Glial cell function: uptake of transmitter substances

Henn, F. A., Hamberger, A. (November 1971) Glial cell function: uptake of transmitter substances. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 68 (11). pp. 2686-90.

Abstract

Rabbit-brain fractions enriched in neuronal cell bodies and in glial cells accumulated norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, substances believed to serve as neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Both neurons and glia were able to concentrate the monoamine transmitters about 4-fold from a medium containing 0.1-1 muM concentrations. However, the glial-cell fraction concentrated aminobutyrate over a 100-fold from the medium, in contrast to the neuronal fraction, which concentrated this amino acid only 4-fold. The uptake of aminobutyrate by glial cells was 30-50% of that of synaptosome preparations. Its uptake in all fractions was temperature sensitive, sensitive to metabolic inhibitors, and exhibited K(m) values of 0.72 muM for the neuronal fraction, 0.42 muM for the synaptosomal fraction, and 0.27 muM for the glial-cell fraction. These results are interpreted as evidence that the glial cell is involved in limiting the extracellular build-up of substances that might trigger synaptic transmission by removing any transmitters that may diffuse out of the synaptic cleft during the transmission of impulses. The possible function of the enormous ability of glia and synaptosomes to accumulate aminobutyrate is discussed in light of the actions and distribution of this substance in the central nervous system.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Aminobutyrates/metabolism Animals Brain/*metabolism Carbon Isotopes Culture Techniques Dopamine/metabolism Neuroglia/cytology/metabolism/*physiology Neurons/metabolism Neurophysiology Norepinephrine/metabolism Rabbits Serotonin/metabolism *Synaptic Transmission Synaptic Vesicles/metabolism Tritium
Subjects: organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > glia cells
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > glia cells
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > glia cells
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell functions > neurotransmitter
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Henn lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: November 1971
Date Deposited: 09 Jul 2014 18:39
Last Modified: 09 Jul 2014 18:39
PMCID: PMC389501
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/30199

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