Using an α-Bungarotoxin Binding Site Tag to Study GABA A Receptor Membrane Localization and Trafficking

Summary

Here we demonstrate the use of fluorescent Alexa dye coupled to α-bungarotoxin to measure GABA A receptor surface localization and endocytosis in hippocampal neurons. Through the use of constructs bearing a short extracellular tag that binds α-bungarotoxin, analysis of plasma membrane protein endocytic trafficking can be achieved.

Abstract

It is increasingly evident that neurotransmitter receptors, including ionotropic GABA A receptors (GABAAR), exhibit highly dynamic trafficking and cell surface mobility^1-7. To study receptor cell surface localization and endocytosis, the technique described here combines the use of fluorescent α-bungarotoxin with cells expressing constructs containing an α-bungarotoxin (Bgt) binding site (BBS). The BBS (WRYYESSLEPYPD) is based on the α subunit of the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which binds Bgt with high affinity^8,9. Incorporation of the BBS site allows surface localization and measurements of receptor insertion or removal with application of exogenous fluorescent Bgt, as previously described in the tracking of GABAA and metabotropic GABAB receptors^2,10. In addition to the BBS site, we inserted a pH-sensitive GFP (pHGFP¹¹) between amino acids 4 and 5 of the mature GABAAR subunit by standard molecular biology and PCR cloning strategies (see Figure 1)¹². The BBS is 3' of the pH-sensitive GFP reporter, separated by a 13-amino acid alanine/proline linker. For trafficking studies described in this publication that are based on fixed samples, the pHGFP serves as a reporter of total tagged GABAAR subunit protein levels, allowing normalization of the Bgt labeled receptor population to total receptor population. This minimizes cell to cell Bgt staining signal variability resulting from higher or lower baseline expression of the tagged GABAAR subunits. Furthermore the pHGFP tag enables easy identification of construct expressing cells for live or fixed imaging experiments.

Introduction

The use of fluorescently coupled α-bungarotoxin to study receptor localization and dynamics was pioneered in studies of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor^13-15, the toxin's endogenous target. Subsequently, incorporation of the minimal Bgt binding peptide (BBS) has been used to study trafficking of both excitatory and inhibitory ligand-gated ion channels and G protein coupled receptors^2,10,16-21. This BBS-based technique provides advantages to other approaches used for trafficking studies such as surface biotinylation methods, antibody labeling of live cells with antibodies to extracellular epitopes, and fluorescence recovery after phot....

Protocol

All protocols described below are in accordance with the IACUC and IRB institutional review boards of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

1. Preparation of Hippocampal Neuronal Cultures in Tissue Culture Hood

Note: Use sterile technique and reagents throughout Protocol 1.

1. Prepare poly-D-lysine (0.1 mg/ml in H₂O) coated glass coverslips as a substrate for the neuronal culture.
   1. Place 4-5 round glass coverslips inside each 3.5 cm tissue culture dish.
   2. Spot 70 μl poly-D-lysine onto each 12 mm coverslip. Note: for live imaging, a glass bottomed 3.5-cm tissue cul....

Results

Characterization of a BBS tagged construct includes important controls such as determining if the expressed protein assembles properly (particularly with receptors composed of multiple subunits), traffics to the cell surface and localizes appropriately. Inhibitory synapses are composed of GABA A receptor surface clusters that colocalize with the inhibitory scaffold protein gephyrin and are apposed to presynaptic inhibitory terminals, identified by the vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter that loads GABA and glycin.......

Discussion

The BBS based fixed and live techniques described here can be used to track receptor or other plasma membrane protein trafficking in cell lines, neurons, and other primary cells. This method has been successfully used to study membrane insertion and removal of ligand-gated ion channels and GPCR and assess changes in trafficking due to the presence of receptor agonists and modulators. Key aspects include appropriate localization of the tag to an extracellular location and performing controls to ensure that addition of the.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
P3 Primary Cell 4D kit	Lonza	V4XP-3024
α-Bungarotoxin, Alexa Fluor 647 conjugate	Molecular Probes	B35450
α-Bungarotoxin, Alexa Fluor 488 conjugate	Molecular Probes	B13422
α-Bungarotoxin, Alexa Fluor 594 conjugate	Molecular Probes	B13423
(+)-Tubocurarine chloride	Tocris	2820
Mounting medium	DAKO	cS703
DPBS no calcium, magnesium	Invitrogen	14190-136
Poly-D-lysine	Sigma	P6407
Gephyrin antibody	Synaptic Systems	147 011	1:300
VIAAT/VGAT antibody	Synaptic Systems	131 002	1:1,000
anti GFP	Life Technologies	A6455	1:2,000
Glass bottom tissue culture dish	MatTek Corporation	P35G-1.5-14-C - Mattek Dishes
Coverslips (round cover glass), #1 thickness, 12 mm	Warner Instruments	640-0702