Definition
A glutamate receptor that is permeable to calcium ions and the current can be regulated by the postsynaptic membrane potential in addition to the binding of glutamate. NMDA receptors can act as coincidence detectors where presynaptic glutamate release combines with postsynaptic depolarization to pass calcium ions that initiate signaling pathways leading synaptic plasticity and other postsynaptic processes.
Detailed Description
NMDA receptors are named for the selective agonist (N-methyl-d-aspartate) that does not bind well to other glutamate receptors. The receptor is nonselective to cations and can allow Na+, K+, and Ca2+ to cross the membrane. The permeability to Ca2+ renders this synaptic receptor important for initiating signaling cascades.
The channel can be blocked by extracellular magnesium ions that are released when the postsynaptic neuron depolarizes, greatly reducing the resistance of the pore to current flow. Because the receptor is voltage regulated, the NMDA...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Collingridge GL, Bliss TVP (1987) NMDA receptors-their role in long-term potentiation. Trends Neurosci 10(7):288–293
Destexhe A, Mainen ZF, Sejnowski TJ (1998) Kinetic models of synaptic transmission. Method Neuronal Model 1–25
Dudek SM, Bear MF (1993) Bidirectional long-term modification of synaptic effectiveness in the adult and immature hippocampus. J Neurosci 13:2910–2918
Hebb DO (1949) The organization of behavior. Wiley, New York
Jahr CE, Stevens CF (1990) A quantitative description of NMDA receptor-channel kinetic behavior. J Neurosci 10(6):1830–1837
Jonas P, Spruston N (1994) Mechanisms shaping glutamate-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents in the CNS. Curr Opin Neurobiol 4(3):366–372
Lisman J (1989) A mechanism for the Hebb and the anti-Hebb processes underlying learning and memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 86(23):9574–9578
Ossipov M H, Frank P (2006) Descending modulation of pain. In: Merskey H, JD Loeser, R Dubner (eds), The Paths of Pain 1975-2006. Seattle, IASP Press, pp 117–130.
Further Reading
Dayan P, Abbott LF, Abbott L (2001) Theoretical neuroscience: computational and mathematical modeling of neural systems. Taylor & Francis, Cambridge, MA
Koch C (2004) Biophysics of computation: information processing in single neurons. Oxford University Press, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Roberts, P. (2014). N-Methyl-d-Aspartate (NMDA) Receptors, Conductance Models. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_354-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_354-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences