Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2026

A High-content Assay for Monitoring AMPA Receptor Trafficking
Published on: January 28, 2019
Adenylyl cyclase I regulates AMPA receptor trafficking during mouse cortical 'barrel' map development
Hui-Chen Lu1, Wei-Chi She, Daniel T Plas
1Division of Neuroscience and Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza S-603, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. hlu@cns.tmc.edu
Abstract:
Cortical map formation requires the accurate targeting, synaptogenesis, elaboration and refinement of thalamocortical afferents. Here we demonstrate the role of Ca2+/calmodulin-activated type-I adenylyl cyclase (AC1) in regulating the strength of thalamocortical synapses through modulation of AMPA receptor (AMPAR) trafficking using barrelless mice, a mutant without AC1 activity or cortical 'barrel' maps. Barrelless synapses are stuck in an immature state that contains few functional AMPARs that are rarely silent (NMDAR-only). Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) at thalamocortical synapses require postsynaptic protein kinase A (PKA) activity and are difficult to induce in barrelless mice, probably due to an inability to properly regulate synaptic AMPAR trafficking. Consistent with this, both the extent of PKA phosphorylation on AMPAR subunit GluR1 and the expression of surface GluR1 are reduced in barrelless neurons. These results suggest that activity-dependent mechanisms operate through an AC1/PKA signaling pathway to target some synapses for consolidation and others for elimination during barrel map formation.
More Related Videos
06:18In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution
Published on: November 21, 2023
10:41Visualizing Protein Kinase A Activity In Head-fixed Behaving Mice Using In Vivo Two-photon Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
Published on: June 7, 2019
Related Concept Videos
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity
Two...
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory organs,...
Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers