Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor
2022-03-04: Neuroreceptors reference:
Ionotropic Glutamate Receptor (iGluR) #
AMPAR, Kainate Receptor NMDARs, and ‘delta receptors’. They are all tetramers (four different subunits) and all follow the same ion channel kinda structure.
- @Memantine a NMDA receptor antagonist that improves memory by restoration of homeostasis in the glutamatergic system - too little activation is bad, too much is even worse (Parsons et al. 2007)
- AMPA is characterized by very fast activation/inactivation (milliseconds) kinetics and is mostly postsynaptic and impermeable to Ca2+.
- Na+ flux to AMPARs induces depolarization, which removes Mg2+ blockage of NMDA, by which Ca2+/Na+ enters.
- Ca2+-permeable AMPAR do technically exist though.
- NMDA is characterized by activation only in certain conditions i.e. during plasticity and slower gating kinetics (hundreds of milliseconds).
- AMPA is characterized by very fast activation/inactivation (milliseconds) kinetics and is mostly postsynaptic and impermeable to Ca2+.