Insights into glutamate transport regulation in human astrocytes: cloning of the promoter for excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2).

ABSTRACT: Glutamate transport is central to neurotransmitter functions in the brain. Impaired glutamate transport induces neurotoxicity associated with numerous pathological processes, including stroke/ischemia, temporal lobe epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, HIV-1-associated dementia, and growth of malignant gliomas. Excitatory amino acid transporter-2 (EAAT2) is a major glutamate transporter in the brain expressed primarily in astrocytes. We presently describe the cloning and characterization of the human EAAT2 promoter, demonstrating elevated expression in astrocytes. Regulators of EAAT2 transport, both positive and negative, alter EAAT2 transcription, promoter activity, mRNA, and protein. These findings imply that transcriptional processes can re

SUBMITTER: Su ZZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC149940 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature