てんかん患者のサンプルが脳の抑制機能に関する新たな洞察を提供(Epilepsy Patient Samples Offer Unprecedented Insights on Brain ‘Brakes’ Linked to Disorders)

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2025-01-22 カリフォルニア大学サンディエゴ校 (UCSD)

UCサンディエゴ大学の研究により、てんかん患者から提供された脳組織サンプルを用いて、GABAA_A受容体の詳細な構造マップが初めて作成されました。これらの受容体は神経の「ブレーキ」として働き、神経活動を抑制します。研究では、クライオ電子顕微鏡や電気生理学を駆使し、受容体のサブユニット構造と薬剤の結合メカニズムを明らかにしました。この成果は、てんかんや不眠症、精神疾患の治療法開発に新たな道を開くと期待されています。

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ヒト脳のGABAA受容体ネイティブ構造の解明 Resolving native GABAA receptor structures from the human brain

Jia Zhou,Colleen M. Noviello,Jinfeng Teng,Haley Moore,Bradley Lega & Ryan E. Hibbs
Nature  Published:22 January 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08454-1

てんかん患者のサンプルが脳の抑制機能に関する新たな洞察を提供(Epilepsy Patient Samples Offer Unprecedented Insights on Brain ‘Brakes’ Linked to Disorders)

Abstract

Type A GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptors (GABAA receptors) mediate most fast inhibitory signalling in the brain and are targets for drugs that treat epilepsy, anxiety, depression and insomnia and for anaesthetics1,2. These receptors comprise a complex array of 19 related subunits, which form pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. The composition and structure of native GABAA receptors in the human brain have been inferred from subunit localization in tissue1,3, functional measurements and structural analysis from recombinant expression4,5,6,7 and in mice8. However, the arrangements of subunits that co-assemble physiologically in native human GABAA receptors remain unknown. Here we isolated α1 subunit-containing GABAA receptors from human patients with epilepsy. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we defined a set of 12 native subunit assemblies and their 3D structures. We address inconsistencies between previous native and recombinant approaches, and reveal details of previously undefined subunit interfaces. Drug-like densities in a subset of these interfaces led us to uncover unexpected activity on the GABAA receptor of antiepileptic drugs and resulted in localization of one of these drugs to the benzodiazepine-binding site. Proteomics and further structural analysis suggest interactions with the auxiliary subunits neuroligin 2 and GARLH4, which localize and modulate GABAA receptors at inhibitory synapses. This work provides a structural foundation for understanding GABAA receptor signalling and targeted pharmacology in the human brain.

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