Abstract
DR STEWARD replies: Reporting a crystal structure determination of bicuculline, Gilardi1 points out that in discussions of the conformation of the molecule in relation to its action as a specific antagonist to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an incorrect configuration has been used2,3. The configuration was, in fact, consistent with that given in Chemical Abstracts at that time. Subsequently, we suspected that the wrong diastereoisomer was portrayed. Confirmed by the full structure determination (D. Moss, personal communication), this did not affect the content of our discussion3 which drew attention to the possible congruence of N and O = C–O in both GABA and bicuculline, compared with Curtis's suggested2 correspondence of N and O = C–O in GABA to N and C–C=O in bicuculline.
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References
Gilardi, R. D., Nature new Biol., 245, 86 (1973).
Curtis, D. R., Duggan, A. W., Felix, D., and Johnston, G. A. R., Nature, 226, 1222 (1970).
Steward, E. G., Player, R. B., Quilliam, J. P., Brown, D. A., and Pringle, M. J., Nature new Biol., 233, 87 (1971).
Warner, D., Player, R. B., and Steward, E. G., Int. Union of Crystallography, First European Meeting, B4 (1973).
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STEWARD, E., PLAYER, R. & WARNER, D. Configuration and Conformation of Bicuculline, a GABA Antagonist (Reply). Nature New Biology 245, 88 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio245088a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio245088a0
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