Glycinergic nerve endings in hippocampus and spinal cord release glycine by different mechanisms in response to identical depolarizing stimuli

Interactions between Glycine and Glutamate through Activation of Their Transporters in Hippocampal Nerve Terminals

Evidence supports the pathophysiological relevance of crosstalk between the neurotransmitters Glycine and Glutamate and their close interactions; some reports even support the possibility of Glycine-Glutamate cotransmission in central nervous system (CNS) areas, including the hippocampus. Functional studies with isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes) permit us to study transporter-mediated interactions between neurotransmitters that lead to the regulation of transmitter release. Our main aims here were: (i) to investigate release-regulating, transporter-mediated interactions between Glycine and Glutamate in hippocampal nerve terminals and (ii) to determine the coexistence of transporters for Glycine and Glutamate in these terminals. Purified synaptosomes, analyzed at the ultrastructural level via electron microscopy, were used as the experimental model. Mouse hippocampal synaptosomes were prelabeled with [3H]D-Aspartate or [3H]Glycine; the release of radiolabeled tracers was monitored with the superfusion technique. The main findings were that (i) exogenous Glycine stimulated [3H]D-Aspartate release, partly by activation of GlyT1 and in part, unusually, through GlyT2 transporters and that (ii) D-Aspartate stimulated [3H]glycine release by a process that was sensitive to Glutamate transporter blockers. Based on the features of the experimental model used, it is suggested that functional transporters for Glutamate and Glycine coexist in a small subset of hippocampal nerve terminals, a condition that may also be compatible with cotransmission; glycinergic and glutamatergic transporters exhibit different functions and mediate interactions between the neurotransmitters. It is hoped that increased information on Glutamate-Glycine interactions in different areas, including the hippocampus, will contribute to a better knowledge of drugs acting at "glycinergic" targets, currently under study in relation with different CNS pathologies.

Neurobiology of glycine transporters: From molecules to behavior

Glycine transporters (GlyTs) are Na⁺/Cl^--dependent neurotransmitter transporters, responsible for l-glycine uptake into the central nervous system. GlyTs are members of the solute carrier family 6 (SLC6) and comprise glycine transporter type 1 (SLC6A9; GlyT1) and glycine transporter type 2 (SLC6A5; Glyt2). GlyT1 and GlyT2 are expressed on both astrocytes and neurons, but their expression pattern in brain tissue is foremost related to neurotransmission. GlyT2 is markedly expressed in brainstem, spinal cord and cerebellum, where it is responsible for glycine uptake into glycinergic and GABAergic terminals. GlyT1 is abundant in neocortex, thalamus and hippocampus, where it is expressed in astrocytes, and involved in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Consequently, inhibition of GlyT1 transporters can modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission through NMDA receptors, suggesting an alternative therapeutic strategy. In this review, we focus on recent progress in the understanding of GlyTs role in brain function and in various diseases, such as epilepsy, hyperekplexia, neuropathic pain, drug addiction, schizophrenia and stroke, as well as in neurodegenerative disorders.

Glycine Transporters and Its Coupling with NMDA Receptors

Glycine plays two roles in neurotransmission. In caudal areas like the spinal cord and the brainstem, it acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, but in all regions of the CNS, it also works as a co-agonist with L-glutamate at N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). The glycine fluxes in the CNS are regulated by two specific transporters for glycine, GlyT1 and GlyT2, perhaps with the cooperation of diverse neutral amino acid transporters like Asc-1 or SNAT5/SN2. While GlyT2 and Asc-1 are neuronal proteins, GlyT1 and SNAT5 are mainly astrocytic, although neuronal forms of GlyT1 also exist. GlyT1 has attracted considerable interest from the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry since compelling evidence indicates a clear association with the functioning of NMDARs, whose activity is decreased in various psychiatric illnesses. By controlling extracellular glycine, transporter inhibitors might potentiate the activity of NMDARs without activating excitotoxic processes. Physiologically, GlyT1 is a central actor in the cross talk between glutamatergic, glycinergic, dopaminergic, and probably other neurotransmitter systems. Many of these relationships begin to be unraveled by studies performed in recent years using genetic and pharmacological models. These studies are also clarifying the interactions between glycine, glycine transporters, and other co-agonists of the glycine site of NMDARs like D-serine. These findings are also relevant to understand the pathophysiology of devastating diseases like schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, stroke, and chronic pain.

Multiple functions of neuronal plasma membrane neurotransmitter transporters

Removal from receptors of neurotransmitters just released into synapses is one of the major steps in neurotransmission. Transporters situated on the plasma membrane of nerve endings and glial cells perform the process of neurotransmitter (re)uptake. Because the density of transporters in the membranes can fluctuate, transporters can determine the transmitter concentrations at receptors, thus modulating indirectly the excitability of neighboring neurons. Evidence is accumulating that neurotransmitter transporters can exhibit multiple functions. Being bidirectional, neurotransmitter transporters can mediate transmitter release by working in reverse, most often under pathological conditions that cause ionic gradient dysregulations. Some transporters reverse to release transmitters, like dopamine or serotonin, when activated by 'indirectly acting' substrates, like the amphetamines. Some transporters exhibit as one major function the ability to capture transmitters into nerve terminals that perform insufficient synthesis. Transporter activation can generate conductances that regulate directly neuronal excitability. Synaptic and non-synaptic transporters play different roles. Cytosolic Na(+) elevations accompanying transport can interact with plasmalemmal or/and mitochondrial Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers thus generating calcium signals. Finally, neurotransmitter transporters can behave as receptors mediating releasing stimuli able to cause transmitter efflux through multiple mechanisms. Neurotransmitter transporters are therefore likely to play hitherto unknown roles in multiple therapeutic treatments.

Glycine transporters type 1 inhibitor promotes brain preconditioning against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity

Brain preconditioning is a protective mechanism, which can be activated by sub-lethal stimulation of the NMDA receptors (NMDAR) and be used to achieve neuroprotection against stroke and neurodegenerative diseases models. Inhibitors of glycine transporters type 1 modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission through NMDAR, suggesting an alternative therapeutic strategy of brain preconditioning. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of brain preconditioning induced by NFPS, a GlyT1 inhibitor, against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in mice hippocampus, as well as to study its neurochemical mechanisms. C57BL/6 mice (male, 10-weeks-old) were preconditioned by intraperitoneal injection of NFPS at doses of 1.25, 2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg, 24 h before intrahippocampal injection of NMDA. Neuronal death was evaluated by fluoro jade C staining and neurochemical parameters were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, scintillation spectrometry and western blot. We observed that NFPS preconditioning reduced neuronal death in CA1 region of hippocampus submitted to NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. The amino acids (glycine and glutamate) uptake and content were increased in hippocampus of animals treated with NFPS 5.0 mg/kg, which were associated to an increased expression of type-2 glycine transporter (GlyT2) and glutamate transporters (EAAT1, EAAT2 and EAAT3). The expression of GlyT1 was reduced in animals treated with NFPS. Interestingly, the preconditioning reduced expression of GluN2B subunits of NMDAR, whereas did not change the expression of GluN1 or GluN2A in all tested doses. Our study suggests that NFPS preconditioning induces resistance against excitotoxicity, which is associated with neurochemical changes and reduction of GluN2B-containing NMDAR expression.

Beta Amyloid Differently Modulate Nicotinic and Muscarinic Receptor Subtypes which Stimulate in vitro and in vivo the Release of Glycine in the Rat Hippocampus

Using both in vitro (hippocampal synaptosomes in superfusion) and in vivo (microdialysis) approaches we investigated whether and to what extent β amyloid peptide 1-40 (Aβ 1-40) interferes with the cholinergic modulation of the release of glycine (GLY) in the rat hippocampus. The nicotine-evoked overflow of endogenous GLY in hippocampal synaptosomes in superfusion was significantly inhibited by Aβ 1-40 (10 nM) while increasing the concentration to 100 nM the inhibitory effect did not further increase. Both the Choline (Ch; α7 agonist; 1 mM) and the 5-Iodo-A-85380 dihydrochloride (5IA85380, α4β2 agonist; 10 nM)-evoked GLY overflow were inhibited by Aβ 1-40 at 100 nM but not at 10 nM concentrations. The KCl evoked [(3)H]GLY and [(3)H]Acetylcholine (ACh) overflow were strongly inhibited in presence of oxotremorine; however this inhibitory muscarinic effect was not affected by Aβ 1-40. The effects of Aβ 1-40 on the administration of nicotine, veratridine, 5IA85380, and PHA543613 hydrochloride (PHA543613; a selective agonist of α7 subtypes) on hippocampal endogenous GLY release in vivo were also studied. Aβ 1-40 significantly reduced (at 10 μM but not at 1 μM) the nicotine-evoked in vivo release of GLY. Aβ 1-40 (at 10 μM but not at 1 μM) significantly inhibited the PHA543613 (1 mM)-elicited GLY overflow while was ineffective on the GLY overflow evoked by 5IA85380 (1 mM). Aβ 40-1 (10 μM) did not produce any inhibitory effect on nicotine-evoked GLY overflow both in the in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our results indicate that (a) the cholinergic modulation of the release of GLY occurs by the activation of both α7 and α4β2 nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) as well as by the activation of inhibitory muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) and (b) Aβ 1-40 can modulate cholinergic evoked GLY release exclusively through the interaction with α7 and the α4β2 nAChR nicotinic receptors but not through mAChR subtypes.

Glycine release is regulated by metabotropic glutamate receptors sensitive to mGluR2/3 ligands and activated by N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG)

The presence of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) of group II modulating glycine exocytosis from glycinergic nerve endings of mouse spinal cord was investigated. Purified synaptosomes were selectively prelabeled with [(3)H]glycine through the neuronal transporter GlyT2 and subsequently depolarized by superfusion with 12 mM KCl. The selective mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 inhibited the K(+)-evoked overflow of [(3)H]glycine in a concentration-dependent manner (EC(50) about 0.2 nM). The effect of LY379268 was prevented by the selective mGluR2/3 antagonist LY341495 (IC(50) about 1 nM). N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) inhibited [(3)H]glycine overflow with extraordinary potency (EC(50) about 50 fmol). In contrast, glutamate was ineffective up to 0.1 nM, excluding that glutamate contamination of commercial NAAG samples is responsible for the reported activity of NAAG at mGluR3. LY341495 antagonized the NAAG inhibition of [(3)H]glycine release. The effect of a combination of maximally effective concentrations of LY379268 and NAAG exhibited no additivity. The non-hydrolysable NAAG analogue N-acetylaspartyl-β-linked glutamate (β-NAAG) antagonized NAAG and LY379268. In conclusion, our results show that glycinergic nerve endings in spinal cord are endowed with group II mGluRs mediating inhibition of glycine exocytosis. NAAG can activate these presynaptic receptors with extremely high affinity and with characteristics compatible with the reported mGluR3 pharmacology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors'.

Ionic dysregulations typical of ischemia provoke release of glycine and GABA by multiple mechanisms

Energy deprivation during ischemia causes dysregulations of ions, particularly sodium, potassium and calcium. Under these conditions, release of neurotransmitters is often enhanced and can occur by multiple mechanisms. The aim of this work was to characterize the modes of exit of glycine and GABA from nerve endings exposed to stimuli known to reproduce some of the ionic changes typical of ischemic conditions. Their approach was chosen instead of application of ischemic conditions because the release evoked during ischemia is mechanistically too heterogeneous. Mouse hippocampus and spinal cord synaptosomes, pre-labeled with [(3)H]glycine or [(3)H]GABA, were exposed in superfusion to 50 mM KCl or to 10 microM veratridine. The evoked overflows differed greatly between the two transmitters and between the two regions examined. Significant portions of the K(+)- and the veratridine-evoked overflows occurred by classical exocytosis. Carrier-mediated release of GABA, but not of glycine, was evoked by high K(+); GABA and, less so, glycine were released through transporter reversal by veratridine. External calcium-dependent overflows were only in part sensitive to omega-conotoxins; significant portions occurred following reversal of the plasmalemmal Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger. Finally, a relevant contribution to the overall transmitter overflows came from cytosolic calcium originating through the mitochondrial Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger. To conclude, ionic dysregulations typical of ischemia cause neurotransmitter release by heterogeneous mechanisms that differ depending on the transmitters and the CNS regions examined.

Functional 'glial' GLYT1 glycine transporters expressed in neurons

Glycine transporter 1 (GLYT1) and GLYT2 are the glycine transporters in CNS. While GLYT2 is largely expressed in glycinergic neurons, GLYT1 has long been considered to be exclusively present in glial cells. There is increasing evidence that significant amounts of the 'glial' transporter also exist on neurons, particularly on pre-synaptic nerve endings of glutamatergic neurons. The functions of 'neuronal GLYT1' may be manifold and are discussed in this review. Of major interest are the interactions between neuronal GLYT1 and glutamatergic receptors of the NMDA type the activity of which is modulated not only by astrocytic GLYT1 but also by neuronal GLYT1. Pathophysiological roles and therapeutic implications of neuronal GLYT1 are emerging from recent studies with genetically modified mice, particularly with animals lacking forebrain neuron-specific GLYT1 transporters. These mutant mice exhibit promnesic phenotypes reflecting enhancement of NMDA receptor function, as it occurs following administration of GLYT1 inhibitors. Inactivation of neuronal GLYT1 in the forebrain may represent an effective therapeutic intervention for the treatment of schizophrenia.

The GABA B receptor antagonists CGP35348 and CGP52432 inhibit glycine exocytosis: study with GABA B1- and GABA B2-deficient mice

GABA(B) receptors mediate inhibition of neurotransmitter exocytosis from nerve endings. Unexpectedly, the well known GABA(B) receptor antagonist CGP35348 and, in part, the compound CGP52432, are now found to inhibit on their own the K(+)-evoked exocytosis of glycine when added at low micromolar concentrations to superfused mouse glycinergic nerve endings prelabelled with [(3)H]glycine through GLYT2 transporters. CGP35348 inhibited [(3)H]glycine release both in spinal cord and in hippocampus, but was also able to prevent the inhibitory effect of (-)-baclofen; CGP52432 exhibited intrinsic activity only in the hippocampus; in spinal cord, it behaved exclusively as a silent orthosteric antagonist by blocking the release inhibition brought about by (-)-baclofen. The intrinsic activity of CGP35348 in spinal cord was not prevented by CGP52432, indicating that CGP35348 is not a partial GABA(B) agonist in this experimental system. CGP54626, an extremely potent antagonist, exhibited only a minimal intrinsic activity. SCH50911, a GABA(B) antagonist belonging to a different chemical class, was devoid of significant activity, while phaclofen was effective only at 100-300 microM. In synaptosomes purified from the spinal cord or the hippocampus of mice lacking either the GABA(B1) (GABA(B1-/-) mice) or the GABA(B2) (GABA(B2-/-) mice) subunit, the evoked exocytosis of [(3)H]glycine was no longer inhibited by (-)-baclofen, whereas the intrinsic activity of CGP35348 and CGP52432 was not decreased. Activation of unknown sites on glycinergic terminals is likely to be involved. These unexpected effects should not be ignored when interpreting results obtained with the above GABA(B) receptor antagonists.