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THE DISTRIBUTION AND AXONAL TRANSPORT OF FREE AMINO ACIDS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS IN THE DORSAL SENSORY NEURON OF THE RAT, AS DETERMINED BY THE DANSYL REACTION
Author(s) -
Roberts P. J.,
Keen P.,
Mitchell J. F.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1973.tb04239.x
Subject(s) - dorsal root ganglion , glycine , amino acid , glutamate receptor , axon , biochemistry , alanine , chemistry , axoplasmic transport , neuron , dorsum , sensory neuron , arginine , sensory system , glutamic acid , spinal cord , tyrosine , biology , biophysics , neuroscience , anatomy , receptor
A method is reported for the quantitative analysis of free amino acids and related substances by the dansyl reaction, and the technique has been used for the analysis of tissues of the dorsal sensory neuron of the rat. A comparison of dorsal and ventral roots revealed no major qualitative differences, but glutamate and the very much less abundant amino acids, threonine and arginine occurred in significantly higher concentrations in dorsal roots as compared with ventral roots. After an 8 h period of dorsal root ligation in vivo , an apparently selective accumulation of alanine, glutamate, glycine and tyrosine occurred. These findings are compatible with the postulated transmitter role of glutamate at the terminals of primary afferent fibres and may indicate its subsequent transport towards the cord after synthesis in the ganglion. After the injection of [ 14 C]glucose into the dorsal root ganglion, no rapid transport of any radiolabelled material along the axon could be detected. This finding is discussed in relation to current knowledge of the metabolic pathways involved in the synthesis of glutamate and related amino acids.