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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Single Synapse Indicators of Glutamate Release and Uptake in Acute Brain Slices from Normal and Huntington Mice
Published on: March 11, 2020
O-GlcNAc transferase regulates excitatory synapse maturity.
Olof Lagerlöf1,2, Gerald W Hart2, Richard L Huganir3
1Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.
O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) regulates synapse maturity. Postsynaptic OGT knockout reduces AMPA receptor subunits and dendritic spine development, impacting neuronal circuits and adaptive behavior.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Synaptic plasticity underlies adaptive behavior by modifying neuronal circuits.
- O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) regulates food intake via hypothalamic excitatory synaptic function.
- The precise role of OGT in excitatory synapse regulation remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which OGT regulates excitatory synapse function.
- To investigate the role of OGT in postsynaptic density and synaptic plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of OGT localization in excitatory synapses.
- Assessment of O-GlcNAcylation levels upon neuronal stimulation.
- Genetic manipulation (OGT knockout) to study synaptic protein expression and neuronal morphology.
Main Results:
- OGT is localized in the postsynaptic density, where O-GlcNAcylation increases with stimulation.
- Postsynaptic OGT knockout reduces AMPA receptor subunits (GluA2, GluA3) and presynaptic terminal numbers.
- OGT deficiency leads to fewer and less mature dendritic spines.
Conclusions:
- OGT is a key molecular regulator of excitatory synapse maturity.
- OGT influences synaptic structure and function, potentially impacting adaptive behaviors like feeding.
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