2. Academic Validation
  3. NR1 Splicing Variant NR1a in Cerebellar Granule Neurons Constitutes a Better Motor Learning in the Mouse

NR1 Splicing Variant NR1a in Cerebellar Granule Neurons Constitutes a Better Motor Learning in the Mouse

  • Cerebellum. 2023 Oct 25. doi: 10.1007/s12311-023-01614-5.
Ting Tan 1 2,  Linyan Jiang 2,  Zhengxiao He 2,  Xuejiao Ding 2,  Xiaoli Xiong 2,  Mingxi Tang 3,  Yuan Chen 4,  Yaping Tang 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Neurobiology Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
  • 2 Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
  • 3 Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China. [email protected].
  • 4 Neurobiology Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China. [email protected].
  • 5 Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China. [email protected].
PMID: 37880519 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01614-5
Abstract

As an excitatory neuron in the cerebellum, the granule cells play a crucial role in motor learning. The assembly of NMDAR in these neurons varies in developmental stages, while the significance of this variety is still not clear. In this study, we found that motor training could specially upregulate the expression level of NR1a, a splicing form of NR1 subunit. Interestingly, overexpression of this splicing variant in a cerebellar granule cell-specific manner dramatically elevated the NMDAR binding activity. Furthermore, the NR1a transgenic mice did not only show an enhanced motor learning, but also exhibit a higher efficacy for motor training in motor learning. Our results suggested that as a "junior" receptor, NR1a facilitates NMDAR activity as well as motor skill learning.

Keywords

Cerebellum; Granule cell; Motor learning; NR1a.

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