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Fig. 1 | Acta Epileptologica

Fig. 1

From: Gene variations of glutamate metabolism pathway and epilepsy

Fig. 1

 Illustration of the glutamate–glutamine cycle. (1) When receiving a nerve impulse, glutamate is released from vesicles in the axon terminals into the synaptic cleft. (2) Glutamate binds to postsynaptic glutamate receptors. (3) Part of the glutamate diffuses rapidly from synapses and is taken up into astrocytes and neurons by excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs). (4) Glutamate in astrocytes is converted to glutamine via the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS). (5) Glutamine is then shuttled from astrocytes to neurons via glutamine transporters. (6) After entering neurons, glutamine is converted to glutamate by glutaminase (GLS), and glutamate is concentrated in synaptic vesicles via vesicular glutamate transporters, completing the cycle

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