NR2A | GluN2A | Glutamate Receptor Ionotropic, NMDA 2A
Family:
Glutamate Receptors
Subgroups:
The Glutamate receptor family has further been divided into ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors.
The metabotropic glutamate receptor subfamily contains 8 members (mGluR1 - mGluR8)
The ionotropic glutamate receptors subfamily contains 16 members:
AMPA receptors: GluA1 (GluR1) - GluA4 (GluR4)
Kainate receptors: GluK1 (GluR5), GluK2 (GluR6), GluK3 (GluR7) , GluK4 (KA-1), GluK5 (KA-2)
NMDA receptors: GluN1 (NR1), GluN2A (NR2A), GluN2B (NR2B), GluN2C (NR2C), GluN2D (NR2D), GluN3A (NR3A), GluN3B (NR3B)
Regulation and Function:
Ionotropic glutamate receptors are ligand-gated nonselective cation channels that allow the flow of K+, Na+ and sometimes Ca2+ in response to glutamate binding. Metabotropic glutamate receptors belong to the subfamily C of G protein-coupled receptors. Glutamate receptors are responsible for the glutamate-mediated postsynaptic excitation of neural cells, and are important for neural communication, memory formation, learning, and regulation.