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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

A High-throughput Calcium-flux Assay to Study NMDA-receptors with Sensitivity to Glycine/D-serine and Glutamate
Published on: July 10, 2018
Specific Roles of NMDA Receptor Subunits in Mental Disorders
1Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan. ikeda-kz@igakuken.or.jp.
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are crucial for learning and memory. Their subunit composition and dysfunction are linked to neurological and psychiatric disorders, with GluN2D implicated in psychosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are critical for cognitive functions like learning and memory.
- These receptors are tetramers composed of various subunits (GluN1, GluN2A-D, GluN3A-B).
- Subunit composition dictates NMDA receptor function in neural excitability, plasticity, and synaptic deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of NMDA receptor subunit dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- To highlight recent findings on specific subunits implicated in disease pathology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and summary of existing research.
- Analysis of studies investigating NMDA receptor subunit expression and function in disease models.
Main Results:
- NMDA receptor subunit dysregulation is associated with schizophrenia, mood disorders, and autism.
- Specific subunit alterations contribute to autoimmune-induced glutamatergic receptor dysfunction.
- The GluN2D subunit has a significant role in NMDA receptor antagonist-induced psychosis.
Conclusions:
- NMDA receptor subunit composition is a key determinant of brain function and dysfunction.
- Targeting specific NMDA receptor subunits may offer therapeutic strategies for various neurological and psychiatric conditions.
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