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Chunguang Zhang, Martha A. Bosch, Oline K. Rønnekleiv, Martin J. Kelly, γ-Aminobutyric Acid B Receptor Mediated Inhibition of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons Is Suppressed by Kisspeptin-G Protein-Coupled Receptor 54 Signaling, Endocrinology, Volume 150, Issue 5, 1 May 2009, Pages 2388–2394, https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2008-1313
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γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the most important neurotransmitters that regulate the excitability of GnRH neurons. Numerous studies have shown that GABA activates Cl− currents in GnRH neurons, and these effects are antagonized by GABAA receptor antagonists. The GABAB receptor is a heterodimer composed of GABAB R1 and R2, and although both subunits have been localized in GnRH neurons, nothing is known about the cellular signaling of this Gαi,o-coupled receptor in GnRH neurons. Using whole-cell recordings from mouse enhanced green fluorescent protein-GnRH neurons, we found that the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen hyperpolarized GnRH neurons through activation of an inwardly rectifying K+ current in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects of baclofen were antagonized by the selective GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 52432 with a Ki (inhibitory constant) of 85 nm. Furthermore, in the presence of the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin, GABA hyperpolarized GnRH neurons in a similar manner. Treatment with 17β-estradiol as compared with oil vehicle did not significantly alter either the EC50 for the baclofen-induced response (0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 1.0 ± 0.1 μm, respectively) or the maximal outward current (10.8 ± 1.7 pA vs. 11.4 ± 0.6 pA, respectively) in GnRH neurons. However, the outward current (and membrane hyperpolarization) was abrogated by submaximal concentrations of the G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) agonist kisspeptin-10 in both groups, indicating that Gαq-coupled (GPR54) can desensitize the GABAB receptor-mediated response. Therefore, the activation of GABAB receptors in GnRH neurons may provide increased inhibitory tone during estrogen-negative feedback states that is attenuated by kisspeptin during positive feedback.