An Antibody Feeding Approach to Study Glutamate Receptor Trafficking in Dissociated Primary Hippocampal Cultures

Summary

This article presents a method to study glutamate receptor (GluR) trafficking in dissociated primary hippocampal cultures. Using an antibody-feeding approach to label endogenous or overexpressed receptors in combination with pharmacological approaches, this method allows for the identification of molecular mechanisms regulating GluR surface expression by modulating internalization or recycling processes.

Abstract

Cellular responses to external stimuli heavily rely on the set of receptors expressed at the cell surface at a given moment. Accordingly, the population of surface-expressed receptors is constantly adapting and subject to strict mechanisms of regulation. The paradigmatic example and one of the most studied trafficking events in biology is the regulated control of the synaptic expression of glutamate receptors (GluRs). GluRs mediate the vast majority of excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system and control physiological activity-dependent functional and structural changes at the synaptic and neuronal levels (e.g., synaptic plasticity). Modifications in the number, location, and subunit composition of surface expressed GluRs deeply affect neuronal function and, in fact, alterations in these factors are associated with different neuropathies. Presented here is a method to study GluR trafficking in dissociated hippocampal primary neurons. An "antibody-feeding" approach is used to differentially visualize GluR populations expressed at the surface and internal membranes. By labeling surface receptors on live cells and fixing them at different times to allow for receptors endocytosis and/or recycling, these trafficking processes can be evaluated and selectively studied. This is a versatile protocol that can be used in combination with pharmacological approaches or overexpression of altered receptors to gain valuable information about stimuli and molecular mechanisms affecting GluR trafficking. Similarly, it can be easily adapted to study other receptors or surface expressed proteins.

Introduction

Cells utilize the active process of trafficking to mobilize proteins to specific subcellular localizations and exert strict spatiotemporal regulation over their function¹. This process is especially important for transmembrane receptors, as cellular responses to different environmental stimuli rely on intracellular cascades triggered by receptor activation. Cells are able to modify these responses by altering the density, localization, and subunit composition of receptors expressed at the cell surface via receptor subcellular trafficking regulation². Insertion of newly synthetized receptors into the plasma membrane, alon....

Protocol

Work pertaining to hippocampal primary culture preparation was reviewed and approved by the Northwestern University Animal Care and Use Committee (protocol #IS00001151).

1. Preparation Before Labeling

1. Preparation and maintenance of primary hippocampal cultures
   1. Prepare primary hippocampal cultures at a density of 150,000 cells plated on poly-D-lysine-coated (0.1 mg/mL) 18 mm cover glasses. Excellent guides for dissociated neuronal culture preparation are.......

Discussion

The interaction between a cell and its environment (e.g., communication with other cells, response to different stimuli, etc.), heavily relies on the correct expression of receptors at the cell surface. The rapid and fine-tuned regulation in surface-expressed receptor content enables proper cellular response to a constantly changing environment. In the particular case of neurons, alterations in the number, localization, and subunit composition of synaptically expressed receptors heavily influences synaptic communication,.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
18 mm dia. #1.5 thick coverglasses	Neuvitro	GG181.5
Alexa 555-conjugated goat anti-mouse secondary	Life Technologies	A21424
Alexa 555-conjugated goat anti-rabbit secondary	Life Technologies	A21429
Alexa 647-conjugated goat anti-mouse secondary	Life Technologies	A21236
Alexa 647-conjugated goat anti-rabbit secondary	Life Technologies	A21245
B27	Gibco	17504044
CaCl2	Sigma	C7902
Corning Costar Flat Bottom Cell Culture Plates	Corning	3513
Dynasore	Tocris	2897
Glucose	Sigma	G8270
Glycine	Tocris	0219
Goat anti-rabbit Fab fragments	Sigma	SAB3700970
HEPES	Sigma	H7006
KCl	Sigma	P9541
L-Glutamine	Sigma	G7513
Lipofectamine 2000	Invitrogen	11668019
Mouse anti-GluA1 antibody	Millipore	MAB2263
NaCl	Sigma	S6546
Neurobasal Media	Gibco	21103049
NGS	Abcam	Ab7481
Parafilm	Bemis	PM999
PBS	Gibco	10010023
Pelco BioWave	Ted Pella	36500
PFA	Alfa Aesar	43368
Picrotoxin	Tocris	1128
Poly-D-lysine hydrobromide	Sigma	P7280
ProLong Gold Antifade Mountant	Life Technologies	P36934
Rabbit anti-GFP antibody	Invitrogen	A11122
Rabbit anti-PSD-95 antibody	Cell Signaling	2507
Strychnine	Tocris	2785
Sucrose	Sigma	S0389
Superfrost plus microscope slides	Fisher	12-550-15
Triton X-100	Sigma	X100
TTX	Tocris	1078