title: Taurine potentiates presynaptic NMDA receptors in hippocampal Schaffer collateral axons.
abstract: We have previously shown that activation of presynaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDAR) enhances the amplitude of the presynaptic fibre volley (FV) evoked in Schaffer collateral axons of rat hippocampal slices, by a mechanism independent of extracellular Ca(2+). Here we compared the pharmacological characteristics of presynaptic NMDARs affecting axon excitability (activated by 10-300 microM NMDA for 10 min), with those mediating field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (NMDA-fEPSP). We found that NMDA-induced potentiation was completely inhibited by NVP-AAM077, an antagonist of NR2A-containing NMDAR, but not by ifenprodil, an NR2B-selective antagonist. The inhibitor of the glycine-binding site in NMDARs, 7-clorokynurenic acid (7-CK), was more potent against NMDA-fEPSP (IC(50) = 6.3 +/- 1.3 microM) than against the NMDA-induced FV potentiation (IC(50) = 26.5 +/- 1.3 microM). Moreover, both post- and presynaptic NMDAR-mediated phenomena were enhanced by glycine and d-serine, but taurine, an endogenous analogue of glycine, only enhanced the latter (EC(50) = 19 microM). Taurine was able to block the inhibitory effect of low doses of 7-CK on NMDA-induced FV potentiation, while glycine and d-serine only reduced the effects of higher concentrations of this drug. Surprisingly, the enhancing effect of taurine on NMDA-induced FV potentiation was blocked when it was co-applied with glycine. Furthermore, the glutamate released synaptically with a train of stimuli also increased FV amplitude by a mechanism dependent on NMDARs; this was potentiated by taurine but not by co-application of taurine and glycine. These results reveal that presynaptic NMDARs have unique properties that mediate the facilitation of axon excitability.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurobiología-Investigación, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid 28034, Spain.
authors.forename: Luz M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Solís
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; C120997:NR2A NMDA receptor; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D013654:Taurine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D012694:Serine; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D007736:Kynurenic Acid; C057013:7-chlorokynurenic acid; D005998:Glycine