Neurotransmitter Transporters

Neurotransmitter transporters are a group of transmembrane proteins that carry neurotransmitters across biological membranes to specific cellular and subcellular locations. They are found in the plasma membrane of neurons and glia and many members of this family are sodium-dependent. They often rely on an electrochemical gradient across the membrane to provide energy for neurotransmitter transport, for example Na⁺ cotransport provides the energy necessary for glutamate transport. Neurotransmitter transporters are found at high concentrations in synaptic clefts where they act to terminate the effects of the neurotransmitter by removing it from the cleft.