Grik4 Antibody

Grik4 codes for the KA1 subunit of kainate-type ionotropic glutamate receptors which are critical regulators of network activity that act by modifying neuronal excitability, directly and indirectly, through GABAergic interneurons. Five subunits can assemble to form kainate receptors (KARs): GluR5 (coded by Grik1), GluR6 (coded by Grik2), and GluR7 (coded by Grik3) are the low-affinity subunits, and KA1 and KA2 are the high-affinity subunits. In the adult brain, KARs are located pre- and postsynaptically on pyramidal cells and on interneurons. Kainate receptors on GABA-containing interneurons enhance GABA release and thereby downregulate glutamatergic signaling. KARs have been implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders. Case control studies show significant association of Grik4 with both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Despite its predicted molecular weight, Grik4 often migrates at a lower molecular weight in SDS-PAGE.