谷氨酸受体分子的多样性及其分子机理

谷氨酸是中枢神经系统一种重要的兴奋性神经递质,它与相应受体分子相互作用，通过细胞膜对阳离子通透性的改变或与G蛋白和第二信使系统相偶联,从而引起一系列复杂的信号转导反应。近年有关谷氨酸受体分子及其基因的研究表明:由于多基因家族、选择性剪接、RNA编辑以及异聚体形成等分子机理,使谷氨酸受体分子的结构和功能具有多样性,这种多样性是生物多样性的分子基础，也在微观水平上证明了生物多样性的原理。这方面的深入探索必将为中枢神经系统该受体表达及调控以及相关神经精神疾病发病的分子机理和治疗性药物设计提供新的线索。

Molecular diversity of glutamate receptors and its molecular mechanism

Glutamate is an important neurotransmitter that initates synaptic excitation by binding to corresponding cell membrane receptors in the central nervous system,resulting in the change of permeating cations of cell membrane and metabolic change of cell by coupling to G proteins. Over past few years, the research in glutamate receptors and their genes suggested that glutamate receptors are diversified in structure and function due to multiple genes,alternative splicing, RNA editing and heteromeric formation. It should be expected that investigation in glutamate receptors and their genes will provide instructive suggestion to molecular mechanism of many important brain functions and drug design for the neurodegenerative diseases related to these receptors.