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The effects of intracellularly and extracellularly applied synthetic analogues of delta-philanthotoxin (PhTX-433) and the polyamine spermine on the excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) of glutamatergic synapses and single channel currents gated by quisqualate-sensitive glutamate receptors (QUIS-R) on locust leg muscle have been compared. When applied extracellularly all 3 compounds reversibly antagonised the EPSC and the single channel currents. Antagonism was voltage independent, but use (agonist) dependent. Antagonism also occurred when they were injected into muscle fibres, but in this case it was not use dependent. It is proposed that spermine and the two toxins bind to the closed and open channel conformations of QUIS-R at a site near the intracellular opening of the channel gated by this receptor.

The effects of spermine and a synthetic analogue (PhTX-343) of the polyamine amide toxin, delta-philanthotoxin, on the responses of Xenopus oocytes to application of amino acids were examined using voltage clamp. The oocytes were injected with either total rat brain RNA or chick cerebrum, poly(A+)RNA. The responses to N-methyl-D-aspartate and L-kainate were potentiated by low concentrations (10(-11)-10(-7) M) of PhTX-343 and by 10(-5)-10(-4) M spermine. There was variability between oocytes in terms of their responsiveness to these compounds and recovery from their effects was slow and often incomplete. Prolonged or repeated applications of PhTX-343 and spermine eventually resulted in inhibition. Higher concentrations of these compounds always inhibited the responses to acidic amino acids. Low concentrations of PhTX-343 and spermine also potentiated the responses to nicotine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. These results are discussed in terms of the postulated polyamine binding site on the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor.