Glutamate Receptor Stimulation Up-Regulates Glutamate Uptake in Human Müller Glia Cells.

Glutamate Receptor Stimulation Up-Regulates Glutamate Uptake in Human Müller Glia Cells.
Neurochem Res. 2016 Mar 26;
Authors: López-Colomé AM, López E, Mendez-Flores OG, Ortega A
Abstract
Glutamate, the main excitatory amino acid in the vertebrate retina, is a well know activator of numerous signal transduction pathways, and has been critically involved in long-term synaptic changes acting through ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. However, recent findings underlining the importance of intensity and duration of glutamate stimuli for specific neuronal responses, including excitotoxicity, suggest a crucial role for Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporters, responsible for the removal of this neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft, in the regulation of glutamate-induced signaling. Transporter proteins are expressed in neurons and glia cells, albeit most of glutamate uptake occurs in the glial compartment. Within the retina, Müller glia cells are in close proximity to glutamatergic synapses and participate in the recycling of glutamate through the glutamate/glutamine shuttle. In this context, we decided to investigate a plausible role of glutamate as a regulatory signal for its own transport in human retinal glia cells. To this end, we determined [(3)H]-D-aspartate uptake in cultures of spontaneously immortalized human Müller cells (MIO-M1) exposed to distinct glutamatergic ligands. A time and dose-dependent increase ...

Source: Neurochemical Research - March 25, 2016 Category: Neuroscience Authors: López-Colomé AM, López E, Mendez-Flores OG, Ortega A Tags: Neurochem Res Source Type: research