Glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunits
glutamate ionotropic receptor nmda type subunits
The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (also known as the NMDA receptor or NMDAR), is a glutamate receptor and ion channel protein found in nerve cells. It is activated when glutamate and glycine (or D-serine ) bind to it, and when activated it allows positively charged ions to flow through the cell membrane. The NMDA receptor is very important for controlling synaptic plasticity and memory function. The NMDAR is a specific type of ionotropic glutamate receptor. The NMDA receptor is named this because the agonist molecule N -methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) binds selectively to it, and not to other glutamate receptors.