Structural and Functional Properties of Ionotropic and Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors

Excitatory neurochemical transmission in the mammalian brain is mediated by two important receptor families that are activated by the neurotransmitter, L-glutamic acid. N-linked glycosylation of the NTD impacts receptor trafficking, desensitization, and channel open probability. Some of the N-linked oligosaccharides of the NTD associate with proteins, such as N-cadherin and/or the ephrin receptor that form a scaffold to organize the synapse. The phosphorylation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors regulates channel gating, receptor trafficking, and membrane insertion in a subunit-dependent manner. Neurochemical transmission in the vertebrate brain is dominated by distinct classes of membrane-bound protein receptors that are stimulated by the excitatory amino-acid neurotransmitter, L-glutamic acid. L-Glu activates a family of ion channels called ionotropic glutamate receptor that depolarize central synapses by transporting extracellular Na+ and Ca2+ ions.