Aspartate Aminotransferase Activity in Fiber Tracts of the Rat Brain

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Abstract
Activity of aspartate aminotransferase, an enzyme which catalyzes the interconversion of the excitatory transmitter candidates, glutamate and aspartate, was measured in fiber tracts of rat, with an emphasis on sensory and motor systems of the brain. Most tracts had significantly higher activities than the cholinergic facial nerve root, consistent with the possibility that a component of aspartate aminotranferase activity might serve as a marker for neurons using glutamate and/or aspartate as neurotransmitter. Highest activity was in the auditory nerve root. A close correlation was found between aspartate aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase activities in the fiber tracts, raising the question whether aspartate aminotransferase activity may be more closely related to energy metabolism than to transmitter metabolism.