Title:Specific Roles of NMDA Receptor Subunits in Mental Disorders
Volume: 15
Issue: 3
Author(s): H. Yamamoto, Y. Hagino, S. Kasai and K. Ikeda
Affiliation:
Keywords:
GluN1, GluN2D, knockout mice, NMDA receptor subtype, phencyclidine, psychiatric disorders.
Abstract: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor plays important roles in learning and
memory. NMDA receptors are a tetramer that consists of two glycine-binding subunits GluN1,
two glutamate-binding subunits (i.e., GluN2A, GluN2B, GluN2C, and GluN2D), a combination
of a GluN2 subunit and glycine-binding GluN3 subunit (i.e., GluN3A or GluN3B), or two
GluN3 subunits. Recent studies revealed that the specific expression and distribution of each
subunit are deeply involved in neural excitability, plasticity, and synaptic deficits. The present
article summarizes reports on the dysfunction of NMDA receptors and responsible subunits
in various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autoimmune-induced glutamatergic
receptor dysfunction, mood disorders, and autism. A key role for the GluN2D subunit in NMDA receptor
antagonist-induced psychosis has been recently revealed.
