Benzodiazepine-insensitive mice generated by targeted disruption of the gamma 2 subunit gene of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors.

Günther, Uwe; Benson, Jack A.; Benke, Dietmar; Fritschy, Jean‐Marc; Reyes, Guadalupe; Knoflach, Frédéric; Crestani, Florence; Aguzzi, Adriano; Arigoni, Michelle; Lang, Yolande; Bluethmann, Horst; Möhler, Hanns; Lüscher, Bernhard

doi:10.1073/pnas.92.17.7749

Cited by 421 publications

(306 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The few homozygous GABA A ␥2(R43Q) mice that were born died before P18, supporting the idea that a normally functioning ␥2 subunit is vital (35). Furthermore, the observed lethality of the homozygous state demonstrates unequivocally that the mutation changes the molecular properties of GABA receptors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Reduced cortical inhibition in a mouse model of familial childhood absence epilepsy

Tan

Reid

Single³

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

200

230

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Mutations in the GABAA receptor ␥2 subunit are associated with childhood absence epilepsy and febrile seizures. To understand better the molecular basis of absence epilepsy in man, we developed a mouse model harboring a ␥2 subunit point mutation (R43Q) found in a large Australian family. Mice heterozygous for the mutation demonstrated behavioral arrest associated with 6-to 7-Hz spike-and-wave discharges, which are blocked by ethosuximide, a first-line treatment for absence epilepsy in man. Seizures in the mouse showed an abrupt onset at around age 20 days corresponding to the childhood nature of this disease. Reduced cell surface expression of ␥2(R43Q) was seen in heterozygous mice in the absence of any change in ␣1 subunit surface expression, ruling out a dominant-negative effect. GABA Amediated synaptic currents recorded from cortical pyramidal neurons revealed a small but significant reduction that was not seen in the reticular or ventrobasal thalamic nuclei. We hypothesize that a subtle reduction in cortical inhibition underlies childhood absence epilepsy seen in humans harboring the R43Q mutation.GABAA receptor ͉ genetics ͉ electroencephalogram ͉ trafficking ͉ synapse G ABA A receptors in the adult brain are important for inhibiting the activity of neurons in which they reside. Dysfunction of these receptors caused by familial mutations can give rise to febrile seizures (FS) and a variety of generalized epilepsy phenotypes (1-3). To date, five mutations have been reported in the GABA A ␥2 subunit gene with an array of seizure types seen in patients (1, 4-7). Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) and FS were the main phenotypes in a large Australian family with an arginine to glutamine mutation at position 43 (R43Q) in the GABA A ␥2 subunit gene (1,8).Understanding how the GABA A ␥2(R43Q) mutation causes epilepsy is difficult. GABA A receptors themselves serve several roles. They regulate moment-to-moment brain function (9), play an important role in brain development (10), and have key roles in neuronal plasticity (11, 12) and response to brain injury (13-15). Epilepsy itself is a complex phenomenon involving the interaction of multiple cell types in networks within and between different brain regions that are likely to be influenced by GABA A receptor dysfunction caused by the R43Q mutation. Furthermore, in vitro analyses of the consequences of this mutation have shown inconsistent findings with a range of deficits in receptor pharmacology, trafficking, kinetics, or assembly (16-23) potentially implicated in disease pathogenesis.Clearly, the complex nature of epileptogenesis demands in vivo investigation. Genetic epilepsies provide a framework on which to investigate the consequences of causative mutations at a range of organizational levels within the brain, creating a chain of understanding from molecules to behavior. Linking this chain is impossible in humans because of the highly invasive methodology required and is severely limited in heterologous expression systems that lack necessary complexity. Mice mod...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Reduced cortical inhibition in a mouse model of familial childhood absence epilepsy

Tan

Reid

Single³

et al. 2007

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

200

230

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Most c2 0/0 mice die shortly after birth and a small percentage survive up to the third postnatal week (70). In these mice, there is an almost complete loss of a1 subunit and gephyrin clusters in the cerebellum, in line with the requirement of the c2 subunit for postsynaptic aggregation of GABA A receptors and gephyrin (71,72).…”

Section: Effects Of Targeted Subunit Gene Deletion On Cerebellar Gabamentioning

confidence: 80%

Molecular and synaptic organization of GABAA receptors in the cerebellum: Effects of targeted subunit gene deletions

Fritschy

Panzanelli

2006

Cerebellum

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GABA A receptors form heteromeric GABA-gated chloride channels assembled from a large family of subunit genes. In cerebellum, distinct GABA A receptor subtypes, differing in subunit composition, are segregated between cell types and synaptic circuits. The cerebellum therefore represents a useful system to investigate the significance of GABA A receptor heterogeneity. For instance, studies of mice carrying targeted deletion of major GABA A receptor subunit genes revealed the role of a subunit variants for receptor assembly, synaptic targeting, and functional properties. In addition, these studies unraveled mandatory association between certain subunits and demonstrated distinct pharmacology of receptors mediating phasic and tonic inhibition. Although some of these mutants have a profound loss of GABA A receptors, they exhibit only minor impairment of motor function, suggesting activation of compensatory mechanisms to preserve inhibitory networks in the cerebellum. These adaptations include an altered balance between phasic and tonic inhibition, activation of voltageindependent K + conductances, and upregulation of GABA A receptors in interneurons that are not affected directly by the mutation. Deletion of the a1 subunit gene leads to complete loss of GABA A receptors in Purkinje cells. A striking alteration occurs in these mice, whereby presynaptic GABAergic terminals are preserved in the molecular layer but make heterologous synapses with spines, characterized by a glutamatergic-like postsynaptic density. During development of a1 0/0 mice, GABAergic synapses are initially formed but are replaced upon spine maturation. These findings suggest that functional GABA A receptors are required for long-term maintenance of GABAergic synapses in Purkinje cells.

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“…Initial observations of a functional interaction between gephyrin and GABA A R were made in γ2-KO mice, in which postsynaptic clustering of GABA A R and gephyrin was strongly impaired compared to wild-type and heterozygous littermates [66][67][68]. Conversely, GABA A R clustering was widely disrupted in neurons from gephyrin-KO mice [69].…”

Section: Heterogeneity Of Gabaergic Synapses Revealed In Mice With Tamentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and functional heterogeneity of GABAergic synapses

Fritschy

Panzanelli

Tyagarajan

2012

Cell. Mol. Life Sci.

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Knowledge of the functional organization of the GABAergic system, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter system, in the CNS has increased remarkably in recent years. In particular, substantial progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and plasticity of GABAergic synapses. Evidence available ascribes a key role to the cytoplasmic protein gephyrin to form a postsynaptic scaffold anchoring GABA(A) receptors along with other transmembrane proteins and signaling molecules in the postsynaptic density. However, the mechanisms of gephyrin scaffolding remain elusive, notably because gephyrin can auto-aggregate spontaneously and lacks PDZ protein interaction domains found in a majority of scaffolding proteins. In addition, the structural diversity of GABA(A) receptors, which are pentameric channels encoded by a large family of subunits, has been largely overlooked in these studies. Finally, the role of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, present in a subset of GABAergic synapses in cortical structures, remains ill-defined. In this review, we discuss recent results derived mainly from the analysis of mutant mice lacking a specific GABA(A) receptor subtype or a core protein of the GABAergic postsynaptic density (neuroligin-2, collybistin), highlighting the molecular diversity of GABAergic synapses and its relevance for brain plasticity and function. In addition, we discuss the contribution of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex to the molecular and functional heterogeneity of GABAergic synapses. AbstractKnowledge of the functional organization of the GABAergic system, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter system, in the CNS has increased remarkably in recent years. In particular, substantial progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying formation and plasticity of GABAergic synapses. Evidence available ascribes a key role to the cytoplasmic protein gephyrin to form a postsynaptic scaffold anchoring GABA A receptors along with other transmembrane proteins and signaling molecules in the postsynaptic density. However, the mechanisms of gephyrin scaffolding remain elusive, notably because gephyrin can auto-aggregate spontaneously and lacks PDZ protein interaction domains found in a majority of scaffolding proteins. In addition, the structural diversity of GABA A receptors, which are pentameric channels encoded by a large family of subunits, has been largely overlooked in these studies. Finally, the role of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, present in a subset of GABAergic synapses in cortical structures, remains ill-defined. In this review, we discuss recent results derived mainly from the analysis of mutant mice lacking a specific GABA A receptor subtype or a core protein of the GABAergic postsynaptic density (neuroligin-2, collybistin), highlighting the molecular diversity of GABAergic synapses and its relevance for brain plasticity and function. In addition, we discuss the contribution of the dystrophinglycoprotein complex to the molecular ...

show abstract

Benzodiazepine-insensitive mice generated by targeted disruption of the gamma 2 subunit gene of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors.

Cited by 421 publications

References 33 publications

Reduced cortical inhibition in a mouse model of familial childhood absence epilepsy

Reduced cortical inhibition in a mouse model of familial childhood absence epilepsy

Molecular and synaptic organization of GABAA receptors in the cerebellum: Effects of targeted subunit gene deletions

Molecular and functional heterogeneity of GABAergic synapses

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