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Molecular biology of glycinergic neurotransmission

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Abstract

Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem of vertebrates. Glycine is accumulated into synaptic vesicles by a proton-coupled transport system and released to the synaptic cleft after depolarization of the presynaptic terminal. The inhibitory action of glycine is mediated by pentameric glycine receptors (GlyR) that belong to the ligand-gated ion channel superfamily. The synaptic action of glycine is terminated by two sodium- and chloride-coupled transporters, GLYT1 and GLYT2, located in the glial plasma membrane and in the presynaptic terminals, respectively. Dysfunction of inhibitory glycinergic neurotransmission is associated with several forms of inherited mammalian myoclonus. In addition, glycine could participate in excitatory neurotransmission by modulating the activity of the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptor.

In this article, we discuss recent progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the physiology and pathology of glycinergic neurotransmission.

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  1. Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain

    Francisco Zafra, Carmen Aragón & Cecilio Giménez

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Zafra, F., Aragón, C. & Giménez, C. Molecular biology of glycinergic neurotransmission. Mol Neurobiol 14, 117–142 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02740653

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