title: GABA(A)-receptor-associated protein links GABA(A) receptors and the cytoskeleton.
abstract: Type-A receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) are ligand-gated chloride channels that mediate inhibitory neurotransmission. Each subunit of the pentameric receptor protein has ligand-binding sites in the amino-terminal extracellular domain and four membrane-spanning regions, one of which forms a wall of the ion channel. Each subunit also has a large intracellular loop that may be a target for protein kinases and be required for subcellular targeting and membrane clustering of the receptor, perhaps by anchoring the receptor to the cytoskeleton. Neurotransmitter receptors need to be positioned in high density in the cell membrane at sites postsynaptic to nerve terminals releasing that neurotransmitter. Other members of the superfamily of ligand-gated ion-channel receptors associate in postsynaptic-membrane clusters by binding to the proteins rapsyn or gephyrin. Here we identify a new cellular protein, GABA(A)-receptor-associated protein (GABARAP), which can interact with the gamma2 subunit of GABA(A) receptors. GABARAP binds to GABA(A) receptors both in vitro and in vivo, and co-localizes with the punctate staining of GABA(A) receptors on cultured cortical neurons. Sequence analysis shows similarity between GABARAP and light chain-3 of microtubule-associated proteins 1A and 1B. Moreover, the N terminus of GABARAP is highly positively charged and features a putative tubulin-binding motif. The interactions among GABA(A) receptors, GABARAP and tubulin suggest a mechanism for the targeting and clustering of GABA(A) receptors.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90095, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Bedford
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Brandon
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D001692:Biological Transport; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005333:Fetus; D015870:Gene Expression; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C116741:GABARAP protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D005982:Glutathione Transferase