NMDA receptor activity is important for many physiological functions, including synapse formation and alterations in synaptic strength. NMDA receptors are composed most commonly of NR1 and NR2 subunits. There are four NR2 subunits (NR2A-NR2D). NR2 subunit expression varies across both brain regions and developmental stages. The identity of the NR2 subunit within a functional NMDA receptor helps...

BACKGROUND We investigated the role of the central NMDA receptor NR2 subunits in the modulation of nociceptive behavior and p-p38 MAPK expression in a rat model with compression of the trigeminal nerve root. To address this possibility, changes in air-puff thresholds and pin-prick scores were determined following an intracisternal administration of NR2 subunit antagonists. We also examined effe...

Canonical NMDA receptors assemble from two glycine-binding NR1 subunits with two glutamate-binding NR2 subunits to form glutamate-gated excitatory receptors that mediate synaptic transmission and plasticity. The role of glycine-binding NR3 subunits is less clear. Whereas in Xenopus laevis oocytes, two NR3 subunits coassemble with two NR1 subunits to form a glycine-gated receptor, such a recepto...

Deletion of the NR2 element of the long control region (LCR) of bovine papillomavirus type 4 (BPV-4) was observed previously to lead to a fivefold increase in enhancer activity of a subfragment of the LCR. Further characterization of this element indicates that mutations in NR2 lead to increased enhancer activity in both mouse CT3 fibroblasts and in a transformed bovine epithelial cell line der...

The effects of various anthraquinone polyamines (AQP) were studied at recombinant N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The AQP derivatives had different numbers of methylene groups between the NH(2) (or NH) groups in their spermidine-like tail. Thus, we termed these derivatives AQ33, AQ34, etc. All AQP derivatives inhibited responses of NR1/NR2 receptors in...

Acid-base bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts were prepared by the reaction of an acidic silica-alumina (SA) surface with silane-coupling reagents possessing amino functional groups. The obtained SA-supported amines (SA-NR2) were characterized by solid-state 13C and 29Si NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The solid-state NMR spectra revealed that the amines were immo...

The NR3 subunits (NR3A and NR3B) are new players in a well-established field of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, previously involving the NR1 and NR2 subunits. Their incorporation into conventional NMDA receptors forms glutamate-activated NR1/NR2/NR3 triheteromers, while the omission of the glutamate-binding NR2 subunits results in excitatory glycine-activated NR1/NR3 diheteromers. These N...

At central excitatory synapses, the transient elevation of intracellular calcium reduces N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity. Such 'calcium-dependent inactivation' is mediated by interactions of calcium/calmodulin and alpha-actinin with the C terminus of NMDA receptor 1 (NR1) subunit. However, inactivation is also NR2-subunit specific, because it occurs in NR2A- but not NR2C-containin...

We studied whether the serum levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and of antibodies against the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit NR2 (NR2 RNMDA ) can discriminate between intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and ischaemic stroke (IS) in stroke patients. We prospectively recruited patients with suspected stroke (72 confirmed) and 52 healthy controls. The type of brain lesion (ICH or ...

The NR3 subunits (NR3A and NR3B) are new players in a well established field of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, previously involving the NR1 and NR2 subunits. Their incorporation into conventional NMDA receptors forms glutamate-activated NR1/NR2/NR3 triheteromers, whereas the omission of the glutamate-binding NR2 subunits results in excitatory glycine-activated NR1/NR3 diheteromers. Thes...