Monoamine transporters and glutamate transporters (MATs and EAATs)

Monoamine transporters (MATs) and glutamate transporters are distinct classes of membrane-bound proteins that play a fundamental role in regulating synaptic signaling by clearing neurotransmitters from the extracellular space. The MAT group, belonging to the SLC6 solute carrier family, includes the serotonin (SERT), norepinephrine (NET), and dopamine (DAT) transporters, which are the primary targets for antidepressants and psychostimulants (Kristensen et al., 2011, Pharmacological Reviews). Glutamate transporters, primarily the excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) of the SLC1 family, are responsible for maintaining low extracellular glutamate levels to prevent neuronal damage from excitotoxicity (Vandenberg & Ryan, 2013, Physiological Reviews). These transporters are critically involved in the pathophysiology of numerous disorders, including major depressive disorder, ADHD, and neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (StatPearls, 2023). Therapeutic agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the glutamate modulator riluzole work by altering the activity of these proteins to restore chemical balance in the brain. Because this entry combines two distinct functional and structural families (SLC6 and SLC1), it represents a broad pharmacological category rather than a single molecular target.

Other names

SLC6 and SLC1 transportersBiogenic amine and excitatory amino acid transportersNeurotransmitter sodium symportersSolute carrier family 6 and family 1

Inhibition of the reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine from the synaptic cleft into the presynaptic terminal (MATs); enhancement or modulation of glutamate uptake from the extracellular space into neurons and glia (EAATs).