NMDA receptors require both L-glutamate and the coagonist glycine for efficient channel
activation. The glycine binding site of these heteromeric receptor proteins is formed by
regions of the NMDAR1 (NR1) subunit that display sequence similarity to bacterial amino …

CD38, a transmembrane glycoprotein with ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity, catalyses the
formation of Ca 2+ signalling molecules, but its role in the neuroendocrine system is
unknown. Here we show that adult CD38 knockout (CD38-/-) female and male mice show …

Phosphorylation of the glutamate receptor is an important mechanism of synaptic plasticity.
Here, we show that the C terminus of GluR2 of the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐
4‐propionate (AMPA) receptor is phosphorylated by protein kinase C and that serine‐880 is …

The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors is a
heterooligomeric membrane protein composed of homologous subunits. Here, the
contribution of the M3-M4 loop of the NR1 subunit to the binding of glutamate and the co …

Cerebellar long‐term depression (LTD) is thought to play an important role in certain types
of motor learning. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this event have not been
clarified. Here, using cultured Purkinje cells, we show that stimulations inducing cerebellar …

Cbln1 is a cerebellum-specific protein of previously unknown function that is structurally
related to the C1q and tumor necrosis factor families of proteins. We show that Cbln1 is a
glycoprotein secreted from cerebellar granule cells that is essential for three processes in …

The neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains poorly understood.
Given the role of CD38 in social recognition through oxytocin (OT) release, we hypothesized
that CD38 may play a role in the etiology of ASD. Here, we first examined the …

Previous gene knockout studies have shown that the orphan glutamate receptor δ2
(GluRδ2) is critically involved in synaptogenesis between parallel fibers and Purkinje cells
during development. However, the precise function of GluRδ2 and whether it is functional in …

It is known that cerebellar granule cells are powerful inducers for the differentiation of
Purkinje cells. However, the detailed mechanism of this regulation has not yet been clarified.
Here, using cerebellar neuronal culture, we show that the activation of NMDA receptors …

Phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol, collectively referred to as
phosphoinositides, occur in the cytoplasmic leaflet of cellular membranes and regulate
activities such as vesicle transport, cytoskeletal reorganization and signal transduction 1, 2 …