Intercellular glutamate signaling in the nervous system and beyond.
Most intercellular glutamate signaling in the nervous system occurs at synapses. Some intercellular glutamate signaling occurs outside synapses, however, and even outside the nervous system where high ambient extracellular glutamate might be expected to preclude the effectiveness of glutamate as an intercellular signal. Here, I briefly review the types of intercellular glutamate signaling in the nervous system and beyond, with emphasis on the diversity of signaling mechanisms and fundamental unanswered questions.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607.
David E
DE
Featherstone
D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D005110:Extracellular Space; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000502:physiology; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018698:Glutamic Acid