Phylogenetic receptor research: implications in studying psychiatric and neurological disease

Phylogenetic studies will help to evaluate the structure and function of receptors. We were able to show that the regional heterogeneity of the central benzodiazepine receptor previously described in mammals also applies to avians. In addition, a systematic species comparison of the subunit patterns revealed a certain phylogenetic relationship suggesting evolution by gene duplication and subsequent divergence. In analogy to isozyme systems, these results possibly indicate that the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor is an isoreceptor complex. The implications for neuropsychiatric genetics are discussed.