Inhibition of glutamate transporters decreases the amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potential at the crayfish neuromuscular junction

Abstract

The aim of our experiment was to determine the effect of the chemical trans-2, 4 PDC, a glutamate transport inhibitor, at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. Trans-2,4 PDC prevents glutamate transporters from binding onto glutamate and removing it from the synaptic cleft. We hypothesized that the addition of the chemical to the neuromuscular junction would result in an increase in the amplitude of the Excitatory Post-Synaptic Potentials (EPSP). We recorded the amplitude of several EPSPs of each crayfish while it was in normal saline, then added trans 2,4 PDC and recorded the EPSPs again. We observed a decrease in the amplitude of the EPSP after the chemical was added. We conclude from this that, contrary to our hypothesis, the decrease in the amplitude of the EPSPs could be attributed to the fact that down regulation occurred or that there was a lack of glutamate recycling in the presynaptic cell.