Dopamine-mediated striatal activity and function is enhanced in GlyRα2 knockout animals.

The glycine receptor alpha 2 (GlyRα2) is a ligand-gated ion channel which upon activation induces a chloride conductance. Here, we investigated the role of GlyRα2 in dopamine-stimulated striatal cell activity and behavior. We show that depletion of GlyRα2 enhances dopamine-induced increases in the activity of putative dopamine D1 receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons, but does not alter midbrain dopamine neuron activity.

Ethanol consumption and sedation are altered in mice lacking the glycine receptor α2 subunit.

Background And Purpose: The precise mechanism/s of action of ethanol, although studied for many years, are not well understood. Like other drugs of abuse, ethanol affects dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (nAc), an important region of the mesolimbic system, causing a reinforcing effect. It has been shown that glycine receptors (GlyRs) present in the nAc are potentiated by clinically relevant concentrations of ethanol, where α1 and α2 are the predominant subunits expressed.

Alpha2-Containing Glycine Receptors Promote Neonatal Spontaneous Activity of Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons and Support Maturation of Glutamatergic Inputs.

Glycine receptors (GlyRs) containing the α2 subunit are highly expressed in the developing brain, where they regulate neuronal migration and maturation, promote spontaneous network activity and subsequent development of synaptic connections. Mutations in are associated with autism spectrum disorder, but the underlying pathophysiology is not described yet. Here, using -knockout mice, we found a GlyR-dependent effect on neonatal spontaneous activity of dorsal striatum medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and maturation of the incoming glutamatergic innervation.

Tonically Active α2 Subunit-Containing Glycine Receptors Regulate the Excitability of Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons.

Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the dorsal striatum represent the first relay of cortico-striato-thalamic loop, responsible for the initiation of voluntary movements and motor learning. GABAergic transmission exerts the main inhibitory control of MSNs. However, MSNs also express chloride-permeable glycine receptors (GlyRs) although their subunit composition and functional significance in the striatum is unknown.