Expression of GABAA receptor α5 subunit-like immunoreactivity in human hippocampus
Abstract To investigate the distribution of GABAA receptor α5 subunit expression in brain, polyclonal antisera were raised, characterised and applied to human and rat brain sections. The resultant antibodies detected a major band of 53 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblots. Abundant immunostaining was demonstrated in the hippocampal formation in multiple cell types, although predominantly in pyramidal neurons. These data are supportive of GABA-ergic involvement in cognition, and suggest that this influence may be mediated through receptors containing the α5 subunit.