Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

GABA Transporters

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules

  • 46 Accesses

Synonyms

Betaine/GABA transporter-1 (BGT-1); GAT-1; GAT-2; GAT-3

Introduction

There are two nomenclatures for GABA transporters (GATs). In the rat/human nomenclature, GABA transporters are called GAT-1, betaine/GABA transporter-1 (BGT-1), GAT-2, and GAT-3 (Borden et al. 1992). In the mouse nomenclature, GATs are called GAT1, GAT2, GAT3, and GAT4 (without hyphen, Liu et al. 1993). They were encoded by the genes SLC6A1 (for GAT-1) and SLC6A11–13 (for GAT-3, BGT-1, and GAT-2, respectively). In this review, the rat/human nomenclature will be used.

Historical Background

The amino acid γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult brain. The actions of GABA are mediated via two distinct classes of receptors: ionotropic (GABAA and GABAc) and metabotropic (GABAB ) receptors (Farrant and Kaila 2007). For adequate synaptic transmission, the released GABA has to be rapidly sequestered from the synaptic cleft by high affinity GABA transporters. Experiments...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allen NJ, Karadottir R, Attwell D. Reversal or reduction of glutamate and GABA transport in CNS pathology and therapy. Pflugers Arch. 2004;449:132–42. doi:10.1007/s00424-004-1318-x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Attwell D, Barbour B, Szatkowski M. Nonvesicular release of neurotransmitter. Neuron. 1993;11:401–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beckman ML, Bernstein EM, Quick MW. Multiple G protein-coupled receptors initiate protein kinase C redistribution of GABA transporters in hippocampal neurons. J Neurosci. 1999;19:RC9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beckman ML, Quick MW. Neurotransmitter transporters: regulators of function and functional regulation. J Membr Biol. 1998;164:1–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein EM, Quick MW. Regulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters by extracellular GABA. J Biol Chem. 1999;274:889–95.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borden LA. GABA transporter heterogeneity: pharmacology and cellular localization. Neurochem Int. 1996;29:335–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borden LA, Smith KE, Hartig PR, Branchek TA, Weinshank RL. Molecular heterogeneity of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transport system. Cloning of two novel high affinity GABA transporters from rat brain. J Biol Chem. 1992;267:21098–104.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conti F, Minelli A, Melone M. GABA transporters in the mammalian cerebral cortex: localization, development and pathological implications. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2004;45:196–212. doi:10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.03.003.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deken SL, Wang D, Quick MW. Plasma membrane GABA transporters reside on distinct vesicles and undergo rapid regulated recycling. J Neurosci. 2003;23:1563–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farrant M, Kaila K. The cellular, molecular and ionic basis of GABA(A) receptor signalling. Prog Brain Res. 2007;160:59–87. doi:10.1016/S0079-6123(06)60005-8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kempson SA, Zhou Y, Danbolt NC. The betaine/GABA transporter and betaine: roles in brain, kidney, and liver. Front Physiol. 2014;5:159. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00159.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Liu QR, Lopez-Corcuera B, Mandiyan S, Nelson H, Nelson N. Molecular characterization of four pharmacologically distinct gamma-aminobutyric acid transporters in mouse brain. J Biol Chem. 1993;268:2106–12.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masson J, Sagne C, Hamon M, El Mestikawy S. Neurotransmitter transporters in the central nervous system. Pharmacol Rev. 1999;51:439–64.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson N. The family of Na+/Cl− neurotransmitter transporters. J Neurochem. 1998;71:1785–803.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richerson GB, Wu Y. Dynamic equilibrium of neurotransmitter transporters: not just for reuptake anymore. J Neurophysiol. 2003;90:1363–74. doi:10.1152/jn.00317.2003.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richerson GB, Wu YM. Role of the GABA transporter in epilepsy. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2004;548:76–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schleimer SB, Hinton T, Dixon G, Johnston GA. GABA transporters GAT-1 and GAT-3 in the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Neuropsychobiology. 2004;50:226–30. doi:10.1159/000079975.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Son WY, Lee HJ, Yoon HK, Kang SG, Park YM, Yang HJ, Choi JE, An H, Seo HK, Kim L. GABA transporter SLC6A11 gene polymorphism associated with tardive dyskinesia. Nord J Psychiatry. 2014;68:123–8. doi:10.3109/08039488.2013.780260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thoeringer CK, Ripke S, Unschuld PG, Lucae S, Ising M, Bettecken T, Uhr M, Keck ME, Mueller-Myhsok B, Holsboer F, Binder EB, Erhardt A. The GABA transporter 1 (SLC6A1): a novel candidate gene for anxiety disorders. J Neural Transm. 2009;116:649–57. doi:10.1007/s00702-008-0075-y.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Wang W, Diez-Sampedro A, Richerson GB. Nonvesicular inhibitory neurotransmission via reversal of the GABA transporter GAT-1. Neuron. 2007;56:851–65. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2007.10.021.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yamashita A, Singh SK, Kawate T, Jin Y, Gouaux E. Crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of Na+/Cl−-dependent neurotransmitter transporters. Nature. 2005;437:215–23. doi:10.1038/nature03978.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center Mainz, Duesbergweg 6, 55128, Mainz, Germany

    Sergei Kirischuk & Werner Kilb

Authors
  1. Sergei Kirischuk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Werner Kilb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sergei Kirischuk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Science, Department of Molecular Science and Tech College of Natural Science, Suwon, Korea (Republic of)

    Sangdun Choi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry

Kirischuk, S., Kilb, W. (2016). GABA Transporters. In: Choi, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6438-9_329-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6438-9_329-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6438-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation