Role of AMPA receptors in synaptic plasticity

The alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are the principal molecular units for fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. The glutamate-mediated transmission efficiency of synaptic AMPA receptors is influenced by their subunit composition (GluR-A to GluR-D), post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications, the number of synaptic AMPA receptors, and auxiliary proteins. Functional AMPA receptors are located predominantly in the post-synapse but are also found at extra-synaptic sites and occasionally in the pre-synapse. Thus, many factors influence the tasks of AMPA receptors in neuronal signal transmission. At hippocampal synaptic connections, AMPA receptor functions have been well studied in vitro and in the mouse; however, it is unlikely that these observations can be generalized to all glutamatergic synapses in the brain.