Discovery could lead to new treatments for neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis
New clues about how the brain chemical messenger GABA functions suggest that protein ‘anchors’ play an important role in helping to locate its receptors in nerve cells doing.
A new study published in Nature Communications finds that a protein called filamin A is responsible for directing receptors to the correct location in brain cells. These receptors control brain activity in response to GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
GABA plays an important role in the brain, including controlling body movement and pain transmission. GABA maintains proper brain activity by slowing electrical impulses as they travel between brain cells by activating specific receptors in the brain.
The discovery that the protein filamin A is responsible for locating these receptors in their proper locations has enabled researchers to develop new therapies to manage a variety of neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis. may become.
Davide Calebiro, Professor of Molecular Endocrinology at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the paper, said:
“Filamin A answers a question that scientists have been asking about how GABA can control various functions in the brain. Like an anchor that places GABA-B receptors exactly where they are needed. By acting, GABA can modulate a whole host of brain functions involved in multiple neurological disorders.
“The GABA-A receptor has received the most attention because it mediates the rapid GABA response, but the twin brother B, which mediates the slower response, is a highly potential drug target, and our findings suggest that multiple It can have a major impact on treating everything from sclerosis to epilepsy.
“Furthermore, a defect in filamin A impairs the normal localization of GABA-B receptors in neurons, interferes with the correct processing of signals in the brain, and ultimately causes the brain to interact effectively with the rest of the body. I’m assuming that we may lose communication.”
pioneering lab work
The role of filamin A in GABA activity was discovered thanks to a new, pioneering research method developed at the Center for Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), a research institute at the University of Birmingham in partnership with the University of Nottingham.
In particular, using single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy developed by the Calebiro lab, the research team is able to directly observe in unprecedented detail how individual receptors and filamin molecules interact on the surface of living cells. tracking is now possible.
