A modified rapid enzymatic microtiter plate assay for the quantification of intracellular γ-aminobutyric acid and succinate semialdehyde in bacterial cells

O'Byrne, C.P. , Feehily, C. , Ham, R. and Karatzas, K.-A. G. (2011) A modified rapid enzymatic microtiter plate assay for the quantification of intracellular γ-aminobutyric acid and succinate semialdehyde in bacterial cells. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 84 (1). pp. 137-139. ISSN 0167-7012 doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2010.10.017

Abstract/Summary

The GABase assay is widely used to rapidly and accurately quantify levels of extracellular γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Here we demonstrate a modification of this assay that enables quantification of intracellular GABA in bacterial cells. Cells are lysed by boiling and ethanolamine-O-sulphate, a GABA transaminase inhibitor is used to distinguish between GABA and succinate semialdehyde.