Glutamate

Question 1

Which metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGlu) is predominantly expressed on the post-synaptic neuronal membrane?
Which is group is this classified as?

Answer 1

mGlu1

Group 1 metabotropic receptors

Question 2

Which groups of glutamate receptors are expressed pre-synaptically?

Answer 2

Group 2 and group 3 metabotropic glutamate receptors

Question 3

What is glutamate?

Answer 3

Major excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS
GlutamatE (excitatory)

Question 4

Steps of Glutamate synthesis

Answer 4

Glutamine
| (glutaminsase)
Glutamate

Question 5

Glutamate degradation process

Answer 5

Glutamate
| (glutamine synthetase)
Glutamine

Question 6

Transporters involved in the glutamate degradation process

Answer 6

Glial cells
| SN1 & SAT2
Neurons

Question 7

List the Ionotropic glutamate receptors

Answer 7

NMDA receptors
AMPA receptors
Kainate receptors

Question 8

Which class of ionotropic glutamate receptor is ligand gated & voltage gated?

Answer 8

NMDA receptor

Question 9

Out of the following molecules which DOES NOT bind to NMDA receptors?

• D-serine
• Glutamate
• GABA
• Glycine

Answer 9

GABA

Question 10

Which NMDA receptor subunit is inhibitory to NMDA receptor function?

• GluN1
• GluN3
• GluN2
• GluN4

Answer 10

GluN3

Question 11

Which metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGLu) is classified as a group 1 mGlu receptor?

• mGlu1
• mGlu3
• mGlu2
• mGlu4

Answer 11

mGlu1

Question 12

Which class of ionotropic glutamate receptors are responsible for the majority of glutamatergic signalling in the CNS?

Answer 12

AMPA receptors

Question 13

Where are group 1 metabotropic receptors mainly expressed?

Answer 13

group I metabotropic receptors are expressed post-synaptically.

Question 14

What is long term potentitation?

Answer 14

It is the persistent strengthening of the synapse due to repeated patterns of activity

Question 15

Why is LTP important?

Answer 15

Underlies important processes such as learning & memory

Question 16

Explain the process of long term potentiation.

Answer 16

Glutamate activates the AMPA receptors

Na+ flows into the post-synaptic neuron causing depolarisation

NMDA receptors open, causing depolarisation & removing the Mg block of the voltage gated channel

Ca ions enter the cell and activates calmodulin kinase II (CMKII) and protein kinase C (PKC)

CAMKII and PKC triggers a series of reactions that lead to the insertion of a new AMPA receptor post synaptically

This increases the post synaptics membranes sensitivity to glutamate

= increased ion channel conductance