glutamate

He said the team discovered that a molecule called glutamate is released in muscles to activate an unusual receptor.

"Carrageenan, riboflavin, monosodium glutamate and 20 others that I can’t pronounce," he said, as one of the "MAHA moms" gravely intoned, "that stuff's really bad."

Two of the genetic differences identified by the team involve genes known as glutamate receptors 1 and 4 respectively, which are important for nerve and brain function.

The team found that the phasic inhibitory interneurons become stimulated by lots of input of the neurotransmitter glutamate from the excitatory neurons and vigorously spike, or fire.

Each color in this slice of a mouse’s eye is a different amino acid; green is glutamine, pink is taurine and blue is glutamate.