Ulrich Daniel, Bettler Bernhard
Pharmazentrum, Institute of Physiology, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2007 Jun;17(3):298-303. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2007.04.001. Epub 2007 Apr 12.
GABA(B) receptors are the G-protein-coupled receptors for GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. They are implicated in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. With the cloning of GABA(B) receptors ten years ago, substantial progress was made in our understanding of this receptor system. Here, we review current concepts of synaptic GABA(B) functions and present the evidence that points to specific roles for receptor subtypes. We discuss ultrastructural studies revealing that most GABA(B) receptors are located remote from GABAergic terminals, which raises questions as to when such receptors become activated. Finally, we provide possible explanations for the perplexing situation that GABA(B) receptor subtypes that have indistinguishable properties in vitro generate distinct GABA(B) responses in vivo.
GABA(B)受体是γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）的G蛋白偶联受体，GABA是哺乳动物中枢神经系统中的主要抑制性神经递质。它们与多种神经和精神疾病有关。随着十年前GABA(B)受体的克隆，我们对该受体系统的理解取得了实质性进展。在这里，我们回顾了突触GABA(B)功能的当前概念，并提供了指向受体亚型特定作用的证据。我们讨论了超微结构研究，这些研究表明大多数GABA(B)受体位于远离GABA能终末的位置，这就引发了关于此类受体何时被激活的问题。最后，我们为以下令人困惑的情况提供了可能的解释：在体外具有难以区分特性的GABA(B)受体亚型在体内产生不同的GABA(B)反应。
