Biochemistry I - Receptor biochemistry

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of our biochemistry studies course we invite all graduates to a celebration on 01.10.2022. Please register via e-mail. The programme and the registration form an be found on the website of the faculty.

We congratulate Sebastian Obst on achieving his doctorate degree.

Up to 20% of the population carry anti­bodies against glutamate receptors of the NMDA type independent of any disease, with pre­valence increasing with age. In colla­bo­ration with the Clinical Neuroscience Group of Hannelore Ehrenreich at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Göttingen, we have now shown a similar prevalence of antibodies against NMDA receptors in other mammals. Dogs, cats, rats and mice also displayed the age de­penden­cy found in most humans, whereas baboons and rhesus macaques in captivity did not. Based on this result and the observation that human migrants also show a weaker age dependency, we hypothesise that chronic stress triggers the antibody production.

When we immunised mice against NMDA receptors, they produced large amounts of antibodies. When the animals had a disrupted blood-brain barrier, they showed psychosis-like symptoms like the ones known to be caused by drug-induced NMDA receptor block. However, none of the animals had any signs of brain inflammation (encephalitis). This indicates that some of the symptoms observed in encephalitis patients carrying antibodies against NMDA receptors may indeed be caused by the antibodies, whereas the encephalitis itself has another cause.

Abstract. The complete article is openly accessible.