title: Slips, leaks and channels in glutamate transporters.
abstract: Glutamate transporters are unusual proteins in that they can function as both a transporter and a chloride channel. With the recent determination of the crystal structure of an archaeal aspartate transporter it is now possible to begin to put together a physical picture of how these proteins are able to carry out their dual functions. In this review we shall discuss our current understanding of the functional states of glutamate transporters and how they may arise. We will also discuss some of the alternate conducting states of glutamate transporters and provide definitions of the various states.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. robv@med.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Vandenberg
authors.forename: Shiwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Renae M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000378:metabolism; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods; D019281:Dimerization; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D050580:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D027981:Symporters / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D027322:Amino Acid Transport System X-AG; D018118:Chloride Channels; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2; D050580:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 3; D027981:Symporters