Glutamate

Where is glutamate sourced from?

the krebs cycle

Glutamate is synthesized from ___________ in nerve cells.

glutamine (amino acid)

What enzyme converts glutamine to glutamate?

glutaminase

Where is glutamate stored prior to release?

presynaptic vesicles

T/F: glutamate can only interact with presynaptic receptors

False: glutamate can interact with pre and post synaptic receptors (autoreceptors)

Glutamate is removed from the synaptic cleft via __________.

astrocytes

What happens after astrocytes remove glutamate from the synaptic cleft?

glutamate is converted back to glutamine

What happens after glutamate is converted to glutamine?

glutamine is taken back to the neuron for further synthesis

4 standard neurotransmitters from this lecture that Dr. Wright wants us to know.

1. glutamate

2. GABA

3. Glycine

4. Aspartate (not typical but is technically an NT)

T/F: Glutamine is NOT a neurotransmitter.

True

Name the two major categories of glutamate receptors.

1. Ionotropic

2. Metabotropic

Name the 2 types of ionotropic glutamate receptors.

1. NMDA

2. AMPA

What is required to activate NMDA receptors?

2 agonists and depolarization to remove the Mg++ ion

What agonists can activate NMDA receptors (4)?

1. Glutamate

2. Aspartate

3. Glycine

4. D-serine

NMDA receptors have _______ (slow/fast) kinetics and _________ (low/high) calcium permeability.

slow, high

What is required to activate AMPA receptors?

glutamate only

AMPA receptors have _______ (slow/fast) kinetics and _________ (low/high) calcium permeability.

fast, low

Name the Group 1 metabolic glutamate receptors.

mGlu1 and mGlu5

Name the Group 2 metabolic glutamate receptors.

mGlu2 and mGlu 3

Name the Group 3 metabolic glutamate receptors.

mGlu4, mGlu6, mGlu7 and mGlu 8

Pathologies associated with glutamate (4)

1. depression

2. schizophrenia

3. Alzheimer's

4. Stroke

What is long term potentiation?

a process where the strength of synapse connections increases after repeated or intense stimulation

What are the results of long term potentiation?

increased number of receptors and more efficient synapses

Name the sources of calcium for LTP (5).

1. voltage gated calcium channels

2. NMDA receptors

3. AMPA receptors

4. mGlu receptors

5. intracellular calcium stores

What is required to generate LTP in the "general model" (4)?

1. Postsynaptic calcium influx

2. Enhanced postsynaptic NT release

3. Activation of postsynaptic kinases

4. Retrograde synaptic messenger

Ionotropic glutamate receptors have ______ subunits.

4