GABA and Glycine Receptors Flashcards
What does GABA stand for?
Gamma aminobutyric acid
What type of neurotransmitters are gaba and glycine?
Inhibitory
What is the precursor aminoacid for glycine?
Serine
Converted to glycine by serine hydroxymethyl transferase
What enzymes converts glutamate in GABA?
Glutamic acid decarboxylase
What are the types of GABA receptors?
GABAa (ionotropic anions)
GABAb (metabotropic Gi linked)
GABAc (ionotropic found in retina)
What family of receptors are glycine and GABAa in?
Cys-loop receptors
As well as nAchR
What does a subunit of a GABAa look like?
Extracellular N (ligand blinding) TM1 TM2 TM3 (Large intracellular loop site of phosphorylation to regulate channel properties) TM4 Extracellular c terminus
How many subunits come together for from a glycine and GABAa receptor?
5 (pentamers)
Glycine subunit pattern?
Alpha - beta - alpha - alpha - beta
GABAa receptors are typical formed from what subunits?
2 x alpha (same subtype)
2 x beta (same subtype)
1 x gamma
How many GABAa alpha subtypes exist?
6
How many GABAa beta subtypes exist?
4
How many GABAa gamma subtypes exist?
3
Where does GABA bind to in GABAa receptors?
The interface between the alpha and beta subunit
Therefore 2 GABA molecules are needed
Benzodiazepines are a positive allosteric modulator for the GABAa receptors…what subunits are required for BDZ to bind?
Alpha (1,2,3,5)
Gamma (2)
Bind between the alpha and gamma subunit
What percentage homologous exists between subunits in same group?
Approx 70%
What percentage homology exists between different gabaa subtype groups?
30%-40%
Alpha and gamma more closely related than alpha and beta
Subtypes of GABAa receptors can be found through many areas of the brain.
Give 2 examples
Hippocampus - alpha 1 and 5
Cerebellum (granule cells) - alpha 6
Most common beta subunits expressed in brain?
(Beta 2 and 3) > beta 1
Most common gamma subunits?
2>1>3
Why is subunit diversity important?
Different channel kinectics
Differently regulated and vary modulators effects
Different affinity got agonist
Different channel properties
Different locations - targeted to different regions of the cell
Different pharmacology
What amino acid at what position is essential for bdz binding?
What amino acid do alpha 4 and 6 have in the same position?
How can this knowledge be used to study BDZs?
Histidine at position 101 on alpha subunits 1,2,3 and 5
Alpha 4 and 6 have an arginine
Knock in mutations replacing the histidine for a different amino acid (arginine) allow for the function of bdz working on that particular subunit to be studied