Receptors for neuron communication in humans vital for reproduction in mosses

(University of Maryland) Glutamate receptors, which play a central role in the human nervous system, have been thought to only function in neural transmission. However, they exist on many other human tissues, and in many species without nervous systems, including plants. A UMD-led study has shown that the glutamate receptor-like genes in the moss Physcomitrella patens are crucial for sexual reproduction, shedding light on a possible evolutionarily conserved, non-neural function for this family of genes.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news