The post-synaptic action of some putative excitatory transmitter substances

Abstract

L-Glutamate, L-aspartate and L-cysteate all produce current fluctuations when applied to the excitatory junctional membrane of Maia squinado . This post-synaptic ‘noise’ indicates that all three substances cause an elementary conductance event of approximately the same amplitude but with different average lifetimes. The mean lifetime of the ‘molecular shot effect’ produced by L-aspartate and L-cysteate is only about half that of L-glutamate.