We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The effects of the NMDAR co-agonist d-serine on the structure and function of optic tectal neurons in the developing visual system.
- Authors
Chorghay, Zahraa; Li, Vanessa J.; Schohl, Anne; Ghosh, Arna; Ruthazer, Edward S.
- Abstract
The N-methyl-d-aspartate type glutamate receptor (NMDAR) is a molecular coincidence detector which converts correlated patterns of neuronal activity into cues for the structural and functional refinement of developing circuits in the brain. d-serine is an endogenous co-agonist of the NMDAR. We investigated the effects of potent enhancement of NMDAR-mediated currents by chronic administration of saturating levels of d-serine on the developing Xenopus retinotectal circuit. Chronic exposure to the NMDAR co-agonist d-serine resulted in structural and functional changes in the optic tectum. In immature tectal neurons, d-serine administration led to more compact and less dynamic tectal dendritic arbors, and increased synapse density. Calcium imaging to examine retinotopy of tectal neurons revealed that animals raised in d-serine had more compact visual receptive fields. These findings provide insight into how the availability of endogenous NMDAR co-agonists like d-serine at glutamatergic synapses can regulate the refinement of circuits in the developing brain.
- Subjects
NEURONS; COMPACTING; VISUAL fields; GLUTAMATE receptors; METHYL aspartate receptors; SYNAPSES; XENOPUS
- Publication
Scientific Reports, 2023, Vol 13, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2045-2322
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41598-023-39951-4