scholarly journals The Glutathione Metabolite γ-Glutamyl-Glutamate Partially Activates Glutamate NMDA Receptors in Central Neurons With Higher Efficacy for GluN2B-Containing Receptors

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatiha Sebih ◽  
Nawfel Mokrane ◽  
Pierre Fontanel ◽  
Mete Kayatekin ◽  
Mahira Kaabeche ◽  
...  

Gamma-L-glutamyl-L-glutamate (γ-Glu-Glu) was synthetized and further characterized for its activity on cultured neurons. We observed that γ-Glu-Glu elicited excitatory effects on neurons likely by activating mainly the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. These effects were dependent on the integrity of synaptic transmission as they were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX). We next evaluated its activity on NMDA receptors by testing it on cells expressing these receptors. We observed that γ-Glu-Glu partially activated NMDA receptors and exhibited better efficacy for NMDA receptors containing the GluN2B subunit. Moreover, at low concentration, γ-Glu-Glu potentiated the responses of glutamate on NMDA receptors. Finally, the endogenous production of γ-Glu-Glu was measured by LC-MS on the extracellular medium of C6 rat astroglioma cells. We found that extracellular γ-Glu-Glu concentration was, to some extent, directly linked to GSH metabolism as γ-Glu-Glu can be a by-product of glutathione (GSH) breakdown after γ-glutamyl transferase action. Therefore, γ-Glu-Glu could exert excitatory effects by activating neuronal NMDA receptors when GSH production is enhanced.

2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aren J. Borgdorff ◽  
George G. Somjen ◽  
Wytse J. Wadman

Previous studies have shown that exposing hippocampal slices to low osmolarity (πo) or to low extracellular NaCl concentration ([NaCl]o) enhances synaptic transmission and also causes interstitial calcium ([Ca2+]o) to decrease. Reduction of [Ca2+]o suggests cellular uptake and could explain the potentiation of synaptic transmission. We measured intracellular calcium activity ([Ca2+]i) using fluorescent indicator dyes. In CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons in tissue slices, lowering πo by ∼70 mOsm caused “resting” [Ca2+]i as well as synaptically or directly stimulated transient increases of calcium activity (Δ[Ca2+]i) to transiently decrease and then to increase. In dissociated cells, lowering πo by ∼70 mOsm caused [Ca2+]i to almost double on average from 83 to 155 nM. The increase of [Ca2+]i was not significantly correlated with hypotonic cell swelling. Isoosmotic (mannitol- or sucrose-substituted) lowering of [NaCl]o, which did not cause cell swelling, also raised [Ca2+]i. Substituting NaCl with choline-Cl or Na-methyl-sulfate did not affect [Ca2+]i. In neurons bathed in calcium-free medium, lowering πo caused a milder increase of [Ca2+]i, which was correlated with cell swelling, but in the absence of external Ca2+, isotonic lowering of [NaCl]o triggered only a brief, transient response. We conclude that decrease of extracellular ionic strength (i.e., in both low πo and low [NaCl]o) causes a net influx of Ca2+ from the extracellular medium whereas cell swelling, or the increase in membrane tension, is a signal for the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores.


Neuron ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Paoletti ◽  
Philippe Ascher

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-408
Author(s):  
Farideh Bahrami ◽  
Zahra Bahari ◽  
Reihaneh Abolghasemi ◽  
Lida Golmanesh ◽  
Gholam Hossein Meftahi

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 1571-1575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Delaney ◽  
John M. Power ◽  
Pankaj Sah

Ifenprodil is a selective blocker of NMDA receptors that are heterodimers composed of GluN1/GluN2B subunits. This pharmacological profile has been extensively used to test the role of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors in learning and memory formation. However, ifenprodil has also been reported to have actions at a number of other receptors, including high voltage-activated calcium channels. Here we show that, in the basolateral amygdala, ifenprodil dose dependently blocks excitatory transmission to principal neurons by a presynaptic mechanism. This action of ifenprodil has an IC50 of ∼10 μM and is fully occluded by the P/Q type calcium channel blocker ω-agatoxin. We conclude that ifenprodil reduces synaptic transmission in the basolateral amygdala by partially blocking P-type voltage-dependent calcium channels.


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