Date of Award

1-1-2018

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School/Department

Department of Chemistry

Content Description

1 online resource (ii, viii, 58 pages) : illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Li Niu

Committee Members

Li Niu, Jia Sheng

Keywords

Glutamic acid, Neurotransmitter receptors, Ion channels, Receptors, Neurotransmitter, Ion Channels

Subject Categories

Chemistry

Abstract

The ionotropic glutamate receptors are localized in the pre- and postsynaptic membrane of neurons, and they mediate the majority of the fast excitatory synaptic transmission. These receptors are divided into three subtypes: α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), kainic acid, and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. AMPA receptor properties are critically dependent on the presence of auxiliary transmembrane proteins, such as transmembrane AMPA receptors regulatory proteins (TARPs). TARPs are the most widespread and well-studied family of auxiliary proteins. For example, the co-assembly of TARPs with AMPA receptors increases the affinity for glutamate, and reduces voltage-dependent blockade by cytoplasmic polyamines in AMPA receptors that lack the Q or R editing in their pore-loops. However, whether TARPs affect the rate of AMPA channel opening has not been experimentally determined. This is the key question I investigated as the topic of my MS thesis.

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