Mouse vesicular GABA transporter gene: genomic organization, transcriptional regulation and chromosomal localization

Vesicular GABA Transporter Is Necessary for Transplant-Induced Critical Period Plasticity in Mouse Visual Cortex

The maturation of GABAergic inhibitory circuits is necessary for the onset of the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in the postnatal visual cortex (Hensch, 2005; Espinosa and Stryker, 2012). When it is deficient, the critical period does not start. When inhibitory maturation or signaling is precocious, it induces a precocious critical period. Heterochronic transplantation of GABAergic interneuron precursors derived from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) can induce a second period of functional plasticity in the visual cortex (Southwell et al., 2010). Although the timing of MGE transplantation-induced plasticity is dictated by the maturation of the transplanted cells, its mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we sought to test the effect of blocking vesicular GABA loading and subsequent release by transplanted interneurons on the ability to migrate, integrate, and induce plasticity in the host circuitry. We show that MGE cells taken from male and female donors that lack vesicular GABA transporter (Vgat) expression disperse and differentiate into somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing interneurons upon heterochronic transplantation in the postnatal mouse cortex. Although transplanted Vgat mutant interneurons come to express mature interneuron markers and display electrophysiological properties similar to those of control cells, their morphology is significantly more complex. Significantly, Vgat mutant MGE transplants fail to induce ODP, demonstrating the pivotal role of vesicular GABAergic transmission for MGE transplantation-induced plasticity in the postnatal mouse visual cortex.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Embryonic inhibitory neurons thrive when transplanted into postnatal brains, migrating and differentiating in the host as they would have done if left in the donor. Once integrated into the host, these new neurons can have profound effects. For example, in the visual cortex, such neurons induce a second critical period of activity-dependent plasticity when they reach the appropriate stage of development. The cellular mechanism by which these transplanted GABAergic interneurons induce plasticity is unknown. Here, we show that transplanted interneurons that are unable to fill synaptic vesicles with GABA migrate and integrate into the host circuit, but they do not induce a second period of plasticity. These data suggest a role for the vesicular GABA transporter in transplantation-mediated plasticity.

A Mammalian enhancer trap resource for discovering and manipulating neuronal cell types

There is a continuing need for driver strains to enable cell-type-specific manipulation in the nervous system. Each cell type expresses a unique set of genes, and recapitulating expression of marker genes by BAC transgenesis or knock-in has generated useful transgenic mouse lines. However, since genes are often expressed in many cell types, many of these lines have relatively broad expression patterns. We report an alternative transgenic approach capturing distal enhancers for more focused expression. We identified an enhancer trap probe often producing restricted reporter expression and developed efficient enhancer trap screening with the PiggyBac transposon. We established more than 200 lines and found many lines that label small subsets of neurons in brain substructures, including known and novel cell types. Images and other information about each line are available online (enhancertrap.bio.brandeis.edu).

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13503.001

Scientists can track and even alter the activity of different kinds of neurons, as well as the connections between neurons, by manipulating their genes. However, most genes are active in many different kinds of cells in many different places in the brain, making it difficult to track or target only a particular neuron or brain area.

Enhancers are sections of DNA that can regulate the activity of nearby genes so that they are only active in very specific cell types, and an “enhancer trap” is a genetic approach that essentially hijacks enhancers to express artificial genes in those same cell types. The technique relies on inserting a genetic marker, which can be easily tracked, into random locations in the genome. If this marker then interacts with an enhancer, it is activated and the effect of the enhancer on gene expression can be assessed.

This method has been used in fruit flies and fish to identify enhancers that specifically restrict gene expression to a small subset of cells. Now, Shima et al. show that enhancer traps can be used successfully in mammals too. The experiments produced over 200 different strains of mice, many with the fluorescent marker only in specific brain areas or in specific kinds of brain cells. Some of the types of brain cells uncovered by these experiments are new, and the labelling of specific brain cells and brain areas in different strains makes these mice a useful resource for future work. Furthermore, it will be relatively straightforward to produce many more strains of these mice, because it would simply involve crossbreeding mice. It is likely that some of these to-be-discovered strains will be useful tools for research as well.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13503.002

Motor dysfunction in cerebellar Purkinje cell-specific vesicular GABA transporter knockout mice

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult mammalian central nervous system and plays modulatory roles in neural development. The vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) is an essential molecule for GABAergic neurotransmission due to its role in vesicular GABA release. Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) are GABAergic projection neurons that are indispensable for cerebellar function. To elucidate the significance of VGAT in cerebellar PCs, we generated and characterized PC-specific VGAT knockout (L7-VGAT) mice. VGAT mRNAs and proteins were specifically absent in the 40-week-old L7-VGAT PCs. The morphological characteristics, such as lamination and foliation of the cerebellar cortex, of the L7-VGAT mice were similar to those of the control littermate mice. Moreover, the protein expression levels and patterns of pre- (calbindin and parvalbumin) and postsynaptic (GABA-A receptor α1 subunit and gephyrin) molecules between the L7-VGAT and control mice were similar in the deep cerebellar nuclei that receive PC projections. However, the L7-VGAT mice performed poorly in the accelerating rotarod test and displayed ataxic gait in the footprint test. The L7-VGAT mice also exhibited severer ataxia as VGAT deficits progressed. These results suggest that VGAT in cerebellar PCs is not essential for the rough maintenance of cerebellar structure, but does play an important role in motor coordination. The L7-VGAT mice are a novel model of ataxia without PC degeneration, and would also be useful for studying the role of PCs in cognition and emotion.

Expanding neurotransmitters in the hypothalamic neurocircuitry for energy balance regulation

The current epidemic of obesity and its associated metabolic syndromes impose unprecedented challenges to our society. Despite intensive research on obesity pathogenesis, an effective therapeutic strategy to treat and cure obesity is still lacking. Exciting studies in last decades have established the importance of the leptin neural pathway in the hypothalamus in the regulation of body weight homeostasis. Important hypothalamic neuropeptides have been identified as critical neurotransmitters from leptin-sensitive neurons to mediate leptin action. Recent research advance has significantly expanded the list of neurotransmitters involved in body weight-regulating neural pathways, including fast-acting neurotransmitters, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate. Given the limited knowledge on the leptin neural pathway for body weight homeostasis, understanding the function of neurotransmitters released from key neurons for energy balance regulation is essential for delineating leptin neural pathway and eventually for designing effective therapeutic drugs against the obesity epidemic.

Cleavage of the vesicular GABA transporter under excitotoxic conditions is followed by accumulation of the truncated transporter in nonsynaptic sites

GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS and changes in GABAergic neurotransmission affect the overall activity of neuronal networks. The uptake of GABA into synaptic vesicles is mediated by the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), and changes in the expression of the transporter directly regulate neurotransmitter release. In this work we investigated the changes in VGAT protein levels during ischemia and in excitotoxic conditions, which may affect the demise process. We found that VGAT is cleaved by calpains following excitotoxic stimulation of hippocampal neurons with glutamate, giving rise to a stable truncated cleavage product (tVGAT). VGAT cleavage was also observed after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice, a cerebral ischemia model, and following intrahippocampal injection of kainate, but no effect was observed in transgenic mice overexpressing calpastatin, a calpain inhibitor. Incubation of isolated cerebrocortical synaptic vesicles with recombinant calpain also induced the cleavage of VGAT and formation of stable tVGAT. Immunoblot experiments using antibodies targeting different regions of VGAT and N-terminal sequencing analysis showed that calpain cleaves the transporter in the N-terminal region, at amino acids 52 and 60. Immunocytochemistry of GABAergic striatal neurons expressing GFP fusion proteins with the full-length VGAT or tVGAT showed that cleavage of the transporter induces a loss of synaptic delivery, leading to a homogeneous distribution of the protein along neurites. Our results show that excitotoxicity downregulates full-length VGAT, with a concomitant generation of tVGAT, which is likely to affect GABAergic neurotransmission and may influence cell death during ischemia.

The physiological roles of vesicular GABA transporter during embryonic development: a study using knockout mice

Background

The vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) loads GABA and glycine from the neuronal cytoplasm into synaptic vesicles. To address functional importance of VGAT during embryonic development, we generated global VGAT knockout mice and analyzed them.

Results

VGAT knockouts at embryonic day (E) 18.5 exhibited substantial increases in overall GABA and glycine, but not glutamate, contents in the forebrain. Electrophysiological recordings from E17.5-18.5 spinal cord motoneurons demonstrated that VGAT knockouts presented no spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents mediated by GABA and glycine. Histological examination of E18.5 knockout fetuses revealed reductions in the trapezius muscle, hepatic congestion and little alveolar spaces in the lung, indicating that the development of skeletal muscle, liver and lung in these mice was severely affected.

Conclusion

VGAT is fundamental for the GABA- and/or glycine-mediated transmission that supports embryonic development. VGAT knockout mice will be useful for further investigating the roles of VGAT in normal physiology and pathophysiologic processes.

Identification of a Smad4/YY1-recognized and BMP2-responsive transcriptional regulatory module in the promoter of mouse GABA transporter subtype I (Gat1) gene

GABAergic dysfunction is implicated in a variety of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The mechanisms underlying GABAergic differentiation, however, are not well understood. GABA transporter 1 (Gat1; Slc6a1) is an essential component of the GABAergic system, and its ectopic mRNA expression may be responsible for GABAergic malfunction under different pathological conditions. Thus, monitoring the transcriptional regulation of gat1 may help to elucidate the mechanisms that govern the differentiation of GABAergic neurons. In this study, we identified a promoter region that is sufficient to recapitulate endogenous gat1 expression in transgenic mice. A 46 bp cis-regulator in the promoter sequence was responsible for the stimulation of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) on gat1 expression in cortical cortex. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that Smad4 and YY1 are physically bound to the element and mediate both the negative and positive regulatory effects in which BMP2 can affect the balance. In summary, we have identified a Smad4/YY1-based bidirectional regulation model for GABAergic gene transcription and demonstrated a molecular cue important for the differentiation of GABAergic neurons.

Fluorescent labeling of both GABAergic and glycinergic neurons in vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT)-venus transgenic mouse

Inhibitory neurons play important roles in a number of brain functions. They are composed of GABAergic neurons and glycinergic neurons, and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) is specifically expressed in these neurons. Since the inhibitory neurons are scattered around in the CNS, it is difficult to identify these cells in living brain preparations. The glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) 67-GFP knock-in mouse has been widely used for the identification of GABAergic neurons, but their GAD67 expression was decreased compared to the wild-type mice. To overcome such a problem and to highlight the function and morphology of inhibitory neurons, we generated four lines of VGAT-Venus transgenic mice (lines #04, #29, #39 and #49) expressing Venus fluorescent protein under the control of mouse VGAT promoter. We found higher expression level of Venus transcripts and proteins as well as brighter fluorescent signal in line #39 mouse brains, compared to brains of other lines examined. By Western blots and spectrofluorometric measurements of forebrain, the line #39 mouse showed stronger GFP immunoreactivity and brighter fluorescent intensity than the GAD67-GFP knock-in mouse. In addition, Venus was present not only in somata, but also in neurites in the line #39 mouse by histological studies. In situ hybridization analysis showed that the expression pattern of Venus in the line #39 mouse was similar to that of endogenous VGAT. Double immunostaining analysis in line #39 mouse showed that Venus-expressing cells are primarily immunoreactive for GABA in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellar cortex and for GABA or glycine in dorsal cochlear nucleus. These results demonstrate that the VGAT-Venus line #39 mouse should be useful for studies on function and morphology of inhibitory neurons in the CNS.

Generation of diverse neuronal subtypes in cloned populations of stem-like cells

Background

The central nervous tissue contains diverse subtypes of neurons with characteristic morphological and physiological features and different neurotransmitter phenotypes. The generation of neurons with defined neurotransmitter phenotypes seems to be governed by factors differently expressed along the anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral body axes. The mechanisms of the cell-type determination, however, are poorly understood. Selected neuronal phenotypes had been generated from embryonic stem (ES) cells, but similar results were not obtained on more restricted neural stem cells, presumably due to the lack of homogeneous neural stem cell populations as a starting material.

Results

In the presented work, the establishment of different neurotransmitter phenotypes was investigated in the course of in vitro induced neural differentiation of a one-cell derived neuroectodermal cell line, in conjunction with the activation of various region-specific genes. For comparison, similar studies were carried out on the R1 embryonic stem (ES) and P19 multipotent embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells. In response to a short treatment with all-trans retinoic acid, all cell lines gave rise to neurons and astrocytes. Non-induced neural stem cells and self-renewing cells persisting in differentiated cultures, expressed "stemness genes" along with early embryonic anterior-dorsal positional genes, but did not express the investigated CNS region-specific genes. In differentiating stem-like cell populations, on the other hand, different region-specific genes, those expressed in non-overlapping regions along the body axes were activated. The potential for diverse regional specifications was induced in parallel with the initiation of neural tissue-type differentiation. In accordance with the wide regional specification potential, neurons with different neurotransmitter phenotypes developed. Mechanisms inherent to one-cell derived neural stem cell populations were sufficient to establish glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronal phenotypes but failed to manifest cathecolaminergic neurons.

Conclusion

The data indicate that genes involved in positional determination are activated along with pro-neuronal genes in conditions excluding any outside influences. Interactions among progenies of one cell derived neural stem cells are sufficient for the activation of diverse region specific genes and initiate different routes of neuronal specification.

Molecular mechanisms supporting a paracrine role of GABA in rat adrenal medullary cells

GABA is known to produce membrane depolarization and secretion in adrenal medullary (AM) cells in various species. However, whether the GABAergic system is intrinsic or extrinsic or both in the adrenal medulla and the role that GABA plays are controversial. Therefore, these issues were addressed by combining a biochemical and functional analysis. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), a GABA synthesizing enzyme, and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) were expressed in rat AM cells at the mRNA and protein levels, and the adrenal medulla had no nerve fibre-like structures immunoreactive to an anti-GAD Ab. The double staining for VGAT and chromogranin A indicates that GABA was stored in chromaffin granules. The alpha1, alpha3, beta2/3, gamma2 and delta subunits of GABA(A) receptors were identified in AM cells at the mRNA and protein levels. Pharmacological properties of GABA-induced Cl(-) currents, immunoprecipitation experiments and immunocytochemistry indicated the expression of not only gamma2-, but also delta-containing GABA(A) receptors, which have higher affinities for GABA and neurosteroids. Expression of GATs, which are involved in the clearance of GABA at GABAergic synapses, were conspicuously suppressed in the adrenal medulla, compared with expression levels of GABA(A) receptors. Increases in Ca(2+) signal in AM cells evoked trans-synaptically by nerve stimulation were suppressed during the response to GABA, and this suppression was attributed to the shunt effect of the GABA-induced increase in conductance. Overall Ca(2+) responses to electrical stimulation and GABA in AM cells were larger or smaller than those to electrical stimulation alone, depending on the frequency of stimulation. The results indicate that GABA functions as a paracrine in rat AM cells and this function may be supported by the suppression of GAT expression and the expression of not only gamma2-, but also delta-GABA(A) receptors.

Quantitative Chemical Composition of Cortical GABAergic Neurons Revealed in Transgenic Venus-Expressing Rats

Although neocortical GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) interneurons have been the focus of intense study, especially in the rat, a consensus view of the functional diversity and organization of inhibitory cortical neurons has not yet been achieved. To better analyze GABAergic neurons in the rat, we used a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) construct and established 2 lines of transgenic rats that coexpress Venus, a yellow fluorescent protein, with the vesicular GABA transporter. The brain GABA content from both transgenic lines was similar to the level found in wild-type rats. In the frontal cortex, Venus was expressed in >95% of GABAergic neurons, most of which also expressed at least one of 6 biochemical markers, including alpha-actitin-2, which preferentially labeled late-spiking neurogliaform cells. Taking advantage of the fact that Venus expression allows for targeted recording from all classes of nonpyramidal cells, irrespective of their somatic morphologies, we demonstrated that fast-spiking neurons, which were heterogeneous in somatic size as well as vertical dendritic projection, had relatively uniform horizontal dimensions, suggesting a cell type-specific columnar input territory. Our data demonstrate the benefits of VGAT-Venus rats for investigating GABAergic circuits, as well as the feasibility of using BAC technology in rats to label subsets of specific, genetically defined neurons.

Induction of Krox-24 by endogenous cannabinoid type 1 receptors in Neuro2A cells is mediated by the MEK-ERK MAPK pathway and is suppressed by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway

Neuro2a cells endogenously express cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors. CB1 stimulation with HU210 activated ERK and induced the transcription factor Krox-24. A functional MEK-ERK pathway is an important requirement for CB1-mediated Krox-24 induction as blockade of MEK signaling by UO126 reduces both basal and CB1-mediated activation of Krox-24. CB1 receptor stimulation did not activate either JNK or p38 MAPK pathways or the pro-proliferation phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. However, serum removal or blockade of PI3K signaling by LY294002 transiently stimulated basal Krox-24 expression and increased CB1-mediated induction of Krox-24. This was consistent with a transient increase in pMEK, pERK, and pCREB levels following PI3K blockade. These data demonstrate that CB1-mediated activation of the Krox-24 transcription factor is negatively regulated through the PI3K-Akt pathway and reveals several points of signaling cross-talk between these two important kinase pathways.

A shared vesicular carrier allows synaptic corelease of GABA and glycine

The type of vesicular transporter expressed by a neuron is thought to determine its neurotransmitter phenotype. We show that inactivation of the vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter (Viaat, VGAT) leads to embryonic lethality, an abdominal defect known as omphalocele, and a cleft palate. Loss of Viaat causes a drastic reduction of neurotransmitter release in both GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, indicating that glycinergic neurons do not express a separate vesicular glycine transporter. This loss of GABAergic and glycinergic synaptic transmission does not impair the development of inhibitory synapses or the expression of KCC2, the K+ -Cl- cotransporter known to be essential for the establishment of inhibitory neurotransmission. In the absence of Viaat, GABA-synthesizing enzymes are partially lost from presynaptic terminals. Since GABA and glycine compete for vesicular uptake, these data point to a close association of Viaat with GABA-synthesizing enzymes as a key factor in specifying GABAergic neuronal phenotypes.

The dual glutamatergic–GABAergic phenotype of hippocampal granule cells

Markers of the glutamatergic and GABAergic phenotypes coexist in developing hippocampal granule cells, and activation of these neurons produces simultaneous glutamate-receptor-mediated and GABA-receptor-mediated responses in their postsynaptic cells. In the adult, markers of the GABAergic phenotype and the consequent GABAergic transmission disappear but can be transiently expressed in an activity-dependent manner. Coexistence of glutamate and GABA in neurons from other regions of the brain is being discovered, and the possibility of these neurotransmitters being co-released gives the CNS a powerful computational tool. Although waiting to be confirmed by paired recordings, the hypothesis that glutamate and GABA are co-released from single cells is a valuable heuristic proposal in understanding the plasticity inherent to neuronal communication.

The mouse vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter gene: Expression during embryogenesis, analysis of its core promoter in neural stem cells and a reconsideration of its alternate splicing

The vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter, VIAAT (also known as vesicular GABA transporter VGAT) transports GABA or glycine into synaptic vesicles. To initiate an analysis of the expression and regulation of VIAAT during neurogenesis we have cloned and characterized the mouse Viaat gene. We find that the mouse Viaat coding sequence is encoded by two exons spanning 5.3 kb. A survey of expression by whole mount in situ hybridization of mouse embryos indicates that Viaat is activated early in neuron differentiation and is expressed widely within the developing CNS; however, we did not detect expression in the superficial non-neural structures that express the GABA synthase Gad1. Analysis of the Viaat promoter indicates that a minimal promoter region containing a CG rich sequence is sufficient for efficient expression in neural stem and precursor cells. Our analysis of the Viaat sequence and splicing does not support the existence of two Viaat isoforms as previously proposed [Ebihara et al., Brain Res. Mol Brain Res. 110 (2003), 126-139]. Instead, the alternative isoform Viaat-a appears to be due to PCR artifacts that have occurred independently in multiple labs.

Role of retinoid signalling in the adult brain

Vitamin A (all-trans-retinol) is the parent compound of a family of natural and synthetic compounds, the retinoids. Retinoids regulate gene transcription in numerous cells and tissues by binding to nuclear retinoid receptor proteins, which act as transcription factors. Much of the research conducted on retinoid signalling in the nervous system has focussed on developmental effects in the embryonic or early postnatal brain. Here, we review the increasing body of evidence indicating that retinoid signalling plays an important role in the function of the mature brain. Components of the metabolic pathway for retinoids have been identified in adult brain tissues, suggesting that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) can be synthesized in discrete regions of the brain. The distribution of retinoid receptor proteins in the adult nervous system is different from that seen during development; and suggests that retinoid signalling is likely to have a physiological role in adult cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum and associated brain regions. A number of neuronal specific genes contain recognition sequences for the retinoid receptor proteins and can be directly regulated by retinoids. Disruption of retinoid signalling pathways in rodent models indicates their involvement in regulating synaptic plasticity and associated learning and memory behaviours. Retinoid signalling pathways have also been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and depression. Overall, the data underscore the likely importance of adequate nutritional Vitamin A status for adult brain function and highlight retinoid signalling pathways as potential novel therapeutic targets for neurological diseases.

Gene structure and alternative splicing of the mouse glycine transporter type-2

The type-2 glycine transporter GLYT2 is expressed in glycinergic neurons and is involved in the termination of inhibitory neurotransmission at strychnine-sensitive glycinergic synapses. We isolated cDNA of a GLYT2 isoform, GLYT2a, from mouse brain, and found that it contains a coding sequence of 798 amino acids. We also isolated and characterized the mouse GLYT2 (mGLYT2) gene, which was found to be divided into 18 exons and spread over 55 kb. 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends analyses demonstrated the existence of another two isoforms, mGLYT2b and mGLYT2c, in addition to mGLYT2a. Both mGLYT2b and mGLYT2c would produce a protein eight amino acids shorter than mGLYT2a. Analysis of the genomic clones encompassing the 5'-exons revealed that the three transcripts arose from a single gene by alternative splicing. RT-PCR analysis indicated that all three mGLYT2 isoforms were expressed at high levels in brain stem and spinal cord. These data will be useful for investigating the function of GLYT2 proteins and glycinergic neurons by gene targeting experiments.

The SLC32 transporter, a key protein for the synaptic release of inhibitory amino acids

The SLC32 family comprises a single member: the vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter (VIAAT) or vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT). It belongs to a eukaryotic-specific superfamily of H(+)-coupled amino acid transporters, which also comprises the mammalian SLC36 and SLC38 transporters. VIAAT exchanges GABA or glycine for protons. It is present on synaptic vesicles of GABAergic and glycinergic neurons, and in some endocrine cells, where it ensures the H(+)-ATPase-driven uptake, and subsequent exocytotic release, of inhibitory amino acids. Despite a similar function in vesicular neurotransmitter loading, VIAAT is not related to the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT, SLC17) or the vesicular monoamine transporter/vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VMAT/VACHT, SLC18) proteins.

Structural and functional characterization of mouse glutamate decarboxylase 67 gene promoter

Neuronal expression of the mouse glutamate decarboxylase 67 (mGAD67) gene occurs exclusively in neurons that synthesize and release GABA (GABAergic neurons). This gene is also expressed in pancreatic islet cells and testicular spermatocytes. In order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of mGAD67 gene expression, we isolated and characterized the 5'-flanking region of this gene. Sequence analysis of a 10.2-kb DNA fragment of this gene containing a promoter region (8.4 kb) and noncoding exons 0A and 0B revealed the presence of numerous potential neuron-specific cis-regulatory elements. Functional analysis of the 5'-flanking region of exons 0A and 0B by transient transfection into cultured cells revealed that the region -98 to -52 close to exon 0A is important for the transcriptional activity of both exons 0A and 0B. In addition, we used transgenic mice to examine the expression pattern conferred by the 10.2 kb DNA fragment of the mGAD67 gene fused to the bacterial lacZ reporter gene. Transgene expression was observed in neurons of particular brain regions containing abundant GABAergic neurons such as the basal ganglia, in pancreatic islet cells and in testicular spermatocytes and spermatogonia. These results suggest that the 10.2 kb DNA fragment of the mGAD67 gene contains regulatory elements essential for its targeted expression in GABAergic neurons, islet cells and spermatocytes.