title: First direct electron microscopic visualization of a tight spatial coupling between GABAA-receptors and voltage-sensitive calcium channels.
abstract: Using cerebellar granule neurons in culture it was demonstrated that exposure of the cells to the GABAA receptor agonist 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol (THIP) leads to an increase in the number of voltage-gated calcium channels as revealed by quantitative preembedding indirect immunogold labelling using a monoclonal antibody specific for phenylalkylamine and dihydropyridine sensitive Ca2+ channels. Using the same technique and a monoclonal antibody (bd-17) to the beta 2/beta 3-subunit of the GABAA-receptor, double labelling of Ca2+ channels and GABAA-receptors with gold particles of different and well defined sizes were performed. This showed that in THIP-treated cultures 20% of GABAA-receptors in cell processes were located in close proximity (i.e. within 40 nm) of Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane. This was not observed in non-treated cultures nor was it observed in cell bodies of THIP-treated cultures. This suggests that primarily low affinity GABAA-receptors are closely associated with Ca2+ channels and this may be important for the ability of these receptors to mediate an inhibitory action on transmitter release even under extreme depolarizing conditions.
authors.affiliation: PharmaBiotec Research Center, Department of Biochemistry A, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Belhage
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schousboe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015220:Calcium Channels; D007555:Isoxazoles; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; C015542:gaboxadol; D002118:Calcium