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Science 10 November 1989:
Vol. 246. no. 4931, pp. 815 - 818
DOI: 10.1126/science.2573153
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Articles

Science, Vol 246, Issue 4931, 815-818
Copyright © 1989 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Tonic activation of NMDA receptors by ambient glutamate enhances excitability of neurons

P Sah, S Hestrin, and RA Nicoll

Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco 94143.

Voltage clamp recordings and noise analysis from pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices indicate that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are tonically active. On the basis of the known concentration of glutamate in the extracellular fluid, this tonic action is likely caused by the ambient glutamate level. NMDA receptors are voltage-sensitive, thus background activation of these receptors imparts a regenerative electrical property to pyramidal cells, which facilitates the coupling between dendritic excitatory synaptic input and somatic action potential discharge in these neurons.


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