Comparison of fluorescent protein labelled and wild type NMDA receptor distribution

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Biyolojik Bilimler Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2013

Öğrenci: ŞERİFE ŞEYDA PİRİNÇCİ

Danışman: ÇAĞDAŞ DEVRİM SON

Özet:

NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartate) Receptor is a ligand and voltage gated ion channel and involved in many processes such as synaptic plasticity, memory formation, behavioral responses and cell survival. In the sense of functional activity, cellular localization of NMDAR is important since this receptor shows its activity on the membrane. Although NMDA receptor is intensely studied there are no satisfying study showing its localization with microscobic methods. Besides, the effect of florescent protein labelling of NMDA receptor on its distribution is not shown. It is expected to provide basis for further interaction and distribution studies with this comparison. Contrary to literature, in this study it is shown that NMDA receptor does not localize only in ER and membrane instead has a cytosolic pattern and this pattern is compatible with the distribution of wild type NMDA receptor. In addition, florescent protein labelling of NMDA receptor does not interrupt cellular distribution of NMDAR. Moreover, this study shows that N-terminal domain of NR1 subunit is sufficient to prevent degradation of NR2B in the cell. In consideration of this study it can be concluded that EGFP and mCherry labelled NMDA receptors can be used in interaction studies such as FRET and other studies, making use of fluorescent labelling of NMDA receptors, in terms of cellular distribution.