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Intracellular calcium ions decrease the affinity of the GABA receptor

Abstract

Intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) plays a crucial role in the transduction of extracellular signals1. It has been implicated in the modulation of light sensitivity in Limulus photoreceptors2 and in the efficacy of synaptic transmission3–5; calcium ion fluxes are also involved in the postsynaptic facilitation of nicotinic transmission seen in sympathetic ganglia, and in activation of the acetylcholine (ACh) receptor6,7. [Ca2+]i is also a second messenger for many biologically active substances8. We recorded neuronal activities of sensory neurones from the bullfrog (Rana catesbiana), using the suction pipette method9 and a ‘concentration clamp’ technique10 to apply γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to the cell. We report the first evidence that [Ca2+]i suppresses the GABA-acti-vated Cl conductance, by decreasing the apparent affinity of the GABA receptor.

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Inoue, M., Oomura, Y., Yakushiji, T. et al. Intracellular calcium ions decrease the affinity of the GABA receptor. Nature 324, 156–158 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/324156a0

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