An epilepsy-associated GRIN2A rare variant disrupts CaMKIIα phosphorylation of GluN2A andNMDA receptor trafficking

A new collaborative study led by the Roche's Lab at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), is now published in Cell Reports. This study identified CaMKIIα phosphorylation of the GluN2A subunit on Ser-1459 as a mechanism regulating NMDA receptor trafficking. An epilepsy-associated rare variant at this same residue, GluN2A-S1459G, results in altered protein interactions, decreased NMDA receptor surface expression, and reduced synaptic function, providing potential insight into an epilepsy phenotype. Congratulations to the lead author, Dr. Marta Vieira, and Katherine on this beautiful work. 

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