The excitation and inhibition of crustacean muscle by amino acids

Robbins, Jay H.

doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006272

Cited by 127 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…An indication of the relative potency of one compound to another was obtained by comparing the concentration of each required to produce the same diminution of the integrated ventral root response. The substances tested were so selected that they formed a series which both paralleled and supplemented similar series previously investigated under other test conditions (Purpura et al, 1959;Edwards & Kuffier, 1959;Robbins, 1959;Van Harreveld, 1959;. The results are given in Table 1, where the potencies are expressed relative to that of y-aminobutyric acid.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the purposes of the present study, two series of amino-acids and substances closely related to amino-acids were selected so as to cover the most important. findings of several similar investigations undertaken recently on a variety of excitable tissues (Purpura et al, 1959;Edwards & Kuffler, 1959;Robbins, 1959;Van Harreveld, 1959;. y-Aminobutyric acid and L-glutamic acid were chosen as standard depressant and excitant substances respectively, and their actions upon the responses of the isolated hemisected toad cord were briefly investigated prior to their use as reference compounds for the estimation of the relative potencies of the other substances in the two series.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Glutamic acid has been shown to have an excitant action on crustacean muscle (Robbins, 1959;Van Harreveld, 1959;Van Harreveld & Mendelson, 1959) and mammalian spinal neurones (Curtis, Phillis & Watkins, 1960). The action of this substance in eliciting spreading depression of mammalian cortical cells (Van Harreveld, 1959;Purpura et al, 1959) also probably results from a preliminary excitatory action, followed, in this case, by excessive depolarization which inactivates the cells .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Substances of the latter group, in concentrations higher than those required to produce excitation, may also cause depression (Brockman & Burson, 1957; Robbins, 1959;Van Harreveld, 1959;Curtis, Phillis & Watkins, 1960), but such depression is clearly distinguishable from that manifested at all concentrations by substances of the first group (Curtis, Phillis & Watkins, 1959;. Amongst the most potent members of these two groups of amino-acids, which can for convenience be termed the depressant and excitant series, are y-aminobutyric acid and glutamic acid respectively.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Actions of Amino‐acids on the Isolated Hemisected Spinal Cord of the Toad

Curtis

Phillis

Watkins

1961

British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy

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The actions of a series of amino-acids related to y-aminobutyric acid and glutamic acid have been determined upon the isolated and sagittally hemisected spinal cord of the toad, Bufo marinus. Slow and fast components of the ventral root reflex responses following dorsal root stimulation were depressed by y-aminobutyric acid and by a series of neutral amino-acids having a similar structure. The relative depressant potencies of the members of this series were determined by comparison of the concentrations of each required to cause the same reduction in the electrically integrated slow components of these reflex responses. Glutamic acid and closely related substances facilitated reflex responses in low concentrations and depressed these responses in high concentrations. The actions of these substances resulted in the depolarization of motoneurones which was recorded as a negative potential in the ventral root. The relative potencies of the substances were estimated from the concentrations of each required to produce negative potentials of the same magnitude.Several amino-acids not previously tested proved to have remarkably strong actions on this preparation. 3-Aminopropanesulphonic acid was the most potent depressant tested; homocysteic acid and N-methylaspartic acid were the most powerful excitatory substances. The D forms of optically active depressants or excitants were always stronger than the corresponding L forms where both enantiomorphs were available. Points of similarity and dissimilarity between these results and those of related investigations are discussed.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Actions of Amino‐acids on the Isolated Hemisected Spinal Cord of the Toad

Curtis

Phillis

Watkins

1961

British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy

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“…By this time it was established that crustacean muscles responded to glutamate and various amino acids as well as GABA (Van Harreveld and Mendelson, 1959;Robbins, 1959;Kerkut et al, 1965). The inhibitory responses of GABA was identified by Florey (Bazemore et al, 1956(Bazemore et al, , 1957 and others (Boistel and Fatt, 1958).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Historical View and Physiology Demonstration at the NMJ of the Crayfish Opener Muscle

Cooper

2009

JoVE

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Here we present some of the key important discoveries made with the opener neuromuscular (NMJ) preparation of crustaceans and illustrate that there is still much to learn from this model preparation. In understanding the history one can appreciate why even today this NMJ still offers a rich playground to address questions regarding pre-and post-synaptic function and plasticity. The viability and ease of access to the terminal for intracellular as well as extracellular electrophysiology and imaging are significant advantages. The mechanisms behind the modulation of vesicular kinetics and fusion within the high-and low-output terminals are begging for investigation. The preparation also offers a testable model system for computational assessments and manipulations to examine key variables in theoretical models of synaptic function, for example calcium dynamics during short-term facilitation. The synaptic complexity of active zone and statistical nature of quantal release is also an open area for future investigation both experimentally and computationally.

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Soup or Sparks: The History of Drugs and Synapses

Kloot

2007

Handbook of Contemporary Neuropharmacology

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The 130 years between Claude Bernard's demonstration that curare blocks neuromuscular transmission, but not nerve conduction or muscular contraction, and the cloning of receptor that binds the drug saw the emergence of neuropharmacology. Propelled by the staggering economic growth of the 19 th Century and public support, the number of scientists and scientific institutions expanded enormously. It became clear that excitable cells interact though one‐way junctions without cytoplasmic continuity: synapses. Drugs were discovered that block transmission at specific synapses or mimic the effects of nerve stimulation. Some thought that drugs bound to specific receptor sites, perhaps on arms of the huge molecule then believed to make up the protoplasm. The crucial step in elucidating the mechanism of transmission and revealing how the drugs act was Loewi's demonstration, in 1921, that stimulated nerves release a chemical that acts on the effector like nerve stimulation. Many concluded that synaptic transmission is chemical. Others argued that this could not be because transmission is so fast—it must be electrical. The argument was finally resolved in the 1950's when it was shown that the potential changes produced by presynaptic nerve stimulation reverse in sign at a set level of postsynaptic potential, demonstrating that the released transmitters open ion channels in the postsynaptic membrane. Transmission is fast because the transmitters bind, open an ion channel, and then are promptly released so the channel closes. These receptors are operated by the high local concentrations of transmitter produced by quanta1 release. Understanding how drugs work at synapses led to new drugs and advances in health care—a stunning record of achievement.

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The excitation and inhibition of crustacean muscle by amino acids

Cited by 127 publications

References 24 publications

Actions of Amino‐acids on the Isolated Hemisected Spinal Cord of the Toad

Actions of Amino‐acids on the Isolated Hemisected Spinal Cord of the Toad

Historical View and Physiology Demonstration at the NMJ of the Crayfish Opener Muscle

Soup or Sparks: The History of Drugs and Synapses

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