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Activation of class I metabotropic glutamate receptors limits dendritic growth of Purkinje cells in organotypic slice cultures

Sirzen-Zelenskaya, Alexandra and Zeyse, Judith and Kapfhammer, Josef P.. (2006) Activation of class I metabotropic glutamate receptors limits dendritic growth of Purkinje cells in organotypic slice cultures. The European journal of neuroscience, Vol. 24, H. 11. pp. 2978-2986.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A5262188

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Abstract

The development of the dendritic tree of a neuron is a complex process which is thought to be regulated strongly by signals from afferent fibers. We showed previously that the blockade of glutamatergic excitatory neurotransmission has little effect on Purkinje cell dendritic development. We have now studied the effects of glutamate receptor agonists on the development of Purkinje cell dendrites in mouse organotypic slice cultures. The activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors had no major effect on Purkinje cell dendrites and the activation of (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole proprionic acid receptors was strongly excitotoxic so that no analysis of its effects on dendritic development was possible. The activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors led to a very strong inhibition of dendritic growth, resulting in Purkinje cells with very small stubby dendrites. This effect was specific for the activation of class I metabotropic glutamate receptors and could not be reduced by blocking synaptic transmission in the cultures, indicating that it was mediated by receptors present on Purkinje cells. Pharmacological experiments suggest that the signaling pathway involved does not require activation of phospholipase C or protein kinase C. The inhibition of dendritic growth by activation of class I metabotropic glutamate receptor could be a useful negative feedback mechanism for limiting the size of the dendritic tree of Purkinje cells after the establishment of a sufficient number of parallel fiber contacts. This developmental mechanism could protect Purkinje cells from excitotoxic death through excessive release of glutamate from an overload of parallel fiber contacts.
Faculties and Departments:03 Faculty of Medicine > Departement Biomedizin > Division of Anatomy > Developmental Neurobiology and Regeneration (Kapfhammer)
UniBasel Contributors:Kapfhammer, Josef
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Blackwell
ISSN:0953-816X
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:22 Mar 2012 14:23
Deposited On:22 Mar 2012 13:36

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