Electrogenic glutamate transporters in the CNS: molecular mechanism, pre-steady-state kinetics, and their impact on synaptic signaling.

ABSTRACT: Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS. The spatiotemporal profile of the glutamate concentration in the synapse is critical for excitatory synaptic signalling. The control of this spatiotemporal concentration profile requires the presence of large numbers of synaptically localized glutamate transporters that remove pre-synaptically released glutamate by uptake into neurons and adjacent glia cells. These glutamate transporters are electrogenic and utilize energy stored in the transmembrane potential and the Na+/K+-ion concentration gradients to accumulate glutamate in the cell. This review focuses on the kinetic and electrogenic properties of glutamate transporters, as well as on the molecular mechanism of transport. Recent results are discussed that demons

SUBMITTER: Grewer C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2389879 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature