Graduate student Darryl adds DrugX to the bathing media of his neuronal cultures and finds strong depletion of GHB. What was a likely target of this drug?
A) glutathione synthetase
B) lactate dehydrogenase
C) succinic semialdehyde reductase
D) d-amino acid oxidase

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is synthesized from GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) through a metabolic pathway that involves the conversion of GABA to succinic semialdehyde and then to GHB. Succinic semialdehyde reductase is directly involved in this conversion process. Therefore, if DrugX leads to a strong depletion of GHB, it is likely targeting succinic semialdehyde reductase, inhibiting the conversion of succinic semialdehyde to GHB.

Graduate Student Darryl Adds DrugX to the Bathing Media of His