NMDA receptor signalling controls R-type calcium channel levels at the neuronal synapse

Regulation of extracellular Ca++ influx by neuronal activity is a key mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity. At the neuronal synapse, activity-dependent Ca++ entry involves NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) and voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs); the relationship between NMDARs and VGCCs, however, is poorly understood. Here, I report that neuronal activity specifically regulates synaptic levels of R-type VGCCs through synaptic NMDAR signalling and protein translation. This finding reveals a link between two key neuronal signalling pathways, suggesting a feedback mode for regulation of Ca++ signalling at the synapse.