EAAT4 (E6E9I) Rabbit mAb #69908

During neurotransmission, glutamate is released from vesicles of the presynaptic cell, and glutamate receptors (e.g., NMDA receptor, AMPA receptor) bind glutamate for activation at the opposing postsynaptic cell. Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) regulate and maintain extracellular glutamate concentrations below excitotoxic levels (1,2). In addition, glutamate transporters may limit the duration of synaptic excitation by an electrogenic process in which the transmitter is cotransported with three sodium ions and one proton, followed by countertransport of a potassium ion (1,2). Five EAATs (EAAT1-5) have been identified. EAAT1 and EAAT2 are expressed mainly in glia, while EAAT3, EAAT4, and EAAT5 are considered to be neuronal transporters (2). EAAT4 (encoded by the SLC1A6 gene) is a neuronal glutamate transporter expressed in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum (3). EAAT4 plays an important role in maintaining neuronal synaptic function, particularly in the cerebellum, by maintaining appropriate extracellular glutamate levels to prevent neurotoxicity and permit effective synaptic communication. EAAT4 function may be regulated by post-translational modification (4,5). EAAT4 may be a therapeutic target to treat several neurological diseases, including spinocerebellar ataxias, by restoring extracellular glutamate homeostasis (6).