NR2A subunit expression shortens NMDA receptor synaptic currents in developing neocortex. Flint, A C, Maisch, U S, Weishaupt, J H, Kriegstein, A R, & Monyer, H J Neurosci, 17(7):2469–2476, April, 1997.
abstract   bibtex   
NMDA receptors play important roles in learning and memory and in sculpting neural connections during development. After the period of peak cortical plasticity, NMDA receptor-mediated EPSCs (NMDAR EPSCs) decrease in duration. A likely mechanism for this change in NMDA receptor properties is the molecular alteration of NMDA receptor structure by regulation of NMDA receptor subunit gene expression. The four modulatory NMDAR2A-D (NR2A-D) NMDA receptor subunits are known to alter NMDA receptor properties, and the expression of these subunits is regulated developmentally. It is unclear, however, how the four NR2 subunits are expressed in individual neurons and which NR2 subunits are important to the regulation of NMDA receptor properties during development in vivo. Analysis of NR2 subunit gene expression in single characterized neurons of postnatal neocortex revealed that cells expressing NR2A subunit mRNA had faster NMDAR EPSCs than cells not expressing this subunit, regardless of postnatal age. Expression of NR2A subunit mRNA in cortical neurons at even low levels seemed sufficient to alter the NMDA receptor time course. The proportion of cells expressing NR2A and displaying fast NMDAR EPSCs increased developmentally, thus providing a molecular basis for the developmental change in mean NMDAR EPSC duration.
@ARTICLE{Flint1997-iq,
  title    = "{NR2A} subunit expression shortens {NMDA} receptor synaptic
              currents in developing neocortex",
  author   = "Flint, A C and Maisch, U S and Weishaupt, J H and Kriegstein, A R
              and Monyer, H",
  abstract = "NMDA receptors play important roles in learning and memory and in
              sculpting neural connections during development. After the period
              of peak cortical plasticity, NMDA receptor-mediated EPSCs (NMDAR
              EPSCs) decrease in duration. A likely mechanism for this change
              in NMDA receptor properties is the molecular alteration of NMDA
              receptor structure by regulation of NMDA receptor subunit gene
              expression. The four modulatory NMDAR2A-D (NR2A-D) NMDA receptor
              subunits are known to alter NMDA receptor properties, and the
              expression of these subunits is regulated developmentally. It is
              unclear, however, how the four NR2 subunits are expressed in
              individual neurons and which NR2 subunits are important to the
              regulation of NMDA receptor properties during development in
              vivo. Analysis of NR2 subunit gene expression in single
              characterized neurons of postnatal neocortex revealed that cells
              expressing NR2A subunit mRNA had faster NMDAR EPSCs than cells
              not expressing this subunit, regardless of postnatal age.
              Expression of NR2A subunit mRNA in cortical neurons at even low
              levels seemed sufficient to alter the NMDA receptor time course.
              The proportion of cells expressing NR2A and displaying fast NMDAR
              EPSCs increased developmentally, thus providing a molecular basis
              for the developmental change in mean NMDAR EPSC duration.",
  journal  = "J Neurosci",
  volume   =  17,
  number   =  7,
  pages    = "2469--2476",
  month    =  apr,
  year     =  1997,
  language = "en"
}

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