Description
Product Characteristics: The GABA-A receptor is a member of the superfamily of fast acting ligand-gated ion channels. The individual subunits of these receptors have similar sequences and structural features (1). GABA-A receptors are the major fast inhibitory neurotransmitter gated ion channels in the brain (2).
Target Information: This gene encodes a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain where it acts at GABA-A receptors, which are ligand-gated chloride channels. Chloride conductance of these channels can be modulated by agents such as benzodiazepines that bind to the GABA-A receptor. GABA-A receptors are pentameric, consisting of proteins from several subunit classes: alpha, beta, gamma, delta and rho. Mutations in this gene cause juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and childhood absence epilepsy type 4. Multiple transcript variants encoding the same protein have been identified for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]