Mice with targeted genetic reduction of GABAA receptor α1 subunits display performance differences in Morris water maze tasks

Recent research has begun to demonstrate that specific subunits of GABAA receptors may be involved in the normal expression of specific behaviors. The present research used mice with GABAA receptors whose α1 subunits contained mutations of serine 270 to histidine and leucine 277 to alanine in the TM2 region. The purpose was an attempt to examine the possible role that this particular subunit may have in learning the spatial and nonspatial version of the Morris water maze task. Mutant animals, compared to controls, displayed elevated levels of pool circling in both the spatial task and the nonspatial task. These results suggested that normal performance of the spatial and nonspatial water maze tasks may be dependent upon a natural α1 subunit array.