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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
04:48
A High-throughput Calcium-flux Assay to Study NMDA-receptors with Sensitivity to Glycine/D-serine and Glutamate
Published on: July 10, 2018
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[Cognitive Function and Calcium. NMDA receptor activity dependent intracellular Ca increase in neurons]
1Department of Chronomedicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
Clinical Calcium
|January 31, 2015
Summary
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are crucial for learning and memory. Our findings reveal that calcium influx during NMDAR-dependent depolarization primarily occurs through voltage-gated calcium channels, not directly through NMDARs.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Signaling
Context:
- N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are implicated in learning, memory, and neurological disorders.
- NMDARs' high calcium (Ca2+) permeability suggests a direct role in mediating neuronal activities.
- Existing research emphasizes Ca2+ influx through NMDARs for intracellular signaling.
Purpose:
- To investigate the primary source of intracellular Ca2+ increase during NMDAR-dependent depolarization.
- To elucidate the precise mechanisms of calcium signaling downstream of NMDAR activation.
Summary:
- This study challenges the prevailing view that Ca2+ influx occurs directly through NMDARs.
- Our research demonstrates that the significant rise in intracellular Ca2+ during NMDAR-mediated depolarization is a secondary event.
- This Ca2+ increase is predominantly mediated by voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs).
Impact:
- Revises the understanding of NMDAR function in synaptic plasticity and neuronal signaling.
- Provides new insights into the pathophysiology of NMDAR-related neurological and mental disorders.
- Offers potential therapeutic targets by highlighting the role of VGCCs in NMDAR-associated signaling pathways.
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