 |
The Journal of Neuroscience, January 7, 2004, 24(1):207-217; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1661-03.2004
Previous Article | Next Article 
Cellular/Molecular
Gephyrin Is Critical for Glycine Receptor Clustering But Not for the Formation of Functional GABAergic Synapses in Hippocampal Neurons
Sabine Lévi, *
Stephen M. Logan, *
Kenneth R. Tovar, and
Ann Marie Craig
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
The role of the scaffolding protein gephyrin at hippocampal inhibitory synapses is not well understood. A previous study (Kneussel et al., 1999) reported a complete loss of synaptic clusters of the major GABAAR subunits 2 and 2 in hippocampal neurons lacking gephyrin. In contrast, we show here that GABAAR 2 and 2 subunits do cluster at pyramidal synapses in hippocampal cultures from gephyrin-/- mice, albeit at reduced levels compared with control neurons. Synaptic aggregation of GABAAR 1 on interneurons was identical between the culture types. Furthermore, we recorded miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) from gephyrin-/- neurons. Although the mean mIPSC amplitude was reduced (by 23%) compared with control, the frequency of these events was unchanged. Cell surface labeling experiments indicated that gephyrin contributes, in part, to aggregation but not to insertion or stabilization of GABAAR 2 and 2 in the plasma membrane. Thus, a major gephyrin-independent component of hippocampal inhibitory synapse development must exist. We also report that glycine receptors cluster at GABAergic synapses in a subset of hippocampal interneurons and pyramidal neurons. Unlike GABAARs, synaptic clustering of glycine receptors was completely abolished in gephyrin-/- neurons. Finally, artificial extrasynaptic aggregation of GABAAR was able to redistribute and cocluster gephyrin by a mechanism requiring a neuron-specific modification or intermediary protein. We propose a model of hippocampal inhibitory synapse development in which some GABAARs cluster at synapses by a gephyrin-independent mechanism and recruit gephyrin. This clustered gephyrin may then recruit glycine receptors, additional GABAARs, and other signal-transducing components.
Key words: gephyrin; GABA receptor; synaptogenesis; glycine receptor; mIPSC; hippocampal culture
Received Aug 22, 2003;
revised October 24, 2003;
accepted November 4, 2003.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Calamai, C. G. Specht, J. Heller, D. Alcor, P. Machado, C. Vannier, and A. Triller
Gephyrin Oligomerization Controls GlyR Mobility and Synaptic Clustering
J. Neurosci.,
June 17, 2009;
29(24):
7639 - 7648.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. G. Bruneau, J. A. Esteban, and M. Akaaboune
Receptor-associated proteins and synaptic plasticity
FASEB J,
March 1, 2009;
23(3):
679 - 688.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
V. Tretter, T. C. Jacob, J. Mukherjee, J.-M. Fritschy, M. N. Pangalos, and S. J. Moss
The Clustering of GABAA Receptor Subtypes at Inhibitory Synapses is Facilitated via the Direct Binding of Receptor {alpha}2 Subunits to Gephyrin
J. Neurosci.,
February 6, 2008;
28(6):
1356 - 1365.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Lardi-Studler and J.-M. Fritschy
Matching of Pre- and Postsynaptic Specializations during Synaptogenesis
Neuroscientist,
April 1, 2007;
13(2):
115 - 126.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Charrier, M.-V. Ehrensperger, M. Dahan, S. Levi, and A. Triller
Cytoskeleton Regulation of Glycine Receptor Number at Synapses and Diffusion in the Plasma Membrane.
J. Neurosci.,
August 15, 2006;
26(33):
8502 - 8511.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. S. Das and G. A. Banker
The Role of Protein Interaction Motifs in Regulating the Polarity and Clustering of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor mGluR1a
J. Neurosci.,
August 2, 2006;
26(31):
8115 - 8125.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
W. Song, S. C. Chattipakorn, and L. L. McMahon
Glycine-Gated Chloride Channels Depress Synaptic Transmission in Rat Hippocampus
J Neurophysiol,
April 1, 2006;
95(4):
2366 - 2379.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. C. Jacob, Y. D. Bogdanov, C. Magnus, R. S. Saliba, J. T. Kittler, P. G. Haydon, and S. J. Moss
Gephyrin Regulates the Cell Surface Dynamics of Synaptic GABAA Receptors
J. Neurosci.,
November 9, 2005;
25(45):
10469 - 10478.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Cheng, N. A. McDonald, and C. N. Connolly
Cell Surface Expression of 5-Hydroxytryptamine Type 3 Receptors Is Promoted by RIC-3
J. Biol. Chem.,
June 10, 2005;
280(23):
22502 - 22507.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. N. Levinson, N. Chery, K. Huang, T. P. Wong, K. Gerrow, R. Kang, O. Prange, Y. T. Wang, and A. El-Husseini
Neuroligins Mediate Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapse Formation: INVOLVEMENT OF PSD-95 AND NEUREXIN-1{beta} IN NEUROLIGIN-INDUCED SYNAPTIC SPECIFICITY
J. Biol. Chem.,
April 29, 2005;
280(17):
17312 - 17319.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. Gonzalez-Forero and F. J. Alvarez
Differential Postnatal Maturation of GABAA, Glycine Receptor, and Mixed Synaptic Currents in Renshaw Cells and Ventral Spinal Interneurons
J. Neurosci.,
February 23, 2005;
25(8):
2010 - 2023.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. B. Banks, R. Kanjhan, S. Wiese, M. Kneussel, L. M. Wong, G. O'Sullivan, M. Sendtner, M. C. Bellingham, H. Betz, and P. G. Noakes
Glycinergic and GABAergic Synaptic Activity Differentially Regulate Motoneuron Survival and Skeletal Muscle Innervation
J. Neurosci.,
February 2, 2005;
25(5):
1249 - 1259.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. J. Alldred, J. Mulder-Rosi, S. E. Lingenfelter, G. Chen, and B. Luscher
Distinct {gamma}2 Subunit Domains Mediate Clustering and Synaptic Function of Postsynaptic GABAA Receptors and Gephyrin
J. Neurosci.,
January 19, 2005;
25(3):
594 - 603.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. Gonzalez-Forero, A. M. Pastor, E. J. Geiman, B. Benitez-Temino, and F. J. Alvarez
Regulation of Gephyrin Cluster Size and Inhibitory Synaptic Currents on Renshaw Cells by Motor Axon Excitatory Inputs
J. Neurosci.,
January 12, 2005;
25(2):
417 - 429.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. L. Schlief, A. M. Craig, and J. D. Gitlin
NMDA Receptor Activation Mediates Copper Homeostasis in Hippocampal Neurons
J. Neurosci.,
January 5, 2005;
25(1):
239 - 246.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
P. I. Ortinski, C. Lu, K. Takagaki, Z. Fu, and S. Vicini
Expression of Distinct {alpha} Subunits of GABAA Receptor Regulates Inhibitory Synaptic Strength
J Neurophysiol,
September 1, 2004;
92(3):
1718 - 1727.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. Harvey, I. C. Duguid, M. J. Alldred, S. E. Beatty, H. Ward, N. H. Keep, S. E. Lingenfelter, B. R. Pearce, J. Lundgren, M. J. Owen, et al.
The GDP-GTP Exchange Factor Collybistin: An Essential Determinant of Neuronal Gephyrin Clustering
J. Neurosci.,
June 23, 2004;
24(25):
5816 - 5826.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|

|