Contribution of metabotropic GABA(B) receptors to neuronal network construction

In the 1980s, Bowery and colleagues discovered the presence of a novel, bicuculline-resistant and baclofen-sensitive type of GABA receptor on peripheral nerve terminals, the GABA_B receptor. Since this pioneering work, GABA_B receptors have been identified in the Central Nervous System (CNS), where they provide an important inhibitory control of postsynaptic excitability and presynaptic transmitter release. GABA_B receptors have been implicated in a number of important processes in the adult brain such as the regulation of synaptic plasticity and modulation of rhythmic activity. As a result of these studies, several potential therapeutic applications of GABA_B receptor ligands have been identified. Recent advances have further shown that GABA_B receptors play more than a classical inhibitory role in adult neurotransmission, and can in fact function as an important developmental signal early in life. Here we summarize current knowledge on the contribution of GABA_B receptors to the construction and function of developing neuronal networks.