REVIEW: Astrocytic NMDA Receptors

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Artem M. Kosenkov^1,a*, Sergei A. Maiorov¹, Sergei G. Gaidin¹

¹Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research, Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: December 20, 2023; Revised: April 24, 2024; Accepted: April 25, 2024

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Astrocytic NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are heterotetramers, whose expression and properties are largely determined by their subunit composition. Astrocytic NMDARs are characterized by a low sensitivity to magnesium ions and low calcium conductivity. Their activation plays an important role in the regulation of various intracellular processes, such as gene expression and mitochondrial function. Astrocytic NMDARs are involved in calcium signaling in astrocytes and can act through the ionotropic and metabotropic pathways. Astrocytic NMDARs participate in the interactions of the neuroglia, thus affecting synaptic plasticity. They are also engaged in the astrocyte-vascular interactions and contribute to the regulation of vascular tone. Astrocytic NMDARs are involved in various pathologies, such as ischemia and hyperammonemia, and their blockade prevents negative changes in astrocytes during these diseases.

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KEY WORDS: astrocytes, NMDA receptors, neuroglial interactions, neuropathologies

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297924060063

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