Nakagawa Lab

AMPA receptor structure and auxiliary subunits

AUTHORS

ABSTRACT

Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain is largely mediated by AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptors (AMPARs), which are activated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. In synapses, AMPAR function is tuned by their auxiliary subunits, a diverse set of membrane proteins associated with the core pore forming subunits of AMPARs. Each auxiliary subunit provides distinct functional modulation of AMPARs, ranging from trafficking regulation to shaping ion channel gating kinetics. Understanding the molecular mechanism for the function of these complexes is key to decoding synaptic modulation and their global roles in cognitive activities, such as learning and memory. Here we review the structural and molecular complexity of AMPAR-auxiliary subunit complexes, as well as their functional diversity in different brain regions. We suggest that the recent structural information provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic functions of AMPAR-auxiliary subunit complexes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.