[Calcium channels associated with glutamate receptors].
Ionotropic glutamate receptors are nowadays classified into two major categories based on the sensitivity to N-methyl-D-aspartic acid(NMDA) in the mammalian central nervous system. The NMDA channel has much higher permeability to Ca2+ than the non-NMDA channels in most situations, while point mutation could lead to increased permeation of Ca2+ across the non-NMDA channels. Opening of the NMDA channel is under control by a variety of endogenous low molecules, including glycine, polyamines, Mg2+, Zn2+ and H+, in addition to modulation by Ca2+/calmodulin, protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Moreover, the NMDA channel contains a redox site modulatory for the opening. Recent molecular cloning studies have revealed that the NMDA channel is a protein complex consisting of different subunits such as NMDAR1 and NMDAR2 with heterologous expression in the brain. Studies on mice knocked out of a particular gene argue in favor of an essential role of the corresponding subunits in molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal network formation and synaptic plasticity.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University.
K
K
Ogita
N
N
Kuramoto
Y
Y
Yoneda
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology
D015220:Calcium Channels; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D002118:Calcium