MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GABA(A) RECEPTOR IN THE RAT PANCREAS

In the present study, we characterize the molecular structure of the G ABA(A) receptor in pancreas, islets, alpha and beta cells, and in RIN 1046-38 cells. Using the polymerase chain reaction and specific primer s for 11 out of the 15 subunits known so far, that may contribute to t he composition of the GABA(A) receptors, we demonstrate that pancreas and its cellular components, as well RIN 1046-38 cells, might contain a GABA(A) receptor resulting from all the possible combinations in a p entameric configuration of the subtypes alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3 of t he alpha subunit family, beta 1, beta 2, beta 3 subtypes of the beta s ubunit family, delta subunit and gamma 2 subtype of the gamma subunit family. The presence of the gamma 2 subunit renders the GABA(A) recept ors potentially sensitive to allosteric modulators.