The target: a neurotransmitter called glutamate and its receptors, which malfunction in the forebrain of psychotic patients.

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These receptors interact with the neurotransmitter glutamate, the levels of which seem to be out of balance in depression.

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And the peroxynitrite-mediated nitration of NMDA receptors leads to the release of glutamate and the influx of calcium which kills brain cells.

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Guilford researchers hope to find a chemical that can block this enzyme, thereby stopping the toxic effects of glutamate without having to bludgeon brain-cell receptors with noxious chemicals.

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These included genes involved in the regulation of three neurotransmitters dopamine, glutamate and serotonin and also G-protein-coupled receptors, which react to a wide variety of stimulants.

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They also block other dopamine receptors linked to different neurotransmitters such as those for serotonin and glutamate.

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