GABA transporter type 3 (GAT3) uses

sodium Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable iso ...

(Na⁺)

electrochemical gradients An electrochemical gradient is a gradient of electrochemical potential, usually for an ion that can move across a membrane. The gradient consists of two parts, the chemical gradient, or difference in Concentration, solute concentration across a me ...

to mediate uptake of GABA from the

synaptic cleft Chemical synapses are biological junctions through which neurons' signals can be sent to each other and to non-neuronal cells such as those in muscles or glands. Chemical synapses allow neurons to form circuits within the central nervous syste ...

by surrounding

glial cells Glia, also called glial cells (gliocytes) or neuroglia, are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system that do not produce electrical impulses. They maintain homeostasis, form mye ...

. Subtype-selective GAT3 inhibitors are known since 2015. The transporter and its effect on GABA concentrations in the amygdala has been implicated as a key player in the disease of alcoholism. In studies conducted on rat populations, reduction of GAT3 caused rats who formerly preferred sugar to prefer alcohol. Further, studies of deceased alcoholics show a decreased concentration of GAT3 in their brains.

References

Solute carrier family Neurotransmitter transporters GABA {{membrane-protein-stub

See also

References