TY - JOUR T1 - Role of GluR1 in Activity-Dependent Motor System Development JF - The Journal of Neuroscience JO - J. Neurosci. SP - 9953 LP - 9968 DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0880-08.2008 VL - 28 IS - 40 AU - Lei Zhang AU - Joachim Schessl AU - Markus Werner AU - Carsten Bonnemann AU - Guoxiang Xiong AU - Jelena Mojsilovic-Petrovic AU - Weiguo Zhou AU - Akiva Cohen AU - Peter Seeburg AU - Hidemi Misawa AU - Aditi Jayaram AU - Kirkwood Personius AU - Michael Hollmann AU - Rolf Sprengel AU - Robert Kalb Y1 - 2008/10/01 UR - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/40/9953.abstract N2 - Activity-dependent specification of neuronal architecture during early postnatal life is essential for refining the precision of communication between neurons. In the spinal cord under normal circumstances, the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 is expressed at high levels by motor neurons and surrounding interneurons during this critical developmental period, although the role it plays in circuit formation and locomotor behavior is unknown. Here, we show that GluR1 promotes dendrite growth in a non-cell-autonomous manner in vitro and in vivo. The mal-development of motor neuron dendrites is associated with changes in the pattern of interneuronal connectivity within the segmental spinal cord and defects in strength and endurance. Transgenic expression of GluR1 in adult motor neurons leads to dendrite remodeling and supernormal locomotor function. GluR1 expression by neurons within the segmental spinal cord plays an essential role in formation of the neural network that underlies normal motor behavior. ER -