Overview
- Peptide (C)TPEPNKKPENKPA, corresponding to amino acid residues 393-405 of rat GABRA2 (Accession P23576). 2nd intracellular loop.
- Rat brain membranes (1:200).
Western blot analysis of rat brain membranes:1. Anti-GABA(A) α2 Receptor Antibody (#AGA-002), (1:200).
2. Anti-GABA(A) α2 Receptor Antibody, preincubated with GABA(A) α2 Receptor Blocking Peptide (#BLP-GA002).
- Mouse cerebellum formaline-fixed frozen section.
- Mouse adult hippocampal neural stem cells (1:200) (Quadrato, G. et al. (2014) J. Neurosci. 34, 8630.).
GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Its production, release, reuptake and metabolism occur in the nervous system.1
The GABA transmitter interacts with two major types of receptors: ionotropic GABAA (GABAAR) and metabotropic GABAB receptors. The GABAAR belong to the ligand gated ion channel superfamily.2
The GABAAR, is a heteropentamer, with all of its five subunits contributing to the pore formation. To date, eight subunit isoforms were cloned: α, β, γ, δ, ε, π, θ, and ρ.1 Six α subunit isoforms were described to exist in mammals (α1-α6). The native GABAA receptor, in most cases, consists of 2α, 2β and 1γ submit. The α subunit is the most common subunit and is expressed ubiquitously. It determines the affinities for allosteric ligands shown by GABAAR.
α2-Subunit mRNA is strongly expressed only in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. It occurs very early in rat brain development and declines in adulthood.
The failure to complete the normal transition between the α-subunits that are highly expressed in early development (α2, α3, α5) to those expressed in adulthood (α1) might play a major role in the development of temporal lobe epilepsy.3
