Glutamate uptake into synaptic vesicles in nerve terminals is a pivotal step in glutamate synaptic transmission. Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter and, as such, the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) responsible for this uptake is involved in a variety of nervous system functions and various types of pathophysiology. As yet, no VGLUT-specific, membrane-permeable agents have been developed to affect neuronal function in intact neurons, although two potent VGLUTspecific inhibitors are known. These compounds contain diazo and highly charged sulfonic acid groups, rendering them membrane-impermeable and potentially cytotoxic. In an effort to eliminate these undesirable properties, we have developed two novel agents, Brilliant Yellow analogs 1 and 2, which are free of these two groups. We show here that these agents retain highly VGLUT-selective inhibitory activity, despite their reduction in potency, and exhibit no significant cellular toxicity. Potential use of this molecular modification is discussed.
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氨酸在神经末端的突触小泡中的摄取是谷
氨酸突触传递中的关键步骤。谷
氨酸是主要的兴奋性神经递质,因此,负责此摄取过程的囊泡谷
氨酸转运体(VGLUT)在多种神经系统功能和各种类型的病理生理过程中发挥作用。迄今为止,尽管已有两种强效的VGLUT特异性
抑制剂被发现,但尚未开发出专门针对VGLUT、能够穿透细胞膜并影响完整神经元功能的药物。这些化合物含有重氮基团和高度带电的
磺酸基团,使得它们无法穿透细胞膜,并可能具有细胞毒性。为了消除这些不良特性,我们开发了两种新型试剂——灿烂黄类似物1和2,它们不含这两种基团。在此,我们展示了这些试剂虽然效力有所降低,但仍保留高度VGLUT选择性抑制活性,并且没有显著细胞毒性。我们讨论了这种分子修饰的潜在应用。