title: The expression of vesicular glutamate transporters defines two classes of excitatory synapse.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Fremeau
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Troyer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pahner
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Nygaard
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bellocchio
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fortin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Storm-Mathisen
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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