FROM BINDING-STUDIES TO THE MOLECULAR-BIOLOGY OF GABA RECEPTORS

The GABAA-complex remains enigmatic despite the substantial amount of information that has been gathered. The work of Barnard's group on the structure of the complex and the relationship of the recognition sites for GABA and benzodiazepines to its protein subunits has raised as many questions as have been answered. The existence of multiple forms of the α subunit and the ability of various combinations of the subunits to mediate GABA-gated choloride conductance suggest that there may be many forms of the GABAA-complex. Thus, the identification of previously unsuspected drug interactions, and evidence for the existence of additional endogenous ligands beside GABA (e.g. benzodiazepine-binding inhibitor (68) and certain steroids (69), all suggest that the characterization of the GABAA-complex has only begun. © 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation.