DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5319.1699 ISSN:
Epilepsy and Exacerbation of Brain Injury in Mice Lacking the Glutamate Transporter GLT-1
Kohichi Tanaka, Kei Watase, Toshiya Manabe, Keiko Yamada, Masahiko Watanabe, Katsunobu Takahashi, Hisayuki Iwama, Toru Nishikawa, Nobutsune Ichihara, Tateki Kikuchi, Shigeru Okuyama, Naoya Kawashima, Seiji Hori, Misato Takimoto, Keiji Wada- Multidisciplinary
Extracellular levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in the nervous system are maintained by transporters that actively remove glutamate from the extracellular space. Homozygous mice deficient in GLT-1, a widely distributed astrocytic glutamate transporter, show lethal spontaneous seizures and increased susceptibility to acute cortical injury. These effects can be attributed to elevated levels of residual glutamate in the brains of these mice.