This gene encodes a metabotropic glutamate receptor that functions by activating phospholipase C. L-glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and activates both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Glutamatergic neurotransmission is involved in most aspects of normal brain function and can be perturbed in many neuropathologic conditions. The canonical alpha isoform of the encoded protein is a disulfide-linked homodimer whose activity is mediated by a G-protein-coupled phosphatidylinositol-calcium second messenger system. This gene may be associated with many disease states, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and breast cancer. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, May 2013]