Kainate receptors (KARs) are ionotropic glutamate receptors contributing to EPSCs with a slow-decaying component that is likely essential for synaptic integration. The slow kinetics of KAR-EPSCs markedly contrasts with the fast kinetics reported for recombinant KARs expressed in heterologous systems, for reasons that remain unexplained. Here we have studied the properties of recombinant heteromeric GluR6/KA2 receptors, which compose synaptic KARs. We report that, in response to brief glutamate applications, currents mediated by recombinant GluR6/KA2 receptors, but not GluR6 receptors, decay with a time course similar to KAR-EPSCs. Model simulations suggest that, after brief agonist exposures, GluR6/KA2 currents undergo slow deactivation caused by the stabilization of partially bound open states. We propose, therefore, that the GluR6/KA2 gating features could contribute to the slow KAR-EPSC decay kinetics. Copyright © 2008 Society for Neuroscience.
CITATION STYLE
Barberis, A., Sachidhanandam, S., & Mulle, C. (2008). GluR6/KA2 kainate receptors mediate slow-deactivating currents. Journal of Neuroscience, 28(25), 6402–6406. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1204-08.2008
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