Glutamate Receptor, Ionotropic, Delta 2 (GRId2)

Human glutamate receptor delta-2 (GRID2) is a relatively new member of the family of ionotropic glutamate receptors which are the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter receptors in the mammalian brain. GRID2 is a predicted 1,007 amino acid protein that shares 97% identity with the mouse homolog which is expressed selectively in cerebellar Purkinje cells. A point mutation in mouse GRID2, associated with the phenotype named 'lurcher', in the heterozygous state leads to ataxia resulting from selective, cell-autonomous apoptosis of cerebellar Purkinje cells during postnatal development. Mice homozygous for this mutation die shortly after birth from massive loss of mid- and hindbrain neurons during late embryogenesis. This strongly suggests a role for GRID2 in neuronal apoptotic death.