Family of neutral and acidic amino acid transporters: molecular biology, physiology and medical implications.

Glutamate transporters and structurally related neutral amino acid transporters constitute a distinct family of Na(+)-dependent transporters. The different transporters of this family share similar structural traits, and exhibit different yet comparable functions. Significant recent advances in our understanding of the structure and function of these transporters include: a new twist in our knowledge of ion-coupling stoichiometry; the knockout of glutamate transporters, which reveals a major role for glial glutamate transporters; and new insights into the regulation of glutamate transporter expression.