- Glutamate receptor
Glutamate receptors are
transmembrane receptor s located onneuron membranes. These receptors bind theneurotransmitter glutamate .Function
Glutamate is the most prominent neurotransmitter in the body,cite web |url=http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Synaptic/info/glutamate.html |title="Glutamate Receptors - Structures and Functions" at bris.ac.uk |accessdate=2007-09-02 |format= |work=] being present in over 50% of nervous tissue. The primary glutamate receptor is specifically sensitive to N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (
NMDA ), which causes direct action of the central pore of the receptor, an ion channel, to drive the neuron to depolarize. Depolarization will trigger the firing, or action potential of the neuron, therefore NMDA is "excitatory". ]Types of glutamate receptors
There are two basic types of neural receptor: ionotropic, and metabotropic. [cite journal |author=Palmada M, Centelles J |title=Excitatory amino acid neurotransmission. Pathways for metabolism, storage and reuptake of glutamate in brain |journal=Front Biosci |volume=3 |issue= |pages=d701–18 |year= |pmid=9665875 |url=http://www.bioscience.org/1998/v3/d/palmada/3.htm]
There are many specific subtypes of glutamate receptors, and it is customary to refer to primary subtypes by a chemical which binds to it more selectively than glutamate. The research, though, is ongoing as subtypes are identified and chemical affinities measured. There are several compounds which are routinely used in glutamate receptor research and associated with receptor subtypes:
ee also
*
Anti-glutamate receptor antibodies References
External links
* [http://www.iuphar-db.org/GPCR/ChapterMenuForward?chapterID=1285 IUPHAR GPCR Database - Metabotropic glutamate receptors]
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
