STRUCTURE‐ACTIVITY STUDIES ON AN EXCITATORY RECEPTOR FOR GLUTAMATE ON LEECH RETZIUS NEURONES

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
1 Intracellular recordings were made from Retzius cells from the segmental ganglia of Hirudo medicinalis and Haemopis sanguisuga. Glutamate had a direct excitatory effect on the leech Retzius cells. 2 l-Glutamate was 25 times more potent than d-glutamate. 3 l-Glutamate was approximately equipotent with ibotenic acid and 11.2 times more potent than l-aspartic acid. 4 Quisqualic acid and kainic acid were both approximately 100 times more potent than l-glutamate. dl-1-Amino-cis-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane was approximately 5 times more potent than l-glutamate, while the trans isomer was 105 times less potent. 5 α-NH2-pimelic acid and β-CH3-glutamic acid reduced the response to l-glutamate. 6 It is suggested that glutamic acid may interact with the Retzius cell glutamate receptor in an extended conformation.