ALTERNATIVE SPLICING GENERATES 2 ISOFORMS OF THE ALPHA-2 SUBUNIT OF THE INHIBITORY GLYCINE RECEPTOR

The inhibitory glycine receptor (GlyR) is a ligand-gated chloride channel protein which displays developmental heterogeneity in the mammalian central nervous system. Here we describe 2 novel cDNA variants of the rat GlyR alpha-2 subunit and demonstrate that alternative splicing generates these 2 isoforms. The deduced protein sequences (alpha-2A and alpha-2B) exhibit 99% identity with the previously characterized human alpha-2 subunit. In situ hybridization revealed expression of both alpha-2A and alpha-2B mRNAs in the prenatal rat brain, suggesting that these variant proteins may have a role in synaptogenesis. Heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes showed that the more abundantly expressed alpha-2A subunit forms strychnine-sensitive ion channels which resemble human alpha-2 subunit GlyRs in their electrophysiological properties.