Stargazin differentially controls the trafficking of alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate and kainate receptors.

Synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses in the brain is largely achieved by rapid changes in the number of synaptic alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) receptors. Stargazin, a membrane protein that interacts with AMPA receptors, is believed to play a pivotal role in trafficking AMPA receptors to the plasma membrane and targeting them to the synapse. However, it is unclear whether the trafficking of kainate receptors, which are structurally very similar to AMPA receptors, is also dependent on stargazin. Here we show that in both cerebellar granule cells and in Xenopus laevis oocytes expression system, surface delivery of kainate receptor is independent of stargazin. These results suggest that stargazin action is highly selective for AMPA receptors.