Heterogeneity in the molecular composition of excitatory postsynaptic sites during development of hippocampal neurons in culture

To determine their roles in the assembly of glutamatergic postsynaptic sites, we studied the distributions of NMDA- and AMPA-type glutamate receptors; the NMDA receptor-interacting proteins alpha-actinin-2, PSD-95, and chapsyn; and the PSD-95-associated protein GKAP during the development of hippocampal neurons in culture. NMDA receptors first formed nonsynaptic proximal dendrite shaft clusters within 2-5 d. AMPA receptors were diffuse at this stage and began to cluster on spines at 9-10 d. NMDA receptor clusters remained partially nonsynaptic and mainly distinct from AMPA receptor clusters until after 3 weeks in culture, when the two began to colocalize at spiny synaptic sites. Thus, the localization of NMDA and AMPA receptors must be regulated by different mechanisms. alpha-Actinin-2 colocalized with the NMDA receptor only at spiny synaptic clusters, but not at shaft nonsynaptic or synaptic clusters, suggesting a modulatory role in the anchoring of NMDA receptor at spines. PSD-95, chapsyn, and GKAP were present at some, but not all, nonsynaptic NMDA receptor clusters during the first 2 weeks, indicating that none is essential for NMDA receptor cluster formation. When NMDA receptor clusters became synaptic, PSD-95 and GKAP were always present, consistent with an essential function in synaptic localization of NMDA receptors. Furthermore, PSD-95 and GKAP clustered opposite presynaptic terminals several days before either NMDA or AMPA receptors clustered at these presumptive postsynaptic sites. These results suggest that synapse development proceeds by formation of a postsynaptic scaffold containing PSD-95 and GKAP in concert with presynaptic vesicle clustering, followed by regulated attachment of glutamate receptor subtypes to this scaffold.