Brumovsky Pablo R
Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Avenida Juan D. Perón 1500, 1629AHJ Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
ISRN Neurol. 2013 Nov 20;2013:829753. doi: 10.1155/2013/829753.
Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) are key molecules for the incorporation of glutamate in synaptic vesicles across the nervous system, and since their discovery in the early 1990s, research on these transporters has been intense and productive. This review will focus on several aspects of VGLUTs research on neurons in the periphery and the spinal cord. Firstly, it will begin with a historical account on the evolution of the morphological analysis of glutamatergic systems and the pivotal role played by the discovery of VGLUTs. Secondly, and in order to provide an appropriate framework, there will be a synthetic description of the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of peripheral neurons and the spinal cord. This will be followed by a succinct description of the current knowledge on the expression of VGLUTs in peripheral sensory and autonomic neurons and neurons in the spinal cord. Finally, this review will address the modulation of VGLUTs expression after nerve and tissue insult, their physiological relevance in relation to sensation, pain, and neuroprotection, and their potential pharmacological usefulness.
囊泡谷氨酸转运体（VGLUTs）是整个神经系统中负责将谷氨酸纳入突触囊泡的关键分子。自20世纪90年代初被发现以来，对这些转运体的研究一直十分深入且成果丰硕。本综述将聚焦于外周和脊髓神经元中VGLUTs研究的几个方面。首先，将从谷氨酸能系统形态学分析的演变历史以及VGLUTs的发现所起的关键作用开始阐述。其次，为了提供一个合适的框架，将对外周神经元和脊髓的神经解剖学与神经化学进行综合描述。接下来，将简要介绍目前关于VGLUTs在外周感觉和自主神经元以及脊髓神经元中表达的知识。最后，本综述将探讨神经和组织损伤后VGLUTs表达的调节、它们在感觉、疼痛和神经保护方面的生理相关性以及它们潜在的药理学用途。
