Archives

  • 2018-07
  • 2019-04
  • 2019-05
  • 2019-06
  • 2019-07
  • 2019-08
  • 2019-09
  • 2019-10
  • 2019-11
  • 2019-12
  • 2020-01
  • 2020-02
  • 2020-03
  • 2020-04
  • 2020-05
  • 2020-06
  • 2020-07
  • 2020-08
  • 2020-09
  • 2020-10
  • 2020-11
  • 2020-12
  • 2021-01
  • 2021-02
  • 2021-03
  • 2021-04
  • 2021-05
  • 2021-06
  • 2021-07
  • 2021-08
  • 2021-09
  • 2021-10
  • 2021-11
  • 2021-12
  • 2022-01
  • 2022-02
  • 2022-03
  • 2022-04
  • 2022-05
  • 2022-06
  • 2022-07
  • 2022-08
  • 2022-09
  • 2022-10
  • 2022-11
  • 2022-12
  • 2023-01
  • 2023-02
  • 2023-03
  • 2023-04
  • 2023-05
  • 2023-06
  • 2023-07
  • 2023-08
  • 2023-09
  • 2023-10
  • 2023-11
  • 2023-12
  • 2024-01
  • 2024-02
  • 2024-03
  • 2024-04

    • Cellular inhibition is caused by the

    2022-06-15

    Cellular inhibition is caused by the hyperpolarization of the cell and is mediated by both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAARs. Synaptic GABAARs are sensitive to high concentrations of GABA released at the synapse and mediate phasic inhibition. In contrast, extrasynaptic GABAARs mediate tonic inhibition which occurs at sites away from the synapse, where low concentrations of GABA are available from either GABA spill over from the synapse or from ambient GABA. This type of inhibition is longer lasting and GABAARs that mediate tonic inhibition often have a higher sensitivity to GABA and are less susceptible to receptor desensitization (Farrant and Nusser, 2005). δ-Containing GABAARs are one of the most prevalent receptor found at extrasynaptic sites (Belelli et al., 2009). Formed in combination with α4 or α6 subunits (Brickley and Mody, 2012, Mody, 2001), these receptors are highly expressed on granule and interneurons in the thalamus, hippocampus and cerebellum (Brickley and Mody, 2012, Farrant and Nusser, 2005, Stell and Mody, 2002), and are involved in epilepsy, emotional stress, and stroke (Brickley and Mody, 2012, Clarkson et al., 2010, Clarkson, 2012). The potency and efficacy of a ligand is determined by both the binding affinity of the ligand at the binding interface and the intrinsic properties of the receptor. Thus, different receptor populations formed as a result of different receptor stoichiometry will have distinct ligand-binding interfaces and intrinsic properties, leading to different pharmacological properties. Indeed δ-containing GABAARs are believed to form receptors that differ in subunit stoichiometry (Baur et al., 2009, Eaton et al., 2014, Karim et al., 2012b, Patel et al., 2014, Shu et al., 2012, Wagoner and Czajkowski, 2010). Studies show that GABA and THIP exhibit biphasic effects at α4/6βδ GABAARs. As other studies also report just high or low potency receptors for GABA and THIP, this indicates distinct receptor populations are forming with α4/6βδ GABAARs that differ in subunit stoichiometry (Hadley and Amin, 2007, Karim et al., 2012b, Meera et al., 2011). Such differences will result in the formation of distinct interfaces that contain the δ or other subunits and may be the reason that underlies the variations in the pharmacology at these receptors. The GABA Caspase-6 Colorimetric Assay Kit are reported to be at interfaces between the principle (+) side of the β subunit and the complementary (−) side of the α subunit of αβγ GABAARs. However, there are growing reports that GABA and other ligands can activate or modulate different interfaces (Hoerbelt et al., 2015, Ramerstorfer et al., 2011, Sieghart et al., 2012), including β2/3γ2 GABAARs that lack the α subunit (Chua et al., 2015, Hoerbelt et al., 2015). Thus the expression and evaluation of binary GABAARs, like β2/3γ2, is an effective approach to identifying subunit interfaces that may bind GABA and other ligands and may help in determining which subunit interfaces are contributing to the effects of GABA and THIP at δ-containing GABAARs that differ in subunit stoichiometry. THIP (gaboxadol) (Storustovu and Ebert, 2006) and DS2 are known for their effects at δ-containing GABAARs (Jensen et al., 2012, Wafford et al., 2009), however it is unclear to what extent the δ subunit contributes to ligand potency. In this study, we compared the pharmacology of homomeric and binary α4, β3 or δ subunits with ternary α4β3δ to identify what subunits and or subunit interfaces contribute to the pharmacology of the agonists GABA, THIP, and DS2, and the GABAA antagonists, Zn2+, gabazine and bicuculline. As β3δ GABAARs lack the α subunit, we also verified that GABA binds to the β3(+)δ(−) interfaces formed by the β3 and δ subunits.
    Results
    Discussion The δ subunit is incorporated into GABAARs that are typically located at extrasynaptic sites (Belelli et al., 2009). The characteristic nature of these receptors are such that they are activated by low concentrations of GABA, do not readily desensitise and are involved in fine tuning neuronal activity (Belelli et al., 2009). How the δ subunit contributes to these characteristics appears to be complex, and whilst there are a small number of selective pharmacological tools that target these receptors, the pharmacology of these agents significantly varies between researchers. It is reported that agents such as GABA and THIP exhibit a biphasic effect at α4βδ or α6βδ receptors (Karim et al., 2012b, Meera et al., 2011). This bi-phasic effect is composed of a nanomolar and micromolar component. As these studies also report just high or low potency effects for GABA and THIP, indicates distinct receptor populations are forming with α4/6βδ GABAARs (Hadley and Amin, 2007, Karim et al., 2012b, Meera et al., 2011) and that the receptors differ in subunit stoichiometry (Eaton et al., 2014, Patel et al., 2014). As more than one receptor population composed of α4βδ can form then different ligand-binding interfaces with intrinsic receptor properties will result in different pharmacological profiles. As the δ subunit is shown to assume different positions within the pentameric structure (Baur et al., 2009), such promiscuity could lead to distinct interfaces and may contribute to the variation in the pharmacology at these receptors.