GRIN3A (Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl-D-aspartate 3A) | Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA)

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True Likely Speculative

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Human Uniqueness Compared to "Great Apes":

Likely Difference

MOCA Domain:

Genetics

MOCA Topic Authors:

Majesta O'Bleness

James Sikela

Glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl-D-aspartate 3A (GRIN3A) is a subunit of NMDA receptors, which are glutamate regulated ion-channels that regulate excitatory synaptic transmission. GRIN3A may be involved in the development of synaptic elements and genetic variation has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. GRIN3A has an amino acid change that lead to a loss of a myristoylation site. This change has been hypothesized to have affected human learning and memory.

Timing

Timing of appearance of the difference in the Hominin Lineage as a defined date or a lineage separation event. The point in time associated with lineage separation events may change in the future as the scientific community agrees upon better time estimates. Lineage separation events are defined in 2017 as:

the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) of humans and old world monkeys was 25,000 - 30,000 thousand (25 - 30 million) years ago
the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) of humans and chimpanzees was 6,000 - 8,000 thousand (6 - 8 million) years ago
the emergence of the genus Homo was 2,000 thousand (2 million) years ago
the Last Common Ancestor (LCA) of humans and neanderthals was 500 thousand years ago
the common ancestor of modern humans was 100 - 300 thousand years ago

Definite Appearance:

6,000 thousand years ago

Topic	Certainty
Alzheimer's Disease Pathology (Neurofibrillary Tangles)	Likely

Gene Symbol	Type of Human-Specific Changes
GRIN3A	Amino Acid Change

References

Genetic variation in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR3A but not NR3B influences susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease., Liu, Hsin-Ping, Lin Wei-Yong, Liu Shu-Hsiang, Wang Wen-Fu, Tsai Chon-Haw, Wu Bor-Tsang, Wang Chien-Kuo, and Tsai Fuu-Jen , Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, Volume 28, Issue 6, p.521-7, (2009)
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The identification and functional implications of human-specific "fixed" amino acid substitutions in the glutamate receptor family., Goto, H., Watanabe K., Araragi N., Kageyama R., Tanaka K., Kuroki Y., Toyoda A., Hattori M., Sakaki Y., Fujiyama A., et al. , BMC Evol Biol, Volume 9, p.224, (2009)
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