Biochemical characterization of GABA transportation into isolated
plant mitochondria has been unsuccessful (K.E. Breitkreuzand B.J. Shelp, unpublished), and molecular techniques to isolate
transport genes from organelles are not yet available. However,
proteins that transport GABA have been cloned. Characterization of
known amino acid transporters by heterologous complementation
of a plasma membrane GABA-transport-deficient yeast mutant
led to the identification of plant H1-coupled GABA transport proteins36.
ProT2 and AAP3 from Arabidopsis have Km for GABA of
12.9 and 1.7 mM, respectively. The effect of external pH on the
simultaneous transport of [1-14C]GABA and [2,3-3H]proline into
yeast expressing AtProT2 provides evidence that zwitterionic
GABA is the preferred form of GABA. ProT2-mediated
[1-14C]GABA transport is inhibited by proline, choline and glycine
betaine. Direct evidence is provided for the transport of [methyl-
14C]choline. In another study, yeast that expresses LeProT1, transports
GABA and proline with low affinity and transports glycine
betaine with high affinity37. Thus, the ProTs might represent general
transporters for these metabolites in plants.