Glutamatergic Tuning of Hyperactive Striatal Projection Neurons Controls the Motor Response to Dopamine Replacement in Parkinsonian Primates.

Dopamine (DA) loss in Parkinson's disease (PD) alters the function of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) and causes motor deficits, but DA replacement can induce further abnormalities. A key pathological change in animal models and patients is SPN hyperactivity; however, the role of glutamate in altered DA responses remains elusive. We tested the effect of locally applied AMPAR or NMDAR antagonists on glutamatergic signaling in SPNs of parkinsonian primates.

Rigor, reproducibility, and in vitro cerebrospinal fluid assays: The devil in the details.

Divergent results and misinterpretation of non-significant findings remain problematic in science – especially in retrospective, hypothesis generating, translational research. When such divergence occurs, it is imperative that the cause of the divergence be established. In their recent paper in , Dauvilliers challenged our earlier finding that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from some patients with unexplained excessive daytime sleepiness enhances the activation of GABA receptors (GABA-R).

Regulation of GluA1 α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor function by protein kinase C at serine-818 and threonine-840.

Three residues within the AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor subunit GluA1 C terminus (Ser818, Ser831, Thr840) can be phosphorylated by Ca(2+)/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC). Here, we show that PKC phosphorylation of GluA1 Ser818 or Thr840 enhances the weighted mean channel conductance without altering the response time course or agonist potency. These data support the idea that these residues constitute a hyper-regulatory domain for the AMPA receptor.

S-nitrosylation of AMPA receptor GluA1 regulates phosphorylation, single-channel conductance, and endocytosis.

NMDA receptor activation can elicit synaptic plasticity by augmenting conductance of the AMPA receptor GluA1 subsequent to phosphorylation at S831 by Ca(2+)-dependent kinases. NMDA receptor activation also regulates synaptic plasticity by causing endocytosis of AMPA receptor GluA1. We demonstrate a unique signaling cascade for these processes mediated by NMDA receptor-dependent NO formation and GluA1 S-nitrosylation.

PKC phosphorylates GluA1-Ser831 to enhance AMPA receptor conductance.

AMPA receptors mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain, and are dynamically regulated by phosphorylation of multiple residues within the C-terminal domain. CaMKII phosphorylates Ser831 within the AMPA receptor GluA1 subunit to increase single channel conductance, and biochemical studies show that PKC can also phosphorylate this residue. In light of the discovery of additional PKC phosphorylation sites within the GluA1 C-terminus, it remains unclear whether PKC phosphorylation of Ser831 increases GluA1 conductance in intact receptors.

Mechanism of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II regulation of AMPA receptor gating.

The function, trafficking and synaptic signaling of AMPA receptors are tightly regulated by phosphorylation. Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylates the GluA1 AMPA receptor subunit at Ser831 to increase single-channel conductance. We show that CaMKII increases the conductance of native heteromeric AMPA receptors in mouse hippocampal neurons through phosphorylation of Ser831.

Ca2+-dependent facilitation of Cav1.3 Ca2+ channels by densin and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Ca(v)1 (L-type) channels and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) are key regulators of Ca(2+) signaling in neurons. CaMKII directly potentiates the activity of Ca(v)1.2 and Ca(v)1.