Cell-type specific mechanisms of D-serine uptake and release in the brain.

1. Front Synaptic Neurosci. 2014 May 30;6:12. doi: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00012.
eCollection 2014.

Cell-type specific mechanisms of D-serine uptake and release in the brain.

Martineau M(1), Parpura V(2), Mothet JP(3).

Author information:
(1)Department of Cellular Biophysics, Institute for Medical Physics and
Biophysics, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany.
(2)Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham,
AL, USA ; Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka Rijeka, Croatia.
(3)Aix Marseille University, CRN2M UMR7286 CNRS Marseille, France.

Accumulating evidence during the last decade established that D-serine is a key
signaling molecule utilized by neurons and astroglia in the mammalian central
nervous system. D-serine is increasingly appreciated as the main physiological
endogenous coagonist for synaptic NMDA receptors at central excitatory synapses;
it is mandatory for long-term changes in synaptic strength, memory, learning,
and social interactions. Alterations in the extracellular levels of D-serine
leading to disrupted cell-cell signaling are a trademark of many chronic or
acute neurological (i.e., Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, stroke) and psychiatric
(i.e., schizophrenia) disorders, and are associated with addictive behavior
(i.e., cocaine addiction). Indeed, fine tuning of the extracellular levels of
D-serine, achieved by various molecular machineries and signaling pathways, is
necessary for maintenance of accurate NMDA receptor functions. Here, we review
the experimental data supporting the notion that astroglia and neurons use
different pathways to regulate levels of extracellular D-serine.

DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2014.00012
PMCID: PMC4039169
PMID: 24910611

Auteurs Bordeaux Neurocampus