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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Fast Micro-iontophoresis of Glutamate and GABA: A Useful Tool to Investigate Synaptic Integration
Published on: July 31, 2013
Recent excitement in the ionotropic glutamate receptor field
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016, USA. ziffe01@med.nyu.edu
Abstract:
The synapse is a specialized cellular junction with an elaborate and highly evolved capacity for signal transduction. At excitatory synapses, the neurotransmitter glutamate is released from the presynaptic nerve terminal and stimulates several types of glutamate receptors in the postsynaptic membrane. These include the ionotropic receptors, which are glutamate-gated cation channels, and the metabotropic receptors, which are G protein-coupled seven-transmembrane receptors. The ionotropic glutamate receptors have received special attention because of growing evidence that changes in their synaptic abundance, posttranslational modification, or molecular interactions can provide long-term changes in synaptic strength. This review summarizes new information about the ionotropic glutamate receptors and relates receptor function to the organization of the postsynaptic membrane and the regulation of electrophysiologic and biochemical signaling at the synapse.
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