A new role of kainate receptors as synaptic organizers for climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synapses in the cerebellum
Ana V. Paternain, Wataru Kagawa, M. Isabel Aller, Michisuke Yuzaki, Juan Lerma · FENS Forum 2024
Purkinje cells (PCs) are known to express both GluK1 and GluK4 kainate receptor (KAR) subunits, but the exact role of KARs in synaptic information transfer to PCs is unknown. In this study, we discovered that climbing fiber (CF) to PC synapses contain heteromeric GluK1/GluK4 synaptic KARs. Genetic deletion of Grik4, which encodes for GluK4 subunits, resulted in the lack of synaptic but not extrasynaptic KARs, while deletion of Grik1 (GluK1 subunits) eliminated both synaptic and extrasynaptic KARs. Surprisingly, the absence of synaptic KARs led to a significant reduction in the EPSC component m
ePoster · Neuroscience