Maturational Regulation of Glutamate Receptors and Their Role in Neuroplasticity

Glutamate receptors mediate most excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. Additionally, they mediate many forms of synaptic plasticity such as those thought to comprise the physiological basis of learning and memory. In the developing brain, glutamate receptor activation is required for appropriate synaptogenesis and activity-driven refinement of functional synaptic networks (1,2). Thus, in early brain development, glutamate receptors additionally mediate highly age-specific forms of neuroplasticity that may not continue into maturity. Notably, activity-driven and maturational changes in the physiological roles glutamate receptors are paralleled by dynamic regulation of their molecular composition and functional properties. In this chapter, we review the glutamate receptor subtypes and discuss the possible relationships between their dynamic regulation during development and their ability to mediate various forms of synaptic plasticity.