Endogenous D-serine in rat brain: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-related distribution and aging.
Recently, a substantial amount of free D-serine has been demonstrated in rat brain, although it has long been presumed that D-amino acids are uncommon in mammals. The anatomical distribution and age-related changes in endogenous D-serine have been examined here to obtain insight into its physiological functions. Free D-serine exclusively occurs in brains, with a persistent high content from birth to at least 86 postnatal weeks. The patterns of the regional variations and the postnatal changes in brain D-serine are closely correlated with those of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-type excitatory amino acid receptor. Because D-serine potentiates NMDA receptor-mediated transmission by selective stimulation of the strychnine-insensitive glycine site of the NMDA receptor, it is proposed that D-serine is a novel candidate as an intrinsic ligand for the glycine site in mammalian brain.
Hashimoto
A
A
Division of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan.
Nishikawa
T
T
Oka
T
T
Takahashi
K
K
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012694:Serine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D012694:Serine; D005998:Glycine