AMPA Receptor Trafficking: A Road Map for Synaptic Plasticity

Constitutive and regulated trafficking of AMPARs at synapses. Left. AMPAR oligomers containing GluR1 or GluR4 subunits are added into synapses in an activity-dependent manner (regulated delivery) during long-term potentiation (LTP). GluR2–GluR3 oligomers are continuously cycling (constitutive pathway) in and out of synapses. Right. The activity-dependent (regulated) removal of AMPARs from synapses (LTD) is likely to affect all receptor populations.