EDITING STATUS AT THE Q/R-SITE OF GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR A-SUBUNIT, B-SUBUNIT, 5-SUBUNIT AND 6-SUBUNIT MESSENGER-RNA IN THE HIPPOCAMPAL KINDLING MODEL OF EPILEPSY

The editing status of mRNA at the Q/R site of the glutamate receptor subtypes -A, -B, -5 and -6 modulates channel conductivity and ion selectivity of glutamate operated ion channels [4,15,26,30]. In order to investigate whether a modification of this editing process may be involved in kindling epileptogenesis, the percentage of edited variant was determined in the hippocampus of kindled rats and compared to the percentage in control animals. In the latter, GluR-A mRNA was detected only in the unedited form (with detection threshold for edited form < 0.7%), whereas GluR-B was completely edited (> 99%). For GluR-5, the mean edited fraction of transcripts was in controls 36% and for GluR-6 the edited fraction was 92%. These editing percentages were not significantly changed in Schaffer collateral/commissural pathway kindled animals that were sacrificed 24 h after the last generalized seizure. It is concluded that the increased sensitivity for the induction of seizures characteristic for Schaffer collateral kindled animals is not related to a less selective or less efficient mRNA editing process of the different glutamate receptor subunits in the hippocampus.