Subcellular localization and trafficking of kainate receptors

Glutamate receptors of the kainate type have been identified recently as key players in the modulation of neuronal-network activity. The role of kainate receptors depends on their precise subcellular localization in presynaptic, postsynaptic and extrasynaptic domains. Subcellular localization of kainate receptors has been inferred mainly from electrophysiological studies with the help of selective pharmacological tools and kainate receptor mutant mice. These studies, combined with recent ultrastructural data, highlight the diversity of subcellular localizations of kainate receptors. It is important to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the polarized trafficking of kainate receptors in distinct neuronal domains. In this article, we review recent data that shed light on the trafficking and membrane delivery of kainate receptor isoforms, and on the identification of proteins that interact with kainate receptors and might regulate this trafficking.