Spinal cord-specific deletion of the glutamate transporter GLT1 causes motor neuron death in mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons. The precise mechanisms that cause the selective death of motor neurons remain unclear, but a growing body of evidence suggests that glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity has been considered to play an important role in the mechanisms of motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Reductions in glutamate transporter GLT1 have been...