NMDA receptor-mediated excitation and inhibition balance is required for somatosensory development and maturation

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In the present study, we compared functional roles of GluN2B and GluN2D in barrel development. Compared to control littermates, both the appearance of whisker-related patterning and the termination of critical period plasticity (CPP) were delayed by nearly a day in the somatosensory cortex of GluN2B+/- mice, but advanced by nearly a day in GluN2D-/- mice. Similar temporal shifts were also found at subcortical relay stations of the trigeminal pathway in both mice. By contrast, the magnitude of CPP in the barrel cortex was normal in both mice. Thus, GluN2B and GluN2D play counteractive roles in temporal development and maturation of barrels without affecting the magnitude of CPP. At each relay station, GluN2B was predominant at synapses of glutamatergic neurons while GluN2D was selective in GABAergic neurons. Taken together, these results indicate that GluN2B expressed in glutamatergic neurons facilitates somatosensory development, whereas GluN2D expressed in GABAergic neurons delays it.