Abstract
FLOREY1 and Florey and McLennan2,3 have described some of the actions of extracts of brain and spinal cord which possess an inhibitory activity on certain synaptic processes, both in mammals and in invertebrate animals. For example, these extracts, which are said to contain ‘Factor I’, can block transmission in sympathetic ganglia, can inhibit monosynaptic reflexes, can block neuromuscular transmission and the neurogenic heartbeat of Crustacea, and can inhibit the discharge of crustacean stretch receptor neurones. Bazemore, Elliott and Florey4 have reported that an active component of extracts containing Factor I is γ-aminobutyric acid. Since that time it has been shown that γ-aminobutyric acid does have effects of an inhibitory nature, especially in Crustacea5 and when applied to the mammalian cerebral cortex6. However, a comparison of the actions of Factor I and γ-aminobutyric acid on those structures where the former is active has shown that, except in Crustacea, the effects obtained with the two are not comparable, and it was concluded that they are not identical7.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Florey, E., Arch. Inst. Physiol., 62, 33 (1954); Canad. J. Biochem. Physiol., 34, 669 (1956).
Florey, E., and McLennan, H., J. Physiol., 129, 384 (1955).
Florey, E., and McLennan, H., J. Physiol., 130, 446 (1955).
Bazemore, A., Elliott, K. A. C., and Florey, E., Nature, 178, 1052 (1956); J. Neurochem., 1, 334 (1957).
Edwards, C., and Kuffler, S. W., Fed. Proc., 16, 34 (1957). Elliott, K. A. C., and van Gelder, N. M., Fed. Proc., 17, 216 (1958).
Purpura, D. P., Girado, M., and Grundfest, H., Science, 125, 1200 (1957). Iwama, K., and Jasper, H. H., J. Physiol., 138, 365 (1957). Marrazzi, A. S., Hart, E. R., and Rodriguez, J. M., Science, 127, 284 (1958).
McLennan, H., J. Physiol., 139, 79 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McLENNAN, H. Absence of γ-Aminobutyric Acid from Brain Extracts containing Factor I. Nature 181, 1807 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/1811807a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1811807a0
This article is cited by
-
The Saga of K.A.C. Elliott and GABA
Neurochemical Research (1984)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.