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Estimating the Ca2+ Permeability of NMDA Receptors with Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology

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NMDA Receptors

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2799))

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Abstract

In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), fast excitatory transmission relies primarily on the ionic fluxes generated by ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). Among iGluRs, NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are unique in their ability to pass large, Ca2+-rich currents. Importantly, their high Ca2+ permeability is essential for normal CNS function and is under physiological control. For this reason, the accurate measurement of NMDA receptor Ca2+ permeability represents a valuable experimental step in evaluating the mechanism by which these receptors contribute to a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. In this chapter, we provide a theoretical and practical overview of the common methods used to estimate the Ca2+ permeability of ion channels as they apply to NMDA receptors. Specifically, we describe the principles and methodology used to calculate relative permeability (PCa/PNa) and fractional permeability (Pf), along with the relationship between these two metrics. With increasing knowledge about the structural dynamics of ion channels and of the ongoing environmental fluctuations in which channels operate in vivo, the ability to quantify the Ca2+ entering cells through specific ion channels remains a tool essential to delineating the molecular mechanisms that support health and cause disease.

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Change history

  • 03 July 2024

    A correction has been published.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Mae G. Weaver & Gabriela K. Popescu

Authors
  1. Mae G. Weaver
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  2. Gabriela K. Popescu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mae G. Weaver or Gabriela K. Popescu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France

    Nail Burnashev

  2. INSERM, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Marseille, France

    Pierre Szepetowski

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© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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Weaver, M.G., Popescu, G.K. (2024). Estimating the Ca2+ Permeability of NMDA Receptors with Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology. In: Burnashev, N., Szepetowski, P. (eds) NMDA Receptors. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2799. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3830-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3830-9_10

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-3829-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-3830-9

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