Gabaculine (5-amino-1,3-cyclohexadienylcarboxylic acid), a naturally occurring amino acid isolated from Streptomyces toyacaenis, is an irreversible inhibitor of bacterial pyridoxal phosphate linked gamma-aminobutyric acid-alpha-ketoglutaric acid transaminase with a t 1/2 (25 degrees C) of 9 min at 3 X 10(-7) M. Gabaculine is a substrate for gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase. The measured KI is 2.86 X 10(-6) M, and the kcat for its turnover is 1.15 X 10(-2) S-1 at 25 degrees C. When gabaculine is transaminated by the enzyme, it is converted to a cyclohexatrienyl system with one exo double bond. Upon spontaneous aromatization, this high energy intermediate is transformed into a stable m-anthranilic acid derivative (m-carboxyphenylpyridoxamine phosphate), which results in the covalent and irreversible modification of the cofactor. This adduct is bound tightly to the active site of the enzyme and can be liberated under denaturing conditions.