Project description
Mapping the hidden architecture of the developing brain
Fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain is mediated primarily by AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs). While subunit diversity is regulated by alternative splicing and RNA editing, the structural and functional influence of flip/flop isoforms on native complexes remains elusive. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CEREB-AMP project will use cerebellar granule cells – characterised by a restricted GluA2 and GluA4 composition – as a physiological model to investigate developmental isoform switching. By integrating RNA-seq transcriptomics, cryo-EM structural analysis and patch-clamp electrophysiology, it aims to delineate how splicing modulates AMPAR architecture and kinetics. These findings will clarify the mechanisms governing receptor diversity and facilitate the development of isoform-selective pharmacological modulators for neurological therapeutic interventions.
Objective
AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system and are key regulators of synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. AMPARs are tetrameric receptors assembled from GluA1–4 subunits, whose molecular diversity is shaped by alternative splicing, RNA editing, and association with auxiliary proteins. The flip/flop isoforms of generated through alternative splicing and the mRNA editing significantly affect receptor kinetics, trafficking, and pharmacology. However, how these isoforms influence the structure and function of native AMPAR complexes remains poorly understood.
This project aims to uncover how developmental isoform switching of AMPAR subunits shapes receptor structure and function, using cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) as a biological reference. CGCs are the most abundant neuronal type in the central nervous system and express a restricted set of AMPAR subunits—primarily GluA2 and GluA4—with developmentally regulated flip/flop isoform expression and associate mainly with TARP γ2 auxiliary proteins. These characteristics offer a simplified and physiologically relevant model to study defined AMPAR assemblies.
We will combine transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq) to characterize the developmental dynamics of flip/flop isoforms in CGCs; structural biology (cryo-EM) to resolve AMPAR A2/A4 receptor assemblies mimicking those found in CGCs; and electrophysiology (patch clamp) to examine the impact of isoform composition on receptor function.
This integrative approach will shed light on how alternative splicing modulates AMPAR structure and activity in developmentally relevant contexts. The findings will enhance our understanding of receptor diversity in the brain and may support the rational design of isoform-selective AMPAR modulators for therapeutic purposes.
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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50009 Zaragoza
Spain
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