The PVALB gene encodes parvalbumin, a calcium-binding protein primarily expressed in fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons. Parvalbumin-expressing neurons play critical roles in cortical inhibition, gamma oscillations, and synaptic plasticity.
| Attribute |
Value |
| Symbol |
PVALB |
| Full Name |
Parvalbumin |
| Chromosomal Location |
22q12.3 |
| NCBI Gene ID |
58160 |
| Ensembl ID |
ENSG00000100347 |
| UniProt ID |
P20472 |
| Associated Diseases |
Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Schizophrenia, Epilepsy |
Parvalbumin is a high-affinity calcium-binding protein belonging to the EF-hand family. It functions as a fast calcium buffer in:
- Fast-spiking interneurons: Basket cells and axo-axonic cells
- Muscle fibers: Type IIa and IIb skeletal muscle fibers
- Cardiac tissue: Certain cardiac cell types
- PVALB+ interneurons are particularly vulnerable in AD
- Loss contributes to network dysfunction and cognitive decline
- Altered striatal interneuron function
- Associated with motor and non-motor symptoms
- Consistent downregulation in postmortem brain studies
- Contributes to gamma oscillation deficits
- Loss of PVALB+ interneurons in epileptic tissue
- Contributes to hyperexcitability
High expression in:
- Cerebral cortex (layer 2/3, 4)
- Hippocampus (CA1, CA3)
- Basal ganglia
- Cerebellum (Purkinje cells)
- Spinal cord
- Parvalbumin interneurons in Alzheimer's disease (Loreth et al., 2022)
- Fast-spiking interneurons and brain oscillations (Bartos et al., 2007)
- PVALB in schizophrenia (Lewis et al., 2012)
- Baimbridge KG, et al. Calcium-binding proteins in the nervous system. Trends Neurosci. 1992
- Celio MR. Parvalbumin in mammalian brain. Brain Res Rev. 1999
- Deustch S, et al. Parvalbumin deficiency leads to reduced anxiety. Behav Brain Res. 2010
- Bialowas A, et al. Parvalbumin and calbindin in the hippocampal formation. Brain Struct Funct. 2021