Visualizing the triheteromeric N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit composition.

ABSTRACT: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are one of three ligand-gated ionotropic channels that transduce the effects of neurotransmitter glutamate at excitatory synapses within the central nervous system. Their ability to influx Ca²⁺ into cells, unlike mature AMPA or kainate receptors, implicates them in a variety of processes ranging from synaptic plasticity to cell death. Many of the receptor's capabilities, including binding glutamate and regulating Ca²⁺ influx, have been attributed to their subunit composition, determined putatively using cell biology, electrophysiology and/or pharmacology. Here, we show that subunit composition of synaptic NMDARs can also be readily visualized in acute brain slices (rat) using highly specific antibodies directed against extracell

SUBMITTER: Beesley S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10244591 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature