# Dissecting the function of the B3 subunit of the GABAA receptor ex vivo and in vivo

> **NIH NIH F32** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $33,223

## Abstract

The inability to regulate the firing properties of neurons can lead to aberrant and excessive activity, oftentimes
causing seizures. GABAA receptors are crucial for transmission of inhibitory signals which act as a brake on
excessive activity to control and coordinate neuronal function. Deficits in the β3 subunit of the GABAA receptor
have been implicated in epilepsy in humans, and mice lacking β3 suffer from seizures. However, the underlying
mechanism for how loss of β3 leads to susceptibility to seizures is still unknown. My preliminary data suggests
that knockout of β3 in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells affects transmission from a specific subset of inhibitory
cells, but the precise identity of those cells remains to be determined. In addition, changes to the overall network
activity of hippocampal cells resulting from deficits to these specific connections, and how these changes lead
to epilepsy remains to be resolved. I aim to use genetic, electrophysiological, imaging, and computational
modeling methods to test the hypothesis that loss of the β3 subunit in the CA1 region of the hippocampus results
in specific circuit and network level disruptions underlying susceptibility to seizures. These studies will lay a
foundation for the identification of potential avenues for therapeutic intervention while simultaneously elucidating
basic mechanisms underlying seizure generation and epilepsy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10244871
- **Project number:** 5F32NS106764-03
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Quynh Anh Nguyen
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $33,223
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2021-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10244871

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10244871, Dissecting the function of the B3 subunit of the GABAA receptor ex vivo and in vivo (5F32NS106764-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10244871. Licensed CC0.

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