Kainate Promotes Alterations in Neuronal RNA Splicing Machinery

Kainate, a glutamate analogue, activates kainate and AMPA receptors inducing strong synaptic activation. Systemic kainate application to rodents results in seizures, neurodegeneration, and neuronal remodeling in the brain. It is therefore used to investigate molecular mechanisms responsible for these conditions. We analyzed proteome alterations in murine primary cortical neurons after 24 h of kainate treatment. Our 2-D gel based proteomics approach revealed 91 protein alterations, some already associated with kainate-induced pathology. In addition, we found a large number of proteins which have not previously been reported to be associated with kainate-induced pathology. Functional classification of altered proteins revealed that they predominantly participate in mRNA splicing and cytoskeleton remodeling.