Learning insights transmitted by glutamate
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Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Single Synapse Indicators of Glutamate Release and Uptake in Acute Brain Slices from Normal and Huntington Mice
Published on: March 11, 2020
Evangelos G Antzoulatos1, John H Byrne
1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, W.M. Keck Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Abstract:
Plasticity of the Aplysia sensorimotor synapse plays a crucial role in learning and memory of withdrawal reflexes. During the past ten years, a growing body of evidence has indicated that the sensorimotor synapse is glutamatergic. This new information has guided several studies that implicate AMPA and NMDA receptors in synaptic plasticity. However, further work is necessary to delineate the exact properties of the postsynaptic receptors, and their role in transmission and plasticity. Despite the still incomplete picture of the intrinsic properties of the sensorimotor synapse, identifying the endogenous transmitter has provided a foundation for new avenues of research, the results of which will further improve our understanding of the neurobiology of learning and memory.
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