Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Feb 26;13(3):347.
doi: 10.3390/metabo13030347.

GABA Metabolism, Transport and Their Roles and Mechanisms in the Regulation of Abiotic Stress (Hypoxia, Salt, Drought) Resistance in Plants

Ding Yuan  1 , Xiaolei Wu  1 , Binbin Gong  1 , Ruixiao Huo  1 , Liran Zhao  1 , Jingrui Li  1 , Guiyun Lü  1 , Hongbo Gao  1
Affiliations
Review

GABA Metabolism, Transport and Their Roles and Mechanisms in the Regulation of Abiotic Stress (Hypoxia, Salt, Drought) Resistance in Plants

Ding Yuan et al. Metabolites. .

Abstract

γ- Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a ubiquitous four-carbon non-protein amino acid. In plants, GABA is found in different cell compartments and performs different metabolic functions. As a signalling molecule, GABA participates in the regulation of tolerance to various abiotic stresses. Many research studies have found that GABA accumulates in large amounts when plants are subjected to abiotic stress, which have been demonstrated through the Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier and other databases. GABA enhances the tolerance of plants to abiotic stress by regulating intracellular pH, ion transport, activating antioxidant systems and scavenging active oxygen species. In the process of GABA playing its role, transport is very important for the accumulation and metabolism pathway of GABA in cells. Therefore, the research on the transport of GABA across the cell membrane and the organelle membrane by transport proteins is a direction worthy of attention. This paper describes the distribution, biosynthesis and catabolism of GABA in plants. In addition, we focus on the latest progress in research on the transport of exogenous GABA and on the function and mechanism in the regulation of the abiotic stress response. Based on this summary of the role of GABA in the resistance to various abiotic stresses, we conclude that GABA has become an effective compound for improving plant abiotic tolerance.

Keywords: biosynthesis and catabolism; distribution; plant growth and development; transporter from intracellular and extracellular; γ- aminobutyric acid.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Model of distribution and transportation of GABA in plant cells.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Model of biosynthesis and catabolism of GABA in plants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Shelp B.J., Aghdam M.S., Flaherty E.J. Gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) regulated plant defense: Mechanisms and opportunities. Plants. 2021;10:1939. doi: 10.3390/plants10091939. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rockström J., Williams J., Daily G., Noble A., Matthews N., Gordon L., Wetterstrand H., DeClerck F., Shah M., Steduto P., et al. Sustainable intensification of agriculture for human prosperity and global sustainability. Ambio. 2017;46:4–17. doi: 10.1007/s13280-016-0793-6. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Steward F.C., Thompson J.F., Dent C.E. γ-Aminobutyric acid: A constituent of the potato tuber? Science. 1949;110:439–440.
    1. Bown A.W., Shelp B.J. The metabolism and functions of γ-aminobutyric acid. Plant Physiol. 1997;115:1–5. doi: 10.1104/pp.115.1.1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bown A.W., Shelp B.J. Does the GABA shunt regulate cytosolic GABA? Trends Plant Sci. 2020;25:422–424. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.03.001. - DOI - PubMed