New insights into GABAergic signaling: lessons from neurodevelopmental disorders
GABAergic neurotransmission forms the brain’s premier inhibitory signaling pathway controlling almost every aspect of brain function. Consequently, GABAergic dysfunction precipitates in a wide range of neurological disorders. While several decades of research have uncovered many molecular and pharmacological underpinnings of how GABA receptors affect physiology, many unanswered questions remain. Importantly, in the post genomics era of personalized medicine, there is paucity of mechanistic understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships from biophysical to behavioral levels. In this talk, I will discuss some of our recent findings on receptor assembly, trafficking and physiology in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders and how these are shaping our views on GABAergic signaling.