Department of Biochemistry I - Receptor Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
Trends Neurosci. 2012 Apr;35(4):240-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2011.11.010. Epub 2012 Jan 10.
The two GluN3 subunits were the last NMDA receptor subunits to be cloned some 15 years ago. Strikingly, despite the steadily growing interest in their function, their physiological role remains elusive. The original billing as dominant-negative modulators of classical NMDA receptors composed of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits has given way to proposals of much more complex functions, including roles in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. In addition, GluN3 subunits in the absence of GluN2 surprisingly assemble with GluN1 into excitatory glycine receptors. This review provides an overview of the unique spatial and temporal expression patterns of the GluN3 subunits, discusses proposed functions and physiological roles for receptors comprising these subunits, and briefly summarizes their putative involvement in several neural diseases.
这两个 GluN3 亚基是大约 15 年前最后被克隆的 NMDA 受体亚基。令人惊讶的是，尽管人们对它们的功能越来越感兴趣，但它们的生理作用仍然难以捉摸。最初被认为是由 GluN1 和 GluN2 亚基组成的经典 NMDA 受体的显性负调节剂的说法已经让位于更复杂的功能，包括在突触发生和突触可塑性中的作用。此外，令人惊讶的是，在没有 GluN2 的情况下，GluN3 亚基与 GluN1 一起组装成兴奋性甘氨酸受体。本文综述了 GluN3 亚基独特的时空表达模式，讨论了包含这些亚基的受体的功能和生理作用，并简要总结了它们在几种神经疾病中的潜在作用。
