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Scientists determine structure of brain receptor implicated in epilepsy and PMT
March 10, 2008Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have published new research in the journal Molecular Pharmacology identifying the structure of a receptor in the brain implicated in conditions such as epilepsy and pre-menstrual tension. The same receptor has also been reported to be highly sensitive to alcohol.
The University of Cambridge team, in collaboration with colleagues at Aston University and the University of Alberta, have determined the arrangement of the constituent parts of an uncommon but important type of GABA receptor in the brain. GABAA receptors in the central nervous system play important roles in the body's response to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical used by the brain to control certain functions. By understanding how the receptors' sub-units are arranged, scientists may now be able to develop drugs to block or stimulate them, providing hope for sufferers of a range of conditions.
Different types of GABAA receptor have been shown to play various roles in the body's control of behaviour and development. The Cambridge scientists are the first to determine the structure of a type of GABAA receptor containing the so-called delta sub-unit. This receptor type is found in small numbers in the body but is thought to be disproportionately important in controlling our state of consciousness; it is highly sensitive to anaesthetics, and has been linked to epilepsy and pre-menstrual tension, and to the body's response to alcohol.
The team used an atomic force microscope to detect the receptors. They applied tags to the receptors that bind to different sub-units. These can then be identified with the microscope, which scans a probe over the surface of a sample. By identifying the tags the team could identify where the various sub-units were located. Armed with this information, researchers can now build detailed models of the receptor which can be used to develop drugs to intervene in the signals that it receives.
Dr Mike Edwardson, who led the research team, said: "This type of GABA receptor plays a crucial role in the body's response to a range of stimuli. Scientists think that when there is a problem in the signalling, conditions such as epilepsy and PMT can occur. Now we have identified the detailed structure of the receptor we are in a better position to design drugs that bind to it."
Professor Nigel Brown, BBSRC Director of Science and Technology, commented: "Basic bioscience research has a crucial role to play in understanding conditions that affect the health and quality of life for millions of people. If we learn the detailed mechanisms by which the body functions, medical scientists and the pharmaceutical industry can develop treatments to intervene when it goes wrong."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
The team used an atomic force microscope to detect the receptors. They applied tags to the receptors that bind to different sub-units. These can then be identified with the microscope, which scans a probe over the surface of a sample. By identifying the tags the team could identify where the various sub-units were located. Armed with this information, researchers can now build detailed models of the receptor which can be used to develop drugs to intervene in the signals that it receives.
Dr Mike Edwardson, who led the research team, said: "This type of GABA receptor plays a crucial role in the body's response to a range of stimuli. Scientists think that when there is a problem in the signalling, conditions such as epilepsy and PMT can occur. Now we have identified the detailed structure of the receptor we are in a better position to design drugs that bind to it."
Professor Nigel Brown, BBSRC Director of Science and Technology, commented: "Basic bioscience research has a crucial role to play in understanding conditions that affect the health and quality of life for millions of people. If we learn the detailed mechanisms by which the body functions, medical scientists and the pharmaceutical industry can develop treatments to intervene when it goes wrong."
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Brain Receptor Current Events and Brain Receptor News RSSStudy: Lizards bask for more than warmth
Keeping warm isn't the only reason lizards and other cold-blooded critters bask in the sun. According to a study published in the May/June issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, chameleons alter their sunbathing behavior based on their need for vitamin D.
Promising new drug being evaluated as possible treatment option for fragile X syndrome
A pilot trial of an oral drug therapy called fenobam has shown promising initial results and could be a potential new treatment option for adult patients with Fragile X syndrome (FXS).
Caltech scientists engineer supersensitive receptor, gain better understanding of dopamine system
Genetically modifying a receptor found on the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine has given California Institute of Technology (Caltech) researchers a unique glimpse into the workings of the brain's dopamine system--as well as a new target for treating diseases that result from either too much or too little of this critical neurotransmitter.
New treatment mechanisms for schizophrenia
The field of schizophrenia research has come alive with many exciting new potential approaches to treatment. From the introduction of chlorpromazine to the current day, all treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have had, at their core, a single treatment mechanism, the blockade of the dopamine D2 receptor.
Does Stimulant Treatment for ADHD Increase Risk of Drug Abuse?
Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse.
Study advances evidence for receptor's role in alcohol pleasure and problems
A genetic variant of a receptor in the brain's reward circuitry heightens the stimulating effects of early exposures to alcohol and increases alcohol consumption, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Studies of obese children reveal body-weight control hormone
A single change in a particular brain hormone can increase a person's risk of obesity, two new studies in the February 8, 2006, Cell Metabolism reveal.
Nature press release for 1 August issue
[1] LIFELINES: EARLY EGGS MAKE MICE (pp497-498) Normally it takes an adult female mouse to produce a fully functioning mouse egg. Now researchers have removed immature egg cells from fetal mice and completely matured them in vitro, with a success rate of over 90%. The techniques, described in this week's Nature, will give researchers a window on egg development, and may help us understand infertility and birth defects. If the methods can be used in humans - which is still some way off - they could save the fertility of women undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, by removing an ovary before treatment. And being able to rescue and develop the huge numbers of immature egg cells that normally
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