ABSTRACT
In pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus and cortex, NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) are the predominant sources of synaptically evoked calcium (Ca) signals1-7 (Figure 9.1A through C). Ca influx through NMDARs regulates diverse processes including kinase and phosphatase activity, protein trafficking, structural and functional synaptic plasticity, cell growth, cell survival, and apoptosis.8-11 Which of these many Ca-dependent processes are triggered when NMDARs open depend on the context of receptor activation and the magnitude, kinetics, timing, and spatial spread of the resulting Ca transients. This chapter reviews the features of NMDARs that determine Ca influx through the receptors and discusses how the context of NMDAR activation shapes synaptically evoked Ca transients.
