Excitatory amino acid transporter 3 is a member of the high-affinity
glutamate transporters which plays an essential role in transporting
glutamate across
plasma membranes in
neurons. In the brain, excitatory amino acid transporters are crucial in terminating the postsynaptic action of the
neurotransmitter glutamate, and in maintaining extracellular glutamate concentrations below neurotoxic levels. EAAT3 also transports
aspartate, and mutations in this gene are thought to cause
dicarboxylic aminoaciduria, also known as glutamate-aspartate transport defect. == Interactions ==