Abstract

Core fucosylation is catalyzed by α1,6-fucosyltransferase (Fut8), which transfers a fucose residue to the innermost GlcNAc residue via α1,6-linkage on N-glycans in mammals. We previously reported that Fut8 knockout (Fut8-/-) mice showed a schizophrenia-like phenotype and a decrease in working memory. To understand the underlying molecular mechanism, we analyzed early-form long-term potentiation (E-LTP), which is closely related to learning and memory in the hippocampus. The scale of E-LTP induced by high frequency stimulation was significantly decreased in Fut8-/- mice. Tetraethylammonium-induced LTP showed no significant differences, suggesting that the decline in E-LTP was caused by post-synaptic events. Unexpectedly, the phosphorylation levels of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), an important mediator of learning and memory in post-synapses, were greatly increased in Fut8-/- mice. The expression levels of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs) in the postsynaptic density were enhanced in Fut8-/- mice, although there were no significant differences in the total expression levels, implicating that AMPARs without core fucosylation might exist in an active state. The activation of AMPARs was further confirmed by Fura-2 calcium imaging using primary cultured neurons. Taken together, loss of core fucosylation on AMPARs enhanced their heteromerization, which might increase sensitivity for postsynaptic depolarization, and persistently activate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors as well as Ca2+ influx and CaMKII, and then impair LTP.