THE ROLE OF GROUP II AND III METABOTROPIC GLUTAMATE RECEPTORS IN MODULATION OF MINIATURE SYNAPTIC ACTIVITY
IN FROG SPINAL CORD MOTONEURONS
O. A. Karamian, V. M. Kozhanov , I. S. Masalov, N. M. Chmykhova,1 N. P. Vesselkin
I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, St. Petersburg;
1 e-mail: nchmykhova@mail.ru
The results of present work demonstrate significant modulating effects mediated by group II and III mGluRs on miniature postsynaptic potentials (mPSP)
of the frog spinal motoneurons. The mode of group II and III mGluRs ligands influences, i. e. the changes in the mPSPs average frequency without significant
changes in their average amplitude, suggests the presynaptic mechanism of modulation by the change in transmitter release. Selective antagonists of group II
and III mGluRs (EGLU and MAP4) increased the average frequency of mPSPs by 52.8 ± 30.2 % (in 4 of 6 motoneurons) and by 54.7 ± 23.7 % (in all 7 motoneurons),
respectively. Application of the group III mGluRs aganist LAP4 decreased the mPSPs frequency by 21.8 ± 5.2 % in 3 of 5 motoneurons. The efficiency of the
antagonist usage and comparative low efficiency of the agonist suggest that presynaptic mGluRs at motoneuronal synapses under normal condition possess some
level of tonic activity. The lack of group II mGluR antagonist effect on some motoneurons appears to be explained by specific localization of the group II mGluRs in
preterminal area which is distant from the transmitter release site. The hetero-receptor modulation of pharmacologically isolated inhibitory miniature activity and its
glycine- and GABAergic fractions by group III mGluRs was investigated. MAP4 application has been shown to increase the glycine-mediated mlPSPs frequency
more than GABA-mediated mlPSPs frequency: in average by 97.6 ± 20.7 % (n = 7) and 54.6 ± 20.8 % (n = 5), respectively. This difference may be
due to the segregation of the postsynaptic glycine- and GABA-receptors. The preliminary examination of the convergence of the presynaptic mGluRs and
metabotropic GABAB receptors influences on GABA-mediated IPSPs was undertaken. It has been shown that presynaptic GABAB receptors are tonically active
under normal condition. Under condition of GABAB receptor blockage by phaclofen, the application of group III mGluR agonist L-AP4 elicited typical effect which
was completely taken off by subsequent application of the group III mGluRs antagonist MAP4. This result is in accordance with the assumption that the effects
mediated by GABAB receptors and mGluRs are independent.
Key words: neuromodulation, frog, spinal motoneurons, miniature postsynaptic potentials, metabotropic glutamate receptors
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