New Study Reveals Role of D-Serine in Brain Circuit Development

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PASADENA, Calif. — June 13, 2023 — A new study co-authored by Dr. Anju Vasudevan, Senior Scientist at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI), reveals that the amino acid D-serine plays a key role in the development and maturation of inhibitory interneurons within the brain’s prefrontal cortex — a region critical for cognition, emotion, and executive function.

Published in Scientific Reports, the paper — “D-Serine Availability Modulates Prefrontal Cortex Inhibitory Interneuron Development and Circuit Maturation” — identifies a developmental mechanism by which D-serine availability influences neural balance and connectivity in early life, with potential implications for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.

The research team — O.O. Folorunso, S.E. Brown, J. Baruah, T.L. Harvey, S.A. Jami, I. Radzishevsky, H. Wolosker, J.M. McNally, J.A. Gray, A. Vasudevan, and D.T. Balu — found that:

  • D-serine levels regulate inhibitory interneuron formation in the prefrontal cortex.

  • Altered D-serine availability disrupted synaptic integration and network maturation, affecting the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling.

  • These developmental effects highlight D-serine’s role as a co-agonist at NMDA receptors, essential for neuronal communication and cortical circuit formation.

“This study deepens our understanding of how neurochemical balance during development shapes brain circuitry,” said Dr. Vasudevan. “It underscores that early disruptions in D-serine signaling may have lasting effects on cognition and mental health.”

The findings extend Dr. Vasudevan’s ongoing work on vascular and neuronal interactions in the developing brain, and how molecular cues guide healthy brain wiring.

Full article: Scientific Reports, June 2023