PUBLICATION
Three Distinct Glutamate Decarboxylase Genes in Vertebrates
- Authors
- Grone, B.P., Maruska, K.P.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-200528-25
- Date
- 2016
- Source
- Scientific Reports 6: 30507 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Conserved Sequence
- Evolution, Molecular
- Exons
- Glutamate Decarboxylase/genetics*
- Glutamate Decarboxylase/metabolism
- Introns
- Phylogeny
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Vertebrates/genetics*
- PubMed
- 27461130 Full text @ Sci. Rep.
Citation
Grone, B.P., Maruska, K.P. (2016) Three Distinct Glutamate Decarboxylase Genes in Vertebrates. Scientific Reports. 6:30507.
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a widely conserved signaling molecule that in animals has been adapted as a neurotransmitter. GABA is synthesized from the amino acid glutamate by the action of glutamate decarboxylases (GADs). Two vertebrate genes, GAD1 and GAD2, encode distinct GAD proteins: GAD67 and GAD65, respectively. We have identified a third vertebrate GAD gene, GAD3. This gene is conserved in fishes as well as tetrapods. We analyzed protein sequence, gene structure, synteny, and phylogenetics to identify GAD3 as a homolog of GAD1 and GAD2. Interestingly, we found that GAD3 was lost in the hominid lineage. Because of the importance of GABA as a neurotransmitter, GAD3 may play important roles in vertebrate nervous systems.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping