Gamma-aminobutyric acid synthesis pathway

The **gamma-aminobutyric acid synthesis pathway** describes the metabolic and enzymatic processes by which GABA, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is synthesized from glutamate. The key enzyme is **glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)**, with two main isoforms (GAD65 and GAD67), which converts glutamate into GABA using pyridoxal phosphate (the active form of vitamin B6) as a cofactor. The pathway may also involve the GABA shunt, linking GABA metabolism with the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which is important for cellular energy production[1][2][3][4]. **Note:** - This is not a single receptor, enzyme, or druggable target but rather a **metabolic pathway**. - While critical enzymes in the pathway (such as GAD or GABA transaminase) are legitimate therapeutic targets for neurological diseases, the pathway as a whole is not a recognized drug target. - **Therapeutic drugs** act primarily on GABA receptors (e.g. GABA-A or GABA-B receptors) or modulate GABAergic transmission, not directly on the pathway[6]. Therefore, "gamma aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter synthesis pathway" is incorrectly formulated as a target; it names a biochemical process rather than a specific molecule, receptor, or protein that can be directly targeted by therapeutics.

Other names

GABA synthesis pathwayGABA shuntGamma-aminobutyric acid metabolic pathway