gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit beta-like extracellular domain in protostomia, such as RDL (resistant to dieldrin)
This family contains extracellular domain of beta-like subunits of type-A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR) found in protostomia, similar to Drosophila melanogaster resistant to dieldrin (RDL) subunits. Drosophila melanogaster expresses three GABA-receptor subunit orthologs: (RDL, resistant to dieldrin; GRD, GABA/glycine-like receptor of Drosophila; LCCH3, ligand-gated chloride channel homolog 3), and may possibly form homo- and/or heteropentameric associations. GABAARs are known to be the molecular targets of a class of insecticides. The resulting pentameric receptors in this family have been shown to be activated by insect GABA-receptor agonists muscimol and CACA, and blocked by antagonists fipronil, dieldrin, and picrotoxin, but not bicuculline. GABAARs are abundant in the CNS, where their physiological role is to mediate fast inhibitory neurotransmission. In insects, this inhibitory transmission plays a crucial role in olfactory information processing. Bombyx mori includes three RDL (RD1, RD2, RD3), one LCCH3, and one GRD subunits. Its RDL1 gene has RNA-editing sites, and the RDL1 and RDL3 genes possess alternative splicing, enhancing the diversity of its GABA-receptor gene family. The three RDL subunits may have arisen from two duplication events.