| 1 | PLoS ONE 2012 -1 7: e32969 |
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| PMID | 22412961 |
| Title | Deletion of glutamate delta-1 receptor in mouse leads to aberrant emotional and social behaviors. |
| Abstract | The delta family of ionotropic glutamate receptors consists of glutamate ?1 (GLUD1) and glutamate ?2 (GluD2) receptors. While the role of GluD2 in the regulation of cerebellar physiology is well understood, the function of GLUD1 in the central nervous system remains elusive. We demonstrate for the first time that deletion of GLUD1 leads to abnormal emotional and social behaviors. We found that GLUD1 knockout mice (GLUD1 KO) were hyperactive, manifested lower anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior in a forced swim test and robust aggression in the resident-intruder test. Chronic lithium rescued the depression-like behavior in GLUD1 KO. GLUD1 KO mice also manifested deficits in social interaction. In the sociability test, GLUD1 KO mice spent more time interacting with an inanimate object compared to a conspecific mouse. D-Cycloserine (DCS) administration was able to rescue social interaction deficits observed in GLUD1 KO mice. At a molecular level synaptoneurosome preparations revealed lower GluA1 and GluA2 subunit expression in the prefrontal cortex and higher GluA1, GluK2 and PSD95 expression in the amygdala of GLUD1 KO. Moreover, DCS normalized the lower GluA1 expression in prefrontal cortex of GLUD1 KO. We propose that deletion of GLUD1 leads to aberrant circuitry in prefrontal cortex and amygdala owing to its potential role in presynaptic differentiation and synapse formation. Furthermore, these findings are in agreement with the human genetic studies suggesting a strong association of GRID1 gene with several neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders and major depressive disorder. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia |
| 2 | Brain Struct Funct 2015 Sep 220: 2797-815 |
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| PMID | 25001082 |
| Title | Glutamate receptors of the delta family are widely expressed in the adult brain. |
| Abstract | Recent reports point to critical roles of glutamate receptor subunit delta2 (GluD2) at excitatory synapses and link GLUD1 gene alteration to schizophrenia but the expression patterns of these subunits in the brain remain almost uncharacterized. We examined the distribution of GLUD1-2 mRNAs and proteins in the adult rodent brain, focusing mainly on GLUD1. In situ hybridization revealed widespread neuronal expression of the GLUD1 mRNA, with higher levels occurring in several forebrain regions and lower levels in cerebellum. Quantitative RT-PCR assessed differential GLUD1 expression in cortex and cerebellum, and revealed GluD2 expression in cortex, albeit at markedly lower level than in cerebellum. Likewise, a high GLUD1/GluD2 mRNA ratio was observed in cortex and a low ratio in cerebellum. GLUD1 and GluD2 mRNAs were co-expressed in single cortical and hippocampal neurons, with a large predominance of GLUD1. Western blots using GLUD1- and GluD2-specific antibodies showed expression of both subunits in various brain structures, but not in non-nervous tissues examined. Both delta subunits were upregulated during postnatal development. Widespread neuronal expression of the GLUD1 protein was confirmed using immunohistochemistry. Examination at the electron microscopic level in the hippocampus revealed that GLUD1 was mainly localized at postsynaptic density of excitatory synapses on pyramidal cells. Control experiments performed using mice carrying deletion of the GLUD1- or the GluD2-encoding gene confirmed the specificity of the present mRNA and protein analyses. Our results support a role for the delta family of glutamate receptors at excitatory synapses in neuronal networks throughout the adult brain. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia |