Multiple benzodiazepine receptor complexes: some benzodiazepine recognition sites are coupled to GABA receptors and ionophores.

Certain benzodiazepine receptors may be associated in different ways with GABA receptors and/or ion recognition sites, to yield multiple receptor complexes. The benzodiazepine recognition site may be the same in all of the complexes. The different elements of the complexes almost certainly interact allosterically (Fig. 5). Different benzodiazepine receptor complexes may mediate different pharmacological effects of these drugs.