Glutamatergic chemical transmission: look! Here, there, and anywhere.
Vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) is responsible for the active transport of L-glutamate in synaptic vesicles and thus plays an essential role in the glutamatergic chemical transmission in the central nervous system. VGLUT comprises three isoforms, VGLUT1, 2, and 3, and is a potential marker for the glutamatergic phenotype. Recent studies indicated that VGLUT is also expressed in non-neuronal cells, and localized with various organelles such as synaptic-like microvesicles in the pineal gland, and hormone-containing secretory granules in endocrine cells. L-Glutamate is stored in these organelles, secreted upon various forms of stimulation, and then acts as a paracrine-like modulator. Thus, VGLUTs highlight a novel framework of glutamatergic signaling and reveal its diverse modes of action.
Moriyama
Yoshinori
Y
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530. moriyama@pheaant.pharm.okayama-u.ac.jp
Yamamoto
Akitsugu
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D022142:Secretory Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D012964:Sodium