Glutamic acid, GABA and their metabolising enzymes in the frog central nervous system

The regional distribution of 9 amino acids, including glutamate and GABA and their metabolising enzymes, has been determined in 5 regions of the frog CNS. Glycine was relatively concentrated in the spinal cord whereas the highest concentration of each of the other amino acids was found in the midbrain. There was a good correlation between the activity of l-glutamate-1-carboxylase (GAD) and the level of GABA in all regions examined and both were concentrated in the midbrain. There was little regional variation in the distribution of 4-aminobutyrate-2-oxoglutarate transaminase (GABA-T).