Soaping the NMDA receptor: Various types of detergents influence differently [(3)H]MK-801 binding to rat brain membranes.

Membranes prepared from rat brain were treated with increasing concentrations of cationic, neutral, anionic and zwitterionic surfactants. Potent inactivation of [3H]MK-801 binding to NMDA receptors (NRs) was provided by the cation cetyl pyridinium (IC50 25μM) and the neutral digitonin (IC50 37μM). A 2h incubation of rat brain membranes at 24°C with 100μM of the neutral Triton X-100 resulted in about 50% reversible inhibition (without inactivation). Reversible inhibition was also effected by the anion deoxycholate (IC50 700μM), and by the zwitterions N-lauryl sulfobetaine (12-SB±, 400μM) and CHAPS (1.5mM), with inactivation at higher concentrations. Keeping the NR cation channel in the closed state significantly protected against inactivation by cations and by 12-SB±, but not by the other detergents. Inactivation depended differentially on the amount of the membranes, on the duration of the treatment, and on the temperature. Varying the amount of membranes by a factor 8 yielded for cetyl trimethylammonium (16-NMe3+) IC50s of inactivation from 10 to 80μM, while for deoxycholate the IC50 of inactivation was 1.2mM for all tissue quantities. Some compounds inactivated within a few min (16-NMe3+, digitonin, CHAPS), while inactivation by others took at least half an hour (Triton X-100, deoxycholate, 12-SB±). These last 3 ones also exhibited the steepest temperature dependence. Knowledge about the influence of various parameters is helpful in selecting appropriate conditions allowing the treatment of brain membranes with amphiphiles without risking irreversible inactivation.