title: NMDA receptor as a newly identified member of the metabotropic glutamate receptor family: clinical implications for neurodegenerative diseases.
abstract: Recent reports have proposed a novel function for the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR), a well-known excitatory, ionotropic receptor. A series of observations employing pharmacological techniques has proposed that upon ligand binding, this ionotropic receptor can actually function via signaling cascades independent of traditional ionotropic action. Moreover, the "metabotropic" action of NMDARs is suggested to mediate a form of synaptic plasticity, namely long-term synaptic depression (LTD), which shares cellular mechanisms with the synaptic deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease. Given that a growing body of clinical and preclinical evidence strongly recommends NMDAR antagonists for their therapeutic potentials and advantages in a variety of diseases, further investigation into their molecular and cellular mechanisms is required to better understand the "metabotropic" action of NMDARs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea. cchung@konkuk.ac.kr
authors.forename: ChiHye
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate