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Is GHB an aminoacid?

Charles Ferdinand

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
Messages
327
Hi!
I've been organizing my neuropharmacology notes, I'm almost done but just wanted to know if I should group the GHB along with GABA and Glutamate, or if it is not an aminoacid at all.
Thanks in advance!
 
There's no amine in GHB, so no it's not an amino acid.

GABA is not a proteinogenic amino acid, either, although it is both an amine and an acid.
 
GHB contains carboxylic(acid) and hydroxy(alcohol) group, no amino group at all.

GABA has amine(amino) and carboxylic(acid) group, so it is an amino acid, but not "normal" amino acid.

Structural, proteiogenic "Amino Acids" contains both amino and carboxylic group attached to the same position (so called, alpha-amino acid) which is not the same as GABA (where amino group attached to the fourth "gamma" position in corresponding to acid group)
 
As sekio and pomzazed said GHB is not an amino acid but both GABA (γ-Aminobutyric acid) and Glutamate are. GABA is not proteinogenic though
 
With glutamate being a conventional proteinogenic amino acid, of course. ;)
A multitude of amino acids have various neurotransmitter signaling transduction capacities.

What would be the rationale to group Glutamate with GHB and GABA anyway (other than within an alphabetical listing, lol)?
 
What would be the rationale to group Glutamate with GHB and GABA anyway (other than within an alphabetical listing, lol)?

if you decarboxylate glutamate you get gaba. if you exchange the amine of gaba for an alcohol you get ghb.
 
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