The Role of Amino Acids in Neurotransmission and Fluorescent Tools for Their Detection

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

卷:21

RobertE. Campbell¹  Rochelin Dalangin¹  Anna Kim¹ 

[1] Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada;

关键词: amino acids;    neurotransmission;    fluorescence;    imaging;    biosensors;    neurotransmitters;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms21176197

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Neurotransmission between neurons, which can occur over the span of a few milliseconds, relies on the controlled release of small molecule neurotransmitters, many of which are amino acids. Fluorescence imaging provides the necessary speed to follow these events and has emerged as a powerful technique for investigating neurotransmission. In this review, we highlight some of the roles of the 20 canonical amino acids, GABA and β-alanine in neurotransmission. We also discuss available fluorescence-based probes for amino acids that have been shown to be compatible for live cell imaging, namely those based on synthetic dyes, nanostructures (quantum dots and nanotubes), and genetically encoded components. We aim to provide tool developers with information that may guide future engineering efforts and tool users with information regarding existing indicators to facilitate studies of amino acid dynamics.

【 授权许可】

Unknown