Kinetics of AMPA‐type glutamate receptor channels in rat caudate‐putamen neurones show a wide range of desensitization but distinct recovery characteristics

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Abstract
α‐Amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)‐type glutamate receptor channels of rat caudate‐putamen neurones were studied by ultrafast application of agonists to outside‐out vesicles taken from medium‐sized spiny neurones in thin slices. Upon application of 10 m m glutamate for 50 ms, fast rising and desensitizing currents were activated. Ten to 90% rise time values were ≈ 0.5 ms. Dose–response studies revealed an EC50 of 0.63 m m glutamate. In double logarithmic coordinates, the curve had a maximal slope between 1.33 and 1.85 at low concentrations, indicating at least two binding sites for glutamate. Rise time increased with low agonist concentrations, whereas desensitization kinetics showed only a weak dependence on concentration. The time constant of desensitization was fitted with one exponential and ranged between 2 and 11 ms, with a mean of 6.19 ± 2.31 ms (n = 239). Following brief glutamate pulses (1 ms) currents decayed with time constants of 2.7 ± 0.23 ms (n = 12). Recovery from desensitization was investigated by double‐pulse experiments. Recovery time constants fell in two subgroups with respective mean values of 110.6 ± 14.2 ms (n = 8) and 288.6 ± 33.2 ms (n = 8). By adding low glutamate concentrations to the bath solution, predesensitization of AMPA‐type receptors without channel opening could be shown. A 50% reduction in control amplitude was achieved with 5.2 ± 2.1 μm (n = 22) glutamate in the background. We hypothesize a circular reaction scheme with at least two binding sites for glutamate to describe activation, desensitization and recovery from desensitization in rat caudate‐putamen neurones.