Trkb. shc and rasgrf regulate nmda receptor activity

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Intercellular communication between cells in the brain involves highly specialized regions of contact, termed synapses, between 2 cells referred to as pre and post-synaptic neurons. It is here that there is an enrichment of receptors and signaling molecules that facilitate responses to neurotransmitters and growth factors that, in turn, can strengthen and/or weaken a particular synapse. The increase or loss of particular synapses underlies a process termed plasticity and it is this process by which the brain modulates its neural connections during learning and memory development. Two different classes of cell surface receptors have been shown to serve important roles in learning and memory. These are NMDA receptors which are activated by excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain such as glutamate and a receptor termed TrkB which responds to a growth factor termed brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Since these are 2 very different types of receptors, it has not been well understood how they could both be important to learning and memory and/or if they are working together to regulate this process.