Giant ankyrin-G stabilizes somatodendritic GABAergic synapses through opposing endocytosis of GABAA receptors

WC Tseng, PM Jenkins, M Tanaka… - Proceedings of the …, 2015 - National Acad Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015National Acad Sciences
GABAA-receptor-based interneuron circuitry is essential for higher order function of the
human nervous system and is implicated in schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders,
and autism. Here we demonstrate that giant ankyrin-G (480-kDa ankyrin-G) promotes
stability of somatodendritic GABAergic synapses in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, giant ankyrin-
G forms developmentally regulated and cell-type-specific micron-scale domains within
extrasynaptic somatodendritic plasma membranes of pyramidal neurons. We further find that …
GABAA-receptor-based interneuron circuitry is essential for higher order function of the human nervous system and is implicated in schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, and autism. Here we demonstrate that giant ankyrin-G (480-kDa ankyrin-G) promotes stability of somatodendritic GABAergic synapses in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, giant ankyrin-G forms developmentally regulated and cell-type-specific micron-scale domains within extrasynaptic somatodendritic plasma membranes of pyramidal neurons. We further find that giant ankyrin-G promotes GABAergic synapse stability through opposing endocytosis of GABAA receptors, and requires a newly described interaction with GABARAP, a GABAA receptor-associated protein. We thus present a new mechanism for stabilization of GABAergic interneuron synapses and micron-scale organization of extrasynaptic membrane that provides a rationale for studies linking ankyrin-G genetic variation with psychiatric disease and abnormal neurodevelopment.
National Acad Sciences