Expression of a foreign G-protein coupled receptor modulates the excitability of the peptidergic bag cell neurons of Aplysia

[摘要] Brief afferent stimulation of the bag cell neurons can trigger a sustained period of spontaneous firing (the 'afterdischarge'). Pharmacological activation of a number of second messenger pathways has previously been shown to partially replicate this behavior. One strategy to identify additional pathways may be to heterologously express a variety of G-protein coupled receptors in bag cell neurons, then test whether receptor activation can induce an afterdischarge. We find that expression of the 1 alpha metabotropic glutamate receptor in single bag cell neurons mimics some features of the afterdischarge. This approach is thus feasible and may allow the reconstruction of different components of afterdischarge in the absence of the afferent input. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[发布日期] 1998-12-24

[关键词] metabotropic glutamate receptor;expression vector;bag cell neuron;depolarizing afterpotential;afterhyperpolarization;heterologous expression;Aplysia