Cell type-specific pharmacology of NMDA receptors using masked MK801

Cell type-specific pharmacology of NMDA receptors using masked MK801

Blog Article

N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA-Rs) are ion channels that are important for synaptic plasticity, which is involved in learning and drug addiction.We show enzymatic targeting of an Therapeutic Conditioners NMDA-R antagonist, MK801, to a molecularly defined neuronal population with the cell-type-selectivity of genetic methods and the temporal control Bench of pharmacology.We find that NMDA-Rs on dopamine neurons are necessary for copyright-induced synaptic potentiation, demonstrating that cell type-specific pharmacology can be used to dissect signaling pathways within complex brain circuits.