Differential expression of glycine receptor subunits in the rat basolateral and central amygdala.
Neurosci Lett
; 469(2): 237-42, 2010 Jan 22.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19995593
ABSTRACT
The amygdalar complex is a limbic structure that plays a key role in emotional processing and fear conditioning. Although inhibitory transmission in the amygdala is predominately GABA-ergic, neurons of the amygdala are also known to express glycine receptors. The subtype and function of these glycine receptors within the synaptic circuits of the amygdala are unknown. In this study, we have investigated the relative expression of the four major glycine receptor subunits (alpha1-3 and beta) in the rat basolateral (BLA) and central amygdala (CeA), using real-time PCR and protein biochemistry. We demonstrate that alpha1, alpha2, alpha 3, and beta subunits are all expressed in the BLA and CeA with alpha2 being the predominant alpha-subunit in both nuclei. Electrophysiological recordings from BLA and CeA neurons in acute brain slices indicated that differences in relative expression of these subunits were correlated with the pharmacological properties of native glycine receptors expressed on these neurons. We conclude that glycine receptors assembled in BLA neurons are largely alpha 1 beta-containing heteromultimers whereas receptors assembled in neurons of the central amygdala are primarily alpha 2 beta-, alpha 3 beta- or alpha 1 beta-containing heteromultimers, with a minor component of alpha2 or alpha 3 homomeric receptors also expressed.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Receptors, Glycine
/
Amygdala
/
Neurons
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Neurosci Lett
Year:
2010
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Australia
Publication country:
IE
/
IRELAND
/
IRLANDA