To enhance physiological function of NMDA receptors (NMDARs), we identified positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of NMDARs with selectivity for GluN2A subunit-containing receptors. X-ray crystallography revealed a binding site at the GluN1-GluN2A dimer interface of the extracellular ligand-binding domains (LBDs). Despite the similarity between the LBDs of NMDARs and AMPA receptors (AMPARs), GluN2A PAMs with good selectivity against AMPARs were identified. Potentiation was observed with recombinant triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDARs and with synaptically activated NMDARs in brain slices from wild-type (WT), but not GluN2A knockout (KO), mice. Individual GluN2A PAMs exhibited variable degrees of glutamate (Glu) dependence, impact on NMDAR Glu EC50, and slowing of channel deactivation. These distinct PAMs also exhibited differential impacts during synaptic plasticity induction. The identification of a new NMDAR modulatory site and characterization of GluN2A-selective PAMs provide powerful molecular tools to dissect NMDAR function and demonstrate the feasibility of a therapeutically desirable type of NMDAR enhancement.

Highly selective positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) have emerged as a potential approach to treat positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. mGluR5 plays an important role in both long term potentiation (LTP) and long term depression (LTD), suggesting that mGluR5 PAMs may also have utility in improving impaired cognitive function. However, if mGluR5 PAMs shift the balance of LTP and LTD or induce a state in which afferent activity induces lasting changes in synaptic function that are not appropriate for a given pattern of activity, this could disrupt rather than enhance cognitive function. We determined the effect of selective mGluR5 PAMs on induction of LTP and LTD at the Schaffer collateral – CA1 synapse in the hippocampus. mGluR5-selective PAMs significantly enhanced threshold theta burst stimulation (TBS)-induced LTP. In addition, mGluR5 PAMs enhanced both DHPG-induced LTD and LTD induced by delivery of paired-pulse low frequency stimulation. Selective potentiation of mGluR5 had no effect on LTP induced by suprathreshold TBS or saturated LTP. The finding that potentiation of mGluR5-mediated responses to stimulation of glutamatergic afferents enhances both LTP and LTD supports the hypothesis that activation of mGluR5 by endogenous glutamate contributes to both forms of plasticity. Furthermore, two systemically active mGluR5 PAMs enhanced performance in the Morris water maze, a measure of hippocampus-dependent spatial learning. Discovery of small molecules that enhance both LTP and LTD in an activity-appropriate manner demonstrates a unique action on synaptic plasticity that may provide a novel approach for treatment of impaired cognitive function.

Recent studies suggest that a novel positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluRs), mGluR5, termed 4-nitro-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (VU-29), potentiates mGluR5 responses by actions at a site that is overlapping with the binding site of 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), a previously identified negative allosteric modulator of this receptor. It is interesting that a structurally distinct PAM, N-{4-Chloro-2- [(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2H-isoindol-2-yl)methyl]phenyl}-2-hydroxybenzamide (CPPHA), does not to bind to the MPEP site. We now report that CPPHA potentiates mGluR5 responses by a mechanism that is distinct from that of VU-29. VU-29-and CPPHA-induced potentiation of mGluR5 responses are blocked by a neutral ligand at the MPEP allosteric site termed 5-methyl-2-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (5MPEP). However, increasing concentrations of 5MPEP induce parallel rightward shifts in the VU-29 concentration-response curve, whereas 5MPEP inhibits CPPHA potentiation in a noncompetitive manner. Consistent with this, a mutation (A809V/mGluR5) that reduces binding of ligands to the MPEP site eliminates the effect of VU-29 but has no effect on the response to CPPHA. On the other hand, a mutation (F585I/mGluRs) that eliminates the effect of CPPHA does not alter the response to VU-29. CPPHA is also a PAM at mGluR1. It is interesting that the corresponding mutation of F585I/mGluR5 in mGluR1 (F599I/ mGluR1) eliminates CPPHA's effect without altering the potentiation of a known PAM of mGluR1, (S)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(toluene-4-sulfonyl)pyrrolidine (Ro 67-7476). Likewise, another mutation (V757L/mGluR1) that abolishes potentiation of Ro 67-7476 has no effect on CPPHA. Finally, CPPHA does not displace binding of a radioligand for the mGluR1 allosteric antagonist characterized previously. Together, these data suggest that CPPHA acts at a novel allosteric site on both mGluR1 and -5 to potentiate responses to activation of these receptors.Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. In addition to eliciting fast excitatory synaptic responses, glutamate has neuromodulatory effects by activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) termed metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). There are eight subtypes of mGluRs divided into three groups. Group I mGluRs (mGluR1 and mGluR5) couple to G␣ q/11 and activate phospholipase C. Group II (mGluR2 and mGluR3) and group III (mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7, and mGluR8) mGluRs couple to the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and other effectors through G␣ i/o (Conn and Pin,

Excitatory synapses occur mainly on dendritic spines, and spine density is usually correlated with the strength of excitatory synaptic transmission. We report that Nr4a1, an activity-inducible gene encoding a nuclear receptor, regulates the density and distribution of dendritic spines in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Nr4a1 overexpression resulted in elimination of the majority of spines; however, postsynaptic densities were preserved on dendritic shafts, and the strength of excitatory synaptic transmission was unaffected, showing that excitatory synapses can be dissociated from spines. mRNA expression profiling studies suggest that Nr4a1-mediated transcriptional regulation of the actin cytoskeleton contributes to this effect. Under conditions of chronically elevated activity, when Nr4a1 was induced, Nr4a1 knockdown increased the density of spines and PSDs specifically at the distal ends of dendrites. Thus, Nr4a1 is a key component of an activity-induced transcriptional program that regulates the density and distribution of spines and synapses.

Exciting advances have been made in the discovery of selective positive allosteric modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) mGluR5. These compounds may provide a novel approach that could be useful in the treatment of certain central nervous system disorders. However, because of their low potencies, previously described mGluR5 potentiators are not useful for functional studies in native preparations. In addition, binding sites at which these compounds act have not been identified. It has been suggested that two allosteric potentiators, 3,3Ј-difluorobenzaldazine and 3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (CDPPB), act by binding to the same allosteric site as the negative allosteric modulators of mGluR5 such as 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP). However, another mGluR5 potentiator, N- {4-chloro-2-[(1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2H-isoindol-2-yl)methyl]phenyl}-2-hydroxybenzamide, does not bind to this site, bringing this hypothesis into question. We have synthesized a series of CDPPB analogs and report that these compounds bind to the MPEP site with affinities that are closely related to their potencies as mGluR5 potentiators. Furthermore, allosteric potentiation is antagonized by a neutral ligand at the MPEP site and reduced by a mutation of mGluR5 that eliminates MPEP binding. Together, these data suggest that interaction with the MPEP site is important for allosteric potentiation of mGluR5 by CDPPB and related compounds. In addition, whole-cell patch-clamp studies in midbrain slices reveal that a highly potent analog of CDPPB, 4-nitro-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (VU-29), selectively potentiates mGluR5 but not mGluR1-mediated responses in midbrain neurons, whereas a previously identified allosteric potentiator of mGluR1 has the opposite effect.Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. In addition to eliciting fast excitatory synaptic responses, glutamate has important neuromodulatory effects by the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) termed metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). The mGluRs play important roles in a broad range of central nervous system functions and have potential as novel targets for the development of new therapeutic agents for a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease (Marino

Activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3␤ (GSK-3␤) is required for long-term depression (LTD) via molecular mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Here, we report that PSD-95, a major scaffold protein of the postsynaptic density (PSD) that promotes synaptic strength, is phosphorylated on threonine-19 (T19) by GSK-3␤. In cultured rat hippocampal neurons, phosphorylation of T19 increases rapidly with chemical LTD and is attenuated by pharmacologic or genetic suppression of GSK-3␤. In organotypic rat hippocampal slices, we find that a nonphosphorylatable PSD-95 mutant (T19A) tagged with photoactivatable green fluorescent protein (PAGFP) shows enhanced stability in dendritic spines versus wild-type PSD-95, whereas the phosphomimetic mutant (PSD-95-T19D) is more readily dispersed. Further, overexpression of PSD-95-T19A, but not WT-PSD-95, impairs AMPA receptor internalization and the induction of LTD. These data indicate that phosphorylation on T19 by GSK-3␤ destabilizes PSD-95 within the PSD and is a critical step for AMPA receptor mobilization and LTD.

Highlights d AD and DS mice display aberrant 12-to 20-Hz oscillations associated with epileptic spikes d GluN2A-NMDAR enhancement reduces aberrant oscillations and spikes in AD and DS mice d Chronic GluN2A-NMDAR activation improves cognitive functions in AD and DS mice d GluN2A PAMs could benefit brain disorders with hypersynchrony and cognitive deficits

We recently reported a novel class of compounds, represented by 3-cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (CD-PPB), that act as positive allosteric modulators (potentiators) of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) subtype 5. Studies of CDPPB analogs revealed that some compounds in this series serve also as positive allosteric modulators of mGluR1. Although CDPPB is selective for mGluR5 relative to other mGluR subtypes, several CDPPB analogs also showed 2.5-fold potentiation of glutamate-induced calcium transients in cells expressing mGluR1 at 10 M, with 4-nitro-N-(1,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzamide (VU-71) being selective for mGluR1. In previous studies, we found that two structural classes of mGluR5-selective allosteric potentiators, including CDPPB, share a common binding site with the allosteric mGluR5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine. Negative allosteric modulators of mGluR1, regardless of structural class, have been reported to bind to a common allosteric antagonist site on this receptor. However, neither the novel CDPPB analogs nor previously identified allosteric mGluR1 potentiators [e.g., (S)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(toluene-4-sulfonyl)pyrrolidine (Ro 67-7476), ethyl diphenylacetylcarbamate (Ro 01-6128), and butyl (9H-xanthene-9-carbonyl)carbamate (Ro 67-4853)] displaced the binding of [, a high-affinity radioligand for the allosteric antagonist site on mGluR1 at concentrations several orders of magnitude higher than those required to induce allosteric potentiation of mGluR1 responses. These data suggest that allosteric potentiators of mGluR1 act at a site that is distinct from that of allosteric antagonists of mGluR1. Sitedirected mutagenesis revealed that valine at position 757 in transmembrane V of mGluR1a is crucial for the activity of multiple classes of allosteric mGluR1 potentiators.In the mammalian central nervous system, glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter, exerting its effects through activation of two major classes of glutamate receptors. These include cation channels, termed ionotropic glutamate receptors, and G protein-coupled receptors, termed metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) (Conn and Pin, 1997). The mGluRs are members of G protein-coupled receptor family 3, which consist of a large bilobed N-terminal extracellular domain containing the orthosteric agonist binding site, a seven-transmembrane domain, and a C-terminal intracellular domain (Gasparini et al