Glycine or D-serine activation of delta subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptor

Abstract

Delta receptors are members of the ionotropic glutamate receptor superfamily as they have a similar overall structure, arranged as dimer of dimers, with each subunit having extracellular amino terminal domain and agonist binding domain, transmembrane segments and intracellular domain. Unlike the other members of the family no ligand gated ion channel activity has been observed in the delta receptors. Delta receptors are hence thought to play a structural role by forming trans-synaptic connections through interactions with cerebellin-1 and pre-synaptic transmembrane protein neurexin-1β.