Stoichiometries of AMPA receptor subunit mRNAs in rat brain fall into discrete categories.

In situ hybridization was used to estimate the relative concentrations of mRNAs encoding different subunits (GluR1-4) of alpha-amino 3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors in rat brain and to test the hypothesis that within-region expression profiles reflect a limited number of recurring patterns. Fractional subunit mRNA concentrations were calculated for 33 brain regions, and cluster analysis methods were applied to test for statistically meaningful groupings in the data. Four relatively homogeneous classes were identified and designated as AMPA receptor (AR) categories, numbered according to dominant subunit mRNAs. The AR-1 class (47% GluR1 mRNA) was expressed by structures near the mesodiencephalic border, including basal ganglia-related areas. The AR-2 class (57% GluR2 mRNA) was expressed in cortex and tectum. The AR-1,2 class (31% GluR1, 45% GluR2) was found in the largest number of regions, including such dissimilar cell fields as hippocampus and substantia nigra pars compacta. The AR-2,3 grouping (33% GluR2, 31% GluR3) was associated with the sensory relay and reticular thalamic nuclei. It is suggested that AR-1,2 and AR-2, the most closely related categories in clustering space, are largely telencephalic receptors with the former predominant in the subcortex and the latter in the cortex. The AR-2,3 class is associated with ascending sensory stations, whereas AR-1 appears to include several smaller categories expressed by specialized systems. If the balance of subunit mRNAs is reflected at the protein level, then the present data suggest that forebrain AMPA-type glutamate receptors can be classified into a limited number of recurring types.