The expression of vesicular glutamate transporters defines two classes of excitatory synapse.
The quantal release of glutamate depends on its transport into synaptic vesicles. Recent work has shown that a protein previously implicated in the uptake of inorganic phosphate across the plasma membrane catalyzes glutamate uptake by synaptic vesicles. However, only a subset of glutamate neurons expresses this vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT1). We now report that excitatory neurons lacking VGLUT1 express a closely related protein that has also been implicated in phosphate transport. Like VGLUT1, this protein localizes to synaptic vesicles and functions as a vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT2). The complementary expression of VGLUT1 and 2 defines two distinct classes of excitatory synapse.
Fremeau
R T
RT
Department of Neurology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Troyer
M D
MD
Pahner
I
I
Nygaard
G O
GO
Tran
C H
CH
Reimer
R J
RJ
Bellocchio
E E
EE
Fortin
D
D
Storm-Mathisen
J
J
Edwards
R H
RH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C493477:Slc17a6 protein, mouse; C493475:Slc17a6 protein, rat; C493465:Slc17a7 protein, mouse; C493466:Slc17a7 protein, rat; D050598:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 1; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid