2-Minute Neuroscience: Glutamate

Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter of the human nervous system. It is an amino acid neurotransmitter that interacts with both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. There are 3 identified ionotropic glutamate receptors: NMDA, AMPA, and kainate receptors, and 3 identified metabotropic glutamate receptors. Glutamate is removed from the synaptic cleft by excitatory amino acid transporters, or EAATs. Glutamate that is transported into glial cells is converted to glutamine before being sent back to the neuron to be converted back to glutamate, a process referred to as the glutamate-glutamine cycle.

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome to 2 minute neuroscience, where I explain neuroscience topics in 2 minutes or less. In this installment I will discuss glutamate.

Glutamate is an amino acid that also functions as a neurotransmitter. Although glutamate is obtained through the diet, it cannot pass the blood-brain barrier and thus must be synthesized in the brain. It can be synthesized from alpha ketoglutarate, an intermediate product in the citric acid cycle.

Glutamate generally has excitatory actions, meaning that when it interacts with the receptors of a neuron it makes that neuron more likely to fire an action potential. It is, in fact, used at the vast majority of excitatory connections in the brain and at more than half of all synapses in the brain.

Glutamate interacts with several different types of receptors. There are 3 identified ionotropic glutamate receptors, named for substances that activate them: NMDA, AMPA, and kainate receptors. When activated, all 3 allow positively charged sodium ions to flow into a postsynaptic neuron, depolarizing the neuron and making it more likely to fire an action potential. NMDA receptors have unique characteristics that make them well-suited to be involved in synaptic plasticity, or synaptic changes that occur in response to experience, which are an important component of learning and memory.

There are also 3 identified types of metabotropic glutamate receptors. These receptors have more varied effects than ionotropic glutamate receptors, and may be involved with excitatory or inhibitory actions.

Glutamate is removed from the synaptic cleft by a class of transporter proteins called the excitatory amino acid transporters, or EAATs. EAATs carry glutamate into neurons and glial cells. Glutamate taken into glial cells is converted to the amino acid glutamine by the enzyme glutamine synthetase. Glutamine is then transported back into neurons, where it is converted back to glutamate. This process is referred to as the glutamate-glutamine cycle.

Reference:

Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, Hall WC, Lamantia AS, McNamara JO, White LE. Neuroscience. 4th ed. Sunderland, MA. Sinauer Associates; 2008.

[soeminwaiyan]

You will need hours of study time for a topic to understand while this man makes you know the topic in 2 minutes. Glad YouTube brought me to this.

[ldjt]

Yes some people accumulate glutamate in the brain and have a hard time clearing it from their brain, such as in people with ms.

[lisanation]

Honestly the only reason I’m passing my tests are bc of YouTube bless

[RealGirlLive]

Researching depression and ketamine. Learning how ketamine affects NMDA glutamate receptors and this video was really helpful to understand how glutamate works!

[margueriteoreilly]

I love these wee quicks
Belfast Ireland 🇮🇪 😎

[IndianSurgeon]

it should not be of 2 min...it should be of 20 min....various other aspect eg pharmacology, , , practical application, ,,,physiological role, ,etc etc will make your work legendary...it was like trailor of an interesting movie....all d best.

[erthbxz]

1.
2. receptor和metabotropic receptor
2a. iontropic
2b. metabotropic receptor特性則和iontropic receptor不同，可能造成興奮性也可能是抑制性
3.

[Heaview]

Glutamate is excitatory and GABA is inhibitory. Pretty interesting!

[MrElaphrosaurus]

I recently subscribed to your channel and I'm using some of your videos in my freshman A&P courses. I hope you will create a video on the reticular formation. Thanks for helping my students!

[bswisle]

so does MSG affect how much glutamate you have in your brain?

[zainabdookhy]

Can too much mono sodium glutamate in the diet effect the nervous system? Exciting it too much or something like that? recent studies are saying that MSG is safe 🤔

[azhou]

Your videos are awesome! So simple and well explained!

[Chetna]

need this query answered, please😊😊. at first i knew that long hour devotion on something for study/learn/research purpose which required heavy brain functions was supposed to be damaging!

then i got to know that if you really love something and are into it, even days continuing that very task won't harm you because brain does not really differentiate between work and entertainment as it only knows two things, work or rest. as in high brain activity or lowest brain activity while still alive.

now i read that glutamate is produced while performing activities which require heavy brain functioning which downright damaging...now i am seriously confused between fact and fake, please help by resolving this.

[RoyalsChamp]

Does alpha ketoglutarate in supplemental form cause energy/excitation?

[rickkrockstar]

glutamate plus lemon/lime juice in water is a great antidepressant.
The lemon/ lime juice breaks down the glutamate by methylation and then it can pass the blood brain barrier

[charlottebaker]

Stupid question but how is glutamate levels tested for is it via a blood test

[katleach]

Do ionotropic glutamate receptors always have an excitatory effect?

[havefunbesafe]

Is glutamate released before death to slow down time?

[maegodragon]

Clear and Succinct. Also greatly illustrated! Thank you!

[rosemondameleyokai]

Please what enzyme catalyzes conversion of alpha ketoglutarate to glutamate