Dear Colleagues,

In this era, our knowledge of GABAergic function has advanced beyond the description that GABA_A receptors are composed of 19 different subunit subtypes (α1–α6, β1–β3, γ1–γ3, δ, ɛ, π, θ, and ρ1–ρ3). Rather, we add to this the complexity that these subunits differentially express at certain sites in the brain where unique signaling pathways are formed, and meticulously regulate neurological excitability in epileptic and metabolic circuits. So far, hundreds of variants, monogenic mutations, and de novo mutations in the classical α, β, and γ GABA_A receptors subunits have been described in moderate to severe neurological disorders, in which GABAergic signaling seems compromised in tuning the inhibition of key circuits that maintain homeostasis of neuronal excitability. However, even more, latter transcriptomics studies of specific neuronal groups in less studied physiological states, such as the pathways that regulate energy homeostasis, have revealed the emergence of less conventional GABA_A receptor subunits that govern neuronal tonic inhibition at these sites. These observations paint a complex picture for the physiology of GABA_A receptors in the brain, where we cannot simply consider or isolate the contribution of a single type or class of receptor to a single type or class of circuit, or to a single type or kind of disorder or pathology.

The scope of the Special Issue is to bring together original research and review articles on GABAergic signaling on physiological and pathological conditions, thus summarizing and expanding our knowledge on signaling processes and networks in a variety of neurons in the brain. Highlighting new methodologies that will ultimately advance our understanding of the current state of cellular signaling processes in which GABA is involved.

Topics include but are not limited to:

• GABA_A receptor physiology and pharmacology
• GABAergic modulation of the excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain
• GABAergic signaling in developmental epileptic encephalopathies
• GABAergic signaling in inherited epilepsies
• GABAergic signaling in normal regulation of energy balance
• GABAergic signaling in metabolic disorders
• Therapeutic perspectives of GABAergic signaling

Dr. Ciria C. Hernandez
Guest Editor

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• GABAA receptors
• Inhibitory/excitatory balance
• GABAergic circuitry
• Epilepsy
• Energy balance
• Pharmacology
• Drug discovery
• Neurological disorders
• De novo mutations