A novel γ subunit of the GABAA receptor identified using the polymerase chain reaction

AbstractWe have utilized a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy to identify a novel subunit, γ3, of the GABAA receptor. The γ3 cDNA encodes a mature protein of 450 amino acids that contains structural features typically conserved among subunits of the GABAA receptor family. The γ3 subunit shares approximately 66% sequence identity with the γ2 subunit but only 38% and 29% with α1 and β1 subunits, respectively. Localization of the γ3 mRNA indicates that it is widely distributed throughout the mouse brain in a pattern similar to that observed for mRNAs encoding the γ2 subunits