Alternative splicing of AMPA receptor subunits: regulation in clonal cell lines

Alternative splicing of AMPA receptors was investigated in rat PC12 and human SH-SY5Y cells. PC12 cells predominantly expressed GluR-B flip mRNA before and after differentiation. In SH-SY5Y cells, each AMPA-receptor subunit showed a distinct splice variant expression profile throughout differentiation. GluR-B mRNA was comparable in expression levels for flip and flop splice variants. In the other AMPA-receptor subunit transcripts the flip form was the more prominent splice variant. After three days post induction a transient elevation of GluR-B and -D flop mRNA expression could be observed.