neurotransmitters Flashcards
what is glutamate
an amino acid that can be synthesised in all cells - metabolic glutamate and transmissible glutamate
how is glutamate synthesised
from glucose via TCA and GABA-T in krebs cycle
from glutamine by glutaminase
how is glutamate processed and released from cells
- glutamate made in neuron
- loaded into synaptic vesicle via V-GLUT
- on Ca2+ influx, synaptic vesicle releases glutamate into synapse
- glutamate is taken up into astrocyte or neuron via EAAT
what are the two types of glutamate receptors
metabotropic glutamate receptors - mGluRs - GPCR
ionotropic glutamate receptors - ligand gated ion channels
what are mGluRs
GPCRs belonging to C class with large extracellular N-terminal where glutamate binds
8 subtypes mGluR1-8 split into three groups
what are the three mGluR groups
group 1 - mGluR1 and 5
- post synaptic and excitatory
- G alpha Q/11 - increases calcium
group 2/3 - mGluR 2/3 (2) mGluR 4-7 (3)
- presynaptic neuromodulation inhibitors
- G alpha i/o - decreases cAMP
what are the three classes of ionotropic glutamate receptors
NMDA
AMPA
Kainite
- all respond to different synthetic glutamate analogues
- all have similar structures - tetramers
what are NMDAR
- receptors that only respond to Lglutamate and NMDA
- tetrameric that forms a hetero-tetramer of 7 potential subunits
- usually 2GluN1 and 2GluN2
- receptor composition affects properties of receptor
- selective for Na, Ca, K
what are the 5 binding sites present on NMDAR
- glutamate - agonist site
- glycine
- polyamine
- Mg2+
- channel blocking site
how does glutamate bind to NMDAR
each tetramer binds to two molecules of glutamate, requires co-agonist of 2 glycine (D-serine or D-alanine) at GluN1
what competitive agonists can act at the glutamate site on NMDAR
D-AP5
what antagonists can bind to the glycine site on NMDAR
kynurenic acid and CGP 61594
what is the polyamine site on NMDAR
modulator site at amino terminal domain - allosteric modulators - can increase responses
what is the Mg2+ side on NMDAR
Channel is blocked by Mg 2+ at resting neuronal membrane potentials giving NMDAR voltage dependant channel block
what is the channel blocking site on NMDAR
allows for binding when the channel is open - ketamine, memantine
what are AMPAR
ligand gated ion channels that only respond to AMPA and L glutamine - forms a homotetramer or mixed heterotetrametric - impermeable to calcium and mediates fast excitatory transmission
what are KAINITER
ligand gated ion channels that only respond to kainite and L glutamine - structurally similar to AMPAR
what is end plate potential (EPP)
EPP is very large and activates an action potential in the muscle cell which then propagates - type of EPSP
what is EPSP
excitatory post synaptic potential
where are EPSPs formed in the CNS
pre-synaptic neurons - input from many presynaptic neurons is required to generate an action potential - Depolarisation eventually reaches threshold for firing