JN Ad Instruments
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Neurophysiol (August 20, 2003). doi:10.1152/jn.00647.2003
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
90/6/3950    most recent
00647.2003v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (32)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Fu, Z.
Right arrow Articles by Vicini, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fu, Z.
Right arrow Articles by Vicini, S.
Submitted on July 7, 2003
Accepted on August 13, 2003

Functional Excitatory Synapses in HEK293 Cells Expressing Neuroligin and Glutamate Receptors

Zhanyan Fu1, Philip Washbourne2, Pavel I. Ortinski3, and Stefano Vicini4*

1 Physiology & Biophysics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
2 Center for Neuroscience, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
3 Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
4 Physiology & Biophysics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA; Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: svicin01{at}georgetown.edu.

The discovery that neuroligin is a key protein involved in synapse formation offers the unprecedented opportunity to induce functional synapses between neurons and heterologous cells. We took this opportunity recording for the first time synaptic currents in HEK293 cells transfected with neuroligin and the NMDA or AMPA receptor subunits in a co-culture with rat cerebellar granule cells. These currents were similar to synaptic currents recorded in neurons and their decay kinetics was determined by the postsynaptic subunit combination. While neuroligin expression was sufficient to detect functional synapses, cotransfection of HEK293 cells with PSD-95 significantly increased current frequency. Our results support the central role of neuroligin in the formation of CNS synapses, validate the proposal that PSD-95 allows synaptic maturation and provide a unique experimental model to study how molecular components determine functional properties of excitatory synapses.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
T. Kuroyanagi, M. Yokoyama, and T. Hirano
Postsynaptic glutamate receptor {delta} family contributes to presynaptic terminal differentiation and establishment of synaptic transmission
PNAS, March 24, 2009; 106(12): 4912 - 4916.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
M. Heine, O. Thoumine, M. Mondin, B. Tessier, G. Giannone, and D. Choquet
Activity-independent and subunit-specific recruitment of functional AMPA receptors at neurexin/neuroligin contacts
PNAS, December 30, 2008; 105(52): 20947 - 20952.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
Y. Kang, X. Zhang, F. Dobie, H. Wu, and A. M. Craig
Induction of GABAergic Postsynaptic Differentiation by {alpha}-Neurexins
J. Biol. Chem., January 25, 2008; 283(4): 2323 - 2334.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Sci SignalHome page
K. Gerrow and A. El-Husseini
Receptors Look Outward: Revealing Signals That Bring Excitation to Synapses
Sci. Signal., October 16, 2007; 2007(408): pe56 - pe56.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
A. A. Chubykin, X. Liu, D. Comoletti, I. Tsigelny, P. Taylor, and T. C. Sudhof
Dissection of Synapse Induction by Neuroligins: EFFECT OF A NEUROLIGIN MUTATION ASSOCIATED WITH AUTISM
J. Biol. Chem., June 10, 2005; 280(23): 22365 - 22374.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ScienceHome page
B. Chih, H. Engelman, and P. Scheiffele
Control of Excitatory and Inhibitory Synapse Formation by Neuroligins
Science, February 25, 2005; 307(5713): 1324 - 1328.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
Y. Sara, T. Biederer, D. Atasoy, A. Chubykin, M. G. Mozhayeva, T. C. Sudhof, and E. T. Kavalali
Selective Capability of SynCAM and Neuroligin for Functional Synapse Assembly
J. Neurosci., January 5, 2005; 25(1): 260 - 270.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
P. Washbourne, A. Dityatev, P. Scheiffele, T. Biederer, J. A. Weiner, K. S. Christopherson, and A. El-Husseini
Cell Adhesion Molecules in Synapse Formation
J. Neurosci., October 20, 2004; 24(42): 9244 - 9249.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
P. Washbourne, X.-B. Liu, E. G. Jones, and A. K. McAllister
Cycling of NMDA Receptors during Trafficking in Neurons before Synapse Formation
J. Neurosci., September 22, 2004; 24(38): 8253 - 8264.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
O. Prange, T. P. Wong, K. Gerrow, Y. T. Wang, and A. El-Husseini
A balance between excitatory and inhibitory synapses is controlled by PSD-95 and neuroligin
PNAS, September 21, 2004; 101(38): 13915 - 13920.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
D. Comoletti, A. De Jaco, L. L. Jennings, R. E. Flynn, G. Gaietta, I. Tsigelny, M. H. Ellisman, and P. Taylor
The Arg451Cys-Neuroligin-3 Mutation Associated with Autism Reveals a Defect in Protein Processing
J. Neurosci., May 19, 2004; 24(20): 4889 - 4893.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2003 by the The American Physiological Society.