Activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors increases serine phosphorylation of GluR1 alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid receptors in the rat dorsal striatum.

Protein phosphorylation is an important mechanism for the post-translational modulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors. In this study, we investigated the regulation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor GluR1 subunit phosphorylation by the stimulation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in the rat dorsal striatum in vivo. Stimulation of group I mGluRs was found to increase GluR1 phosphorylation of Ser831 and Ser845 in phospholipase C (PLC)-coupled Ca(2+) cascades. Interactions of protein kinases activated by intracellular Ca(2+) release downstream to PLC modulate the phosphorylation state of GluR1 on Ser831 and Ser845: phosphorylation of GluR1 on Ser831 is up-regulated by the protein kinase C and calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways, whereas phosphorylation of GluR1 on Ser845 is up-regulated by the protein kinase A (PKA), PKA/ERK1/2, and PKA/JNK pathways. The phosphorylation state of GluR1 on Ser831 and Ser845 and the activity of protein kinases are further regulated by protein phosphatases. These data suggest that GluR1 phosphorylation of Ser831 and Ser845 via stimulation of group I mGluRs is regulated by the interactions of PLC-coupled protein kinases and protein phosphatases in the dorsal striatum.