Abstract
GABA A receptors are chloride channels in the brain activated by binding of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Several important classes of drugs, including alcohol and certain antiepileptic drugs, modulate the actions of GABA. We report the sequence and expression of α4 subunits of GABA A receptors in two inbred strains of mice, DBA/2J and C57BL/6J, which differ in susceptibility to seizures and to behavioral effects of alcohol. We find no differences between the two strains in cDNA sequence, or in levels of α4 mRNA in whole brains of the two strains at 21 days of age, when DBA/2J are most susceptible to audiogenic seizures. We also describe the pattern of developmental expression and brain regional distribution of this subunit in mice, finding the highest developmental expression at about 14 days of age in whole brains, and the highest regional levels in hippocampus and basal forebrain (including thalamus) in adults.
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