GABAA receptors including those of the ρ-subclass are ligand-gated ion channels responsible for mediating the effects of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
[5][6] Native responses of the GABAC receptor type occur in retinal bipolar or horizontal cells across vertebrate species.
[17] In addition to containing a GABA binding site, the GABAA-ρ receptor complex conducts chloride ions across neuronal membranes.
Following stimulation by GABA, the chloride current produced by GABAA-ρ receptors is slow to initiate but sustained in duration.
Mutations in the ρ1 or ρ2 genes may be responsible for some cases of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa.