Swiss-Prot Acc.P35436.Component of NMDA receptor complexes that function as heterotetrameric, ligand-gated ion channels with high calcium permeability and voltage-dependent sensitivity to magnesium (PubMed:1374164). Channel activation requires binding of the neurotransmitter glutamate to the epsilon subunit, glycine binding to the zeta subunit, plus membrane depolarization to eliminate channel inhibition by Mg2+. Sensitivity to glutamate and channel kinetics depend on the subunit composition; channels containing GRIN1 and GRIN2A have higher sensitivity to glutamate and faster kinetics than channels formed by GRIN1 and GRIN2B . Contributes to the slow phase of excitatory postsynaptic current, long-term synaptic potentiation, and learning (PubMed:7816096, PubMed:8987814).