Glutamatergic neurons release glutamate, the most common excitatory neurotransmitter. Their synaptic vesicles are filled with glutamate by vesicular glutamate transporters, VGLUTs. VGLUT1, also called solute carrier family 17 member 7 (SLC17A7), was first identified as an inorganic phosphate transporter. Despite the absence of homology with neurotransmitter transporters, VGLUT1 was later demonstrated to be a glutamate transporter specific to glutamatergic neurons .
