GluN2A-/- Mice Lack Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity in the Dentate Gyrus and Perform Poorly on Spatial Pattern Separation Tasks.

ABSTRACT: The different secondary subunits of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor each convey unique biophysical properties to the receptor complex, and may be key in determining the functional role played by NMDA receptors. In the hippocampus, the GluN2A and GluN2B subunits are particularly abundant; however, their exact roles in synaptic plasticity and behavior remain controversial. Here, we show that mice carrying a deletion for the GluN2A subunit (GluN2A(-/-)) demonstrate a severely compromised NMDA to AMPA receptor current ratio in granule cells from the dentate gyrus (DG), while granule cell morphology is unaltered. This deficit is accompanied by significant impairments in both LTP and LTD in the DG, whereas only minor impairments are observed in the CA1. In accordance with these hippocam

SUBMITTER: Kannangara TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4494024 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature