QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (57) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sinkkonen, S. T. Articles by Korpi, E. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sinkkonen, S. T. Articles by Korpi, E. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, May 15, 2000, 20(10):3588-3595

GABA_A Receptor  and  Subunits Display Unusual Structural Variation between Species and Are Enriched in the Rat Locus Ceruleus

Saku T. Sinkkonen^{1, 2}, Michael C. Hanna³, Ewen F. Kirkness³, and Esa R. Korpi¹

¹ Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, and ² Turku Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Turku, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland, and ³ The Institute for Genomic Research, Rockville, Maryland 20850

Previously, GABA_A receptor  and  subunits have been identified only in human. Here, we describe properties of the  and  subunit genes from mouse and rat that reveal an unusually high level of divergence from their human homologs. In addition to a low level of amino acid sequence conservation (~70%), the rodent  subunit cDNAs encode a unique Pro/Glx motif of ~400 residues within the N-terminal extracellular domain of the subunits. Transcripts of the rat  subunit were detected in brain and heart, whereas the mouse  subunit mRNA was detectable in brain, lung, and spleen by Northern blot analysis. In situ hybridization revealed a particularly strong signal for both subunit mRNAs in rat locus ceruleus in which expression was detectable from the first postnatal day. Lower levels of coexpression were also detected in other brainstem nuclei and in the hypothalamus. However, the expression pattern of  subunit mRNA was more widespread than that of  subunit, being found also in the cerebral cortex of rat pups. In contrast to primate brain, neither subunit was expressed in the hippocampus or substantia nigra. The results indicate that GABA_A receptor  and  subunits are evolving at a much faster rate than other known GABA_A receptor subunits and that their expression patterns and functional properties may differ significantly between species.

Key words: rat GABA_A receptor subunits; subunit sequence variation; brain regional localization; locus ceruleus; hypothalamus; subunit coexpression

---

Copyright © 2000 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/00/20103588-08$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Belujon, J. Baufreton, L. Grandoso, E. Boue-Grabot, T.F.C. Batten, L. Ugedo, M. Garret, and A. I. Taupignon Inhibitory Transmission in Locus Coeruleus Neurons Expressing GABAA Receptor Epsilon Subunit Has a Number of Unique Properties J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2009; 102(4): 2312 - 2325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. W. Olsen and W. Sieghart International Union of Pharmacology. LXX. Subtypes of {gamma}-Aminobutyric AcidA Receptors: Classification on the Basis of Subunit Composition, Pharmacology, and Function. Update Pharmacol. Rev., September 1, 2008; 60(3): 243 - 260. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S.-Y. Tsang, S.-K. Ng, Z. Xu, and H. Xue The Evolution of GABAA Receptor-Like Genes Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2007; 24(2): 599 - 610. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. L. Jones, P. J. Whiting, and L. P. Henderson Mechanisms of anabolic androgenic steroid inhibition of mammalian {varepsilon}-subunit-containing GABAA receptors J. Physiol., June 15, 2006; 573(3): 571 - 593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Wagner, M. P. Goldschen-Ohm, T. G. Hales, and M. V. Jones Kinetics and Spontaneous Open Probability Conferred by the {epsilon} Subunit of the GABAA Receptor J. Neurosci., November 9, 2005; 25(45): 10462 - 10468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. A. Sergeeva, N. Andreeva, M. Garret, A. Scherer, and H. L. Haas Pharmacological Properties of GABAA Receptors in Rat Hypothalamic Neurons Expressing the {epsilon}-Subunit J. Neurosci., January 5, 2005; 25(1): 88 - 95. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Simon, H. Wakimoto, N. Fujita, M. Lalande, and E. A. Barnard Analysis of the Set of GABAA Receptor Genes in the Human Genome J. Biol. Chem., October 1, 2004; 279(40): 41422 - 41435. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. T. Sinkkonen, S. Mansikkamaki, T. Moykkynen, H. Luddens, M. Uusi-Oukari, and E. R. Korpi Receptor Subtype-Dependent Positive and Negative Modulation of GABAA Receptor Function by Niflumic Acid, a Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Mol. Pharmacol., September 1, 2003; 64(3): 753 - 763. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. Engblom, F. F. Johansen, and U. Kristiansen Actions and Interactions of Extracellular Potassium and Kainate on Expression of 13 gamma -Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Subunits in Cultured Mouse Cerebellar Granule Neurons J. Biol. Chem., May 2, 2003; 278(19): 16543 - 16550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Iwama and T. Gojobori Identification of Neurotransmitter Receptor Genes Under Significantly Relaxed Selective Constraint by Orthologous Gene Comparisons Between Humans and Rodents Mol. Biol. Evol., November 1, 2002; 19(11): 1891 - 1901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kasparov, K. A Davies, U. A Patel, P. Boscan, M. Garret, and J. F R Paton GABAA receptor {varepsilon}-subunit may confer benzodiazepine insensitivity to the caudal aspect of the nucleus tractus solitarii of the rat J. Physiol., November 1, 2001; 536(3): 785 - 796. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Schaerer, K. Kannenberg, P. Hunziker, S. W. Baumann, and E. Sigel Interaction between GABAA Receptor beta Subunits and the Multifunctional Protein gC1q-R J. Biol. Chem., July 6, 2001; 276(28): 26597 - 26604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help