title: Conservation of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor alpha 6 subunit gene expression in cerebellar granule cells.
abstract: The gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor cDNAs encoding the alpha 6 subunit homologues from chicken and goldfish have been cloned and sequenced. These proteins exhibit 83 and 75% identity, respectively, to the rat alpha 6 polypeptide. In situ hybridization has demonstrated that, as in mammals, the avian and teleost fish alpha 6 subunit genes are predominantly expressed in cerebellar granule cells. Correspondingly, flunitrazepam-non-displaceable binding of [3H]Ro 15-4513 (a benzodiazepine partial inverse agonist), which is a major characteristic of gamma-aminobutyric acid type-A receptors that contain the alpha 6 polypeptide, is also mainly found for cerebellar granule cells of fish and chick. The conservation of this expression pattern suggests that gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors possessing the alpha 6 subunit are of fundamental importance for cerebellar function and that the corresponding gene regulatory elements, e.g., granule cell-specific enhancers, have also been conserved.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahn
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Darlison
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wisden
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001483:Base Sequence; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D015870:Gene Expression; D006054:Goldfish; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A