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Related Concept Videos

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
G-protein Coupled Receptors01:21

G-protein Coupled Receptors

G-protein coupled receptors are ligand binding receptors that indirectly affect changes in the cell. The actual receptor is a single polypeptide that transverses the cell membrane seven times creating intracellular and extracellular loops. The extracellular loops create a ligand specific pocket which binds to neurotransmitters or hormones. The intracellular loops holds onto the G-protein.
G-protein Coupled Receptors01:21

G-protein Coupled Receptors

G-protein coupled receptors are ligand binding receptors that indirectly affect changes in the cell. The actual receptor is a single polypeptide that transverses the cell membrane seven times creating intracellular and extracellular loops. The extracellular loops create a ligand specific pocket which binds to neurotransmitters or hormones. The intracellular loops holds onto the G-protein.
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
G Protein-coupled Receptors01:15

G Protein-coupled Receptors

G Protein-Coupled Receptors or GPCRs are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to sensory stimuli such as light, odors, hormones, cytokines, or neurotransmitters.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or serpentine receptors, and consist of seven (H1-H7) transmembrane alpha-helices that span the bilayer to form a cylindrical core. The transmembrane helices are connected by three extracellular loops and three...
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators01:18

Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators

γ-aminobutyric acid or GABA, plays a pivotal role as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA pathway potentiators, also known as GABAergic drugs, are a class of pharmaceutical agents designed to enhance the functioning of the GABAergic system. These medications primarily treat epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...

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Inhibitory Synapse Formation in a Co-culture Model Incorporating GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons and HEK293 Cells Stably Expressing GABAA Receptors
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Published on: November 14, 2014

Stress and GABA receptors.

Kelly J Skilbeck1, Graham A R Johnston, Tina Hinton

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Journal of Neurochemistry
|December 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stress impacts GABA(A) receptors, crucial for brain function, with changes varying by sex and life stage. This GABAergic system plasticity may link to psychiatric disorders like depression and schizophrenia.

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Inhibitory Synapse Formation in a Co-culture Model Incorporating GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons and HEK293 Cells Stably Expressing GABAA Receptors
07:51

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Published on: November 14, 2014

BS3 Chemical Crosslinking Assay: Evaluating the Effect of Chronic Stress on Cell Surface GABAA Receptor Presentation in the Rodent Brain
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Published on: December 6, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurochemistry
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • GABA(A) receptors are vital neurotransmitter receptors sensitive to environmental changes.
  • Stress responses involving GABA(A) receptors are sex-dependent in adulthood.
  • Early-life stress can induce long-lasting alterations in GABA(A) receptor function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the sex-dependent neurochemical responses of GABA(A) receptors to acute stress.
  • To explore the potential mechanisms, such as neurosteroids and receptor trafficking, underlying rapid GABA(A) receptor plasticity.
  • To examine the long-term effects of early-life stress on GABA(A) receptors.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized experimental animal models to study GABA(A) receptor changes.
  • Applied various stress paradigms to elicit neurochemical responses.
  • Analyzed alterations in receptor phosphorylation and trafficking.

Main Results:

  • Acute stress rapidly alters GABA(A) receptors in a sex-dependent manner.
  • The direction of GABA(A) receptor changes depends on the specific stressor and animal sex.
  • Evidence suggests neurosteroid involvement in mediating rapid receptor plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • GABA(A) receptor plasticity is a rapid, stress-sensitive process influenced by sex and early-life experiences.
  • These stress-induced GABA(A) receptor alterations may contribute to the non-genetic factors in psychiatric disorders.
  • GABA(A) receptors are implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-related conditions like depression and schizophrenia.