Effects of heparin on the properties of solubilized and reconstituted rat brain AMPA receptors

Abstract Heparin was found to bind to α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors and to alter their functional properties. AMPA receptors solubilized in 0.4% Triton X-100 bound to a heparin-agarose column and were eluted by 0.4 M NaCl. Soluble heparin inhibited 10 nM [ 3 H]AMPA binding to detergent-solubilized receptors by 75% (IC 50 = 10 μg/ml), but had little effect on binding to membrane-associated receptors. The inhibition of [ 3 H]AMPA binding to detergent-solubilized receptors was not observed when binding was measured in the presence of 0.4 M NaCl, and no effect of heparin was observed on binding of the AMPA receptor antagonist [ 3 H]6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). Scatchard analyses of [ 3 H]AMPA binding to solubilized receptors revealed that the inhibition induced by heparin was caused by a decrease in the apparent affinity of a portion of the total binding sites. Studies on AMPA receptors reconstituted in artificial lipid bilayers indicated that 10 μg/ml heparin enhanced cooperativity between channels and prolonged the lifetime of the open channel, but did not affect the amplitude of single channel currents. Thus, heparin may be added to the list of compounds known to modulate AMPA receptor function. These data also raise the possibility that heparin-containing proteoglycans, which are known to be concentrated at synaptic junctions, might be able to bind AMPA receptors and influence their functional characteristics.