title: Molecular biology and electrophysiology of glutamate-gated chloride channels of invertebrates.
abstract: In this chapter we summarize the available data on a novel class of ligand-gated anion channels that are gated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. Glutamate is classically thought to be a stimulatory neurotransmitter, however, studies in invertebrates have proven that glutamate also functions as an inhibitory ligand. The bulk of studies conducted in vivo have been on insects and crustaceans, where glutamate was first postulated to act on H-receptors resulting in a hyperpolarizing response to glutamate. Recently, glutamate-gated chloride channels have been cloned from several nematodes and Drosophila. The pharmacology and electrophysiological properties of these channels have been studied by expression in Xenopus oocytes. Studies on the cloned channels demonstrate that the invertebrate glutamate-gated chloride channels are the H-receptors and represent important targets for the antiparasitic avermectins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065-0900, USA.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Cully
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Vassilatis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Etter
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Arena
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000502:physiology; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D008967:Molecular Biology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009348:Nematoda / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels; D018698:Glutamic Acid