The NMDA receptor subunit GluN2D is a potential target for rapid antidepressant action

Ketamine is the first glutamatergic agent in clinical use for major depression, but its primary target remains unclear. Further research is needed to develop more specific interventions with fewer side effects. Ketamine is a noncompetitive antagonist of the glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Here, we show that ketamine preferentially targets GluN2D-containing NMDA receptors on interneurons, and that selective GluN2D antagonism is sufficient to produce rapid antidepressant-like effects. We use ketamine, the selective GluN2C/D inhibitor NAB-14, Grin2d-siRNA and chemogenetic approaches in hippocampal slices and in vivo mice. We find that GluN2D antagonism inhibits NMDAR currents in interneurons but not pyramidal cells, and that GluN2D-mediated recruitment of GABAergic interneurons controls inhibitory circuits regulating hippocampal activity and plasticity. In a mouse model of depression, GluN2D inhibition recovers excitation-inhibition balance, restores plasticity, and mimics antidepressant-like actions of ketamine with fewer side effects. These findings identify GluN2D as a highly specific target for novel antidepressant therapy.