Glutamate receptor ionotropic, NMDA 2A (GRIN2A)

Part of NMDA receptor complexes that serve as heterotetrameric, ligand-gated ion channels with high calcium permeability and voltage-dependent sensitivity to magnesium. Channel activation requires binding of the neurotransmitter glutamate to the epsilon subunit, glycine binding to the zeta subunit, plus membrane depolarization to get rid of channel inhibition by Mg(2+) (PubMed:8768735, PubMed:26919761, PubMed:26875626, PubMed:28105280).

Sensitivity to glutamate and channel kinetics are determined by the subunit composition; stations comprising GRIN1 and GRIN2A have higher sensitivity to glutamate and faster kinetics than channels formed by GRIN1 and GRIN2B (PubMed:26919761, PubMed:26875626). Contributes to the slow stage of excitatory postsynaptic current, long-term synaptic potentiation, and learning (By similarity).