Characteristics of [3H]glutamate binding sites in rat cerebellum

[3H]glutamate binding has been studied using the synaptic membrane preparations of rat cerebellum. The binding was observed to be specific, saturable and reversible. Curvileniarity of the Scatchard plots revealed the presence of two distinct populations of binding sites (one with a high affinity and the other with a low affinity to glutamate). [3H]glutamate bound to cerebellar synaptic membranes was displaced by kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartate and quisqualate indicating the presence of these three subtypes of glutamate receptors in cerebellum.