Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the dorsal striatum represent the first relay of cortico–striato–thalamic loop, responsible for the initiation of voluntary movements and motor learning. GABAergic transmission exerts the main inhibitory control of MSNs. However, MSNs also express chloride-permeable glycine receptors (GlyRs) although their subunit composition and functional significance in the striatum is unknown. Here, we studied the function of GlyRs in MSNs of young adult mice. We show that MSNs express functional GlyRs, with α2 being the main agonist binding subunit. These receptors are extrasynaptic and depolarizing at resting state. The pharmacological inhibition of GlyRs, as well as inactivation of the GlyR α2 subunit gene hyperpolarize the membrane potential of MSNs and increase their action potential firing offset. Mice lacking GlyR α2 showed impaired motor memory consolidation without any changes in the initial motor performance. Taken together, these results demonstrate that tonically active GlyRs regulate the firing properties of MSNs and may thus affect the function of basal ganglia.

Glycine receptors (GlyRs) containing the α2 subunit are highly expressed in the developing brain, where they regulate neuronal migration and maturation, promote spontaneous network activity and subsequent development of synaptic connections. Mutations in GLRA2 are associated with autism spectrum disorder, but the underlying pathophysiology is not described yet. Here, using Glra2-knockout mice, we found a GlyR-dependent effect on neonatal spontaneous activity of dorsal striatum medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and maturation of the incoming glutamatergic innervation. Our data demonstrate that functional GlyRs are highly expressed in MSNs of one-week-old mice, but they do not generate endogenous chloride-mediated tonic or phasic current. Despite of that, knocking out the Glra2 severely affects the shape of action potentials and impairs spontaneous activity and the frequency of miniature AMPA receptor-mediated currents in MSNs. This reduction in spontaneous activity and glutamatergic signaling can attribute to the observed changes in neonatal behavioral phenotypes as seen in ultrasonic vocalizations and righting reflex. In adult Glra2-knockout animals, the glutamatergic synapses in MSNs remain functionally underdeveloped. The number of glutamatergic synapses and release probability at presynaptic site remain unaffected, but the amount of postsynaptic AMPA receptors is decreased. This deficit is a consequence of impaired development of the neuronal circuitry since acute inhibition of GlyRs by strychnine in adult MSNs does not affect the properties of glutamatergic synapses. Altogether, these results demonstrate that GlyR-mediated signaling supports neonatal spontaneous MSN activity and, in consequence, promotes the functional maturation of glutamatergic synapses on MSNs. The described mechanism might shed light on the pathophysiological mechanisms in GLRA2-linked autism spectrum disorder cases.

Background and Purpose The precise mechanism/s of action of ethanol, although studied for many years, are not well understood. Like other drugs of abuse, ethanol affects dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (nAc), an important region of the mesolimbic system, causing a reinforcing effect. It has been shown that glycine receptors (GlyRs) present in the nAc are potentiated by clinically relevant concentrations of ethanol, where α1 and α2 are the predominant subunits expressed. Experimental Approach Using a combination of electrophysiology and behavioural assays, we studied the involvement of GlyR α2 subunits on the effects of low and high doses of ethanol, as well as on consumption using mice lacking the GlyR α2 subunit (male Glra2−/Y and female Glra2−/−). Key Results GlyR α2 subunits exist in accumbal neurons, since the glycine‐evoked currents and glycinergic miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) in Glra2−/Y mice were drastically decreased. In behavioural studies, differences in ethanol consumption and sedation were observed between wild‐type (WT) and Glra2 knockout (KO) mice. Using the drinking in the dark (DID) paradigm, we found that Glra2−/Y mice presented a binge‐like drinking behaviour immediately when exposed to ethanol rather than the gradual consumption seen in WT animals. Interestingly, the effect of knocking out Glra2 in female (Glra2−/−) mice was less evident, since WT female mice already showed higher DID. Conclusion and Implications The differences in ethanol consumption between WT and KO mice provide additional evidence supporting the conclusion that GlyRs are biologically relevant targets for the sedative and rewarding properties of ethanol.