Binding sites for L-[3H]glutamate in hippocampus

Three binding sites for L-[3H]glutamate on freshly-prepared hippocampal synaptic membranes were identified on the basis of their differing affinities for L-glutamate or quisqualate. The high affinity site yielded K/sub D/ and B/sub max/ values of 12 nM and 2.5 pmol/mg protein, respectively. Binding sites of lower affinity had K/sub D/ values of 200 nM (GLU A) and 1 μM (GLU B) and B/sub max/ values of about 30 and 60 pmol/mg protein, respectively. GLU A sites bound quisqualate with about 70 times the affinity fo GLU B sites, and thus quisoqualate could be used as a tool to discriminate them. Hill slopes indicated that each site represented a single population of non-interacting binding sites. Freezing drastically decreased GLU A binding, but nearly tripled GLU B binding. Both sites bound L-glutamate with 10-30 times the affinity of D-glutamate. The GLU A site also bound L-glutamate with about 10 times the affinity of L-asparate and discriminated poorly between L- and D-asparate. In contrast, the GLU B site bound L-aspartate with similar affinity to L-gluamate, and with much higher affinity than it bound D-aspartate. Both lesions of perforant path and destruction of the granule cells with colchicine markedly reduced radioligand binding to the GLU A site in the fascia dentata, but only the perforant path lesion significantly reduced binding to the GLU B site. The structural specificity of the GLU A site is consistent with its identification as a type of quisqualate receptor