Peripheral nerve injury reduces the excitation-inhibition balance of basolateral amygdala inputs to prelimbic pyramidal neurons projecting to the periaqueductal gray.

Cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying how chronic pain induces maladaptive alterations to local circuits in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while emerging, remain unresolved. Consistent evidence shows that chronic pain attenuates activity in the prelimbic (PL) cortex, a mPFC subregion. This reduced activity is thought to be driven by increased inhibitory tone within PL circuits.

Altered Excitability and Local Connectivity of mPFC-PAG Neurons in a Mouse Model of Neuropathic Pain.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a major role in both sensory and affective aspects of pain. There is extensive evidence that chronic pain produces functional changes within the mPFC. However, our understanding of local circuit changes to defined subpopulations of mPFC neurons in chronic pain models remains unclear.

Specific Targeting of the Basolateral Amygdala to Projectionally Defined Pyramidal Neurons in Prelimbic and Infralimbic Cortex.

Adjacent prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) regions in the medial prefrontal cortex have distinct roles in emotional learning. A complete mechanistic understanding underlying this dichotomy remains unclear. Here we explored targeting of specific PL and IL neurons by the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a limbic structure pivotal in pain and fear processing.

Pharmacology of triheteromeric N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors.

The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors (NMDARs) are heteromeric cation channels involved in learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity, and their dysregulation leads to various neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence has shown that apart from the GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B diheteromeric ion channels, the NMDAR also exists as a GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromeric channel that occupies the majority of the synaptic space. These GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers exhibit pharmacological and electrophysiological properties that are distinct from the GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B diheteromeric subtypes.

Heteromerization of ligand binding domains of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor requires both coagonists, L-glutamate and glycine.

NMDA receptors (NMDAR) are voltage- and glutamate-gated heteromeric ion channels found at excitatory neuronal synapses, the functions of which are to mediate the mechanisms of brain plasticity and, thereby, its higher order functions. In addition to Glu, the activation of these heteromeric receptors requires Gly or d-Ser as a coagonist. However, it is not fully known as to why coagonism is required for the opening of NMDAR ion channels.

Antagonist properties of Conus parius peptides on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and their effects on CREB signaling.

Three members of a family of small neurotoxic peptides from the venom of Conus parius, conantokins (Con) Pr1, Pr2, and Pr3, function as antagonists of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR). We report structural characterizations of these synthetic peptides, and also demonstrate their antagonistic properties toward ion flow through NMDAR ion channels in primary neurons. ConPr1 and ConPr2 displayed moderate increases in α-helicity after addition of Mg(2+).

Effect of multimeric structure of CaMKII in the GluN2B-mediated modulation of kinetic parameters of ATP.

Interaction of GluN2B subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor with calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is critical for the induction of long term potentiation at hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses. We have previously reported that CaMKII binding to GluN2B increases its affinity but abolishes the cooperativity for ATP. In the present study, we demonstrate that the reduction in S(0.

Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II bound to NMDA receptor 2B subunit exhibits increased ATP affinity and attenuated dephosphorylation.

Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is implicated to play a key role in learning and memory. NR2B subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a high affinity binding partner of CaMKII at the postsynaptic membrane. NR2B binds to the T-site of CaMKII and modulates its catalysis.

Phosphorylation status of the NR2B subunit of NMDA receptor regulates its interaction with calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Ca(2+) influx through NMDA-type glutamate receptor at excitatory synapses causes activation of post-synaptic Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (CaMKII) and its translocation to the NR2B subunit of NMDA receptor. The major binding site for CaMKII on NR2B undergoes phosphorylation at Ser1303, in vivo. Even though some regulatory effects of this phosphorylation are known, the mode of dephosphorylation of NR2B-Ser1303 is still unclear.

Regulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II catalysis by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B.

Binding of CaMKII (Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) to the NR2B subunit of the NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptor) in the PSD (postsynaptic density) is essential for the induction of long-term potentiation. In this study, we show that binding of NR2B to the T-site (Thr(286)-autophosphorylation site binding pocket) of CaMKII regulates its catalysis as reflected in the kinetic parameters. The apparent S(0.

Influence of a mutation in the ATP-binding region of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II on its interaction with peptide substrates.

CaMKII (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) is expressed in high concentrations in the brain and is found enriched in the postsynaptic densities. The enzyme is activated by the binding of calmodulin to the autoregulatory domain in the presence of high levels of intracellular Ca2+, which causes removal of auto-inhibition from the N-terminal catalytic domain. Knowledge of the 3D (three-dimensional) structure of this enzyme at atomic resolution is restricted to the association domain, a region at the extreme C-terminus.