THE ROLE OF NMDA RECEPTOR ON SYNAPTIC DEVELOPMENT

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The role of NMDA receptors on the growth and development of dendrites and spines are not fully established. The NR1 cortical knockout is a valuable tool to study the role of NMDA receptors in postnatal development since the full NR1 knockout dies at birth. We have been studying the cortical synapses in these mice using electrophysiology, confocal and electron microscopy (serial section reconstruction and electron tomography) to understand the role of NMDA receptors on the development of spines and excitatory synapses.