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The Cellular Localisation of GABAA and Glycine Receptors in the Human Basal Ganglia

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The Basal Ganglia IX

Part of the book series: Advances in Behavioral Biology ((ABBI,volume 58))

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Abstract

We have investigated the cellular localisation of GABAA (GABAAR) and glycine (GLYR) receptors in the human basal ganglia using immunohistochemical techniques and light and confocal laser scanning microscopy. GABAAR were most highly expressed on GABAergic striatal interneurons (α1, β2,3, γ2 subunits), cholinergic interneurons (α3), and striatal projection neurons (α2, α3, β2,3, γ2 subunits). GLYR were present mainly on ChAT and a subset of parvalbumin striatal interneurons. The neurons of the globus pallidus (GP) showed high levels of α1, α3, β2,3, γ2 subunits (no α2) whereas GLYRs were only distributed on a subpopulation of pallidal neurons. In addition, GLYRs selectively stained neurons in the intermedullary laminae of the GP. Neurons in the SNr and SNc were labelled with GLYR but had different GABAAR subunit configurations. SNr neurons expressed α1, α3, β2,3, γ2 (no α2) subunits and SNc neurons expressed mainly GABAAR α3γ2 subunits. These results demonstrate that in the basal ganglia, neurons are generally associated with one of four different GABAA receptor configurations. This suggests that throughout the basal ganglia GABA acts via GABAA receptors with various subunit combinations and that glycine acts through glycine receptors on neurons of the SNr and SNc and groups of interneurons scattered throughout the striatum and GP.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. KB is grateful for support from the British Royal Society. We thank the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Human Brain Bank for providing the human brain tissue used in these studies. We also thank the Biomedical Imaging Research Unit (BIRU) in the Department of Anatomy with Radiology University of Auckland for expert assistance and use of their facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag, 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

    Henry J. Waldvogel, Kristin Baer, Ray T. Gilbert, Weiping Gai, Mark I. Rees & Richard L. M. Faull

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  1. Henry J. Waldvogel
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  2. Kristin Baer
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  3. Ray T. Gilbert
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  4. Weiping Gai
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  5. Mark I. Rees
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  6. Richard L. M. Faull
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henry J. Waldvogel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Anatomy & Neurosciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1007 MB, Netherlands

    Hendrik Jan Groenewegen

  2. Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Netherlands

    Pieter Voorn

  3. Department of Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Netherlands

    Henk W. Berendse

  4. Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, Netherlands

    Antonius B. Mulder

  5. Medical Centre, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein 21a, Nijmegen, 6525 EZ, Netherlands

    Alexander R. Cools

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Waldvogel, H.J., Baer, K., Gilbert, R.T., Gai, W., Rees, M.I., Faull, R.L.M. (2009). The Cellular Localisation of GABAA and Glycine Receptors in the Human Basal Ganglia. In: Groenewegen, H., Voorn, P., Berendse, H., Mulder, A., Cools, A. (eds) The Basal Ganglia IX. Advances in Behavioral Biology, vol 58. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0340-2_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0340-2_18

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-0339-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-0340-2

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