Gephyrin regulates GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in hippocampal cell cultures

J Biol Chem. 2011 Jun 10;286(23):20942-51. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.234641. Epub 2011 Apr 20.

Abstract

Gephyrin is a scaffold protein essential for stabilizing glycine and GABA(A) receptors at inhibitory synapses. Here, recombinant intrabodies against gephyrin (scFv-gephyrin) were used to assess whether this protein exerts a transynaptic action on GABA and glutamate release. Pair recordings from interconnected hippocampal cells in culture revealed a reduced probability of GABA release in scFv-gephyrin-transfected neurons compared with controls. This effect was associated with a significant decrease in VGAT, the vesicular GABA transporter, and in neuroligin 2 (NLG2), a protein that, interacting with neurexins, ensures the cross-talk between the post- and presynaptic sites. Interestingly, hampering gephyrin function also produced a significant reduction in VGLUT, the vesicular glutamate transporter, an effect accompanied by a significant decrease in frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. Overexpressing NLG2 in gephyrin-deprived neurons rescued GABAergic but not glutamatergic innervation, suggesting that the observed changes in the latter were not due to a homeostatic compensatory mechanism. Pulldown experiments demonstrated that gephyrin interacts not only with NLG2 but also with NLG1, the isoform enriched at excitatory synapses. These results suggest a key role of gephyrin in regulating transynaptic signaling at both inhibitory and excitatory synapses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Presynaptic Terminals / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, GABA-A / genetics
  • Receptors, GABA-A / metabolism
  • Receptors, Glycine / genetics
  • Receptors, Glycine / metabolism
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
  • Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / genetics
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Receptors, GABA-A
  • Receptors, Glycine
  • Slc32a1 protein, rat
  • Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transport Proteins
  • gephyrin
  • neuroligin 1
  • neuroligin 2
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid