Final answer:
Glutamate is the neurotransmitter released by Purkinje cells in the CNS, performing a major role in excitatory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The neurotransmitter used by Purkinje cells of the CNS is glutamate. Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, facilitating fast excitatory neurotransmission which is critical for synaptic plasticity, a cellular mechanism for learning and memory. It is stored in vesicles within glutamatergic neurons and upon release, it interacts with specific receptors on the postsynaptic membrane to conduct excitatory neural communication.
After the depolarization of the presynaptic neuron and the influx of Ca²⁺, glutamate is released into the synaptic cleft and it can then bind to either ionotropic receptors like AMPA, NMDA, and kainate receptors or metabotropic receptors, which initiate various cellular responses leading to changes in the postsynaptic cell's potential. Once its signaling task is completed, glutamate is quickly removed from the synaptic cleft by excitatory amino acid transporters to be recycled or broken down.