Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid B Receptor 2 (gABBR2)

The multi-pass membrane protein encoded by this gene belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor 3 family and GABA-B receptor subfamily. The GABA-B receptors inhibit neuronal activity through G protein-coupled second-messenger systems, which regulate the release of neurotransmitters, and the activity of ion channels and adenylyl cyclase. GABBR2 forms an active heterodimeric complex with GABA-B receptor subunit 1, neither of which is effective on its own. Allelic variants of this gene have been associated with nicotine dependence. Highly expressed in brain, especially in cerebral cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, frontal, occipital and temporal lobe, occipital pole and cerebellum, followed by corpus callosum, caudate nucleus, spinal cord, amygdala and medulla. Weakly expressed in heart, testis and skeletal muscle.