Most common excitatory NT
amino acid
every neuron has glutamate receptors
Glutamine is converted to glutamate by glutaminase in the presynaptic cell, stored, and released.
Receptors include AMPA-R, NMDA-R, and MGluR.
NMDA receptors are blocked by magnesium during cell hyperpolarization, and allow Ca influx when the cell is depolarized.
these are thought to underly learning and memory and cell death during stroke.
Surrounding glial cells take up glutamate from the synapse, convert in back to glutamine, and return it to pre-synaptic cells.