{"id":{"repo_id":"nott-trent","oai_identifier":"oai:irep.ntu.ac.uk:197"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/nott-trent/oai:irep.ntu.ac.uk:197","repository":{"repo_id":"nott-trent","name":"Nottingham Trent University","base_url":"https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"Investigation of an unusual GABA-A receptor: studies on the promiscuous ε [epsilon] subunit","abstract":"γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A (GABAA) receptors are pentameric, chloride-selective ion channels. Nineteen different GABAA receptor subunits are known to exist in man and various subunit combinations are able to form receptor subtypes with different, subunit-specific pharmacological properties. GABAA receptors are targeted by many clinically-important drugs, for example, benzodiazepines. Unwanted side effects, such as tolerance and dependence, often occur due to non-selective receptor targeting. There is, therefore, a need for subtype-selective drugs. Comparatively little is known about the role of the ε subunit or ε-subunit-containing receptors in vivo. Recently, it has been recognised that a GABAA receptor subtype, that contains the α3 and ε subunits, is present in neurons within the forebrain that synthesise acetylcholine, and this may regulate neurotransmitter release. In Alzheimer’s disease, cholinergic neurotransmission is reduced; therefore, this subtype might be a target for the development of anti-Alzheimer’s disease drugs that would function by increasing acetylcholine release in forebrain regions where cholinergic neurons are dying. The pharmacological properties of a GABAA receptor that comprises the α3, β2 and ε subunits were examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. The results obtained confirm that the ε subunit confers unusual properties on the GABAA receptor.","abstract_html":"γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A (GABAA) receptors are pentameric, chloride-selective ion channels. Nineteen different GABAA receptor subunits are known to exist in man and various subunit combinations are able to form receptor subtypes with different, subunit-specific pharmacological properties. GABAA receptors are targeted by many clinically-important drugs, for example, benzodiazepines. Unwanted side effects, such as tolerance and dependence, often occur due to non-selective receptor targeting. There is, therefore, a need for subtype-selective drugs. Comparatively little is known about the role of the ε subunit or ε-subunit-containing receptors in vivo. Recently, it has been recognised that a GABAA receptor subtype, that contains the α3 and ε subunits, is present in neurons within the forebrain that synthesise acetylcholine, and this may regulate neurotransmitter release. In Alzheimer’s disease, cholinergic neurotransmission is reduced; therefore, this subtype might be a target for the development of anti-Alzheimer’s disease drugs that would function by increasing acetylcholine release in forebrain regions where cholinergic neurons are dying. The pharmacological properties of a GABAA receptor that comprises the α3, β2 and ε subunits were examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. The results obtained confirm that the ε subunit confers unusual properties on the GABAA receptor.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Schwabe, T"],"institution":"Nottingham Trent University","degree_name":"phd","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010","date_published":"2010","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:30:44Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Schwabe, T"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2010"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.commercial","label":"Dc Publisher Commercial","values":["Nottingham Trent University"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Nottingham Trent University"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/197/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["phd"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/197/1/203555_Tinas%20thesis.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A (GABAA) receptors are pentameric, chloride-selective ion channels. Nineteen different GABAA receptor subunits are known to exist in man and various subunit combinations are able to form receptor subtypes with different, subunit-specific pharmacological properties. GABAA receptors are targeted by many clinically-important drugs, for example, benzodiazepines. Unwanted side effects, such as tolerance and dependence, often occur due to non-selective receptor targeting. There is, therefore, a need for subtype-selective drugs. Comparatively little is known about the role of the ε subunit or ε-subunit-containing receptors in vivo. Recently, it has been recognised that a GABAA receptor subtype, that contains the α3 and ε subunits, is present in neurons within the forebrain that synthesise acetylcholine, and this may regulate neurotransmitter release. In Alzheimer’s disease, cholinergic neurotransmission is reduced; therefore, this subtype might be a target for the development of anti-Alzheimer’s disease drugs that would function by increasing acetylcholine release in forebrain regions where cholinergic neurons are dying. The pharmacological properties of a GABAA receptor that comprises the α3, β2 and ε subunits were examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. The results obtained confirm that the ε subunit confers unusual properties on the GABAA receptor."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigation of an unusual GABA-A receptor: studies on the promiscuous ε [epsilon] subunit"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Schwabe, T"],"dc:date":["2010"],"dc:date.issued":["2010"],"dc:description.abstract":["γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A (GABAA) receptors are pentameric, chloride-selective ion channels. Nineteen different GABAA receptor subunits are known to exist in man and various subunit combinations are able to form receptor subtypes with different, subunit-specific pharmacological properties. GABAA receptors are targeted by many clinically-important drugs, for example, benzodiazepines. Unwanted side effects, such as tolerance and dependence, often occur due to non-selective receptor targeting. There is, therefore, a need for subtype-selective drugs. Comparatively little is known about the role of the ε subunit or ε-subunit-containing receptors in vivo. Recently, it has been recognised that a GABAA receptor subtype, that contains the α3 and ε subunits, is present in neurons within the forebrain that synthesise acetylcholine, and this may regulate neurotransmitter release. In Alzheimer’s disease, cholinergic neurotransmission is reduced; therefore, this subtype might be a target for the development of anti-Alzheimer’s disease drugs that would function by increasing acetylcholine release in forebrain regions where cholinergic neurons are dying. The pharmacological properties of a GABAA receptor that comprises the α3, β2 and ε subunits were examined in Xenopus laevis oocytes using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. The results obtained confirm that the ε subunit confers unusual properties on the GABAA receptor."],"dc:format":["text"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/197/1/203555_Tinas%20thesis.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher.commercial":["Nottingham Trent University"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Nottingham Trent University"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/197/"],"dc:title":["Investigation of an unusual GABA-A receptor: studies on the promiscuous ε [epsilon] subunit"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["phd"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:30:44Z"}