Independent regulation of kinetic properties in human recombinant GluR subunit coassemblies

AMPA-type receptor (AMPAR) channels are the most abundant excitatory ligand-gated receptor channels of the vertebrate central nervous system for fast synaptic transmission. Four subunits with different posttranscriptional modifications and splice variants are known. In vivo they occur as tetrameric heteromeric receptors. Posttransscriptional editing of this subunits at the Q/R-site controls calcium permeability and receptor rectification whereas editing at the R/G-site and alternative splicing are involved in the regulation of biophysical properties. We used patch-clamp techniques with ultrafast solution exchang…