Anatomical and pharmacological characterization of excitatory amino acid receptors

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6985369

Monaghan, D T

The majority of the excitatory neurotransmission in the vertebrate Central Nervous System is thought to be mediated by acidic amino acid neurotransmitters. However, relatively little is known about the excitatory amino acid receptors and their distribution within the CNS. By analyzing radioligand binding to purified synaptic plasma membranes and to thin tissue sections processed for autoradiography, multiple distinct binding sites were found. These binding sites exhibited the pharmacological properties indicative of the excitatory amino acid receptors, which had been identified by electrophysiological techniques. Specifically, L-(/sup 3/H)-glutamate and D-(/sup 3/H)-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate appear to label N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, L-(/sup 3/H)-glutamate and (/sup 3/H)-kainic acid appear to label kainic acid receptors, and L-(/sup 3/H)-glutamate and (/sup 3/H)-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate appear to label quisqualate receptors. Together, these results confirm the three receptor scheme proposed for excitatory amino acid neurotransmission. These results also show that these transmitter-receptor systems are differentially distributed in the brain, and that the total distribution is consistent with that found by other markers for excitatory amino acid-using neurons.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Irvine (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6985369
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

551001* -- Physiological Systems-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
ASPARTIC ACID
BIOELECTRICITY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRICITY
GLUTAMIC ACID
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
MEMBRANES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHARMACOLOGY
PROTEINS
RECEPTORS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS