D-Aspartate and NMDA but not L-aspartate block AMPA receptors in rat hippocampal neurons

摘要

class="enumerated" style="list-style-type:decimal">The amino acid, D-aspartate, exists in the mammalian brain and is an agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Here, for the first time, we studied the actions of D-aspartate on α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPARs) in acutely isolated rat hippocampal neurons.In the presence of the NMDA receptor channel blocker, MK801, D-aspartate inhibited kainate-induced AMPAR current in hippocampal neurons. The inhibitory action of D-aspartate on kainate-induced AMPAR current was concentration-dependent and was voltage-independent in the tested voltage range (−80 to +60 mV).The estimated EC50 of the L-glutamate-induced AMPAR current was increased in the presence of D-aspartate, while the estimated maximum L-glutamate-induced AMPAR current was not changed. D-aspartate concentration-dependently shifted the dose–response curve of kainate to the right. Schild plot analysis indicated that D-aspartate acts competitively to block AMPARs. The Kb for D-aspartate was estimated to be 0.93 mM.D-Aspartate also blocked L-glutamate-induced current in Xenopus laevis oocytes that expressed recombinant homomeric AMPARs.NMDA possessed similar inhibitory action on AMPARs. However, L-aspartate had little inhibitory action on AMPARs.D-Aspartate, but not class="small-caps">L-aspartate, was found to reduce the amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current in cultured hippocampal neurons.Our data are consistent with a model in which class="small-caps">D-aspartate directly competes with kainate and class="small-caps">L-glutamate in binding to the agonist binding site of AMPARs. The prevalence of class="small-caps">D-aspartate in the brain suggests a possible role of class="small-caps">D-aspartate in modulating AMPAR-mediated fast excitatory synaptic transmission.