Abstract / Description of output
Glutamate gated postsynaptic receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) are essential for environmentally stimulated behaviours including learning and memory in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Though their genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and role in behaviour have been intensely studied in vitro and in vivo, their molecular evolution and structural aspects remain poorly understood. To understand how these receptors have evolved different physiological requirements we have investigated the molecular evolution of glutamate gated receptors and ion channels, in particular the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which is essential for higher cognitive function. Studies of rodent NMDA receptors show that the C-terminal intracellular domain forms a signalling complex with enzymes and scaffold proteins, which is important for neuronal and behavioural plasticity
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 6 |
Journal | BMC Neuroscience |
Volume | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2008 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Conserved Sequence
- Cytoplasm
- Evolution, Molecular
- Invertebrates
- Mice
- Models, Molecular
- Molecular Sequence Data
- PDZ Domains
- Protein Binding
- Protein Interaction Mapping
- Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
- Sequence Alignment
- Sequence Analysis, Protein
- Species Specificity
- Synaptic Transmission