Reduced MK801 binding in neocortical neurons after AAV-mediated transfections with NMDA-R1 antisense cDNA.

Two adeno-associated virus (AAV)-derived plasmids were constructed with portions of the N-methyl-d-aspartic acid-R1 (NMDA-R1) receptor subunit downstream from the AAV p40-(pJDT95dlk-aR1) or cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter (pTRUF3-aR1) in an antisense orientation. Each plasmid drove expression of antisense NMDA-R1 in primary rat neocortical neuronal cultures 4 days after transfection as detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Transfection with pTRUF3-aR1 (2x4 microgram) but not with pJDT95dlk-aR1 decreased neuronal [3H]MK-801 binding in a dose-dependent manner. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.