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Increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels triggers exocytotic release of D-serine from astrocytes. As D-serine (red) reaches the synaptic cleft, it binds to post-synaptic NMDA receptors (NMDARs), which also binds glutamate (blue) released from the pre-synaptic terminal. This co-incidental NMDAR detection favors NMDAR activation and induction of the most common forms of synaptic plasticity. Astrocytic nucleus is drawn as a black oval.
