Molecular cloning and expression analysis of a cDNA encoding a glutamate transporter in the honeybee brain

We have cloned and characterized a cDNA encoding a putative glutamate trans porter, Am-EAAT, from the brain of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. The 543-am ino-acid AmEAAT gene product shares the highest sequence identity (54%) wit h the human EAAT2 subtype. Am-EAAT is expressed predominantly in the brain, and its transcripts are abundant in the optic lobes and inner compact Keny on cells of the mushroom bodies (MBs), with most other regions of the brain showing lower levels of Am-EAAT expression. High levels of Am-EAAT message are found in pupal stages, possibly indicating a role for glutamate in the developing brain. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. AII rights reserved.