Functional histamine H3 and adenosine A2A receptor heteromers in recombinant cells and rat striatum

Abstract In the striatum, histamine H 3 receptors (H 3 Rs) are co-expressed with adenosine A 2A receptors (A 2A Rs) in the cortico-striatal glutamatergic afferents and the GABAergic medium-sized spiny neurons that originate the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia. This location allows H 3 Rs and A 2A Rs to regulate the striatal GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission. However, whether these receptors can physically interact has not yet been assessed. To test this hypothesis, a heteromer-selective in vitro assay was used to detect functional complementation between a chimeric A 2A R 302 -Gα qi4 and wild-type H 3 Rs in transfected HEK-293T cells. H 3 R activation with the agonist RAMH resulted in Ca 2+ mobilization (pEC 50 7.31 ± 0.23; maximal stimulation, Emax 449 ± 25% of basal) indicative of receptor heterodimerization. Functional H 3 R-A 2A R heteromers were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and observations of differential cAMP signaling when both receptors were co-expressed in the same cells. In membranes from rat striatal synaptosomes, H 3 R activation decreased A 2A R affinity for the agonist CGS-21680 (pKi values 8.10 ± 0.04 and 7.70 ± 0.04). Moreover, H 3 Rs and A 2A Rs co-immunoprecipitated in protein extracts from striatal synaptosomes. These results support the existence of a H 3 R-A 2A R heteromer with possible physiological implications for the modulation of the intra-striatal transmission.