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Glutamate: Difference between revisions
>David Hedlund ==External links== *Glutamate (Wikipedia) |
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[[File:L-Glutamate.svg|250px|thumb|right|L-glutamate molecule]] | [[File:L-Glutamate.svg|250px|thumb|right|L-glutamate molecule]] | ||
'''Glutamate''', also known as '''glutamic acid''', is the most abundant | '''Glutamate''', also known as '''glutamic acid''', is one of the principal excitatory neurotransmitters in the human central nervous system (CNS). It is the most abundant neurotransmitter in vertebrates and is involved in every major excitatory function, accounting in total for well over 90% of the synaptic connections in the human brain.<ref>Meldrum BS (April 2000). "Glutamate as a neurotransmitter in the brain: review of physiology and pathology" (PDF). The Journal of Nutrition. 130 (4S Suppl): 1007S–15S. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/130.4.1007s. PMID 10736372.</ref> Because of its role in synaptic plasticity, glutamate is involved in cognitive functions such as learning and memory.<ref>McEntee WJ, Crook TH (1993). "Glutamate: its role in learning, memory, and the aging brain". Psychopharmacology. 111 (4): 391–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02253527. PMID 7870979.</ref> | ||
The receptors for glutamate fall into three major classes, known as AMPA receptors, [[NMDA receptor|NMDA receptors]], and metabotropic glutamate receptors. | |||
Glutamate is a major constituent of a wide variety of proteins which makes it one of the most abundant amino acids in the human body.<ref>Meldrum BS (April 2000). "Glutamate as a neurotransmitter in the brain: review of physiology and pathology" (PDF). The Journal of Nutrition. 130 (4S Suppl): 1007S–15S. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/130.4.1007s. PMID 10736372.</ref> It also serves as a metabolic precursor for the neurotransmitter [[GABA]], the main inhibitory neurotransmitter. | |||
==Chemistry== | ==Chemistry== | ||
Glutamate generally exists as a negatively-charged carboxylate at pH values above 4. | Glutamate generally exists as a negatively-charged carboxylate at pH values above 4. | ||
== | ==Glutamate system== | ||
There are two categories of glutamate receptors, named for the mechanism that gives rise to the postsynaptic current; ionotropic and metabotropic. Ionotropic receptors work via the movement of ions in and out on ligand-gated ion channels. Metabotropic receptors work via their activation of secondary messenger chemicals. These chemicals eventually induce the postsynaptic current, either through their own action or by activating the ligand-gated ion channels. | There are two categories of glutamate receptors, named for the mechanism that gives rise to the postsynaptic current; ionotropic and metabotropic. Ionotropic receptors work via the movement of ions in and out on ligand-gated ion channels. Metabotropic receptors work via their activation of secondary messenger chemicals. These chemicals eventually induce the postsynaptic current, either through their own action or by activating the ligand-gated ion channels. | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[ | *[[Neurotransmitter]] | ||
*[[Acetylcholine]] | *[[Acetylcholine]] | ||
*[[Dopamine]] | *[[Dopamine]] | ||
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*[[Noradrenaline]] | *[[Noradrenaline]] | ||
*[[GABA]] | *[[GABA]] | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[[wikipedia:Glutamate|Glutamate (Wikipedia)]] | *[[wikipedia:Glutamate|Glutamate (Wikipedia)]] | ||