Synaptic transmission between rat cerebellar granule and Purkinje cells in dissociated cell culture: effects of excitatory-amino acid transmitter antagonists.

Monosynaptic excitatory connections between cerebellar granule and Purkinje cells were studied in dissociated cell cultures, and identification of the transmitter and the postsynaptic receptor at this synapse was pharmacologically investigated. The presynaptic granule cell and the postsynaptic Purkinje cell were voltage- or current-clamped simultaneously, and the excitatory postsynaptic current induced by the granule cell was examined. The neurons and monosynaptic excitatory connections were identified as in our earlier study. Several pairs of granule and Purkinje cells were stained with Lucifer yellow and propidium iodide, respectively, and their morphology was examined after electrophysiological recording. The monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic current was suppressed by 1 mM kynurenate, an antagonist for excitatory-amino acid receptors, but was little affected by 0.2 mM DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate, a selective antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Glutamate and aspartate induced inward current in the Purkinje cells. These currents were suppressed by kynurenate at 1 mM. DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate at 0.2 mM suppressed the inward current induced by 100 microM aspartate but did not affect the inward current induced by 10 microM glutamate. These results are consistent with the idea that glutamate, or a glutamate-like substance, but not aspartate is the transmitter released at the synapse between granule and Purkinje cells and that non-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor channels are functioning in the postsynaptic membrane.