Abstract

gamma-Aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunits (GABAA) can be divided into five classes, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and rho, based on sequence homology. We have used purified fusion proteins of the major intracellular domain of GABAA receptor subunits produced in Escherichia coli to examine the phosphorylation of these subunits by cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) and multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAM KII). Both PKG and CAM KII phosphorylated a purified beta 1 subunit fusion. Both of these kinases phosphorylated serine 409 within the beta 1 subunit; in addition, CAM KII also phosphorylated serine 384 as determined by site-specific mutagenesis. Fusion proteins of the major intracellular domains of the gamma 2S and gamma 2L subunits were produced. These proteins differ by 8 amino acids (LLRMFSFK). Both the gamma 2L and gamma 2S fusion proteins were excellent substrates of CAM KII. However, the gamma 2L fusion protein was phosphorylated to higher stoichiometry due to the phosphorylation of serine 343 within this 8-amino acid insertion. Both the gamma 2L and gamma 2S subunits were phosphorylated on common residues by CAM KII identified as serine 348 and threonine 350. These results identify specific sites of phosphorylation for CAM KII and PKG within GABAA receptor subunits, suggesting a role for these two kinases in modulating GABAA receptor function in vivo.