Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Using an α-Bungarotoxin Binding Site Tag to Study GABA A Receptor Membrane Localization and Trafficking
Published on: March 28, 2014
Vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) transports β-alanine
Narinobu Juge1, Hiroshi Omote, Yoshinori Moriyama
1Advanced Research Center, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
Abstract:
Vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) is expressed in GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, and is responsible for vesicular storage and subsequent exocytosis of these inhibitory amino acids. In this study, we show that VGAT recognizes β-alanine as a substrate. Proteoliposomes containing purified VGAT transport β-alanine using Δψ but not ΔpH as a driving force. The Δψ-driven β-alanine uptake requires Cl(-). VGAT also facilitates Cl(-) uptake in the presence of β-alanine. A previously described VGAT mutant (Glu213Ala) that disrupts GABA and glycine transport similarly abrogates β-alanine uptake. These findings indicated that VGAT transports β-alanine through a mechanism similar to those for GABA and glycine, and functions as a vesicular β-alanine transporter. Vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) is expressed in GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, and is responsible for vesicular storage and subsequent exocytosis of these inhibitory amino acids. In the present study, we showed that proteoliposomes containing purified VGAT transport β-alanine using Δψ as a driving force. VGAT also facilitates Cl(-) uptake. Our findings indicated that VGAT functions as a vesicular β-alanine transporter.
More Related Videos
13:16Characterization of Membrane Transporters by Heterologous Expression in E. coli and Production of Membrane Vesicles
Published on: December 31, 2019
07:51Inhibitory Synapse Formation in a Co-culture Model Incorporating GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons and HEK293 Cells Stably Expressing GABAA Receptors
Published on: November 14, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Transport Across the Golgi
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...