miR-501-3p mediates the activity-dependent regulation of the expression of AMPA receptor subunit GluA1

Zhonghua Hu, Jun Zhao, Tianyi Hu, Yan Luo, Jun Zhu, Zheng Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

The number of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) in synapses determines synaptic strength. AMPAR expression can be regulated locally in dendrites by synaptic activity. The mechanisms of activity-dependent local regulation of AMPAR expression, however, remain unclear. Here, we tested whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR)- dependent AMPAR expression. We used the 3' untranslated region of Gria1, which encodes the AMPA receptor subunit GluA1, to pull down miRNAs binding to it and analyzed these miRNAs using next-generation deep sequencing. Among the identified miRNAs, miR-501-3p is also a computationally predicted Gria1-targeting miRNA. We confirmed that miR-501-3p targets Gria1 and regulates its expression under physiological conditions. The expression of miR-501-3p and GluA1, moreover, is inversely correlated during postnatal brain development. miR-501-3p expression is up-regulated locally in dendrites through the NMDAR subunit GluN2A, and this regulation is required for NMDA-induced suppression of GluA1 expression and long-lasting remodeling of dendritic spines. These findings elucidate a miRNA-mediated mechanism for activity-dependent, local regulation of AMPAR expression in dendrites.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)949-959
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Cell Biology
Volume208
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes

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