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Related Experiment Videos

The glutamate story.

Jeffrey C Watkins1, David E Jane

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1TD. jeffwatkins@onetel.com

British Journal of Pharmacology
|January 13, 2006
PubMed
Summary
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Excitatory amino acid receptors, including NMDA and non-NMDA types, were identified over decades. Molecular biology in the 1990s distinguished ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, crucial for synaptic plasticity.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Glutamatergic synaptic transmission in mammals evolved over 20 years, starting in the 1950s.
  • Excitatory amino acids (EAA) were recognized to act via multiple receptors before their synaptic roles were established.
  • EAA receptors were initially classified as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors.

Observation:

  • NMDA receptors were confirmed as synaptic receptors on spinal neurons.
  • Non-NMDA receptor systems were found to be ubiquitous throughout the central nervous system (CNS).
  • NMDA and non-NMDA receptors cooperate in synaptic pathways, contributing to long-term potentiation (LTP).

Findings:

  • The discovery of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors advanced understanding of synaptic transmission.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Long-term potentiation (LTP), linked to synaptic plasticity, memory, and learning, involves both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors.
  • Molecular biology techniques in the 1990s identified two main families of glutamate receptors: ionotropic (iGlu) and metabotropic (mGlu).

    • Implications:

    • The identification of iGlu and mGlu receptor families resolved earlier dichotomies in glutamate receptor function.
    • Development of specific antagonists allows precise characterization of receptor subtypes involved in CNS processes.
    • Ongoing research into glutamate receptor subtypes promises deeper insights into synaptic plasticity and neurological functions.