In the central nervous system a family of related (Na+-K+)-coupled glutamate transporters remove the transmitter from the cleft and prevent its neurotoxic actions. In addition to this coupled uptake, these transporters also mediate a sodium- and glutamate-dependent uncoupled anion conductance. Most models assume that the initial steps for both processes are the same, leading to the anticipation that both may exhibit a similar requirement for cations. In this study we have tested this idea in the neuronal glutamate transporter EAAC-1. We report that in this transporter lithium can replace sodium in the coupled uptake. Strikingly, the glutamate-dependent gating of the uncoupled conductance mediated by EAAC-1 has a strict requirement for sodium; lithium cannot substitute for it. Moreover, we describe two mutants, T370S and G410S, in which the cation selectivity of the two processes is affected differently. In both mutants sodium, but not lithium, can support coupled transport. On the other hand, the sodium selectivity of the gated anion conductance in oocytes expressing the mutant transporters is not affected. Our observations indicate that although both the coupled and the uncoupled fluxes are sodium-dependent, the conformation gating the anion conductance is different from that during substrate translocation.
