Glutamate decarboxylase

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Glutamate decarboxylase
Identifiers
Symbol(s)	GAD1 GAD2
Entrez	24379
OMIM	605363
RefSeq	[1]
UniProt	Q99259
Other data
EC number	4.1.1.15
Locus	Chr. [2]

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) is an enzyme that catalyzes the decarboxylation of glutamate to GABA. GAD uses PLP as a cofactor.

In mammals, GAD exists in two isoforms encoded by two different genes - Gad1 and Gad2. These isoforms are GAD₆₇ and GAD₆₅ with molecular weights of 67 and 65 kDa, respectively.<ref name="twogenes1">Erlander MG, Tillakaratne NJK, Feldblum S, Patel N, Tobin AJ (1991) Two genes encode distinct glutamate decarboxylases. Neuron 7:91-100. PMID 2069816</ref> GAD1 and GAD2 are expressed in the brain where GABA is used as a neurotransmitter, GAD2 is also expressed in the pancreas.

1 Role in pathology
- 1.1 Diabetes
- 1.2 Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder
2 References

[edit] Role in pathology

[edit] Diabetes

Both GAD₆₇ and GAD₆₅ are targets of autoantibodies in people who later develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus ^{AB, FT, FT}.

[edit] Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder

Substantial dysregulation of GAD mRNA expression is observed in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.<ref name="gadschizbipolar">Woo TU, Walsh JP, Benes FM. (2004) Arch Gen Psychiatry. 61(7):649-57. Density of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 messenger RNA-containing neurons that express the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR2A in the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. PMID 15237077</ref>