Regulation of adenosine transporter and AMPA receptor subunit localization by protein kinase CK2 in rat hippocampus
Date
2011-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
The control of extracellular adenosine is crucial to the regulation of synaptic transmission and neuroprotection. Equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) are highly expressed in the hippocampus and widely accepted as critical regulators of adenosine tone. However, the mechanisms regulating the surface distribution and transport function of ENTs are largely unknown. Since ENT1 and ENT2 contain consensus sequences for phosphorylation by protein kinase CK2, and because this protein has been reported to regulate synaptic plasticity and ENT function in non-neuronal systems, the present thesis outlines the hypothesis that CK2-induced phosphorylation of ENTs is important for their cellular localization and thus the regulation of adenosine tone and synaptic transmission. Here, a functional interaction between adenosine CK2, ENTs and AMPA receptors in the hippocampus is reported. Western blot analysis shows that a variety of CK2 inhibitors (DMAT, TBB and DRB) significantly reduced the density of ENT1 and ENT2 proteins in hippocampal membrane fractions, suggesting that CK2-mediated phosphorylation of ENTs promotes their surface localization. In contrast, it was found that the ENT1 inhibitor NBTI significantly increased in the membrane localization of ENT1, relative to the control. Moreover, ENTs were found to immunoprecipitate with GluR1 and GluR2-containing AMPA receptors; and CK2 inhibitors caused a decrease in the membrane localization of GluR2 and GluR1 AMPA receptors. These results suggest a novel signaling complex linking CK2-regulated adenosine transport to AMPA receptor trafficking in the rat hippocampus. Although the physiological significance of these findings requires further investigation, this thesis provides insight into an adenosine regulation pathway that may be important for the regulation of synaptic transmission and neuroprotection in the rat hippocampus.
Description
Keywords
adenosine, protein kinase CK2, GluR1, equilibrative nucleoside transporter, hippocampus, GluR2
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Physiology
Program
Physiology