Plant GABA: Not Just a Metabolite

Alan W Bown; Barry J Shelp

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2016.08.001

Plant GABA: Not Just a Metabolite

Trends Plant Sci. 2016 Oct;21(10):811-813. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.08.001. Epub 2016 Aug 17.

Authors

Alan W Bown¹, Barry J Shelp²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
² Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: bshelp@uoguelph.ca.

PMID: 27542324
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.08.001

Abstract

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulates rapidly when plants are exposed to stress. Whether GABA accumulation represents the regulation of metabolism in response to stress or an adaptive response to mitigate stress is unknown. Genetic manipulation of GABA levels has revealed that GABA accumulation functions in defense against drought and insect herbivory.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Arabidopsis / metabolism
Arabidopsis / physiology
Arabidopsis Proteins / physiology
Dehydration / metabolism
Dehydration / physiopathology
Herbivory
Insecta
Organic Anion Transporters / physiology
Plant Physiological Phenomena
Plants / metabolism*
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / physiology*

Substances

Arabidopsis Proteins
Organic Anion Transporters
malate transporter protein, Arabidopsis
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid