Binding properties of glutamate receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.

The biochemical mechanisms by which diabetes modulates cognitive function are not well established. Here, we determined the effects of streptozotocin (STZ) administration on the binding properties of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtypes of glutamate receptors in rats, using quantitative autoradiographic analysis of (3)H-AMPA and [(3)H]glutamate binding on brain tissue sections. The STZ injection (70 mg/kg intraperitoneally) produced a reduction of (3)H-AMPA binding in various brain regions, an effect that is due to a decrease in receptor affinity. The STZ-induced reduction of (3)H-AMPA binding varied in different brain structures, being more pronounced in the striatum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus and almost absent in the cerebellum. Western blots performed on hippocampal membranes revealed that the decrease in (3)H-AMPA binding is possibly associated with changes in immunologic properties for one glutamate receptor subunit (GluR1). Finally, the effect of STZ-induced diabetes appeared to be specific to the AMPA subtype of glutamate receptors, as the same treatment did not modify [(3)H]glutamate binding to NMDA receptors. These changes in AMPA receptor properties may have important implications for understanding the biochemical mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in diabetes.

Triggers and substrates of hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

It is widely assumed that behavioral learning reflects adaptive properties of the neuronal networks underlying behavior. Adaptive properties of networks in turn arise from the existence of biochemical mechanisms that regulate the efficacy of synaptic transmission. Considerable progress has been made in the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in synaptic plasticity at central synapses and especially those responsible for the phenomenon of long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission in hippocampus. While the nature and the timing requirements of the triggering steps are reasonably well known, there is still a lot of uncertainty concerning the mechanisms responsible for the long-term changes. Several biochemical processes have been proposed to play critical roles in promoting long-lasting modifications of synaptic efficacy. This review examines first the triggers that are necessary to produce LTP in the hippocampus and then the different biochemical processes that have been considered to participate in the maintenance of LTP. Finally, we examine the relationships between LTP and behavioral learning.

AMPA receptor regulation and LTP in the hippocampus of young and aged apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

In the present study, modulation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptors by phosphatidylserine (PS) and synaptic plasticity were investigated in the hippocampus of young (4-month-old) and aged (18-month-old) apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice. Qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of brain sections in both young and aged apoE-deficient mice did not reveal any substantial changes of AMPA receptor binding in the various hippocampal regions, compared to age-matched controls. Nevertheless, enhancement of AMPA receptor binding elicited by PS treatment was found to be abolished in most hippocampal regions of young apoE-deficient mice, while modulation of AMPA receptors by this phospholipid was not significantly altered in the hippocampal formation of aged apoE-deficient animals. At the electrophysiological level, long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by theta burst stimulation was lower in area CA1 of the hippocampus of young, but not aged, apoE-deficient mice compared to age-matched controls. These results confirm that apoE is important for AMPA receptor regulation and LTP expression in the hippocampal formation. However, the presence of LTP in aged apoE-deficient animals, together with apparent recovery of the PS action on AMPA receptors, suggests that aged apoE-knockout mice possess compensatory mechanisms that reduce biochemical and electrophysiological alterations of glutamatergic neurons.

Effect of Temperature and Calcium on the Binding Properties of the AMPA Receptor in Frozen Rat Brain Sections.

The elucidation of the mechanisms regulating the properties of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) subtype of glutamate receptors is important for understanding glutamatergic transmission. Here we report that qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of tritiated ligand binding to the AMPA receptor on thin frozen rat brain tissue sections reveals the existence of several mechanisms regulating the binding properties of AMPA receptors. Preincubation of tissue sections at 35 degrees C results in a decreased amount of [3H]AMPA binding as compared to that measured following preincubation at 0 degrees C. The decrease in binding appears to be mainly localized to cell bodies as evaluated by autoradiography, and could be due to proteolysis. Preincubation with calcium at 35 degrees C produces increased levels of [3H]AMPA binding. The effect of calcium is mimicked by manganese and to a lesser extent by magnesium; it is concentration-dependent with a 50% effective concentration for calcium of approximately 150 microM, time-dependent and temperature-dependent. The calcium-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding is different among various brain structures, being larger in area CA1 of the hippocampus and in the superficial layers of the cerebral cortex. The effect of calcium is partly reduced by preincubation with the calpain inhibitor leupeptin and potentiated by preincubation with purified calpain II. The calcium-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding is associated with a decrease in the binding of an antagonist of AMPA receptors, [3H]6-nitro-7-cyanoquinoxaline-2,3-dione. The results indicate that the binding properties of the AMPA receptor are rapidly regulated by calcium-dependent processes, and possibly by calcium-dependent proteases. They suggest that modulation of the binding properties involves changes in the configuration of the receptor, producing opposite changes in the affinities of the receptor for agonists and antagonists. Finally, these results strengthen the hypothesis that changes in the properties of AMPA receptors might underlie various forms of synaptic plasticity.

Cholinergic systems and long-term potentiation in memory-impaired apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Impairments in cholinergic neurotransmitter systems of the basal forebrain are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology. The presence of the epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E was recently implicated as a major risk factor in both familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease. The present study examined the integrity of cholinergic and non-cholinergic systems in apolipoprotein E-deficient, memory-impaired mice. Choline acetyltransferase activity, hippocampal acetylcholine release, nicotinic and muscarinic (M1 and M2) receptor binding sites and acetylcholinesterase cell or terminal density showed no signs of alteration in either three-month or 9.5-month-old apolipoprotein E-deficient mice compared to controls. In contrast, long-term potentiation was found to be markedly reduced in these mice, but increases in the strength of stimulation induced the same level of long-term potentiation as that observed in controls. These alterations did not appear to be the consequence of modifications in the binding properties of glutamatergic receptors (N-methyl-D-aspartate and [RS]-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole propionic acid) but from defective regulation of the (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole propionic acid receptor by phospholipase A2 activity. These results support the notion that apolipoprotein E plays a fundamental role in neuronal plasticity, which could in turn affect cognitive performance through imbalances in extra- and intracellular lipid homeostasis.

Developmental changes in alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor properties and expression in the rat hippocampal formation.

The developmental changes in alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptor properties in rat hippocampus were evaluated with quantitative autoradiography of ligand binding and in situ hybridization performed in adjacent sections with antisense oligonucleotides for AMPA receptor subunits (GluR1-3, flip and flop splice variants). Specific 3H-AMPA binding in different hippocampal subfields increased between postnatal day 7 and 15 and was higher in CA3 during the postnatal period when compared to adult levels. This effect was mostly due to high levels of high affinity binding sites in cell body layers during the developmental period. By contrast, autoradiograms of 3H-AMPA binding predominantly to the low affinity binding sites indicated an absence of these sites in cell body layers and the overall levels of binding exhibited little overshoot compared to adult levels during the developmental period. The changes in binding of the antagonist of the AMPA receptor, 6-nitro-7-cyanoquinoxaline-2,3-dione were markedly different from those for the high affinity AMPA binding sites but quite similar to those for the low affinity sites. The binding was extremely low at postnatal day 7 and increased rapidly between postnatal day 7 and 15 and slowly between postnatal day 15 and adult. Low levels of binding were observed in the cell body layer at every postnatal age. The changes in expression of messenger RNAs for the different subunits of the AMPA receptors were well correlated with the modifications in high affinity AMPA binding sites measured in the cell body layers also exhibiting an increased expression of the receptors at the transcriptional level during the developmental period as compared to adult levels. The relative expression of the GluR2 subunits decreased during the postnatal period and the time course for this reduction paralleled that for the increased vulnerability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons to a variety of insults. The results indicate that both the messenger RNAs for the subunits and the AMPA receptors exhibit increased levels of expression during the postnatal period compared to adult levels. They also suggest that nascent receptors might bind AMPA with high affinity before their insertion in membranes into functional receptors that have low affinity for agonists and high affinity for antagonists. The changes in subunit composition of the receptors during the postnatal period may have important implications for mechanisms of plasticity as well as of neuropathology.

Phospholipase A2-induced changes in AMPA receptor: an autoradiographic study.

The expression of long-term potentiation and learning of a classical conditioning task increase [3H]-AMPA binding in hippocampus. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) has been proposed to underly these changes, as PLA2 treatment of membrane preparations increases the affinity of AMPA receptors for agonists. We demonstrate here that preincubation of thin (10 microns) frozen rat brain sections with exogenous PLA2 and calcium at physiological temperature changes the binding properties of AMPA receptors. Quantitative autoradiography reveals that PLA2-treatment produces a differential increase in [3H]-AMPA binding across brain regions. The same treatment also decreases the binding of an antagonist ([3H]-CNQX) throughout the brain. We propose that PLA2 treatment results in a modification of the AMPA receptors which is regionally specific, probably due to different AMPA receptor subunit compositions.

The phospholipase A2 inhibitor bromophenacyl bromide prevents the depolarization-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding in rat brain synaptoneurosomes.

We previously demonstrated that potassium (KCl)-induced depolarization of synaptoneurosomes prepared from rat telencephalon increased [3H]amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate ([3H]AMPA) binding to the AMPA receptor. In the present study, we determined the effects of inhibitors of various calcium-dependent enzymes on this response to depolarization. Treatment of intact synaptoneurosomes with the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), produced a marked and dose-dependent reduction in KCl-induced enhancement in [3H]AMPA binding. BPB had no significant effect on [3H]TPP accumulation in intact synaptoneurosomes, an index of membrane depolarization. In contrast to BPB, inhibitors of calcium-dependent kinases and proteases did not reduced the KCl-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding. The results strengthen the hypothesis that phospholipase-induced modifications of AMPA receptor properties may be an important component of synaptic plasticity.

Mechanism of altered synaptic strength due to experience: relation to long-term potentiation.

An increase in medial perforant synaptic strength can be observed for hippocampal slices from rats exposed to environmental enrichment. The expression of enhanced synaptic strength exhibits properties similar to long-term potentiation (LTP), a physiological model of memory storage. Similarities include an increase in strength of the synaptic response in the absence of an altered paired-pulse ratio and an increase in the binding of the glutamate agonist alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate. Furthermore, environmental enrichment interacts with the mechanisms responsible for the induction of LTP by inhibiting further increases in synaptic strength following LTP-inducing stimulation. The results provide evidence for experience-mediated influences on postsynaptic mechanisms regulating medial perforant path synaptic strength.

Impaired modulation of AMPA receptors by calcium-dependent processes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The mechanisms by which diabetes impairs cognitive function are not well-established. In the present study, we determined the electrophysiological and biochemical nature of disturbances in the mechanism of long-term potentiation (LTP) in diabetic rats. As previously reported, the administration of streptozotocin (STZ) was found to reduce the magnitude of LTP in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, while the same treatment did not interact with the capacity of the hippocampus to generate long-term depression induced by low-frequency stimulation. In addition, STZ treatment did not modify the component of excitatory postsynaptic potentials mediated by activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptors, suggesting that NMDA receptor function remained intact in STZ-treated slices. At the biochemical level, the capacity of calcium to increase [3H](RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole propionic acid (3H-AMPA) binding to glutamate/AMPA receptors in rat brain tissue sections was markedly affected in most regions of the hippocampus of STZ-treated rats. Moreover, changes in 3H-AMPA binding properties elicited by both exogenous phospholipase A2 and melittin, a potent activator of endogenous phospholipases, were also altered in synaptoneurosomes from diabetic rats. Taken together, the present data suggest that the loss of LTP maintenance in STZ-treated rats is more likely the result of disruption of calcium-dependent processes that are suspected to modulate postsynaptic AMPA receptors during synaptic potentiation. Understanding the biochemical factors participating in the impairment of AMPA receptor modulation might provide important clues revealing the very basis of memory deficits in diabetes.

Effect of bromophenacyl bromide, a phospholipase A2 inhibitor, on the induction and maintenance of LTP in hippocampal slices.

The effect of bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, on both the induction and the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) was investigated in field CA1 of the hippocampal slice preparation. One hour of BPB application (50 microM) caused a large reduction in the magnitude of LTP induced by a theta burst stimulation (TBS) paradigm. BPB had no significant effect on either the degree of paired-pulse facilitation or the amount of pre-established LTP. Furthermore, the facilitation of postsynaptic responses occurring during TBS and in the first minute following TBS was not reduced by the PLA2 inhibitor. These results indicate that the inhibition of LTP produced by BPB is not due to an effect of the drug on a physiological event that triggers LTP. The data also suggest that PLA2 activation plays a critical role in the expression of LTP, but is not required for the maintenance of the potentiation.

Melittin increases AMPA receptor affinity in rat brain synaptoneurosomes.

Recent experimental evidence suggests that phospholipase-induced changes in binding properties of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) subtype of glutamate receptors account for the increase in synaptic response observed in long-term potentiation (LTP). In the present study, we report that treatment of rat telencephalic synaptoneurosomes with the bee venom peptide melittin, a potent activator of endogenous phospholipases, increased [3H]AMPA binding to the AMPA receptor. The action of melittin was concentration-dependent (EC50 value = 10 micrograms/ml) and did not require the presence of extracellular calcium. Saturation kinetic experiments revealed that the increase in [3H]AMPA binding produced by melittin was due to an enhancement in the affinity of the AMPA receptor, an effect markedly reduced by the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor bromophenacyl bromide (BPB). In contrast to BPB, inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism did not interfere with the melittin-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding. In neonatal synaptoneurosomes, the effect of melittin on [3H]AMPA binding was significantly reduced when compared to adult synaptoneurosomes, an effect which is consistent with the observation that LTP is not present in very young animals. The results indicate that activation of endogenous phospholipases may be an important mechanism in the regulation of AMPA receptor properties in LTP.

Effect of phosphatidylserine on the binding properties of glutamate receptors in brain sections from adult and neonatal rats.

The effects of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the binding properties of the AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazolepropionic acid) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) subtypes of glutamate receptors were analyzed by quantitative autoradiography of [3H]AMPA, [3H]6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) and [3H]glutamate binding on rat brain tissue sections. Preincubation of brain sections with PS produced an increase in [3H]AMPA binding without modifying the binding properties of [3H]CNQX, an antagonist of AMPA receptors. This effect of PS appeared to be specific for the AMPA subtype of glutamate receptors as the same treatment did not modify [3H]glutamate binding to the NMDA receptors. Furthermore, the PS-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding was different in various brain structures, being larger in the molecular layer of the cerebellum and almost absent in the striatum. Preincubation with calcium also augmented [3H]AMPA binding, and the lack of additivity of the effects of calcium and PS on [3H]AMPA binding strongly suggests that both treatments share a common mechanism(s) for producing increased agonist binding. Finally, the effect of PS on AMPA receptor properties was markedly reduced in rat brain sections prepared from neonatal rats at a developmental stage that is normally characterized by the absence of LTP expression in certain brain regions. The present data are consistent with the hypothesis that alteration in the lipid composition of synaptic membranes may be an important mechanism for regulating AMPA receptor properties, which could be involved in producing long-lasting changes in synaptic operation.

Kainic acid increases the expression of the prohormone convertases furin and PC1 in the mouse hippocampus.

Prohormone convertases (PCs) belong to the mammalian family of subtilisin/kexin-like enzymes which have been implicated in the posttranslational processing of precursor proteins. Several PCs are produced in the central and peripheral nervous system, and only a few specific precursor-substrates have been identified in vivo. In the nervous system, PCs may be involved in intracellular processing of precursors for neuropeptides, hormones and neurotrophic factors, including nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). To study the interrelationships between the convertases furin, PC1 and PC2, and the neurotrophins NGF, BDNF and NT-3, we compared their mRNA distribution in different tissues. We also examined their expression in the hippocampus of mice undergoing kainic acid-induced seizures. In this experiment, in situ hybridization (ISH) demonstrated that the levels of mRNA for furin, PC1 and BDNF increased maximally at 3 h after kainic acid administration, followed by a decline to normal levels by 96 h. NGF showed small changes, while NT-3 was downregulated with minimal expression levels between 3 to 12 h. Double ISH with radioactively-labeled riboprobes and digoxigenin-labeled riboprobes demonstrated colocalization of furin with NGF and BDNF in the mouse submaxillary gland, and of furin and PC1 with BDNF in the trigeminal ganglion. Based on colocalization studies and evidence of coordinate expression with NGF and BDNF, we suggest the involvement of furin in processing of proNGF, and of both furin and PC1 in processing of proBDNF.

Involvement of the 12-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism in homosynaptic long-term depression of the rat hippocampus.

Low-frequency stimulation is associated with long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic efficacy in various brain structures. Like long-term potentiation (LTP), homosynaptic LTD in area CA1 of the hippocampus appears to require NMDA receptor activation, changes in postsynaptic calcium concentration and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activation. Arachidonic acid (AA) is released after the activation of calcium-dependent phospholipases and free AA is rapidly metabolized to a family of bioactive products (the eicosanoids) which are thought to be both intracellular and extracellular messengers. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of AA metabolism in the formation of homosynaptic LTD in the rat hippocampus. Stimulation at 1 Hz for 15 min was used to produce homosynaptic depression in area CA1 of hippocampal slices. LTD induction was partially blocked by bromophenacyl bromide (50-100 microM), a selective PLA2 inhibitor, and by the a nonselective lipoxygenase inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA; 100 microM). In contrast, the specific cyclooxygenase blocker indomethacin (100 microM) did not significantly reduce hippocampal LTD. Since NDGA interferes with LTD formation, we examined whether specific inhibitors of 5- and 12-lipoxygenases were capable of blocking LTD expression. The 12-lipoxygenase inhibitor baicalein at a concentration of 50 microM reduced LTP formation when given in the bath, an effect that was less pronounced with the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor AA-861. These data suggest that the activation of endogenous PLA2 and the formation of 12-lipoxygenase metabolites of AA may be important factors controlling the expression of hippocampal LTD.

AMPA receptor properties in adult rat hippocampus following environmental enrichment.

In adult rats, environmental enrichment has been shown to selectively increase -AMPA binding in the hippocampus but the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. We used in situ hybridization with antisense oligonucleotides to determine possible changes in the hippocampal expression of messenger RNAs for different subunits of AMPA receptors in adult rats following exposure to an enriched environment. Quantitative analysis revealed that mRNA levels for three subtypes of AMPA glutamate receptors (GluR1-3; Flip and Flop variants) were not modified in any hippocampal region after environmental enrichment. In addition, no differences were detected in the levels of GluR1 and GluR2/3 proteins in Western blots of hippocampal membranes from enriched rats. Nevertheless, quantitative ligand binding autoradiography indicated that environmental enrichment evoked a significant and uniform decrease in the capacity of calcium or phosphatidylserine (PS) to up-regulate -AMPA binding in various hippocampal regions but not in the cerebral cortex. These findings support previous observations suggesting that post-translational changes in AMPA receptor properties, as a result of the activation of calcium-dependent processes, may represent an important mechanism underlying long-term modifications of synaptic efficacy in the rat hippocampus.

Opposite effects of phospholipase A2 on [3H]AMPA binding in adult and neonatal membranes.

In the present study, we compared the effect of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) treatment of synaptic membranes from adult and neonatal rats on the characteristics of [3H]AMPA binding sites. Whereas PLA2 treatment of membranes from adult rats produces an increased affinity for [3H]AMPA binding, the same treatment in neonatal rats results in a decrease in the maximal number of binding sites. Since activation of PLA2 has been proposed to play a critical role in the formation of long-term potentiation (LTP), possibly mediated through a modification of the AMPA receptors, the results strengthen the hypothesis that PLA2-induced modification of [3H]AMPA binding sites is an important component of synaptic plasticity.

Postnatal changes in AMPA receptor regulation by phospholipase A2 treatment of synaptic membranes: temporally differential effects on agonist and antagonist binding.

Previous results have indicated that phospholipase A2 (PLA2) treatment of telencephalic membranes produced opposite effects on [3H]amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) binding in neonatal and adult rats. In the present study, we compared the effects of PLA2 treatment of telencephalic membranes on the binding characteristics of agonists and antagonists of the AMPA receptors in the developing rat brain. Whereas PLA2 treatment of telencephalic membranes from postnatal day (PND) 5 and 10 animals produced an important decrease in [3H]AMPA binding, the same treatment performed on PND 20, 25 and adult membranes resulted in a marked increase in [3H]AMPA binding; the shift from decreased to increased [3H]AMPA binding occurred at about PND 15. In contrast to [3H]AMPA binding, [3H]6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) binding was substantially reduced following PLA2 treatment at PND 5, 10 and 20, and effect due to a decrease in the maximal number of [3H]CNQX binding sites. In adult membranes, the effect of PLA2 treatment on [3H]CNQX binding was markedly reduced when compared to neonatal membranes. Pretreatment of synaptic membranes with PCMBS (a sulfhydryl reagent) increased [3H]AMPA binding in both young (PND 10) and adult telencephalic membranes, without significantly changing [3H]CNQX binding. The various effects of PLA2 treatment on agonist and antagonist binding did not appear to be due to major differences in the pharmacological properties of the AMPA receptors at different ages. The present results indicate that the characteristics of the binding sites for agonists and antagonists of the AMPA receptors are differentially modulated by the lipid environment during the postnatal period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Developmental changes in depolarization-mediated AMPA receptor modifications and potassium-induced long-term potentiation.

In the present study, we examined the KCl-induced increase in [3H] amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate ([3H]AMPA) binding in telencephalic synaptoneurosomes and potentiation of synaptic transmission (KLTP) in hippocampal slices during development in rats. As previously reported, KCI-induced depolarization of telencephalic synaptoneurosomes resulted in a 40 +/- 5% increase in [3H]AMPA binding to membrane fractions in adult rats (3 months old). KCI-induced increase in [3H]AMPA binding was reduced to 24 +/- 5% and 15 +/- 5% at postnatal days (PND) 25-30 and PND 15-20 respectively, and was only 6 +/- 5% at PND 5-10. KLTP in area CA1 of hippocampus was most pronounced in adult slices (40 +/- 5%), and was reduced to 30 +/- 5% in slices prepared from PND 25-30 animals; KCI-induced LTP was absent in CA1 hippocampal slices prepared from PND 5-10 animals (3 +/- 5%). The decrease in KCI-induced changes in AMPA receptor binding in young animals was also associated with an altered capacity of the bee venom peptide, mellitin (a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activator), to increase [3H]AMPA binding in synaptoneurosomes. The smaller effect of mellitin on [3H]AMPA binding in young animals was not due to a decreased ability of this peptide to release [3H]arachidonate from synaptoneuro-somes. The parallel modifications in the extent of depolarization-induced change in AMPA receptor binding and excitatory synaptic transmission during development further support the hypothesis that alterations in AMPA receptor properties may play a critical role in synaptic plasticity.

Modulation of DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA)/quisqualate receptors by phospholipase A2 treatment.

The expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in area CA1 of hippocampus has been proposed to result from an increased sensitivity of the AMPA/quisqualate receptors. We have investigated the binding properties of excitatory amino acid receptors in phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-treated rat brain membranes. PLA2 from bee venom produced a significant increase in the binding of [3H]-AMPA ([3H]-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4- propionate), a ligand for the AMPA/quisqualate receptor. Analysis of the saturation kinetics revealed that PLA2 treatment increased the affinity of the AMPA/quisqualate receptor without changing the maximum number of sites. In contrast, PLA2 treatment did not detectably modify the binding of [3H]-kainate to the kainate receptor and of [3H]-glutamate and [3H]-glycine to the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor complex. These finding suggest that phospholipase A2 may regulate the AMPA/quisqualate receptor and could play an important role in the development of LTP.