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Amino acid neurotransmitter transporters: Structure, function, and molecular diversity
Author(s) -
Clark Janet A.,
Amara Susan G.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950150506
Subject(s) - neurotransmitter transporter , transporter , neurotransmitter , function (biology) , amino acid , chemistry , diversity (politics) , biochemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , receptor , sociology , anthropology
Many biologically active compounds including neurotransmitters, metabolic precursors, and certain drugs are accumulated intracellularly by transporters that are coupled to the transmembrane Na + gradient. Amino acid neurotransmitter transporters play a key role in the regulation of extracellular amino acid concentrations and termination of neurotransmission in the CNS Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; GABA, γ‐aminobutyric acid; cDNA, complementary deoxyribonucleic acid; mRNA, messenger ribonucleic acid; NMDA, N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate; PKC, protein kinase C; PMA, phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate; DAG, diacyl glycerol; R59022, DAG kinase inhibitor; AA, arachidonic acid; ACHC, cis‐3‐aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid; GAT‐A, ACHC‐sensitive GABA transporter; GAT‐B, β‐alanine‐sensitive GABA transporter; GLY‐1 and GLYT‐1, glycine transporters; PROT‐1, proline transporter; BGT‐1, betaine transporter. . Transporters for the major amino acid neurotransmitters glutamate, GABA, and glycine are found in both neurons and glial cells. Recent work has resulted in the identification of cDNAs encoding several amino acid neurotransmitter transport proteins, all of which belong to the Na + ‐and Cl − ‐dependent transporter gene family. The diversity of this family suggests a degree of transporter heterogeneity that is greater than that indicated by biochemical and pharmacological studies.