Selective expression of the glutamate receptor channel delta 2 subunit in cerebellar Purkinje cells

The primary structure of a putative subunit of the mouse glutamate receptor channel, designated as the delta 2 subunit, has been deduced by cloning and sequencing the cDNA. The delta 2 subunit has four putative transmembrane segments characteristic for neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, and shares 56% amino acid sequence identity with the delta 1 subunit of the mouse glutamate receptor channel and 14-24% identity with the subunits of the AMPA-, kainate- or NMDA-selective glutamate receptor channel. RNA blot and in situ hybridization analyses show that the delta 2 subunit mRNA is localized in cerebellar Purkinje cells. Furthermore, immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses suggest that the delta 2 subunit protein is actually expressed in vivo in Purkinje neurons. The selective localization of the delta 2 subunit in Purkinje cells may imply a role of the delta 2 subunit in Purkinje cell-specific function such as the cerebellar LTD.