Journal
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 8, Issue 10, Pages 1329-1334Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/nn1539
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NINDS NIH HHS [NS40056] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Glutamate transporters are responsible for clearing synaptically released glutamate from the extracellular space. If expressed at high enough densities, transporters can prevent activation of extrasynaptic receptors by rapidly lowering glutamate concentrations to insignificant levels. We find that synaptic activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors expressed by Purkinje cells is prevented in regions of rat cerebellum where the density of the glutamate transporter EAAT4 is high. The consequences of metabotropic receptor stimulation, including activation of a depolarizing conductance, cannabinoid-mediated presynaptic inhibition and long-term depression, are also limited in Purkinje cells expressing high levels of EAAT4. We conclude that neuronal uptake sites must be overwhelmed by glutamate to activate perisynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors. Regional differences in glutamate transporter expression affect the degree of metabotropic glutamate receptor activation and therefore regulate synaptic plasticity.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available