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Activity‐dependent synaptic plasticity of NMDA receptors
Author(s) -
Rebola Nelson,
Srikumar Bettadapura N.,
Mulle Christophe
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.179382
Subject(s) - synaptic plasticity , metaplasticity , neuroscience , nonsynaptic plasticity , synaptic scaling , nmda receptor , ampa receptor , homosynaptic plasticity , synaptic augmentation , long term depression , synaptic fatigue , ion channel linked receptors , long term potentiation , excitatory postsynaptic potential , homeostatic plasticity , neuronal memory allocation , biology , receptor , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , biochemistry
Activity‐dependent, bidirectional control of synaptic efficacy is thought to contribute to many forms of experience‐dependent plasticity, including learning and memory. Although most excitatory synapses contain both AMPA and N ‐methyl‐ d ‐aspartate receptors (AMPARs and NMDARs), most studies have focused on the plasticity of synaptic AMPARs, and on the pivotal role of NMDA receptors for its induction. Here we review evidence that synaptic NMDARs themselves are subject to long‐term activity‐dependent changes by mechanisms that may differ from that of synaptic AMPARs. The bidirectional modulation of NMDAR‐mediated synaptic responses is likely to have important functional implications for NMDAR‐dependent forms of synaptic plasticity.