FUNCTION AND LOCALIZATION OF SYNAPTIC GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR

谷氨酸能突触是脑内最常见的兴奋性突触， 中枢神经系统除了他们在某些形式的 癫痫和兴奋性毒性，谷氨酸受体已牵连在 活动依赖性发育过程和突触可塑性。 然而，人们对NMDA的生理行为知之甚少， 或AMPA亚型谷氨酸受体在新形成的突触或约 这些突触的生理行为是 发展本提案中概述的问题涉及基本的 为了更好地了解需要审查的问题 谷氨酸受体、新形成的突触和突触发生过程。 这些实验将检查功能性谷氨酸受体， 培养的大鼠海马神经元的突触传递。 具体目标是：1）确定 突触和突触外受体的群体; 2）确定 谷氨酸受体聚集的内在要求， 形成突触; 3）确定新形成的突触的行为 谷氨酸受体的补体和释放概率。 第一个目标的结果将使我们能够监测 簇并确定谷氨酸受体是否显示突触表型 对实验操作的反应。第二个目标确定了 活动依赖性突触形成中的诱发剂。结果 终极目标本质上是有趣的，但它们也让我们问， 培养海马细胞中突触形成是随机的， 决定性的

Glutamatergic synapses are the most prevelent excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. In addition to their roles in some forms of epilepsy and excitotoxicity, glutamate receptors have been implicated in activity-dependent developmental processes and synaptic plasticity. Little is known, however, about the physiological behavior of the NMDA- or AMPA-subtype glutamate receptors at newly-forming synapses or about the physiological behavior of these synapses as a function of development. The questions outlined in this proposal address fundamental issues that need to be examined in order for a better understanding of glutamate receptors, newly-formed synapses and synaptogenetic processes. The experiments will examine functioning glutamate receptors and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The specific aims are: 1) determining physiological differences between populations of synaptic and extrasynaptic receptors; 2) determining the intrinsic requirements for clustering of glutamate receptors at newly- forming synapses; 3) determining the behavior of newly-forming synapses with respect to glutamate receptor complement and release probability. Results from the first aim will allow us to monitor the formation of clusters and determine if glutamate receptors show a synaptic phenotype in response to experimental manipulation. The second aim identifies the causitive agent in activity-dependent synapse formation. Results from the final aim are intrinsically interesting but they also allow us to ask if synapse formation in hippocampal cells in culture is stochastic or determinative.