Gamma-aminobutyric acid affects the developmental expression of neuron-associated proteins in cerebellar granule cell cultures

The effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the expression of the neuron-associated D2 and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was studied during development in culture of cerebellar granule cells. It was found that the presence of GABA during culture development increased the overall protein content. D2 content was also increased but not above the general increase in protein whereas NSE increased above the general level of protein. The presence of GABA in the growth medium also appeared to accelerate the changes in molecular forms of D2 and NSE seen during neuronal development. This suggests that GABA promotes or accelerates the general maturation of neurons, as these two neuron-associated proteins otherwise differ from each other with respect to their subcellular localization and their physiological and biochemical properties.