Glutamate Receptor, Ionotropic, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate 1 (GRIN1)

Glutamate [NMDA] receptor subunit zeta-1 is a critical subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, members of the glutamate receptor channel superfamily which are heteromeric protein complexes with multiple subunits arranged to form a ligand-gated ion channel. These subunits play a key role in the plasticity of synapses, which is believed to underlie memory and learning. The gene consists of 21 exons and is alternatively spliced, producing transcript variants differing in the C-terminus. Although the sequence of exon 5 is identical in human and rat, the alternative exon 5 splicing in rat has yet to be demonstrated in human. Cell-specific factors are thought to control expression of different isoforms, possibly contributing to the functional diversity of the subunits.