GAT-1, a High-Affinity GABA Plasma Membrane Transporter, Localized to Neurons and Astroglia in the Cerebral Cortex
The Journal of Neuroscience, November 1995, 75(11): 7734-7746 GAT-1, a High-Affinity GABA Plasma Membrane Transporter, Localized to Neurons and Astroglia in the Cerebral Cortex Andrea Minelli,’ Nicholas C. Brecha, 2,3,4,5,6Christine Karschiq7 Silvia DeBiasi,8 and Fiorenzo Conti’ ‘Institute of Human Physiology, University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy, *Department of Neurobiology, 3Department of Medicine, 4Brain Research Institute, and 5CURE:VA/UCLA Gastroenteric Biology Center, UCLA School of Medicine, and 6Veterans Administration Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 7Max-Planck-lnstitute for Experimental Medicine, Gottingen, Germany, and 8Department of General Physiology and Biochemistry, Section of Histology and Human Anatomy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy High affinity, GABA plasma membrane transporters influ- into GABAergic axon terminals, GAT-1 influences both ex- ence the action of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotrans- citatory and inhibitory transmission by modulating the mitter. The cellular expression of GAT-1, a prominent “paracrine” spread of GABA (Isaacson et al., 1993), and GABA transporter, has been investigated in the cerebral suggest that astrocytes may play an important role in this cortex of adult rats using in situ hybridizaton with %-la- process. beled RNA probes and immunocytochemistry with affinity [Key words: GABA, GABA transporlers, neocottex, syn- purified polyclonal antibodies directed to the C-terminus of apses, neurons, astrocytes] rat GAT-1. GAT-1 mRNA was observed in numerous neurons and in Synaptic transmissionmediated by GABA plays a key role in some glial cells. Double-labeling experiments were per- controlling neuronal activity and information processingin the formed to compare the pattern of GAT-1 mRNA containing mammaliancerebral cortex (Krnjevic, 1984; Sillito, 1984; Mc- and GAD67 immunoreactive cells.
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