Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are two important amino acid neurotransmitters widely present in the nervous systems of mammals, insects, round worm, and platyhelminths, while their receptors are quite diversified across different animal phyla. However, the evolutionary mechanisms between the two conserved neurotransmitters and their diversified receptors remain elusive, and antagonistic interactions between GABA and glutamate signal transduction systems, in particular, have begun to attract significant attention. In this review, we summarize the extant results on the origin and evolution of GABA and glutamate, as well as their receptors, and analyze possible evolutionary processes and phylogenetic relationships of various GABAs and glutamate receptors. We further discuss the evolutionary history of Excitatory/Neutral Amino Acid Transporter (EAAT), a transport protein, which plays an important role in the GABA-glutamate "yin and yang" balanced regulation. Finally, based on current advances, we propose several potential directions of future research.
Highlights
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are two important amino acid neurotransmitters widely present in the nervous systems of mammals, insects, round worm, and platyhelminths, while their receptors are quite diversified across different animal phyla
In the Science Press hydrozoan Hydra vulgaris, which has the most simple and archaic nervous system, GABA decreases the outputs of impulse generating systems, including ectodermal body contraction bursts (CBs), the number of pulses in a burst (P/CB), and endodermal rhythmic potentials (RPs) (Kass-Simon et al, 2003)
Darlison et al (2005) stated that different GABAA receptor subunits in vertebrates may have originated from gene duplications from the vertebrate ancestor based on the similarities among gene clusters (Figure 1)
Summary
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are two important amino acid neurotransmitters widely present in the nervous systems of mammals, insects, round worm, and platyhelminths, while their receptors are quite diversified across different animal phyla. GABAA is the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor in the brain and is a kind of ligand-gated chloride channel. The GABAC receptor, composed of GABAρ subunits, is a newly discovered GABAA-like receptor, and is a kind of ligand-gated chloride channel (Chebib & Johnston, 1999).
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