FUNCTIONS OF IONOTROPIC AND METABOTROPIC GLUTAMATE RECEPTORS IN SENSORY TRANSMISSION IN THE MAMMALIAN THALAMUS
Progress in Neurobiology (1996) IN PRESS
SUMMARY
The thalamic relay nuclei play a pivotal role in gating and processing sensory information en route
to the cerebral cortex. The major ascending sensory afferents and the descending cortico-fugal
afferents to the thalamus almost certainly use the excitatory amino acid L-glutamate as their
transmitter. This paper reviews the nature of this transmission in terms of the receptor types
which may be used (NMDA, AMPA, kainate and metabotropic glutamate receptors), their
electrophysiological and pharmacological properties, and their differential location in the
thalamus on neurones, terminals and glial elements. Whilst AMPA receptors, probably of more
than one variety, are likely to mediate fast transmission in the thalamus, the contributions of
NMDA receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors to sensory responses under different
stimulus conditions may be more varied. This is discussed in the context of the possible functional
significance of the interplay of L-glutamate-gated currents with intrinsic membrane currents of
thalamic neurones. The interaction of L-glutamate transmission with other modulators
(acetylcholine, noradrenaline, serotonin, glycine, D-serine, nitric oxide, arginine, redox agents) is
considered.
CONTENTS
3.1 AMPA/Kainate Receptors
3.2 NMDA Receptors
3.3 Metabotropic Receptors
4.1 Neuronal Elements
4.2 Glial Elements
5.1 Input to Relay Neurones
5.2 Input onto GABAergic Inhibitory Neurones
5.3 Presynaptic Modulation of Transmission
6.1 Glycine and Serine
6.2 Amines
6.3 Glutathione
6.4 Nitric Oxide
7.1 The Interaction of Ligand-gated conductances with the Intrinsic Membrane Properties
of Thalamic Neurones
7.2 Glutamate Receptors and Integrative Function in the Thalamus
7.3 Participation of Glia in Glutamate-mediated transmission
7.4 Conclusions
Go to Introduction.
Please note: this document is part of the HTML preprint version of a paper
to be published in Progress in Neurobiology.
This page was written by Tom Salt, and is part of the Neurotransmitters in Sensory Systems Home Page.
