Glutamate and GABA Receptors and Transporters

Book excerpt: The ubiquitous presence of glutamate and GABA receptors in the nervous system makes these receptor systems pivotal to our understanding of neurotransmission. Cloning of the molecular components of these receptor systems has provided insights to the selectivity of many drugs and detailed characterisation at the molecular level is emerging. Moreover, continuous development of novel and selective drugs has revealed detailed information on the mechanism of receptor activation and regulation. However, the rapid development of different aspects of glutamate and GABA receptor research makes it increasingly difficult to establish a general view of the field. Studies of the receptors are a multi-disciplinary task employing many specialised techniques. This book conveys recent discoveries in a framework of the basic concepts in the field of glutamate and GABA receptor research. Glutamate and GABA Receptors and Transporters: Structure, Function and Pharmacology is suitable for postgraduate students studying ligand gated channels but also beneficial for industrial and academic research scientists in both the glutamate and GABA field. Universities offering programs in neuroscience, molecular pharmacology or medicinal chemistry will find this a valuable reference.