TRPC1 and metabotropic glutamate receptor expression in rat auditory midbrain neurons

Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels are plasma membrane cation channels included in the TRP superfamily. TRPC1 is expressed widely in the central nervous system and is linked to group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). In the auditory brainstem, TRPC1 expression has never been described, although group I mGluRs are present. In the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CIC), activation of group I mGluRs induces an extracellular Ca 2+ influx after store depletion. Therefore, this study examines whether TRPC1 is expressed in this region to establish a correlation with mGluRs. By quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, this study assesses the presence of TRPC1 along with both group I mGluR subtypes mGluR1 and mGluR5 in the rat inferior colliculus (IC). All these molecules present a robust expression in the IC. By confocal double immunofluorescence, this study also demonstrates that TRPC1 colocalizes with parvalbumin, a CIC neuronal marker, in many cells. Conversely, TRPC1 was lacking in glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive glial cells. All the glutamate acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67)‐immunoreactive neurons and many GAD67‐negative neurons were positive to TRPC1, which indicates the presence of TRPC1 in γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐ergic and non‐GABAeregic neurons. With regard to subcellular distribution, TRPC1 was absent in synaptophysin‐immunoreactive axonic terminals but colocalized with postsynaptic marker microtubule‐associated protein 2 in cell bodies and dendrites. TRPC1 totally overlapped group I mGluRs, which supports the involvement of TRPC1 in the mGluR pathway and, likely, in auditory signal processing at the midbrain level. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.