Kinetic Properties and Regulation of GABAA Receptor Channels

Abstract
The neutral amino acid γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. GABA is released from GABAergic neurons and binds to both GABAA and GABAB receptors. The GABAA receotor is a macromolecular protein composed of a chloride ion-selective channel with specific binding sites at least for GABA, picrotoxin,barbiturates,and benzodiazepines (Table 1). GABA binds to GABAA receptors to regulate gating (opening and closing) of the chloride ion channel. The gating properties of the GABAA receptor will be discussed in detail in this review.