Abstract
The interaction of neurotransmitter receptors with the cytoskeleton is an important mechanism for the targeting of receptors to the postsynaptic membrane. Using cytoskeleton-perturbing agents, it was demonstrated that delta glutamate receptors, predominantly expressed on the dendritic spines of cerebellar Purkinje cells, are anchored to the actin cytoskeleton. The number of delta glutamate receptor-immunoreactive clusters was dramatically decreased following treatment of the Purkinje cells with the actin-disrupting agents, cytochalasin D or latrunculin A, without any significant effect on the number of presynaptic contacts of the granule cell axons. The clusters disrupted by latrunculin A were re-established 24 h after removal of the drug. These results suggest that morphological changes in the actin cytoskeleton regulate the delta glutamate receptor clustering on the dendritic spines, and may affect synaptic efficacy and plasticity.
MeSH terms
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Actin Cytoskeleton / drug effects
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Actin Cytoskeleton / physiology
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Actins / physiology*
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Animals
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Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / pharmacology
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Cells, Cultured
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Cytochalasin D / pharmacology
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Cytoskeleton / drug effects
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Cytoskeleton / physiology*
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Dendrites / drug effects
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Dendrites / physiology*
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Dendrites / ultrastructure
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Dimethyl Sulfoxide / pharmacology
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Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
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Microscopy, Confocal
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Microscopy, Fluorescence
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology*
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Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
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Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
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Nocodazole / pharmacology
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Presynaptic Terminals / drug effects
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Presynaptic Terminals / physiology
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Purkinje Cells / drug effects
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Purkinje Cells / physiology*
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Purkinje Cells / ultrastructure
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Rats
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Rats, Wistar
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Receptor Aggregation / drug effects
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Receptor Aggregation / physiology*
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Receptors, Glutamate / physiology*
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Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
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Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
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Thiazoles / pharmacology
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Thiazolidines
Substances
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Actins
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Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Receptors, Glutamate
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Thiazoles
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Thiazolidines
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glutamate receptor delta 1
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glutamate receptor delta 2
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Cytochalasin D
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Nocodazole
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latrunculin A
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Dimethyl Sulfoxide