Excitatory amino acid receptors in glial progenitor cells: Molecular and functional properties

✍ Scribed by Vittorio Gallo; Doris K. Patneau; Mark L. Mayer; Flora M. Vaccarino

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 913 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-1491
• DOI: 10.1002/glia.440110204

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We have analyzed the molecular and biophysical properties of glutamate‐gated channels in cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage, using both the CG‐4 primary cell line (Louis et al: J. Neurosci. Res. 31:193‐204, 1992a) and oligodendrocyte progenitors purified from the rat cerebral cortex. CG‐4 progenitor cells, as well as primary progenitors, were stained with a specific anti‐GABA antibody. In whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings, rapid perfusion of the agonists L‐glutamate, kainate, and AMPA produced rapidly desensitizing currents in CG‐4 cells. NMDA was ineffective. Both rapidly desensitizing and steady‐state components of responses to kainate were inhibited by the kainate/AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX. Northern blot analysis of total mRNA isolated from CG‐4 cells revealed co‐expression of both AMPA‐ and kainate‐preferring glutamate receptor subunits. The activation of glutamate receptors in CG‐4 cells caused a rapid and transient elevation of mRNAs for the immediate early gene NGFI‐A. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.