Substrate specificity and developmental aspects of a presynaptic GABA receptor regulating glutamate release in the rat cerebellum.

In order to better characterize the presynaptic GABA receptors regulating glutamate release in the cerebellum [Levi and Gallo, 1981], a number of GABA agonists and GABA transport inhibitors were tested for their ability to potentiate the depolarization-induced release of the glutamate analog D-[3H]aspartate from superfused cerebellar synaptosomes. Of all the compounds tested, only those which are known to interact specifically with GABA receptors were effective when tested on synaptosomal preparations. The order of effectiveness found was the following: muscimol congruent to 3-APS greater than or equal to P4S greater than isoguvacine greater than THIP. GABA uptake inhibitors were unable to enhance D-[3H]aspartate evoked release from synaptosomes, but were effective when tested in cerebellar slices; in the latter case, the activation of the GABA receptors may be achieved indirectly, through an increase of the extracellular GABA concentrations. The substrate specificity of the presynaptic GABA receptors regulating cerebellar acidic amino acid release appears to be similar to that reported for GABA receptors in radioligand binding studies and for GABA autoreceptors. Studies on synaptosomes from immature cerebella suggested that the presence of the potentiating effect on the acidic amino acid release by GABA agonists is correlated with the development of the parallel fiber terminals, which are believed to be the main site from which glutamate is released in the adult cerebellum.