title: Vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) transports β-alanine.
abstract: Vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) is expressed in GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, and is responsible for vesicular storage and subsequent exocytosis of these inhibitory amino acids. In this study, we show that VGAT recognizes β-alanine as a substrate. Proteoliposomes containing purified VGAT transport β-alanine using Δψ but not ΔpH as a driving force. The Δψ-driven β-alanine uptake requires Cl(-). VGAT also facilitates Cl(-) uptake in the presence of β-alanine. A previously described VGAT mutant (Glu213Ala) that disrupts GABA and glycine transport similarly abrogates β-alanine uptake. These findings indicated that VGAT transports β-alanine through a mechanism similar to those for GABA and glycine, and functions as a vesicular β-alanine transporter. Vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) is expressed in GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, and is responsible for vesicular storage and subsequent exocytosis of these inhibitory amino acids. In the present study, we showed that proteoliposomes containing purified VGAT transport β-alanine using Δψ as a driving force. VGAT also facilitates Cl(-) uptake. Our findings indicated that VGAT functions as a vesicular β-alanine transporter.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Research Center, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Narinobu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Juge
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Omote
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriyama
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D009154:Mutation; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D050495:Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D011510:Proteolipids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D050495:Vesicular Inhibitory Amino Acid Transport Proteins; C020485:proteoliposomes; C493406:vesicular GABA transporter; D015091:beta-Alanine
keywords: taurine; vesicular GABA transporter; β-alanine