Topic: metabotropic glutamate receptors

Immunotherapy of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a promising approach to reduce the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, a critical event in the onset of the disease. Emerging evidence indicate that metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are involved in the progression of AD, representing potential targets for new treatments. Studies have highlighted the potential role of group II mGluRs, mGluR2 and mGluR3, in the modulation of Aβ production, although their respective contribution remains unclear, due to the lack of specific tools to study them. Here, we showed in vitro that enhancing mG

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of Intellectual Disability and a leading monogenic cause of autism. FXS results from mutations within the FMR1 gene causing the loss-of-function of the RNA-binding Fragile X Messenger RibonucleoProtein (FMRP). FMRP transports mRNAs along dendrites toward the base of active synapses for their activity-dependent translation. In FXS, the loss-of-function of FMRP leads to a hyper-abundance of dendritic protrusions. Several FMR1 missense mutations identified in patients also lead FXS but how these mutations affect the function of FMRP and l

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are the largest family of membrane proteins in the human genome and represent targets of about 30% of the marketed drugs. Among GPCRs, metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are interesting targets as they regulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, and are involved in various brain diseases. Due to the lack of specific tools, their specific subunit composition in native tissues is still difficult to determine. Finding highly specific tools to target each mGluR subunit is still a challenge that single domain anti

Astrocytes, a crucial glial cell type in the brain, play a vital role in maintaining ion and energy homeostasis while actively participating in neuronal information processing and memory formation. Calcium is considered the main readout signal of astrocytes. Several studies have shown a significant heterogeneity in morphology within brain regions like the hippocampus. To enhance our understanding of the morphology and function of cells, computational models can aid experiments. Oschmann et al. proposed a computational model integrating two glutamate pathways triggering calcium elevations: acti