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Glutamate as a neurotransmitter (advances in biochemical psychopharmacology, volume 27)
110
Book reviews
latter unit has grown in complexity and it is described in several chapters. The localization of benzodiazepine receptors in various brain areas was estimated by several procedures, including radiohistochemical, autoradiographical and immunocytochemical studies. Mazi6re et al. describe positron tomography as a new method for in vivo studies of benzodiazepines including studies in man. The role of GABA-modulin is discussed in many chapters. Massoti et al. describe an endogenous material from brain which is a legitimate candidate for a role as endogenous agonist of the benzodiazepine recognition site. This material is thermostable, pronase-sensitive, with a molecular weight larger than 1800 daltons. A demonstration and characterization of an endogenous inhibitor of GABA-enhanced [3H]diazepam binding was presented by Paul et al. The studies with derivatives of beta-caboline-3 carboxylic acid suggest that this c o m p o u n d may bc part of an endogenous ligand for the benzodiazepine receptor. Olsen and LeebLundberg describe the convulsant and anticonvulsant drug binding sites related to GABA-reguluted ion channels. Several chapters describe the heterogeneity of GABA receptors associated with drug receptors in various CNS regions. Finally, a number of chapters deal with the relationship between the GABAergic system and some of the functions of the CNS, including hormone release, convulsive states etc. All chapters in this volume are highly informative, presenting much detail of the author's own work. Each article is followed by a list of recent references and the book has a subject index. To summarize, this volume of Adt,ances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology covers the most recent findings related to the GABAergic transmission and the participation of this system in the mechanism of action of benzodiazepines. The lessons learned from studies on the actions of benzodiazepines seem to be of general significance in the study of synaptic transmission and might even help towards the discovery of new drugs beneficial for the mentally ill. Therefore, this volume will be of interest to neurochemists, neuroanatomists, neuroendocrinologist and also to all who are interested in biochemical psychopharmacology. S. H'fNIE Glutamate as a Neurotransmitter (Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology, Volume 27), Edited by G. D1 CI~[ARA and G. L. GESSA, Raven Press, New York 1980, xviii, 445 pp., illus., $41.00. Two of the three editors who recently published Volume 26 of Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology on "GABA and Benzodiazepine Receptors", now present a new volume which deals with another neurotransmitter glutamate. This volume is based on a symposium entitled "GABA and Glutamate as Transmitters" held in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy, in May, 1980. The book contains 37 articles, by 95 experts. With the exception of the first paper which is an overview of glutamate as a neurotransmitter, all the other papers are progress reports based mainly on the author's own experimental data. This collection of papers demonstrate that glutamate, at least in certain systems, now meets most if not all of the criteria for being considered as a neurotransmitter. In the first review article Cotman et al. demonstrate that glutamate is a candidate for the major excitatory transmitter in the CNS; its release, uptake and receptor characteristics are all compatible with a neurotransmitter role for this amino acid. The remaining chapters are roughly divided into 5 groups: (1) distribution of glutamate and aspartate synapses; (2) synthesis, uptake, and release of neurotransmitter glutamate: (3) membrane changes
induced by amino acids: (4) receptors for glutamate and related excitatory amino acids: and (5) kainic acid, glutamic acid, and neurotoxic substances. In the first group, there are 5 papers dealing with the a n a t o m y of glutamate synapses in various parts of the mamalian CNS. In the second section, the papers describe the synthesis, uptake, and release of glutamate as a neurotransmitter. Roberts presents strategies for identifying sources and sites of GABA-precursor or transmitter glutamate in brain. Data in the chapter of Revuelta ct al. indicate that the measurement of GABA turnovever is a valuable tool in the study of the trans-synaptic modulation of GABA neurones by various neural inputs (dopaminergic, cholinergic and by fl-endorphin). Several papers from the next section describe membrane changes in muscle, motoneurones, and spinal neurones induced by several amino acids. Freedman et al. present a model for excitatory transmission at a glutamate synapse. There is a possibility that glutamate and aspartate may be released together and m a y function as a transmitter modulator pair; k-aspartate seems to exert a steady state potentiation on the natural transmitter glutamate. The fourth section deals with the receptors for glutamate and related excitatory amino acids. The ligand-binding techniques which are used to investigate receptors for a variety of neurotransmitters were also used in sludies of glutamatergic function. It appears that binding assays with L-glutamate and L-aspartate may serve as useful approaches for the investigation of both normal and altered glutamatergic function. Several new amino acid analogues are described as convenient experimental tools for studies of glutamate receptors. Papers in the last section of this book describe experiments in which kainic acid, quisqualic acid and ibotenic acid (all are heterocyclic amino acids which are conformationally restricted analogues of glutamate) were used as experimental tools for the study of excitatory pathways in the CNS. According to Olney. there is an important feature distinguishing kainic acid from other excitotoxins. This acid may act by a c o m p o u n d hyperexcitation/disinhibition mechanism, whereas other excitotoxins act by simple hyperexcitation without disinhibition. The neurotoxic properties of a number of neuroexcitatory amino acids, like kainic acid and ibotenic acid, are also used for the induction of several pathological conditions with disturbed function of glutamatergic synapses. A m o n g these conditions are epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorder and Huntington's disease. The neuroendocrine effects of excitotoxic amino acids are described in the last chapter of this volume. The chapters in this volume present mainly the progress of work in the author's laboratory. The articles are highly informative. Each chapter is followed by relevant references and the book contains an extensive subject index. This collection of papers covers the most recent advances in the field of research in the anatomy, biochemistry~ physiology, and pharmacology of glutamate synapses. They clearly indicate that research in this field is not at an end but instead promises further fruitful development, which will probably definitively recognize glutamate as a neurotransmitter. Similarly, as in the preceding volume on GABA, this volume will be of interest to neurochemists, neuroanatomists, neuroendocrinologists and to all who are are interested in bichemical psychopharmacology. S, HYNIli Psychopharmacology of Alcohol (Sponsored by the British Association for Psychopharmacology), Edited by MERTON SANDLER,Raven Press, New York 1980. xiv, 280 pp., illus., $27.00. Under the editorship of Merton Sandier, The British Association for Psychopharmacology has gathered together
Book reviews
latter unit has grown in complexity and it is described in several chapters. The localization of benzodiazepine receptors in various brain areas was estimated by several procedures, including radiohistochemical, autoradiographical and immunocytochemical studies. Mazi6re et al. describe positron tomography as a new method for in vivo studies of benzodiazepines including studies in man. The role of GABA-modulin is discussed in many chapters. Massoti et al. describe an endogenous material from brain which is a legitimate candidate for a role as endogenous agonist of the benzodiazepine recognition site. This material is thermostable, pronase-sensitive, with a molecular weight larger than 1800 daltons. A demonstration and characterization of an endogenous inhibitor of GABA-enhanced [3H]diazepam binding was presented by Paul et al. The studies with derivatives of beta-caboline-3 carboxylic acid suggest that this c o m p o u n d may bc part of an endogenous ligand for the benzodiazepine receptor. Olsen and LeebLundberg describe the convulsant and anticonvulsant drug binding sites related to GABA-reguluted ion channels. Several chapters describe the heterogeneity of GABA receptors associated with drug receptors in various CNS regions. Finally, a number of chapters deal with the relationship between the GABAergic system and some of the functions of the CNS, including hormone release, convulsive states etc. All chapters in this volume are highly informative, presenting much detail of the author's own work. Each article is followed by a list of recent references and the book has a subject index. To summarize, this volume of Adt,ances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology covers the most recent findings related to the GABAergic transmission and the participation of this system in the mechanism of action of benzodiazepines. The lessons learned from studies on the actions of benzodiazepines seem to be of general significance in the study of synaptic transmission and might even help towards the discovery of new drugs beneficial for the mentally ill. Therefore, this volume will be of interest to neurochemists, neuroanatomists, neuroendocrinologist and also to all who are interested in biochemical psychopharmacology. S. H'fNIE Glutamate as a Neurotransmitter (Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology, Volume 27), Edited by G. D1 CI~[ARA and G. L. GESSA, Raven Press, New York 1980, xviii, 445 pp., illus., $41.00. Two of the three editors who recently published Volume 26 of Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology on "GABA and Benzodiazepine Receptors", now present a new volume which deals with another neurotransmitter glutamate. This volume is based on a symposium entitled "GABA and Glutamate as Transmitters" held in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy, in May, 1980. The book contains 37 articles, by 95 experts. With the exception of the first paper which is an overview of glutamate as a neurotransmitter, all the other papers are progress reports based mainly on the author's own experimental data. This collection of papers demonstrate that glutamate, at least in certain systems, now meets most if not all of the criteria for being considered as a neurotransmitter. In the first review article Cotman et al. demonstrate that glutamate is a candidate for the major excitatory transmitter in the CNS; its release, uptake and receptor characteristics are all compatible with a neurotransmitter role for this amino acid. The remaining chapters are roughly divided into 5 groups: (1) distribution of glutamate and aspartate synapses; (2) synthesis, uptake, and release of neurotransmitter glutamate: (3) membrane changes
induced by amino acids: (4) receptors for glutamate and related excitatory amino acids: and (5) kainic acid, glutamic acid, and neurotoxic substances. In the first group, there are 5 papers dealing with the a n a t o m y of glutamate synapses in various parts of the mamalian CNS. In the second section, the papers describe the synthesis, uptake, and release of glutamate as a neurotransmitter. Roberts presents strategies for identifying sources and sites of GABA-precursor or transmitter glutamate in brain. Data in the chapter of Revuelta ct al. indicate that the measurement of GABA turnovever is a valuable tool in the study of the trans-synaptic modulation of GABA neurones by various neural inputs (dopaminergic, cholinergic and by fl-endorphin). Several papers from the next section describe membrane changes in muscle, motoneurones, and spinal neurones induced by several amino acids. Freedman et al. present a model for excitatory transmission at a glutamate synapse. There is a possibility that glutamate and aspartate may be released together and m a y function as a transmitter modulator pair; k-aspartate seems to exert a steady state potentiation on the natural transmitter glutamate. The fourth section deals with the receptors for glutamate and related excitatory amino acids. The ligand-binding techniques which are used to investigate receptors for a variety of neurotransmitters were also used in sludies of glutamatergic function. It appears that binding assays with L-glutamate and L-aspartate may serve as useful approaches for the investigation of both normal and altered glutamatergic function. Several new amino acid analogues are described as convenient experimental tools for studies of glutamate receptors. Papers in the last section of this book describe experiments in which kainic acid, quisqualic acid and ibotenic acid (all are heterocyclic amino acids which are conformationally restricted analogues of glutamate) were used as experimental tools for the study of excitatory pathways in the CNS. According to Olney. there is an important feature distinguishing kainic acid from other excitotoxins. This acid may act by a c o m p o u n d hyperexcitation/disinhibition mechanism, whereas other excitotoxins act by simple hyperexcitation without disinhibition. The neurotoxic properties of a number of neuroexcitatory amino acids, like kainic acid and ibotenic acid, are also used for the induction of several pathological conditions with disturbed function of glutamatergic synapses. A m o n g these conditions are epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorder and Huntington's disease. The neuroendocrine effects of excitotoxic amino acids are described in the last chapter of this volume. The chapters in this volume present mainly the progress of work in the author's laboratory. The articles are highly informative. Each chapter is followed by relevant references and the book contains an extensive subject index. This collection of papers covers the most recent advances in the field of research in the anatomy, biochemistry~ physiology, and pharmacology of glutamate synapses. They clearly indicate that research in this field is not at an end but instead promises further fruitful development, which will probably definitively recognize glutamate as a neurotransmitter. Similarly, as in the preceding volume on GABA, this volume will be of interest to neurochemists, neuroanatomists, neuroendocrinologists and to all who are are interested in bichemical psychopharmacology. S, HYNIli Psychopharmacology of Alcohol (Sponsored by the British Association for Psychopharmacology), Edited by MERTON SANDLER,Raven Press, New York 1980. xiv, 280 pp., illus., $27.00. Under the editorship of Merton Sandier, The British Association for Psychopharmacology has gathered together