title: Immunoaffinity purification of GABAA receptor alpha-subunit iso-oligomers. Demonstration of receptor populations containing alpha 1 alpha 2, alpha 1 alpha 3, and alpha 2 alpha 3 subunit pairs.
abstract: Novel methods for the isolation of gamma-aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) receptor alpha subunit iso-oligomers have been developed. Thus, populations of GABAA receptors containing the GABAA receptor alpha 1 subunit, the alpha 2 subunit, and the alpha 3 subunit have been purified from sodium deoxycholate extracts of bovine cerebral cortex with the retention of specific [3H]flunitrazepam-binding activity by anti-alpha 1 324-341, anti-Cys alpha 2 414-424, or anti-Cys alpha 3 454-467 antibody affinity chromatography, respectively. The relative abundance of the different specificity alpha subunits in these preparations was compared with benzodiazepine affinity chromatography-purified GABAA receptors by immunoblotting. In each case, it was found that although the immunoreactivity with the specific alpha subunit antibody that was used for purification was enriched in immunoaffinity-purified receptors, reactivity with the other alpha subunit specificity antibodies, together with anti-gamma 2 1-14 Cys immunoreactivity was found. Immunoprecipitation of GABAA receptors purified by anti-alpha 1 324-341 antibody affinity chromatography by all three anti-alpha subunit antibodies employed, together with the use of anti-alpha 1 324-341 and anti-Cys alpha 2 414-424 antibody affinity columns in series, further substantiated the partial co-purification of the different polypeptides. These results demonstrate the copurification of the gamma 2 subunit with each population of alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3 subunit-enriched GABAA receptors. They also show the existence of minor populations of GABAA receptors that contain alpha 1 alpha 2, alpha 1 alpha 3, and alpha 2 alpha 3 subunit pairs within single oligomers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Stephenson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D005445:Flunitrazepam / Q000378:metabolism; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005445:Flunitrazepam