ORNITHINE AND GLUTAMIC ACID DECARBOXYLASE ACTIVITIES IN THE DEVELOPING CHICK RETINA |
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| Authors: | F G De Mello U Bachrach M Nirenberg |
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| Institution: | Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart and Lung Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20014, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | Abstract— γ-Aminobutyric acid was found in 6-day-old chick embryo retina; approx 20% was formed from putrescine and the remainder from glutamic acid. However, at the 18th embryonic day only 1% of the γ-aminobutyric acid synthesized in retina was derived from putrescine. These results show that γ-aminobutyric acid is synthesized in chick embryo retina prior to synaptogenesis, and that γ-aminobutyric acid is synthesized via two pathways. The first pathway involves the conversion of putrescine to γ-aminobutyric acid; the second path is dependent upon the conversion of glutamic acid to γ-aminobutyric acid, catalyzed by glutamic acid decarboxylase. |
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