Glutamate decarboxylase of the parasitic arthropods Ctenocephalides felis and Rhipicephalus microplus: Gene identification, cloning, expression, assay development, identification of inhibitors by high throughput screening and comparison with the orthologs

► Cloning of glutamate decarboxylase genes from cat flea and cattle tick. ► Functional expression of cat flea, cattle tick, fruit fly and mouse GAD65/GAD67. ► Development of a novel nonradioactive continuous GAD assay. ► High throughput inhibitor screening on the arthropod and mouse GADs. ► Evaluation of potency and specificity profiles of the best inhibitors identified.