Comparison of single NMDA receptor channels recorded on hippocampal principal cells and oriens/alveus interneurons projecting to stratum lacunosum-moleculare (O-LM cells)

NMDA receptors participate in the glutamatergic excitation of both principal cells and GABAergic interneurons. The features of NMDA channels on specific interneurons, however, are not known. Therefore, we obtained direct measurements of single NMDA receptor channels on anatomically identified oriens/alveus interneurons projecting to stratum lacunosum-moleculare (O-LM cells) and compared them to those found on hippocampal principal cells using cell-attached recordings in in vitro slice preparations. The recorded channels could be blocked by ketamine, a membrane-permeable NMDA channel inhibitor. In the absence of Mg(2+), all O-LM cells had NMDA channels with a comparable slope conductance (approximately 60pS) to those measured on CA1 pyramidal cells or dentate granule cells. In addition, NMDA channels with smaller conductance (43-45 pS) were also found on two O-LM cells but not on principal cells. These results suggest that at least two types of NMDA channels are expressed on O-LM cells likely reflecting distinct subunit composition.