This gene encodes a receptor for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. This receptor functions as a heterodimer with GABA(B) receptor 2. Defects in this gene may underlie brain disorders such as schizophrenia and epilepsy. Alternative splicing generates multiple transcript variants, but the full-length nature of some of these variants has not been determined. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2016].