Intracellular accumulation of amino acids increases synaptic potentials in rat hippocampal slices.

Intracellular accumulation of amino acids increases synaptic potentials in rat hippocampal slices.
Amino Acids. 2019 Aug 19;:
Authors: Luengo JG, Muñoz MD, Álvarez-Merz I, Herranz AS, González JC, Martín Del Río R, Hernández-Guijo JM, Solís JM
Abstract
The application of high concentrations of taurine induces long-lasting potentiation of synaptic responses and axon excitability. This phenomenon seems to require the contribution of a transport system with a low affinity for taurine. The prototypic taurine transporter TauT (SLC6A6) was discarded by experimental evidence obtained in TauT-KO mice. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the proton-coupled amino acid transporter 1 (PAT1; SLC36A1) which is a transport system with low affinity and high capacity for a great variety of amino acids including taurine, contributes to the taurine-induced synaptic potentiation. In rat hippocampal slices, the application of several amino acids (L- and D-alanine, L-glutamine, β-guanidinopropionic acid, glycine, L-histidine, L- and D-serine, sarcosine, L- and D-threonine) imitated the synaptic potentiation induced by taurine. The magnitude of the potentiation caused by some of these amino acids was even greater than that induced by taurine. By contrast, the application of other amino acids (L-arginine, betaine, L-leucine, L-methionine, L- and D-proline, and L-valine) did not induce potentiation. The behaviour of these differ...

Source: Amino Acids - August 18, 2019 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Luengo JG, Muñoz MD, Álvarez-Merz I, Herranz AS, González JC, Martín Del Río R, Hernández-Guijo JM, Solís JM Tags: Amino Acids Source Type: research