Enables enzyme binding activity and glutamate-gated receptor activity. Involved in several processes, including forward locomotion; learning or memory; and positive regulation of backward locomotion. Located in several cellular components, including neuron projection membrane; perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum; and postsynaptic membrane. Part of ionotropic glutamate receptor complex. Is expressed in ganglia; neurons; and ventral nerve cord. Used to study neurodegenerative disease. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Huntington's disease; epilepsy (multiple); intellectual disability (multiple); and schizophrenia. Orthologous to several human genes including GRIA2 (glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2) and GRIA3 (glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 3).
WB Description
glr-1 encodes an AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptor; GLR-1 activity is required for mediating the behavioral response to light nose touch and the frequency with which animals change locomotory direction in response to sensory cues such as food; GLR-1 is also required for memory formation; GLR-1 and GLR-2, a second AMPA-type ionotropic glutamate receptor, can interact to form functional heteromeric channels; GLR-1 is expressed in motorneurons and interneurons, including four of the five pairs of command interneurons that are required for locomotory control; in the ventral nerve cord and nerve ring, GLR-1 localizes to perinuclear structures in cell bodies and to punctate structures that appear to be glutamatergic postsynaptic specializations; proper GLR-1 localization in the anterior ventral nerve cord of older larvae and adults requires activity of the class I PDZ protein LIN-10; GLR-1 is ubiquitinated in vivo and its abundance at postsynaptic elements, which may influence postsynaptic strength, is regulated by ubiquitination; indeed, GLR-1 trafficking in interneurons has been shown to be regulated by the UEV-1 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant and the UBC-13 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme; GLR-1 dynamics are also regulated by the alpha-adducin, ADD-1, which may link actin cytoskeleton reorganization with synapse structure and composition.