title: Synaptic inhibition and γ-aminobutyric acid in the mammalian central nervous system.
abstract: Signal transmission through synapses connecting two neurons is mediated by release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic axon terminals and activation of its receptor at the postsynaptic neurons. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), non-protein amino acid formed by decarboxylation of glutamic acid, is a principal neurotransmitter at inhibitory synapses of vertebrate and invertebrate nervous system. On one hand glutamic acid serves as a principal excitatory neurotransmitter. This article reviews GABA researches on; (1) synaptic inhibition by membrane hyperpolarization, (2) exclusive localization in inhibitory neurons, (3) release from inhibitory neurons, (4) excitatory action at developmental stage, (5) phenotype of GABA-deficient mouse produced by gene-targeting, (6) developmental adjustment of neural network and (7) neurological/psychiatric disorder. In the end, GABA functions in simple nervous system and plants, and non-amino acid neurotransmitters were supplemented.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan. obak37@email.plala.or.jp
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D013045:Species Specificity; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid