The ATP-dependent, chloride-sensitive vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUT) include BNPI (VGLUT1), VGLUT2 (DNPI) and VGLUT3. The brain expresses BNPI (brain specific Na+-dependent inorganic phosphate (Pi)
cotransporter) and VGLUT2 in a complementary fashion. The telencephalic regions express BNPI, whereas the lower brainstem and diencephalic regions express VLGUT2. Rat pinealocytes express both BNPI and VGLUT2. The striatum, hippocampus, cerebral cortex and raphe nuclei express VGLUT3 in a small number of neurons. Pancreatic α and β cells express BNPI and
VGLUT2 in response to glucose concentrations. Human VGLUT3 shares a 72% sequence homology with VLGUT2 and BNPI.