GluN2A versus GluN2B: twins, but quite different

GluN2A and GluN2B subunit-containing NMDA receptors in hippocampal plasticity

N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent synaptic plasticity is a strong candidate to mediate learning and memory processes that require the hippocampus. This plasticity is bidirectional, and how the same receptor can mediate opposite changes in synaptic weights remains a conundrum. It has been suggested that the NMDAR subunit composition could be involved. Specifically, one subunit comp...

Metaplasticity gated through differential regulation of GluN2A versus GluN2B receptors by Src family kinases.

Metaplasticity is a higher form of synaptic plasticity that is essential for learning and memory, but its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we report that metaplasticity of transmission at CA1 synapses in the hippocampus is mediated by Src family kinase regulation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs). We found that stimulation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulated the absolu...

Different sites of alcohol action in the NMDA receptor GluN2A and GluN2B subunits.

The NMDA receptor is a major target of alcohol action in the CNS, and recent behavioral and cellular studies have pointed to the importance of the GluN2B subunit in alcohol action. We and others have previously characterized four amino acid positions in the third and fourth membrane-associated (M) domains of the NMDA receptor GluN2A subunit that influence both ion channel gating and alcohol sen...

A prominent role for triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDARs at central synapses.

Distinct Functional and Pharmacological Properties of Triheteromeric GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B NMDA Receptors

NMDA receptors are tetrameric ligand-gated ion channels comprised of GluN1, GluN2, and GluN3 subunits. Two different GluN2 subunits have been identified in most NMDA receptor-expressing cells, and the majority of native receptors are triheteromers containing two GluN1 and two different GluN2. In contrast to diheteromeric NMDA receptors, little is known about the function of triheteromers. We de...