Characterization of specific succinate binding site in brain synaptic membranes
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient
Published on: September 3, 2014
Tünde Molnár1, Erzsébet Kutiné Fekete, Julianna Kardos
1Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Chemical Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest. tmolnar@chemres.hu
Abstract:
A synaptic receptor for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) --a naturally occurring metabolite of succinic acid--interacting succinate has been disclosed in rat and human nucleus accumbens (NA) subcellular fractions, but the molecular properties of this recognition site were not characterised. To address the presumed recognition site for succinate, the pharmacological profile of [3H]succinate binding to synaptic membranes prepared from rat forebrain and human NA samples has been investigated. Specific [3H]succinate binding sites in the human NA synaptic membrane fraction showed a strong pH-dependence and were characterized by binding of succinate (IC50 succinate=2.9+/-0.6 microM), GHB (IC50 GHB=2.1 +/-1.3 microM) and gap junction blocker carbenoxolone (IC50 = 7.1 +/-5.8 microM). A similar [3H]succinate binding profile was found in rat forebrain synaptic membrane fractions. We conclude the existence of a pHo-dependent synaptic membrane binding site for the intermediary metabolite succinate. The pharmacological properties of this recognition site may possibly suggest the existence of a hemichannel-like target protein for succinate.
Related Concept Videos
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
The Significance of Membrane Transport
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Neurochemical Transmission: Sites of Drug Action

