PubMed HealthSearch

PubMed · 7279313

Bilateral asymmetry in brain GABA function?

Abstract

The GABA system was studied in different regions of the rat's brain following inhibition of brain GABA catabolism with intracisternal ethanolamine-O-sulphate or intraperitoneal aminooxyacetic acid. Both treatments lowered GABA aminotransferase and glutamate decarboxylase activities to similar extents in equivalent nuclei on either side of the brain. However, GABA contents were elevates to a consistently higher level in the right-hand substantia nigra, superior colliculus and nucleus accumbens, and in the left-hand ventral tegmentum, ventromedial thalamus and caudate nucleus, with no bilateral asymmetry evident in globus pallidus. These findings are discussed with reference to possible inherent inequalities in the functional states similar GABA systems on opposite sides of the brain.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

M S Starr, I C Kilpatrick. 1981-09-01. Bilateral asymmetry in brain GABA function?. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(81)90326-8

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Slow-binding inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase by hydrazine analogues.

(3-Hydroxybenzyl)hydrazine and methylhydrazine have been found to be potent slow-binding inhibitors of the pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT). Both compounds follow mechanism A (Morrison, J.F.; Walsh, C. T. Adv. Enzymol. 1988, 61, 201-301) which does not involve formation of a rapidly reversible enzyme-inhibitor complex before the formation of the final tight complex. The rate constant for formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex determined from the slow-binding kinetics was 2.08 x 10(3) and 1.98 x 10(4) M-1 min-1 for methylhydrazine and (3-hydroxybenzyl)hydrazine, respectively. The rate constant for dissociation of the enzyme--inhibitor complex determined for the slow-binding kinetics was 4.6 x 10(-3) and 5 x 10(-3) min-1, respectively. The inhibition constants calculated from the slow-binding inhibition kinetics are 2.2 microM for methylhydrazine and 0.3 microM for (3-hydroxybenzyl)hydrazine. Reactivation of the inhibited enzyme was not first order, perhaps due to a side reaction of the hydrazine, but was consistent with the results obtained from the slow-binding kinetics. Inhibition constants were calculated from the level of enzyme activity at equilibrium inhibition. These constants are 2.8 and 0.46 microM for methylhydrazine and (3-hydroxybenzyl)hydrazine, respectively, in good agreement with those calculated from the slow-binding inhibition kinetics. 3-Hydrazinopropionate also behaved as a slow-binding inhibitor. However, the dependence of its kinetics on the concentration of inhibitor could not be described by the slow-binding or slow, tight-binding inhibition models. These kinetics could not be described by the tight-binding character of the inhibition because the addition of the competitive inhibitor propionic acid at 100 times its Ki did not affect the shape of the curve for inhibitor concentration dependence. The slow-binding inhibition appeared to require 2-4 molecules of 3-hydrazinopropionate/enzyme. The reactivation of enzyme inhibited by 3-hydrazinopropionate was first order with a rate constant of 6.9 x 10(-3) min-1. Its equilibrium inhibition constant was calculated to be < 20 nM. However, the inhibition constant calculated was dependent on the concentration of inhibitor because of the unusual character discussed above and may be much lower. Only 1 PLP/enzyme dimer reacted with methylhydrazine or (3-hydroxybenzyl)hydrazine, as indicated by Scatchard plots, or with 3-hydrazinopropionate, as shown by a spectrophotometric titration. Slow-binding inhibition does not appear to be the result of a significant enzyme conformational change because there is no change in the tryptophan fluorescence of GABA-AT upon binding either methylhydrazine or 3-hydrazinopropionate. Implications for the design of hydrazine inhibitors of GABA-AT are discussed.

4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase

Characterization of the ugatA gene of Ustilago maydis, isolated by homology to the gatA gene of Aspergillus nidulans.

A gene encoding a putative GABA aminotransferase (ugatA) was isolated from the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis via heterologous hybridization to the GABA aminotransferase gene (gatA) of Aspergillus nidulans . The derived amino-acid sequence of ugatA shows strong identity throughout the protein to the GABA aminotransferase enzymes from A. nidulans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Northern analysis in U. maydis indicated that the ugatA transcript is inducible by the omega-amino acids GABA and beta-alanine, and is not subject to nitrogen catabolite repression. With the use of ugatA promoter-lacZ fusion constructs, it was demonstrated that the removal of sequences located approximately 250 bp 5' to the translational start site of ugatA (including multiple copies of a 7-bp direct repeat) resulted in the loss of induction by omega-amino acids. While the ugatA gene under the control of the A. nidulans gatA promoter was able to fully complement a gatA- phenotype in A. nidulans, the full-length ugatA gene was not, suggesting a lack of expression from the U. maydis promoter in A. nidulans. A U. maydis strain with a gene disruption at the ugatA locus showed decreased growth on beta-alanine as a sole nitrogen source, but was able to grow on GABA as a sole nitrogen source, indicating an alternative pathway for the utilization of GABA in U. maydis.

4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase