GABA cell-surface

A second mechanism that impinges on the localization of transporters is through the association with proteins, the most prominent example being syntaxin. Syntaxin is a t-SNARE protein necessary for the fusion of vesicles with the plasma membrane (see the chapter on exocytosis). On the cell surface syntaxin consistently stabilizes the localization of GABA, noradrenaline, glycine, and 5HT transporters the PKCa isoform can sever the interaction with syntaxin suggesting a general mechanism for transporter internalization. 

GABAb receptors are heterodimers. Two GABAb receptor subunits have been cloned, R1 and R2. Neither of these appears to express functional receptors on their own, but they are active when coexpressed, suggesting that a dimer is trafficked to the cell surface and forms an active complex. Evidence shows that the R1 subunit contains the GABA binding site while the R2 subunit interacts with the G protein [14]. 

G-protein coupled receptor family comprises most well-known cell surface receptors including the major drug targets, as previously stated. Early PAL results have been reviewed in several papers, and book chapters. For opiate, NMDA, sigma, benzodiazepine, GABA, acetyl choline, and adrenerg, serotonine receptors see [52,59,60], and for purinerg, histamine, and dopamine receptors see [61]. 

The central release of ATP from dorsal horn synaptosomes was proven by White et al. (1985). Further studies (Sawynok et al., 1993) suggest that ATP can be released from central terminals of primary afferent neurons as well as from terminals of non-primary afferents within the dorsal horn and that ATP and GABA are cotransmitters at many synapses in the dorsal horn (Jo and Schlichter, 1999). After being released ATP acts on specific receptors, designated as P2 purinoreceptors, on the cell surface. 

All cell membranes contain transmembrane proteins that form ion channels. These ion channels are usually selectively permeable to particular ions. Some channels, such as GABA-gated ion channels, are permeable to Cl ions and are inhibitory in nature because they make the inside of the nerve or muscle cells more negative as the Cl ions enter. Some ion channels are permeable to the cations Na and K, and an example of this type is the nicotinic acetylcholine-gated channel. Nicotinic channels have an excitatory effect when they open because Na ions enter and K ions leave through these channels. The cell becomes more positive inside and depolarizes. If the cell is a muscle cell, calcium accumulates in the cytoplasm and it contracts. We have found that all over the surface of Ascaris muscle there are GABA receptors (Martin, 1980) as well as nicotinic acetylcholine channels (Martin, 1982 Robertson and Martin, 1993). 

In addition to direct enhancement of channel activity, PTKs can indirectly increase GABA-evoked inhibitory current by recruiting intracellular GABAaR to the surface of postsynaptic membrane. Insulin has been shown to increase surface expression GABAaR in transfected human embryonic kidney cells. In central neurons insulin rapidly increases the expression of functional postsynaptic GABAaR in a tyrosine kinase-dependent manner, resulting in an increase in the amplitude of the miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents. 

Ionotropic receptors (bottom left) are ligand-gated ion channels. When they open as a result of the transmitter s influence, ions flow in due to the membrane potential (see p. 126). If the inflowing ions are cations (Na"", C, Ca ""), depolarization of the membrane occurs and an action potential is triggered on the surface of the postsynaptic cell. This is the way in which stimulatory transmitters work (e.g., acetylcholine and glutamate). By contrast, if anions flow in (mainly Cl ), the result is hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane, which makes the production of a postsynaptic action potential more dif cult. The action of inhibitory transmitters such as glycine and GABA is based on this effect. 

Pharmacology The precise mechanism by which tiagabine exerts its antiseizure effect is unknown, although it is believed that it blocks GABA uptake into presynaptic neurons, permitting more GABA to be available for receptor binding on the surfaces of postsynaptic cells. 

---