Control of kinetic properties of AMPA receptor channels by nuclear RNA editing

Science. 1994 Dec 9;266(5191):1709-13. doi: 10.1126/science.7992055.

Abstract

AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor channels mediate the fast component of excitatory postsynaptic currents in the central nervous system. Site-selective nuclear RNA editing controls the calcium permeability of these channels, and RNA editing at a second site is shown here to affect the kinetic aspects of these channels in rat brain. In three of the four AMPA receptor subunits (GluR-B, -C, and -D), intronic elements determine a codon switch (AGA, arginine, to GGA, glycine) in the primary transcripts in a position termed the R/G site, which immediately precedes the alternatively spliced modules "flip" and "flop." The extent of editing at this site progresses with brain development in a manner specific for subunit and splice form, and edited channels possess faster recovery rates from desensitization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain / embryology
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Exons
  • Glutamic Acid / pharmacology
  • Glycine / genetics
  • Introns
  • Kinetics
  • Membrane Potentials
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oocytes
  • PC12 Cells
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • RNA Editing*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, AMPA / genetics*
  • Receptors, AMPA / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Xenopus

Substances

  • Receptors, AMPA
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Glutamic Acid
  • Glycine