Structure-activity studies on an excitatory receptor for glutamate on leech Retzius neurones.

1 Intracellular recordings were made from Retzius cells from the segmental ganglia of Hirudo medicinalis and Haemopis sanguisuga. Glutamate had a direct excitatory effect on the leech Retzius cells. 2 L-Glutamate was 25 times more potent than D-glutamate. 3 L-Glutamate was approximately equipotent with ibotenic acid and 11.2 times more potent than L-aspartic acid. 4 Quisqualic acid and kainic acid were both approximately 100 times more potent than L-glutamate. DL-1-Amino-cis-1-3-dicarboxyclyclopentane was approximately 5 times more potent than L-glutamate, while the trans isomer was 105 times less potent. 5 alpha-NH2-pimelic acid and beta-CH3-glutamic acid reduced the response to L-glutamate. 6 It is suggested that glutamic acid may interact with the Retzius cell glutamate receptor in an extended conformation.