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. 2013 May;11(3):250-62.
doi: 10.2174/1570159X11311030002.

NMDA Receptors in Glial Cells: Pending Questions

David Dzamba  1 , Pavel Honsa, Miroslava Anderova
Affiliations

NMDA Receptors in Glial Cells: Pending Questions

David Dzamba et al. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2013 May.

Abstract

Glutamate receptors of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type are involved in many cognitive processes, including behavior, learning and synaptic plasticity. For a long time NMDA receptors were thought to be the privileged domain of neurons; however, discoveries of the last 25 years have demonstrated their active role in glial cells as well. Despite the large number of studies in the field, there are many unresolved questions connected with NMDA receptors in glia that are still a matter of debate. The main objective of this review is to shed light on these controversies by summarizing results from all relevant works concerning astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and polydendrocytes (also known as NG2 glial cells) in experimental animals, further extended by studies performed on human glia. The results are divided according to the study approach to enable a better comparison of how findings obtained at the mRNA level correspond with protein expression or functionality. Furthermore, special attention is focused on the NMDA receptor subunits present in the particular glial cell types, which give them special characteristics different from those of neurons - for example, the absence of Mg(2+) block and decreased Ca(2+) permeability. Since glial cells are implicated in important physiological and pathophysiological roles in the central nervous system (CNS), the last part of this review provides an overview of glial NMDA receptors with respect to ischemic brain injury.

Keywords: Astrocytes; NG2 glia; NMDA receptors; ischemia; oligodendrocyte progenitors; oligodendrocytes; polydendrocytes..

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Figures

Fig. (1)
Fig. (1)
The most probable composition of NMDA receptors in glial cells. The most probable composition of NMDA receptors in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and polydendrocytes in particular CNS regions under physiological and pathological conditions, based on published data predominantly from functional studies. Question marks indicate unknown NMDA receptor composition. Note the presumed absence of NMDA receptors in hippocampal astrocytes under physiological conditions.
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