Glutamate-induced inward current in a clonal neuroblastoma cell line.

The presence of glutamate-induced electrophysiological responses was examined in eight clonal neuroblastoma cell lines with the whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Only N2A cells responded to glutamate superfusion with a concentration-dependent, reversible inward current. Superfusion with the analogues kainic acid, quisqualic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid also evoked inward currents but they had a smaller amplitude. The results indicate that N2A neuroblastoma cells could serve as an in vitro model to study the functional properties of glutamate receptors and associated ion channels.