γ-aminobutyric acid receptors: A rationale for developing selective insect pest control chemicals

Abstract

It has long been known that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) participates in a bypass of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in plants and bacteria. In a single1950 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Awapara et al., Roberts and Frankel, and Udenfriend independently reported the presence of a large quantity - approximately 1 mg/g tissue - of GABA in vertebrate brains; later similarly high contents were found in the inhibitory neurons of the Atlantic lobster (Kravitz et al. 1963; Otsuka et al. 1967). © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.