Further observations on the interaction between glutamate and aspartate on lobster muscle

Cross-species comparison of metabolite profiles in chemosensory epithelia: an indication of metabolite roles in chemosensory cells

Comparative studies of chemosensory systems in vertebrates and invertebrates have greatly enhanced our understanding of anatomical and physiological constraints of chemical detection. Immunohistochemical comparisons of chemosensory systems are difficult to make across species due to limited cross-reactivity of mammalian-based antibodies. Immunostaining chemosensory tissues with glutaraldehyde-based antibodies generated against small metabolites in combination with hierarchical cluster analyses provide a novel approach for identifying and classifying cell types regardless of species. We used this "metabolite profiling" technique to determine whether metabolite profiles can be used to identify cell classes within and across different species including mouse, zebrafish, lobster and squid. Within a species, metabolite profiles for distinct cell classes were generally consistent. We found several metabolite-based cell classifications that mirrored function or receptor protein-based classifications. Although profiles of all six metabolites differed across species, we found that specific metabolites were associated with certain cell types. For example, elevated levels of glutathione were characteristic of nonsensory cells from vertebrates, suggesting an antioxidative role in non-neuronal cells in sensory tissues. Collectively, we found significantly different metabolite profiles for distinct cell populations in chemosensory tissue within all of the species studied. Based on their roles in other systems or cells, we discuss the roles of L-arginine, L-aspartate, L-glutamate, glycine, glutathione, and taurine within chemosensory epithelia.

The excitatory actions of kainic acid and some derivatives at the crab neuromuscular junction

The actions of kainic acid and its derivatives including the new tricarboxylic kainic acid were tested on the Hermit crab neuromuscular junction. Kainic acid had a direct excitatory effect producing a depolarization. Although not so potent, alpha-ketokainic acid and tricarboxylic kainic acid mimicked this effect whilst dihydrokainic acid did not. The slopes of the dose-response curves for these kainic acid analogues differed from that of L-glutamate. A Hill coefficient approximating one was obtained for kainic acid compared to a value of three for L-glutamate. Threshold concentrations of l-glutamate and kainic acid but not alpha-ketokainic acid and tricarboxylic kainic acid potentiated the neurally evoked excitatory junction potentials and the ionophoretic L-glutamate potential. The results indicate a possible interaction of the kainic acid derivatives with a heterogeneous receptor population and provide a comparison with other invertebrate and vertebrate systems.

Selective potentiation of retinal horizontal cell responses to L-glutamate by D-aspartate

1. L-Glutamate and L-aspartate depolarize type H1 horizontal cells in the isolated retina of goldfish, but only at millimolar concentrations. 2. When applied in the presence of D-aspartate, L-glutamate depolarizes H1 cells at concentrations nearly 15-fold lower than when it is applied alone. The effects of L-aspartate were not potentiated by either D-aspartate or D-glutamate. 3. Since D-aspartate seems also to enhance the effect of the transmitter released by cone photoreceptors, these results are consistent with the possibility that L-glutamate is a neurotransmitter of cones.