Kutsuwada T, Sakimura K, Manabe T, Takayama C, Katakura N, Kushiya E, Natsume R, Watanabe M, Inoue Y, Yagi T, Aizawa S, Arakawa M, Takahashi T, Nakamura Y, Mori H, Mishina M
Department of Neuropharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University, Japan.
Neuron. 1996 Feb;16(2):333-44. doi: 10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80051-3.
Multiple epsilon subunits are major determinants of the NMDA receptor channel diversity. Based on their functional properties in vitro and distributions, we have proposed that the epsilon 1 and epsilon 2 subunits play a role in synaptic plasticity. To investigate the physiological significance of the NMDA receptor channel diversity, we generated mutant mice defective in the epsilon 2 subunit. These mice showed no suckling response and died shortly after birth but could survive by hand feeding. The mutation hindered the formation of the whisker-related neuronal barrelette structure and the clustering of primary sensory afferent terminals in the brainstem trigeminal nucleus. In the hippocampus of the mutant mice, synaptic NMDA responses and longterm depression were abolished. These results suggest that the epsilon 2 subunit plays an essential role in both neuronal pattern formation and synaptic plasticity.
多个ε亚基是NMDA受体通道多样性的主要决定因素。基于它们在体外的功能特性和分布情况，我们提出ε1和ε2亚基在突触可塑性中发挥作用。为了研究NMDA受体通道多样性的生理意义，我们培育了ε2亚基缺陷的突变小鼠。这些小鼠没有吸吮反应，出生后不久就死亡，但通过人工喂养可以存活。该突变阻碍了与胡须相关的神经元小体结构的形成以及脑干三叉神经核中初级感觉传入终末的聚集。在突变小鼠的海马体中，突触NMDA反应和长期抑制被消除。这些结果表明，ε2亚基在神经元模式形成和突触可塑性中都起着至关重要的作用。
