni increased the NR current with EC(50) in the μM range, but this potentiation was reduced by decreasing Ca concentration or when Ca was substituted with Ba. In injected oocytes, the effect of Ni in 0.3 mM external Ba was only inhibitory (IC(50) = 65 μM). Increasing the internal calcium buffering by EGTA and BAPTA application, as well as incubation with cytoskeleton perturbing agents, colchicine and cytochalasin-D, did not produce major modifications in the Ni effect. These observations indicate that Ni-mediated potentiation is not dependent on Ca influx and internal Ca concentration, but it is dependent on external Ca, which possibly interacts with the extracellular portion of the protein through a modulatory binding site.     

Identification of an atypical calcium-dependent calmodulin binding site on the C-terminal domain of GluN2A

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are calcium-permeable ion channels assembled from four subunits that each have a common membrane topology. The intracellular carboxyl terminal domain (CTD) of each subunit varies in length, is least conserved between subunits, and binds multiple intracellular proteins. We defined a region of interest in the GluN2A CTD, downstream of well-characterized membrane-proximal motifs, that shares only 29% sequence similarity with the equivalent region of GluN2B. GluN2A (amino acids 875–1029) was fused to GST and used as a bait to identify proteins from mouse brain with the potential to bind GluN2A as a function of calcium. Using mass spectrometry we identified calmodulin as a calcium-dependent GluN2A binding partner. Equilibrium fluorescence spectroscopy experiments indicate that Ca²⁺/calmodulin binds GluN2A with high affinity (5.2 ± 2.4 nM) in vitro. Direct interaction of Ca²⁺/calmodulin with GluN2A was not affected by disruption of classic sequence motifs associated with Ca²⁺/calmodulin target recognition, but was critically dependent upon Trp-1014. These findings provide new insight into the potential of Ca²⁺/calmodulin, previously considered a GluN1-binding partner, to influence NMDA receptors by direct association.     

Neurosteroid binding to the amino terminal and glutamate binding domains of ionotropic glutamate receptors

The endogenous neurosteroids, pregnenolone sulfate (PS) and 3α-hydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one sulfate (PREGAS), have been shown to differentially regulate the ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) family of ligand-gated ion channels. Upon binding to these receptors, PREGAS decreases current flow through the channels. Upon binding to non-NMDA or NMDA receptors containing an GluN2C or GluN2D subunit, PS also decreases current flow through the channels, however, upon binding to NMDA receptors containing an GluN2A or GluN2B subunit, flow through the channels increases. To begin to understand this differential regulation, we have cloned the S1S2 and amino terminal domains (ATD) of the NMDA GluN2B and GluN2D and AMPA GluA2 subunits. Here we present results that show that PS and PREGAS bind to different sites in the ATD of the GluA2 subunit, which when combined with previous results from our lab, now identifies two binding domains for each neurosteroid. We also show both neurosteroids bind only to the ATD of the GluN2D subunit, suggesting that this binding is distinct from that of the AMPA GluA2 subunit, with both leading to iGluR inhibition. Finally, we provide evidence that both PS and PREGAS bind to the S1S2 domain of the NMDA GluN2B subunit. Neurosteroid binding to the S1S2 domain of NMDA subunits responsible for potentiation of iGluRs and to the ATD of NMDA subunits responsible for inhibition of iGluRs, provides an interesting option for therapeutic design.     

Identification of Novel 14-3-3 Residues That Are Critical for Isoform-specific Interaction with GluN2C to Regulate N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Trafficking

The 14-3-3 family of proteins is widely distributed in the CNS where they are major regulators of essential neuronal functions. There are seven known mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms (ζ,, τ, ϵ, η, β, and σ), which generally function as adaptor proteins. Previously, we have demonstrated that 14-3-3ϵ isoform dynamically regulates forward trafficking of GluN2C-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in cerebellar granule neurons, that when expressed on the surface, promotes neuronal survival following NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Here, we report 14-3-3 isoform-specific binding and functional regulation of GluN2C. In particular, we show that GluN2C C-terminal domain (CTD) binds to all 14-3-3 isoforms except 14-3-3σ, and binding is dependent on GluN2C serine 1096 phosphorylation. Co-expression of 14-3-3 (ζ and ϵ) and GluN1/GluN2C promotes the forward delivery of receptors to the cell surface. We further identify novel residues serine 145, tyrosine 178, and cysteine 189 on α-helices 6, 7, and 8, respectively, within ζ-isoform as part of the GluN2C binding motif and independent of the canonical peptide binding groove. Mutation of these conserved residues abolishes GluN2C binding and has no functional effect on GluN2C trafficking. Reciprocal mutation of alanine 145, histidine 180, and isoleucine 191 on 14-3-3σ isoform promotes GluN2C binding and surface expression. Moreover, inhibiting endogenous 14-3-3 using a high-affinity peptide inhibitor, difopein, greatly diminishes GluN2C surface expression. Together, these findings highlight the isoform-specific structural and functional differences within the 14-3-3 family of proteins, which determine GluN2C binding and its essential role in targeting the receptor to the cell surface to facilitate glutamatergic neurotransmission.     

Stimulation of GluN receptors decreases the surface density of GluN1/GluN2B subunits in cultured neocortical interneurons

Changes in the density of NMDA (GluN) receptors in the neuronal membrane are critical for plasticity, whereas malfunction of precisely regulated GluN receptor activity may be involved in neurotoxicity. In cultured rat neocortical interneurons, we have studied the regulation of the surface density of GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B subunits. Application of 5 μMol NMDA for 24 h followed by a washout period of 24 h decreased the response of GluN receptors for at least 2?days. The reduction was caused by a decrease in the surface density of GluN1/GluN2B subunits, whereas GluN2A subunits remained unaffected. Our data indicate that long but reversible low level activation of GluN receptors can cause long-term changes in their subunit composition in cultured interneurons.     

A conserved structural mechanism of NMDA receptor inhibition: A comparison of ifenprodil and zinc

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, one of the three main types of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, and their dysfunction is implicated in various neurological disorders. NMDA receptors, heterotetramers typically composed of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits, are the only members of the iGluR family that bind allosteric modulators at their amino-terminal domains (ATDs). We used luminescence resonance energy transfer to characterize the conformational changes the receptor undergoes upon binding ifenprodil, a synthetic compound that specifically inhibits activation of NMDA receptors containing GluN2B. We found that ifenprodil induced an overall closure of the GluN2B ATD without affecting conformation of the GluN1 ATD or the upper lobes of the ATDs, the same mechanism whereby zinc inhibits GluN2A. These data demonstrate that the conformational changes induced by zinc and ifenprodil represent a conserved mechanism of NMDA receptor inhibition. Additionally, we compared the structural mechanism of zinc inhibition of GluN1–GluN2A receptors to that of ifenprodil inhibition of GluN1–GluN2B. The similarities in the conformational changes induced by inhibitor binding suggest a conserved structural mechanism of inhibition independent of the binding site of the modulator.     

GluA and GluN receptors regulate the surface density of GluN receptor subunits in cultured neocortical interneurons

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 597-606. ABSTRACT: In cultured rat neocortical interneurons, we have studied the effect of long-term application of NMDA or AMPA on the surface density of the NMDA (GluN) receptor subunits GluN1 and GluN2B. Stimulation of Ca(2+) -permeable AMPA (GluA) receptors located on the interneurons decreased the response of GluN receptors. The reduction was caused by a decrease in the surface density of GluN1/GluN2B subunits. In contrast, stimulation of GluN receptors located on the interneurons enhanced the surface density of GluN1/GluN2B subunits. Both effects could be induced by network activation.     

Probing the activation sequence of NMDA receptors with lurcher mutations

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation involves a dynamic series of structural rearrangements initiated by glutamate binding to glycine-loaded receptors and culminates with the clearing of the permeation pathway, which allows ionic flux. Along this sequence, three rate-limiting transitions can be quantified with kinetic analyses of single-channel currents, even though the structural determinants of these critical steps are unknown. In inactive receptors, the major permeation barrier resides at the intersection of four M3 transmembrane helices, two from each GluN1 and GluN2 subunits, at the level of the invariant SYTANLAAF sequence, known as the lurcher motif. Because the A7 but not A8 residues in this region display agonist-dependent accessibility to extracellular solutes, they were hypothesized to form the glutamate-sensitive gate. We tested this premise by examining the reaction mechanisms of receptors with substitutions in the lurcher motifs of GluN1 or GluN2A subunits. We found that, consistent with their locations relative to the proposed activation gate, A8Y decreased open-state stability, whereas A7Y dramatically stabilized open states, primarily by preventing gate closure; the equilibrium distribution of A7Y receptors was strongly shifted toward active states and resulted in slower microscopic association and dissociation rate constants for glutamate. In addition, for both A8- and A7-substituted receptors, we noticed patterns of kinetic changes that were specific to GluN1 or GluN2 locations. This may be a first indication that the sequence of discernible kinetic transitions during NMDA receptor activation may reflect subunit-dependent movements of M3 helices. Testing this hypothesis may afford insight into the activation mechanism of NMDA receptors.     

Amino terminal domains of the NMDA receptor are organized as local heterodimers

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, an obligate heterotetrameric assembly organized as a dimer of dimers, is typically composed of two glycine-binding GluN1 subunits and two glutamate-binding GluN2 subunits. Despite the crucial role that the NMDA receptor plays in the nervous system, the specific arrangement of subunits within the dimer-of-dimer assemblage is not conclusively known. Here we studied the organization of the amino terminal domain (ATD) of the rat GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B NMDA receptors by cysteine-directed, disulfide bond-mediated cross-linking. We found that GluN1 ATDs and GluN2 ATDs spontaneously formed disulfide bond-mediated dimers after introducing cysteines into the L1 interface of GluN2A or GluN2B ATD. The formation of dimer could be prevented by knocking out endogenous cysteines located near the L1 interface of GluN1. These results indicate that GluN1 and GluN2 ATDs form local heterodimers through the interactions in the L1-L1 interface and further demonstrate a dimer-of-heterodimer arrangement in GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B NMDA receptors.     

On mechanism of allosteric modulation of NMDA receptor via amino-terminal domains

A possible mechanism of action of the allosteric modulators of NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors is proposed that involves the stabilization of the twisted closed-clamshell configuration of the amino-terminal domains of GluN1 and GluN2B subunits by negative modulators while positive modulators stabilize a roughly parallel tight arrangement of these domains. These respective motions may play an important role in the transition between the open-channel and closed-channel states of the receptor. In addition, some features of the negative modulator binding site found by means of the molecular dynamics study and pocket analysis can be used in the rational design of the allosteric NMDA receptor modulators.     

Amyloid beta peptide 1-42 disturbs intracellular calcium homeostasis through activation of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors in cortical cultures

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to debilitating cognitive deficits. Recent evidence demonstrates that glutamate receptors are dysregulated by amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) oligomers, resulting in disruption of glutamatergic synaptic transmission which parallels early cognitive deficits. Although it is well accepted that neuronal death in AD is related to disturbed intracellular Ca(2+) (Ca(2+)(i)) homeostasis, little is known about the contribution of NMDARs containing GluN2A or GluN2B subunits on Aβ-induced Ca(2+)(i) rise and neuronal dysfunction. Thus, the main goal of this work was to evaluate the role of NMDAR subunits in dysregulation of Ca(2+)(i) homeostasis induced by Aβ 1-42 preparation containing both oligomers (in higher percentage) and monomers in rat cerebral cortical neurons. The involvement of NMDARs was evaluated by pharmacological inhibition with MK-801 or the selective GluN2A and GLUN2B subunit antagonists NVP-AAM077 and ifenprodil, respectively. We show that Aβ, like NMDA, increase Ca(2+)(i) levels mainly through activation of NMDARs containing GluN2B subunits. Conversely, GluN2A-NMDARs antagonism potentiates Ca(2+)(i) rise induced by a high concentration of Aβ (1μM), suggesting that GluN2A and GluN2B subunits have opposite roles in regulating Ca(2+)(i) homeostasis. Moreover, Aβ modulate NMDA-induced responses and vice versa. Indeed, pre-exposure to Aβ (1μM) decrease NMDA-evoked Ca(2+)(I) rise and pre-exposure to NMDA decrease Aβ response. Interestingly, simultaneous addition of Aβ and NMDA potentiate Ca(2+)(I) levels, this effect being regulated by GluN2A and GluN2B subunits in opposite manners. This study contributes to the understanding of the molecular basis of early AD pathogenesis, by exploring the role of GluN2A and GluN2B subunits in the mechanism of Aβ toxicity in AD.     

An alternating GluN1-2-1-2 subunit arrangement in mature NMDA receptors

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) form glutamate-gated ion channels that play a critical role in CNS physiology and pathology. Together with AMPA and kainate receptors, NMDARs are known to operate as tetrameric complexes with four membrane-embedded subunits associating to form a single central ion-conducting pore. While AMPA and some kainate receptors can function as homomers, NMDARs are obligatory heteromers composed of homologous but distinct subunits, most usually of the GluN1 and GluN2 types. A fundamental structural feature of NMDARs, that of the subunit arrangement around the ion pore, is still controversial. Thus, in a typical NMDAR associating two GluN1 and two GluN2 subunits, there is evidence for both alternating 1/2/1/2 and non-alternating 1/1/2/2 arrangements. Here, using a combination of electrophysiological and cross-linking experiments, we provide evidence that functional GluN1/GluN2A receptors adopt the 1/2/1/2 arrangement in which like subunits are diagonal to one another. Moreover, based on the recent crystal structure of an AMPA receptor, we show that in the agonist-binding and pore regions, the GluN1 subunits occupy a "proximal" position, closer to the central axis of the channel pore than that of GluN2 subunits. Finally, results obtained with reducing agents that differ in their membrane permeability indicate that immature (intracellular) and functional (plasma-membrane inserted) pools of NMDARs can adopt different subunit arrangements, thus stressing the importance of discriminating between the two receptor pools in assembly studies. Elucidating the quaternary arrangement of NMDARs helps to define the interface between the subunits and to understand the mechanism and pharmacology of these key signaling receptors.     

MPX-004 and MPX-007: New Pharmacological Tools to Study the Physiology of NMDA Receptors Containing the GluN2A Subunit

GluN2A is the most abundant of the GluN2 NMDA receptor subunits in the mammalian CNS. Physiological and genetic evidence implicate GluN2A-containing receptors in susceptibility to autism, schizophrenia, childhood epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Rett Syndrome. However, GluN2A-selective pharmacological probes to explore the therapeutic potential of targeting these receptors have been lacking. Here we disclose a novel series of pyrazine-containing GluN2A antagonists exemplified by MPX-004 (5-(((3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)sulfonamido)methyl)-N-((2-methylthiazol-5-yl)methyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide) and MPX-007 (5-(((3-fluoro-4-fluorophenyl)sulfonamido)methyl)-N-((2-methylthiazol-5-yl)methyl)methylpyrazine-2-carboxamide). MPX-004 and MPX-007 inhibit GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors expressed in HEK cells with IC₅₀s of 79 nM and 27 nM, respectively. In contrast, at concentrations that completely inhibited GluN2A activity these compounds have no inhibitory effect on GluN2B or GluN2D receptor-mediated responses in similar HEK cell-based assays. Potency and selectivity were confirmed in electrophysiology assays in Xenopus oocytes expressing GluN2A-D receptor subtypes. Maximal concentrations of MPX-004 and MPX-007 inhibited ~30% of the whole-cell current in rat pyramidal neurons in primary culture and MPX-004 inhibited ~60% of the total NMDA receptor-mediated EPSP in rat hippocampal slices. GluN2A-selectivity at native receptors was confirmed by the finding that MPX-004 had no inhibitory effect on NMDA receptor mediated synaptic currents in cortical slices from GRIN2A knock out mice. Thus, MPX-004 and MPX-007 offer highly selective pharmacological tools to probe GluN2A physiology and involvement in neuropsychiatric and developmental disorders.     

Distinct modes of AMPA receptor suppression at developing synapses by GluN2A and GluN2B: single-cell NMDA receptor subunit deletion in vivo

During development there is an activity-dependent switch in synaptic N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit composition from predominantly GluN2B to GluN2A, though the precise role of this?switch remains unknown. By deleting GluN2 subunits in single neurons during synaptogenesis, we find that both GluN2B and GluN2A suppress AMPA receptor expression, albeit by distinct means. Similar to GluN1, GluN2B deletion increases the number of functional synapses, while GluN2A deletion increases the strength of unitary connections without affecting the number of functional synapses. We propose a model of excitatory synapse maturation in which baseline activation of GluN2B-containing receptors prevents premature synapse maturation until correlated activity allows induction of functional synapses. This activity also triggers the switch to GluN2A, which dampens further potentiation. Furthermore, we analyze the subunit composition of synaptic NMDA receptors in CA1 pyramidal cells, provide electrophysiological evidence for?a large population of synaptic triheteromeric receptors, and estimate the subunit-dependent open probability.