Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

GHB degradation via TCA cycle is the major metabolic route in Arabidopsis thaliana

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a product of the reduction reaction of chemically reactive succinic semi-aldehyde (SSA), which itself is produced from the degradation of GABA. It is regarded as a short-chain fatty acid. Despite our understanding of the synthesis of GHB, little is known about its fate. Exogenous application of 0.1 mM GHB to pop2 x ssadh, a double mutant incapable of catabolizing GABA, increased the endogenous GHB level by 13-fold compared to the wild type. The GHB dynamic studies by feeding and relieving from treatments showed that GHB is rapidly metabolized in wild-type plants compared to the pop2 x ssadh double mutant. Although regarded as a short-chain fatty acid, GHB level was not altered in mutants of the beta oxidation (β-oxidation) pathway following exogenous feeding. Therefore, the metabolism back to SSA, and then the TCA cycle appears to be the major route for GHB degradation. However, the presence of another catabolic route such as secondary modifications cannot be ruled out.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Abbreviations

GHB:

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid

SSA:

Succinic semi-aldehyde

GHBDH:

GHB dehydrogenase

SSADH:

SSA dehydrogenase

GABA:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

GABA-T:

GABA transaminase

DHB:

3,4-Dihydroxybutyrate

ILA:

Isoleucic acid

NHP:

N-hydroxypepicolic acid

References

  • Allan WL, Simpson JP, Clark SM, Shelp BJ (2008) γ-Hydroxybutyrate accumulation in Arabidopsis and tobacco plants is a general response to abiotic stress: putative regulation by redox balance and glyoxylate reductase isoforms. J Exp Bot 59(9):2555–2564

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bach B, Meudec E, Lepoutre JP, Rossignol T, Blondin B, Dequin S, Camarasa C (2009) New insights into gamma-aminobutyric acid catabolism: evidence for gammahydroxybutyric acid and polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Appl Environ Microbiol 75:4231–4239

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer S, Mekonnen DW, Hartmann M, Janowski R, Zhang W, Lange B, Geist B, Zeier J, Schäffner AR (2021) UGT76B1, a promiscuous hub of small molecule-based immune signaling, glucosylates N-hydroxy- pipecolic acid and controls basal pathogen defense. Plant Cell 33:714–734

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Clark SM, Di Leo R, Dhanoa PK, van Cauwengerghe OR, Mullen RT, Shelp BJ (2009) Biochemical characterization, mitochondrial localization, expression, and potential functions for an Arabidopsis g-aminobutyrate transaminase that utilizes both pyruvate and glyoxylate. J Exp Bot 60(6):1743–1757

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fait A, Yellin A, Fromm H (2004) GABA shunt deficiencies and accumulation of reactive oxygen intermediates: insight from Arabidopsis mutants. FEBS Letter 579:415–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giarman NJ, Roth RH (1964) Differential estimation of gammabutyrolactone and gamma hydroxyl-butyric acid in rat blood and brain. Science 145:583–584

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs C, Bojasch M, Mönch E, Rating D, Siemes H, Hanefeld F (1981) Urinary excretion of gamma hydroxybutyric acid in a patient with neurological abnormalities. the probability of the new inborn error of metabolism. Clin Chim Acta 111:169–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang T, Zhang XF, Wang XF, Zhang DP (2011) Arabidopsis 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase-2 (KAT2), an enzyme of fatty acid β-oxidation, is involved in ABA signal transduction. Plant Cell Physiol 52(3):528–538

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ludewig F, Hueser A, Fromm H, Beauclair L, Bouche N (2008) Mutants of GABA transaminase (POP2) suppress the severe phenotype of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ssadh) mutants in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE 3(10):e3383

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Masterson C, Wood C (2001) Mitochondrial and peroxisomal beta-oxidation capacities of organs from a non- oilseed plant. Proc Biol Sci 268(1479):1949–1953

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen DW, Ludewig F (2016) Phenotypic and chemotypic studies using Arabidopsis and yeast reveal that GHB converts to SSA and induce toxicity. Plant Mol Biol 91:429–440

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poirier Y, Antonenkov VD, Glumoff T, Hiltunen JK (2006) Peroxisomal beta-oxidation–a metabolic pathway with multiple functions. Biochim Biophys Acta 1763(12):1413–1426

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poldrugo F, Addolorato G (1999) The role of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in the treatment of alcoholism: from animal to clinical studies. Alcohol Alcohol 34(1):15–24

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson JP, Di Leo R, Dhanoa PK, Allan WL, Makhmoudova A, Clark SM, Hoover GJ, Mullen RT, Shelp BJ (2008) Identification and characterization of a plastid-localized Arabidopsis glyoxylate reductase isoform: comparison with a cytosolic isoform and implications for cellular redox homeostasis and aldehyde detoxification. J Exp Bot 59:2454–2554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Cauwenberghe OR, Makhmoudova A, McLean MD, Clark S, Shelp BJ (2002) Plant pyruvate-dependent γ- aminobutyrate transaminase: identification of an Arabidopsis cDNA and its expression inEscherichia coli. Can J of Bot 80:933–941

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zolman BK, Silva ID, Bartel B (2001) The Arabidopsis pxa1 mutant is defective in an ATP-binding cassette transporter-like protein required for peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation. Plant Physiol 127:1266–1278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the NRW IGSDHD program for funding this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Bahir Dar University, P.O Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Dereje W. Mekonnen

Authors
  1. Dereje W. Mekonnen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dereje W. Mekonnen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author confirms that there is no financial interest associated with this work.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mekonnen, D.W. GHB degradation via TCA cycle is the major metabolic route in Arabidopsis thaliana. J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol. 32, 647–650 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13562-023-00827-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13562-023-00827-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation