Excitatory glutamatergic transmission involves a variety of different receptor types, each with distinct properties and functions. Physiological studies have identified both post- and presynaptic roles for kainate receptors, which are a subtype of the ionotropic glutamate receptors. Kainate receptors contribute to excitatory postsynaptic currents in many regions of the central nervous system including hippocampus, cortex, spinal cord and retina. In some cases, postsynaptic kainate receptors are co-distributed with alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, but there are also synapses where transmission is mediated exclusively by postsynaptic kainate receptors: for example, in the retina at connections made by cones onto off bipolar cells. Modulation of transmitter release by presynaptic kainate receptors can occur at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. The depolarization of nerve terminals by current flow through ionotropic kainate receptors appears sufficient to account for most examples of presynaptic regulation; however, a number of studies have provided evidence for metabotropic effects on transmitter release that can be initiated by activation of kainate receptors. Recent analysis of knockout mice lacking one or more of the subunits that contribute to kainate receptors, as well as studies with subunit-selective agonists and antagonists, have revealed the important roles that kainate receptors play in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity. This review briefly addresses the properties of kainate receptors and considers in greater detail the physiological analysis of their contributions to synaptic transmission.

中文翻译：

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海藻酸盐受体和突触传递。

兴奋性谷氨酸能传递涉及多种不同的受体类型，每种具有不同的特性和功能。生理学研究已经确定了海藻酸盐受体的突触后和突触前作用，海藻酸盐受体是离子型谷氨酸受体的亚型。海藻酸盐受体在中枢神经系统的许多区域，包括海马，皮质，脊髓和视网膜中，引起兴奋性突触后电流。在某些情况下，突触后的海藻酸盐受体与α-氨基-3-羟基-5-羟基-5-甲基-4-异恶唑丙酸（AMPA）和N-甲基-D-天门冬氨酸（NMDA）受体共分布，但也存在突触，其中传递完全由突触后的海藻酸盐受体介导：例如，在视锥细胞连接到双极细胞上的视网膜中。突触前的海藻酸盐受体对递质释放的调节可以在兴奋性突触和抑制性突触中发生。电流流过离子型海藻酸受体使神经末梢去极化似乎足以说明大多数突触前调节的例子。然而，许多研究提供了对代谢物释放释放的代谢影响的证据，这可以通过激活海藻酸盐受体来引发。最近对缺乏一种或多种有助于海藻酸受体的亚基的基因敲除小鼠进行的分析以及对亚基选择性激动剂和拮抗剂的研究表明，海藻酸受体在短期和长期的突触可塑性中起着重要的作用。