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Serine racemase: an unconventional enzyme for an unconventional transmitter

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Abstract

The discovery of large amounts of d-serine in the brain challenged the dogma that only l-amino acids are relevant for eukaryotes. The levels of d-serine in the brain are higher than many l-amino acids and account for as much as one-third of l-serine levels. Several studies in the last decades have demonstrated a role of d-serine as an endogenous agonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). d-Serine is required for NMDAR activity during normal neurotransmission as well as NMDAR overactivation that takes place in neurodegenerative conditions. Still, there are many unanswered questions about d-serine neurobiology, including regulation of its synthesis, release and metabolism. Here, we review the mechanisms of d-serine synthesis by serine racemase and discuss the lessons we can learn from serine racemase knockout mice, focusing on the roles attributed to d-serine and its cellular origin.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Ran Inoue and Jeffrey Ehmsen for critical reading of the manuscript. Work in H.W. laboratory was supported by grants from IMHRO, Israel Science Foundation, ISF-Legacy Heritage Fund, Jessie Kaplan Research Fund, Dears Foundation, L. Aronberg Research Fund in Neurology and Albert Goodstein Research Fund. H.M. was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (Grant No. 221S0003).

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Wolosker, H., Mori, H. Serine racemase: an unconventional enzyme for an unconventional transmitter. Amino Acids 43, 1895–1904 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-012-1370-3

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