The mammalian ionotropic glutamate receptor family encodes 18 gene products that coassemble to form ligand-gated ion channels containing an agonist recognition site, a transmembrane ion permeation pathway, and gating elements that couple agonist-induced conformational changes to the opening or closing of the permeation pore. Glutamate receptors mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system and are localized on neuronal and non-neuronal cells. These receptors regulate a broad spectrum of processes in the brain, spinal cord, retina, and peripheral nervous system. Glutamate receptors are postulated to play important roles in numerous neurological diseases and have attracted intense scrutiny. The description of glutamate receptor structure, including its transmembrane elements, reveals a complex assembly of multiple semiautonomous extracellular domains linked to a pore-forming element with striking resemblance to an inverted potassium channel. In this review we discuss International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology glutamate receptor nomenclature, structure, assembly, accessory subunits, interacting proteins, gene expression and translation, post-translational modifications, agonist and antagonist pharmacology, allosteric modulation, mechanisms of gating and permeation, roles in normal physiological function, as well as the potential therapeutic use of pharmacological agents acting at glutamate receptors.

/pdf/glutamate-receptor-ion-channels-structure-regulation-and-148yts0p6h.pdf

Glutamate Receptor Ion Channels: Structure, Regulation, and Function

The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are family C G-protein-coupled receptors that participate in the modulation of synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability throughout the central nervous system. The mGluRs bind glutamate within a large extracellular domain and transmit signals through the receptor protein to intracellular signaling partners. A great deal of progress has been made in determining the mechanisms by which mGluRs are activated, proteins with which they interact, and orthosteric and allosteric ligands that can modulate receptor activity. The widespread expression of mGluRs makes these receptors particularly attractive drug targets, and recent studies continue to validate the therapeutic utility of mGluR ligands in neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors: Physiology, Pharmacology, and Disease

The group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1a and mGluR5) are important modulators of neuronal structure and function. Although these receptors share common signaling pathways, they are capable of having distinct effects on cellular plasticity. We investigated the individual effects of mGluR1a or mGluR5 activation on dendritic spine density in medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which has become relevant with the potential use of group I mGluR based therapeutics in the treatment of drug addiction. We found that systemic administration of mGluR subtype-specific positive allosteric modulators had opposite effects on dendritic spine densities. Specifically, mGluR5 positive modulation decreased dendritic spine densities in the NAc shell and core, but was without effect in the dorsal striatum, whereas increased spine densities in the NAc were observed with mGluR1a positive modulation. Additionally, direct activation of mGluR5 via CHPG administration into the NAc also decreased the density of dendritic spines. These data provide insight on the ability of group I mGluRs to induce structural plasticity in the NAc and demonstrate that the group I mGluRs are capable of producing not just distinct, but opposing, effects on dendritic spine density.

/pdf/opposite-effects-of-mglur1a-and-mglur5-activation-on-nucleus-386r518ngc.pdf

Opposite Effects of mGluR1a and mGluR5 Activation on Nucleus Accumbens Medium Spiny Neuron Dendritic Spine Density

Despite G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) being among the most fruitful targets for marketed drugs, intense discovery efforts for several GPCR subtypes have failed to deliver selective drug candidates. Historically, drug discovery programmes for GPCR ligands have been dominated by efforts to develop agonists and antagonists that act at orthosteric sites for endogenous ligands. However, in recent years, there have been tremendous advances in the discovery of novel ligands for GPCRs that act at allosteric sites to regulate receptor function. These compounds provide high selectivity, novel modes of efficacy and may lead to novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of multiple psychiatric and neurological human disorders.

Allosteric modulators of GPCRs: a novel approach for the treatment of CNS disorders

Metabotropic glutamate receptors: From the workbench to the bedside

The activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) produces a variety of actions that lead to alterations in excitability and synaptic transmission in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. The group I mGluRs, mGluR1 and mGluR5, are activated selectively by (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG). To identify which of these mGluR subtypes are responsible for the various actions of DHPG in area CA1, we took advantage of two novel subtype-selective antagonists. (S)-(+)-alpha-amino-a-methylbenzeneacetic acid (LY367385) is a potent competitive antagonist that is selective for mGluR1, whereas 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP) is a potent noncompetitive antagonist that is selective for mGluR5. The use of these compounds in experiments with whole-cell patch-clamp recording and Ca(2+)-imaging techniques revealed that each group I mGluR subtype plays distinct roles in regulating the function of CA1 pyramidal neurons. The block of mGluR1 by LY367385 suppressed the DHPG-induced increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and the direct depolarization of CA1 hippocampal neurons. In addition, the increase in the frequency of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) caused by the DHPG-induced depolarization of inhibitory interneurons also was blocked by LY367385, as was the DHPG-induced inhibition of transmission at the Schaffer collateral-->CA1 synapse. On the other hand, the block of mGluR5 by MPEP antagonized the DHPG-induced suppression of the Ca(2+)-activated potassium current (I(AHP)) and potentiation of the NMDA receptor. Finally, antagonism of the DHPG-induced suppression of evoked IPSCs required the blockade of both mGluR1 and mGluR5. These data suggest that mGluR1 and mGluR5 play distinct roles in the regulation of the excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/jneuro/21/16/5925.full.pdf

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors 1 and 5 Differentially Regulate CA1 Pyramidal Cell Function

Fast desensitization is an important regulatory mechanism of neuronal NMDA receptor function. Only recombinant NMDA receptors composed of NR1/NR2A exhibit a fast component of desensitization similar to neuronal NMDA receptors. Here we report that the fast desensitization of NR1/NR2A receptors is caused by ambient zinc, and that a positive allosteric interaction occurs between the extracellular zinc-binding site located in the amino terminal domain and the glutamate-binding domain of NR2A. The relaxation of macroscopic currents reflects a shift to a new equilibrium due to increased zinc affinity after binding of glutamate. We also show a similar interaction between the ifenprodil binding site and the glutamate binding site of NR1/NR2B receptors. These data raise the possibility that there is an allosteric interaction between the amino terminal domain and the ligand-binding domain of other glutamate receptors. Our findings may provide insight into how zinc and other extracellular modulators regulate NMDA receptor function.

Allosteric interaction between the amino terminal domain and the ligand binding domain of NR2A.

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Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors 1 and 5 Differentially Regulate CA1 Pyramidal Cell Function

Allosteric interaction between the amino terminal domain and the ligand binding domain of NR2A.