Glutamate Flashcards
TRUE or FALSE: non-essential amino acids are not required in diet
TRUE
Where are non-essential amino acids synthesized?
most cells of the body
What are the 2 functional groups of the amino acid NTs?
- excitatory AA NT: glutamate, aspartate
- inhibitory AA NT: GABA, glycine
TRUE or FALSE: aspartate is released in a Na+ dependent manner
FALSE: Ca2+ dependent manner
TRUE or FALSE: Aspartate is stored in vesicles
False: just in the cytoplasm, not in vesicles
Which receptors does aspartate act on?
glutamate receptors
What is the most widely used excitatory NT?
glutamate
What percentage of neruons and synapses are glutamatergic?
- 90% of neurons
- 80-90% of synapses
What does glutatmate mediate?
fast excitatory neurotransmission (sensory, motor, emotion, cognition, memory)
Where is glutatmate most concentrated in the neuron?
presynaptic compartments
Describe the synthesis of glutamate (i.e. what enzyme)
glutamine converted to glutamate by glutaminase
How many families are there of VGLUT?
3
Glutamate is packaged into ______ to maintain a separate pool of NT.
vesicles
What can be used to identigy glutamatergic neurons?
vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT)
TRUE or FALSE: VGLUT is structurally and functionally similar to VMAT
TRUE
What is glutamate metabolized by? What is the end product?
glutamate converted to glutamine by glutamine synthetase
What are responsible for reuptake of glutamate?
excitatory AA transporters (EAATs)
TRUE or FALSE: EAATs are specific for glutamate
FALSE: non-specific fro glutamate and aspartate
How many families of EAATs are there?
5
Neurons comprise only _____% of the cells in the CNS. The reminains cells are termed ________.
50; glia
What are astrocytes?
define the brain side of the BBB
What are oligodendrocytes?
myelinate axons in white matterW
What are ependymal cells?
generate and regulate CSF
What are microglia?
immune surveillance and development
What do astrocytes regulate?
- intake of nutrients and O2 and blood flow in the brain
- synaptic functions and plasticity
What kind of synapses are astrocytes coupled by?
electrical synapses - gap junctions
TRUE or FALSE: human astrocytes are very dfiferent from rodents
TRUE
Grafting human astrocytes into mouse cortex ________ cognitive measures.
increases
Where are VGLUT1 and 2 expressed?
distinct glutamatergic populations in the CNS
Where is VGLUT3 expressed?
GABAergic, cholinergic, and monoaminergic neurons (modulatory function)
TRUE or FALSE: high levels of extracellular glutamate are toxic to neurons
TRUE
What does genetic KO of EAAT 1 and 2 result in?
increases in glutamate, esp in the striatum
What does KO of EAAT3 result in?
more limited effects in comparison to EAAT1 and 2
Which EAAT(s) is/are associated with astrocytes vs neurons?
- EAAT1 and 2 = astrocytic
- EAAT 3 = neuronal
Which pathway of glutamate recycling is the dominant pathway? (neuron or astrocyte?)
astrocyte