Divalent ion permeability of AMPA receptor channels is dominated by the edited form of a single subunit

Functionally diverse GluR channels of the AMPA subtype are generated by the assembly of GluR-A, -B, -C, and -D subunits into homo- and heteromeric channels. The GluR-B subunit is dominant in determining functional properties of heteromeric AMPA receptors. This subunit exists in developmentally distinct edited and unedited forms, GluR-B(R) and GluR-B(Q), which differ in a single amino acid in transmembrane segment TM2 (Q/R site). Homomeric GluR-B(R) channels expressed in 293 cells display a low divalent permeability, whereas homomeric GluR-B(Q) and GluR-D channels exhibit a high divalent permeability. Mutational analysis revealed that both the positive charge and the size of the amino acid side chain located at the Q/R site control the divalent permeability of homomeric channels. Coexpression of Q/R site arginine- and glutamine-containing subunits generates cells with varying divalent permeabilities depending on the amounts of expression vectors used for cell transfection. Intermediate divalent permeabilities were traced to the presence of both divalent permeant homomeric and impermeant heteromeric channels. It is suggested that the positive charge contributed by the arginine of the edited GluR-B(R) subunit determines low divalent permeability in heteromeric GluR channels and that changes in GluR-B(R) expression regulate the AMPA receptor-dependent divalent permeability of a cell.