Glutamate metabolism and transport in rat brain mitochondria

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Abstract
The metabolism and transport of glutamate and glutamine in rat brain mitochondria of non-synaptic origin were studied in various states. These mitochondria exhibited glutamate uptake and swelling in iso-osmotic ammonium glutamate, both of which were inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide. The oxidation of glutamate was inhibited by 20% by avenaciolide, but glutamine oxidation was not affected. These mitochondria, when metabolizing glutamine, allowed glutamate, but very little aspartate, to efflux at considerable rates. Brain mitochondria of non-synaptic origin may possess, in addition to a relatively rapid glutamate-aspartate translocase, a relatively slow aspartate-independent glutamate-OH- translocase (cf liver mitochondria).