Recombinant GABAA receptor function and ethanol.
Different combinations of cloned subunits of the rat brain GABAA receptor were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Possible effects of ethanol on the expressed GABA-induced chloride current were determined. The consequence of replacing the gamma 2S subunit by the alternatively spliced variant gamma 2L was specifically tested on the responsiveness to ethanol. A significant stimulation of the GABA response was only observed at very high concentrations (> 60 mM) of ethanol. No differential response was observed between subunit combinations containing different gamma 2 subunit splice variants.
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Bern, Switzerland.
E
E
Sigel
R
R
Baur
P
P
Malherbe
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D018118:Chloride Channels; D004553:Electric Conductivity / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009865:Oocytes; D051381:Rats; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000187:drug effects; D014981:Xenopus
D018118:Chloride Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000431:Ethanol