A protein-free diet changes synaptosomal membrane fluidity and tyrosine and glutamate transport.

Synaptosomes were isolated from cerebrums of rats fed standard (20% protein) or protein-free diets for 30 days. Arrhenius plots of their (Na+/K+)ATPase activities revealed a transition temperature of 25.5 degrees C for control rats and 23.4 degrees C for rats on protein-free diet, indicating that the latter increases synaptosomal membrane fluidity. The only change observed in the composition of the synaptosomal membranes was a 26% decrease of sialic acid. In synaptosomes from rats on protein-free diet the uptake of tyrosine was slightly reduced while that of glutamate was not affected. However, the exit of glutamate was reduced.