title: Chemoreception in Hydra vulgaris (attenuata): initial characterization of two distinct binding sites for L-glutamic acid.
abstract: To elucidate the relationship between L-glutamic acid and the putative chemoreceptor for glutathione, binding of L-[3H]glutamate to a crude membrane fraction from Hydra vulgaris (attenuata) has been characterized. The binding of L-[3H]glutamate was rapid, reversible and saturable. A Scatchard analysis of the specific binding revealed values of 10 microM for the dissociation constant (Kd) and 170 pmol/mg for the maximal capacity of binding sites (Bmax). A maximum of 65% of the specific L-[3H]glutamate binding was inhibited by the chemostimulatory peptide, glutathione. This glutathione-sensitive glutamate binding presumably represents the association of glutamate with a putative chemoreceptor which modulates feeding behavior in hydra. The remaining 35% of the specific L-[3H]glutamate binding may be due to a second class of glutamate binding sites which is insensitive to glutathione. The identification of glutathione-insensitive glutamate binding is the first indication of a putative glutamate receptor, which may mediate an action independent of the glutathione-induced feeding response. The glutathione-insensitive and glutathione-sensitive sites must have similar affinities for glutamate since these sites were indistinguishable by Scatchard analysis. A preliminary characterization of the glutathione-insensitive site, performed in the presence of saturating levels of glutathione, revealed inhibition of glutathione-insensitive glutamate binding by kainate and quisqualate, but not by N-methyl-D-aspartate. A glutathione-insensitive L-[3H]glutamate binding suggests that kainate and alpha-aminoadipate may be selective ligands for the glutathione-insensitive and glutathione-sensitive glutamate binding sites, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bellis
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grosvenor
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kass-Simon
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Rhoads
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005978:Glutathione / Q000494:pharmacology; D006829:Hydra / Q000378:metabolism*; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005978:Glutathione