Synthetase 12 Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase

Glutamic acid is used by two different activities glutamine synthetase and glutamic acid decarboxylase. 

Glutamine synthetase and glutamic acid decarboxylase catalyze the conversion of glutamic acid to glutamine and y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), respectively. Since both activities are involved in the metabolism of this amino acid, it would be useful to be able to study both simultaneously. And indeed, an HPLC method was developed to measure both activities in crude extracts. 

Fig. I. Metabolic map for synthesis and metabolism of glutamate and aspartate. AAT = aspartate aminotransferase AS = asparagine synthetase GAD = glutamic acid decarboxylase GDH = glutamate dehydrogenase GS = glutamine synthetase OAT = ornithine D-aminotransferase P5CDH = l-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogena.se PAG = phosphate-activated glutaminase PO = proline oxidase TCA = tricarboxylic acid.

Figure 12-4. Gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolic interactions. GA = glutaminase GABA = y-aminobutyric acid GABA-T = GABA a-oxaloglutarate transaminase GAD = glutamic acid decarboxylase GS = glutamic synthetase NAD+ = nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide PP = pyridoxal phosphate (vitamin B6) SSA = succinic semialdehyde SSADH = succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase GHB = y-hydroxybutyric acid GBL = y-butyrolactone.

Amino acid metabolism A artate aminotransferase Alanine aminotransferase Cysteine aminotransferase Tyrosine aminotransferase Leucine aminotransferase Alanine-ketoacid aminotransfoase Ornithine-ketoacid aminotransferase A artate carbamoyl transferase Methionine adenosyl transferase Glutamate decarboxylase Glutamate dehydrogenase Serine hydroxymethyltransferase Aminoacyl-sRNA synthetases... 

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