title: An ionotropic GABA receptor with novel pharmacology at bullfrog cone photoreceptor terminals.
abstract: Characteristics of ionotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors at bullfrog cone terminals were studied by patch clamp techniques in isolated cell and retinal slice preparations. GABA-induced inward currents from isolated cones reversed in polarity at a potential, very close to the chloride equilibrium potential, and they were completely suppressed by picrotoxin. Unexpectedly, the GABA current was dose-dependently potentiated by the well-known GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline (BIC), but was suppressed by gabazine, another GABA(A) antagonist, and imidazole-4-acetic acid (I4AA), a GABA(C) receptor antagonist. Similarly, currents induced by both GABA(A) agonist muscimol and GABA(C) agonist cis-4-aminocrotonic acid (CACA) were also potentiated by BIC. Furthermore, currents induced from cones by GABA and kainate-caused depolarization of horizontal cells in retinal slice preparations were both potentiated by BIC. All these results suggest that the ionotropic GABA receptor at the bullfrog cone terminal exhibits novel pharmacology, distinct from both traditional GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Geng-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiong-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011892:Rana catesbeiana; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000378:metabolism*; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018755:GABA Agonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D007093:Imidazoles; D009118:Muscimol; D010852:Picrotoxin; D011724:Pyridazines; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C029899:imidazole; C049853:gabazine