Binding and Uptake of Amino Acids by Brain Tissue

Abstract
(1) Of the endogenous glutamate, aspartate, alanine, glycine, and γ-aminobutyrate (GABA), 26–37% remains bound in particles when rat brain is homogenized in isosmotic salt-free sucrose solution; a smaller proportion, 16%, of the glutamine is bound. The amounts bound are increased if sodium chloride is present; the percentage increase is greatest in the case of GABA, followed by glutamate, and least with glutamine. When tracer amounts of radioactive amino acids are present in the solution in the absence of salt very little radioactivity appears in bound GABA or glutamine, but appreciable amounts are found in the other amino acids. In the presence of sodium chloride, the total amount of bound amino acid increases as does, to a lesser extent, the radioactivity bound. Ouabain and protoveratrine seem to cause some release of sodium-dependent binding of the amino acids; this is most marked with GABA.(2) Slices incubated in the presence of oxygen and glucose take up each of the amino acids when these are added to the incubation medium. The highest intracellular concentration and the greatest net uptake occur with GABA. The endogenous concentration of glutamate is higher than that of the other amino acids but the net uptake is the least. The highest ratios of uptake to endogenous content occur with alanine and glycine. Determinations of radioactivity indicate that, in the cases of GABA and glycine, the increase in radioactivity in the slices is almost completely accounted for by uptake from the medium with almost no exchange. Some exchange occurs with other amino acids. Protoveratrine inhibits uptake of all the amino acids and actually causes loss of glutamate and aspartate from slices. Ouabain inhibits in all cases; the uptakes of glutamate and aspartate are least affected. Tetrodotoxin, alone or with either of the other two drugs, tends to increase uptake of all the amino acids. When the net uptake is inhibited by drugs considerable exchange of endogenous amino acids with radioactive amino acids in the medium is observed.